The first authoritative history of any of the more than 350 attack transports or attack cargo ships of World War II, Combat Loaded: Across the Pacific on the USS Tate contains gripping combat narratives alongside the sometimes heartwarming, sometimes tragic details of daily life on board the ships of Transport Squadron 17 during the waning days of World War II. Author Thomas E. Crew interviewed over fifty veterans of the Tate, including all her surviving officers. Crew weaves a rich tapestry of voices, combining it with extensive analysis of the Tate?s daily action reports and ship?s logs, accented by lively letters of the period from private collections?including previously unpublished accounts of the last days of famed war correspondent Ernie Pyle. Crew also presents a rare unit-level perspective of joint operations involving the infantry fighting ashore and the navy transports that sustained them with their vital combat cargo. The resulting richly illustrated work presents perhaps the most comprehensive account to date of the experiences and courageous contributions of those who served on amphibious transports during World War II.

This documentary sourcebook of actual U.S. war plans traces the nation's political and strategic goals from the contemplation of war against Japan and Germany in November of 1938 to Eisenhower's March 1945 plan for the defeat of Germany and the conquest of Japan. For the first time, the major strategic - e.g., ABC-1 and Rainbow 5 - and operational - e.g., Torch, Husky, Plan Dog, Fortitude, and Cartwheel - war plans of the U.S. military pertaining to WWII are presented in one volume. Ross sets each plan in its strategic and operational context with an explanatory and analytical introduction. For the first time, the major strategic and operational war plans of the U.S. military pertaining to WWII are presented in one volume.