On Board the USS Boise in World War II: The Battles and Secret Missions of Light Cruiser CL-47

The story of the USS Boise (CL-47) is one of fear, loss, endurance, fame, triumph, and pain. The light cruiser endured a remarkable career through the entirety of World War II, with a redemption arc that took its crew from the position of scapegoats to heroes, and ultimately to the vanguard of America’s liberation forces.

One man, Donald ＂DB＂ Fitch, witnessed the entire conflict from his battle-station on the bridge. The ship conducted secret missions and fought at Guadalcanal, Sicily, New Guinea, and the Philippines. Through Fitch’s eyes, this book relives the terrors and thrills of naval combat along with the pranks, shenanigans, and the rumors that were the lifeblood of a ship through four years of war. Fitch and his friends fought for each other and their country, and in the end, they left their mark on history.

Ian Bertram is an Air Force pilot with an MA in military history from Norwich University, an MA in international security from the Korbel School, and has written for The Strategy Bridge and Small Wars Journal.