My Dad was a 3rd.Class Gunners Mate. On the Essex. He would talk about Heroic acts of, pilots and Sailors and Marines. He was the only survivor of his original gunnery crew. During this fray, a live shell ejected into their turret. My dad grabbed it ran out of turret, with the explosive timer running down and with seconds to spare threw it over board. Their turret was above the Captains bridge. He was put in for a medal by his Chief, but later CV9 was hit by kamakazi during another battle and he had, been sent below for water, and fowl weather gear. He woke to 2nd and 3rd, degree burns, on hands and faces, and dislocated knee and shoulder hanging partially on Deck below turret and and leg, and foot stuck, through access ladder. Torn metal, and huge hole where his turret, use to be. He was found, by damage control, and carried to sick bay...
Weapons are hell on fragile humans. I caught some shrapnel My picture doesnt show one side of my face. Im curious how your dad managed his memories. Thanks for your story
I dove the Sankisan Maru in 2023. Even 79 years later, the crater is impressive. What's left of the stern is some 300 yards away from the rest of the wreck. It was tossed there underwater. The force to do that given the density of water is beyond impressive. If you are a Scuba Diver, Chuuk is a must vdive.
Wrecks, and pieces of wrecks, move across the ocean floor with massive storms such as hurricanes (even 100 feet down as we've witnessed locally). Are you sure the stern was thrown there vs. being moved there?
@@workingguy-OU812 From what I was told by the crew of the charter (SS Thorfinn), the Chuukese at The Truk Stop and Truk Blue Lagoon Resort that I chatted with, and the looks of the site, I'm going to say that it was indeed the force of the explosion that tossed the stern. The remaining stern was kind of buried in the sand. I can understand and agree with your question regarding storms moving ship/parts of ships. The best examples that substantiate that are the USS Spiegel Grove - originally lying on it's starboard side when it was sunk and is now upright. Also, the USS Oriskany was originally upright and now has (I believe) a 5-6 degree list to port and is now mostly outside the recreational dive limits. If you're a diver, Chuuk is worth the trip.
@@MrRobertjparsons Yeah i dont get why he claims it was pushed under water, when torpedo hit raised the bow up and following detonation of epic proportions blew it even higher while displacing water from the shock and given the bows shape made it to sweep the remaining water out of the way, essentially ramping top of the water and if not outright flying, skipping top of the water into near the location it was found. Of course massive storms could have moved the bow, but since the crater is still there, that indicates there were not a lot movement in the ocean floor, so i suspect the how has not moved much if not at all.
The quality of your videos has steadily gotten better and better. You've made great improvement in slowing down and pronouncing your words clearly and I'm very impressed. Keep up the great work.
Something that gets glanced over. This was, at the time, the largest carrier force the world had ever seen. 3x more powerful than the force that attacked Pearl Harbor. And from the US’s point of view, this was just a warm up. A practice run for their new fleet carrier doctrines.
My Dad talked a lot about this battle. I don't know how may times he told me about it, but I always listened like it was the first time I'd heard it. I miss him and all of his WW II stories. It was cool to hear his destroyer (USS Burns, DD-588) mentioned three times in this video.
I'm curious about the citation for the Capt of the Burns dropping depth charges on the survivors of CH-24 as I can't find anything in a quick search online about that specific part. Did he ever mention anything about that?
13 years ago, I spent 10 months on Chuuk (it is no longer called Truk and reverted back to the name given to it by the natives) as a volunteer teacher, and I didn’t know the extensive WWII history until then. I never went diving, but I snorkeled a shallower shipwreck as well as the wreck of a Zero that had been shot down into the lagoon. But what I found more fascinating was all the remains of the Japanese bunkers all over the islands that I got to explore, including one that had the remains of an anti-aircraft gun in it. I’d say this experience really jumpstarted my fascination with WWII history and likely led me to this channel.
My 6th grade teacher spent several years there teaching and had much the same experience roaming the island in his spare time.... He spent several hours telling Us (His Students) about his adventures there....
Thank you. Millions more “young people “ need to re-awaken US history to learn what the saying that “Freedom isn’t Free”, really means. I am a Baby Boomer that was raised by and constantly around, WWII veterans and civilians who lived the war every day of its existence. Because I am so grateful and enamored by the greatest generation, my sons also have an appreciation for the sacrifices made on their behalf. Now as a 4th generation beyond those war years begin to take leadership roles in our world, I see how ideals worth living by are being forgotten, and likely never learned in the first place. As a nation we were admired around the world. We were strong, righteous, generous, and demonstrated a moral compass emulated on a global scale.
And the diving there is Incredible. Been there twice diving on the wrecks :) There is still pavment where the runway was on Etten island but the jungle has overgrown the airstip along with the rest of the island and the main building that was made of concreate is still there but bombed out.
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My grandparents worked for the fed living there after the war. My grandmother was the first US postmaster gen. there. My parents were missionaries there in the 70s. But then we moved to Guam in 1976. Lots of rusted ships still then but most that were above the waterline have rusted away. There was a bomb crater on Pisawee full of water. That was neat to see.
Right on! My dad was a Submariner in the 60's in old WWII diesel boats. I got to hear two of his boats, GATO CLASS subs, mentioned in some of these great short stories about our, greatest generation. His boats were USS SEA OWL USS CORPORAL. Makes the story so much more real and sometimes hard to watch. But they chose to protect us and this great nation. Only not only great because of them, but because they loved this country and what it used to stand for. Sorry for the rant at the end. Good Bless all who served!! As well as all who may!!
My Dad served on the South Dakota. Battleship X. Amazing how so many of us out here have so much in common. Parents and Grandparents that served during the war.
The F6F was a very under-rated fighter of the day. Its engineering was way ahead of many of the other fighters of the day. They were SOLID. Their pilots loved them
I'm another diver fortunate enough to have spent 3 weeks exploring the wrecks at Chuuk (you need to plan a decent lengthed stay as it take a long 2 days to get there, 2 days to get home!). It's Japan's version of Scapa Flow, which a s a Brit Ive died extensively, but unlike Scapa, no salvaging has ever been carried out of the Chuuk wrecks, it would be too expensive to ship the salvage anywhere to sell it. Apart from yhe marine growth turning the wrecks into reefs, they are as they were when they sank, including the occasional bone or a skull still fused to a deck head as a result of the explosion that killed the sailor. Also, unusually for this type of war ship wreck, they aren't protected as War Graves, permitting diving on them. The water is so clear in the Lagoon that surface marker buoys aren't needed for dive boatsbto locate each dive boat, instead they triangulate from shore points to find the approximate location then just look from the front until the wreck appears! There are wrecks as shallow as 3-6m, down to 60m, not just war ships & the lighters that served them, but also planes. I'm a Merchant Mariner and could see in a number of vessels that notmal operations were underway when the attack started, Lighters heading out with fuel hoses prepared to bunker a vessel, in Engine rooms, generators & pumps oartial stripped down for maintenance, nuts having been replaced on studs once components had been disassembled for work, showing that the disassembly wasn't a result of the explosion, telling me engineers were obliviously doing maintenance tasks I've done myself hundreds of times, that wouldn't have been continued in an emergency situation, & no signs of more than one engineer working to finish an overhaul to allow the vessel to get underway (how do I know? Only 1 skull fussed to the deckhead abive the partially disassembled generator, one set of tools scattered around, with parts laid outnoretty much as every engineer would have them for routine maintenance). They hadn't seen the attack coming but were just going about everyday tasks while they could.
My grandpa was on this ship. Drafted Army at the age of 39. Reported to Union Station in St. Louis. While standing in line for screenings a full bird Colonel counted off 12 men and said come with me boys. Gramps said he couldn’t because he was drafted Army. The Colonel leans down and says to him well son you’re in the Navy now so get moving. It probably saved his life and helped him avoid D-Day’s invasion. He was stationed in Guam with the second Yorktown known as the Fighting Lady as his home.
Assuming there will even be a reason for human fighter pilots to exist, it won't be long before AI personhood is recognized and a pilot COULD marry his or her tech "partner". Not that AI would want to marry a meatbag though. Talk about slumming.
My Grandfather Died In WW2. He Was A Sailor On The USS BRONSON 🇺🇸. It took three days for him to pass away from oil burns. My Mom was only three years old. We still have a few pictures of him. I do cry sometimes and I will never forget all the people that die from wars. Thank the Lord for what is in the future for all humanity. Pray 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏
My father served in WW2 on the USS Leyte. He was a pharmacist mate and later became a family physician. He always taught us about the Navy and about the dangers of authoritarianism. I think of him every day. Thanks for your post.
May your grandfather rest in peace. Heartbreaking to hear your story. My grandfather (Papaw) fought in WW2, he never spoke of what he saw. He, like your grandfather, was part of a generation of men that were what a man should be. Thanks for sharing
Dark Seas and all the Dark shows are full of history, and yes, they occasionally get something incorrect, but rarely! THIS is another great chapter in the WWII history!
In his book “Baa Baa Blacksheep,” Pappy Boyington was a prisoner on Truk, and he claims that in one of the videos, you can see him and his guards running for slit trenches.
One of the absolute best videos in the Dark series! This covers the an obscure battle, that while strategically pivotal largely remains outside the scope of all but the most knowledgeable WWII investigators. Superb script and visuals, stunning video and photographs of the events, and fantastic sequence of storytelling - this one is captivating and informative. This is a beautiful tribute to the valor and grit of the men that fought for this circle of land, and I particularly appreciated the portrayal of the heroic actions and unshakable determination shown by both American and Japanese warriors in this event. The momentum gained while fighting upon Chuuk Atoll would propel the engagements through Marianas and on to Okinawa. For those who fought for it, freedom has a flavor that the protected will never know.
Thanks for such a wonderful description of your adventures! If there hasn't been a major motion picture about this historic battle in WWII, there should be. I've always thought I knew something about Japan, having lived there and studied Japanese history in college. But geez, I never knew about this battle and I bet a lot of other folks haven't either. This is a great vid that I will recommend to all my friends and the comments visitors have written about snorkeling and diving are great too !!!
I was priviledged to participate in the RIT "Big Shot" of the USS Intrepid where she is tied up on the Hudson River in New York. The "Big Shots" are nightime time-exposure photographs where students and alumni "paint with light" using strobes and flashlights. The Intrepid is now a floating museum with many historic aircraft displayed on her flight deck, including a "Blackbird".
My Dad was an Electricians Mate on USS CABOT CVL28. Glad to finally see a documentary that makes mention of 4 of the 9 Light Carriers of the Independence Class. Cowpens aka The Mighty Moo. Cabot aka The Iron Woman also served in the Spanish Navy under the name of Dedalo until 1989 making her the longest serving. Cabot also had the famed war correspondent, Ernie Pyle, embedded with them. The first man on the moon, Neal Armstrong, conducted his carrier qualifications on Cabot.
Wow. What an explosion. To take out the nearby airplane too. I'm sure it was like a massive grenade with all the shrapnel. To leave a crater in the ocean 😮
yep, but the title mentioned that America's revenge bomb hit so hard that a deep crater resulted. So what sort of revenge bomb and what sort of crater can or could it leave. Or was this a result of the Japanese ships magazine exploding in particularly shallow water?
This may seem like a foolish question but if an aircraft is getting under way and lifting off the runaway and it's taken down, is that credited as a victory?? I guess it technically is in the air as soon as the wheels are off the runway..?? Just a crazy thought that crossed my mind when the narrator mentioned that the Japanese pilots and planes were caught by surprise and under attack...🤔
I seem to remember the USS Essex, the Thetis Bay and the Boxer from the early 60’s when we had the Cuban blockade. I was a Marine on board these ships as they were helicopter carriers and I was in a helicopter company. I also remember being on the USS FRANCIS MARION. We climbed down the nets for beach landings from that ship. I liked the helo’s the best. Floating around in landing craft pitching around up and down and breathing diesel fumes had a way of making you sick. By the time you hit the beach you would be so sick that you didn’t care if you got shot😅
It wasn't a US bomb that made the crater, it was the explosion of the munitions ship Sankisan maru that made the crater by blowing up so violently. But it was an indirect result of torpedoing the ship.
Thanks for this great video. s I moved to Japan in the 1990s to study Kendo at Shi Sei Kan in Meiji-Jingu, which is a tradional martial arts club in the central park shinto shrine in Tokyo. One of the senior teachers, Shichida-sensei was a sailor onboard the Yamato battleship in WWII. After it sank, the Japanese were rescued by a U.S: navy ship. Shichida said they were given towels to dry off, something to drink, and later food. Of all the people I met in Japan, Shichida was the most gentle. A fierce Kendo-ka, he had a heart of gold. I'm glad that America: and Japan re-established their connection as allies after WWII. My time spent in Japan is a memory I will always cherish. For anyone looking to visit Japan or live there for a year, there are many programs where the organization will find you work and a decent place to live. Pay for English teachers excellent, so that's a good place to start.
*_Admiral Raymond SPRUANCE_* is the *PATRON SAINT* of tin can sailors. And rightfully so. I was a _"Bubblehead"_ in the 80s. If I couldn't serve the the _Boats,_ I would have served on a destroyer.
It's got some great diving now! Dove there in 1980. My dad's brother was part of that attack. He was in the Navy, dad was in the Coast Guard and fought in the battle of Lyte Gulf.
At this point in the air there's no justification for Japan NOT having combat air patrols on duty as many hours as possible. It would've been prudent to have search planes doing reconnaissance to search for US task forces as well.
By this point in the war, Japan didn’t have even rough oil for their ships to defend themselves nor enough even to train pilots. If no enemy is confirmed, the burned fuel is simply wasted. The later effect of this was the Marianas Turkeyshoot that October. It still amazes me that they attacked us. They thought we would negotiate, when Yamamoto knew that would never happen
Use to be museum staff on the CV-11 USS Intrepid,The fighting I,great ship with great history,🫡 to those who served and were lost,thank you for your service
My Uncle was on the Bunker Hill but he never told me about this battle, The Bunker hills maiden voyage I heard was the same day Pearl Harbour was attacked. He had a large picture of the Bunker hill on one of the walls of his house but only mentioned about when it was hit by Kamikaze planes, about 350 men died. the Bunker hill was badly damaged and sent back for repairs.
@@Sirharryflash82 I read that somewhere, I was not stating a fact. my uncle did have the picture of the Bunker hill on his front room wall. The only thing he m He told me was that he had just left his watch position when the jap plane hit. So...
The info I have from TH-cam said the Bunker Hill was launched Dec 7 / 1942. Dec 7 is the day pearl harbor happened, I did not mean the same year. sorry for the confusion. I also worked for Bethlehem steel for 31 years but not during the war
Ronny the Ray Gun, one wonders what he would think about being the pilot of so many planes in so many battles Knowing what we know about Ronny, he would probably be proud
Those two days were not good days for the Japanese Air Force since they lost over 250 aircraft while the US Navy only lost 25. Oh they lost nearly 50 ships with 32 being merchant ships. By 1944 the cream of the Japanese Naval Air Pilots were gone and most of the Japanese pilots were new with little flight time.
Does anybody have citation for the description of the Burns's Captain dropping depth charges on the survivors of CH-24 as I can't find anything in a quick search online about that specific part.
In the bucket list to many a Divers , Truk. History has kept this Diver from going there , carnage happened there . 2024 & were still Fighting Evil. it will never end .
They refused to surrender. They refused rescue when given every opportunity. They intended to swim back to Truk to continue the fight. Thus they retained the status of enemy combatant by choice. This was a very sad outcome but absolutely not a war crime.
I wish reports on the ACES in their P-38's in the Pacific War. My Uncle flew his P-38 out of New Guinea. My Dad was 7 years old when my uncle flew (voluntarily) the mail route to pick up HEAVY RATINGS for after the War (Commercial Airlines) when his Gooniebird didnt get altitude from take-off of the runway when it crashed in the hungle at the end.
At 2.33 you say that two (Consolidated) PB4Y-2 (Privateer) took off but you show footage of two B-24 Liberators. The Privateer was developed from the B-24 but was a totally different aircraft most notable in having a single fin tailplane instead of the double fins of the B-24.
*This operation was America saying, 'We can take the fight to you and rewrite history.' The ingenuity behind exploiting Truk's radar weakness and the sheer audacity of this mission are mind-blowing. Pearl Harbor wasn’t forgotten-it was avenged in the most calculated way. What's your favorite story of tactical brilliance during WWII? Let’s discuss!*
Question...since they saved the oil storage tanks until last, why didn't they keep them for their own forces? Just curious, I know there must be a valid reason, right?
Circled earth at Diego Garcia 81-82 81 USS DIXON AS-37 79-81 USS FORRESTAL CV-59 82-84 Cruised close enough to fly a fallen shipmate to Diego Garcia for transfer stateside. Average loss of life per six months deployment on Carriers was five souls. 82 deployment we lost seven souls, until Valhalla Brothers, we have the watch.
by this point in the war the Zero was no match for the US planes nor were their respective pilots, but unfortunately the Japanese pulled most of their warships from Truk before the attack
So.... How did Lt Bridges and his aircrew die? From the explosion you said. Why wouldn't they have pulled up/out/over/around and so on, after dropping their torpedo?? I have so many questions about the Lt and his crew!! WOW, ANNNNND a sole survivor from the ships crew!! What did God have in store for him? Hopefully peace and tranquility, but probably not. ANYWHO LOVE YOU WORKS THANKS!! Good stuff good stuff!!!😎🤗 Yes I used Happy Hands Club, from Napoleon Dynamite, emoji!!!¡¡¡¡
Just a guess, but the shockwave for the massive explosion may have destabilized the plane in flight. It doesn't seem that they knew it was loaded with explosives, and therefore may have flown over the ship after dropping their torpedo. They would have been clear if it was not itself a massive bomb.
This is kind of off-the-wall but seeing those sunken ships in the lagoon got me thinking of some rock formations that we have here in the Mohave desert & other places around the word. There a lot of rock outcrops that are considered to be petrified dunes. Most of the rock here is sedimentary & when it's red, often it's because of iron in the rock. But there are some outcrops that are white to tan colored & they have a red area that is very dark as apposed to some that make a slow transition from tan to red-ish. There's been enough out of place artifacts found in the world, over time, in coal seams and solid rock to make me wonder. Could these red spots in the petrified dunes contain ancient metallic artifacts? Could they have contained them at one time and over the eons, they returned to the earth so completely that it's hard to determine one way or the other? Food for thought anyway.
My Dad was a 3rd.Class Gunners Mate. On the Essex. He would talk about Heroic acts of, pilots and Sailors and Marines. He was the only survivor of his original gunnery crew. During this fray, a live shell ejected into their turret. My dad grabbed it ran out of turret, with the explosive timer running down and with seconds to spare threw it over board. Their turret was above the Captains bridge. He was put in for a medal by his Chief, but later CV9 was hit by kamakazi during another battle and he had, been sent below for water, and fowl weather gear. He woke to 2nd and 3rd, degree burns, on hands and faces, and dislocated knee and shoulder hanging partially on Deck below turret and and leg, and foot stuck, through access ladder. Torn metal, and huge hole where his turret, use to be. He was found, by damage control, and carried to sick bay...
It’s a privilege to be able to read this.
Weapons are hell on fragile humans. I caught some shrapnel
My picture doesnt show one side of my face. Im curious how your dad managed his memories. Thanks for your story
I dove the Sankisan Maru in 2023. Even 79 years later, the crater is impressive. What's left of the stern is some 300 yards away from the rest of the wreck. It was tossed there underwater. The force to do that given the density of water is beyond impressive. If you are a Scuba Diver, Chuuk is a must vdive.
Wrecks, and pieces of wrecks, move across the ocean floor with massive storms such as hurricanes (even 100 feet down as we've witnessed locally). Are you sure the stern was thrown there vs. being moved there?
@@workingguy-OU812 From what I was told by the crew of the charter (SS Thorfinn), the Chuukese at The Truk Stop and Truk Blue Lagoon Resort that I chatted with, and the looks of the site, I'm going to say that it was indeed the force of the explosion that tossed the stern. The remaining stern was kind of buried in the sand.
I can understand and agree with your question regarding storms moving ship/parts of ships. The best examples that substantiate that are the USS Spiegel Grove - originally lying on it's starboard side when it was sunk and is now upright. Also, the USS Oriskany was originally upright and now has (I believe) a 5-6 degree list to port and is now mostly outside the recreational dive limits.
If you're a diver, Chuuk is worth the trip.
@@workingguy-OU812 It probably went airborne by the explosion,. Impossible distance under water unless by drift.
@@MrRobertjparsons Yeah i dont get why he claims it was pushed under water, when torpedo hit raised the bow up and following detonation of epic proportions blew it even higher while displacing water from the shock and given the bows shape made it to sweep the remaining water out of the way, essentially ramping top of the water and if not outright flying, skipping top of the water into near the location it was found. Of course massive storms could have moved the bow, but since the crater is still there, that indicates there were not a lot movement in the ocean floor, so i suspect the how has not moved much if not at all.
World’s largest unintentional torpedo?
The quality of your videos has steadily gotten better and better. You've made great improvement in slowing down and pronouncing your words clearly and I'm very impressed. Keep up the great work.
Agreed. Early videos, the narration seemed rushed. You're never speaking as slowly as you think you are. Much better now.
Pity about his poor choice of film clips. Grumman Hellcat fighters bear NO RESEMBLANCE to Grumman AVENGER torpedo bombers -------- just for starters..
Something that gets glanced over. This was, at the time, the largest carrier force the world had ever seen. 3x more powerful than the force that attacked Pearl Harbor. And from the US’s point of view, this was just a warm up. A practice run for their new fleet carrier doctrines.
My Dad talked a lot about this battle. I don't know how may times he told me about it, but I always listened like it was the first time I'd heard it. I miss him and all of his WW II stories. It was cool to hear his destroyer (USS Burns, DD-588) mentioned three times in this video.
I'm curious about the citation for the Capt of the Burns dropping depth charges on the survivors of CH-24 as I can't find anything in a quick search online about that specific part. Did he ever mention anything about that?
Thankyou for this video! Fabulous!
13 years ago, I spent 10 months on Chuuk (it is no longer called Truk and reverted back to the name given to it by the natives) as a volunteer teacher, and I didn’t know the extensive WWII history until then.
I never went diving, but I snorkeled a shallower shipwreck as well as the wreck of a Zero that had been shot down into the lagoon. But what I found more fascinating was all the remains of the Japanese bunkers all over the islands that I got to explore, including one that had the remains of an anti-aircraft gun in it. I’d say this experience really jumpstarted my fascination with WWII history and likely led me to this channel.
My 6th grade teacher spent several years there teaching and had much the same experience roaming the island in his spare time....
He spent several hours telling Us (His Students) about his adventures there....
Thank you. Millions more “young people “ need to re-awaken US history to learn what the saying that “Freedom isn’t Free”, really means. I am a Baby Boomer that was raised by and constantly around, WWII veterans and civilians who lived the war every day of its existence. Because I am so grateful and enamored by the greatest generation, my sons also have an appreciation for the sacrifices made on their behalf. Now as a 4th generation beyond those war years begin to take leadership roles in our world, I see how ideals worth living by are being forgotten, and likely never learned in the first place. As a nation we were admired around the world. We were strong, righteous, generous, and demonstrated a moral compass emulated on a global scale.
You should check out TheFatElectrician for fun and funny US Military History! 😊
Still one of the best channels on TH-cam!!
Only when he actually narrated the video and not that stupid
Was until it became so enamored of AI.
And the diving there is Incredible. Been there twice diving on the wrecks :) There is still pavment where the runway was on Etten island but the jungle has overgrown the airstip along with the rest of the island and the main building that was made of concreate is still there but bombed out.
My grandparents worked for the fed living there after the war. My grandmother was the first US postmaster gen. there. My parents were missionaries there in the 70s. But then we moved to Guam in 1976. Lots of rusted ships still then but most that were above the waterline have rusted away. There was a bomb crater on Pisawee full of water. That was neat to see.
My grandfather served on the USS Belleau Wood CVL 24 it was neat to hear his ship in this video.
Thank you to your grandfather
We owe a lot to our grandfathers Generation.
@theway3058 Yes, we do.
Right on! My dad was a Submariner in the 60's in old WWII diesel boats. I got to hear two of his boats, GATO CLASS subs, mentioned in some of these great short stories about our, greatest generation. His boats were
USS SEA OWL
USS CORPORAL.
Makes the story so much more real and sometimes hard to watch. But they chose to protect us and this great nation. Only not only great because of them, but because they loved this country and what it used to stand for. Sorry for the rant at the end. Good Bless all who served!! As well as all who may!!
My Dad served on the South Dakota. Battleship X. Amazing how so many of us out here have so much in common. Parents and Grandparents that served during the war.
The F6F was a very under-rated fighter of the day. Its engineering was way ahead of many of the other fighters of the day. They were SOLID. Their pilots loved them
Excellent weapon but it was the AVIATORS that made it what it was. Men like Kane, Thach and O'Hare.
I'm another diver fortunate enough to have spent 3 weeks exploring the wrecks at Chuuk (you need to plan a decent lengthed stay as it take a long 2 days to get there, 2 days to get home!). It's Japan's version of Scapa Flow, which a s a Brit Ive died extensively, but unlike Scapa, no salvaging has ever been carried out of the Chuuk wrecks, it would be too expensive to ship the salvage anywhere to sell it. Apart from yhe marine growth turning the wrecks into reefs, they are as they were when they sank, including the occasional bone or a skull still fused to a deck head as a result of the explosion that killed the sailor. Also, unusually for this type of war ship wreck, they aren't protected as War Graves, permitting diving on them. The water is so clear in the Lagoon that surface marker buoys aren't needed for dive boatsbto locate each dive boat, instead they triangulate from shore points to find the approximate location then just look from the front until the wreck appears! There are wrecks as shallow as 3-6m, down to 60m, not just war ships & the lighters that served them, but also planes. I'm a Merchant Mariner and could see in a number of vessels that notmal operations were underway when the attack started, Lighters heading out with fuel hoses prepared to bunker a vessel, in Engine rooms, generators & pumps oartial stripped down for maintenance, nuts having been replaced on studs once components had been disassembled for work, showing that the disassembly wasn't a result of the explosion, telling me engineers were obliviously doing maintenance tasks I've done myself hundreds of times, that wouldn't have been continued in an emergency situation, & no signs of more than one engineer working to finish an overhaul to allow the vessel to get underway (how do I know? Only 1 skull fussed to the deckhead abive the partially disassembled generator, one set of tools scattered around, with parts laid outnoretty much as every engineer would have them for routine maintenance). They hadn't seen the attack coming but were just going about everyday tasks while they could.
It is all quite grim. I feel for all of whom have lost their lives in this conflict.
The USS Yorktown that attacked Truk (CV10) was the rebuilt reversion of the ship. The original Yorktown was sunk at the battle of Midway.
My grandpa was on this ship. Drafted Army at the age of 39. Reported to Union Station in St. Louis. While standing in line for screenings a full bird Colonel counted off 12 men and said come with me boys. Gramps said he couldn’t because he was drafted Army. The Colonel leans down and says to him well son you’re in the Navy now so get moving. It probably saved his life and helped him avoid D-Day’s invasion. He was stationed in Guam with the second Yorktown known as the Fighting Lady as his home.
" Those Grumans are beautiful airplanes if they could cook I'd marry one "
LOL imagine if somebody said that these days OMG!
@@leen3158 Valid point indeed unless the plane was gay or trans or woke ..................
😂
Assuming there will even be a reason for human fighter pilots to exist, it won't be long before AI personhood is recognized and a pilot COULD marry his or her tech "partner". Not that AI would want to marry a meatbag though. Talk about slumming.
Japan: "Methinks I may have erred..." 🤕
My Grandfather Died In WW2. He Was A Sailor On The USS BRONSON 🇺🇸. It took three days for him to pass away from oil burns. My Mom was only three years old. We still have a few pictures of him. I do cry sometimes and I will never forget all the people that die from wars. Thank the Lord for what is in the future for all humanity. Pray 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏
My father served in WW2 on the USS Leyte. He was a pharmacist mate and later became a family physician. He always taught us about the Navy and about the dangers of authoritarianism. I think of him every day. Thanks for your post.
May your grandfather rest in peace. Heartbreaking to hear your story. My grandfather (Papaw) fought in WW2, he never spoke of what he saw. He, like your grandfather, was part of a generation of men that were what a man should be. Thanks for sharing
Dark Seas and all the Dark shows are full of history, and yes, they occasionally get something incorrect, but rarely! THIS is another great chapter in the WWII history!
I’ve spent a 5 weeks 5 dives a day diving Truuk. Amazing
One of your better videos. Thank you.
This is one of your best vids.
task force 38 and 58 are the same fleet the only difference is the commanding officer of the fleet . this was done to confuse the Japanese
Thank you, I was about to make that very point.
In his book “Baa Baa Blacksheep,” Pappy Boyington was a prisoner on Truk, and he claims that in one of the videos, you can see him and his guards running for slit trenches.
😂 he was quite the story teller. Maybe I'm jaded from the TV show but I can image him saying that 😂
February 17, 1943. The day this battle started was the day I was born in the island of Bermuda. I entered the world with a big bang.
😂
Don't tell me - you're Chuck.
the big bang in your family may have been 9 months before you were born
Thanks!
One of the absolute best videos in the Dark series! This covers the an obscure battle, that while strategically pivotal largely remains outside the scope of all but the most knowledgeable WWII investigators.
Superb script and visuals, stunning video and photographs of the events, and fantastic sequence of storytelling - this one is captivating and informative.
This is a beautiful tribute to the valor and grit of the men that fought for this circle of land, and I particularly appreciated the portrayal of the heroic actions and unshakable determination shown by both American and Japanese warriors in this event.
The momentum gained while fighting upon Chuuk Atoll would propel the engagements through Marianas and on to Okinawa.
For those who fought for it, freedom has a flavor that the protected will never know.
Thanks for such a wonderful description of your adventures! If there hasn't been a major motion picture about this historic battle in WWII, there should be. I've always thought I knew something about Japan, having lived there and studied Japanese history in college. But geez, I never knew about this battle and I bet a lot of other folks haven't either. This is a great vid that I will recommend to all my friends and the comments visitors have written about snorkeling and diving are great too !!!
I was priviledged to participate in the RIT "Big Shot" of the USS Intrepid where she is tied up on the Hudson River in New York. The "Big Shots" are nightime time-exposure photographs where students and alumni "paint with light" using strobes and flashlights. The Intrepid is now a floating museum with many historic aircraft displayed on her flight deck, including a "Blackbird".
Great episode. Thank you
My Dad was an Electricians Mate on USS CABOT CVL28.
Glad to finally see a documentary that makes mention of 4 of the 9 Light Carriers of the Independence Class.
Cowpens aka The Mighty Moo.
Cabot aka The Iron Woman also served in the Spanish Navy under the name of Dedalo until 1989 making her the longest serving.
Cabot also had the famed war correspondent, Ernie Pyle, embedded with them.
The first man on the moon, Neal Armstrong, conducted his carrier qualifications on Cabot.
Japan should have listened to their General. "You have awoken a sleeping giant."
Thanks. A great documentary. As someone born in 1950, the aftermath of WW2 was what I spent some time on Guam back in the 1980s.
Wow. What an explosion. To take out the nearby airplane too. I'm sure it was like a massive grenade with all the shrapnel.
To leave a crater in the ocean 😮
yep, but the title mentioned that America's revenge bomb hit so hard that a deep crater resulted.
So what sort of revenge bomb and what sort of crater can or could it leave.
Or was this a result of the Japanese ships magazine exploding in particularly shallow water?
This may seem like a foolish question but if an aircraft is getting under way and lifting off the runaway and it's taken down, is that credited as a victory?? I guess it technically is in the air as soon as the wheels are off the runway..?? Just a crazy thought that crossed my mind when the narrator mentioned that the Japanese pilots and planes were caught by surprise and under attack...🤔
Technically, as long as it is off the ground, it counts as an aerial kill.
I seem to remember the USS Essex, the Thetis Bay and the Boxer from the early 60’s when we had the Cuban blockade. I was a Marine on board these ships as they were helicopter carriers and I was in a helicopter company. I also remember being on the USS FRANCIS MARION. We climbed down the nets for beach landings from that ship. I liked the helo’s the best. Floating around in landing craft pitching around up and down and breathing diesel fumes had a way of making you sick. By the time you hit the beach you would be so sick that you didn’t care if you got shot😅
It wasn't a US bomb that made the crater, it was the explosion of the munitions ship Sankisan maru that made the crater by blowing up so violently. But it was an indirect result of torpedoing the ship.
yep, the title is bullshit
If only there was and entire video on this attack and it explained that in more detail than you just did smh
Thanks for this great video. s I moved to Japan in the 1990s to study Kendo at Shi Sei Kan in Meiji-Jingu, which is a tradional martial arts club in the central park shinto shrine in Tokyo. One of the senior teachers, Shichida-sensei was a sailor onboard the Yamato battleship in WWII. After it sank, the Japanese were rescued by a U.S: navy ship. Shichida said they were given towels to dry off, something to drink, and later food. Of all the people I met in Japan, Shichida was the most gentle. A fierce Kendo-ka, he had a heart of gold. I'm glad that America: and Japan re-established their connection as allies after WWII. My time spent in Japan is a memory I will always cherish. For anyone looking to visit Japan or live there for a year, there are many programs where the organization will find you work and a decent place to live. Pay for English teachers excellent, so that's a good place to start.
16:30 for, "the bomb", that was actually a torpedo.sad that the air crew died.
That’s insane, I had to rewind and watch that again. RIP. What a way to go
I served aboard the USS SPRUANCE DD-963. Our moto, "The First and Finest". Our theme song, "Superman". Our inspiration, Admiral Raymond SPRUANCE!
*_Admiral Raymond SPRUANCE_* is the *PATRON SAINT* of tin can sailors. And rightfully so.
I was a _"Bubblehead"_ in the 80s. If I couldn't serve the the _Boats,_ I would have served on a destroyer.
gay
Spruance was a great admiral.
USS John Young (DD-973) - The Spruance with Class! -
OS2, 1980-84
@timdelvillar8063 Ht3. It's nice to meet a tin can brother.
I love this narrator
It's got some great diving now! Dove there in 1980. My dad's brother was part of that attack. He was in the Navy, dad was in the Coast Guard and fought in the battle of Lyte Gulf.
At this point in the air there's no justification for Japan NOT having combat air patrols on duty as many hours as possible. It would've been prudent to have search planes doing reconnaissance to search for US task forces as well.
They were on high alert for nearly two weeks after the recon aircraft by that point, so complacency set in & it cost them the battle
By this point in the war, Japan didn’t have even rough oil for their ships to defend themselves nor enough even to train pilots. If no enemy is confirmed, the burned fuel is simply wasted. The later effect of this was the Marianas Turkeyshoot that October.
It still amazes me that they attacked us. They thought we would negotiate, when Yamamoto knew that would never happen
Use to be museum staff on the CV-11 USS Intrepid,The fighting I,great ship with great history,🫡 to those who served and were lost,thank you for your service
My Dad was on USS COLUMBIA CL-56
There are a number of important missing details left out like the evacuation of most IJN warships leaving mostly supply ships there.
It is mentioned in the video watch it again
My Uncle was on the Bunker Hill but he never told me about this battle, The Bunker hills maiden voyage I heard was the same day Pearl Harbour was attacked. He had a large picture of the Bunker hill on one of the walls of his house but only mentioned about when it was hit by Kamikaze planes, about 350 men died. the Bunker hill was badly damaged and sent back for repairs.
The USS Bunker Hill was launched exactly 1 year after the Pearl Harbor attack and wasn't commissioned until May 1943.
The keel of the Bunker Hill hadn't even been laid down yet when Pearl Harbor was attacked. So...
@@Sirharryflash82 Yes it was. She was laid down on September 15 1941.
@@Sirharryflash82 I read that somewhere, I was not stating a fact. my uncle did have the picture of the Bunker hill on his front room wall. The only thing he m He told me was that he had just left his watch position when the jap plane hit. So...
The info I have from TH-cam said the Bunker Hill was launched Dec 7 / 1942. Dec 7 is the day pearl harbor happened, I did not mean the same year. sorry for the confusion. I also worked for Bethlehem steel for 31 years but not during the war
Ronny the Ray Gun, one wonders what he would think about being the pilot of so many planes in so many battles
Knowing what we know about Ronny, he would probably be proud
geez, I thought they were talking about Ronald Reagan, the former president.
Thanks for acknowledging Japanese military courage.
Enewetak is pronounced Ene WEE' tok. I lived on Kwajalein for five and a half years.
Those two days were not good days for the Japanese Air Force since they lost over 250 aircraft while the US Navy only lost 25. Oh they lost nearly 50 ships with 32 being merchant ships. By 1944 the cream of the Japanese Naval Air Pilots were gone and most of the Japanese pilots were new with little flight time.
My father served on the Intrepid. Brave men.
Love this story! Japan learned a lesson about what happens when you pull on Superman’s cape!!!
Does anybody have citation for the description of the Burns's Captain dropping depth charges on the survivors of CH-24 as I can't find anything in a quick search online about that specific part.
So, where is this "Revenge Bomb" you speak of? More click bait.
It was a torpedo that hit a merchant ship overloaded with munitions that detonated a good portion of it and created the crater mentioned in the video.
@@elonever.2.071 I know that. But, a "Torpedo" is not a "Revenge Bomb".
I swear that looked like Ronald Reagan flying a plane
It was, one of celloid warriors of WWII. He shed many Hollywood stream of blood during the war.
Ronald Reagan? The actor‽
@@solderingironofjusti Yes
That’s was George Bush.
@@Tryp-j9d Nice try.
I love it when the narrator pronounces the names of things completely wrong...lolol.
Love history. Thank You.
In the bucket list to many a Divers , Truk. History has kept this Diver from going there , carnage happened there . 2024 & were still Fighting Evil. it will never end .
I will have a cup of tea and a lie down....
🎖️🇺🇲🙏🏆⭐❤️🩹🛐
Thank you for sharing this
Really fine recount of this EPIC Battle. Thank you All, Sirs.
My dad was stationed north Guam,sea bee , keeping air field level for planes to land and take off
The smokers would never overcome the loss of the atoll
21:07 Dropping depth charges on survivors of a sinking sounds very much like a war crime.
GFY!!!
They refused to surrender. They refused rescue when given every opportunity. They intended to swim back to Truk to continue the fight. Thus they retained the status of enemy combatant by choice. This was a very sad outcome but absolutely not a war crime.
Is the giant crater in part II?
I wish reports on the ACES in their P-38's in the Pacific War.
My Uncle flew his P-38 out of New Guinea.
My Dad was 7 years old when my uncle flew (voluntarily) the mail route to pick up HEAVY RATINGS for after the War (Commercial Airlines) when his Gooniebird didnt get altitude from take-off of the runway when it crashed in the hungle at the end.
At 2.33 you say that two (Consolidated) PB4Y-2 (Privateer) took off but you show footage of two B-24 Liberators.
The Privateer was developed from the B-24 but was a totally different aircraft most notable in having a single fin tailplane instead of the double fins of the B-24.
I was wanting to see the crater!
At least the war had been declared unlike 12 7 41!
A crater in the ocean? Unless it was frozen by Ice-9, I don’t see how that would work
*This operation was America saying, 'We can take the fight to you and rewrite history.' The ingenuity behind exploiting Truk's radar weakness and the sheer audacity of this mission are mind-blowing. Pearl Harbor wasn’t forgotten-it was avenged in the most calculated way. What's your favorite story of tactical brilliance during WWII? Let’s discuss!*
What a shock, a narcissistic Admiral almost lost his ship and crew just because of his ego.
Question...since they saved the oil storage tanks until last, why didn't they keep them for their own forces? Just curious, I know there must be a valid reason, right?
FYI all my sound is at max . Can you turn up the volume on your end. Not very loud/ clear / Thanks.
I read one time that Pappy Boynton was a pow on the island at the time.
Navy tradition here, my Dad was a Naval Officer in 1947.
Circled earth at Diego Garcia 81-82
81 USS DIXON AS-37 79-81
USS FORRESTAL CV-59 82-84
Cruised close enough to fly a fallen shipmate to Diego Garcia for transfer stateside.
Average loss of life per six months deployment on Carriers was five souls.
82 deployment we lost seven souls, until Valhalla Brothers, we have the watch.
The difference between this and Pearl is that Pearl happened during peacetime by fierce cowards
"How the turn tables have!"-Michael Scott.
As they say, what goes around comes around.
One of my uncles was in the crew of the one one lost from the USS Yorktown
21:06 thats a hedgehog splash not a depth charge. Big difference between the two. It would have been very effective against the sailors.
Bruhseph has to be proportional.
The 'ammo' ship shown was the Graf Spee having blown herself up.
So many honourable Japanese vessels promoted to coral reef...
by this point in the war the Zero was no match for the US planes nor were their respective pilots, but unfortunately the Japanese pulled most of their warships from Truk before the attack
ty
Did I see President Reagan flying one of the planes?
Audio clipping... Check pre amp.
At 16:43 plus looks like the sinking of the Graf Spee . . . well, they were allies 😅
Can we get a few maps and diagrams?
I heard the sharks are still talking about the meals that went begging at Truck Lagoon.
It was a time when all Americans fought together without divide or political differences.
We need to return to that position.
Is it possible 🙏🙏??
So.... How did Lt Bridges and his aircrew die? From the explosion you said. Why wouldn't they have pulled up/out/over/around and so on, after dropping their torpedo?? I have so many questions about the Lt and his crew!! WOW, ANNNNND a sole survivor from the ships crew!! What did God have in store for him? Hopefully peace and tranquility, but probably not. ANYWHO LOVE YOU WORKS THANKS!! Good stuff good stuff!!!😎🤗 Yes I used Happy Hands Club, from Napoleon Dynamite, emoji!!!¡¡¡¡
Just a guess, but the shockwave for the massive explosion may have destabilized the plane in flight. It doesn't seem that they knew it was loaded with explosives, and therefore may have flown over the ship after dropping their torpedo. They would have been clear if it was not itself a massive bomb.
The USS New Jersey...an Iowa class battleship....wow
AND THE IOWA??? That's half of the US Navys Iowas...
Admiral Spruance was not known for reckless behavior.
Turner and Holin Mad did.
This is kind of off-the-wall but seeing those sunken ships in the lagoon got me thinking of some rock formations that we have here in the Mohave desert & other places around the word. There a lot of rock outcrops that are considered to be petrified dunes. Most of the rock here is sedimentary & when it's red, often it's because of iron in the rock.
But there are some outcrops that are white to tan colored & they have a red area that is very dark as apposed to some that make a slow transition from tan to red-ish.
There's been enough out of place artifacts found in the world, over time, in coal seams and solid rock to make me wonder. Could these red spots in the petrified dunes contain ancient metallic artifacts? Could they have contained them at one time and over the eons, they returned to the earth so completely that it's hard to determine one way or the other?
Food for thought anyway.
Must be good diving in Truk lagoon ....
The audio is so bad I can’t understand it.
The only losers of war, are the innocent young men that never get to come home. Mere chess pieces of the rich and powerful.
"MARU" was common for part of a Japanese war ship.
Maru translates to "CIRCLE".
Maru is standard Japanese usage for commercial ships, still used today.
@rickden8362 , Truth.
how does youtube justify cancelling war report in ukraine and isreal, when your free to show war vidios of 2 world war fighter planes in action??
History and currently are two different animals.