The Coast Guard in World War I An Untold Story
By Alex R. Larzelere
236 pp., illus., ISBN 1557504768
Naval Institute Press
This work is covers a little documented era in US Coast Guard history.
With the painful merger of the US Lighthouse Service with the Lifesaving service in 1915 followed two years later by the absorption of the Coast Guard by the much larger US Navy, this was a difficult time to grow and adapt.
But adapt the new service did quite well.
The U.S. Coast Guard suffered the highest percentage of losses of any American armed force in World War I, yet until now the extent of the Coast Guard’s involvement in that war remains little known to the public. The author, an experienced Coast Guardsmen himself, makes extensive use of such primary sources as personal journals and letters, cutter logs, reports of commanding officers, personnel records, and interviews to compile this historic, first-time-ever account. To bring the history to life Alex Larzelere draws on his extensive seagoing background and fills the book with action narratives that document the heroism of men like Lt. Fletcher Brown, Warrant Officer Midgett, and their crews, who went to the rescue of ships torpedoed by German U-boats.The Coast Guard was transferred to the Navy when war was declared in 1917. A small service of less than 5,000, it was made up of highly experienced cuttermen, sorely needed for the U.S. Navy’s rapidly expanding fleet. This book describes the activities of the guardsmen and their units in the war zone and at home, from the time they were mobilized and transferred until the service was returned to the treasury department in August 1919. As explained by Larzelere, their many operations give readers a full appreciation of their contributions to the war effort.Alex R. Larzelere is a retired captain in the U.S. Coast Guard. A resident of Alexandria, Virginia, he is also the author of The Coast Guard at War: Vietnam, 1965–1975.Larzelere is to be commended for attempting to document this period. Unfortunately it appears the work was not adequately proof-read or were the facts checked. A number of annoying errors detract from the text and makes one wonder on other mistakes.
Here a few examples
Armored cruiser USS Albany claimed to mount 18-inch guns
St John's, Newfoundland misspelled as St John
Royal Navy Devonport Dockyard in Plymouth England referred to as Davenport
HMCS Shearwater misidentified as HMS Shearwater
Troop transport Northern Pacific referred to as SS & USS on the same page
Another annoying tendency is the author's continual quoting verbatim diary or letter entries of officers of the period. While informative, they do nothing to create a smooth flow to the text.
This work is given a "just missed" the mark as an important historical work. Hopefully with better proofing and fact checking, Larzelere's next work will be sharper. (DS)