Home
us military history
naval
world war 2
The Mighty A: The Short, Heroic Life of the USS Atlanta (CL-51)

The Mighty A: The Short, Heroic Life of the USS Atlanta (CL-51)

America's First Warship Commissioned After Pearl Harbor

by David F. Winkler

Imprint: Casemate

288 Pages, 6 x 9 in, 25 images

Hardcover
9781636245027
February 2025
Pre-Order

$34.95

Buy

Description
Contents
Authors
Praise

A comprehensive account of the USS Atlanta's construction, commissioning, and wartime service, highlighting her role in reshaping naval strategy and her bravery during World War II.

Prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Navy’s leadership discovered that the surface fleet was highly vulnerable to air attack, thanks to the introduction of drone aircraft that could simulate attacks on its warships. The Navy’s gunners simply did not have the coordinated firepower to knock them down. Recognition of this vulnerability resulted in a new class of warship led by USS Atlanta.

The attack on Pearl Harbor shocked the nation. Following the declaration of war, lines formed outside of recruiting stations as Americans desired to don the uniform. With Margaret Mitchell serving as the ship’s sponsor, Atlanta’s commissioning on Christmas Eve 1941 served as a rallying point for a country weary of bad news overseas. Some of those new recruits would find their way to Atlanta’s quarterdeck. For the capital of the Peachtree State, the ship was not only a source of civic pride, but a reason for many young men to join the Navy with the promise of assignment.

The commanding officer, Captain Samuel Jenkins, had just weeks to ready a group of nearly 700 sailors—the majority having no seagoing experience—into a crew that could effectively fight the ship in combat. Joining the Pacific Fleet in time for the epic Battle of Midway, Atlanta's guns would fire the first salvos in the vicious Naval Battle of Guadalcanal early on November 13, 1942. Heavily damaged by gunfire and torpedoes, Atlanta would be scuttled later that day, only hours after the tragic loss of sister ship Juneau (CL-52).

Atlanta was awarded five battle stars for her World War II service and a Presidential Unit Citation for her “fighting spirit” in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. This first comprehensive account of Atlanta’s war covers her construction, commissioning, and full war service.

“This microhistory of the birth, life, and death of an American cruiser offers valuable insight into the early years of World War II, including the procedures, processes, and personnel of the Navy, naval life, and naval warfare. The account of its loss in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal is particularly gripping.” ~Craig Symonds, author of "Nimitz at War"

"As a result of Dr. Winkler’s remarkably thorough research, this account is—and will remain—the definitive history of the doomed USS Atlanta. During the combat portions of the book, his narrative crackles with such intensity that it transports readers to the decks of the cruiser and puts them right alongside her officers and enlisted men.” ~Paul Stillwell, author of "Battleship Commander: The Life of Vice Admiral Willis A. Lee Jr."

"Emerging from the dense fog of popular myth and memory which has defined the historiography of World War II at sea, David Winkler’s The Mighty A: The Short, Heroic Life of the USS Atlanta provides a lively glimpse into the often-overlooked tale of the light cruisers which held the line during the tumultuous battles of 1942. Winkler avoids familiar debates of technology and tactics in order to focus on the lives of the sailors and the influence of American naval culture, which enabled the Atlanta crew to persevere in the darkest hours of the Pacific War." ~David Kohnen, author of "King’s Navy: Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King and the Rise of American Sea Power, 1897–1947"

"Winkler’s account is totally fresh, using original sources to tell the tragic tale of American sailors in those desperate hours of 1942 during the initial phases of offensive operations against the Axis enemy of World War II." ~David Kohnen, author of "King’s Navy: Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King and the Rise of American Sea Power, 1897–1947"