Destroyers at War: A Personal Retrospective of the Pacific Theater

In Destroyers at War Adm. James L. Holloway III, the twentieth Chief of Naval Operations, recalls his early life and service on destroyers during the final campaigns of the Pacific War in World War II. As the assistant gunnery officer in USS Ringgold (DD 500) and the gun boss on USS Bennion (DD 665), he took part in shore bombardment and anti-air radar picket missions during the assaults on Saipan, Tinian, Peleliu, and Leyte. He provides detailed explanations of how gunnery systems worked on small combatants as well as gripping accounts of combat events, including the climactic battle of Surigao Strait--the last battleship-vs-battleship clash in history--where a Bennion torpedo scored a fatal blow against the Japanese battleship Yamashiro.

This book also explores the relationship between Holloway and his father, James L. Holloway Jr.--the only father-son combination to serve on active duty as four-star admirals--and highlights the senior Holloway’s career as his son worked his way through the ranks. Holloway will be one of the last members of the Greatest Generation to publish a firsthand account of World War II.

James L. Holloway III, USNA Class of 1942, served on destroyers during World War II. His service was a springboard to a long and storied career as an influential naval officer, culminating in his selection as Chief of Naval Operations and an appointment to the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1974. Admiral Holloway passed away on November 26, 2019, in Alexandria, Virginia.

David F. Winkler, USNR (Ret.), holds a PhD from American University. He is an adjunct professor with the Naval War College. He was the staff historian with the Naval Historical Foundation and the Charles Lindbergh Chair of Aerospace History at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Winkler is the author of several books including America’s First Aircraft Carrier: USS Langley and the Dawn of U.S. Naval Aviation (2024). He resides in Northern Virginia.