I love this part of the story:

Despite his injuries, Simon quickly got to business. His first night back, he had twoconfirmed kills, and within a few days’ time, he’d succeeded in clearing the deck of critters. But one foe remained: A gargantuan rat the crew had nicknamed “Mao Tse-tung.” For weeks, the scoundrel had avoided traps and gnawed his way through sealed food. Simon would have none of it. When the cat finally met his nemesis in the storeroom, he pounced, killed it, and proudly dropped it by the mens' boots. From then on, the crew hailed him as “Able Seacat Simon” -- the first (and so far, only) military title ever given to a feline.

Shortly after the cat’s dramatic reemergence, a man named John Kerans arrived from Nanking and assumed the Lieutenant Commander post. A prolific cat-hater, Kerans was not enamored with the feline; despite Simon’s best efforts (mainly cuddling and bringing the man rats), he failed to win the new Commander over -- until the man fell ill. As Kerans lay seasick one night, Simon leapt into his arms; the two fell asleep together and any ill will was soon forgotten. Simon’s sleepiness would forge him many other friendships: The psychologically damaged crew found comfort in the cat’s companionship, and he’d often nuzzle beside them for mutual naps.

For three months, as AMS Amethyst lay stranded, Simon maintained his duties; soon the ship’s morale had improved enough to attempt an escape from the river. On the night of July 30th -- 101 days after the ship’s bombing -- Commander Karens and his semi-repaired ship set off to make the 104-mile dash to freedom. Miraculously, the boat made its way down the river unharmed, met a rescue ship at sea, and proceeded home.

Now that's a cat!

Yes, I've enjoyed the whole story twice!