I think my favorite Reagan quote was during his military build up. Reagan stated, "My strategy for the Cold War is simple: We win, they lose." This was greeted by foreign policy experts and the press with derision as being unnecessarily bombastic and confrontational at a time when Reagan's predecessor, Jimmy Carter, had told the American people that the Soviet Union was a reality that we were just going to have to figure out a way to live with. Within 10 years of Reagan speaking those words, the Soviet Union joined the ash heap of history. Sometimes a simple plan is the best.
@@pinball1970 Something? Perhaps. But if you study history you'll find that following the Arms Race which had all but bankrupted the old Soviet system the fall of the Soviet Union was orchestrated in large part due to Ronald Reagan, Margret Thatcher and Pope John Paul II devising a plan to promote Lech Walesa and his anti-communist Solidarity movement in Poland. It was a remarkable success resulting in the Polish People's Republic becoming the Polish Republic. The rest of the Eastern Bloc of Soviet satellite states braced for a harsh response from Moscow like when they rolled the tanks into Prague in 1968. But no such response occurred. The Soviet Union was too weak to hold onto its empire and the rest of the Eastern Bloc soon took control of their countries again. It was a remarkable time considering that as late as 1984 everyone KNEW, we didn't just think but we KNEW that the world would end in nuclear conflagration.
@@pinball1970 Well, that figure, $700 billion, is an estimate of not only the cost to the Soviet Union but to other effected countries as well. And the amount is spread out over the 30 years between the event and 2016, the year the report came out. To put that number in perspective the Soviet Union had an estimated GDP of more than $2.2 trillion in 1986. So, while one can be sure that Chernobyl cost the Soviets resources and manpower that could have been used to fight the Cold War and for internal repression I'm not sure it was as significant of a cause for the demise of the Soviet Union as what happened in Poland.
Remember that one teacher you had in high school that everybody loves being in their class. This is what happens in those types of classes. The teacher just makes it very easy to retain the material.
It was interesting. The Iranians were getting real belligerent a couple of cays after the Roberts hit the mine and we didn't do anything about it. A couple of responses to out warnings (on the same watch) were: "Fuck Off US Navy" and "Look down not up, beware of mines." To say we were pissed is an understatement. When the CO announced the operation over the 1MC, the whole ship cheered. We were ready!
Wow, a story that I was actually a part of! A firecontrolman on USS Lynde McCormick (DDG-8), we were part of SAG-B (which is Surface Action Group, not Surface Attack Group), tasked with neutralizing the Sassan oil platform. I was a watch stander in CIC and shortly after the shelling began, a pair of Iranian F-4s began to rapidly close on the group, but did a 180 as soon as we locked on with the fire control radars. Thank you for reacting to this video!
Did you know Greg Singleton? He was an EW aboard McCormick then as well. He was my 2nd Class on Halsey in the 91's My 3rd class, EW3 Martin was aboard USS Thatch for it.
@@Cg23sailor , I didn't know him personally nor do I see his photo in the '88 cruise book. He may have reported after the pictures for the book were taken. The '89-'90 cruise book doesn't have names, only photos of the enlisted, so if he's in there I wouldn't know.
I was on the USS Roberts doing missile training, two days before it hit the mine. On April 18th, I was in SAG Charlie. The Fat Electrician is incredibly accurate in describing what happened overall. Two minor things stick put to me. When Seal Team 2 couldn’t board the second platform to gather intel and set charges because it was too hot, they were pissed when they came back! Second, it was still daylight when Iran fired the Silkworm Missiles, which they happened to fire at the operational asset I was on. The USS Gary was our picket ship and she steamed between us and the inbound missiles. She fired SM-2 missiles along with chaff & flares. She downed one silkworm with a missile and decoyed the other into the water about a half kilometer aft of her fantail. Hence the Gary will always be my favorite navy warship! Anyway, thanks for reacting to this, it certainly brought back memories!
@adriannash2705 from my understanding, harpoon misses act as a catalyst when sinking ships. Silk worm missile is powered by a liquid-fuel rocket motor, with a solid rocket booster attached under the missile fuselage. The HY-2 is launched from land-based launcher and flies at an altitude of 1,000m during the initial stage of the flight.
My son is in the military and once said "Yeah, don't hurt our officers. They're the only ones who know the Genovea convention." Things can go much harder if the leash comes off.
If you wanna see the US Navy unrestrained... look up the namesake ship for USS Samuel B Roberts FFG-58... USS Samuel B Roberts, DE-413. The little Destroyer Escort that fought like a Battleship. The Battle Off Samar.
@@kiaayo33 Look up Death of the Japanese Navy, an Episode of "Dogfights" But better yet, pick up a Book by renowned US Navy historian James D. Hornfischer.. Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors.
Make no mistake, EVERY crew is drilled constantly on damage control. That's your HOME. US Navy Veteran, 1980-1984. They may have been "the best", but that's like choosing between a team of Michael Jordans vs a team of Larry Birds.
My good friend was a radio engineer for the Navy, and even he talked about the damage control drills and extreme logistical mapping of crews for emergencies. The Navy is no joke with how everything is coordinated within a crew and for every situation.
I was there. The tanker escort mission was called Operation Earnest Will. When we would enter or leave the gulf through the Straits of Hormuz, Iran would light us up with their Silkworm missile radars. I was an Electronics Warfare Technician 2nd Class on the USS Merrill (DD-976), SAG B, during this engagement. The night before, our Captain told us to get some sleep. We were going to general quarters at 0730. At 0800 our SAG would destroy the Sassan Oil Platform, SAG C would take out the Sirri oil platform, and SAG D would take our a frigate. We went to GQ at 0730. We radioed the platform at 0745, stating "You have 15 minutes to evacuate the platform." then stated it in Farsi, then English, then Farsi, finally saying, "Have A Nice Day." (we had a CT onboard that spoke Farsi) We then gave them a 10 minute warning, then a 5-minute warning. At 0800 we radioed, "Has everyone left the platform, we are prepared to open fire," to which the platform responded, "We are not leaving." So, we were like, "OK" and started firing at the platform with our 5-inch guns. We had fired 2 rounds when they started shooting back with their 22-mm chain gun. Our Fire Controlman adjusted fire and took him out with ONE shot (yes, he was THAT good). Then he readjusted fire and continued with the anti-personnel air bursts (we were trying NOT to hit a toxic tank on the platform. We were supposed to trade off with the Lynde B. McCormick but her gun had dropped sync and was "walking" and they couldn't fix it in time. We wound up doing all the shooting on the Sassan oil platform. The Soviet Udaloy-class destroyer was collecting intel. We had a joke after the engagement: How does the Ayatollah inspect his fleet?... Glass Bottom Boat.. 😂😂😂
@@chrismaverick9828 I wish I would have had a teacher like Nic. I probably would have learned something. The great thing about Nic's videos is that the subjects he talks about are things that few people have heard of. I've learned a lot from him, and I'm always telling people about him to enhance his viewership.
After the 2nd Iranian frigate was towed off, she was repaired over the next couple of years. I was aboard USS Halsey (CG-23) and transited the strait of Hormuz on Christmas day 1991. We were the first US Warship to encounter Sabalan after she was repaired, recommissioned, and put back to sea. We passed port to port at about 300 yards just south of Qeshm Island in the traffic separation lanes. All their crew we could see on deck was highly angry and pissed off. We decided to "keep up foreign relations" Nick "Goose" Bradshaw style. You know... the finger.
You have to remember that this happened just 8 years after the hostages were released from Iran. So there was a high level of animosity between the United States and iran
there is always going to be tension so long as iran is a puppet of russia who in turn has their own proxy puppets to attack our allies. anyone who finds themselves cheering for the same side as iran should really take a hard long look at themselves in the mirror.
I have yet to hear a bad history lesson come from The Fat Electrician! Another really good boat related video he has. America vs The Barbery Coast Pirates! We'll worth the view, and talk about some untold history!
One of the reasons there were so few casualties on the Sammy-B is that they spotted mines before getting hit and the captain ordered everyone above the waterline if not on-deck directly.
The subtext is tgat Iran actually, at that time, had bought much of its military aircraft from the US. They had been a US ally for a long time, until the Shah was deposed by supporters of Ayatollah Khamenei, some of whom invaded the US Embassy in Tehran, holding a number of staff hostage. Shout out to our Canadian friends, their Embassy staff went around grabbing every American they could to save them being taken prisoner, issued them Canadian passports, and got them out of Iran.
I like watching reaction videos to this video because it's fun to see people find out just what the U.S. Navy is capable of when properly motivated. My favorite Fat Electrician video remains the USS O'Bannon, it's older but still the best three minutes on TH-cam that doesn't involve cats.
After the WW2 Pearl Harbor attack the Navy was already working on repairing hulls that same day. 3 or 4 of the attacked ships were functional and in service within 3 months. Some 6 to 12 months later, and the final batch 2 years later. A couple were beyond saving. The Navy is efficient when it comes to fixing boats. Even at Pearl Harbor we got gut punched, but they didn't actually do much to our capability. Just solidified our resolve and got us to formally enter the war.
In all reality the Soviets wanted to see what kind of equipment the Americans actually had and this was a chance for them to see it up close. Also, TFE recently dropped a video about the youngest MOH recipient Jack Lucas. It a long video, but to hopefully spark your interest he spent three years in the Marine Corps, 6 months in a military jail and earned the Medal of Honor all before his first day of high school.
That Russian was there for more than pics and fun They would also conduct E-lint. Electronics Intelligence. Sampling radar emissions, tactics, missile performance, etc.
I first learned of the Samuel B Roberts in Navy boot camp (I served 1993-1999). We also learned the captain was about to order abandon ship, but the damage control teams saved the ship. Practically welded her together enough to get to port, then home.
They do not teach this in American history either! I'm a history buff, and my first time hearing about this was the first time I saw his video!! This is the 3rd time I've heard it now.
- One of the guys at work was actually serving on the Enterprise when this happened and had talked about the parts with the fighters they sent out, but only new about parts of the story. I showed him this Fat Electrician video and got a kick out of his live reaction. Great stuff guys ! / : ] '
A couple of fun and informative videos from TFE would be Bazooka Tank or The Old Bastards. Honorable mention to the video Sgt. Reckless the Marine horse from the Korean War. Nic has simply become TH-cam's favorite story teller. Also if you've seen the movie Fury, you have to watch TFE's War Daddy for the straight story.
Just a note: "marines hop out set demo charges and hop back over" They also rendered aid to a wounded Iranian and brought him back before they blew the charges.
I can tell you from graduating HS in 2014 that much of the stories he tells, when it pertains to world history, isn't taught in school. I never knew who Cassius Clay was until I saw his videos
The Samuel B Roberts was not actually “towed” to Maine. That would mean the ship was still in the water tethered to another ship identical to a car pulling a trailer. The ship was ferried. A specially designed ship went into the dry dock in Dubai. The surface of the ferry went underneath the Navy ship, and supports were attached to the Navy ship and then water was drained from underneath the Navy ship. In short the Navy ship was 100% out of the water on the entire trip from the dry dock in Dubai to the shipyard in Maine.
As an American I can validate the school system doesn't teach you any of this stuff. To my knowledge, the only thing I ever learned about, that is also relevant to his videos, is "the bat bomb". It's one of his other videos I highly recommend watching as it was going to be the alternative option to the Atomic bomb. The only information I learned from a textbook was that they decided not to use it because it was too effective. Yes the so-called "bat bomb" was going to be more devastating than the atomic bomb
Because it happened so fast is the reason it didn't get the press is because it was a blink. I remember this day perfectly. I was just going to my first morning class in college, when I got out of my last class of the day, it was over! Don't mess with Reagan EVER!
It wasn't fate that lead to the best damage control crew being the one on the ship that hit a mine; it was leadership and planning. They weren't there on accident; they were known to be the best for the situation.
There is a new one, and very long video, of Carlos Hathcock that the FE released. According to the Fat Electrician he's been trying to do it for years but needed more research and details, especially concerning one of the shots he took which was proven to be easily replicated. This is a very good one!
I was directly involved in that operation.Was working at station weapons Diego Garcia and staged the seal team gear as they flew in from the states.They kept their conex boxes with their gear in our magazine overnight.Also moved a lot of ordnance from our magazines to the runway for helicopters to lift over to the ships in the lagoon.Was amazing watching C5 galaxies roll in and offload sea king helicopters with their rotors folded.Funny thing,we knew something was going down but didn't know what or where.They had pretty good opsec on the build up for that.The seals would leave one guy with their gear boxes in our magazine and when I did my hourly security rounds at night I would stop and talk to him about what was going on back in the states.🧙♂️
Understand this. Your boat is your home. Everyone who checks on board is given 3 months to complete your damage control qualifications or you are restrictedtotheboat until complete. Every sailor and officer is assigned a damage control locker they respond to in an emergency. In port, this is handled by the duty section and anyone on board at the time. There is no where to evacuate to. Save the ship is drilled in to us.
And if you haven't already seen it, you need to watch his video on the german sub "strategically aquired" by the U.S. Navy in WW2. The one you can still go see if you go to Chicago.
You asked if this was taught in US schools I can't say really as I was in high school (my senior year) when it happened. Although it was in the news at the time, I don't remember hearing about it afterward in college, military training or anywhere until I saw this video. As to future TFE reactions, I would suggest 3 -- Angry old veteran vs 700 redcoats; Joe Medicine Crow, or Grand Theft Uboat.
My old CO was in the middle of that. At the time, he was in command of USS Gary. There's a book called Tanker War that covers this whole event in detail.
One point he neglects to drive home... When the Soviets showed up, this was a rare opportunity for them to see the U.S. Naval capabilities in action. This was the cold war, and there hadn't been a Naval engagement on this scale since WWII. Every officer on those boats was immediately under pressure. If they screwed up at all, it would have made the U.S. look weak or incompetent in front of the Soviets. They couldn't have that. They wanted to make it look like "Nah, this isn't even warfare, we're just letting the enlisted kids blow off some steam on a fun weekend outing to fuck up Iran". Believe me, the Soviet presence (which was predictable), definitely colored every choice made. In many ways, a show of force was a more vital objective than even dealing with Iran.
Most of these types of military actions occur when a politician, in this case an Iranian politician, someone who will not put HIMSELF in harms way, sends an order to, in this case, the Iranian fast attack vessel, to engage the US Navy with no chance at all of success. "Nothing is impossible to the person who doesn't have to do it himself!"!
I heard "It's not a war crime the first time " is the motto of Canada because of the stuff they did in the World Wars because as nice as they are they can be savages in war
There is also a video about the most unlucky Navy ship during world war II. The crew almost killed president Roosevelt. The amount of stupid things the crew of this ship did is amazing because the crew somehow managed not to kill themselves and not to destroy other ships. I wish I remembered the name of the video. I kept thinking that it couldn't be true because the blunders of the crew were unbelievable.
Love the videos. Y’all should do The fat electrician video on the us navy forming, it’s purpose was for fighting pirates. Can’t wait for more reactions, I love y’all’s music reactions too 🎉
I think I recall hearing that the piece they cut out of the Roberts was intended for use as a training simulator. It's possible I just imagined hearing it. Talking about how fast everything went down. That place looks big on a map but the realistic engagement range of our boats covers BOTH coasts at the same time in that area.
Great react video! He has so many great ones like Imo, the unluckiest ship and Jake Mcnasty. Wake Island is good too. Looking forward to your next one!
Great reaction, love the laughter. Some other video's you would enjoy by The Fat Electrician : " Old 666 ", " War Daddy " , and " The Old Bastards ". hope to see your reactions again soon.
Fat electrician is my favorite channel to watch on yt. I have seen this video already, and prob watched at least 5 ppl react to it before, and here for another 1 bc its that good
A quick update on the two Iranian frigates (caveat that this is from Wikipedia, so take with a grain of salt). The Sahand was sunk, though a frigate the same name but of a different class was commissioned in 2012. The Sabalan was repaired and is still in service, though the Iranians don't seem to have used it against US forces since.
One of the major US news companies actually did a detailed show on this within about a year of the event. I imagine the ratings for that show were pretty decent.
Honestly, if i was a high school history teacher,between The Fat Electrician, Epic Rap Battles of History, and Oversimplified i don't think I'd have to plan too many lessons and still keep most classes engaged. Would definitely have to get a solid waiver for crude language and adult themes to be signed by the parents but you cant tell me if history clas were comprised of those 3 youtube creators you wouldnt pay at least some attention
He's got a lot of historical biographical videos. 2 I can suggest are War Daddy, it's about the real life crew from the film Fury with Brad Pitt. The second is about Carlos Hathcock. It's kinda long, but you'll like it. He was the greatest American sniper of Vietnam (another guy you never learned about in history class). There are others from WWII air force and naval that you'd like.
In current news: "Two ballistic missiles were fired from Houthi* rebel-controlled Yemen toward a US warship in the Gulf of Aden, after the US Navy responded to a distress call from a commercial tanker that had been seized by armed individuals, the US military said Sunday." * Houthis rebels are supported by Iran and act in Iran's behalf. America's response under President Biden's administration? Purely defensive. The US intercepted a number of cruise missiles and attack drones fired by the Houthis toward Israel or US assets. The USS Thomas Hudner shot down multiple one-way attack drones launched from Yemen while it was patrolling in the Red Sea. Lame.
My ex-brother-in-law was in the gulf on USS Rueben James escorting reflagged Kuwaiti tankers in 1988/89. USS Samuel B Roberts relieved Rueben James the day before hitting the mine. I was stationed in Bahrain with COMUSNAVCENT from June 1992 to June 1993. Operation Southern Watch began, Somalia went down, and US conducted 3 tomahawk strikes on Iraq for UN Sanction violations
The Sammy B is a historic name for the best known Sammy B was a destroyer escort ship. That fought off Sumar in 1944 with other destroy ers and DEs against a battle ship fleet of Japan. And won. And they found her at the bottom of the ocean a few years ago.
The A-6's are also Navy because they are from a Navy carrier. The largest air force in the world is the US Air Force. The second largest is the US Navy. Nice, but basic health care here can bankrupt you, so there is that. Great review, though. I will watch you guys again!
For what it's worth, I didn't get taught about this in school either, and I'm American. That said, there are a lot of points to hit in history class, so I can't blame them for glossing over some things.
I was there and nearly all of this is correct. It needs to be said, the Soviet ship was not a surprise. We'd seen them there for months and it was fine. They were simply spying on our operations, the usual stuff. We simply didn't know it was the Russians and not the two Iranian frigates.
Maybe consider doing a compilation of a few of his earlier shorter videos from like tik tok that are a few min long each. Seen other reactors do 4 or 5 at a time very cool and lots of info in short time
All sailors at sea are trained fire fighters and trained in damage control, that's what separates the Navy from other branches of service, been there and done that!
That Reagan quote was actually "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, I'm from the Government and I'm here to help"
I think my favorite Reagan quote was during his military build up. Reagan stated, "My strategy for the Cold War is simple: We win, they lose." This was greeted by foreign policy experts and the press with derision as being unnecessarily bombastic and confrontational at a time when Reagan's predecessor, Jimmy Carter, had told the American people that the Soviet Union was a reality that we were just going to have to figure out a way to live with. Within 10 years of Reagan speaking those words, the Soviet Union joined the ash heap of history. Sometimes a simple plan is the best.
@@robertanderson6929 Chernobyl had something to do with that.
@@pinball1970 Something? Perhaps. But if you study history you'll find that following the Arms Race which had all but bankrupted the old Soviet system the fall of the Soviet Union was orchestrated in large part due to Ronald Reagan, Margret Thatcher and Pope John Paul II devising a plan to promote Lech Walesa and his anti-communist Solidarity movement in Poland.
It was a remarkable success resulting in the Polish People's Republic becoming the Polish Republic. The rest of the Eastern Bloc of Soviet satellite states braced for a harsh response from Moscow like when they rolled the tanks into Prague in 1968. But no such response occurred. The Soviet Union was too weak to hold onto its empire and the rest of the Eastern Bloc soon took control of their countries again.
It was a remarkable time considering that as late as 1984 everyone KNEW, we didn't just think but we KNEW that the world would end in nuclear conflagration.
@@robertanderson6929 Yes there were a few factors but Chernobyl was a $700 billion factor.
@@pinball1970 Well, that figure, $700 billion, is an estimate of not only the cost to the Soviet Union but to other effected countries as well. And the amount is spread out over the 30 years between the event and 2016, the year the report came out.
To put that number in perspective the Soviet Union had an estimated GDP of more than $2.2 trillion in 1986.
So, while one can be sure that Chernobyl cost the Soviets resources and manpower that could have been used to fight the Cold War and for internal repression I'm not sure it was as significant of a cause for the demise of the Soviet Union as what happened in Poland.
What the US Navy heard was..ICE'EM! Man if he was my history teacher in high-school I'd gotten an A+ and not the C I got. 😂
Remember that one teacher you had in high school that everybody loves being in their class. This is what happens in those types of classes. The teacher just makes it very easy to retain the material.
It was interesting. The Iranians were getting real belligerent a couple of cays after the Roberts hit the mine and we didn't do anything about it. A couple of responses to out warnings (on the same watch) were: "Fuck Off US Navy" and "Look down not up, beware of mines." To say we were pissed is an understatement. When the CO announced the operation over the 1MC, the whole ship cheered. We were ready!
bro i had a vietnam vet as a history teacher! he was just like this guy😂😂😂i had an A!
Wow, a story that I was actually a part of! A firecontrolman on USS Lynde McCormick (DDG-8), we were part of SAG-B (which is Surface Action Group, not Surface Attack Group), tasked with neutralizing the Sassan oil platform. I was a watch stander in CIC and shortly after the shelling began, a pair of Iranian F-4s began to rapidly close on the group, but did a 180 as soon as we locked on with the fire control radars. Thank you for reacting to this video!
wow. thank you for your service
Thank you for your service 🙏
Hey Brother, good for you! I was in Basic Training when this happened and then served as a 68W. 🙏🏼🇺🇸
Did you know Greg Singleton? He was an EW aboard McCormick then as well. He was my 2nd Class on Halsey in the 91's
My 3rd class, EW3 Martin was aboard USS Thatch for it.
@@Cg23sailor , I didn't know him personally nor do I see his photo in the '88 cruise book. He may have reported after the pictures for the book were taken. The '89-'90 cruise book doesn't have names, only photos of the enlisted, so if he's in there I wouldn't know.
I was on the USS Roberts doing missile training, two days before it hit the mine. On April 18th, I was in SAG Charlie. The Fat Electrician is incredibly accurate in describing what happened overall. Two minor things stick put to me. When Seal Team 2 couldn’t board the second platform to gather intel and set charges because it was too hot, they were pissed when they came back! Second, it was still daylight when Iran fired the Silkworm Missiles, which they happened to fire at the operational asset I was on. The USS Gary was our picket ship and she steamed between us and the inbound missiles. She fired SM-2 missiles along with chaff & flares. She downed one silkworm with a missile and decoyed the other into the water about a half kilometer aft of her fantail. Hence the Gary will always be my favorite navy warship! Anyway, thanks for reacting to this, it certainly brought back memories!
Thank you for your service.
Holy crap! Bless you and your fellowmen. Certainly something unparalleled to live through! My dad was in WWII. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Out of curiosity what’s the difference between a Harpoon missile and a Silkworm missile?
@adriannash2705 from my understanding, harpoon misses act as a catalyst when sinking ships. Silk worm missile is powered by a liquid-fuel rocket motor, with a solid rocket booster attached under the missile fuselage. The HY-2 is launched from land-based launcher and flies at an altitude of 1,000m during the initial stage of the flight.
And that was the US Navy "restrained".
My son is in the military and once said "Yeah, don't hurt our officers. They're the only ones who know the Genovea convention." Things can go much harder if the leash comes off.
If you wanna see the US Navy unrestrained... look up the namesake ship for USS Samuel B Roberts FFG-58... USS Samuel B Roberts, DE-413.
The little Destroyer Escort that fought like a Battleship.
The Battle Off Samar.
@@Cg23sailorIf that story hasn't been turned into a video I'd be surprised, I've never heard of it but it sounds Bad A.
Actually... true
@@kiaayo33 Look up Death of the Japanese Navy, an Episode of "Dogfights"
But better yet, pick up a Book by renowned US Navy historian James D. Hornfischer.. Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors.
Make no mistake, EVERY crew is drilled constantly on damage control. That's your HOME. US Navy Veteran, 1980-1984. They may have been "the best", but that's like choosing between a team of Michael Jordans vs a team of Larry Birds.
TYFYS 🇺🇸
@@Indo1030 WTF?
@@greggwilliamsonthank you for your service
1985-91 here. Howdy
My good friend was a radio engineer for the Navy, and even he talked about the damage control drills and extreme logistical mapping of crews for emergencies. The Navy is no joke with how everything is coordinated within a crew and for every situation.
I was there.
The tanker escort mission was called Operation Earnest Will. When we would enter or leave the gulf through the Straits of Hormuz, Iran would light us up with their Silkworm missile radars.
I was an Electronics Warfare Technician 2nd Class on the USS Merrill (DD-976), SAG B, during this engagement.
The night before, our Captain told us to get some sleep. We were going to general quarters at 0730. At 0800 our SAG would destroy the Sassan Oil Platform, SAG C would take out the Sirri oil platform, and SAG D would take our a frigate.
We went to GQ at 0730. We radioed the platform at 0745, stating "You have 15 minutes to evacuate the platform." then stated it in Farsi, then English, then Farsi, finally saying, "Have A Nice Day." (we had a CT onboard that spoke Farsi)
We then gave them a 10 minute warning, then a 5-minute warning. At 0800 we radioed, "Has everyone left the platform, we are prepared to open fire," to which the platform responded, "We are not leaving." So, we were like, "OK" and started firing at the platform with our 5-inch guns. We had fired 2 rounds when they started shooting back with their 22-mm chain gun. Our Fire Controlman adjusted fire and took him out with ONE shot (yes, he was THAT good). Then he readjusted fire and continued with the anti-personnel air bursts (we were trying NOT to hit a toxic tank on the platform.
We were supposed to trade off with the Lynde B. McCormick but her gun had dropped sync and was "walking" and they couldn't fix it in time.
We wound up doing all the shooting on the Sassan oil platform.
The Soviet Udaloy-class destroyer was collecting intel.
We had a joke after the engagement: How does the Ayatollah inspect his fleet?... Glass Bottom Boat.. 😂😂😂
Thank you for your service. These individual stories of events are so important to the history of them. Thanks for sharing! :D
@@chrismaverick9828 I wish I would have had a teacher like Nic. I probably would have learned something. The great thing about Nic's videos is that the subjects he talks about are things that few people have heard of. I've learned a lot from him, and I'm always telling people about him to enhance his viewership.
After the 2nd Iranian frigate was towed off, she was repaired over the next couple of years.
I was aboard USS Halsey (CG-23) and transited the strait of Hormuz on Christmas day 1991.
We were the first US Warship to encounter Sabalan after she was repaired, recommissioned, and put back to sea. We passed port to port at about 300 yards just south of Qeshm Island in the traffic separation lanes.
All their crew we could see on deck was highly angry and pissed off.
We decided to "keep up foreign relations" Nick "Goose" Bradshaw style.
You know... the finger.
You have to remember that this happened just 8 years after the hostages were released from Iran. So there was a high level of animosity between the United States and iran
there is always going to be tension so long as iran is a puppet of russia who in turn has their own proxy puppets to attack our allies. anyone who finds themselves cheering for the same side as iran should really take a hard long look at themselves in the mirror.
The story of Sgt. Reckless the horse that became a Marine at Outpost Vegas during the Korean war is a fabulous video by The Fat Electrician.
Thx! I was in the Navy. There are “incidents” that happen that no one ever will hear of!
I have yet to hear a bad history lesson come from The Fat Electrician! Another really good boat related video he has. America vs The Barbery Coast Pirates! We'll worth the view, and talk about some untold history!
Some people have a real talent for telling a story. Fat Electrician tells them what to do 😂😂😂
6:09 "Maybe they teach this in US history?" How to say I'm old without saying I'm old. I wasn't taught this. I remember this.
This is my second favorite video of his, Being 21 years Air Force my favorite is the F-15, most gangster fighter jet of all times.
Is it a jet, is it a rocket? Lol that's a great video. Thank you for your service!
One of the reasons there were so few casualties on the Sammy-B is that they spotted mines before getting hit and the captain ordered everyone above the waterline if not on-deck directly.
The subtext is tgat Iran actually, at that time, had bought much of its military aircraft from the US. They had been a US ally for a long time, until the Shah was deposed by supporters of Ayatollah Khamenei, some of whom invaded the US Embassy in Tehran, holding a number of staff hostage. Shout out to our Canadian friends, their Embassy staff went around grabbing every American they could to save them being taken prisoner, issued them Canadian passports, and got them out of Iran.
I like watching reaction videos to this video because it's fun to see people find out just what the U.S. Navy is capable of when properly motivated.
My favorite Fat Electrician video remains the USS O'Bannon, it's older but still the best three minutes on TH-cam that doesn't involve cats.
After the WW2 Pearl Harbor attack the Navy was already working on repairing hulls that same day. 3 or 4 of the attacked ships were functional and in service within 3 months. Some 6 to 12 months later, and the final batch 2 years later. A couple were beyond saving. The Navy is efficient when it comes to fixing boats. Even at Pearl Harbor we got gut punched, but they didn't actually do much to our capability. Just solidified our resolve and got us to formally enter the war.
And woke a sleeping giant.
I was IN highschool when this happened, and no, we were never taught anything about it.
Also, i wish I could like this video more than once.
In all reality the Soviets wanted to see what kind of equipment the Americans actually had and this was a chance for them to see it up close. Also, TFE recently dropped a video about the youngest MOH recipient Jack Lucas. It a long video, but to hopefully spark your interest he spent three years in the Marine Corps, 6 months in a military jail and earned the Medal of Honor all before his first day of high school.
That Russian was there for more than pics and fun
They would also conduct E-lint. Electronics Intelligence.
Sampling radar emissions, tactics, missile performance, etc.
Updating their knowledge on our tactics and capabilities since the child war was more Intel and spring than fighting, mostly
I first learned of the Samuel B Roberts in Navy boot camp (I served 1993-1999). We also learned the captain was about to order abandon ship, but the damage control teams saved the ship. Practically welded her together enough to get to port, then home.
1)The words on the front of our American ship during the sound of the Eagle cry IN GOD WE TRUST, ALL OTHERS WE TRACK🇺🇸😁🇺🇸, and 2)Thems the rules🇺🇸😊🇺🇸.
When comes to the Navy A6 pilots remember this is only year or so since TOPGUN came out so had to show up the fighter pilots somehow
Fighter pilots make movies. Attack pilots make history.
They do not teach this in American history either! I'm a history buff, and my first time hearing about this was the first time I saw his video!! This is the 3rd time I've heard it now.
- One of the guys at work was actually serving on the Enterprise when this happened and had talked about the parts with the fighters they sent out, but only new about parts of the story. I showed him this Fat Electrician video and got a kick out of his live reaction.
Great stuff guys !
/ : ] '
I was on the Uss Bagley a frigate and part of SAG "C" along with the missile frigate Simpson and the missile cruiser Wainwright..
A couple of fun and informative videos from TFE would be Bazooka Tank or The Old Bastards. Honorable mention to the video Sgt. Reckless the Marine horse from the Korean War. Nic has simply become TH-cam's favorite story teller. Also if you've seen the movie Fury, you have to watch TFE's War Daddy for the straight story.
Whst can I say. Us Americans tend to throw temp tantrums when you touch our ships lol..we don't like our toys touched lmao
Just a note: "marines hop out set demo charges and hop back over"
They also rendered aid to a wounded Iranian and brought him back before they blew the charges.
The Russians just knew the only way they would ever witness a naval victory, would be to watch one they aren't involved in.
They know not to touch America's boats
@@dwrdwlsn5 Or anyone's. Their record at sea is atrocious.
Do his Band of Beavers video next please. It's an amazing story.
I can tell you from graduating HS in 2014 that much of the stories he tells, when it pertains to world history, isn't taught in school. I never knew who Cassius Clay was until I saw his videos
The guys got a knack for telling a story, had me legit laughing a few times.
The Samuel B Roberts was not actually “towed” to Maine. That would mean the ship was still in the water tethered to another ship identical to a car pulling a trailer.
The ship was ferried. A specially designed ship went into the dry dock in Dubai. The surface of the ferry went underneath the Navy ship, and supports were attached to the Navy ship and then water was drained from underneath the Navy ship. In short the Navy ship was 100% out of the water on the entire trip from the dry dock in Dubai to the shipyard in Maine.
As an American I can validate the school system doesn't teach you any of this stuff. To my knowledge, the only thing I ever learned about, that is also relevant to his videos, is "the bat bomb". It's one of his other videos I highly recommend watching as it was going to be the alternative option to the Atomic bomb. The only information I learned from a textbook was that they decided not to use it because it was too effective. Yes the so-called "bat bomb" was going to be more devastating than the atomic bomb
A few years later, a joke went around the US.
Why does the New Iranian Navy have glass bottom boats?
So they can see the Old Iranian Navy.
You should react to his Berlin Airlift. Very eye opening.
Because it happened so fast is the reason it didn't get the press is because it was a blink.
I remember this day perfectly.
I was just going to my first morning class in college, when I got out of my last class of the day, it was over!
Don't mess with Reagan EVER!
It wasn't fate that lead to the best damage control crew being the one on the ship that hit a mine; it was leadership and planning. They weren't there on accident; they were known to be the best for the situation.
If only history was taught this way
What's crazy is that Kuwait helped Iraq, but then Iraq invaded them in '90.
Another and original "don't touch my bosts" story is "America dismantles pirate nations." Potential on the thumbnail. TFE is great.
Yes this is a MUST WATCH ABOUT how the US Navy was formed after our Independence!!!
No, Daly had TWO MoH and was in line for a THIRD.
There is a new one, and very long video, of Carlos Hathcock that the FE released. According to the Fat Electrician he's been trying to do it for years but needed more research and details, especially concerning one of the shots he took which was proven to be easily replicated. This is a very good one!
This was something that the gov. did not want Americans to know about. I am American and in my mid sixties and I never remember it being on the news.
I hope yall concider doing his video on the unstoppable 77th infantry division known as the "Old Bastards"
Problem is we no longer have a Reagan in the WH or citizens who will stand up and fight.
I was directly involved in that operation.Was working at station weapons Diego Garcia and staged the seal team gear as they flew in from the states.They kept their conex boxes with their gear in our magazine overnight.Also moved a lot of ordnance from our magazines to the runway for helicopters to lift over to the ships in the lagoon.Was amazing watching C5 galaxies roll in and offload sea king helicopters with their rotors folded.Funny thing,we knew something was going down but didn't know what or where.They had pretty good opsec on the build up for that.The seals would leave one guy with their gear boxes in our magazine and when I did my hourly security rounds at night I would stop and talk to him about what was going on back in the states.🧙♂️
Understand this. Your boat is your home. Everyone who checks on board is given 3 months to complete your damage control qualifications or you are restrictedtotheboat until complete. Every sailor and officer is assigned a damage control locker they respond to in an emergency. In port, this is handled by the duty section and anyone on board at the time. There is no where to evacuate to. Save the ship is drilled in to us.
Love the Fat Electrician
And if you haven't already seen it, you need to watch his video on the german sub "strategically aquired" by the U.S. Navy in WW2. The one you can still go see if you go to Chicago.
You asked if this was taught in US schools I can't say really as I was in high school (my senior year) when it happened. Although it was in the news at the time, I don't remember hearing about it afterward in college, military training or anywhere until I saw this video. As to future TFE reactions, I would suggest 3 -- Angry old veteran vs 700 redcoats; Joe Medicine Crow, or Grand Theft Uboat.
He is the best story teller and military vet
My old CO was in the middle of that. At the time, he was in command of USS Gary. There's a book called Tanker War that covers this whole event in detail.
SGT Reckless is really good.
One point he neglects to drive home... When the Soviets showed up, this was a rare opportunity for them to see the U.S. Naval capabilities in action. This was the cold war, and there hadn't been a Naval engagement on this scale since WWII.
Every officer on those boats was immediately under pressure. If they screwed up at all, it would have made the U.S. look weak or incompetent in front of the Soviets. They couldn't have that. They wanted to make it look like "Nah, this isn't even warfare, we're just letting the enlisted kids blow off some steam on a fun weekend outing to fuck up Iran". Believe me, the Soviet presence (which was predictable), definitely colored every choice made. In many ways, a show of force was a more vital objective than even dealing with Iran.
Most of these types of military actions occur when a politician, in this case an Iranian politician, someone who will not put HIMSELF in harms way, sends an order to, in this case, the Iranian fast attack vessel, to engage the US Navy with no chance at all of success. "Nothing is impossible to the person who doesn't have to do it himself!"!
The Iranians were just fighting for their country it was the dictatorship and politicians that are in the wrong
I heard "It's not a war crime the first time " is the motto of Canada because of the stuff they did in the World Wars because as nice as they are they can be savages in war
I remember when the US had balls. I miss those days.
Please react to Fat Electrician's "Sgt. Reckless" (America's Warhorse Marine). Thank you, and keep up the great work!!!!!!!
Love this guy, wish he taught high school history but he did serve as a medic and does research on all these. Love your reactions ❤😊
There is also a video about the most unlucky Navy ship during world war II. The crew almost killed president Roosevelt. The amount of stupid things the crew of this ship did is amazing because the crew somehow managed not to kill themselves and not to destroy other ships. I wish I remembered the name of the video. I kept thinking that it couldn't be true because the blunders of the crew were unbelievable.
Love the videos.
Y’all should do The fat electrician video on the us navy forming, it’s purpose was for fighting pirates.
Can’t wait for more reactions, I love y’all’s music reactions too 🎉
That is one of my favorite ones of FE!! The Barbary Pirates!! Also I love the one about a sub during WWII taking out a train!! Funny!! 😀😀😀
Lots of great stories on Nick's channel !!
I think I recall hearing that the piece they cut out of the Roberts was intended for use as a training simulator. It's possible I just imagined hearing it. Talking about how fast everything went down. That place looks big on a map but the realistic engagement range of our boats covers BOTH coasts at the same time in that area.
Great react video! He has so many great ones like Imo, the unluckiest ship and Jake Mcnasty. Wake Island is good too. Looking forward to your next one!
"Nobody messes with the Special Investigators."
To be honest, I never heard of this operation, and I was in the Marine Corps in 1988.
Photos of us old enough to remember it's an emotional thing, we got to see a perfect creation, a miracle of sorts.
Great reaction, love the laughter. Some other video's you would enjoy by The Fat Electrician : " Old 666 ", " War Daddy " , and " The Old Bastards ". hope to see your reactions again soon.
We were taught the story of the USS Samuel B Roberts, aka the Sammy B, when I was in Damage Control School after boot camp.
Please react to his Sgt. Reckless! That's in my top 10 of all his stories, this one was second, lol.
Just subbed. Great job you guys. Stay safe
Loved your video reaction! Also a Veteran & fan of Fat Electrician!
react to more of his vids pls. i love watching people learn more about history from him.
Yall should react to Operation Paul Bunyan. How world war 3 almost started over a tree. 😂
I was there during Operation mantis we called missile Monday because a silkworm missile missed and it hit the third platform
Fat electrician is my favorite channel to watch on yt. I have seen this video already, and prob watched at least 5 ppl react to it before, and here for another 1 bc its that good
A quick update on the two Iranian frigates (caveat that this is from Wikipedia, so take with a grain of salt).
The Sahand was sunk, though a frigate the same name but of a different class was commissioned in 2012.
The Sabalan was repaired and is still in service, though the Iranians don't seem to have used it against US forces since.
They don’t really teach that in US history either so don’t feel bad
One of the major US news companies actually did a detailed show on this within about a year of the event. I imagine the ratings for that show were pretty decent.
The man here sounds wonderfully like Harry Shearer doing a calm Canadian commentator!
Honestly, if i was a high school history teacher,between The Fat Electrician, Epic Rap Battles of History, and Oversimplified i don't think I'd have to plan too many lessons and still keep most classes engaged. Would definitely have to get a solid waiver for crude language and adult themes to be signed by the parents but you cant tell me if history clas were comprised of those 3 youtube creators you wouldnt pay at least some attention
He's got a lot of historical biographical videos. 2 I can suggest are War Daddy, it's about the real life crew from the film Fury with Brad Pitt. The second is about Carlos Hathcock. It's kinda long, but you'll like it. He was the greatest American sniper of Vietnam (another guy you never learned about in history class).
There are others from WWII air force and naval that you'd like.
5:29 no, not huge
Just proportional
In current news: "Two ballistic missiles were fired from Houthi* rebel-controlled Yemen toward a US warship in the Gulf of Aden, after the US Navy responded to a distress call from a commercial tanker that had been seized by armed individuals, the US military said Sunday."
* Houthis rebels are supported by Iran and act in Iran's behalf.
America's response under President Biden's administration? Purely defensive. The US intercepted a number of cruise missiles and attack drones fired by the Houthis toward Israel or US assets. The USS Thomas Hudner shot down multiple one-way attack drones launched from Yemen while it was patrolling in the Red Sea.
Lame.
I serve on the U.S.S. Enterprise we held damage control drills almost daily
My ex-brother-in-law was in the gulf on USS Rueben James escorting reflagged Kuwaiti tankers in 1988/89. USS Samuel B Roberts relieved Rueben James the day before hitting the mine. I was stationed in Bahrain with COMUSNAVCENT from June 1992 to June 1993. Operation Southern Watch began, Somalia went down, and US conducted 3 tomahawk strikes on Iraq for UN Sanction violations
You definitely should do the video about America dismantling a pirate nation.
The Sammy B is a historic name for the best known Sammy B was a destroyer escort ship. That fought off Sumar in 1944 with other destroy ers and DEs against a battle ship fleet of Japan. And won. And they found her at the bottom of the ocean a few years ago.
The A-6's are also Navy because they are from a Navy carrier. The largest air force in the world is the US Air Force. The second largest is the US Navy. Nice, but basic health care here can bankrupt you, so there is that. Great review, though. I will watch you guys again!
For what it's worth, I didn't get taught about this in school either, and I'm American. That said, there are a lot of points to hit in history class, so I can't blame them for glossing over some things.
Gotta check out the stolen U Boat. Cool story about the proficiency of American sailors told in a manner in which only The Fat Electrician can.
You should checkout his early videos, specifically the ones pertaining to individual military occupations.
I was there and nearly all of this is correct. It needs to be said, the Soviet ship was not a surprise. We'd seen them there for months and it was fine. They were simply spying on our operations, the usual stuff. We simply didn't know it was the Russians and not the two Iranian frigates.
Maybe consider doing a compilation of a few of his earlier shorter videos from like tik tok that are a few min long each. Seen other reactors do 4 or 5 at a time very cool and lots of info in short time
All sailors at sea are trained fire fighters and trained in damage control, that's what separates the Navy from other branches of service, been there and done that!
I was in the US Navy for four years. All kinds of stuff happens nobody hears about.