From the tragic Marine Corps landing at Tarawa in 1943 that spawned the UDT "frogmen," to the beaches of Normandy, Kwajalein, Okinawa, and Korea, to the formation in the 1960s of the U.S. Navy SEALs, Fane takes the reader along as the men swim alone through mines and anti-invasion obstacles, treacherous reefs, and enemy machine-gun fire, scouting beaches and clearing invasion approaches before an assault. Also included are Fane's heart-stopping Arctic diving experiments in the 1950s and his pioneering development of submersible vehicles, mixed-gas scuba gear, and lock-in/lock-out operations with Navy submarines.

Originally published: New York : Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1956. Includes index.

The naked warriors -- The first demolitioners -- Baptism in an atoll -- Demolition drill -- The bloody sands of Normandy -- Fire in the hole! -- Push-button warfare -- Swimmer search at Saipan -- "Welcome, Marines!" -- Surprise attack -- Peleliu-Portal to the Philippines -- The Navy returns MacArthur -- Through hell and high water -- Intrepidity at Iwo -- A thousand swimmers -- The blasting of Balikpapan -- Samurai surrender to naked warrior! -- Korean mines and guerrillas -- Over the horizon -- UDT submerges