I cannot even begin to count the amount of time I have put into this video. Tons of research. Tons of digging into museum records. Hours and hours of searching to try and locate photos of these unknown Japanese pilots. Not to mention that when recreating this attack, we had a major data loss, and had to reshoot the entire April 18th mission. And trust me when I say, you have no idea how hard it is to keep 6 Zeros in a formation this good for this long. But in the end - I think we nailed it. I truly need your support if you guys want me to keep making videos like this, so please consider joining my Patreon here: Patreon.com/TJ3History - thanks everyone!
Men, common, US fighter pilots claimed 3 Bettys and 3 Zeros. The real losses were 2 Bettys and 1 P-38 with few aircraft slightly damaged, including one Zero.
@@TJ3 I have no idea either, maybe was towards another channel/video. Or starting to od on code red and cool ranch? Idk awesome job with this one, a tip on the way! 🇺🇸🫡
Nice job TJ3! I don't think those pilots escorting Admiral Yamamoto were guilty of anything. They were simply overwhelmed by superior numbers in an ambush that resulted from the Americans having broken the Japanese naval code. The six zeros were up against sixteen faster more powerful attackers. I have no doubt that they did the best they could.
I've been to Bougainville, I've been onboard what's left of the wreck of Yamamoto's G4M1. it was one hell of an experience. the tail is almost completely intact, I crawled into the tail defensive position, I tried to imagine being the tail gunner and watching a P-38 lighting almost materialize from the jungle below, pumping rounds into the fuselage, the muzzle flash from it's nose, and tracers whizzing by. it's one of my greatest memories.
@@francislutz8027 yeah it's still rotting out in the jungle. I think the local government isn't too keen on letting someone remove it for preservation. plus it's a pretty rough bush trail to get to it.
@@aaroncourchene4384by all accounts I read, the Admiral was thrown clear still fastened to his seat. His body was not charred and he had been killed in flight by two .50 rounds, one in the back and another in the head. Admiral Matome Ugaki was one of the survivors of the _Betty_ who crashed in the sea. He would be shot down and killed in 1945 while flying as imposed passenger in a Kamikaze mission in a Judy. They all ended up shot down by USN Fighters well before reaching any target.
Especially if you've never been in that situation. Doesn't stop naysayers from faulting Japanese pilots who are no longer alive to defend themselves, though. I think @TJ3 just likes to spout off but doesn't really know what he's talking about.
@@dogfightdiary5712 clearly you missed the thrust of this story, nobody here is “faulting” them, the story is about those Japanese pilots faulting themselves and their follow up participation in the war how they attempted to redeem themselves
Another well researched, excellent video. My Dad was flying an F6F Hellcat on several missions over Kyushu in April of 1945 along with so many others. We lost him in 2022 at the age of 101.
See how life is whimsical. I bet your Father must have feared so many times in combat that maybe he only had minutes, possibly seconds to live. And yet... 😀
I wonder what the average number of people who would of lived to be 100 years old out of the millions of people who died in the 1930s and 1940 would have been
Older American man here. Kenji Yanagiya had amazing courage. There were skilled and courageous pilots and soldiers on both sides of the Pacific war in WW-II, Japanese as well as Allied. After such a horrifying injury, the courage and skill Kenji displayed in bringing his aircraft and himself back alive, and later serving again in a training role, is nothing short of amazing. As a nation, The Empire of Japan was America's bitter enemy during WW-II, and for good reason, but you have to give credit where credit is due. I am also glad the surviving pilots from both sides of that encounter were able to meet, honor each other, and shake hands as the respectable warriors they were.
It must be hard for Japan's opponents to meet with them after their brutal unprecedented savagery & torture of their unarmed captors & Chinese civilians. They somehow get a pass from some historians for their heinous acts. The new "MIDWAY" movie way WAY too kind.
the Pilots Who Failed to Protect Admiral Yamamoto, I think it's a wrong title, it was a misjudgment of the situation, that's all! I can't stand it when they try to swift the blame!! All soldiers of WW1+2 have done their part, normal soldiers were as important as "hero's"! I highly doubt that we would endure what this soldiers have experienced. Thank you for your service.
@@Mister8224 there's still a lot of hatred and hard feelings toward them throughout Asia...and they never have formally apologized or accepted responsibility and accountability for it...
I'm Australian and Yamamoto, aside from his involvement in Pearl Harbour, planned the bombing of Darwin 6 weeks later. Tomorrow is Anzac Day. It's an annual day of remembrance for the Australian and New Zealand soldiers who fought and died at Gallipoli in WWI. I hope they did get to rest in peace, despite the betrayal and incompetence shown by their General officers.
Being a Captain was the most dangerous role of WW1, an officer rank by the way. Maybe I'm being pedantic, but you really like to judge with the benefit of hindsight. They didn't have that opportunity.
@@PaulRudd1941 Churchill sent those men to their deaths so he could pad his medals, look in to how Churchill saw the average fighting man under his control in ww1. (this left a stain on his character, and was one of the reasons he didn't take power in Britain until after the disaster that was the Schlieffen Plan.) The planning, execution, and subsequent failure of Gallipoli was horrendous and should've been foreseen if anyone took the time to do strategic studies. Again, Ian is correct when he talks about the betrayal and incompetence. That amphibious landing should've never happened, the ego of a few men cost 44,000 allied men their lives, and specifically 8700 aussies. I was told when I was 8 years old, if youre attacking you should be 2-1 in man power, if attacking by air 3-1 and by water 4-1. I learned that at 8 years old. Churchill pushed those men in an amphibious landing at 2-1 odds in favour of the ottomans. There's no such tale or fable that can excuse the actions of the High Officer core in the British Military
You did a freaking amazing job on this presentation! I had researched this Operation as an Army Officer as a “planning exercise” for my lieutenants; you certainly did a very good job and I applaud you for your efforts.
I Am 91- Korean "War" Veteran - Very Excellent Production - We are born in a Country and Fight For that Country - Understood - I Served In Combat and did My Job "Well" Guiding Bombers To Target - I Now have A PTSD Problem - Why? - Because Of the Insanity Of War - War Is HELL ! there Is a "Bond" with War Veterans Of Both Sides - We Did Our Job, and When Its Over - It Becomes History to look back On - Today We Are About To Have World War 3 - How Terrible Is To Be Determined - It Is About Innocent People Of All Sides - Please Pray For Sanity - God Help Us -
Ivan, thank you for posing your honest and heartfelt belief that "War is Hell." ...I join you and wishing that our species find a better way to resolve disputes than have young men of different nations engage in the violent killing of other young men representing different nations.
@@ivanhicks887Salute and thank you for the service in Korea...My dad was in WW2, Midway and Guadalcanal. I know of his story through Stateside medical interviews (he died when I was 5 years old; I'm 67 now). I'm retired from the Navy and was close to hot spots at different times on aircraft carriers. I also wonder if we're seeing the beginning of WW3, but I sure as hell hope not. I've met some combat veterans and do what I can to support them at the VA hospital where I work. I'll join you in prayer for sanity to prevail...Thank you again, sir...
I don't remember the resource, but I read that the P-38's made another sortie a day or two later following the same timing and target area to make their attack on Yamamoto look like a 'regular' patrol, and possibly mask the code-breaking that had enabled it.
The IJN actually figured out that the messages must have been intercepted and cracked and it couldn't have been just a coincidence, but the encryption department refused to accept that their codes were anything but unbreakable. Exactly the same story with the German codes.
@@patavinity1262 It wasn't as simplistic as an intercept as he told it in the beginning. There's more to this story in the front end also with Charles Lindbergh.
@@robertrichard6107 The creators put a ton of work into this focusing on the Japanese pilots. I found it the first really informative documentary on that aspect of the war.
@@patavinity1262as long as there is proof to support an opposing alibi, there will always be those with cognitive bias, or confirmation bias, if we are going to be precise.
Was it really worth exposing the allies code breaking? I mean Yamamoto wasn't nearly good as his reputation. His attacks were undermanned and over complicated. Pearl Harbor didn't nearly cause the damage it was supposed to, instead it just really riled up the Americans. Churchill intentionally let his forces get attacked, rather than show he knew the Germans were coming.
The historical detail in this video is top notch, far more than I was expecting. You do a great service to all of the combatants. I salute your efforts.
Historical notes - I have recreated everything possible here as accurately as possible. First - a couple of the Zeros in this mission actually were the model with clipped wings. But it would have been super difficult for me to ensure they were in the right places in the formation, so I elected to instead keep the task a little more simple with the same model throughout. Next - Yasui Hidaka's name was listed as both Yasui and Yasushi in different sources. So that is why I say it as "Yasushi". Finally - you guys absolutely have to listen to this - This is the 1988 symposium, where I got the audio recordings of Rex Barber and John Mitchell. And my goodness guys - this John Mitchell guy is absolutely hilarious, haha. You guys have to listen to him walk back through this mission. I would have included it if I could, but I just couldn't fit it in. But please give a listen to his portion of the interview: texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1628568/m1/
Just watched the indicated video, was very saddened it cut off when it did. Fantastic video and fascinating! I will have to find the complete video with the Japanese flyers part, thank you so much for this entire compilation! Wonderful wonderful!!
That's one thing about studying WW 2 history in the Pacific Theater, the American planes shot down by the Japanese isn't mentioned very much. It's always about the Americans shooting down the Japanese aircraft. The one last Japanese pilot from the Yamamoto escort meeting up with the American pilots after the war for a reunion, was good to see.
Well if you live in America ofc they wouldn't mention that lol. C'mon use your head. Like in Japan they wouldn't mention their planes getting shot by American planes.
Consider attorneys. Tooth and nail in court. The next day, they are together at a social event. They are professionals. I have heard of many encounters of formal enemies meeting, talking shop. War is not personal. Same a professional boxing or rugby. I recall Joe Lewis, who ran into tax difficulties died penniless. His funeral expenses were paid by his last opponent.
The P38s were deadly to the Japanese Zeros. The Zeros were more maneuverable but the P38s were faster and could run away if they got in trouble. Excellent account of the rest of this story.
Another thing was the initial surprise factor-one pilot (Minoru Honda, I believe) stated that when he first saw P-38s he went to attack them believing they were light bombers (an easy target). He was shocked to see them beginning to maneuver and fight back.
Gosh. Never has a documentary on WW2 made me so emotional. My respect for mr. Sugita. We often forget our former enemies are also human beings holding their own honor.
The American pilot who shot down Sugita, VF-46's Lt Cdr Robert A. "Doc' Weatherup from the Independence, had the best air-to-air gunnery score in his squadron and he attributed his fine shooting eye to the pheasant-hunting days of his youth. However, the only victories he achieved during the war were the two Georges he shot down on April 15 over Kanoya - Sugita and his wingman, Toyomi Miyazawa.
Sometimes. The Japanese troops were notorious for their vicious behavior toward prisoners and their own. Why don't you do some research on the Bataan Death March, then talk about Japanese "honor"
I have to say that I agree with you.. Men of War are exactly that. Warriors ... And those Warriors who fought within the code and guidelines of War and a degree of respect for their Enemies . Then they themselves deserve to be Honored and Respected.🇺🇲
@@GNMi79 I think you were referring to what happened to Sugita on July 8, 1944, when the six Zeros (including his) from the 263rd AG were overwhelmed by VF-31 Hellcats near Yap. All but Sugita were shot down, and he barely escaped to Peleliu. When, nine months later, he was spotted by Lt Cdr Weatherup while taking off over Kanoya airfield, he stood absolutely no chance.
Some things to note: The video implies that the top flight flew at a higher altitude all the way. All the P-38's flew close to the ocean to avoid Japanese radar. The top flight only went to a higher altitude when the island of Bougainville was sighted. It was the longest intercept of the war and necessitated five changes of course during the flight. The video says that one of the P-38's hit the Betty bomber containing Yamamoto. The implication is that nobody knows which P-38. Almost all researchers have concluded that Lamphier lied about finishing off the bomber, just as he lied about other things. Rex Barber was the only P-38 pilot to hit Yamamoto's plane that day. This is clear because Lamphier's P-38 would have had to defied the laws of physics to turn from attacking the Zeros and shoot at Yamamoto's plane. Also, the reports from the Zero pilots say that only one P-38 attacked Yamamoto's plane. Another reason to believe that Barber was the only pilot to hit Yamamoto that day was that an examination of the downed plane show that all the rounds hitting the plane came from only one direction - the direction from which Barber said he fired. An excellent book about Operation Vengeance and the controversy of who shot down Yamamoto is Lightning Strike by Donald Davis.
I researched this event for years and found bits and pierces of questionable info. Your statement ties it all together and questions i and many others had. Thanks
You are correct. I have researched this thoroughly and agree with you, the experts, the Japanese pilots, the soldiers' reports (those who recovered Yamamoto's body), the Yamamoto autopsy report, and the forensics. Conclusion: Barber (who was the better man of the group) fired the few and only kill shots that landed.
@@JC-kk5wg. Yes! It answers a lot of the questions I had about this operation. Very clear and concise. I always suspected Barber was the one to bring down Adm. Yamamoto’s plane. (I mean; The ONLY ONE to bring his plane down). As a WW2 historian, I have mostly concentrated my efforts on the European theater, but I do have extensive knowledge of the pacific theater as well. Mostly naval…
I stood by Yamamotos plane in the mid 70's. Story was it took quite a while to find and the admiral was recognized by his red silk sash still sat in his seat. The bush there has a habit of recycling anything organic in rather quick time but silk lasts forever. That's the story I was told anyway.
Thank you for the story. Sugita's story was so astonishing, exactly the way I would have done myself to redeem my flaw. However, the final survivor managed to get passed all the hatred and met up with Barber and the rest to have a peaceful gathering, is also the ideal way to redeem, putting down the past finally.
Indeed, both sides fought honorably, for their countries. Once the war is over, they are brethrens in aviation. They each took a respectable amount of training to get to that status, and they were the best of the best pilots.
Indeed, today we meet young Japanese and wonder how their grandfather's could be such people. I provide accommodation for foreign students here in Australia, and ever since the 2008 Olympics I find the Chinese suffering from overt nationalism, and needless to say that my Japanese and Chinese guests were never close.
@@AnthonyOMulligan-yv9cg I think that your critique of the Chinese is a bit misplaced, considering how often I see Americans expressing hatred on social media, of Japan for Pearl Harbor. And in comparison, China suffered much worse. IIRC, a quarter million Chinese were murdered in response for the Doolittle raid. Then you have to acknowledge the invasion of China for YEARS before the war in Europe, plus the well-known Rape of Nankin, and many other examples of war crimes, for which Japan never really faced justice. In fact, it's only relatively recently that Japan has acknowledged their actions against China (and Korea as well), and several generations of Japanese grew up without learning the true story of their actions in WWII. (This contrasts significantly with Germany, which largely has faced up to their actions) I think we can cut China some slack in their feelings about Japan even today, considering their shared histories.
I was born in 48 (One of the 1st Baby Boomers). My Dad was a RCAF Warrant Officer in WWII. After the War an me about 6 years old around 1954 could identify about every plane by studying thousands of Air Force training cards by silhouette and know the Hp, ceiling, rate of climb and armaments. I'm well educated in WWII history and know Admirals Yamamoto's demise. However; you took it a step further to the point where I feel the personality of the warriors involved and the inhumanity of War - Thank you.
@@RickaramaTrama-lc1ys No it isn't fun being Old in Piece Time - Just think what our Fathers went through getting Old after the World was at War. While in University, I had a Japanese friend show up at my Father's door with his Wife and 2 kids. After my friend left my Father almost strangled me to death. I asked him why he fought the War if it was not for Me (His Son) to have his Enemy's Son as a friend. He locked himself in the Master Bed Room for almost week before he down for breakfast. PTSD was not even a diagnoses in the early 70's.
Amazing. That was really well done and a great tribute to all those involved on both sides. Taking out Yamamoto and his was an incredible operation and had a detrimental impact on the Japanese Navy.
It was very stupid to expose the breaking of the codes for such a small prize. Midway was worth it but just for an admiral..... What if an American pilot had been shot down and under toture had given the game away.... It was if remember it correctly the stupid plan of a powerfull politician in Washington who could not be ignored.....
As a side note, the info on Adm. Yamamoto's trip came from the code breakers at Pearl Harbor. They had figured out the Japanese codes and knew where Yamamoto was going to be and when. So they took a gamble and it turned out ok. BUT, so the Japanese wouldn't get the idea that we HAD broken their codes, our guys had to schedule flights up there on a daily basis for the next month or so. Kinda like holding their breath, hoping the Japanese wouldn't catch on. 😬
This information of this situation was told perfect. Seeing all those pilots sitting together at the meeting was amazing. All these men were young in battle. Amazing story, thank you.
Due to wartime propaganda, both sides absolutely hated each other at the time. These warriors have put the past behind them. May we all find a way to do so.
I commend your work, and thank you for the time you took to put this labor of love together for us. You did a tremendous job! I have always been in awe of the fact that we were able to pull this daring mission off all without GPS and satellites. The skill of our pilots was incredible, to say the least.
This taught me something new--thanks. If there had only been the four P-38 Army fighters (OPCON to the US Navy) then the six Zeroes escorting Yamamoto would have gotten more vengeance for Operation Vengeance. Eighteen P38's took off, four assigned to the kill group and the remainder outnumbering the escorting Zeroes more than 2:1. The ambush was almost perfect.
"Yes; quaint and curious war is! You shoot a fellow down You'd treat if met where any bar is, Or help to half-a-crown." - Thomas Hardy's "The Man He Killed"
Awesome TJ, keeping up the amazing work, and you bringing such honor to the fallen and dedication to freedom that was paid with amazing graphics. Well done, and honestly him not saving him,probably saved many lives in the future.
@@TJ3This is amazing work! The information and details included set it apart from the work that others produce. A lot of creators will fill their videos with pictures and clips that have nothing to do with the story. I did notice that you made one small mistake. Near the end you said, "Kenji shook hands," but in reality, he "shook hand." 😁 Sorry I just couldn't help myself. Seriously though keep up the great work!
@anjalicgirl In typical fashion, the female has to be a wet blanket. It's called a joke, don't take it so seriously. Technically, shaking "hands" means greating one or multiple people, not just one.
Yamamoto is an admirable leader. Although he is the one who planned the attack on Pearl Harbor it doesn't make him evil as he was duty bound just like any soldier. He possessed the spirit of the Samurai as he was one himself. After the Pearl Harbor attack and without any carrier kills, he knew defeat was inevitable but he tried his best.
Yeah. Minus all the crimes against humanity, Imperial Japan is a formidable army. Their commitment that is very similar to us Filipinos on dying gloriously in battle instead of getting caught alive is admirable and their respect to their leaders and sense of honor, as seen here when the six were adamant on avenging Yamamoto and wanting to die in the process is a very admirable trait. If I were to lead guys like them to war, I'd be smiling throughout the duration of it.
@@themainmanphi1246it’s not admirable, it’s a waste of life. That thinking is what led to suicide attacks and the deaths of hundreds of civilians who were lied to by their government.
Good to admire the fighting spirit. But it's sad to think about how many lives could've been saved if the higher ups in Japan had accepted reality instead of trying to fight until the end. A good mentality for soldiers. But not for commanders to have. That same bravado that made them such fearsome soldiers also made them commit some serious blunders. Leading to such a needless loss of life. And stubbornly refusing to accept defeat also caused so many more deaths of innocent civilians in SEA, China, Korea.. etc.
@@SuperCatacata tho there's times when too much fighting spirit is a bad thing. Like the case with Hiroo Onoda. He and another 2 or 3 soldiers fought on for a decade here in the Philippines not believing the news that the war was over and that Japan already surrendered. They had to bring his then-commander from Japan just to order him to surrender. And the Spanish soldiers on Baler, Aurora here in the Philippines. They never believed the news that Spain surrendered and that the Philippines was already under American rule. They were stuck in that church for years.
Now this is one of the best untold story what I ever had about the WWII aviation. I feel real sorrow for Kenji Yanagiya, carrying that heavy burden of feeling the guilt for the rest of his life.😔 I would love to here the story of your perspective about the so called "Ghost P-40", which flew from the occupied Philippines to China.
What a unique idea to make this video. One I certainly wouldn't have ever thought about. Your simulation footage and attention to detail is incredible and both bring the true story to life. Thanks for all you do.
The question, as worded, if serious, belies a fundamental ignorance the tactical situation. The Japanese were bounced on approach by a numerically superior force of aircraft that had a 25-30% speed performance advantage. There was absolutely no way they were stopping it.
"The emperor giveth,,,Lockheed taketh away"....There was a rumor back then the japanese military were happy to die for the emperor...Apparently our armed forces back then worked long and hard to keep the japanese military happy...
@@Otokichi786 This is why it is better if the Japanese side making a movie about it. The former Axis countries like Germany and Japan had proven to created excellent historical accurate warfilms without bias or wokness bullcrap.
Saburo Sakai was likewise hit in the head by a Wildcat, in the Guadalcanal Campaign. The .50 bullet did not penetrate his skull, but still caused a severe loss of blood and the permanent loss of one eye. Somehow, despite almost fainting he managed to fly the long distance back to base and safely land his Zero. He would survive the war. But since you're here I guess you all knew this already! 😀
For future reference when recreating this event, the Zero's flown by the 204th Kokutai were regular A6M3's (or Mod *32* ) with the folding wing tips removed and squared off, as opposed to the A6M3 Mod *22* that were used in this dramatization. (Edit: I should point out that the 204th got Mod 22's at some point, but given how recent the subvariant was I'm not sure if they got any before Operation Vengeance.) Also suffice to say that given the 6 vs 16 odds they were facing, realistically, there's very little they could have done to prevent it.
Yes - a few of the Zeros did have clipped wings! However - when trying to fly this formation in my simulator - it would have been insanely difficult to ensure the clipped wing Zeros were in the right place. So I elected to simplify an already difficult formation flying mission by keeping the model consistent.
I was thinking the same about the zeros. When I heard A6M3 I searched for cut wing tips. I didn't know there were any A6M3 with regular wing tips, I have to research that. Thanks!
It was a good video. We in the west tend to forget that some Japanese served faithfully to the end. (from uk. some of my family were prisoners of the Japs and were and are friends of the Chinese)
An absolute amazing and incredible work, putting together so many accurate information about this game changer episode of WWII history. I can even see this transformed into a movie, including what happened to the american pilots after the mission.
Outstanding documentary quality video. You got every aspect completely correct, including the most salient in assigning proper kill credit to Rex Barber. This sole assignment of the credit for the Betty that carried Yamamoto was still controversial until finally the USAF held another board of review that finally and formally awarded sole credit to Barber. That official report depicted the mission precisely as shown in your video. Well done!
Good video! My dad was US Navy served 20 years helped design the F 14. I joined the Army. Always enjoy your videos. I watched this on April 18th today. Tomorrow is the 19th. The day in 95 which the Murrah Bombing happened. I was an investigator on the event. The truth is sometimes elusive. There's still questions unanswered!
What happened to the rest of the people involved with the bombers? I have never believed they acted alone. Did the FBI/ATF have informants/instigators among them?
@@sjb3460 , Well, there were some who got away. Mohammed Atta was a pan terrorist. Involved with 911. Connections to OKC. There a group of Middle Eastern males who stayed at The Sands Motel in OKC. Feds took the ledger page with the names. There was one informant a Coyote for the cartel running people and drugs across the US Border. Had a letter of immunity issued by the feds. Gagan was his name. He warned of the attack. To much to tell ! I had a copy of the letter!
Oh yes, You Nailed It! Excellent Video & Commentary. Brave young men on both sides of the conflict. War is terrible, although sometimes necessary. The people involved suffer the most. Let's hope that human beings will learn to deal with their grievances in a more positive and less destructive way in the future.
On the America's part, there was some initial confusion when they saw two Japanese bombers, not one. They didn't know which bomber Yamamoto was in. So they shot both of them down. One crashed on land and one in the water. Yamamoto was in the one that crashed on land, no survivors. There was at least one survivor from the bomber that crashed in the water.
@@truthboomertruthbomber5125It was Ugaki and he went on to head the kamikaze program. Although he was not a pilot, a few hours after Japan surrendered he joined the last kamikaze mission as a final protest at the surrender. He had not officially received an order to cease fire, and rode as a passenger in one of the bombers, carrying the short sword Yamamoto given him. The flight of planes was shot down without doing any damage.
As my dad served in the Pacific theater for the majority of the war I’m always interested in these videos. Dad was shot down twice and luckily for my sister and I he was able to escape to American lines and survived. He passed away in 2006 and thank God for his sense of self preservation and patriotism.
As other mentioned, the Zero escort never had a chance. Outnumbered, surprised, and technologically outclassed, the issue was never in doubt. If the Japanese had used better communication and code security, Yamato would have never been intercepted.
26:12 His superior Kofukuta Hirofumi actually spent a lot of effort to make him an instructor at Oomura Air Group in homeland as he was promoted alongside Sakai Saburou after recovery in 1944. He actually went there for a while, but due to an unknown reason he was reassigned to 263th April 1944.
He had nothing to be ashamed of! They were outgunned and more importantly, the Americans had the precious element of surprise. Great video, by the way. Well done!
Well done! I have viewed every ww 2 air war video I could find, this is one of the best, seldom do you find such detail before, during and especially after the the battle of what happened to the participants, OUTSTANDING!
I have another incredible WW2 story - about Dorsey Lewis, who was an anti-aircraft gunner at Pearl Harbor. Dorsey had been telling everyone that the Japanese were going to bomb Pearl Harbor, and when the Japanese finally arrived, Dorsey REFUSED to shoot them - which earned him 5 years in a naval prison. Dorsey was sentenced to hard labor, but a week after entering the prison their movie projector broke down and they had a riot. Dorsey offered to keep the projector running - in return for staying off of the rock pile. More details if you are interested.
Absolutely first rate and absolutely fascinating. I love these deep dive historical videos that spread less known information about WWII. It really fleshes out the historical experience. You have accomplished with this video the best type of historical reportage.
It is arguable that Yamamoto was Japan's most valuable asset, as he was just one man and also responsible for a number of failed military strategies, Midway being a good example.
Our strategy had been written out a full decade before Pearl Harbor. The Island Hopping strategy wasn't MacArthur's, he was really just following the plan written by predecessors. In contrast, Japan hadn't really planned out what they planned to do or accomplish. They spent 6 months just running around the Pacific doing air raids with their carrier groups. And then running out of ideas, decided to attack Midway, mostly due to the embarrassment from the Doolittle Raid.
@@akulkis Japan was following the same strategy that they employed against the russians....surprise attack on their Pacific fleet thus forcing a climactic sea battle that they ultimately won and then the war was over
Greetings from Australia. The poor bloke in the Lightning who struggled behind. Missing in action. May his last moments be quick and he is at peace with God enjoying his eternal rewards in Heaven. Lest we forget my friend.
Ray Hines. He was spotted later by a Catalina much further south, flying at low altitude and airspeed with a propeller feathered. No radio contact was ever possible and that was the last time he was seen. I'm 58, and although I knew about Operation Vengeance since I learned to read - from the superb book _Fires in the Sky_ from Pierre Clostermann, only today I saw his face and many other's for the first time. Such a young kid.
@@duartesimoes508 I wonder, since the G models had only one generator, did the Japanese Pilot hit THAT engine? If so the batteries will only last 30 minutes then the other engine will fail. Later they put a generator on each engine so as to stop that from happening. Not sure if it was the left or right engine that had the generator on it.
Yes, he was. He was not a fan of Hitler but did believe in Eugenics. I read his wife's biography. She was a well-respected and competent pilot herself. She was his co-pilot in a lot of his travels.
Roosevelt wanted Lindbergh to spy for the USA, and because of his international stature, he was given lots of personal tours of the German Air Force and their factories. After the war, he had 2 separate German families. They did not know of each other until after his death.
Yes - a tough way for him to go. He did however, know the risks. As many told him the frontlines were dangerous and there were lots of Americans (And Japanese) who wanted him dead!
I know Yamamoto made a plan for attacking Pearl Harbour, ironically he was the only one didn't wanted to go on war with US. There was even unofficial death sentence given for him by other Japanese admirals. It was so serious that they have to send himon the sea for some time.
A fascinating watch and an important historical record for future generations. Amazing research too - not to mention your tenacity and endurance to complete what you set out to do. Well done that man!
This is an excellent historical program, the visuals are amazing and the historical narration is superb. I have learned so much about these men. Thank You 🇺🇸
Yeah, my family fought in the Pacific. My uncle was killed at Guadalcanal and father ended the war on Okinawa. Screw Yamamoto and all these Zero pilots.
They were good soldiers, obeying orders. Yamamoto opposed war, Promised only 6 months of victory. Talked his command against invading California because there would be a rifle behind every blade of grass. --Screw Roosevelt who pressured and baited Japan into war by intentionally weakening defenses in Hawaii and the Philippines. An uncle I never knew died there.
I’m doing the model of Kenji Yanagiya’s a6m zero thank you for this video. I just wanted to ask if in this mission he used the a6m with tail marks “t2 197” or “t2 169”.
Super cool!! I am not sure of his number, however - I do know that he mentioned that two or three of the Zeros in this mission actually had the clipped wings I think! But that was just going to be too much of a headache for me lol. So I would encourage you to check that out! Here is the interview where I got the info on him. digitalarchive.pacificwarmuseum.org/digital/collection/p16769coll1/id/3208
@@TJ3 any idea how much of an escort Halsey or Nimitz had when they went to Guadalcanal? I have heard that sometimes no escort can be a better thing because it does not look spacious. About your monthly letter. Are they physical letter or email? I love the idea
What made this possible was Charles Lindbergh. Charles Lindbergh had visited the P-38 airfields and flew missions with Bong and others. He suggested changing the manifold pressure on their engines while just cruising. He proved it by flying a mission at his suggested manifold pressure. When he landed his fuel tanks were about half empty while the others were Almost empty. The reason why the manifold pressure was run at higher pressure was they thought the engines would be harmed. But when they took Lindberg’s P-38 engines apart found no damage.
@@richardstephens5570 I remember reading a funny story about one of Lindberg's instructional flights with P-38 pilots. Lindberg found that something must have been wrong with his airplane, because he couldn't keep up with the rest of the flight. He radioed that he was going to have to head back because something was wrong and he couldn't keep up with the rest of the flight. Another pilot informed Lindberg that the world famous flier had made a very rookie error: Lindberg had forgotten to retract his landing gear! Lindberg was beyond embarrassed.
Extremely well produced. An amazing insightful video more people have to see this literally one of the best videos of World War II that I’ve ever seen extremely informative.
I cannot even begin to count the amount of time I have put into this video. Tons of research. Tons of digging into museum records. Hours and hours of searching to try and locate photos of these unknown Japanese pilots. Not to mention that when recreating this attack, we had a major data loss, and had to reshoot the entire April 18th mission. And trust me when I say, you have no idea how hard it is to keep 6 Zeros in a formation this good for this long. But in the end - I think we nailed it. I truly need your support if you guys want me to keep making videos like this, so please consider joining my Patreon here: Patreon.com/TJ3History - thanks everyone!
Time 02:59 you did it on purpose! This is insane, deleting everything for no reason even before finishing last rank. Like wtf?
@@ondrejdobrota7344 what are you talking about?
Men, common, US fighter pilots claimed 3 Bettys and 3 Zeros. The real losses were 2 Bettys and 1 P-38 with few aircraft slightly damaged, including one Zero.
@@TJ3 I have no idea either, maybe was towards another channel/video. Or starting to od on code red and cool ranch? Idk awesome job with this one, a tip on the way! 🇺🇸🫡
Lamphier was NOT the leader.
Nice job TJ3!
I don't think those pilots escorting Admiral Yamamoto were guilty of anything. They were simply overwhelmed by superior numbers in an ambush that resulted from the Americans having broken the Japanese naval code. The six zeros were up against sixteen faster more powerful attackers. I have no doubt that they did the best they could.
you just said what I was thinking.....no need for me to repeat your post
Yep.
Indeed in retrospect but at that time most Japanese would think otherwise even thru the Americans avoided dogfighting with them.
The story of the men who intercepted, broke the IJN communication code, and then interpreted the messages has never really been told.
Why does the Japanese pilot have an arab accent? Hilarious.
I've been to Bougainville, I've been onboard what's left of the wreck of Yamamoto's G4M1. it was one hell of an experience. the tail is almost completely intact, I crawled into the tail defensive position, I tried to imagine being the tail gunner and watching a P-38 lighting almost materialize from the jungle below, pumping rounds into the fuselage, the muzzle flash from it's nose, and tracers whizzing by. it's one of my greatest memories.
Can't believe it's not in a museum!
@@francislutz8027 yeah it's still rotting out in the jungle. I think the local government isn't too keen on letting someone remove it for preservation. plus it's a pretty rough bush trail to get to it.
I read somewhere that his body had been thrown clear yet was still in the seat 🤔?!?
@@aaroncourchene4384by all accounts I read, the Admiral was thrown clear still fastened to his seat. His body was not charred and he had been killed in flight by two .50 rounds, one in the back and another in the head.
Admiral Matome Ugaki was one of the survivors of the _Betty_ who crashed in the sea. He would be shot down and killed in 1945 while flying as imposed passenger in a Kamikaze mission in a Judy. They all ended up shot down by USN Fighters well before reaching any target.
I've been to that crash site too.its near Buin in south Bougainville
It cannot be overstated about how difficult is to spot an aircraft below your horizon
Even for modern fighters with radar and guided missiles, look down, shoot down is the most difficult.
Especially if you've never been in that situation. Doesn't stop naysayers from faulting Japanese pilots who are no longer alive to defend themselves, though. I think @TJ3 just likes to spout off but doesn't really know what he's talking about.
@@dogfightdiary5712 clearly you missed the thrust of this story, nobody here is “faulting” them, the story is about those Japanese pilots faulting themselves and their follow up participation in the war how they attempted to redeem themselves
Another well researched, excellent video. My Dad was flying an F6F Hellcat on several missions over Kyushu in April of 1945 along with so many others. We lost him in 2022 at the age of 101.
sorry for your loss...
See how life is whimsical. I bet your Father must have feared so many times in combat that maybe he only had minutes, possibly seconds to live. And yet... 😀
At least he lived a good long life. I’m sorry for your loss❤
I wonder what the average number of people who would of lived to be 100 years old out of the millions of people who died in the 1930s and 1940 would have been
Sorry for your loss.
That's cool that your father lived to 101 must have know all 101 skills to flying
Older American man here. Kenji Yanagiya had amazing courage. There were skilled and courageous pilots and soldiers on both sides of the Pacific war in WW-II, Japanese as well as Allied. After such a horrifying injury, the courage and skill Kenji displayed in bringing his aircraft and himself back alive, and later serving again in a training role, is nothing short of amazing. As a nation, The Empire of Japan was America's bitter enemy during WW-II, and for good reason, but you have to give credit where credit is due. I am also glad the surviving pilots from both sides of that encounter were able to meet, honor each other, and shake hands as the respectable warriors they were.
Well said
It must be hard for Japan's opponents to meet with them after their brutal unprecedented savagery & torture of their unarmed captors & Chinese civilians. They somehow get a pass from some historians for their heinous acts. The new "MIDWAY" movie way WAY too kind.
the Pilots Who Failed to Protect Admiral Yamamoto, I think it's a wrong title, it was a misjudgment of the situation, that's all! I can't stand it when they try to swift the blame!! All soldiers of WW1+2 have done their part, normal soldiers were as important as "hero's"! I highly doubt that we would endure what this soldiers have experienced. Thank you for your service.
@@Mister8224 there's still a lot of hatred and hard feelings toward them throughout Asia...and they never have formally apologized or accepted responsibility and accountability for it...
@@Ezekiel903 they were there to protect him...he died...they failed...end of story...
Man I’ve been studying this my entire 59 years and what you’ve done is just incredible! Nice job
What a unique take on the Yamamoto ambush. I've not heard 75% of the info here despite being a WW2 buff. Thanks very much.
As Paul Harvey used to say, "Now, for the _rest_ of the story." I had never heard the aftermath accounts before. Thank you.
Thanks Kyle!
. *"**#Paul_Harvey**"* 👍 👏👏👏
Paul Harvey, 👍👍👍
Very well stated! 😊😊😊
Gives off, "Another One Bites the Dust" vibes, too.
I'm Australian and Yamamoto, aside from his involvement in Pearl Harbour, planned the bombing of Darwin 6 weeks later. Tomorrow is Anzac Day. It's an annual day of remembrance for the Australian and New Zealand soldiers who fought and died at Gallipoli in WWI. I hope they did get to rest in peace, despite the betrayal and incompetence shown by their General officers.
Being a Captain was the most dangerous role of WW1, an officer rank by the way.
Maybe I'm being pedantic, but you really like to judge with the benefit of hindsight. They didn't have that opportunity.
@@PaulRudd1941 Pedantic (want to be) scholar showing off his knowledge of mundane vocabulary
@@PaulRudd1941 Churchill sent those men to their deaths so he could pad his medals, look in to how Churchill saw the average fighting man under his control in ww1. (this left a stain on his character, and was one of the reasons he didn't take power in Britain until after the disaster that was the Schlieffen Plan.) The planning, execution, and subsequent failure of Gallipoli was horrendous and should've been foreseen if anyone took the time to do strategic studies. Again, Ian is correct when he talks about the betrayal and incompetence. That amphibious landing should've never happened, the ego of a few men cost 44,000 allied men their lives, and specifically 8700 aussies. I was told when I was 8 years old, if youre attacking you should be 2-1 in man power, if attacking by air 3-1 and by water 4-1. I learned that at 8 years old. Churchill pushed those men in an amphibious landing at 2-1 odds in favour of the ottomans. There's no such tale or fable that can excuse the actions of the High Officer core in the British Military
@@TheHogMan ww2 Churchill was ww2 dummies
They were at war. Now grow up. As an Australian, you killed the native population of that land. That is a crime of massacre.
You did a freaking amazing job on this presentation! I had researched this Operation as an Army Officer as a “planning exercise” for my lieutenants; you certainly did a very good job and I applaud you for your efforts.
I Am 91- Korean "War" Veteran - Very Excellent Production - We are born in a Country and Fight For that Country - Understood - I Served In Combat and did My Job "Well" Guiding Bombers To Target - I Now have A PTSD Problem - Why? - Because Of the Insanity Of War - War Is HELL ! there Is a "Bond" with War Veterans Of Both Sides - We Did Our Job, and When Its Over - It Becomes History to look back On - Today We Are About To Have World War 3 - How Terrible Is To Be Determined - It Is About Innocent People Of All Sides - Please Pray For Sanity - God Help Us -
God wants nothing to do with Humans~!!!!!!!!!!
Ivan, thank you for posing your honest and heartfelt belief that "War is Hell." ...I join you and wishing that our species find a better way to resolve disputes than have young men of different nations engage in the violent
killing of other young men representing different nations.
@@Paul-hi7nw Paul - Thankyou for Your Response - I Pray for Our Future
@@ivanhicks887Salute and thank you for the service in Korea...My dad was in WW2, Midway and Guadalcanal. I know of his story through Stateside medical interviews (he died when I was 5 years old; I'm 67 now). I'm retired from the Navy and was close to hot spots at different times on aircraft carriers. I also wonder if we're seeing the beginning of WW3, but I sure as hell hope not. I've met some combat veterans and do what I can to support them at the VA hospital where I work. I'll join you in prayer for sanity to prevail...Thank you again, sir...
Yes, only God can help us now. My father fought in the Korean War and my grandfather fought in WWII (Philippines) and Vietnam!
I don't remember the resource, but I read that the P-38's made another sortie a day or two later following the same timing and target area to make their attack on Yamamoto look like a 'regular' patrol, and possibly mask the code-breaking that had enabled it.
The IJN actually figured out that the messages must have been intercepted and cracked and it couldn't have been just a coincidence, but the encryption department refused to accept that their codes were anything but unbreakable. Exactly the same story with the German codes.
@@patavinity1262 It wasn't as simplistic as an intercept as he told it in the beginning. There's more to this story in the front end also with Charles Lindbergh.
@@robertrichard6107 The creators put a ton of work into this focusing on the Japanese pilots. I found it the first really informative documentary on that aspect of the war.
@@patavinity1262as long as there is proof to support an opposing alibi, there will always be those with cognitive bias, or confirmation bias, if we are going to be precise.
Was it really worth exposing the allies code breaking? I mean Yamamoto wasn't nearly good as his reputation. His attacks were undermanned and over complicated. Pearl Harbor didn't nearly cause the damage it was supposed to, instead it just really riled up the Americans. Churchill intentionally let his forces get attacked, rather than show he knew the Germans were coming.
The historical detail in this video is top notch, far more than I was expecting. You do a great service to all of the combatants. I salute your efforts.
Historical notes - I have recreated everything possible here as accurately as possible. First - a couple of the Zeros in this mission actually were the model with clipped wings. But it would have been super difficult for me to ensure they were in the right places in the formation, so I elected to instead keep the task a little more simple with the same model throughout. Next - Yasui Hidaka's name was listed as both Yasui and Yasushi in different sources. So that is why I say it as "Yasushi". Finally - you guys absolutely have to listen to this - This is the 1988 symposium, where I got the audio recordings of Rex Barber and John Mitchell. And my goodness guys - this John Mitchell guy is absolutely hilarious, haha. You guys have to listen to him walk back through this mission. I would have included it if I could, but I just couldn't fit it in. But please give a listen to his portion of the interview: texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1628568/m1/
Just watched the indicated video, was very saddened it cut off when it did. Fantastic video and fascinating! I will have to find the complete video with the Japanese flyers part, thank you so much for this entire compilation! Wonderful wonderful!!
I just watched these videos from 1988, Very interesting, including the disagreements between some pilots on what happened.
That's one thing about studying WW 2 history in the Pacific Theater, the American planes shot down by the Japanese isn't mentioned very much. It's always about the Americans shooting down the Japanese aircraft.
The one last Japanese pilot from the Yamamoto escort meeting up with the American pilots after the war for a reunion, was good to see.
Well if you live in America ofc they wouldn't mention that lol. C'mon use your head. Like in Japan they wouldn't mention their planes getting shot by American planes.
Consider attorneys. Tooth and nail in court. The next day, they are together at a social event. They are professionals. I have heard of many encounters of formal enemies meeting, talking shop. War is not personal. Same a professional boxing or rugby. I recall Joe Lewis, who ran into tax difficulties died penniless. His funeral expenses were paid by his last opponent.
The P38s were deadly to the Japanese Zeros. The Zeros were more maneuverable but the P38s were faster and could run away if they got in trouble. Excellent account of the rest of this story.
Another thing was the initial surprise factor-one pilot (Minoru Honda, I believe) stated that when he first saw P-38s he went to attack them believing they were light bombers (an easy target). He was shocked to see them beginning to maneuver and fight back.
Jap pilots names sound like a sushi menu. No so good pilots huh?
In War Thunder P-38 is Great For "Boom And Zoom" Tactic!
WW2 warplanes were fragile. The Zero especially so for lack of armor or self sealing fuel take. Once hit they’d quickly burn. Taking the pilot with it
@@Idahoguy10157 Yes, they were known for that. US planes were much more heavily armored.
Gosh. Never has a documentary on WW2 made me so emotional. My respect for mr. Sugita. We often forget our former enemies are also human beings holding their own honor.
The American pilot who shot down Sugita, VF-46's Lt Cdr Robert A. "Doc' Weatherup from the Independence, had the best air-to-air gunnery score in his squadron and he attributed his fine shooting eye to the pheasant-hunting days of his youth. However, the only victories he achieved during the war were the two Georges he shot down on April 15 over Kanoya - Sugita and his wingman, Toyomi Miyazawa.
He chose to live and fight than die instantly without accomplishing anything.
Sometimes. The Japanese troops were notorious for their vicious behavior toward prisoners and their own. Why don't you do some research on the Bataan Death March, then talk about Japanese "honor"
I have to say that I agree with you.. Men of War are exactly that. Warriors ... And those Warriors who fought within the code and guidelines of War and a degree of respect for their Enemies . Then they themselves deserve to be Honored and Respected.🇺🇲
@@GNMi79 I think you were referring to what happened to Sugita on July 8, 1944, when the six Zeros (including his) from the 263rd AG were overwhelmed by VF-31 Hellcats near Yap. All but Sugita were shot down, and he barely escaped to Peleliu. When, nine months later, he was spotted by Lt Cdr Weatherup while taking off over Kanoya airfield, he stood absolutely no chance.
Some things to note:
The video implies that the top flight flew at a higher altitude all the way. All the P-38's flew close to the ocean to avoid Japanese radar. The top flight only went to a higher altitude when the island of Bougainville was sighted.
It was the longest intercept of the war and necessitated five changes of course during the flight.
The video says that one of the P-38's hit the Betty bomber containing Yamamoto. The implication is that nobody knows which P-38. Almost all researchers have concluded that Lamphier lied about finishing off the bomber, just as he lied about other things. Rex Barber was the only P-38 pilot to hit Yamamoto's plane that day. This is clear because Lamphier's P-38 would have had to defied the laws of physics to turn from attacking the Zeros and shoot at Yamamoto's plane. Also, the reports from the Zero pilots say that only one P-38 attacked Yamamoto's plane. Another reason to believe that Barber was the only pilot to hit Yamamoto that day was that an examination of the downed plane show that all the rounds hitting the plane came from only one direction - the direction from which Barber said he fired.
An excellent book about Operation Vengeance and the controversy of who shot down Yamamoto is Lightning Strike by Donald Davis.
I researched this event for years and found bits and pierces of questionable info. Your statement ties it all together and questions i and many others had. Thanks
You are correct. I have researched this thoroughly and agree with you, the experts, the Japanese pilots, the soldiers' reports (those who recovered Yamamoto's body), the Yamamoto autopsy report, and the forensics.
Conclusion: Barber (who was the better man of the group) fired the few and only kill shots that landed.
The skill required by all these pilots is amazing. It is as if the killers were hovering on the jungle like helicopters,
@@JC-kk5wg. Yes! It answers a lot of the questions I had about this operation. Very clear and concise. I always suspected Barber was the one to bring down Adm. Yamamoto’s plane. (I mean; The ONLY ONE to bring his plane down). As a WW2 historian, I have mostly concentrated my efforts on the European theater, but I do have extensive knowledge of the pacific theater as well. Mostly naval…
Thanks for that. Although credit for a successful mission should go to all the American pilots for a great job done well.
I stood by Yamamotos plane in the mid 70's. Story was it took quite a while to find and the admiral was recognized by his red silk sash still sat in his seat. The bush there has a habit of recycling anything organic in rather quick time but silk lasts forever. That's the story I was told anyway.
Only the GOAT could cover Operation Vengence in such an excellent way. Keep up the great work TJ
Thanks a ton! Couldn't do it without you guys. :)
This is undoubtedly 1 of THE BEST historical research & presentations I've ever seen. I'm a subscriber now.
Thank you for the story. Sugita's story was so astonishing, exactly the way I would have done myself to redeem my flaw. However, the final survivor managed to get passed all the hatred and met up with Barber and the rest to have a peaceful gathering, is also the ideal way to redeem, putting down the past finally.
Agreed!
Indeed, both sides fought honorably, for their countries. Once the war is over, they are brethrens in aviation. They each took a respectable amount of training to get to that status, and they were the best of the best pilots.
Indeed, today we meet young Japanese and wonder how their grandfather's could be such people. I provide accommodation for foreign students here in Australia, and ever since the 2008 Olympics I find the Chinese suffering from overt nationalism, and needless to say that my Japanese and Chinese guests were never close.
@@AnthonyOMulligan-yv9cg I think that your critique of the Chinese is a bit misplaced, considering how often I see Americans expressing hatred on social media, of Japan for Pearl Harbor. And in comparison, China suffered much worse. IIRC, a quarter million Chinese were murdered in response for the Doolittle raid. Then you have to acknowledge the invasion of China for YEARS before the war in Europe, plus the well-known Rape of Nankin, and many other examples of war crimes, for which Japan never really faced justice. In fact, it's only relatively recently that Japan has acknowledged their actions against China (and Korea as well), and several generations of Japanese grew up without learning the true story of their actions in WWII. (This contrasts significantly with Germany, which largely has faced up to their actions)
I think we can cut China some slack in their feelings about Japan even today, considering their shared histories.
@@gregmead2967 I'm simply saying what I have seen, and yes I think most people are aware of nanking and other such.
I was born in 48 (One of the 1st Baby Boomers). My Dad was a RCAF Warrant Officer in WWII. After the War an me about 6 years old around 1954 could identify about every plane by studying thousands of Air Force training cards by silhouette and know the Hp, ceiling, rate of climb and armaments. I'm well educated in WWII history and know Admirals Yamamoto's demise. However; you took it a step further to the point where I feel the personality of the warriors involved and the inhumanity of War - Thank you.
I was born in '46 and My Dad served in the Solomon Islands and Bougainville as a Coxswain 2nd. Class. It's not fun being old is it??
@@RickaramaTrama-lc1ys No it isn't fun being Old in Piece Time - Just think what our Fathers went through getting Old after the World was at War.
While in University, I had a Japanese friend show up at my Father's door with his Wife and 2 kids. After my friend left my Father almost strangled me to death. I asked him why he fought the War if it was not for Me (His Son) to have his Enemy's Son as a friend.
He locked himself in the Master Bed Room for almost week before he down for breakfast.
PTSD was not even a diagnoses in the early 70's.
Amazing. That was really well done and a great tribute to all those involved on both sides. Taking out Yamamoto and his was an incredible operation and had a detrimental impact on the Japanese Navy.
Thank you!
It was very stupid to expose the breaking of the codes for such a small prize. Midway was worth it but just for an admiral.....
What if an American pilot had been shot down and under toture had given the game away....
It was if remember it correctly the stupid plan of a powerfull politician in Washington who could not be ignored.....
As a side note, the info on Adm. Yamamoto's trip came from the code breakers at Pearl Harbor. They had figured out the Japanese codes and knew where Yamamoto was going to be and when. So they took a gamble and it turned out ok. BUT, so the Japanese wouldn't get the idea that we HAD broken their codes, our guys had to schedule flights up there on a daily basis for the next month or so. Kinda like holding their breath, hoping the Japanese wouldn't catch on. 😬
This information of this situation was told perfect. Seeing all those pilots sitting together at the meeting was amazing. All these men were young in battle. Amazing story, thank you.
Due to wartime propaganda, both sides absolutely hated each other at the time. These warriors have put the past behind them. May we all find a way to do so.
Thank you from New Zealand. Did not know the full story until your Fantastic account of it all. Excellent work. Let’s honour these brave men.
I commend your work, and thank you for the time you took to put this labor of love together for us. You did a tremendous job! I have always been in awe of the fact that we were able to pull this daring mission off all without GPS and satellites. The skill of our pilots was incredible, to say the least.
Excellent work TJ this is certainly an untold story that HAD to be told. Those Zero pilots were never at fault, odds were too far against them.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Allied forces were very smart to keep the fact that they had cracked the Japanese code.
@@icosthop9998 I'm sure they acted on that intelligence sparingly for that very purpose.
@@juliodyarzagaray In the ETO, the Allies allowed the Germans some wins to conceal the effect of codebreaking.
They were warriors, and they did their best.
That ending though, you got me crying a bit.
This taught me something new--thanks.
If there had only been the four P-38 Army fighters (OPCON to the US Navy) then the six Zeroes escorting Yamamoto would have gotten more vengeance for Operation Vengeance. Eighteen P38's took off, four assigned to the kill group and the remainder outnumbering the escorting Zeroes more than 2:1. The ambush was almost perfect.
this video alone is worth a subscription, I haven't seen something so detailed in a while!
"Yes; quaint and curious war is!
You shoot a fellow down
You'd treat if met where any bar is,
Or help to half-a-crown."
- Thomas Hardy's "The Man He Killed"
And instead of America after BEATiNG Japan and making it another state of America , we help rebuild Japan.
. ----+-- *CraZy* --+---
@@icosthop9998 in a good way.
@@icosthop9998true, if it were the french they would've annexed it like they tried with germany (if the US hadn't stopped them) 😅
@@Schimml0rd TY
That is the first time I have heard of this.
This was one hell of an operation. Everything needed to happen exactly at the right time as per scheduled. GREAT VIDEO.
Awesome TJ, keeping up the amazing work, and you bringing such honor to the fallen and dedication to freedom that was paid with amazing graphics. Well done, and honestly him not saving him,probably saved many lives in the future.
Thanks so much for your continued support!
@@TJ3This is amazing work! The information and details included set it apart from the work that others produce. A lot of creators will fill their videos with pictures and clips that have nothing to do with the story.
I did notice that you made one small mistake. Near the end you said, "Kenji shook hands," but in reality, he "shook hand." 😁 Sorry I just couldn't help myself. Seriously though keep up the great work!
Well done documentary. Thanks.
@@Jonathan.D It takes two to shake hands.
@anjalicgirl In typical fashion, the female has to be a wet blanket. It's called a joke, don't take it so seriously. Technically, shaking "hands" means greating one or multiple people, not just one.
Yamamoto is an admirable leader. Although he is the one who planned the attack on Pearl Harbor it doesn't make him evil as he was duty bound just like any soldier. He possessed the spirit of the Samurai as he was one himself. After the Pearl Harbor attack and without any carrier kills, he knew defeat was inevitable but he tried his best.
Yeah. Minus all the crimes against humanity, Imperial Japan is a formidable army. Their commitment that is very similar to us Filipinos on dying gloriously in battle instead of getting caught alive is admirable and their respect to their leaders and sense of honor, as seen here when the six were adamant on avenging Yamamoto and wanting to die in the process is a very admirable trait. If I were to lead guys like them to war, I'd be smiling throughout the duration of it.
@@themainmanphi1246it’s not admirable, it’s a waste of life. That thinking is what led to suicide attacks and the deaths of hundreds of civilians who were lied to by their government.
Good to admire the fighting spirit. But it's sad to think about how many lives could've been saved if the higher ups in Japan had accepted reality instead of trying to fight until the end.
A good mentality for soldiers. But not for commanders to have.
That same bravado that made them such fearsome soldiers also made them commit some serious blunders. Leading to such a needless loss of life. And stubbornly refusing to accept defeat also caused so many more deaths of innocent civilians in SEA, China, Korea.. etc.
@@SuperCatacata tho there's times when too much fighting spirit is a bad thing. Like the case with Hiroo Onoda. He and another 2 or 3 soldiers fought on for a decade here in the Philippines not believing the news that the war was over and that Japan already surrendered. They had to bring his then-commander from Japan just to order him to surrender. And the Spanish soldiers on Baler, Aurora here in the Philippines. They never believed the news that Spain surrendered and that the Philippines was already under American rule. They were stuck in that church for years.
“I'm against war with the United States. But I am an officer of the Imperial Navy and a subject of His Majesty the Emperor.”
Isoroku Yamamoto
What a delightful treat of a wonderful story! Everything was excellent! Thank You!
The navigating the p38s had to do to even cross the path of Yamamoto was unbelievable!
Now this is one of the best untold story what I ever had about the WWII aviation. I feel real sorrow for Kenji Yanagiya, carrying that heavy burden of feeling the guilt for the rest of his life.😔
I would love to here the story of your perspective about the so called "Ghost P-40", which flew from the occupied Philippines to China.
Thank you!!
What a unique idea to make this video. One I certainly wouldn't have ever thought about. Your simulation footage and attention to detail is incredible and both bring the true story to life. Thanks for all you do.
This looks like some serious research and an exemplary presentation. Thanks for the work
One of the best WWII documentaries that I've watched on TH-cam. Thank you for posting.
The question, as worded, if serious, belies a fundamental ignorance the tactical situation. The Japanese were bounced on approach by a numerically superior force of aircraft that had a 25-30% speed performance advantage. There was absolutely no way they were stopping it.
"The emperor giveth,,,Lockheed taketh away"....There was a rumor back then the japanese military were happy to die for the emperor...Apparently our armed forces back then worked long and hard to keep the japanese military happy...
Now this is a story worthy of being a great movie.
Hollyweird: "What, no girls? No non-binary men? No "romance in the parachute shed?" Not worth it."
@@Otokichi786
This is why it is better if the Japanese side making a movie about it.
The former Axis countries like Germany and Japan had proven to created excellent historical accurate warfilms without bias or wokness bullcrap.
I agree with both of you. 👍
Actually, japanese made movie about admiral Yamamoto Isoroku. They filmed it in 60's-70's. Downloaded translated version by torrent some years ago.
@@allwright5632 Yeah but I want a new movie with modern special effects and good photography etc.
Saburo Sakai was likewise hit in the head by a Wildcat, in the Guadalcanal Campaign. The .50 bullet did not penetrate his skull, but still caused a severe loss of blood and the permanent loss of one eye. Somehow, despite almost fainting he managed to fly the long distance back to base and safely land his Zero. He would survive the war.
But since you're here I guess you all knew this already! 😀
Well I didn't know, but I know it now. Thank you!
He may of been an enemy, but damn, it was not his time.
Thats worth begrudgingly giving some respect.
Yeah I thought they knew everything already,or so they presume
For future reference when recreating this event, the Zero's flown by the 204th Kokutai were regular A6M3's (or Mod *32* ) with the folding wing tips removed and squared off, as opposed to the A6M3 Mod *22* that were used in this dramatization.
(Edit: I should point out that the 204th got Mod 22's at some point, but given how recent the subvariant was I'm not sure if they got any before Operation Vengeance.)
Also suffice to say that given the 6 vs 16 odds they were facing, realistically, there's very little they could have done to prevent it.
Yes - a few of the Zeros did have clipped wings! However - when trying to fly this formation in my simulator - it would have been insanely difficult to ensure the clipped wing Zeros were in the right place. So I elected to simplify an already difficult formation flying mission by keeping the model consistent.
I was thinking the same about the zeros. When I heard A6M3 I searched for cut wing tips. I didn't know there were any A6M3 with regular wing tips, I have to research that. Thanks!
@@robertchlasciak5422 There's some info about it under the variants section of the A6M Zero entry on wikipedia.
That's very impressive knowledge
It was a good video. We in the west tend to forget that some Japanese served faithfully to the end.
(from uk. some of my family were prisoners of the Japs and were and are friends of the Chinese)
An absolute amazing and incredible work, putting together so many accurate information about this game changer episode of WWII history. I can even see this transformed into a movie, including what happened to the american pilots after the mission.
How couldn’t I notice you published this video on the anniversary of Yamamoto’s death
I promise, on everything, that was a total accident and I just realized that. Lol
@@TJ3 ahahahahah
Nice
Outstanding documentary quality video. You got every aspect completely correct, including the most salient in assigning proper kill credit to Rex Barber. This sole assignment of the credit for the Betty that carried Yamamoto was still controversial until finally the USAF held another board of review that finally and formally awarded sole credit to Barber. That official report depicted the mission precisely as shown in your video. Well done!
Good video! My dad was US Navy served 20 years helped design the F 14. I joined the Army. Always enjoy your videos. I watched this on April 18th today. Tomorrow is the 19th. The day in 95 which the Murrah Bombing happened. I was an investigator on the event. The truth is sometimes elusive. There's still questions unanswered!
I can well believe it.
Did you watch the Peninsula SRS lecture on the design of the F14 ? Well worth watching.
@@paulmanson253 , I haven't watched that I remember! Thanks for posting.
So you say
What happened to the rest of the people involved with the bombers? I have never believed they acted alone. Did the FBI/ATF have informants/instigators among them?
@@sjb3460 , Well, there were some who got away. Mohammed Atta was a pan terrorist. Involved with 911. Connections to OKC. There a group of Middle Eastern males who stayed at The Sands Motel in OKC. Feds took the ledger page with the names. There was one informant a Coyote for the cartel running people and drugs across the US Border. Had a letter of immunity issued by the feds. Gagan was his name. He warned of the attack. To much to tell ! I had a copy of the letter!
Oh yes, You Nailed It! Excellent Video & Commentary. Brave young men on both sides of the conflict. War is terrible, although sometimes necessary. The people involved suffer the most. Let's hope that human beings will learn to deal with their grievances in a more positive and less destructive way in the future.
On the America's part, there was some initial confusion when they saw two Japanese bombers, not one. They didn't know which bomber Yamamoto was in. So they shot both of them down. One crashed on land and one in the water. Yamamoto was in the one that crashed on land, no survivors. There was at least one survivor from the bomber that crashed in the water.
This was Yamamoto’s chief of staff iirc. Name starts with an ‘O’ I think.
Probably started with a ‘U’. Ugaki most likely. Looks right.
@@truthboomertruthbomber5125It was Ugaki and he went on to head the kamikaze program. Although he was not a pilot, a few hours after Japan surrendered he joined the last kamikaze mission as a final protest at the surrender. He had not officially received an order to cease fire, and rode as a passenger in one of the bombers, carrying the short sword Yamamoto given him. The flight of planes was shot down without doing any damage.
The admiral who piloted the Betty that crashes into the sea also wrote a book about it
As my dad served in the Pacific theater for the majority of the war I’m always interested in these videos. Dad was shot down twice and luckily for my sister and I he was able to escape to American lines and survived. He passed away in 2006 and thank God for his sense of self preservation and patriotism.
TJ certainly outdid himself putting this great video documentary of this key WW II event! Great work!! Jim C.
Thanks Jim!
This video is fantastic! Thank you so much for bringing this "rest of the story" part of WW2 back to life.
As other mentioned, the Zero escort never had a chance. Outnumbered, surprised, and technologically outclassed, the issue was never in doubt. If the Japanese had used better communication and code security, Yamato would have never been intercepted.
26:12 His superior Kofukuta Hirofumi actually spent a lot of effort to make him an instructor at Oomura Air Group in homeland as he was promoted alongside Sakai Saburou after recovery in 1944. He actually went there for a while, but due to an unknown reason he was reassigned to 263th April 1944.
Good video. “Wings Over The Pacific” did interview Kenji and obviously he was ashamed of his failure.
Link?
@@voctur th-cam.com/video/s2hyXNAvhnM/w-d-xo.html the interview is at 38:51 mark. He was still alive at the time of that interview in the 90s.
TY 👍
He had nothing to be ashamed of! They were outgunned and more importantly, the Americans had the precious element of surprise. Great video, by the way. Well done!
Well done sir. Thank you for your hard work to bring history alive !
Another outstanding job TJ3!!
Spectacular research ad commentary along with over the top graphics...congratulations on this effort!
Outstanding research and delivery. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I'm 66 and this is the first I've heard of this story. Thank you!
Well done! I have viewed every ww 2 air war video I could find, this is one of the best, seldom do you find such detail before, during and especially after the the battle of what happened to the participants, OUTSTANDING!
I have another incredible WW2 story - about Dorsey Lewis, who was an anti-aircraft gunner at Pearl Harbor. Dorsey had been telling everyone that the Japanese were going to bomb Pearl Harbor, and when the Japanese finally arrived, Dorsey REFUSED to shoot them - which earned him 5 years in a naval prison. Dorsey was sentenced to hard labor, but a week after entering the prison their movie projector broke down and they had a riot. Dorsey offered to keep the projector running - in return for staying off of the rock pile. More details if you are interested.
Let's hear it
Absolutely first rate and absolutely fascinating. I love these deep dive historical videos that spread less known information about WWII. It really fleshes out the historical experience. You have accomplished with this video the best type of historical reportage.
It is arguable that Yamamoto was Japan's most valuable asset, as he was just one man and also responsible for a number of failed military strategies, Midway being a good example.
Our strategy had been written out a full decade before Pearl Harbor. The Island Hopping strategy wasn't MacArthur's, he was really just following the plan written by predecessors.
In contrast, Japan hadn't really planned out what they planned to do or accomplish.
They spent 6 months just running around the Pacific doing air raids with their carrier groups. And then running out of ideas, decided to attack Midway, mostly due to the embarrassment from the Doolittle Raid.
Yamamoto was outwitted by the USN code breakers at Midway, and Bougainvillea.
@@akulkis Japan was following the same strategy that they employed against the russians....surprise attack on their Pacific fleet thus forcing a climactic sea battle that they ultimately won and then the war was over
Thank you TJ for putting this all together. Many thanks for your efforts!
Just a great historical narrative. Did you know special drop tanks were put on the Lightnings?
You’ve been watching Greg’s airplanes
Amazing research mission, a true historic masterpiece, well done TJ3
Greetings from Australia. The poor bloke in the Lightning who struggled behind. Missing in action. May his last moments be quick and he is at peace with God enjoying his eternal rewards in Heaven. Lest we forget my friend.
Ray Hines. He was spotted later by a Catalina much further south, flying at low altitude and airspeed with a propeller feathered. No radio contact was ever possible and that was the last time he was seen.
I'm 58, and although I knew about Operation Vengeance since I learned to read - from the superb book _Fires in the Sky_ from Pierre Clostermann, only today I saw his face and many other's for the first time.
Such a young kid.
@@duartesimoes508 I wonder, since the G models had only one generator, did the Japanese Pilot hit THAT engine? If so the batteries will only last 30 minutes then the other engine will fail. Later they put a generator on each engine so as to stop that from happening. Not sure if it was the left or right engine that had the generator on it.
What a freaking solid excellent video!!!!! Have never heard of this in NGC. All pilots RIP.
It's an excellent job well inquired with beautiful video. Good friends now. Thank you so much.
Thanks for watching!
Thank you very much. A story I've never heard before, which is rare on youtube.
Marvelous. One other bit... I believe Charles Lindbergh was involved in working out how to extend their range to make it possible.
I believe you are correct. Charles was a big fan of Hitler and the Nazies
@@georgeburns7251your characterization of Mr Lindbergh is a misnomer.
Lindbergh did not visit the region until a year after this.
Yes, he was. He was not a fan of Hitler but did believe in Eugenics. I read his wife's biography. She was a well-respected and competent pilot herself. She was his co-pilot in a lot of his travels.
Roosevelt wanted Lindbergh to spy for the USA, and because of his international stature, he was given lots of personal tours of the German Air Force and their factories. After the war, he had 2 separate German families. They did not know of each other until after his death.
Incredible job. Thank you never heard this side of the story being explained with so much detail. 💪🚀👍
I couldn't imagine the disbelief of those Intel boys when they heard Yamamoto on the wire, they must have keeled over.
Thankyou. Victors will always write their version of history. Thankyou for the prospective from the other side of history.
Very well done with this one, coffee and pastry on us
Wow!! Thank you so much. :) I greatly appreciate it.
That was really interest to watch, you really don’t get to hear from the other sides view. Thanks for all that work you put in. 👍🏻
12:43 with captions on, very funny... "Yamamoto's brain was already smoking" true.
Great imagery of those beautiful planes. Great content as well. Thank you.
The only thing bad about this operation is that Yamamoto probably didn’t know what happened. He should have been alive and aware for the crash.
Yes - a tough way for him to go. He did however, know the risks. As many told him the frontlines were dangerous and there were lots of Americans (And Japanese) who wanted him dead!
What happened to the 2nd betty
@@wirelessone2986 It crash landed in the water! Miraculously, though most died on board, the pilot survived and wrote a book about his experience!!
I know Yamamoto made a plan for attacking Pearl Harbour, ironically he was the only one didn't wanted to go on war with US. There was even unofficial death sentence given for him by other Japanese admirals. It was so serious that they have to send himon the sea for some time.
@@TJ3 the Japanese somehow must have been able to recover the body of Yamamoto, ....since they did bury him
A fascinating watch and an important historical record for future generations. Amazing research too - not to mention your tenacity and endurance to complete what you set out to do. Well done that man!
April 18, 1942 was the Dolittle Raid on Japan, Too.
Yes, and also Paul Revere’s ride (1775).
@@RickSouthard Touche' (smile)
This is an excellent historical program, the visuals are amazing and the historical narration is superb. I have learned so much about these men. Thank You 🇺🇸
Yeah, my family fought in the Pacific. My uncle was killed at Guadalcanal and father ended the war on Okinawa. Screw Yamamoto and all these Zero pilots.
who cares
They were good soldiers, obeying orders. Yamamoto opposed war, Promised only 6 months of victory. Talked his command against invading California because there would be a rifle behind every blade of grass.
--Screw Roosevelt who pressured and baited Japan into war by intentionally weakening defenses in Hawaii and the Philippines. An uncle I never knew died there.
@@captainjimolchs Yamamoto was a back-stabbing scum bag - just facts.
Brilliantly crafted animation. Without computer added animation this story would not be as complete as it is. A job done very well.
I’m doing the model of Kenji Yanagiya’s a6m zero thank you for this video. I just wanted to ask if in this mission he used the a6m with tail marks “t2 197” or “t2 169”.
Super cool!! I am not sure of his number, however - I do know that he mentioned that two or three of the Zeros in this mission actually had the clipped wings I think! But that was just going to be too much of a headache for me lol. So I would encourage you to check that out! Here is the interview where I got the info on him. digitalarchive.pacificwarmuseum.org/digital/collection/p16769coll1/id/3208
@@TJ3I also noticed this but don’t worry you are still the best(kenji Yanagiya had the clipped wings version)
@@filippopulitano-kk6gu Yeah, haha. It was hard enough to get us into formation without worry about clipped wings being in the right places lol.
@@TJ3 can you please give me the ❤️ on the first comment so I can show it to a friend?
Man! Outstanding video on such an intriguing subject that most people (including me) have never even considered.
Great job, loved it, I wish young gen z kids would realize where their freedom comes from
Interesting chapter in the Yamamoto saga that is rarely explored. Keep up the great work.
Cheers
I am surprised he did not have a heaver escort
They thought he was out of range of the Americans! So they didn't really think they needed it.
@@TJ3 any idea how much of an escort Halsey or Nimitz had when they went to Guadalcanal?
I have heard that sometimes no escort can be a better thing because it does not look spacious.
About your monthly letter.
Are they physical letter or email? I love the idea
They had no idea the Americans even knew !!! spectacular electronic warfare for the day...
Eye, eye.
Excellent history and plane animations! Thank you for preserving history.
What made this possible was Charles Lindbergh. Charles Lindbergh had visited the P-38 airfields and flew missions with Bong and others. He suggested changing the manifold pressure on their engines while just cruising. He proved it by flying a mission at his suggested manifold pressure. When he landed his fuel tanks were about half empty while the others were Almost empty. The reason why the manifold pressure was run at higher pressure was they thought the engines would be harmed. But when they took Lindberg’s P-38 engines apart found no damage.
That's incorrect. Yamamoto was killed in 1943, Lindbergh did not visit the Pacific and teach pilots fuel saving techniques until 1944.
What Lindbergh educated fighter pilots to do was use low engine rpm and lots of pitch on the prop.
@@richardstephens5570 I remember reading a funny story about one of Lindberg's instructional flights with P-38 pilots. Lindberg found that something must have been wrong with his airplane, because he couldn't keep up with the rest of the flight. He radioed that he was going to have to head back because something was wrong and he couldn't keep up with the rest of the flight. Another pilot informed Lindberg that the world famous flier had made a very rookie error: Lindberg had forgotten to retract his landing gear! Lindberg was beyond embarrassed.
Damn! Amazing story & great job putting this together!!
A Zero against a P-38, they had no chance.
of course they did..it was still a very capable fighter...they just never saw it coming this time
Extremely well produced. An amazing insightful video more people have to see this literally one of the best videos of World War II that I’ve ever seen extremely informative.
👎👎👎 At 28:45 you said: "...the island of KA-YOU-SHOO " which is horrific pronunciation. The famous island is pronounced Q-SHOO, written as "Kyushu".