I actually knew genuine kamikaze pilot. A Japanese professor visiting Helsinki around 1978 told us that he was already committed, last meal and all, but the war ended quite suddenly. There was some mental problems to continue living normal life, so devoted he was.
When I was stationed at Yokota in the 90's I had a part time job cleaning the commisary in the morning before duty, and I worked with a Japanese crew of an older woman and man. The man was a former fighter pilot and was really a nice, soft spoken person.
"There was some mental problems to continue living normal life, so devoted he was." Wouldn't necessarily need to have been devoted, many young men had matured during both WW1 and WW2, and were at a loss as to what life would be like in a different world at peace,
On my trip to Japan I met a relative of Kamikaze pilot. The man I spoke to told me the story of his grandparents who moved to Oregon prior to the war as salmon fisherman, there they had three children(two sons and a daughter). Eventually, they decided their children should be schooled in Japan and returned; though the children never fit in being both too Japanese in the US and not Japanese enough in Japan. The daughter was the mother of the man who recited the story to me. Her younger brother would meet his fate as a kamikaze pilot and ironically because he was born in Oregon was also a US Citizen
There is the infamous story of the Kameloops Kid. A Canadian Japanese who went to Japan before the war and was called up. He ended up in an internment camp in Hong Kong. Here he was nasty and beat up many civilians and tortured people. After the war he went before a war crimes tribunal. His defence was he was British, as Canadians were then a Dominion not an independent country. So they aquitted him and immediately charged him with treason. He was found guilty and hanged.
Not quite. Some Japanese fought on because of the honor thing, others because communications with Japan had been lost and they did not trust the Americans telling them the war was over. In the case of the Germans it was because they were either desperate to evade capture by the Soviets, or they wanted to let as many civilians escape to the Western Allies as possible, or in the case of Armygroup Center, surrounded in the current Czech Republic, they were ordered to fight on by their commander, field marshall Ferdinand 'hang any deserter high' Schörner. Who then deserted his own command and escaped into the US occupied zone of Germany.
@@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623 A few dozen survivalists lived on after the war for years, on islands in the Pacific, one for well over 30 years before surrendering to his old Commander they brought in from Japan, all those years later
@@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623 Ferdinand Schörner was truly a fetid pile of sh*t. And in no way merited his rank. Vile lackey and small man, who only ever felt superior when he treated everyone like dirt. Of all the field marshals to survive the war, and captivity, he deserved it least, to say nothing of being the last. May his bones rot.
@@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623 , you are correct in point, but my inference is that fighting went on after the official surrenders of BOTH Axis powers. WHY they did is relevant to the Nazi's and Imperial Japanese, very true.
Well this is the way of the warrior. The Emperor honoured him for doing his duty and showing fierce leadership. Tojo the little shi#$t was not so honoured. He couldn't even commit Hari kiri. Deliciously he was hanged like a common criminal，after the Tokyo War crime trials.
@@beowulf1312 True, one could argue that the "death of the warrior" in battle is less shameful than hanging - so this general would certainly have been hanged for the "ordering of Kamikaze attacks on US ships" if he didn't himself go out the same way as the soldiers he commanded.
I thought the same thing. It always got me that the Japanese leaders supposedly lived by a code. I guess the code said it was okay to slaughter and rape their way across the Pacific and then disobey orders. Then there were the prisoners that they executed basically because they were embarrassed by their fighting prowess. Look at the 3 Americans they didn't just execute but weighted down and threw overboard during the battle of Midway. They had a weird sense of honor.
9:12 My dad makes a quick appearance here. He was a radioman in the USS Detroit, which can be faintly seen on the left center, bearthed near the Missouri because it was a Pearl Harbor veteran. The Detroit and the battleship West Virginia were the only ships present at the attack on Pearl and the surrender in Tokyo Bay.
日本は第一次世界大戦パリ会議で世界で初めての人類です 人種差別撤廃法案 を提案しアジアを大東亜共栄圏で法の下に貿易を 公平に人種差別のないアジアを志に日本人は、血を流したのです。 朝鮮戦争でも日本人が朝鮮の民の為に5万人も命を落としました あなたは八紘一宇を知っていますか? 世界人類が家族である 日本人は、最後まで弱い民族を見捨てない！ 内モングル・ウイグル・チベット・香港で人種迫害をくりかえす。 愚かな！支那人とは、民度が違います。 Japan is the first human being in the world at the World War I Paris Conference Anti-racism bill Propose Asia under the law in the Greater São Pong area The Japanese bled in Asia, which is not fairly racist。 Even in the Korean War, Japanese people are for Korean people Five Thousands have died Do you know Yag ⁇ Igu? ? World humanity is a family The Japanese do not abandon the weak people until the end! . Kuri racial persecution in Inner Mongle Uygur Tibet Hong Kong。 Stupid! People have different degrees of folklore。
Although there are negative opinions about the battleship Yamato's special attacks, they were used as decoys, and the special attack unit was able to achieve results in the American fleet's special attacks. However, (a moment of silence for the civilian victims as Okinawa became a battlefield) bombing of the mainland by fleet bombing became impossible. Many civilian lives have been saved. Kamikaze is not dog death! Thank you to Yamato, the escort fleet, and the kamikaze corps for dedicating your precious lives to your country. With the overlapping ten-stage special attacks of the Okinawa Special Attack Corps, the bombing of the Japanese mainland by the US military's carrier-based planes became impossible. Thanks to them, many civilians were saved! Defeated special attack unit A total of 37 aircraft carriers Hankook, Enterprise, Four Double, Indomibul, Victorious, Hanga, Hill, etc. Two battleships! Others: 300 dead, 556 wounded, 4,907 killed in battle and 4,824 wounded, 4,824 wounded, 1,827 killed in operation Kikusui Special attack aircraft, 3,067 total killed in Operation Kikusui, including fleets such as Yamato
Mark, you briefly mentioned some of the exploits of Dutch submarines. That is not something that one normally hears about when told of WWII history. How about a video discussing the exploits of the Dutch submarine force?
It was the lull in the fighting that would have happened if no atomic bomb had been dropped and the invasion of Japan were to happen. It takes time to shift all the forces from Europe to the Far East and retrain them. British and Commonwealth forces that were going to participate in the invasion of Japan needed to be trained and equipped according to US standards and equipment, including the uniforms, to prevent mistakes and ease logistics. No major operations were scheduled in the Pacific between the German surrender until the USSR would enter the war as it historically did, except for the Australian invasion of Borneo that took place during may and the end of august. Which Mark should do a video about, as its an interesting forgotten campaign. I think after the Soviets started their invasion of Manchuria the British were scheduled next to liberate Malaya and then in the fall the US would launch the first invasion of the Japanese home islands at Kyushu. Which was why that admiral was commanding so many kamikaze aircraft. 1946 would see the main invasion of Honshu near Tokyo with two full American armies, including the US 1st Army from Europe.
Before that it was Japan and Germany against the world. Strongest foes we have ever faced here in America. These tiny countries....insane power and clever people.
@@user-pn3im5sm7k Not so clever that they lost 2 world wars. Japan was lucky that it faced the Allies while they were prioritizing the Germans, and the Germans that it took until 1944 for America's mobilization to complete.
Love this video Mark! My paternal grandfather served on the USS Borie DD-704 in the Pacific (not to be confused with the first destroyer that carried the name Borrie in WW2 []DD-215] which was lost after a famous gun battle with a u-boat in the Atlantic). It has the dubious distinction of being the last destroyer (and third to las ship hit overall) hit by a kamikaze which occurred on August 9 1945 while raiding the Japanese home islands. During the attack 4 kamikazes dove for the Borrie; three were shot down but one causing serious casualties (48 killed, 66 wounded). However, the damage suffered was not critical and the Borrie would make it to the West Coast to be repaired. It would serve nearly 4 more decades in the Korean War the Vietnam War, and the Falklands War. After being declared surplus in the 70s it was sold to the Argentinian navy and was renamed Hipólito Bouchard (D-26) and was an escort to the ill-fated General Belgrando during the Falklands War. After this conflict it was broken up for scrap. My grandfather was an amazing guy and Mark if you want any pictures of him or the ship I'd be happy to share. Coincidentally my maternal grandfather was also in the navy in the Pacific and was at Pearl Harbour, so my grandparents service bookended that theatre of WW2. And since I'm on a rant one of my paternal great grandfathers on my served in the trenches in WW1 with the American Expeditionary Force despite being a relatively recent German immigrant... I'm not sure how he fit in the trenches with balls that big. Love your channel! EDIT P.S. It could be a fun video tracing the lineage of the two Borrie destroyers since both had extraordinary WW2 service. Post Korean War it took part in NASA missions recovering monkeys that went to space, after reentry while also continuing traditional military duties like being part of the blockade of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. I'm sure there's something to be found for its Vietnam service, as well.
Dr. Felton, were any German diplomats still in the Germany embassy in Tokyo when the Japanese surrendered? And is anything known how the Japanese treated the German diplomats after Germany surrendered?
One of the VP's of a Japanese Company that I worked for in the US, was trained as a Kamikaze pilot. In the last days of the War, his aircraft failed to start, and there were no others to fly. He died of a Heart Attack, while waiting for take off, on an airliner, for a business trip, in the late 1980's.
The conflicting demands of military honor and honoring the Emperor. And also probably the idea that the Emperor had to be protected from his own mistakes. In the case of Japanese units not involved with the coup, they probably never had heard the man speak before, so they could convince themselves it was not the Emperor.
>tries to undermine japans ww2 tenacity >refuses to acknowledge that the war started against the emperors will > forgets the 70’s holdouts. Do Americans really ?
@@Basedlocation - I don't forget the holdouts. Every time I go a little too long without mowing my back yard, I start to worry there may be Japanese soldiers back there who don't know the war is over.
@@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623 However, this war has already been four years since the war, and although our army and naval officers and men have done their best in valiant combat, the bureaucrats and civil servants have done their best, and the 100 million people have served, the war situation has not necessarily turned around. Not only that, but the world situation is also working against us. Not only that, the enemy has used a new cruel bomb (atomic bomb) to kill innocent people, and the damage is immeasurable. If the hostilities continue, it will not only lead to the destruction of our people, but will also lead to the destruction of human civilization. This is why I got the government to comply with the declaration. I have no choice but to express my regret to the friendly nations that have cooperated with the Empire in the liberation of East Asia from beginning to end.
My dad was on Luzon when the war ended: He told me that at first nobody believed that the Japanese had really surrendered, or would comply with orders to do so no matter who issued them. He added that everyone was concerned that die hards would hold out, which turned out to be true (although thankfully not as many as he feared). My father had accumulated enough points and already had his orders to go home-nobody wanted to be the last casualty.
I reckon the desire to not be the last guy to die probably motivated many to not go the extra mile, or call in as much artillery and air power to flatten the last holdouts as possible.
@@MusMasi : Two or three. One on Samoa(?) or Guam. And a couple more in the Philippines. The last one gave up in 1975, I think. One guy had to have his superior officer brought to him from Japan before he would believe the war was over.
@@charlesjames1442 That was Hiroo Onoda in 1974. He actually wasn't the last, although many people claim he was. Teruo Nakamura surrendered later in 1974 in Indonesia - the real last Japanese WW2 soldier to surrender.
It depends on the teacher. In college, I had a history teacher who loved his subject and students hated it when class ended because our minds had been filled with such wonderous stories. This was art.
Maybe we each have to live a little history of our own before we can appreciate the history of others? One Professor Triplet taught me History of Civilization in my freshman year of college, and he was quite excited about it. I thought he was a nut at that point in my life.
My father served aboard the USS Laffey in the 1950’s. He wore the Presidential Unit Citation bc he was assigned to that ship. The USS Laffey was hit by 8 kamakazi and 4 bombs and stayed afloat. It’s now a museum in Charleston SC
Whole units of the Japanese army refused to surrender and attempted to make their way overland from Burma. My father served in a British unit tasked with finding the headquarters of at least one of those Japanese units; he was wounded by a grenade after the Japanese had officially surrendered.
David one of Mark Felton's books detaile the horrible crimes commited by the Japs after the "surrender" for several weeks they were on a rampage of slaughter
Although there are negative opinions about the battleship Yamato's special attacks, they were used as decoys, and the special attack unit was able to achieve results in the American fleet's special attacks. However, (a moment of silence for the civilian victims as Okinawa became a battlefield) bombing of the mainland by fleet bombing became impossible. Many civilian lives have been saved. Kamikaze is not dog death! Thank you to Yamato, the escort fleet, and the kamikaze corps for dedicating your precious lives to your country. With the overlapping ten-stage special attacks of the Okinawa Special Attack Corps, the bombing of the Japanese mainland by the US military's carrier-based planes became impossible. Thanks to them, many civilians were saved! Defeated special attack unit A total of 37 aircraft carriers Hankook, Enterprise, Four Double, Indomibul, Victorious, Hanga, Hill, etc. Two battleships! Others: 300 dead, 556 wounded, 4,907 killed in battle and 4,824 wounded, 4,824 wounded, 1,827 killed in operation Kikusui Special attack aircraft, 3,067 total killed in Operation Kikusui, including fleets such as Yamato
My late father-in-law, Joe Hallahan, Served on-board the destroyer escort, USS Jack Miller. He claimed that they had anchored in Tokyo Bay after the war ended. While watching a movie on the fantail of the ship early one evening, he noticed a plane approaching that passed over head and smashed into a ship that was alongside the Miller. I wish that I'd asked him more about the experience.
My father was an aerial gunner in the 312th BG, 389th BS at the end of the war. He was slated to transition to the B-32 as the 312th was changing from light to Very Heavy. Love the footage of the relatively unknown Dominator
Although there are negative opinions about the battleship Yamato's special attacks, they were used as decoys, and the special attack unit was able to achieve results in the American fleet's special attacks. However, (a moment of silence for the civilian victims as Okinawa became a battlefield) bombing of the mainland by fleet bombing became impossible. Many civilian lives have been saved. Kamikaze is not dog death! Thank you to Yamato, the escort fleet, and the kamikaze corps for dedicating your precious lives to your country. With the overlapping ten-stage special attacks of the Okinawa Special Attack Corps, the bombing of the Japanese mainland by the US military's carrier-based planes became impossible. Thanks to them, many civilians were saved! Defeated special attack unit A total of 37 aircraft carriers Hankook, Enterprise, Four Double, Indomibul, Victorious, Hanga, Hill, etc. Two battleships! Others: 300 dead, 556 wounded, 4,907 killed in battle and 4,824 wounded, 4,824 wounded, 1,827 killed in operation Kikusui Special attack aircraft, 3,067 total killed in Operation Kikusui, including fleets such as Yamato
I know someone who witnessed the surrender ceremony from the USS Taylor which was tied up next to the Missouri in recognition of her extraordinary service.
Although there are negative opinions about the battleship Yamato's special attacks, they were used as decoys, and the special attack unit was able to achieve results in the American fleet's special attacks. However, (a moment of silence for the civilian victims as Okinawa became a battlefield) bombing of the mainland by fleet bombing became impossible. Many civilian lives have been saved. Kamikaze is not dog death! Thank you to Yamato, the escort fleet, and the kamikaze corps for dedicating your precious lives to your country. With the overlapping ten-stage special attacks of the Okinawa Special Attack Corps, the bombing of the Japanese mainland by the US military's carrier-based planes became impossible. Thanks to them, many civilians were saved! Defeated special attack unit A total of 37 aircraft carriers Hankook, Enterprise, Four Double, Indomibul, Victorious, Hanga, Hill, etc. Two battleships! Others: 300 dead, 556 wounded, 4,907 killed in battle and 4,824 wounded, 4,824 wounded, 1,827 killed in operation Kikusui Special attack aircraft, 3,067 total killed in Operation Kikusui, including fleets such as Yamato
My "old man" was on the Essex class, aircraft carrier, USS Yorktown (CV-10) towards the end of WWII. Luckily, his ship was never struck by a Kamikaze, though it was hit by a Japanese bomb that exploded a few decks down killing about four or five sailors. He once talked about seeing an attacking Japanese aircraft that was so low and close that he could make out the facial features of the pilot. Upon seeing this he thought to himself on a personal level, "I don't know you and you don't know me, why are we shooting at each other?!!!"
My Uncle was a 18 year old gunners mate on the USS Astoria CL 90. 5 inch twin forward mount The Astoria CL90 still holds the US Navy record for time spent at general quarters. The USS Astoria CL90 had 13 confirmed Kamikazi kills and provided close air cover for American Essex class Aircraft carriers. RUclips USS Astoria cl90 Kamikazi and you will see a dozen or more videos of actual Kamikazi attacks taken from the Astoria decks including the USS Yorktown. See actual footage of what your Dad experienced and the horror that they lived through. . My Uncle was a very quiet and humble devout Catholic person , the type of man that one would say couldn't hurt a fly, but when it came to Kamikazi attacks and Japanese combatants he would get a very angry look on his face until the day he passed in 2006. My Uncle witnessed numerous Kamikazi hits on American Carriers , the ones that he spoke of and were most horrific were the Bunker Hill and Franklin, a tear would get in his eye and he would say those poor guys. I have no respect or obligation to acknowledge suicide attackers as nothing more then scum.
@@Cha-y412 Wow! I was unaware of the cruiser USS Astoria's record of time spent at general quarters. My dad too witnessed either the Bunker Hill or Franklin hit by Japanese aircraft and the consequent fires and explosions that took hundreds of U.S. Sailors lives. He once told me that at the time he thought to himself, "if this is how the enemy is fighting for Okinawa, what's it going to be like when we invade the Japanese home islands?" Consequently, my dad reasoned it was only a matter of time before he died in battle fighting the Japanese. I hear you when you call out the Kamikaze attackers as "nothing more than scum." Had they successfully attacked my dad's ship, perhaps I wouldn't be writing this now.
Although there are negative opinions about the battleship Yamato's special attacks, they were used as decoys, and the special attack unit was able to achieve results in the American fleet's special attacks. However, (a moment of silence for the civilian victims as Okinawa became a battlefield) bombing of the mainland by fleet bombing became impossible. Many civilian lives have been saved. Kamikaze is not dog death! Thank you to Yamato, the escort fleet, and the kamikaze corps for dedicating your precious lives to your country. With the overlapping ten-stage special attacks of the Okinawa Special Attack Corps, the bombing of the Japanese mainland by the US military's carrier-based planes became impossible. Thanks to them, many civilians were saved! Defeated special attack unit A total of 37 aircraft carriers Hankook, Enterprise, Four Double, Indomibul, Victorious, Hanga, Hill, etc. Two battleships! Others: 300 dead, 556 wounded, 4,907 killed in battle and 4,824 wounded, 4,824 wounded, 1,827 killed in operation Kikusui Special attack aircraft, 3,067 total killed in Operation Kikusui, including fleets such as Yamato
This reminds me of a story I heard from one of the first WWII troop landings on Japanese soil by a infantry veteran some 25-30 years ago. Not knowing what to expect from the civilians, they were outfited for combat duty. What they found were Japanese civilians greeting them dressed in their Sunday best clothes and waving American/white flags. I thanked him for his service.
@@josefmengele181 they actually were, there’s even a video of macarthur riding down a road in japan with all the japanese soldiers facing away as a sign of “respect”, it was pretty cool
@@bla-t yeah some time after the us occupied Japan not right at the beginning like this clown thinks what does every Japanese citizen have a u,s flag underneath their bed despite silk being a rarity in wartime japan
Fun Fact, My Granfather's Ship, USS Kimberly (DD-521), escorted the Missouri following the surrender signing on the 2nd of September when the Kimberly arrived in Tokyo Harbor on the 4th and set sail back to Pennsylvania on the 6th with the Missouri in her care. She was credited with 4 aircraft kills and 2 assists in her WWII Record. She also was heavily damaged on her aftermost 5 inch/38 mount during an attack mounted by two Aichi D3A "Vals" on the 26th of March 1945 which tragically killed 4 men and wounding 57. For Her Service she would receive 5 battle stars. She would go on to serve in Korea going on to claim another battle star. Temporarily Decommissioned in 1954, she would then be loaned to the Navy of Taiwan starting in 1967 and be renamed An Yang (DD-18). The Ship was Overhauled in 1976 using the Liulong project as a template at the No. 1 Naval Shipyard. This Upgraded her Fire Control and Command System, Her Radar and Sonar Systems. Her Armament was also revised. She retained two of her 5 inch/38 mounts adding an OTO 76mm cannon, retaining only two 40mm twin mount bofors guns of here original 5 mounts, a Mk 10 Hedgehog System was also added along with a Trainable Chaff Rocket Launcher, A Hsiung Feng I Anti-Ship Missile Launcher. Her Depth charge racks were upgraded to a rail based system and her aging 10 (2 quintuple) 21 inch torpedo tubes were replaced with twin triple Mark 32 Torpedo Launchers. Her Hull Number was changed multiple times throughout her service with the ROC Navy. The first change was to DD-979 in 1970, followed by DDG-918 in the mid 1980s. In 1981 her Armament was changed, following the Wujin No. 1 Project which gave her an additional Hsiung Feng I Anti-Ship Missile Batteries, and some Haishu SAM Missile Batteries, effectively turning her into a True Guided Missile Destroyer. Finally, The ship was decommissioned in September 1999, likely due to her aged propulsion machinery, and was sunk as a target ship by the ROCS Hai Lung on the 14th of October 2003.
They didn't have a choice. They didn't have the luxury of pumping 80% of the world's entire oil supply at the time like we did. Japanese designs were forced to be fuel efficient and especially resource savvy. They lacked the steel necessary to produce well armored planes and ships. Hence the Japanese offense doctrine (strong attack but subpar defense)
Show the meaning to General Patton's quote - You don't win a war by dying for your Country. You only win by making them die for their Country. I don't think anyone in the British Empire will Kamikaze for King Charles the III
I’m in no way an expert of British history, or in basically whatever goes on there today, but isn’t dying for their monarch when it’s threatened what’s expected of their palace guard, war or no war?
I recommend Admiral Ugaki's war diary, entitled 'Fading Victory'. It is unique in that no other diary from such a senior officer survived the war. You get a remarkable insight into the IJN's highest level of command, the decisions they made and why.
@@josefmengele181 Rubbish, it was Yamamoto's faulty and unnecessary Midway plan that led to the disaster. Nagumo couldn't do much given the circumstances he was put in
Two uncles on my mom’s side were a fighter pilot scheduled for a one way mission to Okinawa, to shoot down as many American planes as he could, before crashing into the nearest ship when he ran out of ammunition. The other was assigned as a kamikaze pilot. They were out of fuel at that point, so both survived the war. Another uncle achieved his goal around Iwo Jima. I reflect on them, and the harsh choices they made.
I've studied the last several months of the war in detail but focusing on the military and civilian command and the US and Japanese areas of control. I actually didn't realize how long these attacks continued, so a heartfelt tip of the hat in your direction Mark. Many thanks.
While interesting, I wouldn't call this "fun". A fascist authoritarian state government sending off its men into suicidal attacks is not fun. However, while history does not repeat, it very much rhymes. With current events unfolding in similar, although not exactly the same ways, it is important to remember the past and consider the lessons gleaned from it.
I have a mixed heritage, and my late Grandfather served in the Japanese armed forces during the war. He recalled the period to me before he passed, mentioning that he worked in communications (morse code operator) right at the tail end of the war. As the struggle grew more desperate, he was tapped on the shoulder one day and told he would have the honour of serving in the Tokkōtai or Kamikaze. He was shipped off to the nearest training facility soon after with a sense of dread of what was to come. Only as the training was started, a few days later, the war ended. He was quite literally saved by the bell. I'll always remember his perspective of the war and it's impact when he said to me (translated), "War makes people stop thinking straight".
After learning of the Japanese Unit 731, I'm surprised that Mark Felton didn't cover this before! I hope he does a detailed video about this human experiments unit.
If anyone ever visits Japan there is a kamikaze museum near the village of Chiran. It's very good and has a fantastic amount of personal effects left by pilots as well as hardware from the war. It's in Kyushu near Kagoshima so not typically an area where tourists venture but well worth the trip.
This has always interested me. Wars rarely end so cleanly, after all. Thanks once again for peering over the footnotes and the brim of papers of our textbooks to fill them up more!
I dont give a damn what anyone says -- dropping the atom bombs was the right thing to do. 200,000 were killed to save probably 3 or 4 million lives. The Allied invasion of Japan would have seen the most brutal, desperate fighting in all history.
Yes, it would make Stalingrad look like a minor skirmish! The brutality of it would of been the worst ever. Especially what they faced on Iwo Jima and the Asian Stalingrad at Manilla, Philippines.
When my brother in law's father died, I heard that he had been on the USS MISSOURI during the surrender. I told my brother in law I wish I had known that. He replied, "Me, too!".
1:30 I believe I can add some detail in the exact machinations to end the war, which scholars and historians have reconstructed in detail, hour by hour, for the top several dozen face cards in play. I've taken time to study several dozen books both in Japanese and English on the subject (and one in German, which I also speak). The Japanese understood the exposure of the home islands to Soviet affections since before the war even started, and this was their constantly-monitored barometer of safety or ruin. Even in the final weeks they actually had fairly good communications with specific diplomatic contacts in Moscow and elsewhere, and basically knew what was happening and how bad it was. There was one specific diplomat or office, reporting on one frequency at certain times of the day, describing things that they knew the meaning of. In contrast, they didn't have even the faintest idea what had happened out west with the atomic bombs. Domestic communications were already spotty, and were of course knocked out utterly by the bombings. Few people even witnessed the attack and survived, and any given witness's experience wasn't necessarily night and day different from a very near hit in other American missions. No-one in Japan knew it was one bomb from one plane, or that half the city center was gone. People who had seen the wide damage might have supposed a firestorm from incendiary bombs (as killed 5x more on a single night in Tokyo earlier in the year). Even had they gotten a well-informed verbatim report of a huge bomb wiping out the city (and they don't seem to have) imagination simply fails. Huge bomb wiping out the city? OK, is this a 20 ton bomb? 40 ton? Why is Suzuki-san going on about the size of the bomb, we know what a big bomb is. No-one would have supposed, gee, maybe the destructive power of 20,000 tons of TNT aboard a single plane. The militarists and civilian govt were wrong to discount these reports as they did, but that's what they did. The much more minor Soviet incursions were something they understood well enough to react to.
It wasn't the atomic bombs that made Japan surrender. Or at least, it wasn't just because of those bombs. Russia, starting their invasion, was what really sealed the deal. The fire bombs dropped on Japan were as devastating as the atomic bomb and less of a sort of moral issue. But that aside, Japan was willing to surrender before the atomic bombs were dropped, with certain conditions. It was also wildly known in the US that as soon as Russia invaded, Japan would surrender very quickly as it knew the end was near.
@@taoofjester4113 I understand what you were saying. And yes, no doubt there were several mitigating factors to their surrender. But it has to be more than coincidental that the Japanese surrendered very quickly after that second bomb dropped
Not all Japanese fighters had their props removed There is an account by a pilot somewhere on YT that said he made a landing and discovered an entire wing of fighters fuelled, armed and ready to take off - knowing that the surrender had happened but that they'd never received the order to remove the propellers as their phone line was damaged by bombing
The first most people have heard of Japanese soldiers fighting on after the war is from an episode of Gilligan's Island. Nice to have the details filled in more thoroughly!
If anyone wonders why there was a huge air & naval armada in Tokyo Bay for the surrender, here's the reason. The Allies wanted to absolutely dissuade the Japanese of anymore pointless attacks.
Something similar happened in Iraq in 1991 during surrender negotiations between the Iraqis and coalition officers including Schwarzkopf. Gen Schwarzkopf formed up two parallel lines of M1 tanks about a quarter mile long and had the Iraqi officers walk between them to the tent where negotiations would occur. And it was on occupied iraqi soil. The idea was to intimidate the Iraqis and make them pliable.
After VE Day, my Dad in Czechloslovakia was afraid of being sent to the Pacific, but Japan surrendered. Today, his grandson and Japanese wife are living in Tokyo, expecting their first child.
Dad was a destroyer XO on VJ day. They were informed that "the Japanese have surrendered. Any approaching Japanese aircraft are to be shot down in a friendly manner."
There is a book called Japans Longest day by the Pacific War Research Society that really puts in detail the last days of the Japanese government, like it’s crazy all the accounts they were able to get by high ranking officials after the war, highly recommend.
Emperor Hirohito: makes first ever radio broadcast by a Japanese emperor to announce the war is over. Vice-Admiral Ugaki: "Who does this guy think he is? Banzai!"
Memory is failing now, but when my ship was in a Jap harbour I scored a kamikaze pilot as a taxi driver. The war ended just before he was due to be used ... I had no Japanese language skills, he spoke very little English - but I was a recreational light aircraft pilot and so we got on very well together. He quit driving for night and we went on the tiles; I discovered that sake can be easy to both drink and under estimate ...
In the book 'Samurai' by Zero fighter pilot Saburo Sakai, he mentions the story about himself and his fellow naval aviators flying at night to shoot down a B29 Super fortress after the surrender. This was his last ever combat mission and was carried out at night. He could not bear the thought of surrender. (Although he later said 'Who started that stupid war, it seems that the closer you get to the Emperor, the fuzzier and fuzzier it gets'). This act technically makes him a war criminal. He says in his book that he and his fellow pilots shot at the bomber and followed and watched it descend until it crashed into the sea. Some historians have done extensive research into Saburo Sakai's claims and have found him to be very honest and accurate, only getting the identification of the plane he shot down wrong at least a couple of times. In this particular case the researchers found out that it was a B32 Dominator that he shot down and not a B29.
Although there are negative opinions about the battleship Yamato's special attacks, they were used as decoys, and the special attack unit was able to achieve results in the American fleet's special attacks. However, (a moment of silence for the civilian victims as Okinawa became a battlefield) bombing of the mainland by fleet bombing became impossible. Many civilian lives have been saved. Kamikaze is not dog death! Thank you to Yamato, the escort fleet, and the kamikaze corps for dedicating your precious lives to your country. With the overlapping ten-stage special attacks of the Okinawa Special Attack Corps, the bombing of the Japanese mainland by the US military's carrier-based planes became impossible. Thanks to them, many civilians were saved! Defeated special attack unit A total of 37 aircraft carriers Hankook, Enterprise, Four Double, Indomibul, Victorious, Hanga, Hill, etc. Two battleships! Others: 300 dead, 556 wounded, 4,907 killed in battle and 4,824 wounded, 4,824 wounded, 1,827 killed in operation Kikusui Special attack aircraft, 3,067 total killed in Operation Kikusui, including fleets such as Yamato
@@ヤマトウズメ-r1o It's ridiculous of you to preach about the glory of a war your people started. If you hadn't all of those lives would've been spared... Japanese as well as American, British, Dutch, Australian, Filipino, Chinese, et cetera. Millions of people.
It’s not surprising that the Kamikaze attacks against the U.S. ships were not effective. They were armed with the VT Fuze and it was highly effective at downing aircraft. Of course the Japanese didn’t know of it’s existence, as it remained Top Secret for many years afterwards.
Considering that Kamikaze attacks only got through about 14% of the time, that is highly effective! Many times more Americans would have died were it not for the VT fuze. The Japanese knew right away that we had something, but they didn’t know what. We mostly used them over the oceans so none could be captured. It also devastated the Germans at the battle of the Bulge when it was used against their ground troops. Military experts rated the VT fuse as the second most important invention in WWII.
You've done it again, surprising me with new information . I've been following WWII history since I was 15 and had never heard of the B32 Plane in 43 years
Three years later my father, now 93, completed airborne training with the 11th Airborne Division which stayed in Japan after the war as part of the U.S. Army of Occupation. Then in 1950 he made his first combat jump in Korea with the 187th RCT, 11 Airborne Division.
The war had so much impetus that it kept going for a while, regardless of the emperors decree. Thank you once again Dr. Felton. I just bought the Kindle edition of "Operation Swallow" and I'm enjoying it greatly as well. You've lots of great books for Kindle.b(For those who don't know)
Truman after losing 500.000 soldiers conquering Kyushu "My God, my God, this is terrible, what will I say to the nation?" Stalin after losing 500.000 soldiers conquering Hokkaido "someone knows what there is for dinner tonight?"
80years and You're going Nowhere. More concerned about Currency and Repeating the Failures than moving forward in Advancement at a Life changing level.
The US War Department bought over 600,000 purple hearts in anticipation of casualties during the two invasions. These were serious and experienced people. My dad told me that men in Europe with few points refused trips stateside as they were afraid instead of going home they would be sent to the Pacific. When he had hepatitis his CO insisted he be treated in their camp rather than go to the hospital and detached from his unit making it likely for him to get sent to Japan
Dad spoke of another last Kamikaze attack. It involved a B-17 Captured at Clark Field and used in Training Japanese Pilots to attack Flying Fortresses. The Plane also was used in Japanese Propaganda Films. By Wars End it had been laden with Explosives packed into every nook and cranny to be used against Allied Invasion Craft. After the Atomic Bombings and the Surrender the Aircraft sat at an Imperial Japanese Army Air Base, until allowed by American Forces to be used by the Japanese to destroy a dam in China causing massive flooding and thereby protecting the retreat and evacuation of many Japanese Soldiers trying to reach Japan alive. Communist Forces were closing in upon them. Dad saw the Plane land at Atsugi for refueling, along with a single Fighter Escort. The Fighter Pilot Married his Girlfriend there. They had a Tea Ceremony, Sake and received Cherry Blossoms. The B-17 took off afterwards, along with its Fighter Escort … the Fighter Pilot taking his Young Bride with him.
@@Penekamp11 Neither side trusted the Red Chinese. They were out for Territory, Revenege and Political Face. Dad helped rescue a Japanese Unit that surrendered to him . He was the last of the SACO Rice Paddy Naval “ Observers”. The Japanese Surrendered their Weapons and Pop had them loaded into Oxcarts. Along the way Chinese Bandits attacked and The Red Forces were advancing. He had to rearm the Japanese until they got to The Docks. Father was also Shore Patrol. American and British Forces worked with the Japanese Kempetai to keep order in China as well as French Indo China. Dad also got to the Kurile Isles and met the Russians. The World Politics were RAPIDLY changing then.
Also suicide to pull yourself out of responsibility, disobeying and hiding behind the questionable excuse of shame? What laughable excuses of soldiers showing their ultimate corwardice.
Again Dr. Felton ! another subject I've never known ! first,,,kamikaze attacks after surrender,,,AND,,,I've never heard of a B-32 bomber 😮 I like to keep up with warplanes old and new,,,YOU continue to enlighten this 73yr old man,,AGAIN ! Professor Felton thank you! ❤
Good one as always Dr. However, I still have ill feelings about Pearl Harbor, Nan King and the Brutality of the Bataan Death March. Nope, no pity here.
They committed suicide because they couldn't live with the shame....of the atrocities they committed. A well disciplined and honorable military doesn't disobey orders and sneak attack the enemy...once again. After reading about the rape of Nanking and countless other verified accounts of atrocities committed by the Japanese military in every area the were in, I have a very low regard of their ethics and morals. They had the same low morals as the SS in the death camps.
@@Jasona1976 Even you are not, it’s still not being better. What I said, you think the Japanese were only to committing war crimes and do you think to have right to say they were barbarians, when they expecting or making the war much shorter? The english speaking countries exterminate the natives locals for so called “civilized trade” in bizarre circumstances, especially Americans, they have no right to talking and justifying about the Japanese own business action.
A determined enemy indeed. If we were to fight such an enemy today, the battles would be even bloodier, and longer I believe. That was a generation that knew who they were, and what needed to be done, and they didn’t hesitate to do what had to be done. A belief that seems to have gone down in the last 40 years.
I actually knew genuine kamikaze pilot. A Japanese professor visiting Helsinki around 1978 told us that he was already committed, last meal and all, but the war ended quite suddenly. There was some mental problems to continue living normal life, so devoted he was.
That's fascinating and scary at the same time.....(btw, I love Helsinki! I've been there ..)
When I was stationed at Yokota in the 90's I had a part time job cleaning the commisary in the morning before duty, and I worked with a Japanese crew of an older woman and man. The man was a former fighter pilot and was really a nice, soft spoken person.
You can do a dark comedy sitcom with his mom always busting his balls.
"You always do things half way Saturo!"
"There was some mental problems to continue living normal life, so devoted he was."
Wouldn't necessarily need to have been devoted, many young men had matured during both WW1 and WW2, and were at a loss as to what life would be like in a different world at peace,
Well you know what they say; those who can, do. Those who can't, teach. 😁
On my trip to Japan I met a relative of Kamikaze pilot. The man I spoke to told me the story of his grandparents who moved to Oregon prior to the war as salmon fisherman, there they had three children(two sons and a daughter). Eventually, they decided their children should be schooled in Japan and returned; though the children never fit in being both too Japanese in the US and not Japanese enough in Japan. The daughter was the mother of the man who recited the story to me. Her younger brother would meet his fate as a kamikaze pilot and ironically because he was born in Oregon was also a US Citizen
I wonder how common this was, it cant be the only instance of an american citizen doing something along those lines during this time.
There is the infamous story of the Kameloops Kid. A Canadian Japanese who went to Japan before the war and was called up. He ended up in an internment camp in Hong Kong. Here he was nasty and beat up many civilians and tortured people. After the war he went before a war crimes tribunal. His defence was he was British, as Canadians were then a Dominion not an independent country. So they aquitted him and immediately charged him with treason. He was found guilty and hanged.
I guess if he survived the kamikaze attack, he would still be hanged for treason against the United States 🇺🇸
@@martinsuter3531I just googled it so may be wrong, Kanao Inouye is his name
We need to change some laws ,too easy to spy on U.S
This parallels German forces fighting well after May 8th surrender in eastern Europe as well. Good stuff, Dr Felton!
Not quite. Some Japanese fought on because of the honor thing, others because communications with Japan had been lost and they did not trust the Americans telling them the war was over. In the case of the Germans it was because they were either desperate to evade capture by the Soviets, or they wanted to let as many civilians escape to the Western Allies as possible, or in the case of Armygroup Center, surrounded in the current Czech Republic, they were ordered to fight on by their commander, field marshall Ferdinand 'hang any deserter high' Schörner. Who then deserted his own command and escaped into the US occupied zone of Germany.
Operation Werewolf
@@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623 A few dozen survivalists lived on after the war for years, on islands in the Pacific, one for well over 30 years before surrendering to his old Commander they brought in from Japan, all those years later
@@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623 Ferdinand Schörner was truly a fetid pile of sh*t. And in no way merited his rank. Vile lackey and small man, who only ever felt superior when he treated everyone like dirt. Of all the field marshals to survive the war, and captivity, he deserved it least, to say nothing of being the last. May his bones rot.
@@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623 , you are correct in point, but my inference is that fighting went on after the official surrenders of BOTH Axis powers. WHY they did is relevant to the Nazi's and Imperial Japanese, very true.
Emperor: "Stop fighting, lay down your arms."
Admiral defies his Emperor-god and leads Kamikaze attack.
Emperor: "I must reward this man."
He might have done good stuff prior to that.
Well he did lay down his arms on the beach when the aircraft augered in.
Well this is the way of the warrior. The Emperor honoured him for doing his duty and showing fierce leadership. Tojo the little shi#$t was not so honoured. He couldn't even commit Hari kiri. Deliciously he was hanged like a common criminal，after the Tokyo War crime trials.
@@beowulf1312 True, one could argue that the "death of the warrior" in battle is less shameful than hanging - so this general would certainly have been hanged for the "ordering of Kamikaze attacks on US ships" if he didn't himself go out the same way as the soldiers he commanded.
I thought the same thing. It always got me that the Japanese leaders supposedly lived by a code. I guess the code said it was okay to slaughter and rape their way across the Pacific and then disobey orders. Then there were the prisoners that they executed basically because they were embarrassed by their fighting prowess. Look at the 3 Americans they didn't just execute but weighted down and threw overboard during the battle of Midway. They had a weird sense of honor.
9:12 My dad makes a quick appearance here. He was a radioman in the USS Detroit, which can be faintly seen on the left center, bearthed near the Missouri because it was a Pearl Harbor veteran. The Detroit and the battleship West Virginia were the only ships present at the attack on Pearl and the surrender in Tokyo Bay.
日本は第一次世界大戦パリ会議で世界で初めての人類です 人種差別撤廃法案 を提案しアジアを大東亜共栄圏で法の下に貿易を 公平に人種差別のないアジアを志に日本人は、血を流したのです。 朝鮮戦争でも日本人が朝鮮の民の為に5万人も命を落としました あなたは八紘一宇を知っていますか? 世界人類が家族である 日本人は、最後まで弱い民族を見捨てない！ 内モングル・ウイグル・チベット・香港で人種迫害をくりかえす。 愚かな！支那人とは、民度が違います。
Japan is the first human being in the world at the World War I Paris Conference Anti-racism bill Propose Asia under the law in the Greater São Pong area The Japanese bled in Asia, which is not fairly racist。 Even in the Korean War, Japanese people are for Korean people Five Thousands have died Do you know Yag ⁇ Igu? ? World humanity is a family The Japanese do not abandon the weak people until the end! . Kuri racial persecution in Inner Mongle Uygur Tibet Hong Kong。 Stupid! People have different degrees of folklore。
Although there are negative opinions about the battleship Yamato's special attacks, they were used as decoys, and the special attack unit was able to achieve results in the American fleet's special attacks. However, (a moment of silence for the civilian victims as Okinawa became a battlefield) bombing of the mainland by fleet bombing became impossible. Many civilian lives have been saved. Kamikaze is not dog death! Thank you to Yamato, the escort fleet, and the kamikaze corps for dedicating your precious lives to your country. With the overlapping ten-stage special attacks of the Okinawa Special Attack Corps, the bombing of the Japanese mainland by the US military's carrier-based planes became impossible. Thanks to them, many civilians were saved! Defeated special attack unit A total of 37 aircraft carriers Hankook, Enterprise, Four Double, Indomibul, Victorious, Hanga, Hill, etc. Two battleships! Others: 300 dead, 556 wounded, 4,907 killed in battle and 4,824 wounded, 4,824 wounded, 1,827 killed in operation Kikusui Special attack aircraft, 3,067 total killed in Operation Kikusui, including fleets such as Yamato
Cool Bean
Mark, you briefly mentioned some of the exploits of Dutch submarines. That is not something that one normally hears about when told of WWII history. How about a video discussing the exploits of the Dutch submarine force?
History Hustle has already done a great video on Dutch submarines that fought in the Pacific.
+1 for this plan
@@m33446 +1 too.
Yes, please. I was surprised to hear that.
As a dutchman I approve of this idea.
Its quite impressive after Germany's surrender it was pretty much Japan vs the world
It was the lull in the fighting that would have happened if no atomic bomb had been dropped and the invasion of Japan were to happen. It takes time to shift all the forces from Europe to the Far East and retrain them. British and Commonwealth forces that were going to participate in the invasion of Japan needed to be trained and equipped according to US standards and equipment, including the uniforms, to prevent mistakes and ease logistics. No major operations were scheduled in the Pacific between the German surrender until the USSR would enter the war as it historically did, except for the Australian invasion of Borneo that took place during may and the end of august. Which Mark should do a video about, as its an interesting forgotten campaign. I think after the Soviets started their invasion of Manchuria the British were scheduled next to liberate Malaya and then in the fall the US would launch the first invasion of the Japanese home islands at Kyushu. Which was why that admiral was commanding so many kamikaze aircraft. 1946 would see the main invasion of Honshu near Tokyo with two full American armies, including the US 1st Army from Europe.
Profound
Before that it was Japan and Germany against the world. Strongest foes we have ever faced here in America. These tiny countries....insane power and clever people.
@@user-pn3im5sm7k Not so clever that they lost 2 world wars. Japan was lucky that it faced the Allies while they were prioritizing the Germans, and the Germans that it took until 1944 for America's mobilization to complete.
@@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623 Japan won WW1.
Love this video Mark! My paternal grandfather served on the USS Borie DD-704 in the Pacific (not to be confused with the first destroyer that carried the name Borrie in WW2 []DD-215] which was lost after a famous gun battle with a u-boat in the Atlantic). It has the dubious distinction of being the last destroyer (and third to las ship hit overall) hit by a kamikaze which occurred on August 9 1945 while raiding the Japanese home islands. During the attack 4 kamikazes dove for the Borrie; three were shot down but one causing serious casualties (48 killed, 66 wounded). However, the damage suffered was not critical and the Borrie would make it to the West Coast to be repaired. It would serve nearly 4 more decades in the Korean War the Vietnam War, and the Falklands War. After being declared surplus in the 70s it was sold to the Argentinian navy and was renamed Hipólito Bouchard (D-26) and was an escort to the ill-fated General Belgrando during the Falklands War. After this conflict it was broken up for scrap. My grandfather was an amazing guy and Mark if you want any pictures of him or the ship I'd be happy to share. Coincidentally my maternal grandfather was also in the navy in the Pacific and was at Pearl Harbour, so my grandparents service bookended that theatre of WW2. And since I'm on a rant one of my paternal great grandfathers on my served in the trenches in WW1 with the American Expeditionary Force despite being a relatively recent German immigrant... I'm not sure how he fit in the trenches with balls that big. Love your channel! EDIT P.S. It could be a fun video tracing the lineage of the two Borrie destroyers since both had extraordinary WW2 service. Post Korean War it took part in NASA missions recovering monkeys that went to space, after reentry while also continuing traditional military duties like being part of the blockade of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. I'm sure there's something to be found for its Vietnam service, as well.
Dr. Felton, were any German diplomats still in the Germany embassy in Tokyo when the Japanese surrendered? And is anything known how the Japanese treated the German diplomats after Germany surrendered?
One of the VP's of a Japanese Company that I worked for in the US, was trained as a Kamikaze pilot. In the last days of the War, his aircraft failed to start, and there were no others to fly. He died of a Heart Attack, while waiting for take off, on an airliner, for a business trip, in the late 1980's.
he got his in the long run
@@XxBloggs chickened out or realized they were throwing their life away for a lost cause / sunk cost
The irony of war.... I mean, that's just crazy!
@@johndough1703 Good riddance to all of them....
could you use more commas in your next reply?
>Our emperor is a God and must be obeyed unquestionably!
>Emperor: we must surrender
>Do not obey that madman!!!!
The conflicting demands of military honor and honoring the Emperor. And also probably the idea that the Emperor had to be protected from his own mistakes. In the case of Japanese units not involved with the coup, they probably never had heard the man speak before, so they could convince themselves it was not the Emperor.
>tries to undermine japans ww2 tenacity
>refuses to acknowledge that the war started against the emperors will
> forgets the 70’s holdouts.
Do Americans really ?
Oh yeah
>tries to make his points valid using 4 chan arrows, pathetic really
Also japan should have had america pay every inch taken in their blood
@@Basedlocation - I don't forget the holdouts. Every time I go a little too long without mowing my back yard, I start to worry there may be Japanese soldiers back there who don't know the war is over.
@@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623 However, this war has already been four years since the war, and although our army and naval officers and men have done their best in valiant combat, the bureaucrats and civil servants have done their best, and the 100 million people have served, the war situation has not necessarily turned around. Not only that, but the world situation is also working against us.
Not only that, the enemy has used a new cruel bomb (atomic bomb) to kill innocent people, and the damage is immeasurable. If the hostilities continue, it will not only lead to the destruction of our people, but will also lead to the destruction of human civilization. This is why I got the government to comply with the declaration.
I have no choice but to express my regret to the friendly nations that have cooperated with the Empire in the liberation of East Asia from beginning to end.
Never, ever in my wildest imagination would I have come up with this subject. Never ever. You are amazing, Doctor.
My dad was on Luzon when the war ended: He told me that at first nobody believed that the Japanese had really surrendered, or would comply with orders to do so no matter who issued them.
He added that everyone was concerned that die hards would hold out, which turned out to be true (although thankfully not as many as he feared). My father had accumulated enough points and already had his orders to go home-nobody wanted to be the last casualty.
wasn't there some who held out till the 1960s and 1970s in isolated patches of jungle and islands?
I reckon the desire to not be the last guy to die probably motivated many to not go the extra mile, or call in as much artillery and air power to flatten the last holdouts as possible.
@@MusMasi : Two or three. One on Samoa(?) or Guam. And a couple more in the Philippines. The last one gave up in 1975, I think. One guy had to have his superior officer brought to him from Japan before he would believe the war was over.
@@MusMasi yes there were holdouts into the 1970s, and there are videos in this series about that
@@charlesjames1442 That was Hiroo Onoda in 1974. He actually wasn't the last, although many people claim he was. Teruo Nakamura surrendered later in 1974 in Indonesia - the real last Japanese WW2 soldier to surrender.
When we were all young, we didn’t appreciate history class. As we age, our eyes open more and we see how fascinating history is.😊
It depends on the teacher. In college, I had a history teacher who loved his subject and students hated it when class ended because our minds had been filled with such wonderous stories. This was art.
Speak for yourself
Maybe we each have to live a little history of our own before we can appreciate the history of others?
One Professor Triplet taught me History of Civilization in my freshman year of college, and he was quite excited about it.
I thought he was a nut at that point in my life.
@@michaeltrent2599 I am. Also, I was talking about grade school. Try not to be such an all knowing douche. You’ll make more friends.
I loved history class. Just because you were too busy masterbating doesn't mean everyone was.
My father served aboard the USS Laffey in the 1950’s. He wore the Presidential Unit Citation bc he was assigned to that ship. The USS Laffey was hit by 8 kamakazi and 4 bombs and stayed afloat. It’s now a museum in Charleston SC
I have the book that was written by the skipper of that ship during that fateful attack.
@@r2gelfand Me too! I also have Hell From The Heavens…Gibson is supposed to be making a movie about it.
Whole units of the Japanese army refused to surrender and attempted to make their way overland from Burma. My father served in a British unit tasked with finding the headquarters of at least one of those Japanese units; he was wounded by a grenade after the Japanese had officially surrendered.
David one of Mark Felton's books detaile the horrible crimes commited by the Japs after the "surrender" for several weeks they were on a rampage of slaughter
@@raymondtonns2521 Thanks, I can well believe it...somewhere I have a copy of 'Knights of Bushido' (Edward Russell) It's grim reading.
Although there are negative opinions about the battleship Yamato's special attacks, they were used as decoys, and the special attack unit was able to achieve results in the American fleet's special attacks. However, (a moment of silence for the civilian victims as Okinawa became a battlefield) bombing of the mainland by fleet bombing became impossible. Many civilian lives have been saved. Kamikaze is not dog death! Thank you to Yamato, the escort fleet, and the kamikaze corps for dedicating your precious lives to your country. With the overlapping ten-stage special attacks of the Okinawa Special Attack Corps, the bombing of the Japanese mainland by the US military's carrier-based planes became impossible. Thanks to them, many civilians were saved! Defeated special attack unit A total of 37 aircraft carriers Hankook, Enterprise, Four Double, Indomibul, Victorious, Hanga, Hill, etc. Two battleships! Others: 300 dead, 556 wounded, 4,907 killed in battle and 4,824 wounded, 4,824 wounded, 1,827 killed in operation Kikusui Special attack aircraft, 3,067 total killed in Operation Kikusui, including fleets such as Yamato
My late father-in-law, Joe Hallahan, Served on-board the destroyer escort, USS Jack Miller. He claimed that they had anchored in Tokyo Bay after the war ended. While watching a movie on the fantail of the ship early one evening, he noticed a plane approaching that passed over head and smashed into a ship that was alongside the Miller. I wish that I'd asked him more about the experience.
Ohhhhhhh yes that ship delivered the best hair after detaching it from every Japanese they found. My grandfather donated his own hair I believe.
It did happen the US authorities covered it up for the historical record
My father was an aerial gunner in the 312th BG, 389th BS at the end of the war. He was slated to transition to the B-32 as the 312th was changing from light to Very Heavy. Love the footage of the relatively unknown Dominator
Great plane.
never heard of it and ive watched alot of history stuff
Although there are negative opinions about the battleship Yamato's special attacks, they were used as decoys, and the special attack unit was able to achieve results in the American fleet's special attacks. However, (a moment of silence for the civilian victims as Okinawa became a battlefield) bombing of the mainland by fleet bombing became impossible. Many civilian lives have been saved. Kamikaze is not dog death! Thank you to Yamato, the escort fleet, and the kamikaze corps for dedicating your precious lives to your country. With the overlapping ten-stage special attacks of the Okinawa Special Attack Corps, the bombing of the Japanese mainland by the US military's carrier-based planes became impossible. Thanks to them, many civilians were saved! Defeated special attack unit A total of 37 aircraft carriers Hankook, Enterprise, Four Double, Indomibul, Victorious, Hanga, Hill, etc. Two battleships! Others: 300 dead, 556 wounded, 4,907 killed in battle and 4,824 wounded, 4,824 wounded, 1,827 killed in operation Kikusui Special attack aircraft, 3,067 total killed in Operation Kikusui, including fleets such as Yamato
I know someone who witnessed the surrender ceremony from the USS Taylor which was tied up next to the Missouri in recognition of her extraordinary service.
Although there are negative opinions about the battleship Yamato's special attacks, they were used as decoys, and the special attack unit was able to achieve results in the American fleet's special attacks. However, (a moment of silence for the civilian victims as Okinawa became a battlefield) bombing of the mainland by fleet bombing became impossible. Many civilian lives have been saved. Kamikaze is not dog death! Thank you to Yamato, the escort fleet, and the kamikaze corps for dedicating your precious lives to your country. With the overlapping ten-stage special attacks of the Okinawa Special Attack Corps, the bombing of the Japanese mainland by the US military's carrier-based planes became impossible. Thanks to them, many civilians were saved! Defeated special attack unit A total of 37 aircraft carriers Hankook, Enterprise, Four Double, Indomibul, Victorious, Hanga, Hill, etc. Two battleships! Others: 300 dead, 556 wounded, 4,907 killed in battle and 4,824 wounded, 4,824 wounded, 1,827 killed in operation Kikusui Special attack aircraft, 3,067 total killed in Operation Kikusui, including fleets such as Yamato
My "old man" was on the Essex class, aircraft carrier, USS Yorktown (CV-10) towards the end of WWII. Luckily, his ship was never struck by a Kamikaze, though it was hit by a Japanese bomb that exploded a few decks down killing about four or five sailors. He once talked about seeing an attacking Japanese aircraft that was so low and close that he could make out the facial features of the pilot. Upon seeing this he thought to himself on a personal level, "I don't know you and you don't know me, why are we shooting at each other?!!!"
Part of Bushido was that it was a samurai's duty to commit Seppuku as a protest if their commander gave a bad order.
The Yorktown that was active at war's end is the one that still survives, as a museum in South Carolina. Ever been aboard?
My Uncle was a 18 year old gunners mate on the USS Astoria CL 90. 5 inch twin forward mount The Astoria CL90 still holds the US Navy record for time spent at general quarters.
The USS Astoria CL90 had 13 confirmed Kamikazi kills and provided close air cover for American Essex class Aircraft carriers.
RUclips USS Astoria cl90 Kamikazi and you will see a dozen or more videos of actual Kamikazi attacks taken from the Astoria decks including the USS Yorktown.
See actual footage of what your Dad experienced and the horror that they lived through. .
My Uncle was a very quiet and humble devout Catholic person , the type of man that one would say couldn't hurt a fly, but when it came to Kamikazi attacks and Japanese combatants he would get a very angry look on his face until the day he passed in 2006. My Uncle witnessed numerous Kamikazi hits on American Carriers , the ones that he spoke of and were most horrific were the Bunker Hill and Franklin, a tear would get in his eye and he would say those poor guys.
I have no respect or obligation to acknowledge suicide attackers as nothing more then scum.
@@Cha-y412 Wow! I was unaware of the cruiser USS Astoria's record of time spent at general quarters. My dad too witnessed either the Bunker Hill or Franklin hit by Japanese aircraft and the consequent fires and explosions that took hundreds of U.S. Sailors lives. He once told me that at the time he thought to himself, "if this is how the enemy is fighting for Okinawa, what's it going to be like when we invade the Japanese home islands?" Consequently, my dad reasoned it was only a matter of time before he died in battle fighting the Japanese. I hear you when you call out the Kamikaze attackers as "nothing more than scum." Had they successfully attacked my dad's ship, perhaps I wouldn't be writing this now.
Although there are negative opinions about the battleship Yamato's special attacks, they were used as decoys, and the special attack unit was able to achieve results in the American fleet's special attacks. However, (a moment of silence for the civilian victims as Okinawa became a battlefield) bombing of the mainland by fleet bombing became impossible. Many civilian lives have been saved. Kamikaze is not dog death! Thank you to Yamato, the escort fleet, and the kamikaze corps for dedicating your precious lives to your country. With the overlapping ten-stage special attacks of the Okinawa Special Attack Corps, the bombing of the Japanese mainland by the US military's carrier-based planes became impossible. Thanks to them, many civilians were saved! Defeated special attack unit A total of 37 aircraft carriers Hankook, Enterprise, Four Double, Indomibul, Victorious, Hanga, Hill, etc. Two battleships! Others: 300 dead, 556 wounded, 4,907 killed in battle and 4,824 wounded, 4,824 wounded, 1,827 killed in operation Kikusui Special attack aircraft, 3,067 total killed in Operation Kikusui, including fleets such as Yamato
Admiral ugaki wrote a must-read diary called something like fading victories. He survived being shot down with Yamamoto also.
It’s called “Fading Victory”. I read it many years ago.
Whoa really that must have been crazy traumatic. I had no idea anyone survived that.
This reminds me of a story I heard from one of the first WWII troop landings on Japanese soil by a infantry veteran some 25-30 years ago. Not knowing what to expect from the civilians, they were outfited for combat duty. What they found were Japanese civilians greeting them dressed in their Sunday best clothes and waving American/white flags. I thanked him for his service.
Hahahhaha yeah right
@@josefmengele181 they actually were, there’s even a video of macarthur riding down a road in japan with all the japanese soldiers facing away as a sign of “respect”, it was pretty cool
@@bla-t yeah some time after the us occupied Japan not right at the beginning like this clown thinks what does every Japanese citizen have a u,s flag underneath their bed despite silk being a rarity in wartime japan
BEST history channel on this platform. Thank you MFP!
Fun Fact, My Granfather's Ship, USS Kimberly (DD-521), escorted the Missouri following the surrender signing on the 2nd of September when the Kimberly arrived in Tokyo Harbor on the 4th and set sail back to Pennsylvania on the 6th with the Missouri in her care. She was credited with 4 aircraft kills and 2 assists in her WWII Record. She also was heavily damaged on her aftermost 5 inch/38 mount during an attack mounted by two Aichi D3A "Vals" on the 26th of March 1945 which tragically killed 4 men and wounding 57. For Her Service she would receive 5 battle stars. She would go on to serve in Korea going on to claim another battle star. Temporarily Decommissioned in 1954, she would then be loaned to the Navy of Taiwan starting in 1967 and be renamed An Yang (DD-18).
The Ship was Overhauled in 1976 using the Liulong project as a template at the No. 1 Naval Shipyard. This Upgraded her Fire Control and Command System, Her Radar and Sonar Systems. Her Armament was also revised. She retained two of her 5 inch/38 mounts adding an OTO 76mm cannon, retaining only two 40mm twin mount bofors guns of here original 5 mounts, a Mk 10 Hedgehog System was also added along with a Trainable Chaff Rocket Launcher, A Hsiung Feng I Anti-Ship Missile Launcher. Her Depth charge racks were upgraded to a rail based system and her aging 10 (2 quintuple) 21 inch torpedo tubes were replaced with twin triple Mark 32 Torpedo Launchers.
Her Hull Number was changed multiple times throughout her service with the ROC Navy. The first change was to DD-979 in 1970, followed by DDG-918 in the mid 1980s.
In 1981 her Armament was changed, following the Wujin No. 1 Project which gave her an additional Hsiung Feng I Anti-Ship Missile Batteries, and some Haishu SAM Missile Batteries, effectively turning her into a True Guided Missile Destroyer.
Finally, The ship was decommissioned in September 1999, likely due to her aged propulsion machinery, and was sunk as a target ship by the ROCS Hai Lung on the 14th of October 2003.
😊
Much fact no fun 😕
3:10 the Japanese engineers sacrificed protecting the fuel tanks for weight reduction. Even small, survivable hits caused planes to burst into flames.
going out in a *Blaze* of glory!!
They didn't have a choice. They didn't have the luxury of pumping 80% of the world's entire oil supply at the time like we did. Japanese designs were forced to be fuel efficient and especially resource savvy. They lacked the steel necessary to produce well armored planes and ships. Hence the Japanese offense doctrine (strong attack but subpar defense)
Yep.
The Mitsubishi G4M bomber was morbidly referred to by American aircrew as "the one shot lighter"...
Show the meaning to General Patton's quote - You don't win a war by dying for your Country. You only win by making them die for their Country. I don't think anyone in the British Empire will Kamikaze for King Charles the III
I’m in no way an expert of British history, or in basically whatever goes on there today, but isn’t dying for their monarch when it’s threatened what’s expected of their palace guard, war or no war?
I recommend Admiral Ugaki's war diary, entitled 'Fading Victory'. It is unique in that no other diary from such a senior officer survived the war. You get a remarkable insight into the IJN's highest level of command, the decisions they made and why.
Nagumo ruined the war with one fatal call at midway
@JOSEF Mengele Yamamoto*
@@tobyalder42 no admiral Nagumo
@@josefmengele181 Rubbish, it was Yamamoto's faulty and unnecessary Midway plan that led to the disaster. Nagumo couldn't do much given the circumstances he was put in
Actually Nagumo was the fool. He wasted too much time during the battle and he could have stayed out of range of the American bombers.
Sadly, no B-32 was saved after the war. What the USAF museum would give for one!
Two uncles on my mom’s side were a fighter pilot scheduled for a one way mission to Okinawa, to shoot down as many American planes as he could, before crashing into the nearest ship when he ran out of ammunition. The other was assigned as a kamikaze pilot. They were out of fuel at that point, so both survived the war. Another uncle achieved his goal around Iwo Jima. I reflect on them, and the harsh choices they made.
I've studied the last several months of the war in detail but focusing on the military and civilian command and the US and Japanese areas of control. I actually didn't realize how long these attacks continued, so a heartfelt tip of the hat in your direction Mark. Many thanks.
see my comments above and read Mark's books
Wow…learn something new every time Dr.Mark educate us….👍
I was thinking - where else would I get such mind intriguing details of some mind repelling stuff that actually did take place. Great work.
Only if History in schools was this much fun.
Literally liberal school board at work lol we learned this kind of stuff in VA
While interesting, I wouldn't call this "fun". A fascist authoritarian state government sending off its men into suicidal attacks is not fun. However, while history does not repeat, it very much rhymes. With current events unfolding in similar, although not exactly the same ways, it is important to remember the past and consider the lessons gleaned from it.
It could be. Mine was. I was fortunately in that I had teachers who understood the "story" part far better than most.
Unfortunately, some people just don't care... 😢
Indeed, if history lessons ran like this channel, they'd be restricting class sizes, nothing stuffy or boring here !!
I have a mixed heritage, and my late Grandfather served in the Japanese armed forces during the war. He recalled the period to me before he passed, mentioning that he worked in communications (morse code operator) right at the tail end of the war. As the struggle grew more desperate, he was tapped on the shoulder one day and told he would have the honour of serving in the Tokkōtai or Kamikaze. He was shipped off to the nearest training facility soon after with a sense of dread of what was to come. Only as the training was started, a few days later, the war ended. He was quite literally saved by the bell.
I'll always remember his perspective of the war and it's impact when he said to me (translated), "War makes people stop thinking straight".
Mark any chance of a couple of videos on the infamous 57 Defence White Paper?
What it was and how it affected each arm of the British military.
Dr Felton gracing us with another banger.
Good stuff Mark. These documentaries are brilliantly researched and presented.
check out Mark's books do no not eat food before reading them
After learning of the Japanese Unit 731, I'm surprised that Mark Felton didn't cover this before! I hope he does a detailed video about this human experiments unit.
The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were human experiments on unarmed civilians.
If anyone ever visits Japan there is a kamikaze museum near the village of Chiran. It's very good and has a fantastic amount of personal effects left by pilots as well as hardware from the war. It's in Kyushu near Kagoshima so not typically an area where tourists venture but well worth the trip.
This has always interested me. Wars rarely end so cleanly, after all. Thanks once again for peering over the footnotes and the brim of papers of our textbooks to fill them up more!
Thanks for the video Dr Felton !
Another great episode Mark.
I dont give a damn what anyone says -- dropping the atom bombs was the right thing to do. 200,000 were killed to save probably 3 or 4 million lives. The Allied invasion of Japan would have seen the most brutal, desperate fighting in all history.
Yes, it would make Stalingrad look like a minor skirmish! The brutality of it would of been the worst ever. Especially what they faced on Iwo Jima and the Asian Stalingrad at Manilla, Philippines.
Exactly, yes it’s horrible that it came to that but it was the lesser of two evils
Ugaki was on the second Betty bomber that was shot down during Operation Vengeance. He survived that crash however Yamamoto did not.
Ugaki's Plane Was Shot Down
Over The Sea & That What
Saved Him...
Yamamoto's Plane Crashed
In The Jungle & Everyone
On Board Were Killed...
When my brother in law's father died, I heard that he had been on the USS MISSOURI during the surrender. I told my brother in law I wish I had known that. He replied, "Me, too!".
1:30 I believe I can add some detail in the exact machinations to end the war, which scholars and historians have reconstructed in detail, hour by hour, for the top several dozen face cards in play. I've taken time to study several dozen books both in Japanese and English on the subject (and one in German, which I also speak). The Japanese understood the exposure of the home islands to Soviet affections since before the war even started, and this was their constantly-monitored barometer of safety or ruin. Even in the final weeks they actually had fairly good communications with specific diplomatic contacts in Moscow and elsewhere, and basically knew what was happening and how bad it was. There was one specific diplomat or office, reporting on one frequency at certain times of the day, describing things that they knew the meaning of. In contrast, they didn't have even the faintest idea what had happened out west with the atomic bombs. Domestic communications were already spotty, and were of course knocked out utterly by the bombings. Few people even witnessed the attack and survived, and any given witness's experience wasn't necessarily night and day different from a very near hit in other American missions. No-one in Japan knew it was one bomb from one plane, or that half the city center was gone. People who had seen the wide damage might have supposed a firestorm from incendiary bombs (as killed 5x more on a single night in Tokyo earlier in the year). Even had they gotten a well-informed verbatim report of a huge bomb wiping out the city (and they don't seem to have) imagination simply fails. Huge bomb wiping out the city? OK, is this a 20 ton bomb? 40 ton? Why is Suzuki-san going on about the size of the bomb, we know what a big bomb is. No-one would have supposed, gee, maybe the destructive power of 20,000 tons of TNT aboard a single plane. The militarists and civilian govt were wrong to discount these reports as they did, but that's what they did. The much more minor Soviet incursions were something they understood well enough to react to.
Makes a lot of sense. Always believed Japan surrendered more from fear of Russian invasion than the nukes.
@@morningstar9233 It's one of the many factors yes but not the deciding one that made them surrender
@@lessronishere7540 I didn't say it was the deciding factor.
The first part of this video solidifies the reality of the necessity of the atomic bombs.
It wasn't the atomic bombs that made Japan surrender. Or at least, it wasn't just because of those bombs. Russia, starting their invasion, was what really sealed the deal.
The fire bombs dropped on Japan were as devastating as the atomic bomb and less of a sort of moral issue. But that aside, Japan was willing to surrender before the atomic bombs were dropped, with certain conditions.
It was also wildly known in the US that as soon as Russia invaded, Japan would surrender very quickly as it knew the end was near.
Have to agree
@@taoofjester4113 I understand what you were saying. And yes, no doubt there were several mitigating factors to their surrender. But it has to be more than coincidental that the Japanese surrendered very quickly after that second bomb dropped
Incredible video as always. Stunning footage you must be sitting on a gold mine of WW2 footage I can only imagine how much you have access to.
Not all Japanese fighters had their props removed
There is an account by a pilot somewhere on YT that said he made a landing and discovered an entire wing of fighters fuelled, armed and ready to take off - knowing that the surrender had happened but that they'd never received the order to remove the propellers as their phone line was damaged by bombing
yeah right everbody's phone line was damaged
The first most people have heard of Japanese soldiers fighting on after the war is from an episode of Gilligan's Island.
Nice to have the details filled in more thoroughly!
I'd be more impressed with their "warrior code" if it weren't for the millions of atrocities they committed - all while pretending to value honor.
Ding ding ding!!
You got that right! It is cowardly to treat captured prisoners of war the way the Japanese did. Their “Code of honor” is totally meaningless.
@@atomicshadowman9143 only 2 nukes ? what a pity
@@raymondtonns2521 - I guess we weren't "racist" enough in 1945.
@@dougearnest7590😂
Fascinating! This ads a bit of interesting context to the conflict between the Soviets and Japan in WWII.
If anyone wonders why there was a huge air & naval armada in Tokyo Bay for the surrender, here's the reason. The Allies wanted to absolutely dissuade the Japanese of anymore pointless attacks.
Something similar happened in Iraq in 1991 during surrender negotiations between the Iraqis and coalition officers including Schwarzkopf. Gen Schwarzkopf formed up two parallel lines of M1 tanks about a quarter mile long and had the Iraqi officers walk between them to the tent where negotiations would occur. And it was on occupied iraqi soil. The idea was to intimidate the Iraqis and make them pliable.
Excellent work, Mark!
After VE Day, my Dad in Czechloslovakia was afraid of being sent to the Pacific, but Japan surrendered. Today, his grandson and Japanese wife are living in Tokyo, expecting their first child.
Tremendous segment thank you Dr. Felton
Dad was a destroyer XO on VJ day. They were informed that "the Japanese have surrendered. Any approaching Japanese aircraft are to be shot down in a friendly manner."
These are the types of videos that i absolutely love, Thank you Mark.
There is a book called Japans Longest day by the Pacific War Research Society that really puts in detail the last days of the Japanese government, like it’s crazy all the accounts they were able to get by high ranking officials after the war, highly recommend.
Thanks Dr. Felton!
Emperor Hirohito: makes first ever radio broadcast by a Japanese emperor to announce the war is over.
Vice-Admiral Ugaki: "Who does this guy think he is? Banzai!"
Thank you so much Mark!
Memory is failing now, but when my ship was in a Jap harbour I scored a kamikaze pilot as a taxi driver. The war ended just before he was due to be used ... I had no Japanese language skills, he spoke very little English - but I was a recreational light aircraft pilot and so we got on very well together. He quit driving for night and we went on the tiles; I discovered that sake can be easy to both drink and under estimate ...
How old are you
Thank you Dr. Now the story of one Ryuji Nakatsuka is more vivid more than thirty years ago when I first read it.
I also read his book. It was fascinating to hear the Japanese viewpoint. I wish I still had my copy as it is impossible to find now.
In the book 'Samurai' by Zero fighter pilot Saburo Sakai, he mentions the story about himself and his fellow naval aviators flying at night to shoot down a B29 Super fortress after the surrender. This was his last ever combat mission and was carried out at night. He could not bear the thought of surrender. (Although he later said 'Who started that stupid war, it seems that the closer you get to the Emperor, the fuzzier and fuzzier it gets'). This act technically makes him a war criminal. He says in his book that he and his fellow pilots shot at the bomber and followed and watched it descend until it crashed into the sea. Some historians have done extensive research into Saburo Sakai's claims and have found him to be very honest and accurate, only getting the identification of the plane he shot down wrong at least a couple of times. In this particular case the researchers found out that it was a B32 Dominator that he shot down and not a B29.
Misidentifying enemy aircraft nearly got him killed in the incident in which he lost an eye.
I can actually understand the Japanese having a particular grudge against bombers at this point.
Although there are negative opinions about the battleship Yamato's special attacks, they were used as decoys, and the special attack unit was able to achieve results in the American fleet's special attacks. However, (a moment of silence for the civilian victims as Okinawa became a battlefield) bombing of the mainland by fleet bombing became impossible. Many civilian lives have been saved. Kamikaze is not dog death! Thank you to Yamato, the escort fleet, and the kamikaze corps for dedicating your precious lives to your country. With the overlapping ten-stage special attacks of the Okinawa Special Attack Corps, the bombing of the Japanese mainland by the US military's carrier-based planes became impossible. Thanks to them, many civilians were saved! Defeated special attack unit A total of 37 aircraft carriers Hankook, Enterprise, Four Double, Indomibul, Victorious, Hanga, Hill, etc. Two battleships! Others: 300 dead, 556 wounded, 4,907 killed in battle and 4,824 wounded, 4,824 wounded, 1,827 killed in operation Kikusui Special attack aircraft, 3,067 total killed in Operation Kikusui, including fleets such as Yamato
@@ヤマトウズメ-r1o we are friends now, but you guys will think twice about trying another Pearl Harbor on us.
@@ヤマトウズメ-r1o It's ridiculous of you to preach about the glory of a war your people started. If you hadn't all of those lives would've been spared... Japanese as well as American, British, Dutch, Australian, Filipino, Chinese, et cetera. Millions of people.
I do not know how you do it so consistently Dr. Felton, all of your videos are always interesting and fascinating…
Very interesting episode. You don't hear much about the Dutch submarines actions in the pacific theatre.
Another seriously interesting and entertaining broadcast about a piece of WW2 historical detail that is known to few. A triumph Dr Felton.
I recall Saburo Sakai was part of the squadron that intercepted the B-32
Keep 'em coming Mark! I didn't know that was why all the propellers were missing!
It’s not surprising that the Kamikaze attacks against the U.S. ships were not effective. They were armed with the VT Fuze and it was highly effective at downing aircraft. Of course the Japanese didn’t know of it’s existence, as it remained Top Secret for many years afterwards.
The pilots were so under trained they couldn’t crash into a ship
They were effective enough at Okinawa to kill 4907 sailors and wound 4824 more.
Considering that Kamikaze attacks only got through about 14% of the time, that is highly effective! Many times more Americans would have died were it not for the VT fuze. The Japanese knew right away that we had something, but they didn’t know what. We mostly used them over the oceans so none could be captured. It also devastated the Germans at the battle of the Bulge when it was used against their ground troops. Military experts rated the VT fuse as the second most important invention in WWII.
You've done it again, surprising me with new information . I've been following WWII history since I was 15 and had never heard of the B32 Plane in 43 years
I understand that Larry was told, in confidence, that one of the Kamikaze pilots only "grazed" the ship.
I love Chicken Teriyaki!
Dr Felton you are a marvel, such wonderfully researched and presented historical videos, thank you
Can’t wait to hear your take on the Gujo jiken (the incident on the night of 14 August)
Already made a video about it.
Three years later my father, now 93, completed airborne training with the 11th Airborne Division which stayed in Japan after the war as part of the U.S. Army of Occupation. Then in 1950 he made his first combat jump in Korea with the 187th RCT, 11 Airborne Division.
As always, you've presented the best history lesson! Thank you, Dr. Felton,
The war had so much impetus that it kept going for a while, regardless of the emperors decree. Thank you once again Dr. Felton. I just bought the Kindle edition of "Operation Swallow" and I'm enjoying it greatly as well. You've lots of great books for Kindle.b(For those who don't know)
Truman after losing 500.000 soldiers conquering Kyushu "My God, my God, this is terrible, what will I say to the nation?"
Stalin after losing 500.000 soldiers conquering Hokkaido "someone knows what there is for dinner tonight?"
Thank you Sir.....
🇺🇸
Shiden Kai was manufactured by Kawanishi Aircraft Company, not Nakajima Aircraft Company.
Another amazing and scholarly video. Thanks much.
We owe so much to USA for their fight against Nazi Germany and Japan and saving the world
You have been lied to your whole life.
Nahh
Be grateful of the *Way of the Samurai*
Slave trade may well have Taken lives through Currency
But without Trade is for the Lack of Knowledge.
Agree, glory to all of 'em who set us free from the krauts and gooks in any possible way.
@@Joop.23-2-63 Free from what??
All they've done since ww2 is invade and create other Wars.
Threatening with Nuclear weaponry........Nobody wins
80years and You're going Nowhere.
More concerned about Currency and Repeating the Failures than moving forward in Advancement at a Life changing level.
Awesome video!! Did NOT know that B-32s fought during tail end of the war!!! Learned something new today.
So I guess my grandfathers assertation that the US would have lost a million soldiers to take Japan was not far off.
The US War Department bought over 600,000 purple hearts in anticipation of casualties during the two invasions. These were serious and experienced people. My dad told me that men in Europe with few points refused trips stateside as they were afraid instead of going home they would be sent to the Pacific. When he had hepatitis his CO insisted he be treated in their camp rather than go to the hospital and detached from his unit making it likely for him to get sent to Japan
Excellent video and thank you for all the hard work u and others that put hours into this series :)
Dad spoke of another last Kamikaze attack. It involved a B-17 Captured at Clark Field and used in Training Japanese Pilots to attack Flying Fortresses. The Plane also was used in Japanese Propaganda Films. By Wars End it had been laden with Explosives packed into every nook and cranny to be used against Allied Invasion Craft. After the Atomic Bombings and the Surrender the Aircraft sat at an Imperial Japanese Army Air Base, until allowed by American Forces to be used by the Japanese to destroy a dam in China causing massive flooding and thereby protecting the retreat and evacuation of many Japanese Soldiers trying to reach Japan alive. Communist Forces were closing in upon them. Dad saw the Plane land at Atsugi for refueling, along with a single Fighter Escort. The Fighter Pilot Married his Girlfriend there. They had a Tea Ceremony, Sake and received Cherry Blossoms. The B-17 took off afterwards, along with its Fighter Escort … the Fighter Pilot taking his Young Bride with him.
That is absolutely fascinating. Amazing that US forces would collude with post surrender Japanese air forces.
@@Penekamp11 Neither side trusted the Red Chinese. They were out for Territory, Revenege and Political Face. Dad helped rescue a Japanese Unit that surrendered to him . He was the last of the SACO Rice Paddy Naval “ Observers”. The Japanese Surrendered their Weapons and Pop had them loaded into Oxcarts. Along the way Chinese Bandits attacked and The Red Forces were advancing. He had to rearm the Japanese until they got to The Docks. Father was also Shore Patrol. American and British Forces worked with the Japanese Kempetai to keep order in China as well as French Indo China. Dad also got to the Kurile Isles and met the Russians. The World Politics were RAPIDLY changing then.
If only history had greate teachers like Dr. Mark Felton.
It was said that right up to the last days the Japanese could put up to 200 aircraft into the sky on any given day
But not 200 well-trained pilots.
Great presentation as usual.
After horrors the Japanese committed, they couldn't be less honorable.
Also suicide to pull yourself out of responsibility, disobeying and hiding behind the questionable excuse of shame? What laughable excuses of soldiers showing their ultimate corwardice.
Again Dr. Felton ! another subject I've never known ! first,,,kamikaze attacks after surrender,,,AND,,,I've never heard of a B-32 bomber 😮 I like to keep up with warplanes old and new,,,YOU continue to enlighten this 73yr old man,,AGAIN ! Professor Felton thank you! ❤
Good one as always Dr. However, I still have ill feelings about Pearl Harbor, Nan King and the Brutality of the Bataan Death March. Nope, no pity here.
Nowadays Japan is crucial for a free Asia Pacific, as the US wants Japan to restore its military to keep a certain neighbour in check.
Always interesting, thank you.
They committed suicide because they couldn't live with the shame....of the atrocities they committed.
A well disciplined and honorable military doesn't disobey orders and sneak attack the enemy...once again.
After reading about the rape of Nanking and countless other verified accounts of atrocities committed by the Japanese military in every area the were in, I have a very low regard of their ethics and morals. They had the same low morals as the SS in the death camps.
both the Japs and the Nazis feverishly tried to deatroy the records of their crimes.
Fascinating piece of history. I'm amazed how you get some of this stuff.
The Japanese barbarians still refuse to admit to their war crimes!!
Look who is talking
@@yoseipilot I’m not Japanese thank god.
@@Jasona1976 Even you are not, it’s still not being better. What I said, you think the Japanese were only to committing war crimes and do you think to have right to say they were barbarians, when they expecting or making the war much shorter? The english speaking countries exterminate the natives locals for so called “civilized trade” in bizarre circumstances, especially Americans, they have no right to talking and justifying about the Japanese own business action.
Well researched. Many thanks!
A determined enemy indeed. If we were to fight such an enemy today, the battles would be even bloodier, and longer I believe. That was a generation that knew who they were, and what needed to be done, and they didn’t hesitate to do what had to be done. A belief that seems to have gone down in the last 40 years.
Indeed. We see this in every conflict following WW2 in which the overriding strategy seems to be to not inconvenience anyone too much.
@@dougearnest7590 and not to interupt Critical Race Training
Hi Dr mark felton, did you mistaken Mongolia for Manchuria at 01:37 ?
The Soviets invaded both regions.