Japan's Sunken Super Weapon That Nearly Changed WW2
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.พ. 2025
- On December 19, 1944, the East China Sea churned with violence. Japan's newest aircraft carrier, Unryū, struggled against the sea, her hull punctured by an American torpedo. On her first combat mission, transporting a secret weapon to Luzon, she now fought for survival.
Despite the hit, Unryū remained steady, thanks to Captain Kaname Konishi’s command, keeping the ship's list to just 3 degrees.
Nearby, USS Redfish lurked beneath the waves. Commander McGregor peered through his periscope, knowing he needed a second salvo to finish the carrier. But then, destroyer Hinoki passed astern, perfectly lined up with Redfish's rear tubes.
Unable to resist, McGregor fired. But Hinoki neatly evaded, leaving him with empty tubes and a still-floating carrier in range. The skipper cursed his hasty decision, knowing it could have cost him his prize, but quickly refocused on the ship.
As his crew frantically reloaded a single torpedo, McGregor knew this was his last chance. At 1,100 yards, he gave the order to fire.
It would take forty-five agonizing seconds to see if they had sealed the fate of Unryū, one of the Empire’s last working aircraft carriers.
What about this sinking makes it a timebomb that nearly changed the war? The Ohka was a wasted effort, as was the Unryu herself. Nothing about this story came even close to changing WW2.
Agreed, even if they were fast, that was a huge fleet with lots of escorts and protected by carriers as well, they couldn't have gotten close.
Seems everyone is lowering themselves to using clickbait titles
Also, of what use is an aircraft carrier which has obsolete aircraft with untrained aircrew? No use except as bait. See the Battle of Leyte, in particular the decoy fleet which, despite intelligence reports that it was a decoy, still suckered Admiral Halsey into chasing after it, with nearly catastrophic consequences to the Taffey fleet and its transports.
@@johnbuchman4854where’s TAFFY 3?
Thanks for saving me 16 minutes
US Navy WW2 did not have armored flight decks. Nor did Japanese carriers. British fleet carriers were the only navy WW2 carriers with armored flight decks
Yes first commissioned US Armoured carrier was USS Midway which commissioned Sept.30 1945.
Not true. Fleet carriers the Yorktown and Essex class did. Just not as heavy as the British. Escort carriers were unarmored.
The Taiho had an armored flight deck and sealed hangers. This was a very costly carrier for the Japanese due to how much steel it used. The armored deck and sides also contributed to its loss, on its first sortie, at the battle of the Philippine Sea.
@@mattp6953The US Essex, and Yorktowns carried their steel lightly armored strength deck as the hangar deck. The flight decks were lightweight wood. This kept the vast amounts of weight lower in the ship, permitting larger flight decks and air wings. The Lexingtons had a similar arrangement as their hangar deck had been the planned Battlecruiser main deck. The Midway’s were the first steel flight decks of the US. They weren’t really armored per Se. They were just intended for heavier aircraft and jet operation.
@@mattp6953 Essex class did not have armored flight decks. He's right, British carriers had armored flight deck during WW2. Americans armored the hangar deck to lower the center of gravity and tonnage, and increase hangar capacity. There's a reason Essex class could hold around a hundred planes in her hangar and British hangars could hold 50 or 60: Armored flight decks and the structure to support them.
Godzilla was their secret weapon.😂
The USN only had armored deck with Midway Class carriers. They only joined the the Fleet after the end of WW2.
Yeah - the Brits used armoured decks, but the US during WW2 did not. Threw me too.
My thoughts as well, the RN on the other hand did have fully armoured decks which meant they survived hamikazi attacks for better.
Armored decks kind of useless against torpedoes!
@@Happy11807 True, but as for the deck not being armored and using wood, teak I think, was it made getting the takeoff/landing deck back into service faster than cutting and welding metal plate.
Clickbait title.
As usual from this channel.
It was the British aircraft carriers that had armoured flight decks.
Interestingly, when the Japanese lost 5 aircraft carriers in two major battles, they converted the third Yamato battleship, Shinano, into the world's first supercarrier with an armored flight deck. Had the Japanese finished fitting her out with watertight hatches and doors, she might have survived the attack by Archerfish.
Shinano was planned to be a battleship but was converted into an aircraft carrier (as clearly shown in the picture). And the US did not use armored flight decks until the midway-class in 1945. I find this video to have quite a lot of pretty basic errors so far.
It's par for the course with this channel . . .
Funny enough, in an earlier video, the battleship Missouri was labeled an aircraft carrier
I used to watch your product WITHOUT THE CLICK BAIT titles.It’s a shame you feel this is necessary.
Thank god Dark Seas put that big red arrow pointing to the sunkend ship in the thumbnail! I would have never seen it if it weren't for that! thank you!!
😂
By that time, Japan needed more skilled pilots, not another aircraft carrier.
And fly from the mainland? That made sense.
Did I miss the part about the "sunken time bomb"?
So many inaccuracies, I don't know why I watch.
Yeah its completely garbage as far as history and rambling mumbo jumbo
@@jamesherndon4278 Thank you - I'm glad it's not just me.
I'm getting really disappointed with the Dark5 and related channels. They used to be good but are increasingly relying on outright fake clickbait titles that have nothing to do with the actual topic.
thanks for the heads up I'll stop watching now.....
American carriers had wooden decks and weren’t armoured. British carriers were.
Kinda correct. American flight decks weren’t armored but did have some steel plating under the wood decks but ya might as well be no armor
So what, they didn’t matter as they weren’t there!
Even though this was a bit of clickbait, one thing is for sure that vessel sure makes a nice coral reef 😂
As far as I was aware only midway had an armoured deck. All American carriers after 1945 did. But the British carriers had armoured decks. The Americans and the Japanese followed after. Japan had 2 or 3 with armoured decks. But I can only find midway that did for the US.
I've had a quick check Taiho and Shinano were built with armoured flight decks. Midway the only one for America.
Among your most potent posts of WWII history, DS.
The US carriers in WWII did not have armored flight decks. The British had armoured flight decks.
I also caught the armored flight deck gaffe. IJN Taiho and the British carriers had the only armored flight decks of WW 2 era carriers. The video was longer than Unryu's career.
To misquote SunTzu, wars are won and lost even before they are fought. Japan traitorously took America by surprise, but overestimated themselves and underestimated America. Like Yamamoto said: "the only thing we have accomplished is to wake a sleeping giant."
Wasn't it the British who had armored decks tho?
Essex class had almost 3" of deck armor. Escort carriers did not. Yorktown I think had 2"
British used armored flight decks to be able to absorb more punishment and stay alive especially in the Mediterranean
The British carriers had armored flight decks. US carriers had wooden flight decks w/no armor. The hanger decks were armored.
The US used wooden flight decks instead of armored decks 4 several reasons:
1. Lower center of gravity,
2. Increased aircraft load, &
3. It was faster & easier 2 repair a wooden flight deck in order 2 get back in the action while still @ sea w/o leaving the battle area. Whereas carriers w/armored flight decks, often had 2 leave the battle area & return 2 port in order 2 get repaired (depending on what part of the flight deck was hit, & how bad the damage was) b4 it could return 2 the battle fleet.
Yes, a lesson the US learnt from the British along with many other carrier features. The US would have no armoured flight decks until post WW2.
@@jimdavison4077 semantics. The Yorktown and Essex class had armor under the wooden deck but not enough. None of the deck armor was proof against AP bombs but the extra 1.5" on the Illustrious class helped significantly against kamikaze attacks.
And exactly what would’ve changed the outcome of the war? CLICKBAIT.
The tsunami out of Japanese contral lol
I guess 14 aircraft carriers would have made a difference, but Hapan didn't have the resources.
The 'timebomb' was sending out a carrier filled with kamikaze machines.
The secret weapon they carried was the jet/rocket powered kamikaze plane. Possibly prototype.
Shinano was started as a battleship but completed and sunk as an aircraft carrier.
Why show the Graf spee ?
Had nothing to do with …
Never mind …
The british aircraft carriers used metal flight deck as wood would burn like the americans found out when hit by kamazarzi planes
Only the Royal Navy had armoured flight decks on there Aircraft carriers.
Clickbait title! And a number of glaring errors, like referring to the 'battleship Shinano'!. Laid down as a Yamato class but completed as a support carrier. Severely reduced my respect for this channel.
No subs no content .like your own opinions but failed to take part in utube .so who cares for your feeling .your a troll .
Solid idea: build CVs with no planes or pilots
At about 2:50 you say that the japanese carriers lacked the armored decks of the american carriers....uh the american carriers didn't have armored decks, they had wooden decks, it was the British carriers that had metal decks, which is why the kamakazi attacks did so little damage to them while they were devastating to the american carriers.
Interesting that when talking about the decimation of the Japanese destroyers needed for escorts we get an image of the Graf Spee?
Imagine if our American submarine fleet had been furnished with a working torpedo at the onset of the war.
When so contemplating one then wonders, why the submarine arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy with its more advanced sub designs
and the Long Lance torpedo did so little in comparison to the US Submarine Branch.
I'm gonna mark this channel with "do not recommend". I'm tired of click bait titles.
The Shinano was laid down as a Yamato Class battleship, but was finished as a carrier.
US carriers did not have armoured decks UK carriers did
It was being used as a transport with a few aircraft, probably consumed the last of Japan's ship building resources. The probably could have used a half dozen transport ships instead, the aircraft had limited value against subs or US fleet units.
The time bomb that was sunk was the German sub that was captured in route to Japan. On it was the remains of the German atomic bomb program.
the closes the us navy got to a armoured deck was USS Robin (HMS Victorious)
@3:20, I do believe that's the Graf Spee.
Typical DarkSeas...over hype with a clickbait title then use all sorts of clips unrelated to the topic.
Yep, thought so myself. At about the 3:20 mark.
Yes, the IJN's pocket battleship😂
Clickbait title. Neither this ship nor its cargo could have in any way changed the outcome of WWII. Also the name Unryū is generally translated as 'Cloud Dragon' not 'Heavenward Bound Dragon'.
Shinano was built as a carrier. She may have been laid down as a battleship but the conversion began early in her construction.
And why at 3:20 do we see the German Panzerschiff Graf Spee sinking off Uraguay in 1939, 5 years before the events of this video? Is there some hidden relevance or do you just have no idea what you are looking at?
“Lacking the armoured decks of their American counterparts” - British maybe, American not so much!
did that time bomb explode when it sank?
And Shinano was not a battleship--she was an aircraft carrier built on the hull of a Yamato-class battleship (which was sunk after less than 1 day at sea by USS Archerfish).
Oka's were nothing more than glorified kamakazi planes. They would have suffered the same fate as their ineffective predecessor. Kamakazi were scary but not really a game changer.
Ironically Shigure would be sunk by Redfish's sister ship USS Blackfin.
In what way could three Ohkas change the course of the war? Also American carriers did not have armoured flight decks due to a decision to leave them unarmoured in order to increase their flight complement.
The key is to mine those little nuggets of truth you didn’t know.
Wow I can finally watch this in normal speed... He's not talking fast anymore
Four days BEFORE Dec. 19, 1944, My uncle Richard H. Mayberry, a survivor of the Bataan Death March….was killed onboard the Oryoku Maru. On the lighter side: Dec. 19th, 1944, was also the day legendary British blues-rock guitarist Alvin Lee of Ten Years After entered the world…..
American carriers didn't have armored flight decks
American carriers didn't have armored flight decks in WW2, but the British did.
The real problem for Japan was aircrew. Pilot training was excellent, but extremely long. Further, they kept crews together for each carrier, even though it might have made more sense consolidating the aircrew of two or three carriers to make one carrier operational. By the time of Leyte Gulf, the Japanese carriers were used as sacrificial bait to draw Halsey away from the action. They sailed with few planes, limited, again, not so much due to lack of aircraft as lack of pilots.
This channel has sunk.
What "timebomb" to reverse a war already lost?
very interesting and informative
Thanks for the comments, it save me the time watching stupid stuff.
And now, not just friends, but steadfast allies.
Yes after the US rebuilt their country,and paid for everything for the next 30 years,at the expense of US industry !
They've never admitted their many wrongs.
@@veramae4098
That would help tremendously with South Korea and the Philippines.
@1:18-Does anyone else see the child’s doll sitting on the right side, atop the torpedo tube?
Good video.
clickbait; yech!
Wow, the US only built 120+ aircraft carriers. What was this gonna change?
always quality, thanks !
The Okha had no chance of changing WW2.
Bless our Vets. 🇺🇸🇺🇸
"Suckers and losers."
Donald Trump
I agree with the comments. I don't need or appreciate the click bait titles.
action narrator voice!! great!
So...what is the awaiting time bomb?
American carriers did not have armored flight decks. The British carriers hard them but not American.
As an aviator, I'm just going to say that it's not a great idea to serve alcohol to your Pilots right before they take off.
No WW-II American carrier had an armored deck.
Has the Shinano carrier ever been found???
If they had seen the writing on the wall, the atomic bombs wouldn't have been necessary.
The atomic bombs were dropped to avoid the massive casualties an invasion would have caused. There were over 4.5 million Japanese troops in the home islands, 10000 aircraft with fuel capable of serving as Kamikazes, and millions of civilians that had propaganda filled in their heads being trained. Would the invasions been successful? Yes! However, estimates placed casualties at a million plus before the Japanese could be forced to the peace table, if at all. That is the reason Truman ordered the bombs used. To avoid unnecessary bloodshed on both sides.
No this poor last carrier wasn't going to change anything.
clickbait. shame on you.
American carriers did not have armored decks, they had wood, English were armored
You are mistaken! American Aircraft Carriers did “Not” have armored flight decks!
2:40 USN carriers did not have armoured flight decks. What decks are you referring to?
Outstanding video and presentation
So after about the. Minutes now what was the secret weapon
At the 6:03 , were flying kamakese manned bombs
@gregorymorris7236 Ohka flying bomb. The U.S. sailors called it Baka, which is the Japanese word for stupid.
Seeding the bottom with meatballs.
The Oka was the weapon. Carriers just shuttled them.
At 322 you are showing the German pocket battleship Graf Spee after it was scuttled. Big mistake
A tale of increasing desperation and futility.
'lacking the armoured decks of their american counterparts'? News to me, I thought only British carriers had them!
Good episode.
I think I saw the GRAFF SPREE in there !
Are They looking for The Shinano? That's the One that needs to be found.
The Yanks didn't have armoured decks, the Poms did.
That weapon would never have changed the fate of WWII... just as none of German weapons did.
All midway class where armored.Served aboard Roosevelt, DC-3.Example,6 in. thick torpedo belt, 12" over after steering.
Yes, but they were not completed in time to serve in World War II. I worked with Midway and Coral Sea during the 80s and 90s. OSCS(SW) USN RET'D 1978-2002
Really the war against Japan came down to Japan not making the nuclear bomb first. They were working on one and had plans to use it on completion.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf was 23-26 October 1944
A bitlong but informative and entertaining
I saw the Graff Spee cuddled.
American carriers didn’t have armored flight decks.
What was the Japanese carrier transporting Godzilla and Rodan?
This story causes about as much emotion and drama as does the activity of watching paint dry!
Only British Invincible and Implacable class aircraft carriers had armored decks. American carriers had wooden decks.
Should distinguish between flight decks and hanger decks. I understand that the US carriers did have some armor on the hanger decks. This was in part needed to reduce the center of gravity. The British carriers compensated by carrying fewer aircraft.
No "Sunken Timebomb That Nearly Changed WW2".
clickbait BS
Dark Seas always makes outrageous claims like 'neay changed WW2." Nonsense. Also, USN carriers did not have armored flight decks.
2:35 Can someone tell me, US carriers Armored decks? I though only British Carriers had armored decks.
Yep. The US carriers did not have armoured decks. Taigo had an armoured deck, but was sunk by submarine, somewhat ironically
Did the Japanese have a nuclear weapon program during World War Two?