Night Raid on Truk cover art

Night Raid on Truk

Bill Martin, Joe Doyle, VT-10, and the First US Navy Nighttime Carrier Raid

Preview

Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Night Raid on Truk

By: Patrick Weadon
Narrated by: Ray Bader
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $22.99

Buy Now for $22.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.
Cancel

About this listen

On 17 February, 1944, as part of Operation Hailstone, 12 pilots and air crews of the USS Enterprise’s Torpedo Squadron, VT-10 took off from the deck of the USS Enterprise (CV-6). That was not unusual, men had been taking off from the decks of US Navy ships for two decades. The reason the 12-merit special attention is that for that for the first time, they were attempting to conduct a low-level radar-guided bombing attack under the cover of darkness. Previously there had been efforts by U.S. Navy pilots to conquer the night, but on 17 February, the 12 pilots who were catapulted off the deck of the USS Enterprise were attempting something unprecedented. The nocturnal raid was the culmination and bringing to fruition of an idea formulated by a true aviation pioneer, Bill Martin, whose overall creative vision, and inventive uses of technology, would mesh with the courage and bravery of his men to make US Naval and aviation history.

In 2009, Cliff Largess, one of the 12, at a Veteran’s Day ceremony in his hometown of Jamestown New York, noted “We took off in the dead of night… The results were spectacular…We had the evidence that night flights could be done successfully…The approach caught on, and within a year, most of the aircraft could fly at night. “We were the pioneers.” Indeed they were.

Night Raid on Truk covers the ground-breaking events of that night as well as the individuals, events, implements of war and technology that led to the success of the raid. In addition, it utilizes the oral histories of Martin, whose vision and hard work brought the mission to fruition and Joseph Doyle, one of the 12 pilots who participated in the raid to bring the events of that night to life.

©2022 Patrick Weadon (P)2022 Patrick Weadon
Military Transportation Aviation War US Air Force Air Force

What listeners say about Night Raid on Truk

Average Customer Ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.