Give Me a Fast Ship

Award-winning author, Thomas J. Cutler offers an in-depth and inspiring look at the truly heroic story of Ernest Evans and the crew of USSJohnstonduring the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944. The term “hero” is overused today, but the story of Ernest Evans and the crew of USS Johnston (DD 557) during the epic Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944 is one of true heroism that may be equaled but never surpassed in the annals of American naval history. Undaunted by a vastly superior Japanese task force bearing down on their ship, Commander Evans’ crew laid down a smoke screen, launched all torpedoes, and opened fire with the main battery of five, 5-inch guns, diverting the Japanese fleet’s attention from the vulnerable escort carriers under their protection. Evans’ courageous leadership earned him a posthumous Medal of Honor, and his indomitable fighting spirit made him a true legend in the U.S. Navy. This inspiring book offers an in-depth look at Evans, the Johnston, and the ship’s crew. Award-winning author Thomas J. Cutler relies heavily on interviews he conducted with surviving crew members, as well as his own experiences while serving as an enlisted man in a similar destroyer. Readers can almost feel the sting of salt spray on their faces as Cutler presents a gripping account of Johnston’s year of service, from her commissioning to her sinking off Samar in October 1944. Often reading like a novel, this is a fascinating and poignant history of not only the ship and the crew, but of her Native American skipper who—forced to retreat in the early days of the war—fulfilled his commissioning day promise to “never again run from the enemy.” Evans was a 1935 Naval Academy graduate serving as executive officer of the aging destroyer USS Alden in the far-off Asiatic Fleet when…