E. Mayne Hull (1905–1975)

A solid quick read

https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3424586.html

A WW2 submarine is brought millennia into the future to become part of a war between bird-men and fish-men (and they are mostly men, though a vessel crewed entirely by women does turn up three-quarters of the way in). The twentieth-century hero saves the day, but it's really not all that exciting.

A nice complexity of plot: ships from different epochs in human history are assembled to help destroy an enemy…that must not be destroyed. Different forms of physical & mental coercion are used to force compliance and almost succeed, until the only sensible course is implemented. The hallmark of van Vogt is his enabling us to see into the thought processes of someone relatively sane.

A short but interesting book. The title only alludes to part of what is going on in this quickly developing story.

I thought the book didn't wholly feel like Van Vogt, so I assume his wife Hull was a large part of the story writing. (According to Wikipedia, she was apparently his typist for his stories.) Still his usual fast pace of plotting and idea development was there.

Not a great book, but a moderately satisfying Sci Fi adventure.