Clear the Bridge! Audiobook By RAdm. Richard H. O'Kane USN cover art

Clear the Bridge!

The War Patrols of the U.S.S. Tang

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Clear the Bridge!

By: RAdm. Richard H. O'Kane USN
Narrated by: Sean Runnette
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The story of Tang and her gallant crew ranks with the most amazing of naval history.

Between August 1943 when she was commissioned and her loss in fall 1944, Tang completed four missions and was on her fifth in the Formosa Strait, single-handedly demolishing a convey. During this time, Tang had one captain: Commander Richard Hetherington O'Kane. Together, Tang, her crew of 86 men, and her captain sank more tonnage and more enemy ships than any other submarine on active patrol.

Whether rescuing Navy fliers off Truk or stalking enemy convoys off Japan, Tang carried the war to the enemy with unparalleled ferocity.

©1977 Richard H. O'Kane (P)2020 Tantor Armed Forces Military Military & War Naval Forces Wars & Conflicts World War II War Submarine
Authentic Firsthand Account • Detailed Submarine Operations • Great Narration • Heroic War Adventures • Consistent Pacing
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Perhaps because I was in the submarine service I could almost put myself onboard the Tang. almost but certainly not like the brave crew aboard her. Never a braver bunch of men ever lived.

The top five books I've ever read or listen to

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I loved everything about this book. I was amazed at how much detail the author remembered and included in the story; then I realized I shouldn't have been surprised because he made it to the rank of Rear Admiral. I have read a number of books on submarines and toured a few WW II vintage submarines that are now museums, yet I still learned things about diesel-electric submarines such as the constant decisions the captain and other officers had to do such as how (when surfaced) how much engine power to devote to propulsion vs recharging batteries.

The narrator was great -- good pace and very consistent. I did note a few places where it was obvious some overdubbing had been done because the audio was somewhat inconsistent, but not to the point of being a significant distraction. I'm glad I also listened to "Undersea Warrior" about Mush Morton who commanded the sub Wahoo because prior to commanding Tang, Richard O'Kane had been Tang's Executive Officer, serving under Morton.

The Best WW II Submarine Book

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The Joe Friday approach, without any braggadocio is very refreshing. The honorable Navy officer doing his duty comes through loud and clear. Many kudos.

Great narration

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My favorite ww2 sub story from commander point of view. You get a good idea of the strategy used. Well read.

Best ww2 story

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Clear the Bridge by RAdm Richard O'Kane is a detailed account of his 5 war patrols on USS Tang.
Grab a pencil and a chart as he leads you through the encounters of Tang with Japanese ships both merchant and warships. You will get a white knuckle grip on your chair as he reveals the intensity and clear headedness needed to survive in combat. There is plenty of detail to chart Tang's progress and follow along with the tactics O'Kane implemented to sink ship after ship. Because of the limitations on WWII submarines due to design and engineering compounded by the requirements of torpedoes he shot to get a hit, Tang is maneuvered into really close quarters where the bearing rate and distance change rapidly. The book is long but so was the war for those who fought in it.
Reading the Appendix is well worth the price of this book. It is that good at making the case that the U.S. submarine force was instrumental in bringing Japan to an unconditional surrender in 1945.

A Real Thriller

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Great story and writing…superb detail and insight. Reading performance so-so - aggravating mispronunciations and an affected manner which made listening a struggle…advanced to 1.5x speed

USS Tang, Adm O’Kane

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I’m an avid reader/listener of naval submarine history. I was looking forward to this particular account of the heroic WWII adventures of the captain and crew of the Tang, one of the most remarkable submarines engaged in that war. The story itself did not disappoint. The narration, however, wasn’t in sync with the first person excellence and drama of the story. The narrator sounded either depressed or disinterested most of the time. His narration would have suited the reading of a manual or a legal document, but it didn’t reflect much enthusiasm for a real life, unique wartime experience. This must be one of those instances when a printed copy would be the better choice.

Great book lacking an engaging narration.

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An astonishing story that captivates from start to finish. Agreement with other reviews that the narrators emotionless monotone voice, spoken mater-of-factly, is never distracting enough to stop listening.

Straight forward telling of the story.

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You get the feeling you’re right there with them! Those battles must have tested the nerves.

What an amazing story of brave Americans!

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I originally read this book when it first came out in paperback and became a fan of all Submarine books. This is a MUST READ! In all of military history books! Dick O'kane is a legend in Submarine warfare. Tangs record of ships sunk in basically 4 patrols, with the 5th being mostly a lifeguard patrol has NO equal in Submarine history! Had Tang not been lost by the tragedy of her last patrol, she might have gone on to many more sinkings! O'kane and Tang were the best!

TANG was far and away the best of a great lot!

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