Maritime Command Pacific

About this book

"The Royal Canadian Navy crews that sailed the Atlantic during the early Cold War held a contemptuous view of their West Coast brethren, likening the Pacific fleet to a "yacht club" where sailors enjoyed a life of leisurely service on a tranquil sea. As Maritime Command Pacific demonstrates, nothing could be further from the truth. The first comprehensive history of the Pacific fleet from 1945 to 1965, it begins by exploring how Maritime Command Pacific (MARCAP) weathered postwar downsizing only to face rapid expansion in the wake of the Korean War. As Cold War tensions mounted, defense planning evolved, leading to joint US-Canadian naval operations and the development of the ALCANUS accord to protect the west coast of Alaska, Canada, and United States. David Zimmerman animates the lives of the men who served during this twenty-year period, recounting how they contended with drifting Japanese mines, joint US-Canadian training exercises, and the threat of Soviet submarines--all while patrolling a rugged coastline known, in part, as the "Graveyard of the Pacific." Along the way, he establishes that the Pacific fleet was definitely not a yacht club."--