I am an alumnus of the US Naval Academy, and I have been watching this channel for some time (it's fantastic, keep up the great work). I While I was at USNA 30+ years ago, I had the privilege of meeting submariners from this era, and they were impressive individuals with many harrowing stories. I'm glad that you picked one of them to tell, and I am eager to hear more.
Respect, Sir. I'm just a second gen Jarhead, but that was a tough school, was it not? I got to walk through the U 505 as a child. They may have been our enemy, but submariners are all a brave lot
My father was an Annapolis graduate (class of 40). An underclassman and friend of his, Capt. Earl Barret (41, I believe) married my mother's cousin. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dad went on to fly with the Lexington's airgroup, while Earl went on to submarines. After the war, both were based out of San Diego: Dad over at NAS North Island (where I would serve in the late 70s and early 80s), Earl and his sub at the sub base at Point Loma. They were both interested in the other's occupational field, so they agreed that Earl would take Dad out on a sub for a day or two on its next exercise and Dad would take Earl up in an SB2C Helldiver on a simulated dive-bombing mission. When they returned from their respective outings, both agreed that there wasn't enough money in the world to get them do to the other's job.
I’m a US Navy bootcamp graduate 47 years ago and became a nuclear power plant operator on US fast attack submarines. The people that went out on these WWII diesel submarines were far braver than myself. I’m not sure I would have volunteered to ride them.
We have her sister ship. The USS Cod docked on Lake Erie at Cleveland. Even with the amenities, you would be surprised by how cramped life aboard was. It's well worth the time to take a tour of one of these remaining subs. It gives you an appreciation for the young men from across our country who found themselves serving on one. As usual, a great video. Thanks for your dedication and work.
@ that has been on my mind I would really like to take a trip up the coast and visit the USS COD and meet some of the cool crew that I see all the videos.
My uncle was on the USS Snook. I wish I could’ve known him but I was born in 1960. My wife’s uncle was also a submariner in the imperial Japanese Navy Who failed to return. So our son has 2 submariner Great Uncles on both sides of the Pacific war whose ships failed to return. War is a tragedy
My dad, shortly after completing sub school, was assigned to the Dorado. 3 days before it sailed he got bumped by someone with more seniority. The boat left Groton, heading for the Panama canal, but never made it. To this day, despite lots of theories, they don't know why she went down.
Wow, yeah just read about it. The only sub in US active duty that was lost in the Atlantic during WW2. That's gotta be embarrassing for U-boats, I just read they lost 785 haha. We really kicked their butt and that one of ours was probably struck by a mine or something stupid like that, the only other was a bad training accident off Key West. I know their war was longer and whatever else and it's not a laughing matter but that's bad.
I used to be a deckhand for two years on the USS Pampanito Submarine Museum. I had no idea Snook as well as Pampanito had an unfortunate history with hell ships. On Pamp’s third war patrol in the South China Sea, she along with Growler and Sealion attacked a Japanese convoy, two of the ships sunk that night were unfortunately hell ships and one of them, the Kachidoki Maru, was sunk by Pampanito herself. Unaware of her human cargo, Pampanito went off to hunt down more of the convoy, only returning to the original area 3 days later. Initially when they came across rafts of flotsam and lifeboats, the crew thought they were Japanese survivors and were cautious about approaching them, it was only after they realized they were British and Australian POWs did they start rescuing them as fast as they could. Pampanito herself rescued 73 men, her whole crew slept out on the main deck so that the former pows could sleep on the beds, bedding was even put on the empty torpedo skids just so that everyone they rescued had a place to rest. There’s 16mm footage of the rescue here on RUclips, and I highly recommend the book “Return From The River Kwai”, it chronicles all of the POWs journey from prison camp, to hell ship, to rescue and repatriation
@@chatnoir7923 As have I! Although I did not know of the sinking of the prisoner of war ships at the time! Just another reminder of the horrors of war!
Just an outstanding job in telling this heartbreaking story and giving another glimpse into the horrors of war, and that war in particular. Those brave men! I can't even begin to fathom how they did it. They died heroes, every one of them.
The dedication you put in to the old pictures and footage is really amazing. This channel is so much better than any history channel on TV. Thanks so much for your hard work and dedication
When I joined the US Navy the recruiter asked, “how would you like to serve on a boat that’s designed to sink?” I simply said, “nope.” Then I went on to serve on aircraft carriers. A decision I’ve never regretted.
Another fantastic, but heartbreaking episode. There is NO WAY I could handle being on a Sub. I'm somewhat claustrophobic and would lose it after one day. I really admire their courage.
I toured the U-505 in the Chicago museum. I felt claustrophobic in that vessel, on land and peace time. Imagine what those men endured under attack 300’ deep. Courage? More then I’ll ever have.
You would be surprised. There are amazing things you'd be capable of if the culture made it unacceptable to simply declare yourself incapable. If the culture reminded you of your responsibilities instead of your rights. You could.
I went through a uboat in a german museum, I'm 6'5 and couldn't stand straight up, there was a coast guard boat beside it that they were showing off the engine on so it was pouring out smoke (they had just turned on the engine before I went below deck on the uboat and the whole uboat had filled with the smell of gasoline and smoke. There was also basically a line through it, so you couldn't turn around and had to wait for people to move forward. You had to climb a ladder down into it and a ladder out of it. It was pretty surreal and I thought I was claustrophobic but actually being in that situation surprisingly I was relaxed. I'm sure if you were onboard you would be alright but it's one of those situations where you just have to accept your fate.
i was in the submarine force in the 1970s, this video is good. my grandmothers cousin was CO of the uss runner, lost during the sub war around japan, on 22 June 1943 runner was attacked and apparently damaged by Imperial Japanese Navy forces. its good that the video doesnt sugarcoat the awful living conditions inside
I am so impressed by the "Respect" you give to those that died, you give this respect freely even though you have never meant any of those in this video or any of your videos for that matter. Great job.
Another sister sub the USS Silversides 236 is docked in Muskegon, MI as well. It is a museum ship and you can take tours also there. It is surprising how cramped it is on there
I love your story telling. You make the people in the stories come to life. I feel sadness when they don't come home, and joy for those that do. Thank-you for the research and script writing and editing and all that goes into creating these wonderful stories.
I don't normally comment twice on a vid, but I'll make an exception here. In the context we find ourselves in today, that comment about men dying for the disagreements and ambitions of other men made me choke up. Thanks Brad. Thanks also for the reference to US isolationism prior to WW2. It's an important context. Thanks for keeping it in the public consciousness.
Thank you for the dignity and poise of your narration. You know exactly when to stop and let a point resonate with the listener, something that is almost a lost art today, where every pause is usually edited out. This channel is an oasis of humane storytelling of important stories. Your thoughtful work is deeply appreciated.
Submarine technology is fascinating. I love touring museum subs. I have deep respect for anybody who crews one. As for doing it myself, stick a torpedo into that idea, no way.
I have a co-worker who used to be in the Navy on a submarine, he was explaining it that anyone who is on a submarine has to be a minimum amount of crazy, just sane enough to be able to carry out their orders but insane enough to be willing to work in something that sinks intentionally.
“designed to strike without warning before vanishing into the shadows” is a great way to describe sub-mariner warfare. For all of the souls who reside in Davy Jones locker, a salute.
Good job illustrating the strife these men had to endure. I'm fascinated by World War 2, easily the most interesting 6 year period in human history. I enjoy Drachinifel's videos, but he focuses on the technical aspects of the vessels. This video tells a deep and moving story about the human costs of service during war time.
This is a great Channel. I joined the Navy in 1987 and got out in 1993. I joined during Reagan and left the Navy when Clinton was president... The cold war had ended and the US was cutting back on the military... My grandfather was on the aircraft carrier Wasp during WWII. He would have been a pilot but in 1945 he was diagnosed as color blind. He did go on to serve during Korea. I was a helicopter aircrewman.
One of my uncles served in the Army Airforce in Europe! He initially applied as a pilot trainee, as he had a private pilots licence, but they discovered he was color blind! So they made him a waist gunner and then a radio operator instead.
Thx. Great video. It's worth mentioning that the 1922 Washington naval treaty was just as much about curtailing the debilitating economic debt that was incurred when countries became involved in naval arms races, as it was about reducing the risk of war. It took vast amounts of wealth to build and maintain large fleets of battleships, battlecruisers, heavy cruisers, etc., not to mention the hundreds of other smaller vessels that would be required to support them when assembled into battle groups. As a point of reference, USS Texas cost over 2 million dollars to build over 100 years ago, which was a huge amount of money in those days. Trying to keep up in a worldwide arms race could destroy the economies of many nations. Those ships that the Germans scuttled in Scapa Flow represented a huge loss dollar wise in war reparations to the victors after WW1.... United States submarine development prior to WW2 was focused on building what were termed as fleet submarines. As the name implies, their primary role was to be scouting and reconnaissance for the fleet, and not necessarily becoming directly involved in lone engagements with surface war ships. Basically, they were rather expensive to build, and were also considered to be quite vulnerable to attack by ASW vessels. As a result of this line of reasoning, the captains were trained to conduct operations very conservatively and with as much stealth as possible, acting as eyes and ears for the fleet. As it was, the whole strategy was a dismal failure. With a maximum surface speed of around 20 knots, the subs built were never able to attain the speeds necessary to even keep up with surface vessels moving at engagement speed, let alone range out ahead of them to do any scouting. Further, any such attempts would greatly reduce their range and put a huge strain on the propulsion system. Make no mistake, the United States built some excellent subs, but they were never useful for the role that the navy originally intended. Once the war broke out, everything changed, and even though they were burdened with the horrible Mark 14 torpedo, they did an outstanding job. We all owe a debt of sincerest gratitude to the men of the Silent Service.
for sure. All the country's plaques list like 50 or so missing. It wasn't for the chickens of this life like me. Tough dedicated men from all the countries involved.
If you haven't watched it already, check out Drachinefel's video about the Mark 14 torpedo called 'Failure is like onions', or something like that. It's hilarious.
The photos make me cry. They look so much like my own grandparents. I think about how easily it could have gone another way, with mg grandfathers dying in WWII and the Korean War. Great job as always.
This guy's voice at the same time can be the most soothing sound you have ever heard or the most eerie and spooky voice you ever heard! Very easy to fall into a trance like state just listening
Here we go ! Love the channel my guy, staying away from all of those a.i cookie cutter channels that run rampant...😒 Oh also, Love the voice, please don't ever sellout! Stay You 🫵💪🥳
Yay! B O B another Saturday morning vid!🎉 thanks! I’m back on Sunday morning to watch again. This is a crazy world we live in and I’m glad there’s channels like this to learn some interesting facts. ❤ thanks👍🏻
I like stories about war time vessels, because some of the fights were pretty intense. Have you thought about doing a video on the PT109 Kennedy story, because not many people know the amazing story of it's sinking. I try to comment to help the algorithm, and watch your sponsor material to help your channel. You do a great job on these video's, and you research thing's properly, while paying respect when vessels sink and people die. G-d bless.
I imagine that during World War II that many ships on all sides disappeared without a trace. So it's fascinating to hear a story about one of them. My, admittedly uninformed, guess is that the submarine was sunk by the Japanese navy. A second, less likely, possibility was that the Snook was sunk by one of its own torpedoes, which circled back. This was a known problem, as you stated early on in the video. Thank you for another great video on maritime history.
I would love to see more WWII content from you. Back then my family served in the Pacific theatre because they were Italian-American, but they never ever talked about it.
I've saved this video to watch today, (20 Jan 2025). I decided to have a Big Old Boat a thon. What's going on in this country has me more than a lot scared and worried. Just couldn't deal with it. Thank Mr.Bradley Little from my whole heart and soul. Thank you.
Astonishing to think that an admirals ego meant that the fix for the obviously defective torpedoes was delaled SO long. That admiral king who dispised the british navy brass (understandable) so much that he delayed the british enspired 'convoy' system for merchant shipping is beyond sick, condemning, many sailors to a death.
You are aware that the refusal of congress to provide proper funding was the direct cause of the torpedo issues? I believe that they allocated something like $100,000 total for development and testing. Even by the monetary standards of the time that was pitifully inadequate. The reality was the British Navy Brass was (certainly at the beginning of WW2 must better at their jobs than the American Equivalent. With a centuries old traditional of victory. Which showed. That rubbed King, understandably up the wrong way. That wasn't the fault of the American Navy or it's Officer's. It was directly the fault of the whole way Americas political system operated. Under the British System Admirals were Naval Officers first and Politicians a distance second. Promotion in the Royal Navy was (mostly) by seniority and merit. With strict rules as to when an Officer had to retire if they weren't promoted Under the American system, An Admiral has to be confirmed by Congress. They are therefore a political appointee. So you have a ridiculous situation of the Admiral having to be a politician first, and a Naval Officer second. King was, by any reasonable standard, an awkward, outspoken, probably too blunt for his own good, bugger. If he hadn't been supremely good at his job, he would probably have been retired as a Captain. It's interesting to note that once we introduced him to an equally awkward and good bugger by the name of Mountbatten relationships between him and the Royal Navy improved immensely.
actually false. We simply did not have the escorts to form convoys. Troop transports and trans atlantic convoys had the priority. This LIE has been told by the enemies of King to try and discredit him. When Roosevelt called him about his King was blunt. "You want the supplies to reach England and the troops to get where they need to go? This is the price." Look up Bucket Brigade. There were several things tried to ameliorate things. There simply was not the military assets to do much more than was done.
I don't know why you're blaming Admiral King for the torpedo problems... Google "did Admiral King have jurisdiction over the Bureau of Ordnance" and this is the answer: "No, Admiral Ernest J. King did not have direct authority over the Bureau of Ordnance (BuOrd)." In 1942, Admiral King intervened on behalf of the Submarine crews and was finally able to convince the Bureau of Ordnance to look into the Mk 14 torpedo defects. Furthermore, Google searches regarding the Mk 14 torpedo's development and flaws reveal: "The Mk-XIV torpedo and Mark-6 exploder were designed, tested, and manufactured by the Naval Torpedo Station, Newport, Rhode Island (directly supervised by the Bureau of Ordnance). The Mark-6 exploder was the Navy's secret weapon." "What's more, the submarine service did not develop the Mark 14 torpedo, it was developed entirely by the Navy's Bureau of Ordnance (BuOrd) in strict secrecy." "The Bureau of Ordnance (BuOrd) convinced itself that at $10,000 a piece, the Mark 14 was just too expensive to blow up during testing." In other words, the Bureau of Ordnance is entirely to blame, both for the defects and for how long it took to fix the defects.
@@johnhallett5846 Even just forming convoys with just one or two escorts would've been better than just letting ships go it alone. King fucked up by not using convoys. He's still one of our best admirals in history.
That was excellent. What an amazing ship she was, such a history. I'd never heard of her. Thank you for the work you put in. Truly excellent 🌹⚓ Salute! 🌹⚓
Ships transporting POWs were supposed to be clearly marked. The Japanese intentionally did not mark their POW ships to both cause situations like the snook, and cause allied ships and airpower to think twice. They were some real bastards at the time
Like in many similar comments, this is failure to understand their culture and honor system. Those that surrendered had lost their honor and in culture that values honor the most, such individuals were seen worse than filth so anything goes pretty much, specially since they didnt even commit seppuku to retrieve their lost honor after capture. Completely different mindset that clashed with western values. Also it didnt help the emperor was seen as the literal God at the time and from there we get to gods chosen people, but that particular phrase is nothing new even today. In the end war is hell and it happens what ever we like it or not, just try to keep civilians out of it, but sometimes the line is rather blurry so shit happens. Its not like there is any country that havent done literal warcrimes during nations existence, so singling out just a few that lost the war just goes to show how long the propaganda has lived and is likely to live, though people have started to question the absolute garbage that has been presented as official history.
Do you have any sources for it being deliberate? Knowing the IJA they'd be more likely to have tried to cheat any system of informing about POWs than to try to 'trick' the allies into sinking them.
Most subs of the era were fitted with the vertically opposed Fairbanks-Morse diesel. It's unique design was taller and thinner than most large diesels of the era, making it a good fit for submarine engine rooms. But that design also made them a challenge to work on, especially the bottom cylinders. Navy submarine diesel engineers were an amazing breed!
Our first TV set was made by Fairbanks-Morse, believe it or not back in 1958. and they had an engine plant in Cambridge Ontario till they tore it down I believe? Cambridge/Galt Ontario.
From the UK , my Uncle was aboard the Karidohki Maru when she was sunk by the submarine USS Pampinito , 1944 , prisoners from Singapore to the Japanese home islands , slave labour ? There were two ships with 1600 men aboard all allies. Not many survived my Uncle among them , he was 24 year old at that time !!!
RIP young sailors, many battles at sea have a record of some sort, but many, for one reason or another, have been forgotten and lost to history, these people would want to be remembered even though their lives were short. I remember stories about my mother's brother, back seater on an SBD, shot down over Guadalcanal. Wars are so wasteful, so the rest can live, people are their own worst enemies.
I rode submarines when I was in the Navy in the 1970's. Mostly Nukes, but I rode the USS Thornback, a vintage WWII diesel boat, from Groton to Key West after it had been turned over to the Turkish Navy. Yes, it was cramped, but overall, a very capable and powerful vessel. When you volunteered for submarines in my day, you had to be interviewed by a Navy psychiatrist to determine if you were suitable for this type of duty. When asked why I volunteered for Submarine duty, I said very matter-of-factly "There are two types of ships in the Navy, Submarines and Targets. I really don't want to go to sea in a target." So I rode submarines for my entire Naval career.
@@guaporeturns9472 Any old naval history told in a parable soothing way i like while im working. Why are you subscribed? Are you a sailor? I dont think so. Youre prolly a walmart worker getting upset by a stranger's "insensitive" comment on a youtube video. Man...these wyte dudes for Kamala smh
Welllll yep, way to go. You've officially reinforced my thalassophobia by an order of magnitude with that little gem of an outro... Gugh. That shit gave me chills.
thank you for mentioning the atrocities committed by imperial Japan, it's far too often left out when imperial Japan is covered. Their actions in China are comparable to their ally h!tlers atrocities in Europe, and they've never apologized for it (the US kinda let them get away with it btw) great video!
Does make me wonder if the atrocities committed by Japan had been against white people of a certain religious belief would america have been so easy on the culprits?
I remember there was one story where an SS officer was attached to the Japanese and was horrified at the sheer barbarity of the atrocities that were being committed against civilians. That said I feel like the reason the US don't really pull them up on it is because they dropped atomic bombs on them which is a horrific thing to do as well.
@@mrmagpiepromotionsWasn't an SS officer, it was John Rabe, who was not actually particularly Nazi much less an SS member. He was reporting on the Rape of Nanking. Saying he was SS is pretty insulting considering he saved thousands of lives. I think people do it to make the story more shocking.
Also, look up 'List of Japanese war crimes apologies.' They apologized plenty, they just don't teach it well in their schools and have loud nationalists just like we do.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
I am an alumnus of the US Naval Academy, and I have been watching this channel for some time (it's fantastic, keep up the great work). I While I was at USNA 30+ years ago, I had the privilege of meeting submariners from this era, and they were impressive individuals with many harrowing stories. I'm glad that you picked one of them to tell, and I am eager to hear more.
Respect, Sir. I'm just a second gen Jarhead, but that was a tough school, was it not? I got to walk through the U 505 as a child. They may have been our enemy, but submariners are all a brave lot
My father was an Annapolis graduate (class of 40). An underclassman and friend of his, Capt. Earl Barret (41, I believe) married my mother's cousin. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dad went on to fly with the Lexington's airgroup, while Earl went on to submarines. After the war, both were based out of San Diego: Dad over at NAS North Island (where I would serve in the late 70s and early 80s), Earl and his sub at the sub base at Point Loma. They were both interested in the other's occupational field, so they agreed that Earl would take Dad out on a sub for a day or two on its next exercise and Dad would take Earl up in an SB2C Helldiver on a simulated dive-bombing mission. When they returned from their respective outings, both agreed that there wasn't enough money in the world to get them do to the other's job.
Wow an Academy grad that is a Opeth fan?
I’m a US Navy bootcamp graduate 47 years ago and became a nuclear power plant operator on US fast attack submarines. The people that went out on these WWII diesel submarines were far braver than myself. I’m not sure I would have volunteered to ride them.
Based
We have her sister ship. The USS Cod docked on Lake Erie at Cleveland. Even with the amenities, you would be surprised by how cramped life aboard was. It's well worth the time to take a tour of one of these remaining subs. It gives you an appreciation for the young men from across our country who found themselves serving on one. As usual, a great video. Thanks for your dedication and work.
I toured the USS Cobia is Manitowoc and I had a really hard time getting around in it. I’m 6’4 and did not fit very well.
If you think that US submarines were cramped take a look at British & German Subs!
Yes, I love the USS COD RUclips channel ! it’s another great maritime channel just like B O B👍🏻
got to go and visit that boat.
@ that has been on my mind I would really like to take a trip up the coast and visit the USS COD and meet some of the cool crew that I see all the videos.
My uncle was on the USS Snook. I wish I could’ve known him but I was born in 1960. My wife’s uncle was also a submariner in the imperial Japanese Navy Who failed to return. So our son has 2 submariner Great Uncles on both sides of the Pacific war whose ships failed to return.
War is a tragedy
Wow what a coincidence don’t let your son join the navy lol
@@Dat4valveGuy or at least not his brother 😂😂😂
The narrator’s vocal quality genuinely conveys compassion and sorrow. So many dreams for the future lost.
They are on eternal patrol.
It conveys…something else to me. Lol
My dad, shortly after completing sub school, was assigned to the Dorado. 3 days before it sailed he got bumped by someone with more seniority. The boat left Groton, heading for the Panama canal, but never made it. To this day, despite lots of theories, they don't know why she went down.
Wow, yeah just read about it. The only sub in US active duty that was lost in the Atlantic during WW2. That's gotta be embarrassing for U-boats, I just read they lost 785 haha. We really kicked their butt and that one of ours was probably struck by a mine or something stupid like that, the only other was a bad training accident off Key West. I know their war was longer and whatever else and it's not a laughing matter but that's bad.
I used to be a deckhand for two years on the USS Pampanito Submarine Museum. I had no idea Snook as well as Pampanito had an unfortunate history with hell ships. On Pamp’s third war patrol in the South China Sea, she along with Growler and Sealion attacked a Japanese convoy, two of the ships sunk that night were unfortunately hell ships and one of them, the Kachidoki Maru, was sunk by Pampanito herself. Unaware of her human cargo, Pampanito went off to hunt down more of the convoy, only returning to the original area 3 days later. Initially when they came across rafts of flotsam and lifeboats, the crew thought they were Japanese survivors and were cautious about approaching them, it was only after they realized they were British and Australian POWs did they start rescuing them as fast as they could. Pampanito herself rescued 73 men, her whole crew slept out on the main deck so that the former pows could sleep on the beds, bedding was even put on the empty torpedo skids just so that everyone they rescued had a place to rest. There’s 16mm footage of the rescue here on RUclips, and I highly recommend the book “Return From The River Kwai”, it chronicles all of the POWs journey from prison camp, to hell ship, to rescue and repatriation
I have been on the Pampanito in SF. I did know about its unfortunate history in that specific case. Unimaginably sad.
@@chatnoir7923
As have I!
Although I did not know of the sinking of the prisoner of war ships at the time!
Just another reminder of the horrors of war!
❤❤
Why 2 bombs dropped…
Just an outstanding job in telling this heartbreaking story and giving another glimpse into the horrors of war, and that war in particular. Those brave men! I can't even begin to fathom how they did it. They died heroes, every one of them.
The dedication you put in to the old pictures and footage is really amazing. This channel is so much better than any history channel on TV. Thanks so much for your hard work and dedication
When I joined the US Navy the recruiter asked, “how would you like to serve on a boat that’s designed to sink?” I simply said, “nope.” Then I went on to serve on aircraft carriers. A decision I’ve never regretted.
gay
-usaf
Yeah but those aren't designed to sink, so when they do sink it's significantly worse. If you think about it, boats are really just worse submarines.
Ignorant recruiter. They're designed to dive, not sink.
Well told story. May those men rest in peace. Thank you.
Another fantastic, but heartbreaking episode. There is NO WAY I could handle being on a Sub. I'm somewhat claustrophobic and would lose it after one day. I really admire their courage.
I toured the U-505 in the Chicago museum. I felt claustrophobic in that vessel, on land and peace time. Imagine what those men endured under attack 300’ deep. Courage? More then I’ll ever have.
You would be surprised. There are amazing things you'd be capable of if the culture made it unacceptable to simply declare yourself incapable. If the culture reminded you of your responsibilities instead of your rights. You could.
I went through a uboat in a german museum, I'm 6'5 and couldn't stand straight up, there was a coast guard boat beside it that they were showing off the engine on so it was pouring out smoke (they had just turned on the engine before I went below deck on the uboat and the whole uboat had filled with the smell of gasoline and smoke. There was also basically a line through it, so you couldn't turn around and had to wait for people to move forward. You had to climb a ladder down into it and a ladder out of it. It was pretty surreal and I thought I was claustrophobic but actually being in that situation surprisingly I was relaxed. I'm sure if you were onboard you would be alright but it's one of those situations where you just have to accept your fate.
i was in the submarine force in the 1970s, this video is good. my grandmothers cousin was CO of the uss runner, lost during the sub war around japan, on 22 June 1943 runner was attacked and apparently damaged by Imperial Japanese Navy forces. its good that the video doesnt sugarcoat the awful living conditions inside
Your videos about wartime losses are amazingly thoughtful. Thank you for your service.
I am so impressed by the "Respect" you give to those that died, you give this respect freely even though you have never meant any of those in this video or any of your videos for that matter. Great job.
I was expecting an AI video when I clicked but really surprised!
Another sister sub the USS Silversides 236 is docked in Muskegon, MI as well. It is a museum ship and you can take tours also there. It is surprising how cramped it is on there
I thought the Silversides was a Balao class boat?
been there. tip-top shape she is.
@@chromesphere Nope a Gato, commissioned Dec. 15, 1941.
I love your story telling. You make the people in the stories come to life. I feel sadness when they don't come home, and joy for those that do.
Thank-you for the research and script writing and editing and all that goes into creating these wonderful stories.
I don't normally comment twice on a vid, but I'll make an exception here. In the context we find ourselves in today, that comment about men dying for the disagreements and ambitions of other men made me choke up.
Thanks Brad. Thanks also for the reference to US isolationism prior to WW2. It's an important context. Thanks for keeping it in the public consciousness.
Thank you, glad you appreciated it.
A very respectful & touching story to honor the memory of those brave men that remain lost.
A sad, sobering story, told with drama and wonderful "production values." I am extremely impressed.
Thank you for sharing the story of the Snook and the service of her crew.
Love those vintage slide transitions, leaves viewers with sense of mystery and feeling of the unknown. Great work
Great video. My dad served on a Gato boat, the USS Rock.
Thank you for the dignity and poise of your narration. You know exactly when to stop and let a point resonate with the listener, something that is almost a lost art today, where every pause is usually edited out. This channel is an oasis of humane storytelling of important stories. Your thoughtful work is deeply appreciated.
Everything about submarines are my personal genre of nightmare fuel.
Are you claustrophobic?
Submarine technology is fascinating. I love touring museum subs. I have deep respect for anybody who crews one. As for doing it myself, stick a torpedo into that idea, no way.
you should look up the soviet sub K19
Submarines are where engineering becomes theology and faith.
I have a co-worker who used to be in the Navy on a submarine, he was explaining it that anyone who is on a submarine has to be a minimum amount of crazy, just sane enough to be able to carry out their orders but insane enough to be willing to work in something that sinks intentionally.
Thank you. By far one of my most favorite channels.
“designed to strike without warning before vanishing into the shadows” is a great way to describe
sub-mariner warfare.
For all of the souls who reside in Davy Jones locker, a salute.
Good job illustrating the strife these men had to endure. I'm fascinated by World War 2, easily the most interesting 6 year period in human history. I enjoy Drachinifel's videos, but he focuses on the technical aspects of the vessels. This video tells a deep and moving story about the human costs of service during war time.
This is a great Channel. I joined the Navy in 1987 and got out in 1993. I joined during Reagan and left the Navy when Clinton was president... The cold war had ended and the US was cutting back on the military... My grandfather was on the aircraft carrier Wasp during WWII. He would have been a pilot but in 1945 he was diagnosed as color blind. He did go on to serve during Korea. I was a helicopter aircrewman.
My grandfather was on the USS Wasp during WWII too!
Thank you for your service 🫡
One of my uncles served in the Army Airforce in Europe!
He initially applied as a pilot trainee, as he had a private pilots licence, but they discovered he was color blind!
So they made him a waist gunner and then a radio operator instead.
So glad I stumbled across this channel. Amazing production, research, and storytelling. Easiest subscribe i've had in a while
Thx. Great video. It's worth mentioning that the 1922 Washington naval treaty was just as much about curtailing the debilitating economic debt that was incurred when countries became involved in naval arms races, as it was about reducing the risk of war. It took vast amounts of wealth to build and maintain large fleets of battleships, battlecruisers, heavy cruisers, etc., not to mention the hundreds of other smaller vessels that would be required to support them when assembled into battle groups. As a point of reference, USS Texas cost over 2 million dollars to build over 100 years ago, which was a huge amount of money in those days. Trying to keep up in a worldwide arms race could destroy the economies of many nations. Those ships that the Germans scuttled in Scapa Flow represented a huge loss dollar wise in war reparations to the victors after WW1....
United States submarine development prior to WW2 was focused on building what were termed as fleet submarines. As the name implies, their primary role was to be scouting and reconnaissance for the fleet, and not necessarily becoming directly involved in lone engagements with surface war ships. Basically, they were rather expensive to build, and were also considered to be quite vulnerable to attack by ASW vessels. As a result of this line of reasoning, the captains were trained to conduct operations very conservatively and with as much stealth as possible, acting as eyes and ears for the fleet. As it was, the whole strategy was a dismal failure. With a maximum surface speed of around 20 knots, the subs built were never able to attain the speeds necessary to even keep up with surface vessels moving at engagement speed, let alone range out ahead of them to do any scouting. Further, any such attempts would greatly reduce their range and put a huge strain on the propulsion system. Make no mistake, the United States built some excellent subs, but they were never useful for the role that the navy originally intended. Once the war broke out, everything changed, and even though they were burdened with the horrible Mark 14 torpedo, they did an outstanding job. We all owe a debt of sincerest gratitude to the men of the Silent Service.
for sure. All the country's plaques list like 50 or so missing.
It wasn't for the chickens of this life like me. Tough dedicated men from all the countries involved.
@@luckyguy600...the lost 52 project has found 4 or.5 of the subs "on eternal patrol '
If you haven't watched it already, check out Drachinefel's video about the Mark 14 torpedo called 'Failure is like onions', or something like that. It's hilarious.
I would rehect the term "hilarious" and substitute "tragic"!
Far too many submariners died as a result!
@@mahbriggsLighten up Francis. We get it.
@@mahbriggs Dark humor is like a pair of legs. Not everyone gets it.
@Greymist73
Who us Francis?
Are you hallucinating again! I told you to lay off the sauce!
The photos make me cry. They look so much like my own grandparents. I think about how easily it could have gone another way, with mg grandfathers dying in WWII and the Korean War. Great job as always.
USS Snook?!? The name piqued my curiosity so here we go.....I know I'll learn alot from you!
Dutch word for pike (snoek). A common freshwater/salty water fish.
@@maarten.dejong Thats where the word comes from but I believe there is a fish in the Caribean called a Snook.
@@dzzope You would be correct, Snooks can be found from the Florida's coast all the way down to Brazilian coast including the Caribbean
This guy's voice at the same time can be the most soothing sound you have ever heard or the most eerie and spooky voice you ever heard!
Very easy to fall into a trance like state just listening
May fair winds and following seas favor them on their Eternal Patrol.
ruclips.net/user/shortsBmc9NFfhx74?si=wd6EsgWD3Oer52NV
Here we go ! Love the channel my guy, staying away from all of those a.i cookie cutter channels that run rampant...😒 Oh also, Love the voice, please don't ever sellout! Stay You 🫵💪🥳
like, titanic uploads ad nauseum? 🤣
Yay! B O B another Saturday morning vid!🎉 thanks!
I’m back on Sunday morning to watch again. This is a crazy world we live in and I’m glad there’s channels like this to learn some interesting facts. ❤ thanks👍🏻
Great video. I particularly enjoyed hearing the nomadic merchant song “Dispair” from Elden Ring. Perfect choice
I like stories about war time vessels, because some of the fights were pretty intense. Have you thought about doing a video on the PT109 Kennedy story, because not many people know the amazing story of it's sinking. I try to comment to help the algorithm, and watch your sponsor material to help your channel. You do a great job on these video's, and you research thing's properly, while paying respect when vessels sink and people die.
G-d bless.
Loved this!!
You did an amazing job telling the story
Thank you
Great story. Wonderful storytelling. Highlight of my Saturday. Thank you
I imagine that during World War II that many ships on all sides disappeared without a trace. So it's fascinating to hear a story about one of them.
My, admittedly uninformed, guess is that the submarine was sunk by the Japanese navy. A second, less likely, possibility was that the Snook was sunk by one of its own torpedoes, which circled back. This was a known problem, as you stated early on in the video.
Thank you for another great video on maritime history.
Next time please cover famous ORP Orzeł escape from Tallin and its later disappearance.
An excellent presentation of an extremely "sad" naval episode during war duty. Great work & thank you for sharing!
Another really great history story of our old boats and ships and i always watch your videos. Thank you for your work.
Happiness is a whole gale at 30 feet. That's why many left the 'surface skimmers' and headed for the boats.
I would love to see more WWII content from you. Back then my family served in the Pacific theatre because they were Italian-American, but they never ever talked about it.
Spooky stories and Boats, two of my favourite things mushed together. Great video as always
I really like this new round of videos you've made for the channel! I've subscribed long ago, so keep up your Outstanding work on this platform!!! ❤❤
really well made, thoroughly enjoyed!
Your work is very entertaining and very well done. Brought life to such a haunting topic, that being a US sub lost on eternal patrol. Thank you.
I've saved this video to watch today, (20 Jan 2025). I decided to have a Big Old Boat a thon.
What's going on in this country has me more than a lot scared and worried. Just couldn't deal with it.
Thank Mr.Bradley Little from my whole heart and soul. Thank you.
You are splendid storyteller, bringing these men and ships to life.
Great video! Your delivery is second to none.😊
Well done & compelling story about this intrepid war-boat, that was ultimately fated to become it`s brave crew`s iron coffin. Big Salute !
I always enjoy this channel. Informative and relaxing. Thank you.
Big Old Boats!!!! That's my Saturday night sorted thank you very much! 😂😊
Wow that was pretty dark, especially the hell ship incident 😢
Astonishing to think that an admirals ego meant that the fix for the obviously defective torpedoes was delaled SO long. That admiral king who dispised the british navy brass (understandable) so much that he delayed the british enspired 'convoy' system for merchant shipping is beyond sick, condemning, many sailors to a death.
You are aware that the refusal of congress to provide proper funding was the direct cause of the torpedo issues? I believe that they allocated something like $100,000 total for development and testing. Even by the monetary standards of the time that was pitifully inadequate. The reality was the British Navy Brass was (certainly at the beginning of WW2 must better at their jobs than the American Equivalent. With a centuries old traditional of victory. Which showed. That rubbed King, understandably up the wrong way.
That wasn't the fault of the American Navy or it's Officer's. It was directly the fault of the whole way Americas political system operated.
Under the British System Admirals were Naval Officers first and Politicians a distance second. Promotion in the Royal Navy was (mostly) by seniority and merit. With strict rules as to when an Officer had to retire if they weren't promoted
Under the American system, An Admiral has to be confirmed by Congress. They are therefore a political appointee. So you have a ridiculous situation of the Admiral having to be a politician first, and a Naval Officer second.
King was, by any reasonable standard, an awkward, outspoken, probably too blunt for his own good, bugger. If he hadn't been supremely good at his job, he would probably have been retired as a Captain.
It's interesting to note that once we introduced him to an equally awkward and good bugger by the name of Mountbatten relationships between him and the Royal Navy improved immensely.
actually false. We simply did not have the escorts to form convoys. Troop transports and trans atlantic convoys had the priority. This LIE has been told by the enemies of King to try and discredit him. When Roosevelt called him about his King was blunt.
"You want the supplies to reach England and the troops to get where they need to go? This is the price."
Look up Bucket Brigade. There were several things tried to ameliorate things. There simply was not the military assets to do much more than was done.
I don't know why you're blaming Admiral King for the torpedo problems... Google "did Admiral King have jurisdiction over the Bureau of Ordnance" and this is the answer: "No, Admiral Ernest J. King did not have direct authority over the Bureau of Ordnance (BuOrd)."
In 1942, Admiral King intervened on behalf of the Submarine crews and was finally able to convince the Bureau of Ordnance to look into the Mk 14 torpedo defects. Furthermore, Google searches regarding the Mk 14 torpedo's development and flaws reveal:
"The Mk-XIV torpedo and Mark-6 exploder were designed, tested, and manufactured by the Naval Torpedo Station, Newport, Rhode Island (directly supervised by the Bureau of Ordnance). The Mark-6 exploder was the Navy's secret weapon." "What's more, the submarine service did not develop the Mark 14 torpedo, it was developed entirely by the Navy's Bureau of Ordnance (BuOrd) in strict secrecy." "The Bureau of Ordnance (BuOrd) convinced itself that at $10,000 a piece, the Mark 14 was just too expensive to blow up during testing."
In other words, the Bureau of Ordnance is entirely to blame, both for the defects and for how long it took to fix the defects.
@@johnhallett5846 Even just forming convoys with just one or two escorts would've been better than just letting ships go it alone.
King fucked up by not using convoys. He's still one of our best admirals in history.
Seriously excellent video. I think it’s one of your best.
Great video. Thanks for all your hard work.
@31:38 Sonar blip, not radar blip.
Great historical journalism and professional presentation. Thanks.
I never knew I was interested in ships but here we are😅
keep the great work on going!
The Brits limited a sailors service in subs to 10 years, it was not out of concern for their mental health but because of the higher pay rate.
You are an amazing storyteller! Thank you.
That was excellent. What an amazing ship she was, such a history. I'd never heard of her. Thank you for the work you put in. Truly excellent 🌹⚓ Salute! 🌹⚓
Ships transporting POWs were supposed to be clearly marked. The Japanese intentionally did not mark their POW ships to both cause situations like the snook, and cause allied ships and airpower to think twice. They were some real bastards at the time
Like in many similar comments, this is failure to understand their culture and honor system. Those that surrendered had lost their honor and in culture that values honor the most, such individuals were seen worse than filth so anything goes pretty much, specially since they didnt even commit seppuku to retrieve their lost honor after capture. Completely different mindset that clashed with western values. Also it didnt help the emperor was seen as the literal God at the time and from there we get to gods chosen people, but that particular phrase is nothing new even today. In the end war is hell and it happens what ever we like it or not, just try to keep civilians out of it, but sometimes the line is rather blurry so shit happens. Its not like there is any country that havent done literal warcrimes during nations existence, so singling out just a few that lost the war just goes to show how long the propaganda has lived and is likely to live, though people have started to question the absolute garbage that has been presented as official history.
I think they lost their compass
@@Hellsong89 Its not a failure to understand their culture and honor system. Rather its a critique of it.
Do you have any sources for it being deliberate? Knowing the IJA they'd be more likely to have
tried to cheat any system of informing about POWs than to try to 'trick' the allies into sinking them.
So cool this Sub has Fairbanks-Morse engines since they are in my Town.
Most subs of the era were fitted with the vertically opposed Fairbanks-Morse diesel. It's unique design was taller and thinner than most large diesels of the era, making it a good fit for submarine engine rooms. But that design also made them a challenge to work on, especially the bottom cylinders. Navy submarine diesel engineers were an amazing breed!
Our first TV set was made by Fairbanks-Morse, believe it or not back in 1958. and they had an engine plant in Cambridge Ontario till they tore it down I believe?
Cambridge/Galt Ontario.
@luckyguy600 we have engine plant here in Beloit Wisconsin.
This has become one of my all-time favorite RUclips channels. 🙋
Great presentation, style and content. Keep it coming. I love visiting US submarines but as a Marine I'd prefer they still be attached to the dock.
It's usually pretty quick when the hull implodes. Barely enough time to get scared.
Always love your history lessons. You checkout the uss trout sub. Lost in secret mission that may have change the war. Wife’s grandfather was in it.
From the UK , my Uncle was aboard the Karidohki Maru when she was sunk by the submarine USS Pampinito , 1944 , prisoners from Singapore to the Japanese home islands , slave labour ? There were two ships with 1600 men aboard all allies. Not many survived my Uncle among them , he was 24 year old at that time !!!
That was a fantastic story thank you for compiling this article
Good story, well told and well illustrated. Made my years on 603 look sumptuous by comparison.
RIP young sailors, many battles at sea have a record of some sort, but many, for one reason or another, have been forgotten and lost to history, these people would want to be remembered even though their lives were short. I remember stories about my mother's brother, back seater on an SBD, shot down over Guadalcanal. Wars are so wasteful, so the rest can live, people are their own worst enemies.
Really enjoy listening to these stories.
i live like 5 miles away from the portsmouth naval ship yard!! Cool stuff
Excellent work!
Ugh. Well done Lad! Grim but Thank You for telling their story. Best Regards and Best Wishes!
Another excellent episode. Thankyou.
Lamont’s family estate is in Palisades, NY. Which is now a satellite campus of Columbia University for scientific research.
The submarines shape and the way they just pierce the water always fascinates me. Ever since I had an rc one
Another excellent job!
Great video & RIP to all those sailors 🇺🇸
Well told, as always. 👍
I rode submarines when I was in the Navy in the 1970's. Mostly Nukes, but I rode the USS Thornback, a vintage WWII diesel boat, from Groton to Key West after it had been turned over to the Turkish Navy. Yes, it was cramped, but overall, a very capable and powerful vessel. When you volunteered for submarines in my day, you had to be interviewed by a Navy psychiatrist to determine if you were suitable for this type of duty. When asked why I volunteered for Submarine duty, I said very matter-of-factly "There are two types of ships in the Navy, Submarines and Targets. I really don't want to go to sea in a target." So I rode submarines for my entire Naval career.
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is in Kittery, Maine. Portsmouth, NH is across the Piscataqua river.
Damn, this is a grim story. A very interesting one, for sure, but even if the sub hadn't gone down, this would be a hard tale.
this was incredible. well done.
I was never Seaman 2nd Class.
But I do have 2nd class seamen
I was feeling down. Saw your upload and now my weekend has a happier beginning
Edit: Btw that was USS Shark that sank Arisan Maru, not Snook
Stories about missing submarines and men dying horrific deaths lift your mood? Strange , but whatever.
This is weird
@@guaporeturns9472 Any old naval history told in a parable soothing way i like while im working. Why are you subscribed? Are you a sailor? I dont think so. Youre prolly a walmart worker getting upset by a stranger's "insensitive" comment on a youtube video. Man...these wyte dudes for Kamala smh
Oh my god, Soo well done!
Welllll yep, way to go. You've officially reinforced my thalassophobia by an order of magnitude with that little gem of an outro... Gugh. That shit gave me chills.
great beginning of a weekend
There is a debate whether the torpedo that sank the Arisan Maru was from the USS Shark or USS Snook.
Interesting
I cried to see all those young men in the last picture. An anti-war tale of war, well told. Thanks.
They were so full of life and promise
thank you for mentioning the atrocities committed by imperial Japan, it's far too often left out when imperial Japan is covered. Their actions in China are comparable to their ally h!tlers atrocities in Europe, and they've never apologized for it (the US kinda let them get away with it btw) great video!
Does make me wonder if the atrocities committed by Japan had been against white people of a certain religious belief would america have been so easy on the culprits?
I remember there was one story where an SS officer was attached to the Japanese and was horrified at the sheer barbarity of the atrocities that were being committed against civilians. That said I feel like the reason the US don't really pull them up on it is because they dropped atomic bombs on them which is a horrific thing to do as well.
@@mrmagpiepromotionsWasn't an SS officer, it was John Rabe, who was not actually particularly Nazi much less an SS member. He was reporting on the Rape of Nanking. Saying he was SS is pretty insulting considering he saved thousands of lives. I think people do it to make the story more shocking.
Also, look up 'List of Japanese war crimes apologies.' They apologized plenty, they just don't teach it well in their schools and have loud nationalists just like we do.
Accurate and well told! You have done justice to the sacrifice of these men!
My great uncle Robert Wood was on this sub when it went down. My grandmother was devastated to lose her baby brother- the family was told very little.