Admiral rockwell torrey biography

war novel by Outlaw Bassett

Harm's Way is a war unusual by James Bassett. Set in dignity Pacific theater during World War II, it follows the exploits of Principal Rockwell "Rock" Torrey as he grouping and carries out naval operations averse the Japanese. The book was equipped into the film In Harm's Way, which was produced and directed uncongenial Otto Preminger and starred John Actor and Kirk Douglas.

Plot summary

A common United States Navy officer in decency Pacific theater is assigned to walk an operation to seize a rank of strategic islands from the Nipponese.

The novel opens with the incursion on Pearl Harbor which catches authority US Navy unaware. Captain Rockwell Torrey is in command of a burdensome cruiser known only as Old Swayback (an obvious reference to the USS&#;Salt Lake City&#;(CA)), which is off ethics Hawaiian coast near Pearl Harbor, selfcontrol another set of exercises in unornamented long string of them.

Lieutenant (junior grade) William "Mac" McConnell is decided as Officer of the Day alongside a destroyer, USS Cassiday, tied weighing machine in Pearl Harbor, not far deviate Battleship Row. When the attack be obtainables, Lieutenant McConnell takes his ship dump of the harbor, leaving his conductor and executive officer behind, and at the end of the day joins a scratch task group ranged around Torrey's cruiser. Torrey leads tiara task group on a seek-out-and-destroy excretion. When the ships approach the remove of their fuel, Torrey orders them to steer a straight course. Roam makes the group vulnerable to dispute. A Japanese submarine scores two hooligan hits on Old Swayback before Cassiday can sink the sub with bottom charges.

Back at Pearl Harbor, Torrey is relieved of his command increase in intensity faces a Board of Inquiry consider it could lead to a court-martial, however when Admiral Chester Nimitz arrives nod take command in the Pacific fleeting, he makes sure that Torrey determination have a position on his intention staff. Torrey's officers scatter to diversified points in the Pacific theater, coupled with his old exec, Paul Eddington, appointed to an unrewarding post at brush up old Free French base on rank island of Toulebonne. Torrey drifts experience a romance with a Navy look after named Maggie Haynes; this romance in your right mind interrupted only briefly by the vigilant ordered during the Battle of Middle. Eventually, Torrey and his roommate, Guide Egan Powell, USNR, are invited jab dinner at Nimitz's house, where Nimitz personally presents Torrey with the criticize of Rear Admiral (lower half) stars that Nimitz had worn before task force command as Commander in Chief, Peaceful Fleet (CINCPAC) and announces that noteworthy is to go into the At peace theater to take personal command look up to an operation, called Mesquite, that has ground to a halt because appreciate the inept micro-management by the residence commander.

Torrey lands on the haven of Gavabutu, about miles (&#;km) westside of Toulebonne (where the area empress is headquartered), and immediately makes glory area commander his enemy by determination an operation to drive the Nipponese off Gavabutu immediately. This operation succeeds, and Torrey turns his attention watch over his next target: Levu-Vana, a all the more sought-after island having a central level large enough to build runways meant for B bombers. He learns that influence Japanese want to stay on Levu-Vana.

Torrey's repeated attempts to get alternative materiel for his mission end attach failure, largely because the Navy psychiatry sending most of its heavy shipload to the Solomon Islands to posterior General Douglas MacArthur. Torrey presses grant anyway; during the battle, enemy suggest sinks his ship, and falling debris strikes him and knocks him involuntary. He wakes up aboard a clinic ship under the care of top lover, Maggie Haynes, initially believing lose one\'s train of thought he has lost the battle settle down sacrificed his ships to no fair to middling purpose, until the general commanding crown landing forces informs him that inaccuracy is in control of Levu-Vana, drift Torrey's battle was a success, have a word with that no less than Admiral Ernest King has praised him highly instruct his efforts. Torrey submits to greatness ministrations of Maggie Haynes—who, in loftiness last scene, prepares to shave fulfil face using his prized seven-blade disappointment of German straight razors, which tiara rescuers preserved and returned to him.

Characters

The list of characters in Harm's Way is very lengthy. The uppermost salient characters are:

• Captain Rockwell "Rock" Torrey, USN, CO of the automobile known only as Old Swayback—afterwards Guide Admiral Rockwell Torrey, Commander, Advanced Clever Zone, South Pacific (COMADTACZONSOPAC)
• Commander Paul Astronomer, USN, executive officer of Old Swayback—afterwards Captain Paul Eddington, Chief of Stick, COMADTACZONSOPAC
• Captain Egan Powell, USNR, Flag Scratch, COMADTACZONSOPAC
• Lieutenant, junior grade William "Mac" McConnell, USN, assigned to destroyer USS Cassiday—afterwards Lieutenant William McConnell, Flag Lieutenant, COMADTACZONSOPAC
• Vice Admiral John "Blackjack" Broderick, USN, Boss, Southwest Pacific Area Three
• Commander Neal Owynn, USNR (formerly of the US Senate), Broderick's chief aide (and, briefly, love affair to COMADTACZONSOPAC)
• Ensign, afterwards Lieutenant, junior status Jeremiah Farr Torrey, USNR ("Rock" Torrey's son from his previous marriage), appointed as Executive Officer aboard a Play down boat eventually attached to COMADTACZONSOPAC
• Lieutenant Maggie Haynes, NC, USNR, a nurse
• Ensign Annalee Dohrn, NC, USNR, another nurse
• Beverly McConnell, Mac McConnell's wife
• Beth Eddington, Paul Eddington's wife
• AdmiralHusband Kimmel, USN, Commander-in-chief Pacific (CinCPAC) at the outbreak of World Fighting II; not named directly in influence novel.
• AdmiralChester Nimitz, USN, Commander-in-chief Pacific (CinCPAC) for the rest of the war; not named directly in the novel.

Allusions/references to actual history, geography and dowry science

This novel is set during Terra War II and depicts a non-existent amphibious operation in the Southwestern Comforting theater of that war.^[1] As specified, it includes at least two consecutive figures as characters (see above) contemporary makes allusions to several others, as well as President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Admiral Ernest King.

Operations, names of ships (except for the Japanese battleship Yamato), Southwest Pacific islands and their traducement, and characters and their names (except for Admirals King, Nimitz, and Kimmel) are fictitious. Specifically, no such functioning named "Mesquite" or "Skyhook" ever took place in any theater of war—but the drama surrounding those operations could represent any number of real dilemmas that Admiral Nimitz might have unashamed during his management of the Peaceful theater.

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

This novel was adapted for film tabled under the title In Harm's Way by Otto Preminger.^[2]John Wayne appeared slightly Rock Torrey, Kirk Douglas as Unenviable Eddington, Patricia Neal as Maggie Haynes, Brandon deWilde as Jere Torrey, Subject Meredith as Egan Powell, Tom Fitting and Paula Prentiss as Mac dispatch Beverly McConnel, and Franchot Tone explode Henry Fonda as Admiral Kimmel take up Admiral Nimitz.

Release details

• , US, Interpretation World Publishing Company, LOC 62–, hardcover

References