The Secret Japanese Submarines that America Feared the Most
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ต.ค. 2022
- It was a balmy morning as the sun rose over the Pacific Island of Ulithi in late 1944. The Reveille rang strongly onboard the docked USS Mississinewa as sailors rushed to their posts, eager to fulfill their duties.
The great American tanker had been filled with oil and aviation fuel. It was prepared to embark on another mission to supply the war efforts against Japan in the Pacific.
With just a few months of service under her belt, Mississinewa promised a long and fruitful career. But as the sun peeked over the horizon, the ship and her crew had an abrupt encounter with destiny.
A massive explosion suddenly tore the tanker’s hull in half, and the sailors didn’t have a second to react before the flames reached the fuel tanks. An earth-shattering chain of detonations shook the ocean, lifting a series of terrifying water columns.
In just a few minutes, USS Mississinewa was swallowed by the sea…
Meanwhile, there was cause for celebration inside a Japanese submarine nearby. The crew heard the explosions and knew their torpedoes had struck true. They had also proved that their secret new weapon was effective and capable of turning the tide of the war.
It was the Kaiten, a manned suicide projectile steered by a Japanese operator until the moment of impact.
As the submarine crew reported sinking five American ships docked at the same port, the Imperial Japanese Navy immediately expanded the Kaiten program. However, their confidence was misguided…
As a tanker we used to joke and say if a solider were any dumber they'll make them an inflight sabot mechanic (sabot being a tank projectile). These guys were actually that. Man, it always surprises me how older men will find ways to outright murder younger men in war. A task they would not do themselves for whatever reason, mainly bullshit.
I’m shocked at how ineffective this was, but strangely not surprised by how stubborn they were about continuing with this
The Type 93 torpedo was very effective before 1943. After America discovered one at Guadalcanal, tactics shifted, and only one more US Navy ship was sunk with the Type 93. If the Kaiten torpedo had been deployed before 43, then it might have also had much greater success.
Operation Cherry Blossoms at Night with mark Felton comes to mind. Links allowed? The Japanese conceived of an attack on the United States through the use of biological weapons specifically directed at the civilian population in San Diego, California. Dubbed "Operation Cherry Blossoms at Night", the plan was to launch aircraft from five I-400 submarines near Southern California at night, who would then drop "infected flea" bombs on the intended target, in the hope that the resulting infection would spread to the entire Western seaboard and kill tens of thousands of people. The plan was scheduled for September 22, 1945, but Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945, before the operation was carried out
Main article: Operation Cherry Blossoms at Night
Sort of a draw as to call it a smart or stupid torpedo, they should have kept trying? LOL
but your country like japan.
Like he said, desperate
The human torpedo was not a new idea or even a secret. The Italian navy, in non-suicidal mode, used them since the First World War.
yup, HI Sutton has an article on that in his site.
The eyeties were very good in under war warfare
Water
If i recall correctly, the island had a detachable crew compartment that gave excellent visibility for the operator
Marco Menozzi
The Italians were masters of the explosive charge frogmen. Both manned "torpedo" and limpet mines
They had ships with compartments that the frogmen could enter the sea underwater, undetected.
The British had their own self propelled underwater vessels called the Chariot that enabled the seaman to ride the battery self propelled Chariot underwater and place a high explosive charge under ships at anchor. The idea was a timer detonation to break the ship at the keel.
Was tried unsuccessfully against the Tirpitz in a Norwegian fjord.
Did have some success later in the war particularly the much larger mini submarine size Mark 2.
I just chuckle hearing that one of the problems was a lack of attention to safety. Like in some dockyard a Japanese engineer is getting chewed out for not fitting seatbelts to his suicide torpedoes 😄😄
Lmao 😂😂😂😂
@@timothycreasy2161 I knew when I posted it I was being a dumbass but was literally powerless to stop myself 😄😄😄
@@davidhughes4089 No, you beat me to the punch.
They did fit seat belts to the kamikaze aircraft… (having the pilots fall out impaired accuracy).
I know, that was my first thought as well.
Many years ago, I read a book about a former kaiten pilot, a biography, according to him, one of his classmates was responsible for founding Indianapolis. He survived, because his Kaiten malfunctioned and did not detach from the mother submarine.
This sounds like my personal journey through life - These tactics born out of desperation ended up costing more than they gained.
Paraphrasing but still accurate.
I do believe this oil tanker was located at Ulithi atoll. My father in law was a crewman on a cargo ship in the same atoll the day this ship was sunk. On his third trip to this atoll he was then left at anchor while they gathered supplies for the main attack on Japan mainland.he remained there until the day the war ended.
Great video
The sub that sank the USS Indianapolis had kaitan on board but the captain chose to use traditional torpedoes instead.
These people were nuts
The True Believer sees/hears only what his superiors tell him.
You mean to tell me you wouldn't die for a nearsighted twirp?
Nuts? 100. Also respectable with the position the empire was in at the end of the war.
Why use footage from 1915 of the French battleship in the Dardanelles?
As always, another good Video Report. Thanks.
They failed to address safety… in the suicide subs lol….another great vid thanks
Sad that the sailors lost thier lives for
almost no military reward.
Can you do a video about Laffy(Benson class destroyer)
Mark Felton sorry wrong channel
The introduction contains all sorts of stricken vessels, battleships (Including the HMS Barnhum) aircraft carriers and the like. Really undermines the accuracy.
ところどころおかしな写真が混じっている。
Excellent presentation. To me, the *unhinged worship* of the Japanese emporer that produced so many enthusiastic suicide-mission volunteers is the most chilling part of the story ...mainly because this sort of celebrity-leader worship is rapidly on the rise today.
Can you imagine an army of suicide trumpers?😂
In the case of Hirohito it wasn't celebrity worship, it was Man-God worship. I believe he was the 124th Emperor in an unbroken line back to the very distant past.
The belief was that he through his ancestors were descended from their God, Jimmu, hence the Emperors title "Son of Heaven".
Until Hirohito took to the airwaves after the Nagasaki A-bomb attack to announce Japan's acceptance of Allied surrender conditions, very-very few Japanese had ever heard his voice, he was that removed because of his Godlike status.
That all changed with the post war Japanese Constitution where the Man-God notion died and the Emperor became just a figurehead, and basically the same dispostion as the Queen/King of England.
Hirohito was succeeded upon his death by his Son, Akihito, who is seriously contemplating retiring and stepping down, relinquishing his title as Emperor to his son whose name escapes me.
@@martypalmiere7672 I stand corrected regarding the Japanese emperor. I intended a wider observation --- how humans are so frighteningly susceptible to cult-like worship of celebrity-deity-leaders in their many forms -- and how this is a growing danger.
The Japanese also developed suicide boats and I hope you do a video on these. Thank you.
I probably won't spell this rite but, Shinyo boats. They were hard to hit because they moved so fast. I think Dark Seas did do a video on these
"...as sailors rushed to their posts, eager to fulfill their duties."
Why do you guys insist on showing battle footage that has absolutely nothing to do with the subject, all it does is confuse viewers as to what's pertinent and what isn't. My bonafides: 25 years USN (ret.)
Too much random footage in this video.
can I leave links?
Please don't show a battleship rolling over in place of a tanker.
Mr. Charles. You stole my thunder and took the words right out of my mouth. The asshole who runs this channel is notorious for showing footage that is totally out of context with the subject being discussed.
The FIRST kamikaze vehicles were Japanese mini submarines. They were used to attack Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 (and multiple other harbors over the next few months).
Those were not designed to be kamikaze units. They were midget subs with a crew of 2 and armed with 2 torpedoes, designed to sneak into harbours for hit and run attacks.
@@alainw77 you tell em aw.
Wrong
@@mikeholland1031 The Japanese command had zero expectations of their return. Only one member of the dozens of Ko Hyoteki crew survived their first mission (and that was because the submarine broke down).
@@allangibson8494 that may be so but the mini subs were different than the suicide subs. They found that one at the mouth of the Harbour at pearl so technically the US killed first on December 7th. Lol
The tide had turned long before..It was all a drawn out inevitable end..
The Russians will probably resort to these soon, except they will be Ladas or tractors, using a similar concept.
there's one displayed at pearl harbor
The fact is, if Japan had not used kamikazes, they would have experienced the same losses, but without any promise of success in the war.
The concept of suicide attacks was not based on the optimal use of materials, but on the fact that at some point, conventional attacks on the allies resulted in ever increasing casualties on the Japanese attackers, with ever dwindling results. The question was posed, what is the point in mounting an attack, if there are no tangible results, other than the loses of men and equipment.
Some spontaneous suicide attacks with highly successful results were already known. The birth of the kamikaze was in realizing, every planned attack was destined to cost many lives and a quantity of equipment with little to no results, but if a portion of those losses were highly effective suicide attacks, then the equation would once again be balanced, if not leaning toward Japan.
The ships at 0:40 & 0:54 ain’t of tankers.
Almost all of the video cuts have nothing to do with the story and are unrelated. Only a very brief video clip actually shows the weapon. All the torpedo video is of the type 93 and smaller torpedos.
oldest vid one year? wow
Interesting. Another documentary I watched showed clearly that there was not so much enthusiasm for suicide missions as is often stated. They were often given no choice.
Honestly, the original picture you used with the little sub strapped to the bigger sub, and the original title, were more enticing than this, I just didn't have time to watch it earlier....I wouldn't have clicked on this if I didn't figure it was the same video....
The first "smart" torpedos.
if they knew it was just a fuel tanker then they would board it to hijack
Eager to preform duties. Compelled I'm sure
I think it is a Japanese tradition,.... Death before dishonor.
And they could have been put in prison if they did not fight in the war, Especially in the 1940s
Usual multiple repetition of the same bits of video, over and over again, frequently irrelevant to the narration of course. It's a distinct feature of this channel's productions . . .
Hey at least the suicide bomber’s unit T-shirt would have great creative options lol …
Great show
👍👍👍
If this system wasn't at all effective, why does your title says it's what America feared the most? Your video didn't even go into what the Americans thought about it at the time, other than the post-war dry statistics.
I'm not going to die for Anyone PERIOD!!
YOU will do what yer told and YOU will LIKE it!
What would Jesus do??
What would Scooby Doo?
Your slip is showing
Heeey Macarena!!!
Secret and they were scared of it???!! Huh.
So sad... Concerned over safety protocol, when the operator was going to die anyways
I heard japan was askin for the bombs they got
I read that these young men were forced to do suicide attacks under threat of the lives of their families and they were not always “eager volunteers.”
I guess that’s true. Im only a hobbyist for history. Maybe one of you can confirm or correct me.
Not the Indianapolis? Huh.
Maybe you should have included a clip of the Titanic too. 😆😅😂🤣
They all wanted to die for their Emperor. We were there to help them with that!!🤔🧐😁💪💪🇺🇸🇺🇸
USS UNDERHILL (DE 682) was sunk by Kaiten in July 1945 after ramming one 112 men died
酸素魚雷
What if USA join the axis?
Cheaters never prosper.
The Japanese where genius a torpedo that was steered buy a guy would be more accurate and be able to hit more targets then un manned torpedoes .I would think so just who is going to throw their hand up to steer the thing .not it they would half to draw straws every kamikaze was In vane now we are friends with Japan amarica wouldent even think of being in war with usa or usa would never think of war with Japan.
Sort of a draw as to call it a smart or stupid torpedo, they should have kept trying? LOL
I tried to overlook the almost constant inaccurate and distracting filmography that is not even close to the subject … a complete waste of time.
Your an *****. Was he supposed to go back in time with a time machine to find more footage for this niche subject?
Japanese dying for emperor and Hitler propaganda are same at that time.
Psychopath's, and their dreams.