The Deadly Storm that Ambushed the US Navy in WWII: Typhoon Cobra
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On December 18th, 1944 Task Force 38, part of the Third Fleet of the United States Navy was overtaken by a violent typhoon during their campaign to retake the Philippines while under the command of Admiral William Halsey. Caught totally off guard, the fleet was in the middle of refueling. With several vessels critically low on fuel, the situation quickly became deadly.
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Sources:
Halsey’s Typhoon by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin: amzn.to/3svEhab
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Chapters:
00:00 Typhoon Cobra
2:38 Chapter 1: Task Force 38
5:34 Chapter 2: Missed Signals
11:06 Chapter 3: USS Monterey (CVL-26)
14:51 Chapter 4: USS Spence (DD-512), USS Aylwin (DD-355), USS Dewey (DD-349)
18:47 Chapter 5: USS Hull (DD-350), USS Monaghan (DD-354), USS Tabberer (DE-418)
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Thank you so much for watching! Let me know if you want me to cover move Naval history!
Nothing makes me happier than waking up with you and your weird ass funnel on a Saturday.
Naval history yes I would love to see something about the K boats from the first WW absolutely crazy idea of steam power for u-boats
It’s crazy that Hasley got off so easy after that catastrophe. Meanwhile, McVay, the captain of the USS Indianapolis, was court-martialed for failing to zig zag even though the Japanese sub commander testified that it would have made no difference. (I’m aware that McVay was later cleared but it was decades after he committed suicide; he never forgave himself.) But Hasley ignored all the signs of the oncoming typhoon in favor of distant forecasts and a couple holdouts which caused an immense loss of life and ships. It’s hard not to feel angry.
ahh McVay killed himself when he was an old man - 25 years after the sinking - hardly a correlation.
You do mean Halsey,
Right?
Captains are unfortunately more likely to be made scapegoats than Admirals…
So easy to armchair quarterback
Wow ! You’re like Einstein ! @@lowellstewart335
😊😊😊😊00000000😊😊
Admiral Hallsey's fecklessness about tropical storms makes him sound like the role model for the captain of the SS El Faro
Ain't that the truth. Sail smack dab right into the teeth of 155mph. winds.
@@user-qt4ee4nb1h only in this case, Typhoon Halsey had 160mph winds.
Lost my high school buddy Dylan on that ship
Lt. Comdr. Plage's level of apathy towards his orders will always be legendary to me. USS Tabberer's crew were the shining hope during this difficult incident.
Really like your train videos. But that hoody bro....😂
They shouldnt have been there in the first place !
LliylQ
Yeah the Tabby and her crew outstanding
yup. agreed!!!
Captain Marko Ramius said it right "...Halsey acted stupidly".
It certainly wasn't the first time he'd made questionable decisions that led to to unnecessary loss of life.
"Where is, repeat, where is Task Force 34? The world wonders...."
For example.
I've never understood why Halsey and MacArthur are both as revered as they are; they seem reasonably comperable in terms of flashy victories but plenty of boneheaded decisions in the interem
That's exactly the line I was thinking of, too!
In Halseys defense task force 34 was doing his job sinking carriers, sucks he got tricked into it.
@@fuckduncan3754 It's a relic of MacArthur having had his own PR empire to give him positive publicity, and American exceptionalism in the decades immediately after what they saw as their grand victory in the Pacific (With the substantial Chinese and Commonwealth efforts conveniently forgotten).
Post 1960s academic research has fortunately been able to erode much of the myths and get at the real truths.
My father spoke very little about the war. He was a 17 year old electricians mate on a troop ship. They basically rode the tails of the typhoon and it was bad enough that he expected to meet Davy Jones any minute. He said the worst part was that he was belowdecks trying to keep the lights on with his shipmates. He knew if the ship capsized he was done. When I was aboard a sub tender in the 80s we had to get underway for hurricanes and let me tell you, after riding the tail ends of those things, there is no way I’d want to be in the middle of one. Fair winds and following seas to the lost.
Cool story , thanks for sharing. I worked the crab boats in the Bering sea for a decade plus change and one thing we never wanted was following seas when coming in to offload in St.Paul. Search around and find some video of that if you are so inclined…. it could be the scariest place in the whole Bering sea.
@@guaporeturns9472 I assume a high following sea would swamp those crab boats from astern and cause all kind of nasty things to go awry? I figured from what I’ve seen of them the gunnel is usually only feet above the waterline, especially when you’re loaded and headed to port in ballast with dozens of heavy steel crab pots lashed to the deck? Even as a relative nautical novice I know There’s so much that can go wrong there I can’t even begin to imagine the scenarios that went through an actual Sailor like yourself’s head in those times.
@@J.R.in_WV There is a TH-cam channel but I can’t remember the name but dude has several videos of crabbers coming into St.Paul in heavy following seas.. you should try to find them. One of the boats was the FV Silver Spray I believe.. but not sure now. You should look for those of you want to see a scary spot and some damn good seamanship.. that’s a tough spot to be in. Edit: just looked , channel is called Boat Life. The good one (or bad) is the one with the FV Southern Wind
My mom was on the Emory S Land in the 90s and those tenders rode like crap in bad weather. They sortied for a hurricane and the boilers went down. So while the fleet took off two days prior to landfall, they were doing emergency repairs on it. Needless to say, by the time they got out of port the next day they ended up going right thru the Hurricane. Only time I have ever heard her say she was scared was during that. Said the whole ship would vibrate wildly as the waves were causing the screws to come out of the water. She did say they went up on deck and noticed a whole bunch of periscopes behind them. Apparently the sub squadron commander was worried enough about them that he had all the subs tailing them just in case. Ehhh. And that was like a category 2 storm, I couldn't even imagine what these guys went thru.
Yeah, the sea doesn't mess around. People assume if a boats big enough, they'll be safe. There was a massive cargo ship called the Derbyshire sailed into a Typhoon, the entire ship sunk in about 2 minutes and it was about 1,000 ft long. All the cargo hatches started to implode, that's why it sank so rapidly.
My father was aboard USS Dewey during the typhoon. He was an MMC at that time and sort of a troubleshooter or something for the fleet and Dewey was not his home. He told me the story of losing their mast, all radio ability, and the stack. After the stack departed, the ship road a lot easier since the wind no longer had that big stack to blow against.
Dad went on to be in the Battle of Surigao Strait and Okinawa. He had already done the Solomon Islands Campaign and was a member of "MacArthur's Navy". Two Purple Hearts for wounds received at Okinawa. He and my uncle joined in 1937. Dad retired in 1957. He did the Korean War, too.
Halseys Typhoon 🌀 #audiobook available on here 📚
@@DaveSCameron That is a great book. I read that years ago. It's the only way I know the actual name of the ship Dad was on because I don't remember him ever mentioning it. Just the stack story. I've only actually seen Dewey's stack ripped off in one story that was not about Dewey herself.
Your father was a brave man and a hero of the greatest generation. In his stead, I thank you for your father's service and I greatly commend all of the enormous sacrifices he made on his country's behalf. If only our country had even a fraction of the number of men today that had a fraction of the will, fortitude, and duty that men like your father possessed, I think we would be in a lot better of a place.
My dad was also on the USS Dewey as a radioman. He often told us the story of the Storm and how the Dewey rolled 80 degrees plus and then was righted. One of the yard arms was actually bent as if the hand of God pulled it back up. The crew received a commemorative certificate reading as follows -
80 Degree Rollers
To All New Believers:
Know ye that ___________________was a member of the U.S.S. Dewey (D.D. 349) crew when she was caught in the fury of a tropical typhoon on 18 December in 1944. On this date his Royal Majesty Neptune Rex put the ship to test before accepting her into that group of truly great ships of the Navy. The barometer dropped to 2730; the wind rose to 125 knots, and mountainous waves towered over the tiny vessel, causing a roll to starboard many times. At the climax the ship was subjected to a roll of 80 degrees plus, and the hatch of Davy Jones Locker opened wide to receive the sturdy ship and her gallant crew.
At this crucial moment when Neptunis was ready to take his new member below the raging sea, an Angel of the Lord came forth, righted the ship and watched over her the remainder of the mightiest storm in Naval History.
All hands witnessed the evidence of their salvation for the port yardarm was bent where the Hand of God had touched the ship.
@@markspencer3459 I never saw or heard of that card. Thank you for that.
Halsey was a glory hound, plain and simple. He also left other ships (Johnston, Sammy B, etc.) to pursue decoy carriers just so he could say he sunk them. His tunnel vision cost the lives of many in that instance, and here too because he was anxious to get back into the war. He got off way too easy.
My Father in law, Donald Fischer was in this Typhoon on DD348 the Farragut. He said it was a pretty rough ride with some scary moments when the ship experienced some extreme rolls during the typhoon. Don was a great man and lived until 2022 when he died at age 102. Thanks for this fine video capturing this historical tragedy.
My dad was a torpedoman aboard the USS Nehenta Bay (CVE-74). The Nehenta Bay lost 3 planes that were swept over the side. My dad suffered the rest of his life with bouts of PTSD, and I would bet Typhoon Cobra was one of the many demons haunting him.
Former President Gerald Ford probably had nightmares. I've heard a version with more detail than this video gives about his slide across the flight deck. He was grabbing at anything that he could. Just as he was going over the edge to the ocean his hands grabbed a rail, not landing on a platform. His brush with death was a bit closer to Davy Jones Locker.
I worked on Bering Sea crab boats during the '80s. 100 MPH winds were not uncommon, and one blow went to 150 MPH and tore off our anemometor. At times every approaching wave looked like a mountain that was coming to engulf the boat. Then there was another after that, and another after that, hour after hour. The skipper would stay at the wheel the whole time to steer over each wave. The groaning and shaking of a 130 foot Marco-built steel boat as it crests a wave has to be felt to be believed. It's scary until you get numb and exhausted from just hanging on. All respects to the iron men brave enough to sail in wooden ships.
Elcano // Magellan expedition those dudes sailed around the whole Earth in a wooden boat! Omg how did the boat move with the weight of their giant balls holding it down?
My father was on the USS Massachusetts and was in typhoon Cobra. He was an electricians mate and was told to go up on the 5 th deck and look at the waves. He said he opened the hatch to look and the waves were higher than the next few decks. He slammed the door and dogged the hatches. The fleet was ordered to scatter when it got bad. He was in CIC when they had to go full reverse to keep from broadsiding a carrier. Their float plane was swept away
Halsey and whoever he was listening to failed to use an established USN resource : Bowditch. Bowditch clearly states to immediately steer a course of 180 degrees to escape the path of a Typhoon in that hemisphere. And he ignored the Skipper of the USS Astoria (2) when he sent a recommended course change to 180. Dont blame the weather, blame Halsey and the Navigator he listened to. If he listened to anyone.
The problem is it’s easy to arm chair qb almost a hundred years later. You have to remember how bad naval weather forecasting was back then. They were barely able to confirm it was a typhoon before it hit. Much less predict its path with any accuracy. It is totally understandable that Halsey didn’t trust the reports because they were just as likely to be wrong as they were to be right….
@@rebuilt11 I hear what you are saying but with all due respect you are incorrect sir. They have carrier recon planes and knew this thing was coming. Halsey prioritized going after the IJN carriers over the safety of his fleet and the men under his command. Period.
The Japanese Navy also encountered a typhoon during that period. Many of their ships suffered from design flaws that made them top heavy and as a result paid the consequences.
Two of the Fubuki-clsss destroyers, the Hatsuyuki and the Yūgiri, had their bows torn away by the heavy seas. A number of recently built heavy cruisers also suffered significant structural damage. The Myōkō, the Mogami and the submarine tender Taigei developed serious cracks in their hulls, and the light aircraft-carriers Hōshō and Ryūjō suffered damage to their flight decks and superstructure, with the Ryūjō also having her hangar section flooded. The minelayer Itsukushima suffered damage that required several months for extensive repairs, necessitating a near complete rebuild. Nearly all the fleet's destroyers suffered damage to their superstructures, and fifty-four crewmen were lost, swept overboard or killed outright.
The event impacted on the way the Japanese Navy constructed their ships. As a result they abandoned the welding techniques and radically redesigning their ships. The event was kept top secret from the public.
...the Kamikaze worked both ways...!
@@Packless1 He talking about a typhoon in 1935 the 4th fleet incident. it wasnt the same time as he makes it appears to be.
You talked about a typhoon that hit the Japanese fleet before WW2.
So the jap had to improved its ship designs.
The Yahagi light criiser of the 7,800 ton class had endured 8 torpedoes and 12 bombs from the American planes without initially sinking and illustrates its competant design.
Japanese quality still be the best in the world today!
Thank you for that info...
In WWII censorship protected egos and covered flops.
My grandfather was a cook and auxiliary A.A. gunner on the USS Cowpens: "The Mighty Moo". He used to say that he never fired a shot in anger, but the weather almost killed him a couple times.
He should have joined the military
My late father in law, Harry M. Bridgeman was aboard the Monterey in that storm. Wish I had had more time to interview him about his experience. He told me that they were pushing damaged planes off only to have the sea wash them back aboard.
My late great uncle, James Flood was a forward gunner on the Monterey during the storm! I wonder if our relatives knew each other...
My Father in Law was a non-flying officer attached to the airwing. He did some flying as a rear gunner on some missions. He said he had to experience what he was sending pilots and crews to. Ships crews rotated in and out so very hard to know. I tried to find out when a friend served on the Enterprise and found out that over 20,000 crew served during the war.
@@michaelharper4989 Unless you were on a small, compact boat like a PT or YMS (yard mine sweeper) with a very small crew you likely didn't know very many.
I flew typhoons while assigned to the USN squadron VW-1 during 1969-70. We flew about a dozen during that time. It was hard work, and as much as 15-18 hours from takeoff to landing, typically with two penetrations during that flight. RADAR operators and Aerographers on board would capture critical storm info, and I (radioman) would transmit it to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (on Wake Is). This info would be used to track and predict the future course of the storm. I would also send an “All Ships and Stations” report, available to anyone on that HF common frequency. The SuperConnie was the aircraft. We never lost one.
Watching this film makes clear why so many USN men and planes were assigned in “Typhoon Tracking”. Good work, Shipmates. RIP all the sailors lost in this Typhoon.
My father, Alvin E. Grieger was MM1C aboard USS Dortch (DD670) and weathered this typhoon with task force 58. He talked about how the ship stabbed into the waves, and then the whole structure shook and vibrated. RIP Dad.
My dad served on the Crowley DE303. He talked a little about this storm, and I only wish he was alive to see your video. I can only imagine the memories it would have brought back. Those sailors, as tough as they were, had to hours to fear for their lives. It really makes a lot of today’s everyday issues look trivial. Thank you for your work.
My Uncle Jim was a just 18 year old aboard the USS Astoria CL 90 in Typhoon Cobra. He was thrown face first into a bulkhead and knocked out two of his front teeth. The light cruiser rolled and listed to near capsizing and sailors often found themselves standing on the bulk heads then running down to the decks. The Astoria survived the storm wuth the loss of her float plane and minor damage and her crew suffering bumps bruuses broken bones and two teeth
My late grandpa was on an ammo boat during this typhoon, he didnt talk much about his service expect "I seen some things...and the one time I swore i was going to be a goner was the typhoon"
Thats cool about Gerald Ford. He was an amazing football player for U of M, and refused to play in a game against a southern team who required U of M's black player to sit out.
My dad was a signalman on a fletcher destroyer. Assigned to an outside post, near the flag bags. Between the bridge superstructure and smoke stack. He and others were on duty because of "possible submarine activity ", everyone got soaked and stayed soaked. He dodged in to the radio room at one point during the storm to catch his breath. The senior non com, told to get back to his post. My dad said that there nothing to see out there. The non com repeated his order. My dad went and completed his shift.
Ironically by trying to avoid Kamikaze the fleet did in fact suffer damage inflicted by Kamikaze.
@count69 by A kamikaza = divine windstorm
I’m usually cruise/liner historian, but you’re a great story teller. This is a great video.
Army aviator here; something I've noticed when I visit military weather stations--almost none of them have windows! Generally they do well, but once in a while there's a weather report that really makes you scratch your head.
If I was the president I would have quietly relieved Emerald Halsey of his command and forced him into early retirement
Yeah your a real hero, my father was aboard the Monterey tough guy
This is very interesting. My father served in WWII and I enjoy knowing about the history and battles. This was a different kind of battle, but sure did some serious damage to the American fleet. RIP to all the men lost during the storm. Very interesting tidbit about Gerald Ford!
It almost makes me want to check His reaction to hurricane landfalls & weather service for all sailors against these storms during his presidency.
Halsey was shortsighted and bullheaded throughout his career. He was called stupid by superior officers behind his back. He rose to a level far beyond his competence simply by longevity. His career was littered with mistakes that he made despite warnings from lower level officers. He never got called on it though. He always managed to evade a negative outcome despite his many mistakes.
and he got 5 stars and Spruance did not.
His nickname was "Bull".
Not, he never made 5 star.
@@garyschreckengost2925 Halsey made five stars.
Luckily he was in hospital when the battle of midway happened, after his debacle in the battle of Leyte when he deserted his station goodness knows what would have happened if he’d been involved, I read because of morale back home in the states they decided to overlook his misdemeanour
Your timing is almost immaculate: only recently, the idle thought had occurred to me of what would happen if a natural disaster struck right in the middle of a major war, as well as if it would be necessary to disobey orders to save lives, whether civilian or military.
And yes, the commenters have it right: as described in "The Hunt for Red October," Halsey acted stupidly. His actions were clearly more of a warrior than of a seasoned sailor.
You can do navy videos all day long for me. This was outstanding. I've read about Cobra before, but this brought it to life. Thank you. 😊❤😊❤😊
My dad was a gunnery officer on the USS Hobby. Being a Benson Class destroyer Hobby was more sea worthy (apparently) and survived the Typhoon. I remember my dad saying that it got pretty rough! Hobby was awarded 10 battle stars for her service in World War II. "Lucky Hobby" didn't have any casualties but their sister ship was hit by a bomb and over 30 sailors perished. Luck played a big part in surviving that war.
My Father was Quartermaster on the Hobby and steering and navigating on 10 minutes off 10 minutes on throughout a storm like this. He did not like to talk about that day as he felt so sad at the loss of their sister ship. It had been my understanding that they went down in the storm.
The movie The Caine Mutiny" with Humphrey Bogart takes place in part in that typhoon and resulted in the exec taking command of the ship to save it during the typhoon. Great movie.
*Fantastic* movie. IIRC, it was Bogart's last movie, and it was amazing how he carried out a role so vastly different from the characters he was known for playing.
Good book too
@mikeyoung9810 DIRECTED by Edward Dmytryk - who was soon pros3cuted by the Maccarthyites as a commy, the film sure provided some circumstantial evidenc3 ...though it is a H.Wouk novel - who was not suspected, IMMSMC 🇫🇮
Great vid Big Old Boats! Major Kudos to the men of the Tabberer for their heroic rescues.
Seems that Halsey made multiple bad decisions during his time in command and got really lucky more often than not.
That's a wild tidbit about Gerald Ford! Stories like that always feel so miraculous, especially when the person goes on to do something like become president!
JFK too.
Don't forget about Trump's service in Vietnam!.....Oh, wait.....
Yea.....mmmm..... what was it?
Bone pores was it?
@peterj5106 Some type of rich man excuse 😂
@@NealBones. Lol. Yea, rich coward's excuse more like bro! 🤔😁
@@peterj5106 100%
The one funny part of the typhoons that hit the fleet was after it hit, seeing the damage that the US portion of the fleet suffered, Halsey asked for a damage report from the British ships in the task force to which they sent the cheeky reply, "What typhoon?" 🤣🤣🤣
Halsey was so determined to keep hitting the Japanese that he first allowed the fuel situation to get so bad when he had the opportunity to refuel in better weather, then he kept them directly in the typhoons path because he wanted to resume combat operations as soon as possible. He was an experienced mariner, he knew what he was looking at.
What was he looking at? You haven’t given us your feelings about the man and situation…
He then tried to abandon ships in distress after the hurricane, so he could get back in the fight faster
My dad was on board the USS Hornet as a pilot. He said it was the only time he was sea sick.
My dad was at the helm of one of those ships. The man standing right next to him on the bridge was washed away, and then washed back up on the deck. His ship was registering 130° of roll.
Anything more than a 90 degree list and you're under water. Most would not survive a 75° list. At 130° the ships main deck would be well under water and water pouring in the stack and dooming the ship.
@@user-qt4ee4nb1h They didn't say 130° list. The said 130° of roll. If you were at a 65° starboard list, and then rolled to a 65° port list, you'd have rolled 130°. That obviously has to be what was meant.
After seeing this and hearing about the harrowing feats of our sailor's, it's apparently clear that Admiral Halsey acted recklessly and without thought to his armada safety
I'm actually surprised Halsey still had a career after leaving Taffy 3 high and dry off Samar while he took his entire force of fleet carriers and battleships chasing off after a decoy. If it hadn't been for the destroyers, destroyer escorts and jeep carriers of Taffy 3, the entire Leyte Gulf landing operation could have been destroyed. But all Halsey seems to have got was a slap on the wrist.
Tremendous courage was displayed by the Skippers and crews of those tincans of Taffy 3.
Never had a vessel or class named for him . Never promoted to 5 star. Nimitz did not forget.
@@garyschreckengost2925 Halsey WAS promoted to five-star rank. The Navy's five-star admirals were Leahy, King, Nimitz and Halsey. There's no doubt, of course, that Raymond Spruance SHOULD have also been given a fifth star.
@@garyschreckengost2925 he made 5 stars which was a shame..
@@TorontoJediMaster Spruance said later that if he had gotten the fifth star, and Halsey didn't, he would have been very upset over it. Both should have gotten it, but they gave the last 5-star promotion to that asshole Bradley.
My grandfather was on the carrier USS Bennington (CV-20). Not long after this incident, May 5th 1945, Halsey ran into another Typhoon. The Bennington was severely damaged and had to reroute to the Philippines for repairs. With enemy surface ships in the area the Bennington was a sitting duck. Between the typhoon incidents and falling for the IJN trap at Leyte Gulf, my grandfather always said that Halsey should have been court martialed.
My father was the CO of VT25( Avengers) 0nthe USS Cowpens. He had rotated off the ship in August '44. ( He was to have become the Air Officer on the USS Boxer, training for the invasion of Japan.) I have pictures of my Dad with his boss at the time, Lt. Commander Robert Price. Price was washed overboard, and lost in Cobra. He was a brilliant patriot, according to my father. RIP all of them.
Holy shit, I was just watching Drachinifel's video on Typhoon Cobra, and then this pops up!
Algorithm gonna algorithm.
@@bo7341 Oh, no. This is uncanny. I'm subscribed to both channels, so this video would have been recommended to me even if I hadn't watched Drachinifel's video, which is from quite a few months back. And Big Old Boats drops his video just as I finished watching Drach's video.
My dad was a crew member on the USS Monaghan from March of 42 to October of 44. He was dispatched to a repair ship to refurbish fleet radar equipment. He lost a lot of friends.
My father was on the uss Wisconsin during this storm and i read about it in his diary. He wrote that they lost 5 "cans" as they referred to the destroyers, but the next morning, he corrected the diary by writing it was 3 cans. My father seemed to respect adm halsey, although he never mentioned any battles or this typhoon. He was badly injured in a typhoon later in the war.
Hell of a Good Video, thank you. I remember my grandfather talking about this event. That some crewmen on the bigger ships could do nothing but watch as some of the smaller ships ran out of fuel and were sunk by the storm. So helpless. Prolly why I joined the Army.
Halsey got away with the disaster poor judgement and the follwing enquiry... but later he decided to sail his taskforce right into another full blown weather system Typhoon ''connie.'' lol he got away with that too
I was on an ERRV (Stand by) boat in the North Sea with 98 knot (gusting to over 120) wind's. The waves were bigger than houses.
Another time I was on a coaster with no cargo aboard so we were sitting high in the water & had a force 11 on the starboard quarter. Bouncing from 47 degrees back to 47 degrees. Trying to cook that night's supper was interesting.
My grams was a Sargent in the waves. Once on enterprise a storm Rolls of 38 degrees
They were in the kitchen areas ,
First 3000 eggs hit the floor ,
Then the cast iron stoves broke free . They were thrown all over the place sliding on eggs , dodging stoves and such. 2 or 3 hours . Two broken legs , and a few broken arms .
We were Lucky , she said .
Fascinating video! I learned something new! I was also reminded of the McCartney and Wings song called "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey." The lyrics make more sense now that I know he led his fleet into a typhoon!
This video was excellent! I would love to see more content regarding WWI/WWII era navy ships.
Thank you for the video of the worst storm in U.S. Naval history. God rest the souls of all those lost.
This video was incredible, I never knew of this event until now. Well done! Also congratulations on 85k!
Love those shots of the USS Hornet (CV8). You can tell by the sixteen B-25 bombers on her flight deck. Of course she wasn't the Hornet (CV12) that served with TF38 on 17/12/44 as she was sunk off Santa Cruz 27/10/42.
Bradley, wonderful video! I enjoyed this first foray into covering the service of the “Gray Funnel Line.”
Your narratives are just great. Have you considered putting out a book of some sort? I can't get my 90-year-old dad into the internet, but I know he'd love these stories.
@flapjackfae, a very good book (IMHO) about this tragedy has already been written:
Halsey's Typhoon: The True Story of a Fighting Admiral, an Epic Storm, and an Untold Rescue
by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin.
My Dad served in the Navy in WWII and I remember him telling me about being caught in this storm. I think he told me he was on one of the refueler ships or oilers they might be called.
Your channel is a diamond in the rough. I have had a growing fascination with maritime history, but now im obsessed with each video i watch of yours. ❤
Thank you for not putting the ad in the middle of the video.
Whenever an ad is shoved in the middle of an educational/narrative video, it completely shatters my concentration.
Imagine being in history class trying to listen to your teacher, and then all of a sudden you have to panic skip a Warthunder ad.
@CursedLink666 THAT S WHAT W A R IS A L L ABOUT (ask 1 Sun-Zu ...)
My dad was a WWII Navy vet and he remembers Halsey as kind of a block head. He had several serious mishaps besides the Typhoon Cobra fiasco and was finally put out to pasture but he unfortunately got many sailors killed because of his stupidity.
They easentually did the equivalent of trying to predict the future path of a florida hurricane by looking at the weather in Albuquerque
Excellent work. I met some of the CVE 18 Altamaha at a reunion. Was rewarded with the story of this storm as they reminisced.
Your conclusions were all wrong, Ryan. Halsey acted stupidly. - Capt. Marco Ramius.
"Combat tactics, Mr. Ryan. By turning into the torpedo, the captain closed the distance before it could arm itself."
You beat me to it. "Bravo, Hunter" ;-)
Exactly what was going through my mind!
Bull Ballsy was his nickname!
Not irrelevant quote to this particular video. The quote is in reference to Halsey taking his fleet in pursuit of the Japanese bait force of carriers north of Luzon.
Boatman is back! I enjoyed this story about the Typhoon Cobra 👍
This is why I have deep respect for the Coast Guard. All other branches are designed to rescue our troops & fight against other humans. The Coasties job is to pluck people from the fury of mother nature. I'd argue that some hurricanes carry more force & destruction than that all of the other navies combined, outside of a full nuclear weapon exchange! Although volcanoes do hit the latter by how they can completely change entire seasons!
Very nicely narrated. Thank you
if Spruance had been in command, instead of Halsey, the damage would have been limited
And it would have been Task Force 58 instead of 38... just sayin'.
Even in the height of battle, weather forecasting back then was still primitive. There were no satellites or computers. It was pretty much a guess. Not mentioned in this video is that Admiral Halsey became a stanch advocate for aerial weather reconisance. By time my Air Force father arrived in the South Pacific in the late 1940s the B-24 & B-29s he flew in WW2 were now flying set patterns looking for developing bad storms. Their already long range was further increased with large extra gas tanks added to bomb bays. Guns were removed and replaced with instrumentation sampling the air passing thru a large scoop added to the top of the fuselage. Gunners and bombadiers were replaced with specialized weather interpreters. While my father had after the war become an Air Weather Officer, on his days off he also flew with them as an auxiliary pilot. He later did same in the Atlantic with the famed Hurricane Hunters. This was state of the art back then.
High quality and very interesting documentaries. Thaks a lot.
My father spoke little of the war. He was on the Monterey CVL26 and he did talk some of the typhoon. It must have been hell. Funny thing is he always spoke very highly of Halsey.
Beautifully done, like all your videos!
I was not aware of this story. Thank you for presenting it.
Hey, great episode, thank you. The book "Typhoon: The Other Enemy" is a very worthy read. The events from this typhoon spurred the creation of the Navy weather forecasting bureau NMOC that exists to this day.
It's well in keeping with his habits that Nimitz would allow Halsey off without punishment. He did the same when Navy Pilots repeated straffed and bombed some Navy PT boats trying to perform a rescue. Nimitz would allow any catastrophe or betrayal to pass without judgement in the name of "moral". Basically he believed popular commanders should be able to make whatever mistakes or commit any atrocities they wanted.
Gerald Ford, who later became President of the United States, was a naval officer in this battle group, and he distinguished himself with particular bravery, ultimately contributing to saving his ship from disaster.
Interesting enjoyed it and learned about previous unknown events so I’m happy hopefully the channel grows and more content is made and available good 👍🏻 luck 🍀 with everything
one time I was swimming with my brother and it started to rain so mom made us come in the house and we had sandwiches and juice.
I think they should make an movie on this tragedy just like they did for uss Indianapolis and the greyhound movie to show what the brave sailor that day went through and how they sadly went down with their ships.
Very interesting , Thank you.
Your films are always good, and this one is also fascinating. The loss of life tears at the heart.
Thank you for a well written and narrated account, complete with plenty of video footage, of one of America’s greatest tests of resolve in the Pacific war, a crisis I was not even aware of. Taking an entire task force through one of nature’s most catastrophic events, a typhoon, called for a level of resolve among all ranks that equalled the fury the enemy intended to give them on the other side. These warships’ greatest concern was missing out on battles for which they were needed ❤by their fellow Marines and navy personnel.
A lesser admiral would have used the typhoon as a way to delay the inevitable battle. And what were the green sailors below decks looking forward to if they survived this storm? Put yourself in the mindset of an ordinary seaman, a young guy not even aware that such storms existed. If he was crew on a destroyer, he’d have to ride out the ferocity of the storm, aware that his ship’s failure would leave him food for the sharks. And if his ship survived, he’d be facing fanatical Japanese fighters who were desperate to secure their homeland.
Most young people today will never face such a crisis, thank goodness. But it is worthwhile, in these times, for them to be aware of the consequences should they be called upon by their country for its survival. In the words of a mission commander 25 years later, Gene Kranz, head of Apollo Mission Control, oversaw the inexplicable explosion in the command module of Apollo 13. When the three astronauts seemed to be stranded with no way back to Earth, at the moment when the ground controllers thought all was lost, he declared, “Failure is not an option.” And working together, they got them home.
Halsey will always be a controversial figure in world war 2; He was a favorite of someone very high up because he’d be replaced after his first big screw up.
Halsey was allegedly a poster boy for the Navy, and superiors would call him stupid behind his back; otherwise Typhoon Halsey would've ended his career.
This was excellent, thank you!
Thank you, as I had not been educated on this catastrophe. The allied troops had leaders that, what side were they on. LCDR Herbert Claudius was discharged after sinking U-boat 156 in Gulf of Mexico as he was not following SOP as escort and Navy brass claimed his report was incorrect as to the sinking. 60 years later Pres.GB2 gives a-ward to family as the LCDR was deceased.
The British fleet didnt seem to have the same problems with the storm.
Is this because their ships were built to handle Atlantic seas ? ... 🦘
One of the few positives of living in the North Sea 😂
Typhoon isn't quite the same as general North Sea weather. And most US ships were low on ballast or had to sacrifice seakeeping for performance, like on the CVL/CVEs
Absolutely! Halsey to RN Contingent "Report Typhoon Damage". Reply "What Typhoon?"! PS Don"t mess with Snakes!
Well done once again and thanks as always.
"blissfully unaware"? Not by a long shot. My dad was on the New Jersey. They knew they were headed into the typhoon (they did it twice by the way, both times the result of Halsey.) My dad was tied to the deck of the ship trying to refuel the destroyers knowing they needed the fuel to stay afloat. He was ordered to halt the refueling. He knew that meant those on destroyers weren't going to make it. My dad always felt Halsey should have been court marshalled for the first time he decided to go through a typhoon. He really felt he should have been court marshalled the second time he brought them through another one. He said the New Jersey was bounced like a cork in the water. He never forgave Halsey for ordering them through the typhoon and then ordering them to cease refueling knowing it would result in so many sailors deaths.
Thus video is an excelent overview of Typhoon Cobra, though if you want a more in-depth look at the storm and accounts from sailors aboard I would suggest checking out Drachinifels video on the same subject.
Personally I think Halsey definitetly deserves more blame than what he actually got. To make an error in judgement atributed to tunnel vision is one thing, though Halsey certainly did this more than once when you look back events like Leytey.
Pretty sad story that my dad used to speak of as he was there. He served on USS Dortch, DD-670 which thankfully made it through that event, else I wouldn't be relating this!
Fantastic video, as always! Cheers!❤
I learned a lot I did not know previously. Especially the sinking and massive deaths of the destroyers and their crews. Then there is the captain who only cared about saving as many as he and his crewmates could. They saved over 1/2 of all rescued. That is so commendable. It would be interesting to talk with those he rescued.
I see you read Halsey's Typhoon too? Still this may be the best description of this on yoohoo? Subbed. Coming from Buffalo in my youth, I do enjoy your Great Lakes videos too.
Great episode. Thanks this is a good channel. I'm hooked.
Couple of comments:
( a ) Excellent synopsis, and well done!
( b ) I hadn't much thought about the timing of Typhoon Cobra although I had read and heard about it multiple times over the years, but it is a curious fact that it more or less coincides with the opening days of the Battle of the Bulge, which is probably why it wasn't the most memorable news item from the "beginning of the end game" of the War in the Pacific. And, of course, the Battle of the Bulge lasted for 5 weeks.
These brave sailors were certainly cut from a difficult cloth than today’s.
Thank you for making these videos. ❤
This story would really make a good full-length movie today.
Love the channel
I can tell you work very hard on the lisp. You’re doing a great job! 👍🏼