Out Of The Smoke: The Story Of A Sail (1960) By Ray Parkin
 
The first volume of the author's trilogy, this is the story of the survivors of H.M.A.S. Perth, after she was sunk by Japanese forces in the Sunda Strait, following the allied defeat at the Battle of the Java Street in March 1942. Ray Parkin (1910-2005) was an Australian writer, amateur artist and historian. 
 
Out of the Smoke tells of Ray's experiences as Action Chief Quartermaster in HMAS Perth, which was sunk while engaging an overwhelming Japanese naval force in the Sunda Strait. Two cruisers, HMAS Perth and USS Houston, fought until their ammunition was exhausted. Thus defenceless and surrounded, sunk by four torpedoes and gunfire. It had been a night action, desperate and determined until the inevitable end. A small party of the survivors tried to sail a derelict lifeboat to safety, only to land at a port in enemy hands.
 
In his Introduction to the book, Sir Laurens van der Post describes Out of the Smoke as 'one of the great stories of war at sea'.
 
Hard Cover with Dust Jacket
310 Pages
In Fair to Good Condition- Dust Jacket has tears