Battlefield S1/E3 - The Battle of Midway
I do not own, nor do I or intend to profit from this content whatsoever. "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."
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NBC Universal
Directed by Dave Flitton, Andy Aitken, Justin McCarthy
Produced by Dave Flitton (series prod.), David McWhinnie, Ken Maliphant, David Rozalla
Written by Dave Flitton, Andy Aitken
Narrated by Tim Piggott-Smith; Jonathan Booth
Music by David Galbraith
Distributed by Public Broadcasting Service
Release date(s) 1994
Running time 6 116-minute episodes
Country USA
Language English
This video is a great reminder of the difficult times around the Battle of Midway. I entered the fray a few months later when my first strike was on Iwo Jima July 3, 1944. I had been assigned to Fighting Squadron I, then flying off Yorktown CV-10. The aircraft carrier and crews are chiefly responsible for the end of the Japanese dominance in the Pacific war. I felt at home as a carrier pilot and for the next 20 years, Mel Brantley LCDR USN retired.
can you answer a couple questions for me?
You are a great man!
@@sidv4615 he’s dead.
R.I.P Melvin, you were a true inspiration
@@a.nelprober-rl5cf holy shizzz. I didn’t see that the comment was 9 years old. Man I wish I had made it in time. He definitely Would’ve had some amazing stories from his time.
There has never been a series as good as the Battlefield Series as far as History goes. Period.
crazy that today all that’s pumped out by “history” networks is reality tv and we have to rely on youtubers to pick up the slack
@@itsyaboi4101plus Ron DEHITLER is banning books and wants to be president.
I, don't know, I think SECRETS of WAR is pretty darn good and for the most part, Charlton Heston doesn't misprounce as many words ast these narrators do. Plus he has a much better speaking voice for this kind of work. He actually delivers the lines like he's acting a part. These guys just read scripts...However if you want to take a nap, these guys will put you to sleep quickly.
@@itsyaboi4101bc qp
A 2 hour documentary solely about the Battle of Midway? I'm in heaven..
The Battle of the Coral Sea was the first naval battle in which the opposing fleets did not come within visual range.
The standard for WWII documentaries. Top notch.
Filmmaker John Ford was the cameraman on the ground at Midway, I believe.
He was, Frank Capra too.
When you see that old watch, know you're in for a *real* documentary
@Milen Yankov - Absolutely right, well said.
Yeah and Luga had nothing to do with it apparently.
True
@@georgewing5514 You're a person of questionable intelligence, George. Why do you keep making the same comment about Luga? I'd like to see you attempt to produce a series of such epic quality. Luges always produces the goods.
Well, Yamamoto wanted a decisive battle, and he got one.😎👍
When forced to fight superior oponent, this is basically only sound strategy. The same was proposed by polish gen. Kutrzeba in fight against invading Germans.
To be fair as well Yamamoto tried like hell to convince the Japanese government not to go to war with America because he knew they would lose eventually.
This Battlefield documentary is the best historical information on The Battle of Midway. It's well put together, laid out and complete. Here it's almost 30 years later and still the best there is for history.
I know right? No over the top flashy graphics, no ridiculous dramatic music, no "experts" chiming in every ten seconds. Just the raw history. I love it!
💯 all of them are. When I see this introduction you know you are getting the best laid out documentary
And all done by PBS. Now isn't that a thing?
@@17Scumdog😊
If you think that this is the best doc on the Battle Of Midway, then you obviously don’t know the history of this event.
What an accurate blow by blow account. This happened on the day I was born, 5th June, 1942. Today at age 73, I have studied these events from real film footage that really took place. What a violent war it was. Japan was yet to fight WWII for yet another three long years until the atomic bombs were deployed in 1945. Today I live peacefully in Australia a pensioner.
Good Day to you mate ! From your friend's in the USA.
Hi there my American friends from the Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave. Thank you all for the brave men - your ancestors - who fought so hard in both world wars for a peaceful life I now enjoy. God Bless America.
My Dad was in Macarthur's army down under for a time, Sidney and Darwin, before he was shipped off to New Guinea... he always spoke very well of the time he spent there...thanks for putting him up..
I misread your comment the first time. I thought you'd typed "I live in Australia a prisoner." That's actually not untrue, though, seeing as Australia is a penal colony.
Cheers our down under friend Mr. Boudville. My son, a Navy chopper pilot sent me an email about four years ago with the caption 'Guess where I am, Dad." Based on the building across the water from the rear of his ship, I told him that the opera house in the background was unique to the whole world. Those young bucks think we 72+ oldsters can't navigate. The early battles (i.e., the "slot" and all of the area around it) make for fantastic reading.
Still the best series of WW2 documentaries.
Marcos 989 Yes, I've watched World at War as well. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I like these older style of documentaries than the more modern ones.
+mikeyman2010 absolutely, the mix of the great narration, intelligent, interesting information and interactive maps puts this series at the very top
I kind of prefer world war 2 in colour, but it doesn't show enough of the pacific fighting
+Vorsicht14 ignorance
+Vorsicht14 did you have to study to be an idiot or was it inbred?
When I was a child, I used to rent VHS tapes of this series from the library. So much nostalgia! Thank you for uploading.
I use to watch this sometimes with my dad. I just have memories of Saturday afternoons, watching it with him on the TV in the basement. I use to love how it would lay out the forces and numbers on either side. Great memories!
Sir I am a Brit who is living where General MaCarthur came ashore and declared "people of the Philippines I have returned". I have just come down from hill 120 which is now a monument to the brave men of America that fought in the battle of Leyte Gulf. It is peaceful there and I was very moved and said a little prayer. Sir I salute you.
Corregidor Island, I was there in 2000 with the USMC. I was crew chief and crewed a ch-46 flight with a 3 star general and ambassador to Corregidor. The old structures there have artillery holes all over them.
The British also fought bravely vs the Japanese in Burma and Malaysia and Singapore
I love that "scratch one flat top" lol
Actually that quote was from the Battle of the Coral Sea.
We only had basic cable growing up so when my Grandfather got Dish Network and had this channel going I was in 13 year old heaven.
"In the space of five minutes, the mightiest carrier fleet in existence had been shattered." Later, "Japan had not only suffered the greatest defeat in her history, but had, in one day, lost the Pacific War." I still get goose bumps.
Can you imagine being Nagumo? Guy probably had to be restrained from doing hari kiri EVERY TIME a carrier went down.. Almost like some weird comedy but COMPLETELY REAL,, I'd sure s*** a brick every ship that went down...
Can you imagine these MEN,, seeing the pussy bitches of today with their safe spaces and no gender pronouns
@@buttgoomagoo6919 If they had seen what has become of the country they fought for, they probably would have gone over the Japanese side. All these sissiy's with their tender feelings and sense of entitlement are a disgrace to memory of those brave men who fought and those who gave their lives for their country in this battle and many others.
All the Japanese carriers and no Radar equipment ? radio silence ? no communication, they really screwed up. USA was the under dog yet they pulled it off , I agree these brave men fighting for country and if they sen what is become of it. they throw up im sure. roll over in their graves, .. i agree with wolffu and buttgoo
All that rice gone to waste.
Admiral Nimitz should have been awarded the Medal of Honor for his brilliant strategy that sent four Japanese carriers to the bottom of the Pacific. Admiral Nimitz was a naval genius.
MOH requires bravery and skill in personal peril
He wasn't that type of leader. He inspired the people below him to do great things, then he awarded them for doing it. Very humble man, cool calm and collected. He is Americas best Navel leader, if not our best military leader. We had lots of good ones, but Admiral Nimitz was special.
@@TSemasFl all navy commanders were sound and humble men, admiral spurance rejected 5 stars general and thought admiral halsey (the man whom he replaced in this battle) deserved it more.
Nimitz showed up at the scene of the greatest massacre of Americans in history and stayed there.Pearl could have been attacked a second time easily enough,the admiral without a doubt showed bravery,was indeed in personal peril nearly single handedly destroyed the Japanese Empire.MOH notwithstanding.
@@reallyhappenings5597 and yet they gave one to MacArthur.
This is what a documentary is supposed to be. No computer animation, no ugly interviews with "historians" born 30 years after the war. good job!
so because you are Born 30 years after the war you cant be a historian? Much sense.
Once it has been properly documented, there is no need of new computer animation. use the original film and photos.
Fully agree with OP. This format is just perfect to quickly understand and evaluate what exactly happened.
KLAUS MAARTENS
I get your point. There's a very matter of fact, direct purity to this style of historical story telling. But there's also nothing wrong with interviews with Historians. As long as they know what they are talking about.
Fantastic episode; great series. 20 years ago people complained that The History Channel was the "Hitler" or "World War 2" Channel. I wonder if they're happier now that it's the Ice Road Truckers and American Pickers Channel?
so true now,, it"s a bit of realety shows thrown in ,,
It definitely shouldn't be called the History Channel anymore
Yes, but why would they do any genuine history anymore if someone can steal if for "fair use" and give it away for free.
I especially miss the Modern Marvels episodes. and their sub series engineering disasters.
Q
That was a really impressive victory by the US Navy at Midway. God bless all the US military personnel that fought and died at Midway.
FUN FACT! TRUMP WAS SUPER-LIBERAL. SHILLARY WAS SUPER-CONSERVATIVE. FACT: Shillary is STILL with her FIRST husband. That's a CONSERVATIVE ideal. FACT: Rump is with his 3rd WIFE. And he sleeps with other gals, cuz he's VERY LIBERAL (LIBERty)! FACT: SHILLARY WAS AGAINST EQUAL RIGHTS FOR GAYS and VERY LOUD ABOUT THIS. FACT: TRUMP WAS RAISED IN NYC AND KNEW GAY PPL HIS ENTIRE LIFE and didn't think it was a big deal. HE WAS LIBERAL. FACT: SHILLARY'S HOMES HAVE ALL BEEN VERY CONSERVATIVE. FACT: TRUMP'S HOMES HAVE ALL BEEN VERY LAVISH AND LIBERAL!!! FACT: SHILLARY SAID WEED SHOULD NEVER BE LEGAL. CONSERVATIVE. RUMP said "LET EACH STATE DECIDE" cuz he wanted more LIBERTY (LIBERal) than SHILLARY DID. I CAN NAME MILLIONS MORE OF THESE.
Buddha or whoever bless those 3000 Japanese who had the shit*iest luck imaginable. Not that their superiors did anything to increase their luck beforehand
Although not part of US Navy, my grandfather also brought down many Japanese naval planes. He was the worst mechanic the Imperial Japan ever hired.
@@chiensyang😂He’s a hero in my book,if all sides in the war had your grandfather’s lack of skill millions and millions of lives could have been saved.
There is no god.
My Father was in the USAAF. Flew in B-25s, B-17s,& B-29s. Hunted U Boat, Bombed Germany in Daylight w/ The 8th AF & helped form and fly w/ The 509th. He was a founding member of SAC. I was so proud of not only him but, all the men & women who fought and supported the men ( it took 11 people at home to supply, clothe & arm) every man in he field. They all are almost gone. God bless them all ! No matter what else they did in Life, they all deserve a special place in Heaven :. God Bless the USA !
I've seen several documentaries on Midway but this gives so much more information... by far the best. But interestingly the Battlefield series leaves out interesting facts and information that are covered extensively in other documentaries. For instance the American dive bombers that sunk the three Japanese carriers in 5 minutes found them because the Japanese fleet ran across an American submarine before changing course. Once they changed course the left a destroyer behind to try to sink the sub with depth charges (unsuccessfully). The destroyer later turned around to catch up with the Japanese fleet. The American planes spotted the lone destroyer and correctly guessed that it was headed toward the fleet. They followed the direction the destroyer was headed and found the fleet... and changed the course of the war.
+Steve Carey The luck factor is never appreciated.
+Steve Carey Many accounts also fail to mention the submarine base at Pearl. It lost only one boat; a very old tug whose seams burst because of all the blast concussions during the attack. It was said, lovingly of course, by many an old sea dog that she died of fright ! The submarine base certainly ranks with the fuel farm and dry dock facilities as an extremely important oversight.
A lot of emphasis on carriers,I think subs would have been a more worthwhile investment.
+Steve Carey can you add a link.
+colin copp /watch?v=C4dya7mMSLE - first foreshadows around 17:00 and more importantly starting at 25:00
British doco's , are unsurpassable . Great narration . An non parochial , honest account of war time history .
Those young men in the US torpedo planes...I can't help but feel for their sacrifice: they sacrificed everything.
Yep, those American torpedoes on those torpedo bombers were crap and didn't hit anything through the first four carrier battles. Coral Sea, Midway, Eastern Solomons, Santa Cruz...
@@ronclark9724 It didn’t matter whether the torpedos worked or not, or if the planes were good. Having any bomber to fly near an enemy aircraft carrier that has good fighter protection without fighter protection of its own is a suicidal mission.
Don't forget dive bombers
That three million people have watched this restores my faith in the human intellect. We're not all keeping up with that reality-show family.
My father served aboard the USS SAN FRANCISCO and his ship was at Pearl Harbor on 07 December 1941. Besides serving in WWII, he served aboard the USS BAIROKO during the Korean Conflict and he served aboard the USS RANGER (aircraft carrier) during Vietnam. He retired with 37 years, 10 months and 8 days as well as 4 Bronze Stars, I am so very proud of him. I just wish that I had asked him about some of the things he experienced. I am now working on family history and it would have been great to be able to put in as a note. (11-18-1918 to 08-31-2000).
The US invasion of Vietnam was illegal under international law.
Does the family have your father's service record book?
These young men were some of the best and bravest in American history.I was raised by folks who lived through ww2. They were not like people of today. They had a inner strength that developed during the war years that you don't see at all these days.
Richard Vert I agree - whole heartedly
Here! Here!
I know right?! Starting with the boomers, continuing through my generation and right up to the present crop of kids, they're all selfish, self centered, no care for the consequences of their well intentioned by unwise feelings....very frustrating!
Peter Diggler, war makes better humans, than what peace makes. So... we really need to understand what proper education should be like. Because sure as hell its not just how much money you will pay and what salary you will get afters
There are still some good, honest, strong, and hard working people out there. The kind of people who have always made America great. Unfortunately in America today it is no longer popular to be hard working and honest. I hope we're just in a bit of a slump and this isn't the new normal.
I never get tired of World War 2 docs... I love this Timeline series. I fall asleep to them every night..
It's incredible - Wake Island, Midway Island and the Johnston Atolls are all abandoned wildlife parks now. How things have changed!
with the eyes in the sky technology , its not necessary to occupy them anymore. besides who said they were abandoned?
Why the hel would we need bases in the middle of the pacific when we have bases in Japan and Guam...
Yamamoto's tragedy was brilliant understanding of enemy's strenghts while total misconception of enemy's mindset.
Nagumo was responsible for this. Yamamoto was the overall commander, but Nagumo was in charge of the carrier task force.
What I love about this series is it feels like it's told 500 years from now from perspective of someone not taking sides.
You fellows' comments add immeasurably to this series. My dad served in the Pacific in a tin can that was hit by a kamikazi. Thanks to all.
matthew adams your dad was a hero. All of those guys who signed up to fight in such an existential war fraught with such tremendous personal risks were all real heroes. These days we’re expected to fawn over everyone in the military as if they were all combat veterans... when in fact, most veterans faced less risk in their positions than a person commuting to the office. Not only that but free healthcare for life, 20 year pensions, free education grants, subsidized housing, hundreds of non profits dedicated to their well being and preferential hiring at civilian companies. Compare that to guys who volunteered fully expecting to face battle, didn’t get all of the perks, had to face things like kamikaze attacks, being attacked by sharks if their ship went down, etc. and they all say, “we were at war; I was just doing my duty”. They truly were the greatest generation. I would also include the veterans of the Korean War in with them.
+Holy_Hand_Grenade-of-Antioch You had the opportunity to join up and get all those 'free' benefits,why didnt you?
@@Holy_hand-grenade .....YET........many veterans die waiting for treatment. All of those "free" benefits are paid for. With blood. When you lie down tonight, in your warm bed, remember that somewhere is a soldier, risking his life, so you can sleep. If you are a solder, marine, sailor, or airman, then you are a hero. When you sign, you are fully aware that you could possibly see combat. Basic training predominantly is war training. Well, for the U.S. army, anyway. Can't speak for any other service. The greatest generation? Yes. I agree. My grandfather was a medic in North Africa, and i believe Sicily and Anzio. Grandpa was the greatest man i ever knew. He hardly ever spoke of his experiences, and i always wondered why, until i had my own. Now i completely understand. OH......LOVE the "Python" reference!
Hey matthew adams, much respect to you and your family, and sympathy. Thank you for writing this.
Used to rush home on my lunch break to watch Battlefield back in the day. A very good made series.
This is really superb. No nonsense, obviously deeply researched, Iike watching a good book.
I watched this series over and over again when I was a kid. Very well done.
My dad bought me one of these every month on VHS when I was a kid. Got me intrested about war history.
I just realized that Midway Island was named because it's mid-way through the Pacific...
I'm glad for you.
Amazing how good intelligence (American reconnaissance and radar) and a couple breaks (good luck, timing) totally shifted the balance here.
There was also the results of the Coral Sea battle as well. When the Japanese originally drew up plans for the Midway operation, they presumed that they would have all six of the elite Pearl Harbor strike group (Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, Hiryu, Shokaku & Zuikaku) available to participate in the campaign. However due to bomb damage and aircrew losses on the latter two carriers, they weren't able to participate in the battle. Imagine what the battle would've been like had Shokaku & Zuikaku been able to be in the battle and presume actual events transpired (i.e. Kaga, Akagi & Soryu get blown to pieces). Nagumo would still have 3 carriers in play and in numbers, would've easily taken out Yorktown in the first wave and possibly both Enterprise & Hornet as well in the following strike waves.
+Robert X That's the problem with historical "what ifs". They mean nothing at all. The only thing that matters is what actually did transpire. Any historical "mind games" of "what if" and "imagine if" are truly a waste of even the effort to imagine scenarios as any scenario that can be imagined is open to thousands of counter plausible "what ifs". It hardly means one is unimaginative not to dwell on such matters, merely the very definition of being pragmatic.
Singular Purpose I agree to a certain point , but some 'what ifs ' are more acceptable in my opinion then others ...e.g Japan really HAD those extra carriers so putting them at midway would have been possible ....if you would say 'suppose Japan had 1000 subs waiting for Pearl habor then THAT would be an IMPOSSIBLE scenario as they simply did not exists !...so not all 'what ifs' are totally impossible and others are ..or at least much less likely And offcourse it doesn't change anything THAT part is true ...but at least for me they are intresting sometimes
Robert X Yeah, I completely agree with your assessment regarding what ifs like if Japan had 1000 subs, etc. Agreed that wouldn't be a legitimate counter what if, exactly why I stated that there would be plausible counters. As they would, of course, have to be something which could have happened at the time. Agreed. tc sir, and thanks for not being like most ppl on YT and making or taking it something personal, which it isn't nor was never intended to be. The hallmark of someone mature. tc sir.
Singular Purpose yw :) Btw I agree (again :) ) that it's a shame some ppl take things far to personal
There is a slight error at 1:15; the narrator says that Midway was the first major fleet encounter where both fleets never saw each other. This distinction actually belongs to the Battle of the Coral Sea.
narrator also says both sides' flight crews were equal, but i read that the Japanese launched 108 planes in SEVEN MINUTES (!!!), while it took our side ONE HOUR to do 117 planes! YIKES. Growing up in AMerica, i always knew this was the fakest, most inept nation EVER. (We literally can't even repave streets or win wars against 1000 guys in caves in Afghanistan!) EX: of the 2 NYPD killed in duty in 2019... BOTH , in separate impossible fuckups, were SHOT TO DEATH BY THEIR FELLOW NYPD, while the criminals escaped! (The other 11 dead NYPD in 2019 killed THEMSELVES!) (I think there were a few others, where NYPD killed NYPD DELIBERATELY, like a lover's quarrel.) WE ARE THE RICHEST NATION EVER... yet we had to BORROW THE MOST MONEY EVER (??!!) ... and from the Commies (CHINA)??? WE ALSO HAVE TO PAY RUSSIA TO FLY OUR ASTRONAUTS TO THE ISS. The commies LITERALLY destroyed the USSA in almost every category.YEEEEESH.
@@dumpygoodness4086 It takes a wise and strong person to admit that their country is fooked. Kudos. Maybe we can rebuild better after this clown show collapses.
@@dumpygoodness4086 Don't believe everything you read on the internet and the media kid.
@@j.a.3138 GOOD POINT!! MURICA ISN'T THE RICHEST NATION ON EARTH! We're like in the middle RIGHT? AND WE DON"T BORROW MONEY!! WE LEND IT!! COMMIE CHINA BEGS US TO LEND THEM MONEY!! YOU are Sooooo right!!! AND THERE ARE NO POTHOLES IN MURICA cuz it's a great nation!!! YAY!! And remember when they won the wars in Vietnam, and Iraq, and Afghanistan?!! HEY!! REMEMBER WHEN AMERIKKKA HAD MORE SCHOOL SHOOTINGS THAN ALL OTHER NATIONS ON EARTH..........COMBINED? WICKED AWESOME!! "THE INTERNET M ADE UP AMERICA'S CRUMBLING STATE!!!"
@@dumpygoodness4086 back to your oblast igor
my dad HOMER LEE BREWER was on the enterprise in ww2 .
+puddintain byhufygvyui your dad must have been a bad ass
+puddintain byhufygvyui Cheers to him!
My uncle, Robert O'Brien was too!
Fluffy O'Bannon Cheers to Mr. Robert as well!
There is some bitterness here. You might get that looked at.
To the greatest generation... we thank you.
Kudos to the US military forces that achieved a brilliant victory at Midway! God bless them.
God? They fought so that today God would not exist in America. They fought so that wh1te people would become r-placed, so that trans and lgbt agenda would be in kindergartens, and so that a hostile tribe of merchants would enslave us.
This is one of the great military history series, well worth the purchase. Also superb is "The World at War." The Brits do history TV better than anyone IMO.
Bob Frost I've been watching Battlefield all weekend and want to just shoot out a couple more thoughts on why the series works so well IMO. One is the soundtrack. This is war set to music! A wacky concept, in some ways, but a great concept for TV/video. Another strength is the maps and graphics. Still another is the length of each episode - 90 minutes to two hours, adequate time to really dig into the details of a battle. Also, I think the producers don't always use film exactly appropriate to a particular moment in the battle - in other words they might use film shot on some day other than what they're depicting. This flexibility is I think a strength, it makes for better TV because it frees up more film to use, even though it's ahistorical.
Bob Frost What I like so much besides the depth (which is given) is that no side/perspective is taken wholly. That is what deters me from Battle 360, it follows the Americans (specifically, Enterprise) and their stories (which this series does not use).
Bob Frost It is so far from the truth. As time goes on you will find history rewritten
I have read your note five times and do not actually understand what you are trying to say. Maybe the sixth time will work...........nope.
paul Stewart I was there young man. Want to tell me just what you think they got wrong? Or are you one of those people who are going to wait until my last couple of buddies and me are dead so you can rewrite the history we've already written and told from our own experiences? By the way, the history we've left isn't just from American soldiers, sailors, and airmen. Our Japanese counterparts have met with us regularly, although there have been damned few of us at the last couple gatherings. Most of us have become great friends over the years and we have shared our memories and corrected misperceptions each side carried from those couple of days at Midway. You aren't going to get anything more accurate from somebody who wasn't there.
My father was in the Navy servived .during the battle of Midway...great man.
Damn... Yorktown took multiple lickings and kept on ticking. Damaged during the Battle of Coral Sea and out survived its Japanese counterpart. Only 3 day repair and still damaged she pulled out to sea for Midway and after taking more hits managed to recover planes, fuel, and relaunch. All thanks to outstanding damage control training by her crew. Respect.
Yep' our tax payers sure got our moneys worth out of that Carrier. May she and her crews RIP
Actually, the Battle of the Coral Sea was the first naval battle in which the opposing surface fleets were never in visual range of each other, not Midway. That said, this is probably the best documentary on this fight and the same can be said about this entire series. Thank you for posting this.
Excellent documentary. Although the emphasis on superior damage control by US force on the Yorktown is well taken, omits any discussion of ship design as a factor in the destruction of the Japanese carriers. The hangar decks on Japanese carriers were enclosed, enhancing the blast damage when bombs explode due to the overpressurization. On US carriers, the hangar decks were not completely enclosed, allowing the blast from exploding bombs to dissipate more.
I think in a way all the success early on warped the Japanese way of thinking about damage to their ships. I think they actually believed their ships weren't going to take a hit, and who can blame them. Up to the Coral Sea they got away relatively scott free as far as damage to their ships was concerned. I really think the major difference as far as damage control went was that the US Navy learned its lesson about damage control from the Coral Sea while the Japanese didn't. The Japanese were lucky that there were no aircraft in the hangar deck of Shokaku when she was bombed at Coral Sea or she might have gone up in a fireball like Kaga did at Midway. The fact that she didn't probably fooled the Japanese into thinking their damage control was adequate.
CaptainColdyron222 'Victory Disease' the Japanese later called it.
CaptainColdyron222 The Battle of the Coral Sea was a month prior to Midway. American damage control measures were in place long before that.
Carl Lindmark The Bofors 40mm is the unsung hero of Midway
Para Digm hi the Bofors 40mm was used by all sides in ww2 we had a double barrel 40mm Bofors at the end of our street in ww2
Watching this video, I'm amazed by the pivotal role intelligence and teamwork played in the American victory at Midway. History in action!
Best Midway description I've ever seen.
Sorry
go look up shattered sword talks with john parshall...even better
This series is great and gives you a real insight into the events of WWII. What is also great, and vital in the telling of the various battles, is the use of archive film material from each side of any conflict, you get a more fuller account of the events.
This feels like a show you'd watch around Monday noon time when you were home sick from school. :P
I grew up on this series when it first aired, and this is one of my favorite episodes. I must have seen it at least 2 dozen times. So how is it that I only just noticed the hilarious (at least to me) typo about the gun caliber of the American aircraft?
That's the problem with most modern history. "The Battle of..." is all that is said. There is so much more to these fights that most have no knowledge of. Excellent documentary!!
Well you can't squeeze days into minutes...
I was lucky to have served at Pearl. Footage of the attack still gives me chills
I don't know who wrote this or if it had been a combined effort but ,this may be one of the best laid out comprehensive documentaries on this engagement ive seen yet
The Battlefield documentary series is amazing. Every episode is this good.
And books written about Midway are even better, much more thorough, and have lists of sources used by the author(s) to write their books to do further reading. *No one ever got to be fully informed about any subject through watching documentaries,* and doing so causes people to think they know far more than they really do-I call them “KZhead geniuses.” It is classic passive learning, not requiring much intellectual effort except perhaps that of memory, and this can never, EVER surpass the knowledge gained by _active_ learning, i.e. *R E A D I N G!*
@@voraciousreader3341 Relax!!!! Why would you go into a rant like that?? What makes you think the people here don’t t read as well?? Do we have to bring that up every time we comment on a documentary??
This documentary is made more interesting (to me, at any rate) with its descriptions of the aircraft involved. Fantastic! I have a sort of love affair with military aircraft. Have no idea where it came from. I really lucked out when my mom married my stepdad who flew the B-26 Martin Marauder (he was an Ace in Korea and also flew in Vietnam). He was a wonderful firsthand source of information. Miss him terribly.
+Melanie Hamilton This is the most interesting comment on here. I'm kind of a combat pilot groupie. I would listen to your stories of your step father with interest.
justjohn dangit The general tone and focus of his stories differed with each war he participated in. I could detect how age and wisdom colored his views. He also flew during the Berlin Airlift. That seemed to change his overall outlook on life more than any specific event. Vietnam was the one that never sat easy in his mind and the one he was most reluctant to discuss, even with my mother. The subjects of his tales were overwhelmingly the guys he flew with, second were his close calls tied with his opinions of the planes he flew. He said the P-51 was the closest he ever got to flying a plane with only his thoughts. It was apparently designed with the pilot's comfort and proximity to controls very much in mind. Thanks so much for your response. For me, it's a way to honor his memory and his willingness to fly in combat.
It's cool that you were friends with your Stepdad and that you admired him so. What did he fly in Korea? Sabre? What did he fly in Viet Nam?
justjohn dangit When he first went to Korea, the US was still flying P-51s which he was in for a little while. He flew two tours in Korea during which he mainly flew the F-86 Sabre, another plane he truly enjoyed. He became an Ace in Korea and we have some great pictures of him, his planes and his invaluable ground crews taken while he was there. In Vietnam he got assigned to "Puff". He wasn't crazy about it, but that was his job. It was essentially an automated flying weapons platform which could decimate a target - usually a village - in no time flat. The most difficult aspect of it was that the pilot and co-pilot could see the damage they delivered. After Korea and until he officially retired as a major, he belonged to the Air National Guard and his duties, when he was needed, were many and varied. That gave him a lot of experience flying planes stateside that he never flew in combat. He was a stickler for pre-flight checks which annoyed some guys in his wing, but he wouldn't budge. As he always said, the pre-flight check exists for a reason. One of my favorite of his stories involved a general who, a few months after WWII had ended, needed to be flown from Fort Knox to a base up north and Sam (my stepdad) was assigned to fly him there. The weather became increasingly stormy and Sam refused to make the flight. His CO gave him hell, but the general backed him and thanked him for his good sense. Turned out the flight was only delayed a couple of hours until the storm had passed. The CO had gotten his knickers in a twist over nothing.
I could read you all day. My pa was a Marine Corp. Corsair pilot. Not the plane but the F8. He never saw combat....That B26 must have been a booger to fly... I want to be your Fb friend. Figures you must be pretty interesting yourself.
The Battle of Midway may have been the most impressive military victory of all time. The Empire of Japan essentially lost the war in Pacific in a single day.
January 6 insurrection was still worse than Pearl Harbor.
What Lee did during US Civil War is more remarkable
@@herbertlewis8442 I hardly know anything the civil war or ww1. I've been hesitating learning it thinking there wasn't any massive guns or huge ships etc and probably much worse video than ww2. I've been hearing all kinds of rumors lately about Robert E. Lee so I guess I better bone up.
@@herbertlewis8442 What? lose the Battle of Gettysburg and thus the Civil War for the South? Yeah that was real good. Loser
@@Softail77us Pardon the really late reply...I would definitely study The US Civil War & WWI. Both ushered in the use railroads, total war as well as other advancements
History the story has to be told. The greatest generation, thanks for the program. Cheers!
Coral Sea, not Midway, was the first major naval battle in history in which the opposing ships never sighted one another.
You are absolutely correct. An error on the part of the narration.
The narrator one sentence earlier formulates "the most decisive naval battle of the Second World War" (0:59), then pronouncing very slowly "the first - major - fleet - encounter in which the ships on each side never came within visual range of enemy vessels" (1:15). So by "major fleet encounter" here probably is meant something more decisive than the Battle of the Coral Sea. Something you could compare rather with the Battle of Trafalgar of 1805 than with the Battle of Asculum of 279 BC.
+Hans Dunkelberg damn, Hans--- you're right, you went to some military school, or just Google a lot? I'm not insulting you, Man, I'm genuinely impressed....
To Mic Norton: I just google a lot.
we had our buts kicked tactical 4 times are Coral Sea, but had a strategic win with Guadalcanal. It's splitting hairs saying either were the turning point, I'd submit that they both were, Midway showed the Japanese can be beat, Coral Sea showed they can be defeated.
The repair the americans did on the yorktown is really incredible... 3 days?!! And credit admiral Nimitz for predicting where the imperial carrier fleet would come from. The carriers defense shield was shredding our planes at first, the fact though, that we hit all 4 carriers on one sortie... just plain crazy! American public may have been isolationists b4 pearl harbor, but afterwards, the total effort of civilians and military alike was far more then japan could handle
Yes and the amazing fact is that three of them (Japanese carriers) were destroyed within five minutes of the first successful attack by the American aircraft.
It's never been publicly admitted, but I've always wondered whether the torpedo bomber flight was deliberately sacrificed to lure down the Japanese top cover, in order to give the dive bombers a better chance. Neither had any fighter escort so the only hope for either was for one to occupy the Japanese fighters so that the other could actually have a chance to strike.
Edvorticus Snorticus The American forces were not that well organized.
That prediction came about because Station Hypo and Joseph Rochfort's efforts in breaking the JN-25 naval code!
The US hit three carriers. The Hiryu was not seen until after it had launched it's strikes against Yorktown.
Wow--incredibly well done. Offers historical specificity in detail, illustrated by highly informed maps showing the geo-strategic situation and authentic film of the day. Includes maps of battlegrounds leading to Midway, viewed in their larger geo-political context. A more in depth presentation than I've seen anywhere else before...
The entire Battlefield series is most excellent for the history of WWII. I actually have 99% of them on VHS tape recorded in the 90s.
All of these wwll documentaries heavily remind me of my Grandad and my GreatGrandad , they were both full-time professional Army officers in the Greek Royal Army. Miss you guys❗
I LOVE these WW II programs. As one who History 107-WW II in college, you can just about learn all you need to know to darn near get a degree in history. There is SO much info available on KZhead and everywhere else in videos that there is no excuse for anyone to be ignorant about anything when it comes to history or whatever else they need to know about.
The "Battle of Midway" is one of the most studied Naval battles of WW2. Either side could have won and neither side held a great advantage. About a half dozen "minor" decisions, made in the Fog of War cost the Japanese Navy a humbling defeat. BOTH sides showed tremendous gallantry and bravery. The Valkyries were flying on that fateful day...
USA had radar. :)
Well as a strong Christian I believe God favored the side of right that day. In most wars there’s no clear “right and wrong” side, but in WWII I think that existed in spades.
US had a decisive advantage in intel.
I watched this in 2005 on the Military channel.Thanks for posting.
Classic WW2 series full of authentic footage rather than lame reenactments & CG graphics! This is a real war documentary.
Entertaining and highly informative for anyone actually interested in the unfolding of real events...
This is a pretty solid, and mostly accurate chunk of history! well done!
I could watch this over and over. Always catch something new.
Excellent Narrative. Tim P Smith rocks it !
Sadly he pased away in 2017.
The sacrifice of the torpedo planes was not in vain. Virtually every Zero flying CAP dove down to attack them. When the Dauntlesses finally arrived high above the IJN carriers, the Japanese CAP was at sea level downing the last of the torpedo planes. The SBD's were able to set up their attacks virtually unopposed by enemy fighters. To VT-8 and the other TBD's lost, we salute you. Your sacrifice may well have changed the course of the battle.
Midway is a fantastic example of how a few pilots launching off carrier decks turned a war encompassing the entire Pacific Ocean around.
It's incredible to see the timing and sheer coincidences that occur in warfare. Timing is literally everything in warfare.
My father was on the USN Dobbin , a destroyer tender, in Pearl Harbor. Because Australia was actually bombed which I learned from this series, my father was sent to Sydney, Australia, where he met my Mom. I was born in 1943 so this series was really interesting to me as I could think, ok, I was alive or it was before I was born. I also enjoyed the European Theater parts as I am reading a book now callled "Hitler's Last Gamble" about the battle of the bulge. This series makes the book information much clearer as I can see the tactics used and the results of the campaigns. Thanks for presenting this material.
Much better than the Hollywood movies on Midway.
Little is ever mentioned about the Japanese survivors of the Midway campaign. After returning home to Japan they were pretty much isolated in a remote location as not to disclose to the public about the horrific defeat suffered by Japan.
The best documentary I've found to date. What actually happened is still being researched and revised, which is only to be expected.
Brilliant documentary and very well done, respectful of both sides. Thanks so much for sharing.
Why is this so darn good?
What a great documentary
One of the best documentaries I have seen. Straight forward, no obtrusive music, no ill informed historians or poor speakers.
This is a God damn incredible documentary. Such detail and facts about EVERYTHING. I have to save this and watch it about 10 more times to REALLY understand it all.
These Battlefield history documentaries are the best out of any existing. I have watched literally dozens upon dozens of different documentaries and these are straight forward, contain very little opinions, lots of facts and details as well as visuals.
The U.S. Navy would hear of Admiral Tanaka again! He was responsible for the Tokyo Express,the destroyer fleet in the Solomon's after Guadalcanal!
These battlefield doc's are first class..the details from both sides is outstanding
Chain of events are but there are many things that are secrets to this very day. Americans were conned into entering the war and many good men lost their lives. Corruption is so rife in our western governments.
Just came from watching thr Netflix series and have a bitter taste in my mouth......even after all this time this remains the definitive documentary on Battle of Midway!
Excellently done documentary! Great narration, great graphics and great detail when describing leaders and their strategies employed. I remember seeing it when it first aired on TV. Luckily I have a chance to see it again.
I lived in Hawaii for 3 years, I wish I knew more about its history before I left. Its amazing to be there and to think about everything that has happened on that island, even before James Cook showed up. Thank you for posting this video and everyone that has commented below with pedagogic feedback. This has been very beneficial to my history education.
The best military history series ever made. Probably the greatest naval victory in history, after Lepanto (1571), Trafalgar (1805), Tsushima Straits (1905). Changed the course of WWII in the Pacific.
The Imperial Japanese Navy rolled the dice at Midway, and came up with snake eyes.
This series is so good
DAMN I love this Battlefield series!!
Learned a lot! Love this series!
"With the Lexington sunk, and Yorktown badly damaged in the Coral Sea, the US Pacific Fleet had been critically weakened." He says, "Yorktown went into drydock in Pearl Harbor with damage estimated to need at least three months to repair. In fact, the yards achieved near miraculous results; The job was done in three days, with 1,500 men working around the clock. Much minor damage had not yet been put right, and as the carrier sailed, scores of dockyard crew remained on board." That is the kind of initiative and perseverance that the surprise attack of Pearl Harbor had immediately instilled deep within the hearts and minds of the American population.
@Olwen Morgan you think that's impressive? i can repair a whole tanks batallion by only using wrench key.
I've always said our corrupt politicians COULD repave roads if they wanted to , but both parties insist it can't be done. "AMERICA CAN NEVER DO WHAT OTHER NATIONS DO EASILY, from smooth roads to FREE HEALTH CARE!" Only on earth could America BOAST of being the WORST nation on the planet! ("We have the LARGEST DEBTS in human history, cuz we are SO GREAT!") (EX: took TEN YEARS to repave ONE STREET in NYC, under Giuliani and BLoomturd! TEN YEARS to do one week of work. Takes the USSA Govt in NYC 11 WEEKS to install an escalator!! That's a 4 day job at most!!!! ARGH!!!)
@@dumpygoodness4086I have seen many bad roads everywhere, and there is no such thing as free health care... Your taxes are paying for rationed health care...
@@ronclark9724 Yeah, and not ONE of my 5 expensive Apple Computers works correctly (I call them "Grief Modules" because they're so poorly built and designed, b/c they NEED them to fail so you keep "upgrading"). Boeing LITERALLY built a plane that CRASHES ITSELF (!!!). I can list billions of these. HUMAN BEINGS ARE IDIOTS. Always have been. Always will be. It does NOT matter if it's PRIVATE business, or GOVT socialism. Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein were CAPITALISTS in the private sector... CORRUPTED BY POWER... while Trump and Bill Clinton were both POLITICIANS corrupted by power. HUMANS ARE ALMOST ALWAYS CORRUPTED BY POWER. (Epstein and Weinstein would HIRE OFF-DUTY COPS to go and bully / harass /scare the VICTIMS!)
@@ronclark9724 AND YOU ADMIT THAT THE MILITARY AND POLICE are 100% BIG-GOVT-RUN MONOPOLIES (meaning we the consumers have NO CHOICE)....aka COMMUNISM / SOCIALISM, right?
I heard an (unverified) story that a chartered fuel and ammo ship docked at Midway just before the battle. The crew wanted more pay before they helped unload the ship. They were informed that the Japanese were not only going to attack Midway, but they were *OVERDUE.* And their ship ( where they all lived, worked, and slept ) would explode like a bomb if and when it was hit. The crew immediately voted to end their strike, unloaded the ship around the clock in record time, and got out of the area just in time.
Second or third time I have watched the Battle of Midway. There but for the Grace of God Go Us. The more I know, the more I realise I know so little.
I come back to this video about once a year. It is that interesting. The whole BATTLEFIELD series is a very good one, and each episode holds my attention, like few others fail to do.
One of the best documentaries on the Battle of Midway that I have seen. Really makes so much of the material so clear compared to much of what I have previously seen. Really enjoyed it and it increased my understanding of this most significant event of American, indeed world, history.
Great documentary, thanks for uploading, God bless 🙏
Vasile, the man with the sexiest voice. Loving these. Great production and research too. Keep up the great work!