Battle of the Komandorski Islands - Forced to run, yet still they won
2023 ж. 3 Қаз.
277 523 Рет қаралды
Today we look at a small but important cruiser clash in the North Pacific, when a US Task Group was forced to run, but won anyway.
Sources:
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www.amazon.co.uk/Battle-Histo...
www.amazon.co.uk/Battle-Koman...
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Pinned post for Q&A :)
have you thought of doing a update to the HMS Thunderchild video as there is a new book called Last Days of Thunderchild by C A Powell that gives some great details of the ship that even you might be interested in
If you could travel back in time and stick a GoPro or 360 action cam onto any point of a ship to get footage of a historical event, what would it be?
Recently saw a carrier completely covered...looked "wrapped" in white in Norfolk VA. Never seen anything like that. What repair or work would require that?
I've heard of German plans to convert the ocean liner Europa into an aircraft carrier during WW2 could this have been a better option than the graf zeppelin given how many flaws the graf had and how despite the inefficiency of conversations the Japanese got a lot of use out of their converted hiyo and junyo carriers?
Given that the Americans never considered invading Japan from the north, and that Japanese logistics were massively overstretched already, would the Japanese have benefitted at all by managing to hold onto the Aleutians even if this battle had gone differently?
I almost believe that the unwritten truth from the Japanese perspective is that once the Navy realized that they could press home their advantage, win decisively and get the transports through to the Army, their Admiral paused and thought, wait this will benefit the army? Break off contact return to base. We must respect the IJN and IJA for never losing sight of the true enemy, each other.
you have lifted the 'fog of war'
You know what? I think you're not even wrong.
🤣 full scale international..annoying your relative for lols 😂🤣😂 "victory is close sir, the army will have heat and food soon" "yeah nah fk him, lets go home" 🤣
After reading Hirohito's biography, I wholly believe this
and people thought Army vs Navy football games in the US were serious
“..with Midway going as well to the Japanese as a seppuku with a rusty SPOON…” There’s the Drachism of the week.
"Why a spoon My Lord, why not an axe?"
"Because it'll hurt more. Now, sew!"
I love it!
"Because it's dull you twit, it will hurt more" you mean. Prince of Thieves such a good movie. The extended version is even BETTER! @@DornishVintage
Everytime Drach mentions the name "Kamchatka" a Japanese torpedo boat manifests in the Atlantic
Surely it would have manifested in the North Sea
@@toddlane8781 About a dozen! From all directions!
One just appeared in my living room, everyone on board is really confused.
@@jeffreyskoritowski4114 Everyone in my living room is even more confused by the fleet of N. Sea fishing boats that just appeared.
@rickymherbert2899 Maybe there is something to Philadelphia Experiment after all.
Last time I was this early to a Drach video, _Kamchatka_ hadn't sighted torpedo boats yet
Do you see any torpedoes?
Throws binoculars in anger*
Also Kamchatka cameo at 1:06
Public Service Announcement: No fishing boats were harmed in the making of that reference.
I needed that this morning
*"TASK FAILED SUCCESSFULLY"*
IJN: "We have them at our mercy! Buuut, our ammo is a little low, that last near miss caused me to bite my tongue, and do you hear aircraft? I think I hear aircraft. Let's leave." USN: "We've got one boiler, Ensign Smith is steering the ship with his teeth, and this tub of potatoes to throw at them. CHAAARGE!!!"
USS Johnston continued to charge at the enemy at Samar despite only having two functional 5-inch guns and a top speed of 17 knots, curtesy of three 18.1-inch shells and three 6.1-inch shells from Yamato from around 20,300 yards.
Proof that battles are often won or lost in the minds of the commanders.
Well said
Deep
"heading off to meet it's whitehead ancestors in that great torpedo magazine in the sky" haha that was brilliant!
My father spent the war on Amchitka, somewhat east and south of Attu and Kiska but not far away. He was in support of the very large air base there with B-24s, P-40s, P-39s, etc. as a supply sergeant. His memories of his years there were the poor weather (constant fog, drizzle, blowing frozen precip) and the sheer nothingness all around him. He was somewhat glad to see in the 1960s that the US Government decided to detonate a couple of nuclear weapons under that island but disappointed that these weapons didn't remove it...
It didn't make a big round hole where an island used to be like Castle Bravo did.
❓ Wait, are you saying that the weather in Amchitka _isn't_ always warm & sunny? Darn it! I just spent $5,000 online for a 2 week tropical vacation there! It was advertised as "a paradise with palm trees and warm, crystal clear waters"! What about the "world class Amchitka surfing tournament" that I just signed up for? 🙂
@@HighlanderNorth1sad trombone sound……Wah-wah-wah. WAAAAAAAHHH…..🎼🎺🎼
lol the only person ever happy for us to nuke something out of existence
@@AsbestosMuffins Not true... I'm happy to watch CNN's ratings being figuratively "nuked".
I had the pleasure of knowing a veteran of the USS Salt Lake City, Electrician Robert (Bob) Roth who served on that ship for most of WWII. His battle station was in the 8 inch gun director aiming and firing the big guns. He told me of the Battle of the Komandorski Islands and how they at one point when they were dead in the water, in his words "goners". Some time during the battle, he opened the overhead hatch of the gun director and stuck his head out to look towards the Japanese battle fleet. He saw a dark spot rapidly approaching and quickly ducked inside. That shell tore thru the rigging, possibly the one that carried away the disabled flag. He also told me of other actions the Salt Lake City engaged in the Pacific Campaign. Sadly, like most of our WWII veterans, Bob is gone now.
My Dad John Lund was on the Salt Lake City in the battle of the Komandorski`s. He was a Radioman RM1, served on her for most of the war. Never really talked about much of what he saw, he saw some pretty bad stuff. Iam pretty sure he and Bob Roth knew each other. One story I remember, early Dec 41, the Air Craft Carrier`s, Cruiser`s, Destroyers took a load of Air planes to the Marines at Wake Island and Midway. They were on their way back to Pearl Harbor, and had to slow down because of a storm, as the Tin Can`s had trouble keeping up. They came into Pearl Harbor the following day after the Jap`s attacked it. He was also with the Doolittle in April 42. Strange how things turn out in life. I went into the Navy in 9/62 and went to Radioman "A" School. Was assigned to a WWII Destroyer DD-729, and got off her as a RM3, from 9/63 - 9/66 and served in WestPac, and home ported in Yokosuka Japan, till 6/64 when we came back to the States.
This is the battle in which the Japanese admiral deciding to withdraw from a battle that baffles me the most. I can get Abe for having his flagship bridge shot at by USS Laffey and Kurita still thinking that the 3rd Fleet is nearby but Hosogaya decision to turn back right when victory was near is really a "wait what?" moment.
Agreed. Samar and First Guadalcanal are pretty excusable given the Japanese losses (and in the case of Samar, there were other factors working against Kurita that he hadn’t accounted for, such as the fact the main body of SEVENTH fleet WAS nearby), and even First Savo Island-which I consider much more of a missed opportunity-had extenuating circumstances, but Komandorski is a lot more baffling.
@bkjeong4302 Well, now we know, the rest, of the story!
Someone else pointed out a possible solution: Hosogaya was a Navy man. Getting the transports through would have helped the Army.
@@bkjeong4302 And also the fact that the Japanese had already lost 3 heavy cruisers and had many other damaged ships at Samar. Regardless of where the 3rd fleet was, I'd GTFO as quickly as possible to not lose any more ships
They realized that victory meant they were aiding the army, and called it off. It's probably not what happened, but it's entirely plausible, and that's funny.
The Japanese holding all the cards and deciding to call it quits, thereby ensuring a strategic defeat even in the face of their tactical victories, seems to be a common theme throughout the war.
that's because the Japanese were always looking for "the decisive battle" and not being granted one...
American destroyers charging in an overwhelming enemy force is also a theme as well in the war.
It was the effect of "seppuku with a rusty spoon" at Midway. What was planned and expected to be a decisive victory turned into a complete and decisive loss. After 6 months of brilliant victories, Japan lost war in the Pacific in a single day.
To be frank it’s not nearly as much of one as often assumed given that in many such cases, there were some valid reasons for withdrawing (though in some cases the Japanese weren’t actually aware of said reasons, such as at Samar where Kurita had no idea that he was going to run into Oldendorff moving north if he kept heading east, but avoided that situation by retreating anyways).
@@kameron1290 To be a destroyer captain during the war you had to have a screw or two loose. The few that were actually sane didn't have much success comparitively.
I've been fishing off those islands. They sort of look like the South Pacific but instead being covered in Palm trees they're covered in moss and lichen. You can still see the linear dimples in the soil from the trenches.
Same , actually took a skiff over to Kiska and checked out the midget sub and other war junk left behind. Crabbed and longlined the Bering for about 10 years. Love the Aleutians.
It must have been absolutely miserable for the sailors manning the open-backed gun mounts on the Japanese light cruisers
It was a good way to blow the stink off, at least..
Open mounts on ships look miserable, period. No protection from the elements, sharpnel...etc.
@@Jarumo76 I can confirm. While stationed at Yokosuka in the early 90's I got a day off and went down the road to tour the IJN Mikasa. It was a miserable day and started to rain like crazy. Most of the ship is partially open (outside of the citadel and lower decks) and we were in the 2nd deck where the secondary battery was. And then the hail came. We were drenched and bruised from the onslaught. Beautiful ship (rather small by modern standards) but god have mercy on the crew in harsh seas!
With the exception of Bomber Crews; Seaman has to be the *worst* job of WW2, especially the merchants and submariners.. balls of absolute steel.. I know for a fact I couldn't cope with that
Monaghan's two aft mounts were open, too, as well as Salt Lake City's secondaries, so it wasn't just the Japanese.
IJN: just leaves USN: just leaves Salt Lake City: Guess I'll float, then?
After the battle, Salt Lake City signaled Bailey: "The Salt Lake City extends its most heartful thanks for the magnificent work you and your ships did today x We are proud of you and dammed grateful." Her captain specifically called Bailey an "outstandingly valiant destroyer" and described her charge as "a magnificent and inspiring spectacle." One Japanese officer noted that: "I do not know how a ship could live through the concentration of fire that was brought to bear on the leading destroyer." And another that "Our flagship, the Nachi, was hit by effective shots from an outstandingly valiant United States destroyer, which appeared on the scene toward the end of the engagement."
Noted author Vincent P. O'Hara made the poignant comment in one of his books that: "U.S. Destroyer skippers were fire-eaters." That they were, in SPADES!
Poor Admiral Hosogaya forced into retirement, just before some of the worst naval defeats of the war! This was his lucky day.
It's like playing a hard-fought session in CoD or war thunder/World of warships by leaving the game, thinking you're gonna lose because the enemy has advantage; *only to find out that your team actually won*
Woaw this is JUST LIKE muh vidya games!! *Soyface*
Fog of war! And different evaluations of what constitutes victory! Pyrhric victories come to mind!
No it's not people died they didn't go for more ice cream
And because you bailed early, you don't get any rewards at all.
Yeah, true and relatable.😅@@CiaranMaxwell
"Why a Spoon?" "Because it will hurt more" One of the handful of good scenes in Kevin Costner's Robin Hood
But Alan Rickman stole the show!
Because, unlike other Robin Hoods, I can speak with an English accent!
Drachs humor is the perfect combination of sarcasm and dry. Its one of the main things that make his videos unique
I agree, I watch Battleship New Jersey and although very informative the narrator is about as exiting as watching a rock in the desert erode. Drach has the wondaful lines tossed in that make it informative and entertaining.
Sarcasm and wit are as British as sailing, I love it.
Trivia: the first squadron to fly the P-38 operationally was based in the Aleutians. Of all places.
I thought there were P-38s stationed on Iceland prior to Pearl Harbor. Part of the US taking over the occupation from the British. I think I remember that a P-38 scored a kill against a Focke Wolf Condor.
@@mpetersen6 The P-38 did not fly operationally until May of 1942. What you're remembering is the Condor shot down by a P-38 of the 1st fighter group in August '42 while the group was ferrying to Europe.
My great-grandmother’s cousin, John Atkeson, was commanding the USS Bailey during this battle. He was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions.
@Archerfish1977, think that makes us related. John “Brute” Atkeson was my grandfather.
Drachinifel: explaining naval history and uniting families in the comment-section.
The Japanese post-1930 Type 91 AP projectiles in the smaller cruiser sizes (15.5 cm and 20.3 cm) were actually uncapped SAP projectiles whose noses and windscreens were designed to snap off on any impact (water by preference) leaving a tapered flat nose tht was 0.68-caliber wide (just under half of the cross-section area of the projectile body. Coupled wit a tapered "boattail" base, this allowed the shell to remain going nose-first underwater for a considerable distance until it slowed down enough to curve downward or until the base fuze, set off on the water impact set the shell off. The delay of the 15.5cm (6.1") size was 0.08 sec, about 3 times the delay in WWII US Navy AP projectiles. The 20.3cm (8") swlay was 0.4 sec, the same as the larger battleship versions (those were capped and the upper end of the AP cap snapped off, not the shell nose). ).4 sec would allow a shell to go rather a long way underwater, much of it near the ocean surface, but deep enough to hopefully hit the enemy ship like a penetrating small torpedo if the Japanese gun got a short near-miss. The angle of fall range to get the near-surface motion was about 7-25 degrees, moving at a deeper trajectory as the angle of fall increased. Less than 7 degrees ricocheted off the water anyway, and over 25 degrees caused the shell to run too deep to hit even a battleship lower hull. The fuze would blow up the shell like a time-fuzed AA shell, but underwater in this case.
14:00 "... Great torpedo magazine at the sky" this is gold🤣🤣🤣
"Midway went as well for the Japanese as a seppuku with a rusty spoon." I hereby declare this as the internet's winning statement for the day for me at 10:54 a.m.
Idk, the bit about the torpedo joining the whiteheads in the arsenal in the sky was pretty good too lmao
The Kamchatka Peninsula? Is it comprised entirely of Japanese torpedo boats?
It's so weird to me that people don't know that area was the namesake of that ship. I learned the name of that region at 9 years old playing Risk.
@@Pink.andahalf What's even weirder to me is that some people didn't play Risk when they were 9 years old!
Entirely.
I knew if Kamchatka before KZhead existed when my ship pulled into port there
@@JoshuaTootelllook at you, learned geography from real life experience instead of from a board game like the rest of us nerds lol.
"...with Midway going as well for the Japanese as Seppuku performed with a rusty spoon..." That is the best description of the Battle of Midway I have ever heard. Also the most entertaining. A great video on a battle that is mostly ignored
Oh this is gonna be great. Such an underdiscussed clash. Keep doing the (First Sea) Lord's work, Drach!
Now whenever I hear someone mention "The Lord's work" I'm going to mentally put "First Sea" in front of it. Thank you for that!
The Aleutian Campaign could've been a lot bigger as a couple of months later. The IJN almost sent the combined fleet north to deal with the liberation of Attu. Which would include not only Musashi, Kongo and Haruna. But also Shokaku, Zuikaku, Jun'yo, Hiyo and Zuiho. Had such a thing happened, Nimitz would've been forced to call back several heavy units from the South Pacific. Including Saratoga and "Robin", but also sending the battered Enterprise and the new and recently commissioned Essex
Holy fuck, that’s one hell of an alt-history scenario. The Yamatos and Shokakus sent to the Aleutians?! We might have had a carrier battle that had the Shokakus facing off against not just their arch-enemy Enterprise, but one of the Illustriouses, the third great immediate-prewar class of fleet carrier.
@@bkjeong4302Maybe Ching Lee would've gotten his cage match with one of the Yamatos, too
@@kostakatsoulis2922 That would've been fun as North Carolina, Washington, Indiana, and Massachusetts were in the Pacific (South Dakota and Alabama were with the British Home Fleet). But the big wildcard would be the weather. In addition to the cold and fog. The waters around the archipelago are rough. The Nevada, Idaho and Pennsylvania had to raise their guns to keep them above the waves. Which also, would have made carrier ops for both sides very interesting.
@@ph89787 If the weather is just right, we might get to see Victorious showing that the British can strike even in the dark in the middle of a storm. If the weather gets too bad even for her we get the Yamato showdown…though 2 Yamatos vs. 4 NorCals/SoDaks is probably in the American favour due to the overall firepower advantage provided by numbers, especially in poor visibility when the Yamatos wouldn’t be as good at gunnery as they were at their best.
@@bkjeong4302 Just Musashi, Kongo and Haruna.
Not a criticism, just a piece of advice. In japanese the „zu” (ず) sound is actually pronounced as „dzu”. It is the same sound (dz is pronounced as one letter)just slightly stronger. This sound is present in different languges, for example in ukrainian, and is in fact a soft „j”
Bring on the linguists!
How much regional variation, i.e accents, was there prior to WW2 in Japan? If there was much, did Tokyo have a "favored" position like Parisian accents in France - and did it bother the other regions as much? :)
@@shawncarroll5255 Google it
@@ZaHandleas a person who speaks the languages of all the minor and major navies of WW2 excluding italian and dutch, my inner demons always want to write such kind of comments when i watch drach's videos. Usually i controll them, but sometimes they break free
I'm so early that the Kamchatka has mistaken me for an enemy ship and hurled 300 rounds at me.
And you didn't even get your hat wet...
If you are Russian then take cover and sound the alarm. If you are not Russian then don't worry. Those shells won't hit you or even come close.
"Why a spoon, cousin?" "Because it'll hurt more, you idiot" Alan Rickman at his best.
Back in the 1970's, the local library had the full unabridged multi-volume set of Samuel Morrison's "History of The Two Ocean War", which I spent an entire summer going thru. Given that the first few volumes had been started during or shortly after the war, before Morrison had access to the Japanese records of the battle, Morrison's account portrayed a quite different picture, from what you've related in this video. The impression I got, was that Morrison thought the whole affair had been a total cluster on both sides. Also, he stated that the only gunnery hit scored by US forces, had been a single 6 inch shell from the cruiser Richmond on one of the heavy cruisers, which started a noticeable fire - most probably the float plane fire you mentioned. Then again, Morrison gave the impression that the entire Alaskan Theatre was a cluster from beginning to end, a useless sideshow that diverted resources away from the main Pacific theatres.
IIRC, [History of] The Two-Ocean War was the abridged version of Morison’s History of US Naval Operations in WW2. But I remember his description of that battle being as you describe. I think his judgment was that McMorris was at fault. Fog of war and history…
A long gone friend first served in the Aleutians, it was so tough. He also said that the terrain could change dramatically, like disappear or reappear. Polar bears or Grzzilies would hunt soldiers., so never go out alone.
Captain: The enemy is crippled and can be dispatched at our leisure! Admiral: Indeed. There is but one option left open to us. Captain: What do you mean, sir? Admiral: We must vacate the field of battle and return home having failed to accomplish our victory. Captain: The enemy is literally right there, in out sights. We have them bracketed. All we have to do is open fire. Admiral: Were it so easy we'd have already achieved victory. Sound the retreat, Captain. We're going home.
Great video! I love the Pensacolas and Omahas. The tripod masts, the quirky main batteries, and the near lack of any meaningful armor… they are ships I love despite themselves. I am in awe of the sailors who rode these two tinclads into battle (alongside the tin cans) against a superior force and won. Thank you for a wonderful tribute to all of these sailors.
Any earlier for a Drach video, and Admiral Rozhetszensky would've had a full binocular case.
Sepuku with a rusty spoon "damn"
“ it’s dull, you twit! It’ll hurt more!”
It's refreshing to hear someone say "Before we proceed, just a quick word...." and the next part is more content, not some bullshit product placement
About as well as Seppaku with a wooden spoon. I both laughed and had my brain temporaily fried from wait they failed to do it or is it a case of the late great Alan Rickman claiming that he will take Robin Hood's heart out with a spoon because it will hurt more!
Interestingly, the Unauthorized History of the Pacific War Podcast covered this teo months ago in Episode 223. Small world.
Bartender! Another rum ration! And a good one, they send us in cold countries. Thanks for the videos Drach, as great as usual.
Just one of several occasions on which Japanese commanders discontinued action when they had the upper hand, starting with cancellation of the third wave at Pearl Harbor. Others include the Battle of Savo Island and, of course, the Battle off Samar.
As I’ve said elsewhere in the comments, only Savo Island and this battle really count. PH and Samar are not cases of the Japanese throwing victories away, and were only ever assumed to be such because of poor historiography and misinformation in most secondary sources. The “third wave at PH” was flat-out impossible for the Japanese to do. *They literally would have run out of fuel on the way back if they had tried doing that.* So no, the Japanese DIDN’T throw away an opportunity there, because THAT OPPORTUNITY NEVER EVEN EXISTED TO START WITH. Samar is actually a similar situation; far too often people assume Kurita was an idiot for not realizing Third Fleet had been lured away and being terrified of a few tin cans, but this ignores that a) the CVEs actually played a far bigger role in the battle than the tin cans did through air attacks (and no, the idea the air attacks didn’t inflict much material damage due to lack of proper weapons is a myth-in fact all the Japanese cruiser losses during the battle came from air attacks), meaning that Kurita was actually facing far more opposition at Samar than just the tin cans; and b) while Third Fleet had been lured away, *Seventh* Fleet (which Taffy 3 was a part of) was still in position to pose a threat to Kurita-indeed, Kinkaid historically ordered Oldendorff north from Surigao when he found out about what was happening at Samar, and Oldendorff would have intercepted Centre Force if Kurita hadn’t turned around. This doesn’t even cover the fact that a significant amount of American troops and supplies had already been landed.
Kommondorski to me illustrates just how important the splinter proof hull plating is, especially on later ships as if Salt Lake City had it she wouldn’t have had much trouble in my opinion. Iirc, splinter protection was a must have on the fletchers and bensons in their design as well
My uncle (USN gunner) served on Attu when the US took it back. He said it was the most God-forsaken place he'd ever been.
It still is.
A great read to go with this is "tales from a tin can". Which in part, describes the battle from the perspective of the crew of the USS Dale. Which also required a lengthy repair after the battle because it had cracked its keel while vigorously maneuvering while making smoke.
How do you crack a keel?? That's like a plane breaking a wing spar.
Thanks for the reference. I love destroyers, hadn't read that one.
@@marckyle5895 by dancing the tango around Salt Lake City at flank speed while she made repairs.
@@zachproudfoot3314 yikes!
I love the CGI! it looks exactly like game pieces on a plastic tarp. Amazing realism! Disclaimer: Tongue firmly in cheek. :)
If you wanted to learn how to swear and issue death threats in Japanese, the Nachi would have been a good place to start! I can imagine the spirit of Admiral Rozhestvensky ghosting around the bridge, handing out binoculars to those in greatest need 😆
The torpedo situation really robbed the PT boats of their place in history. Tales of the PT boats firing all four torpedoes and having four premature explosions are rife throughout the Guadalcanal campaign. Even when they didn’t prematurely explode they didn’t explode at all. There was a story JFK told about a fellow captain who fired all four of his torpedoes, including one that they believed would never hit. The other three prematurely exploded, the long shot barely kissed the transports’ hull and blew the bow off. Same problem the submarines had. If the US had entered the war with a reliable torpedo, the war would have ended sooner.
The magnetic detonator torpedoes were never tested by the US Navy. Even worse, once Navy Captains began to report about failed torpedoes, the officers in charge blamed the Captains instead, and claimed the torpedoes were amazing, perfect weapons, but the Captains didn't know how to use them. So the Captains were ordered to learn the manual and try harder. This went on for 2 years. Not even after the war, when this was found out by the public, nobody was punished, demoted or shot for sabotaging of the war effort. I heard the guys responsible were promoted instead.
While the Japanese withdrawal when they so clearly held all the advantages was certainly bizarre, the decision to assemble Task Group 16.6 only to *match* what the US thought was the 5th Fleet's maximum strength was equally foolish. When you're actively seeking out a fight, why on Earth would you try to make it fair fight instead of aiming to outnumber and/or outgun your opponent?
Ask the british about jutland Edit: better yet, ask them about Bismarck
I don’t know for sure that this was the logic, but I’d guess it’s because of strategic concerns elsewhere. Early-mid 1942 wasn’t a great time for the USN, we didn’t have a whole lot of ships to spare, and the far northern Pacific wasn’t all that critical. So put together a force that’s “good enough,” able to at least keep the Japanese from operating freely, while pulling a minimum of useful combat units off of other more important theaters.
Yay! You had this ready, huh? The Patreon poll isn't even over and you already had it in the works!
It's pretty clear which one was going to win :D
I always have a weird fascination with the Omaha class. Glad they all survived; mostly being kept away from serious danger except Richmond here and Marblehead.
Marblehead is an awesome name for a ship! Very unlike the US Navy - their names are usually so boring 😂❤
@@unbearifiedbear1885 It is. Of course all,cruisers were named for cities then before the USN naming conventions were trashed.
@@billbrockman779 "A town with roots in commercial fishing and yachting, Marblehead was a major shipyard and is often referred to as the birthplace of the American Navy"
Very nice rum Ration for sure. This battle is hardly ever mentioned very nicely done.
Finally! The Battle of the Komandorskis. Thanks Drachinifel.
Capt Bertram Rodgers (a pre-war navy airship officer), commander of Salt Lake City, was a significant factor in the success of this battle, as McMorris often differed to his maneuvering choices as his ship was the most potent threat to the Japanese and he most adroitly "chased salvos".
Take a drink everytime the IJN gives away victorious skirmishes
Are you trying to use alcohol poisoning to kill people?
I live along the Alaska highway in Yukon Territory, northern Canada. Americans call it the AlCan, or Alaska Canada Highway. Its birth was, in very large part, due to the Japanese presence on the Aleutian islands, taking what was initially a rather pipe dream of a land route to Alaska and incentivizing it into reality. It could be reasonably argued that the Battle of Komandorski Islands made the whole point of the AlCan moot, but here we are. There is one other item of significant note from the 'Forgotten War' of the North. It permitted the US to capture, virtually wholly intact, its first Zero, allowing the USA to finally uncover the secrets of, and means to kill, the zero. For further reading, i strongly recommend the pictorial history series "The Forgotten War" by Stan Cohen. 4 volumes worth of rather rare pictures, stories and information of the overall war involving Alaska and western Canada. Unfortunately, not an easy set to find outside of the north!
My dad was among the recovery crew for that Zero.
It amazes me how many times during the war that the Japanese Navy would simply refuse to take chances. Even when they had a tactical advantage during a battle. ☮
Yes you are right. But the hinsight over past events is much more easier than to find the right judgement in the situation. Warfare is stressfull and confusing and a lethal risk . To get away and survive is a basic human instinct. Military trainig and discipline should regulate this basic human survival instinct in order fight and win battles but even such a harsh orgsnisation like the IJN could not supress this totally
@@Folgeantrag not only that but they also knew if they lost a ship there wouldnt be a replacement ready for aaages, so you have to be more careful with them if thats all youve got
@Colt45hatchback you cannot play it safe if you hope to beat a FAR, superior foe. You don't take ridiculous risks. But, you have to maximize every chance you get to gain a major victory. America could afford to play it safe. Imperial Japan could not. ✌️
@@McRocket i agree with you there 100%, but at the same time can see that even if they whole heartedly took on and won but with losses every engagement and gained control over the seas in all the theatres where it mattered, it wouldnt last long as you cant then retain supremacy in the area with little to no ships comparable to what the enemy built while you were sinking the others. Its a war they couldnt have properly won at that time i guess
To be fair to the Japanese, in so many of those cases they would actually have come out even worse if they had taken that chance (though this isn’t an example of such). Samar and First Guadalcanal being good examples where the Japanese really did make the right call be turning around, even if it wasn’t necessarily for the reasons they made that decision.
A well timed video by Drach - I was just about to ask about naval actions in and around the Aleutian Islands and one appears as if by magic or other mystical means.
Drachism of the day : as well as a seppuku performed with a rusty spoon 😂 This is just as graphic as funny 😇
Idk, imagining a torpedo speeding off to join its white-headed ancestors in the great torpedo magazine in the sky had me imagining Lt Dan swimming into the sunset after jumping from forrest's boat
The book Tales from a Tin Can has a amazing first hand account of this battle and a good chunk of the war from the point of view of three USS Dale.
Today's weather: Cloudy, with a a chance of air raids.
Wow I asked this video many times never thought you actually read my comment, thank you so much for this great video❤
i am tickled that you used Victory at Sea models for reference, I have the starter set but have only played it a couple of times
Been wondering when you'd get to this battle, as my cousin's late father-in-law served on the "Salt Lake City" during this battle. They expected to be swimming at any moment, and he recalled that the crew were manhandling 8-inch rounds when the magazine machinery was acting up.
They had to move the shells the whole length from the forward magazine, as the aft magazine had bee used up..
My Cousin's father in law was one of the men humping those shells! @@samuelcolt502
Drach, this is the 3rd video I have watched on this battle, and I have to admit, you present this in such a great way, very informative, humorous, and clear. Bravo zulu
Love it when familiar names come up in your videos. My grandfather served aboard USS Salt Lake City, though prior to this action. My father served on the USS Jallao decades later during the tail end of her service post GUPPY conversion. After a lengthy career on many ships, my grandfather recalled the Salt Lake City with particular pride.
You can see the USS Salt Lake City's ship's bell in the University of Utah ROTC building.
Did a three month Det on Adak in the late 70s with four engine P3Cs. We considered flying weather anything less than 40 knots. It’s politely known as ‘The birthplace of the Winds’.Every morning we’d go out to chip out chain tie downs which we’d have to use to keep our aircraft from blowing away.
Another great Storytime With Uncle Drach video. Drach, I enjoy your storytelling ability and sense of humor.
One of the things that interest me is the number of floatplanes hit on there launchers. WHY WERE THEY THERE. this battle would seem to display the reason for carting the things all over the place. I was also lead to believe that they were launched before battle to get them out of the way at least for a while. Have you thought of doing a video on the usefulness of float planes on ships.
My Uncle was a Gunner on USS Baileys main battery guns. Bailey received three direct hits from 8-inch shells which killed five and wounded six men, and caused major damage to the ship. For this action, she was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation.
Excellent as always Drachinifel
This was great, thanks!
always welcome to see a photo of the mighty Indianapolis; God rest those sailors
Drach sounds like the wizard of Oz today
Show me a major surface action after 1905 where the IJN pursued a tactical advantage all the way to victory and I'll name it as Java Sea.
Just great narrative, thanks!
Thank you, Drachinifel.
Informative AND entertaining documentary, thank you. I appreciate the miniature warship figurine battle breakdown.
Спасибо
"US forces began to gather their strength to re-occupy ...." Canadian forces too: AMCs Prince David/Henry/Robert and Flower class Dawson and Vancouver on escort duty, 1st Special Service Force (joint US/Can) and 13th Infantry Brigade in the Kiska landing force and a couple of RCAF squadrons flying cover.
US forces "it's cold, wet and has polar bears" Canadian forces "when can we start?"
Thanks for the great content Drach. Entertaining, informative, and always high quality.
Well done Drach your videos are always great.
Thank you so much. I don't know everything about WW2, but You teach it so well. Deepest most respectful bow, Arigatou gozaimasu, Sensei Dracheninifel. 🙏🌸
Good video! Thanks!
Fascinating battle that is largely ignored by history. Thanks Drach!
A very interesting story. Thank you. ^^
This was one of (if not the most) “nail biting” episodes ever. Thanks again Drachinifel for another great video.
Love the new intro music variety! Epic as hell ❤
What a wonderful presentation, same as usual. Love the channel.
Thanks Drach for covering an almost unknown battle with major strategic consequences.
Love the war game miniatures!
One of my favorite battles!
I came for my "whilst" and I was not disappointed, right out of the box! Thanks, Drach!
Great subject choice.
Very interesting, I would like to see videos for more of these lesser, less known naval battles
Thanks Drach.
8:16 after coming out of repairs. Caused by a kamikaze dauntless at Guadalcanal courtesy of VB-10 from USS Enterprise.
This was a very interesting video.Commentary is as always your best.I enjoyed this very much.Keep up the great work and commentary.