On March 1, 1942, the USS Edsall, a WWI-era destroyer, vanished without a trace while on a mission to deliver Army Air Force fighter crews to Java. Despite the discovery of bodies later identified as Edsall crewmembers near a remote airfield on Celebes, the fate of the ship remained shrouded in mystery and potential obfuscation. "Upon a Blue Sea of Blood" delves into the enigmatic aspects of the Edsall's disappearance, aiming to unveil the full story of the vessel and her crew.
Through extensive research of historical records, including newly decrypted Japanese documents and undisclosed material from the crew's families, this book meticulously reconstructs the Edsall's history. It not only investigates the ship's mysterious final actions but also explores her pre-war exploits and the misleading narratives crafted by both the pre-war U.S. Navy and Japanese wartime propaganda.
Military historian Donald Kehn sheds light on the circumstances surrounding the Edsall's overlooked heroic service and its ultimate battle, rectifying decades of official indifference and offering a long-overdue account of bravery and tragic loss during World War II.
