Book Review CALL FOR FIRE
January 2nd, 2009 From
>Date: Thu, 05 Jun 1997 04:52:36 -0500
>From: Brooks A Rowlett
>Reply-To: brooksar@indy.net
>Organization: Apparently Not.
>X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.01Gold (Macintosh; I; PPC)
>To: “harpoon@lists.Stanford.EDU”
> “mahan@microwrks.com”
>Subject: Book Review CALL FOR FIRE
>Precendence: bulk
>Sender: mahan-owner@microworks.net
>
>The following Book review appeared on the MILHST mailing list (Military
>History) and is forwarded for your interest.
>
>-Brooks
>
>——————————
>
>Date: Wed, 4 Jun 1997 16:24:47 +0000
>From: “LT Robert A. Adamcik”
>Subject: Book Review: _Call for Fire_ (Long)
>
>Greetings,
>
> As promised, here is my review of _Call for Fire_.
>
>
>
> _Call for Fire: Sea Combat in the Falklands and Gulf War_
> By Captain Chris Craig, RN (ret.)
> Forward by General Sir Peter de la Billiere
> ISBN 0-7195-5453-5
>
> _Call for Fire_ is an outstanding, first hand account of
>British naval combat during the latter half of the century. Unlike
>Admiral Woodward’s _One Hundred Days_, _Call for Fire_ stays away
>from the biographical, and, instead, starts right into the action.
>
> In part one, CAPT Craig starts his account in the early morning
>of 02 April, 1982, the day of the Argentine invasion and, ironically
>enough, the day before he was to relinquish his command of his ship,
>HMS ALACRITY. From there, the author goes right into the details of
>fitting out his ship, the transit south with the HMS HERMES and
>INVINCIBLE, and the battle groups’ arrival in the Falkland IS area.
>
> For obvious reasons, CAPT Craig primarily focuses on the
>actions taken by his ship. Other key events, the sinking of the
>BELGRANO and SHEFFIELD for example, are mentioned only in passing.
>Using ALACRITY’s logs as source, CAPT Craig gives detailed accounts
>of his ship’s actions, such as the naval bombardment of Argentine
>positions around Port Stanley, and, most importantly, ALACRITY’s
>engagement of the Argentine naval transport ISLA DE LOS ESTADOS,
>the only ship-to-ship gun engagement of the entire war. He also pays
>special attention to the sinking of ALACRITY’s sister ships HMS ARDENT
>and ANTELOPE.
>
> The rest of part one follows the same way, until ALACRITY is
>sent home (and after CAPT Craig utters the quote I use as my sig
>line) in early June, 1982. Overall, part one is an excellent telling
>of what a ship’s Commanding Officer thinks as he sends his ship into
>harms way.
>
> Part two takes on a different tone as CAPT Craig, in December
>1990, is ordered in as Commodore in charge of all Royal Navy ships
>participating in Operation Desert Shield. His focus is now a much
>broader account of RN operations, specifically counter-mine
>operations, which was the primary mission of most of the RN assets in
>the Arabian Gulf before, during, and after the war. Other, non-mine
>warfare incidents chronicled are the sinking of several Iraqi patrol
>boats by RN Lynx helicopters, and the downing of an Iraqi Silkworm
>missile, shot at the USS MISSOURI, by the HMS GLOUCESTER.
>
> I greatly enjoyed this book. CAPT Craig writing style is very
>easy to read, and it is not dry at all. I highly recommend it for any
>serious scholars of either the Falklands or Gulf wars.
>
>
>
>
> Bob Adamcik
> LT USN
> prospective operations officer
> USS Merrimack (AO-179)
>
>”I am proposing to stay and fight until the bloody barrel drops off.”
>
> -CDR Christopher Craig, RN
> CO, HMS ALACRITY
> 07 June 1982
> off the Falklands IS.