I’ve always considered Halsey the Patton of the Navy. Great commander and desperately needed during the war. He did however need a strong hand on his leash (in this case Nimitz) to keep him “somewhat” under control. Good presentation, and different perspective of the Admiral.
I remember visiting the battleship when I was a Cub Scout and talking with one of the vets giving us a tour about Taffy 3 and Halsey’s decision making process. Just this past week I submitted my university analytical paper on the consequences of the Washington Naval Treaty and referenced what I learned from that tour. Can’t wait to eventually tour again! PS if I remember correctly the vet served aboard either the U.S.S. Johnston or another Johnston class destroyer
Ryan you do a great job conveying battleship and other navel history. I really enjoyed this detailed video about one of my favorite WWII era commanders Bull Halsey, his style wouldn’t fly today but it’s exactly what our country needed at the time.
Hello! I just wanted to say that I am a big fan of Ryan and his work! I also ordered a medium size piece of the New Jersey’s teak and a deck bolt. It just arrived yesterday and am thrilled to display it along side the piece of teak I have from the North Carolina! Keep up the great work!
I would like to see a comparison of Halsey's results when he had Miles Browning as his Chief of Staff vs when he didn't. I think most of Halsey's early successes were due to Browning's presence. Both kept each other out of trouble.
Frank Jack Fletcher made some controversial decisions too. He’d be a great subject for a video. BTW I visited the New Jersey a couple of years ago and loved it. Ty for these Ryan, I’m enjoying this channel.
Great Video, off topic question, did the percentage of high capacity shells carried increase as the New Jersey and other battleships became more of costal bombardment ships, than ships to fight other battleships?
I believe in one of the videos where Ryan is actually in a magazine talking about shells, I seem to remember him saying they didn't have an actual load out of numbers and ratios of the different rounds carried aboard... that is a very interesting question and thought though I agree... i would think that they did indeed carry a heavier load out of mission specific shells.. but only because she's so god damn massive she could afford to, and still have ample rounds of the other.
I would love to hear more about Halsey and his spending time with the enlisted men and the number of times and the number of lines he sent "line jumpers" to the back of a line. I have heard two such instances and they sound close enough that they could be a variation of the same instance, one in the Chow Line and the other when he was on line for the Ship's Store.
Spruance said that if he and Halsey had both been promoted to Fleet Admiral, Spruance would have been satisfied with that. Spruance then said that if he and been promoted to Fleet Admiral and his friend Bill Halsey had not been promoted, Spruance “would have been very unhappy about it”.
The only truly black mark on Admiral Halsey’s brilliant career is the decision to leave the northern waters of Philippines unprotected while he took Third Fleet off to destroy the Japanese aircraft carriers. At the time, he had assets enough to accomplish both missions, and what I’ve read, he consciously chose to ignore reports that the Japanese surface battle fleet had indeed continued to press forward toward Letye Gulf subsequent to the previous beating his aircraft had handed the IJN that forced the initial (temporary ) reversal of the Japanese center forces’ mission and attempt to destroy the U.S. invasion beachhead. He was stubbornly unrepentant to his dying day in regards to that decision he made. I think that fact, together with twice running his fleet through killer typhoons, and still subsequently receiving that final fifth star on his collar, has contributed, right or wrong, over the years to the Navy’s very transparent snubbing of Admiral Halsey for any ship-naming consideration....
Admiral Halsey was stricken with shingles before the battle of Midway. He was known to the IJN as an impetuous leader. That may have been the reasoning behind the deception operation before the Battle off Samar. They lured "Haul Ass Halsey" away from the landing forces, to chase a non-existent carrier force. He was an inspirational leader like Patton was to the Army. To win a global war a nation needs Admirals like Nimitiz and General like Marshall. Leaders who can win the strategic war. Men like Halsey and Patton operate at the operational level, where wars are fought in harms way.
After reading The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors, any respect I had for Halsey went out the window. His excuses about not dividing his forces was complete crap since he didn’t need the battleships to go after the decoy carrier force. They knew that most of the big surface ships were with the center and southern forces since they sank a bunch of them already. Halsey was thinking too much with his crotch and left Taffy 3 to the slaughter- then trekked to take credit for it. Once you read this book, you’ll totally see the horrors that these sailers and aviators were left to. It’s a great read.
What a great video thank you and I can not wait for my next visit to the big J. I want to bring my dad to see her. He is a veteran of uss America cv 66
I think he was over rated as a commander. He had superb men and a superb system and Nimitz to guide him. He was a dramatic character at a time when America needed a hero. I think Spruance was better but was not a self promoter like Halsey so he got less credit. I could be wrong.
Maybe lot of pressure, but man... The life of an admiral on his own ship OR FLEET of ships!... Thousands at your beckon call,the only one able to kick his feet up while on duty...
The military back then was a lot less... procedural. People weren't NEARLY as concerned with making the rules matter to everyone, enlisted and officer alike. Rules were annoyances that officers with the right connections could bypass.
I have many Photographs of Halsey, taken by a battle Photographer, friend of my father, given to him after the war. Never seen before! I also have a short snorter autographed by the Bull.Some of the pics,show him pinning medals on John L. Smith and his flyers...many other significant pictures...
I would appreciate a similar video on Adm. Spruance. Halsey and Nimitz were indeed significant however I believe Spruance has not been given proper credit for his leadership.
Have you ever thought about reaching out to Ian McCollum with forgotten weapons to do some collaboration videos? The New Jersey with its weapons and history would be right up his ally, and could help bring in some more viewers and donations to your ship and countless others around the country. Just a thought.
Like any aggressive person you're probably not going to win every time. Halsey won some and he lost some. But without some aggressive leadership we wouldn't have won WWII. He made his mistakes and some proved deadly but war is no picnic.
The person who administered the vision accuity test was probably quite used to passing people who failed. It was a while ago, but in the army, I've seen a candidate fail the test, only for them to ask for the text in the larger font, before passing. Rules are way stricter nowadays.
When the typhoon hit, causing the loss of three destroyers and their crews and many aircraft, (being blown overboard or set loose to crash into things, we almost lost Gerald R. Ford, who was barely saved from being washed overboard himself. Minus one future president.
I take exception to your characterization of Halsey's passing of his flight training. He would not be taking command of planes during any battle or any other aircraft. His was a completion of air training to satisfy the requirements of the Navy to command aircraft carriers. There was never a plan for him to be a pilot. It was merely a formality to command.
Halsey wouldn't be the first or last guy to memorize an eye chart. After WW2, when it was time to discharge my uncle from the army they were very concerned about how much his eyesight had degraded since his enlistment. 👓
Hind-sight is always more accurate than what the decision maker has available before hand. Fleet Admiral Halsey was a great Naval officer and commander.
@@sirboomsalot4902 My recollection is that the US and its allies won the War in the Pacific, and Adm. Halsey was a commander in that victory. I am not old enough to have been around during that war. However I stand by my comment: hind-sight is always more accurate. Decisions are made based on available knowledge and the experience and skills of the commander. Other officers certainly give advice, and the Admiral certainly considers their advice. However, he makes the decision and bears the responsibility.
Hey Ryan, Keep up the good works!, You asked for suggestions for Admiral subjects.. How about Ching Lee ? His sharpshooting during Guadalcanal awesome ..
Halsey LOOKS tough in that photo. In defense of his decision to chase the Japanese carriers at Leyte, there was entire other task force under the command of John McCain, the Senator's grandfather, that was ordered retired to Ulithi, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LEYTE INVASION. When Kurita's Center Force appeared out of the strait north of Samar Island, McCain ordered his fleet to turn around and make flank speed back to the Philippines. Kurita made the decision to quit the battle when it became apparent that he was facing large carrier fleets bearing down upon him, and he just had battleships and cruisers and no air cover. Had Kurita stayed in the battle for another 24 hours, he would have had the aircraft of both Halsey's and McCain's fleets turning his 4 battleships and mass of cruisers and destroyers into scrap iron and men into fish food. The big mistake was not Halsey going after the remaining Japanese carriers, it was not keeping McCain's fleet around as a reserve force. Had McCain's force remained in position as a reserve, Kurita's Center Force would have become habitat for sea life.
Halsey passed from Dementia. I feel awful about that. Having said that , he avoided 2 court’s martial due to his ability to boost moral, and the fact that he could get along with McCarthar.
Early on Halsey was brilliant. He was aggressive and fearless. Had he been in charge at Midway we might have lost the huge advantage just gained by his aggressiveness. Maybe he chases the Japanese fleet right into Yamamoto's battleship division and all carriers are lost in a night battle. Spruance does what Nimitz has ordered. The carriers survive and the rest is history. That is why fire304 is correct.
True but this is also the same Halsey who told Doolittle to launch his bombers 10 hours ahead of schedule after Hornet and Enterprise were spotted by a patrol boat.
@@ph89787 actually, that might be considered an indictment against his thinking. The decision to rush the launch changed mission from a calculated risk into a suicide mission, but for what? The Doolittle raid was strategically meaningless and they all knew it. He had to protect the carriers, so the decision to turn back was sound, but what would have been lost if the mission was scrubbed? Now I don't know if it was his decision alone or how much input Doolittle had in the decision, but by launching they threw away those bombers and crews.
@@fire304 apparently the decision was split between Halsey, Mitscher and Doolittle himself. Also you’re forgetting that the raid was meant to be a morale booster after what had happened at Pearl Harbour. It also had a by-product result of the Japanese holding back resources to the Home Islands which reduced supplies being sent out to the front. Finally considering they would be landing in China, it appears that Doolittle accepted that it would have been a suicide mission even if Hornet and Enterprise made it to the launch point undetected.
It's easy sitting at home to use hindsight and say this and that. It's another thing to be there while it's happening making decisions that kill your buddies but win the war. Commanders must,behind closed doors, look up and say "sorry my old friend" an shed a tear. I know l would.
1:26)The 1918 Class was the last commissioned 3rd LieuTenant(O-1). One ring on the cuffs. 1:36)(1st)USS Missouri(BB 11)was a USS Maine(BB 10)Class. 2:23)2nd LT(O-2)was 2 rings. First LT was 3 rings. As the Officer Commanding(OC) of the USS Shaw, he was a LT Commander(O-4)with 4 rings. 9:07)His illness helped the USN. He was expected and prepared for. New admiral, new tactics. 14:29)Sinking the 4 carriers deprived the IJN of launch platforms for kamikazes.
I never knew Halsey came through pensacola! I live just a few miles from the base. My father worked on the base for many years as a civil servant. Worked at the BOQ. This is interesting, ima look into Halsey's tenure here. BTW. I get to see the blue angels fly and practice all the time. Just step outside and watch them flying over my house. Navy all the way!!
Halsey: great fighting sailor, and one who we Americans looked to as a source of inspiration in 1942. Unfortunately, he allowed his sentimentality to get the better of him. He took the battle line with him when he didn't need to- and for no other purpose than to fight a surface engagement; "... an action which I had dreamed of since my days as a cadet". He was human and made a mistake. Admitting as much privately to King while denying it publicly was a big boo- boo, however. That turned a friend- Admiral Kinkaid- into an enemy, and marred his reputation for good. Whatever people may think of his actions at Leyte, the sober truth is that the only portion of the Japanese plan which worked perfectly was the use of their carriers as bait- which lured Halsey north. When our WW2 admirals are mentioned, we think of Spruance at Midway, Lee at Second Guadalcanal, and 31 knot Burke at Cape St. George. Halsey however, will be forever linked with Samar and Cape Engano.
I note a number of references to Adm. Raymond Spruance who appeared to share a great deal of credit for our Navy's success in the Pacific. Perhaps a video about Spruance would be both interesting and educational.
Looks like the Admiral took responsibility for the very hard decisions a commander must make during war. The buck has to stop at the top. Every one makes mistakes. A great leader steps up at the right time. Halsey was the best.
I have always thought of him as Patton on a boat. Maybe a easier to work for, but you tell them what needs to get done, and it will get done. Caution to the wind, Gung ho let's go.
He made lots of mistakes, maybe he was a micro manager, when you consider the nervous exhaustion, and that trait combined with his age probably caused that. He had a Patton or Sherman personality, and when you have superior power and know it, calculated aggression with superior resources shortens conflicts and saves lives. I think those in charge in the Pacific and Europe knew that simple fact and tolerated a lot when they stumbled into those pieces of command gold.
It is ironic that his command philosophy was to NOT micromanage, but he did just that when he pressured Kincaid to "Strike, repeat, strike" the day before the battle of Santa Cruz Islands. This caused useless losses that weighed heavily on Kincaid's mind on the day of battle.
Hey Ryan was just watching both midway movies the good one and the new one was wondering if you could recommend a good book that would go over the Japanese commanders during battle of midway and also what do you think of the us and Japanese admiral portrayal in the movies
I can recommend a movie, The Gallant Hours (1960), with James Cagney as Halsey. They have taken some liberties with facts, here and there, but you will get some insight to the Japanese perspective.
A lot of people lay the Battle of Samar at Halsey's feet. I disagree. The other task group commander "assumed" TF58 had been formed and was San Bernardino Straight. It was a failure to communicate by all those in command, not just Halsey.
I think a longer video dedicated to Admiral Reason would be nice. As the last Admiral to break flag on New Jersey, I remember an old TV special where he talked about operating in Soviet waters in the late 80's early 90's.
Halsey was our greatest when the heat was so hot a defeat would've melted away too much. Yes he was aggressive. Yes he was a gambler. Except we have hindsight in our life today. He was the one in charge guiding all attack forces connecting the dots one at a time with scrambled Intel and missing info. The understanding he had of his men, his ships and his means off attack were impressive. There is so much more to it than you or I will ever know. In many ways he actually had it harder than current leaders, today's connectivity and tech in general is top notch, something he didn't have. Without a doubt there were other men who could've led us to victory aswell, but not as crisp and as decisively as the true history we actually have. The bull was a national treasure who refused to let us down, never quit, never back down he really was the right man at the right place at the right time. Nimitz was the greatest at his position and he agreed with us aswell.
Geeeze man! Clean up. Comb your hair and shave. Wear some decent clothing. At least act like you’re proud of what you’re doing. Another New Jersey embarrassment.
Halsey -should had faced a court martial do to his actions after the second typhoon which claimed the lost lives and the damage to the ships under his command.
Halseys infamous moments: Guadalcanal. Withdrew his ships and transmitted to the Marines ashore "You are authorized to surrender!" Okinawa: It is the job of the Marines to do the dying for the Navy!"
Wrong about Guadalcanal. It was Fleicher who ordered the carriers to withdraw, Turner who ordered the transports to withdraw, and Halsey's predecessor Ghormley who authorized Vandegrift to surrender. Halsey never for a moment considered withdrawing from Guadalcanal. Unlike Ghormley, Halsey personally visited Guadalcanal during the peak of the fighting (as also did Nimitz and Turner) to encourage the Marines. I also don't recall ever reading about Halsey making such a remark about Okinawa. Considering nearly as many US Navy personnel died during the Okinawa campaign as Marines or Army, that seems a very unlikely thing for him to say.
Halsey's successes more than outweigh his failures. Admiral Nimitz thought so too. Everyone who accomplishes anything , probably has a history of failing at times. I say he earned and deserved his fifth star. As for Losing Enterprise. CV-6, I am not familiar with the details of why she was not preserved, just the disappointing fact that she was not. A lot of historical or useful ships were scrapped wholesale. A Wickes class destroyer would be great to have. Or the USS Alaska. I have never heard said that Admiral Halsey was at fault for Enterprise not being preserved.
Wasn't the Battleship New Jersey supposed to be the ship that held the Japanese surrender on. But then, President Truman told Halsey to make the USS Missouri his flagship and use it for the surrender instead because Truman was from Missouri?
Give the guy a break, eh? He's a museum curator working to bring us good historical battleship content while Corona is running amok and we're stuck inside. Ryan's clearly very knowledgeable, and he's taken the effort to - I'm guessing - step out of his comfort zone and keep us engaged via RUclips while the museum is closed to the public. So, it seems unfair that you judge him so harshly for his presentation being perhaps a little rough-around-the-edges. Imo, that's part of the charm of the channel. It's not overly polished and edited, but it feels honest and real. Personally, I find much to appreciate about that.
@@clocat7825 There is nothing wrong or needs fixing in Ryan’s presentations. He comes across as very knowledgeable about the ship and never comes across as a snob.
I think it's telling that there is a Nimitz, Leahy, and Spruance class of ships in the US Navy, but no Halsey class.
Maybe they haven't designed a ship class with big enough punch yet to bare his name
@@everetteharris9102 lol
Nothing powerful enough yet.
CVN-79 should have been named after Halsey.
The USS Halsey is an Burke class DDG
I’ve always considered Halsey the Patton of the Navy. Great commander and desperately needed during the war. He did however need a strong hand on his leash (in this case Nimitz) to keep him “somewhat” under control. Good presentation, and different perspective of the Admiral.
I remember visiting the battleship when I was a Cub Scout and talking with one of the vets giving us a tour about Taffy 3 and Halsey’s decision making process. Just this past week I submitted my university analytical paper on the consequences of the Washington Naval Treaty and referenced what I learned from that tour. Can’t wait to eventually tour again!
PS if I remember correctly the vet served aboard either the U.S.S. Johnston or another Johnston class destroyer
Ryan you do a great job conveying battleship and other navel history. I really enjoyed this detailed video about one of my favorite WWII era commanders Bull Halsey, his style wouldn’t fly today but it’s exactly what our country needed at the time.
Ryan, knows and understands this topic. inside out, top to bottom, and every direction of sideways.
We were blessed by God with the right men at the right time. We had many great Admirals in World War II.
Hello! I just wanted to say that I am a big fan of Ryan and his work! I also ordered a medium size piece of the New Jersey’s teak and a deck bolt. It just arrived yesterday and am thrilled to display it along side the piece of teak I have from the North Carolina! Keep up the great work!
Welcome aboard! And I'll send a specific thanks your way to both Ryan and our retail team, we love hearing from happy people
I would like to see a comparison of Halsey's results when he had Miles Browning as his Chief of Staff vs when he didn't. I think most of Halsey's early successes were due to Browning's presence. Both kept each other out of trouble.
Admiral Elmo Zumwalt
Frank Jack Fletcher made some controversial decisions too. He’d be a great subject for a video. BTW I visited the New Jersey a couple of years ago and loved it. Ty for these Ryan, I’m enjoying this channel.
A presentation about Fletcher would be great, though hopefully he'll read Black Shoe Carrier Admiral first and not perpetuate myths.
Great Video, off topic question, did the percentage of high capacity shells carried increase as the New Jersey and other battleships became more of costal bombardment ships, than ships to fight other battleships?
I believe in one of the videos where Ryan is actually in a magazine talking about shells, I seem to remember him saying they didn't have an actual load out of numbers and ratios of the different rounds carried aboard... that is a very interesting question and thought though I agree... i would think that they did indeed carry a heavier load out of mission specific shells.. but only because she's so god damn massive she could afford to, and still have ample rounds of the other.
We don’t need no stinking ties!!
PS this is one of my very favorite YT channels.
I would love to hear more about Halsey and his spending time with the enlisted men and the number of times and the number of lines he sent "line jumpers" to the back of a line. I have heard two such instances and they sound close enough that they could be a variation of the same instance, one in the Chow Line and the other when he was on line for the Ship's Store.
You should make a video on Adm Willis Lee.
Admirals Willis Lee and Jesse Oldendorf would be good biography subjects.
Many senior Naval Officers thought Raymond Spruance, and not Bill Halsey, should have receive the promotion to Fleet Admiral in December 1945.
Spruance said that if he and Halsey had both been promoted to Fleet Admiral, Spruance would have been satisfied with that. Spruance then said that if he and been promoted to Fleet Admiral and his friend Bill Halsey had not been promoted, Spruance “would have been very unhappy about it”.
Overrated: Halsey
Underrated: Fletcher
Admiral Halsey, bless him and the brave men that served under him... Thanks to all our men and women that serve our GREAT Country today..
The only truly black mark on Admiral Halsey’s brilliant career is the decision to leave the northern waters of Philippines unprotected while he took Third Fleet off to destroy the Japanese aircraft carriers.
At the time, he had assets enough to accomplish both missions, and what I’ve read, he consciously chose to ignore reports that the Japanese surface battle fleet had indeed continued to press forward toward Letye Gulf subsequent to the previous beating his aircraft had handed the IJN that forced the initial (temporary ) reversal of the Japanese center forces’ mission and attempt to destroy the U.S. invasion beachhead.
He was stubbornly unrepentant to his dying day in regards to that decision he made.
I think that fact, together with twice running his fleet through killer typhoons, and still subsequently receiving that final fifth star on his collar, has contributed, right or wrong, over the years to the Navy’s very transparent snubbing of Admiral Halsey for any ship-naming consideration....
Admiral Halsey was stricken with shingles before the battle of Midway. He was known to the IJN as an impetuous leader. That may have been the reasoning behind the deception operation before the Battle off Samar. They lured "Haul Ass Halsey" away from the landing forces, to chase a non-existent carrier force. He was an inspirational leader like Patton was to the Army. To win a global war a nation needs Admirals like Nimitiz and General like Marshall. Leaders who can win the strategic war. Men like Halsey and Patton operate at the operational level, where wars are fought in harms way.
Admiral Halsey notified me
He had to have a berth or he couldn't get to sea
I had another look, and I had a cup of tea and a butter pie (Butter pie?)
The butter won't melt, so you pour it in the pie
@@richardpehtown2412 Ah, someone close to my own age who remembers?
@@richardpehtown2412 Hands across the water, water
Heads across the sky
Let's hear about Raymond Spruance & Morton Deyo.
On the list!
Dont forget Erich Raeder and Gross Admiral/
Final Deutchland leader Karl Doenitz!
After reading The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors, any respect I had for Halsey went out the window. His excuses about not dividing his forces was complete crap since he didn’t need the battleships to go after the decoy carrier force. They knew that most of the big surface ships were with the center and southern forces since they sank a bunch of them already. Halsey was thinking too much with his crotch and left Taffy 3 to the slaughter- then trekked to take credit for it. Once you read this book, you’ll totally see the horrors that these sailers and aviators were left to. It’s a great read.
Great video as always by the way.
He was riveted on fighting a surface engagement.
What a great video thank you and I can not wait for my next visit to the big J. I want to bring my dad to see her. He is a veteran of uss America cv 66
I think he was over rated as a commander. He had superb men and a superb system and Nimitz to guide him. He was a dramatic character at a time when America needed a hero. I think Spruance was better but was not a self promoter like Halsey so he got less credit. I could be wrong.
Fully agree.
On the March 4th 1951 airing of "What's my line" Admiral Hasley was the mystery guest
Maybe lot of pressure, but man... The life of an admiral on his own ship OR FLEET of ships!...
Thousands at your beckon call,the only one able to kick his feet up while on duty...
The military back then was a lot less... procedural. People weren't NEARLY as concerned with making the rules matter to everyone, enlisted and officer alike. Rules were annoyances that officers with the right connections could bypass.
I have many Photographs of Halsey, taken by a battle Photographer, friend of my father, given to him after the war. Never seen before! I also have a short snorter autographed by the Bull.Some of the pics,show him pinning medals on John L. Smith and his flyers...many other significant pictures...
Excellent sir! Thank you 💘
Admiral Halsey cam e to New Zealand I think in about 1948 or 1949 to thank the country’s help in the war
Man I’m really liking this channel
Welcome aboard!
I would appreciate a similar video on Adm. Spruance.
Halsey and Nimitz were indeed significant however I believe Spruance has not been given proper credit for his leadership.
Have you ever thought about reaching out to Ian McCollum with forgotten weapons to do some collaboration videos? The New Jersey with its weapons and history would be right up his ally, and could help bring in some more viewers and donations to your ship and countless others around the country. Just a thought.
Ian is a small arms expert. Not sure how New Jersey fits in with that type of content.
@@jefferythomas4414 That is true, but he does have several videos of larger field and coastal artillery pieces.
Like any aggressive person you're probably not going to win every time. Halsey won some and he lost some. But without some aggressive
leadership we wouldn't have won WWII. He made his mistakes and some proved deadly but war is no picnic.
The person who administered the vision accuity test was probably quite used to passing people who failed. It was a while ago, but in the army, I've seen a candidate fail the test, only for them to ask for the text in the larger font, before passing. Rules are way stricter nowadays.
I've heard the term, "pugnacious" used to characterize Halsey. That sounds like the perfect word, to do so.
When the typhoon hit, causing the loss of three destroyers and their crews and many aircraft, (being blown overboard or set loose to crash into things, we almost lost Gerald R. Ford, who was barely saved from being washed overboard himself. Minus one future president.
I take exception to your characterization of Halsey's passing of his flight training. He would not be taking command of planes during any battle or any other aircraft. His was a completion of air training to satisfy the requirements of the Navy to command aircraft carriers. There was never a plan for him to be a pilot. It was merely a formality to command.
Halsey wouldn't be the first or last guy to memorize an eye chart. After WW2, when it was time to discharge my uncle from the army they were very concerned about how much his eyesight had degraded since his enlistment. 👓
Admiral arleigh burke
TY Ryan, good job.
Damn shame we don’t have the Big E. It would have been an amazing WW II museum.
The Enterprise CV-6 would have made a great museum. The Britidh have scrapped more historic and valuable ships than we have.
@abe lincoln To be fair you can't blame him for that one.
My great uncle, Eugene Burns, was aboard CV-6 for Midway and the Solomon Islands battles. Later he went to Guadal Canal, Burma, and the Aleutians
Can you make Admiral Mitscher?
fun fact this is my great great great grandfather i wish i would have gotten to meet him. Its so instressting to learn about him now!
Super overrated . If the Japanese were luckier in at Leyte he would have suffered a terrible defeat
Hind-sight is always more accurate than what the decision maker has available before hand. Fleet Admiral Halsey was a great Naval officer and commander.
Yes, and a reckless one for sure. And this is sometimes needed in war.
I guess all the other officers like Lee who predicted all of Admiral Halsey’s dumb decisions and told him not to do it also had hind-sight, right?
@@sirboomsalot4902 My recollection is that the US and its allies won the War in the Pacific, and Adm. Halsey was a commander in that victory. I am not old enough to have been around during that war. However I stand by my comment: hind-sight is always more accurate. Decisions are made based on available knowledge and the experience and skills of the commander. Other officers certainly give advice, and the Admiral certainly considers their advice. However, he makes the decision and bears the responsibility.
Hey Ryan, Keep up the good works!, You asked for suggestions for Admiral subjects.. How about Ching Lee ? His sharpshooting during Guadalcanal awesome ..
We brought in an expert for that: ruclips.net/user/liveSF3sd2g5-rY?feature=share
Halsey LOOKS tough in that photo. In defense of his decision to chase the Japanese carriers at Leyte, there was entire other task force under the command of John McCain, the Senator's grandfather, that was ordered retired to Ulithi, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LEYTE INVASION. When Kurita's Center Force appeared out of the strait north of Samar Island, McCain ordered his fleet to turn around and make flank speed back to the Philippines. Kurita made the decision to quit the battle when it became apparent that he was facing large carrier fleets bearing down upon him, and he just had battleships and cruisers and no air cover. Had Kurita stayed in the battle for another 24 hours, he would have had the aircraft of both Halsey's and McCain's fleets turning his 4 battleships and mass of cruisers and destroyers into scrap iron and men into fish food. The big mistake was not Halsey going after the remaining Japanese carriers, it was not keeping McCain's fleet around as a reserve force. Had McCain's force remained in position as a reserve, Kurita's Center Force would have become habitat for sea life.
Nimitz would. Make a good. Video
Halsey passed from Dementia.
I feel awful about that. Having said that , he avoided 2 court’s martial due to his ability to boost moral, and the fact that he could get along with McCarthar.
And the press made him a hero because of the need to sell papers.
A cool nickname goes a long way
Early on Halsey was brilliant. He was aggressive and fearless. Had he been in charge at Midway we might have lost the huge advantage just gained by his aggressiveness. Maybe he chases the Japanese fleet right into Yamamoto's battleship division and all carriers are lost in a night battle. Spruance does what Nimitz has ordered. The carriers survive and the rest is history. That is why fire304 is correct.
True but this is also the same Halsey who told Doolittle to launch his bombers 10 hours ahead of schedule after Hornet and Enterprise were spotted by a patrol boat.
@@ph89787 actually, that might be considered an indictment against his thinking. The decision to rush the launch changed mission from a calculated risk into a suicide mission, but for what? The Doolittle raid was strategically meaningless and they all knew it. He had to protect the carriers, so the decision to turn back was sound, but what would have been lost if the mission was scrubbed? Now I don't know if it was his decision alone or how much input Doolittle had in the decision, but by launching they threw away those bombers and crews.
@@fire304 apparently the decision was split between Halsey, Mitscher and Doolittle himself. Also you’re forgetting that the raid was meant to be a morale booster after what had happened at Pearl Harbour. It also had a by-product result of the Japanese holding back resources to the Home Islands which reduced supplies being sent out to the front. Finally considering they would be landing in China, it appears that Doolittle accepted that it would have been a suicide mission even if Hornet and Enterprise made it to the launch point undetected.
@@ph89787 Ya cause ther was no way they could land them on the ships. The take offs them selfs wher bad enugh.
It's easy sitting at home to use hindsight and say this and that. It's another thing to be there while it's happening making decisions that kill your buddies but win the war. Commanders must,behind closed doors, look up and say "sorry my old friend" an shed a tear. I know l would.
1:26)The 1918 Class was the last commissioned 3rd LieuTenant(O-1). One ring on the cuffs.
1:36)(1st)USS Missouri(BB 11)was a USS Maine(BB 10)Class.
2:23)2nd LT(O-2)was 2 rings. First LT was 3 rings. As the Officer Commanding(OC) of the USS Shaw, he was a LT Commander(O-4)with 4 rings.
9:07)His illness helped the USN. He was expected and prepared for. New admiral, new tactics.
14:29)Sinking the 4 carriers deprived the IJN of launch platforms for kamikazes.
I never knew Halsey came through pensacola! I live just a few miles from the base. My father worked on the base for many years as a civil servant. Worked at the BOQ. This is interesting, ima look into Halsey's tenure here. BTW. I get to see the blue angels fly and practice all the time. Just step outside and watch them flying over my house. Navy all the way!!
The fact that he got 5 stars and Ray Spruance didn't is an injustice.
Big time. Spruance was definitely a better decision- maker.
Halsey: great fighting sailor, and one who we Americans looked to as a source of inspiration in 1942. Unfortunately, he allowed his sentimentality to get the better of him. He took the battle line with him when he didn't need to- and for no other purpose than to fight a surface engagement; "... an action which I had dreamed of since my days as a cadet". He was human and made a mistake. Admitting as much privately to King while denying it publicly was a big boo- boo, however. That turned a friend- Admiral Kinkaid- into an enemy, and marred his reputation for good. Whatever people may think of his actions at Leyte, the sober truth is that the only portion of the Japanese plan which worked perfectly was the use of their carriers as bait- which lured Halsey north.
When our WW2 admirals are mentioned, we think of Spruance at Midway, Lee at Second Guadalcanal, and 31 knot Burke at Cape St. George. Halsey however, will be forever linked with Samar and Cape Engano.
I note a number of references to Adm. Raymond Spruance who appeared to share a great deal of credit for our Navy's success in the Pacific.
Perhaps a video about Spruance would be both interesting and educational.
Weve got one planned for this month!
@@BattleshipNewJersey Great, I look forward to a continuation of your fine work. Thank you.
Looks like the Admiral took responsibility for the very hard decisions a commander must make during war. The buck has to stop at the top. Every one makes mistakes.
A great leader steps up at the right time. Halsey was the best.
USMC Lt. General Earnest Woods, he was part of the US Navy!!! He is buried at ANC.
Fascinating history and information! Very thoroughly done!
Following from sweden!
You didn't mention his nick name, "Haul Ass Halsey."
Occurs to me that Halsey and John Basilone were from towns in New Jersey right next to each other. Keep up the great video content!
I believe Admiral Halsey's skin condition was a case of shingles.
I have always thought of him as Patton on a boat. Maybe a easier to work for, but you tell them what needs to get done, and it will get done. Caution to the wind, Gung ho let's go.
He made lots of mistakes, maybe he was a micro manager, when you consider the nervous exhaustion, and that trait combined with his age probably caused that. He had a Patton or Sherman personality, and when you have superior power and know it, calculated aggression with superior resources shortens conflicts and saves lives. I think those in charge in the Pacific and Europe knew that simple fact and tolerated a lot when they stumbled into those pieces of command gold.
It is ironic that his command philosophy was to NOT micromanage, but he did just that when he pressured Kincaid to "Strike, repeat, strike" the day before the battle of Santa Cruz Islands. This caused useless losses that weighed heavily on Kincaid's mind on the day of battle.
was it king that said never give a sucker an even break
The USS Shaw which you mentioned, would that be the same one that was at Pearl Harbor?...just curious.
No, Halsey commanded DD-68 not DD-373
Hey Ryan was just watching both midway movies the good one and the new one was wondering if you could recommend a good book that would go over the Japanese commanders during battle of midway and also what do you think of the us and Japanese admiral portrayal in the movies
I can recommend a movie, The Gallant Hours (1960), with James Cagney as Halsey. They have taken some liberties with facts, here and there, but you will get some insight to the Japanese perspective.
A lot of people lay the Battle of Samar at Halsey's feet. I disagree. The other task group commander "assumed" TF58 had been formed and was San Bernardino Straight. It was a failure to communicate by all those in command, not just Halsey.
I disagree. He was the main culprit in that broken communication. Others might have some modest share, but the lion's share of the blame goes to him.
@@SkylersRants that's your right. Keep in mind though Halsey was not in command of 7th fleet.
How you continue to make such great videos, the whole world wonders.
Turkey trots to water, thanks!
I bet you've see The Gallant Hours, starring James Cagney as Admiral Halsey. I believe USS New Jersey makes a cameo appearance that film.
a GREAT movie!
Outstanding history!!
Admiral King
That was brilliant.
👍
I think a longer video dedicated to Admiral Reason would be nice. As the last Admiral to break flag on New Jersey, I remember an old TV special where he talked about operating in Soviet waters in the late 80's early 90's.
Definitely. That was one of our first videos when we were really aiming for a 3min length and we've long abandoned that rule!
I like the Charlie Chaplin mustache, you don't see them anymore. Thank you for the video sir.
Halsey was our greatest when the heat was so hot a defeat would've melted away too much.
Yes he was aggressive. Yes he was a gambler. Except we have hindsight in our life today. He was the one in charge guiding all attack forces connecting the dots one at a time with scrambled Intel and missing info.
The understanding he had of his men, his ships and his means off attack were impressive. There is so much more to it than you or I will ever know.
In many ways he actually had it harder than current leaders, today's connectivity and tech in general is top notch, something he didn't have.
Without a doubt there were other men who could've led us to victory aswell, but not as crisp and as decisively as the true history we actually have. The bull was a national treasure who refused to let us down, never quit, never back down he really was the right man at the right place at the right time. Nimitz was the greatest at his position and he agreed with us aswell.
Geeeze man! Clean up. Comb your hair and shave. Wear some decent clothing. At least act like you’re proud of what you’re doing. Another New Jersey embarrassment.
Halsey -should had faced a court martial do to his actions after the second typhoon which claimed the lost lives and the damage to the ships under his command.
Halseys infamous moments: Guadalcanal. Withdrew his ships and transmitted to the Marines ashore "You are authorized to surrender!" Okinawa: It is the job of the Marines to do the dying for the Navy!"
Wrong about Guadalcanal. It was Fleicher who ordered the carriers to withdraw, Turner who ordered the transports to withdraw, and Halsey's predecessor Ghormley who authorized Vandegrift to surrender. Halsey never for a moment considered withdrawing from Guadalcanal. Unlike Ghormley, Halsey personally visited Guadalcanal during the peak of the fighting (as also did Nimitz and Turner) to encourage the Marines.
I also don't recall ever reading about Halsey making such a remark about Okinawa. Considering nearly as many US Navy personnel died during the Okinawa campaign as Marines or Army, that seems a very unlikely thing for him to say.
Halsey's successes more than outweigh his failures. Admiral Nimitz thought so too. Everyone who accomplishes anything , probably has a history of failing at times. I say he earned and deserved his fifth star. As for Losing Enterprise. CV-6, I am not familiar with the details of why she was not preserved, just the disappointing fact that she was not. A lot of historical or useful ships were scrapped wholesale. A Wickes class destroyer would be great to have. Or the USS Alaska.
I have never heard said that Admiral Halsey was at fault for Enterprise not being preserved.
No, Nimitz and King wanted him court martialed.
Halsey retired from the USN in 1947.
CV-6 was scrapped in 1958. Obviously not Halsey's decision.
Wasn't the Battleship New Jersey supposed to be the ship that held the Japanese surrender on. But then, President Truman told Halsey to make the USS Missouri his flagship and use it for the surrender instead because Truman was from Missouri?
Check this out : ruclips.net/video/cCXMb7eIsTc/видео.html
Yep!
I you are going to do this type of presentation, you REALLY need to improve your speaking skills.
Give the guy a break, eh? He's a museum curator working to bring us good historical battleship content while Corona is running amok and we're stuck inside. Ryan's clearly very knowledgeable, and he's taken the effort to - I'm guessing - step out of his comfort zone and keep us engaged via RUclips while the museum is closed to the public. So, it seems unfair that you judge him so harshly for his presentation being perhaps a little rough-around-the-edges. Imo, that's part of the charm of the channel. It's not overly polished and edited, but it feels honest and real. Personally, I find much to appreciate about that.
@@clocat7825 There is nothing wrong or needs fixing in Ryan’s presentations. He comes across as very knowledgeable about the ship and never comes across as a snob.
admiral gulp, swallowed the bait hook, line and sinker...