By Christopher Miskimon

Lieutenant Commander Ernest E. Evans arrived at his new command, USS Johnston (DD-557) at the Seattle-Tacoma shipyard. The ship had yet to be completed; workers were still welding and riveting. Still, he thought the ship was beautiful, with its five 5-inch gun turrets, two quintuple torpedo tubes and clean profile. His job now meant getting the Fletcher-class destroyer ready for combat. When the ship was commissioned on October 27, 1943, Evans spoke to his assembled crew. His words to them were clear, unambiguous. “This is going to be a fightingship. I intend to go in harm’s way and anyone who doesn’t want to go along had better get off right now.”

Evans proved true to his word. He did not survive the war, though he earned a posthumous Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle off Samar on October 25, 1944. This biography reveals the man and his courage as a naval officer. The author is a known and accomplished Pacific War historian with several prior books to his credit. This one compares favorably with his established body of work.

Destroyer Captain: The Life of Ernest E. Evans (James D. Hornfischer and David J. Hornfischer, Caliber Press, New York, NY, 2024, photographs, notes, bibliography, index, $20, SC)

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