“The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors”, such an epic battle, literally David vs Goliath on the high seas, I still remember watching this on Dogfights, amazing piece of history
Sadly a lot of the "pop culture knowledge" about this battle isn't really correct. - The American landings on the Philippines had been going on since October 20th. By the time the Battle off Samar happened, the Japanese were already too late to do anything abut them as almost all of the American land forces (men, supplies and equipment) were no longer on the transports. And there was not enough time for the Japanese to try and starve out the American forces by cutting off the supply lines (Third Fleet was going to come back and deal with Centre Force long before the American land forces ran out of supplies). So in reality, the Japanese didn't throw away a critical opportunity; they never even had that opportunity in the first place, and if anything they pressed too hard trying to achieve something that would be impossible without their ships being able to travel back in time. - Samar was ultimately decided by the escort carriers. The idea the CVEs didn't have anti-ship weapons isn't true (they had them aboard, they just didn't have them loaded onto the aircraft at the start of the battle, so they rearmed with aerial torpedoes and heavier bombs after the desperate initial air attacks), and in fact air attacks were responsible for much of the damage traditionally attributed to surface action (Chokai being a good example). - Taffy 3 was NOT fighting alone. Taffy 2 and Taffy 1 also launched air attacks, and by the end of the battle, the Standard battleships of Seventh Fleet (the ones at Surigao Strait the last night) were moving north to intercept. Had Kurita continued on, he'd have run straight into them.
@@35SF considering how much deficated fire power is needed to cripple a battleship, I think its impressive for one lone ship to handle a entire fleets worth of fire power on a good day if the crew is well trained
An important detail: the aggressive action of the destroyers and destroyer-escorts confused the Japanese and convinced them they were actually fighting cruisers. This was critical because it meant the Japanese used armour piercing shells instead of high explosive shells for most of the battle, which simply passed through the lightly armoured destroyers and carriers. Once they switched to high explosive, several destroyers and carriers were quickly sunk, but by then the Japanese had enough and withdrew.
Also Overlooked was that two of the first planes the Japanese saw were from a land based patrol of F6-F Hellcats which the Japanese knew could only fly from Larger US Carriers and Not Escorts. This aided the interpretation that they were encountering the main US Fleet.
Thank you for covering this. The "crew member" who goes to assist Carr at 9:40 was my Grandfather Machinist Chalmer John Goheen Jr. He survived and was at sea for 2 days and 2 nights with the other survivors fending off sharks until they were rescued.
The Sammy B and the Johnston are also the deepest naval wrecks in the history of warfare. Which is pretty natural, considering the girth and weight of those sailors' steel balls.
Taffee 3 and their incredible bravery may be the US Navy’s finest moment, ever. They have legendary status among the sailors and officers of the United States Navy
The destroyers of Taffy 3 are legends! To manage to turn away such an overwhelming force! When Johnston was sinking several people saw the Captain of the destroyer Yukikaze saluting the sinking ship in respect for how hard it had fought!
Taffy 3’s destroyer and destroyer escorts kicked more ass that day than any Destroyer over the course of the war. (Not sure if that’s factual but it feels like it should)
@@tdofducksplays it’s mainly the fact they were so outnumbered and outgunned and behaved like they were the bigger force and charged right at the Japanese that day
My great uncle was on the USS Samuel B Roberts, he was in the water for 2 days and 2 nights surviving shark attacks, he was one of the lucky ones, remember our fallen, support our military and live life knowing they fought for our freedom
My father was on the USS Heermann (DD 532), he saw the Robers go down. One important item missed was in the beginning of the battle, the Japanese were firing armor piercing shells not realizing how thin the ship’s hull were. Later they switched to high explosive rounds. This error actually saved some of the ships. The AP rounds passed through without exploding unless they hit something like an engine. My father said if a marine found out you were in Taffy 3, that marine would by you a round. Taffy 3 saved a lot of marines that day. My father had nothing good to say about Halsey. I want to add, if you can visit Fredericksburg Texas, please visit the Pacific War Museum. The museum is next to the Admiral Nimitz Museum. In the Pacific War Museum, you will see the Japanese midget sub found on the beach in Hawaii. Try and coordinate your visit during the re-enactments of the island fighting. Very impressive. My father was a veteran of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. My brother and I are Vietnam veterans, my mother was a very brave woman. Vietnam was not easy for her.
@@raymondweaver8526 The Japanese (specifically, the cruisers, and Yamato against Johnston) scored plenty of hits on the tin cans; it just so happened their shells over-penetrated.
My grandfather who was 19 when he fought in the Samuel B Robert’s, he was a gun operator on one of the side guns, he shot until the last bullet he had against the Japanese kongo ship.
Imagine getting a radar hit and its like the bulk of the japanese navy.. must have been a "well shit" moment. Aircraft carriers arent even that armed and a single shot from the yamato or the battle ships could sink any of their ships. Really one battle ship is very hard to defeat even for a bunch of destroyers, let alone 3. they had 4. 6 heavy cruisers that are really scary and armed ships as well, 2 light cruisers and 11 destroyers. God.
The “this will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected" line was maybe the best line he could say to his crew. Everyone wants to run away from danger, to find a way to ensure survival. But if you know you ALREADY are at a point where no action can guarantee survival, it's when the will to at least go down swinging activates. That single line turned all his men into berserkers. And, ironically, that berserkness was what allowed more than half of his men to actually survive.
Basic fight for survival kicks in. It's where man turns from normal sanity that we see day to day in our lives, to that of a beast. A beast that has only one desire in that moment. To live. The things we will do to live is truly remarkable. We all would engage in vigorous combat or make a strenuous effort, using all one's resources. I know I'm going to fight tooth and nail for that next breath. The only negative thought that will enter your mind in that situation would be, taking more out on your way out.
6:32 That crippled destroyer was the USS Johnston, Fletcher-class commanded by Ernest E Evans (who disappeared after ordering abandon ship and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for leading the destroyer charge into battle).
There was even pilots who landed on the very recently captured Airstrip and while their plane was being rearmed and refueled took up arms and fought alongside the Marines until their plane was ready, There's even an account of a pilot emptying his side arm firing down on the ships. They threw everything they had at them. And that's not to mention the bad-ass that was Evans. Taffy 3 is 1 of my favorite maritime 2 fisted tails, And in my opinion one of the greatest feats of arms ever committed.
Apparently the uss Johnston is still not done preforming great achievements. Because with discovery of her wreck see is now the deepest know ship wreck in the world.
Yea, when I heard this was task unit Taffy 3 I was sure this video would be about the Johnston. The tale of the Samuel B. Roberts, a destroyer escort, going toe-to-toe with the heavy cruiser Chikuma by using every munition they have for their two 5-in. guns is definitely incredible. But the story of the USS Johnston is one of unbelievable perseverance under fire that deserves more than a cameo.
The fact that a movie (that I’m aware of)hasn’t been made about the heroic actions of TAFFY 3 is astounding,it has everything that Hollywood loves,massive naval action,David vs Goliath scene,heroic last stands,suicidal attacks,noble deaths, and a triumphant conclusion….
I've seen (and made) that same plea every time I read an account of the battle...at least the ones which allow comments. In my mind, this was the US Navy's 'Finest Hour' moment; perhaps the greatest battle ever fought by the service.
@@jackdedert2945 you would think that during the late 40s and through the 50s and 60s at least one studio would have produced an epic surrounding Taffy 3….maybe a producer will stumble (it won’t be deliberate)upon the story some day!
The third ship to bear the name was the USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58) an Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate. In commemoration of her original namesake, she carried a plaque of dedication to the crew that fought at Samar and their brave actions. On her first patrol assignment to the Persian Gulf she struck an Iranian mine on 14 April 1988. The explosion ripped a fifteen foot hole in the hull, flooded the engine room, and tore the two gas turbine engines from their mounts. More importantly the blast broke the ship's keel, which is normally fatal damage. Despite the damage, power was restored and pumps reversed the flooding. The crew lashed cables to the superstructure from broken hull sections to keep them from splitting apart. Crewmembers passing the plaque during the ordeal were seen touching it, as if to summon their predecessor's bravery in their ordeal. The crew kept her afloat until Navy tugs reached the Samuel B. Roberts five hours later, and the ship was saved. It took eleven months of relocation and major repairs (including the unprecedented removal of her entire engine room and replacement by a new module jacked and welded in place) before she returned to sea trials on 1 April 1989. She served proudly until decommissioned in 2015.
Definitely evoking her name sake. The efforts of that Sammy B's crew to keep her going despite her damage is completely in keeping with the spirit of the WW2 ship
Samuel B. Roberts earned the title "The Destroyer Escort that Fought Like a Battleship" for her actions on that day. Thank you yarnhub for this amazing video.
@@pranavshinde4472 dont forget USS Laffey and how she pummeled the IJN Hiei, heck is even in the Azur Lane as a hint and her skill is named "Warlord of the Solomons"
@@AtemerusRhayli There was One Pilot in a Bomber who had Ran out of Ammo,So the Mad Lad Literally,Opened The Hatch Of The Plane,Took Out his Pistol.And shot at The Sailors in MidFlight.And That too not at Any ship But Targeted Directly The Admiral Over Yamato.Yes.The Guy Literally Flied over The Yamato's AA while firing a Freaking!!Pistol!!Now That's Badass.The Pilot was from USS Laffey.
I was just wondering when you would cover this! The Johnston didn’t run with the other ships, instead immediately turning on the attack in an attempt to protect the other members of the taskforce! Johnston was discovered last year almost perfectly preserved, its guns still in firing position, as if it was still fighting, its number still proudly displayed on its side, now the deepest wreck ever discovered!
When the Johnston was commissioned, Captain Evans proclaimed that the the Johnston was a fighting ship and that he would never back down from a fight. He made good on his proclamation in this battle.
@@Pointclearius Ah, I see you are a man of culture as well. Drachinfels' account of this battle and the Johnston's continual 'wait, they did _WHAT?!'_ actions throughout the battle are just one of those things is always pleasing to listen to.
I had to come back here and share this: They just found the Samuel B. Roberts today. She's split in 2 and a long way down. But she rests at a depth of over 6.5km in all her glory.
@StuckOnAfireHydrant "6.5 km" ? ? ? ? ? Convert that to a unit of measure that has meaning. Like feet or miles. Or feet. Nobody uses kilometers to describe ocean depth. Except maybe a coupla weirdos in the Commonwealth.
'She canna' take much more Captain'. Best reference ever. I like how the shell strikes are colored, indicating to the Japanese which shell hits are coming from a specific ship. Nice touch.
"she canny much more Captain" - fantastic nod to Montgomery Scott!! What a story of courage against overwhelming odds, brilliantly told as always thank you!!!
The story of USS Johnston needs to be told here as well. That Fletcher got so close to the Battleship line that they took evasive manuevers expecting a torpedo attack, hampering their accuracy. The ship took an absolute beating just like the Roberts and kept pushing on, before finally slipping below the waves, where she was found and is now the deepest shipwreck on the planet. Update: THE SAMMY B HAS BEEN FOUND. THE ROBERTS IS NOW THE WORLD'S DEEPEST SHIPWRECK.
So glad to see the Battle off Samar getting more recognition, even if you glossed over the badass actions of USS Johnston and its commander Ernest Evans. Highly recommend the book The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors by James D. Hornfischer for anyone interested.
I imagine they had to pick only 1 player in the battle due to the cost of the animation. While the Johnstone was crucial in instigating the offensive action as well as defending the carriers from a destroyer line closing in; the actions of the Samuel B Roberts can't be overlooked. A destroyer escort with only 2 5" guns going toe to toe with heavy cruisers, with 1 turret weighing almost as much as the DE, for the better part of an hour is nothing short of legendary. The battle of Samar as a whole is legendary and Yarnhub could probably do a whole short series on the events in it. Drachinifel has an excellent video on it with time stamps and prelude/aftermath. Dogfights or Battle 360 has a good animated episode on the battle as well
@@hammer1349 Also because Ernest Evans was lost at sea (seen on life raft, never recovered) there are gaps in individual accounts of what happened there, mostly pieced together between actions and accounts of survivors from various ships, but a lot has to be inferred
He ordered oil dumped into the fuel mixture to produce more smoke. The officer from the Engine Room complained it would be bad for the engines. He responded telling him he expected the ship likely would not survive more than a couple of hours.
On June 22nd, 2022, five days after this video was published, the wreck of the USS Samuel B. Roberts was finally found. She rests at 6,895 meters, and is as of June 2022, the deepest shipwreck ever surveyed. Coincidentally, the shipwreck she overtook for that title, was none other than her battle compatriot USS Johnston. It is some coincidence that in the days after this video released, she was finally surveyed. Blessings to you and the men who gave their lives to fight the menace at sea. We finally get to know of their resting place.
The Sammy B was only the secondary target for that dive. The dive team wanted to find USS Gambier Bay. However it may be the case that the Gambier Bay is resting even deeper than the Sammy B.
The Samuel B. Roberts was known to history as the destroyer escort that fought like a battleship. But there was another great hero ship in the battle: the USS Johnston. She was the first of the Taffey III ships to attack. In just the first ten minutes of the battle, the Johnston blew the bow off the heavy cruiser, Kumano. The attack also caused the heavy cruiser, Suzuya, to give the Kumano aid and escort her from the battle zone. Soon after, the Johnston was damaged by the battleship Kongo and possibly the Yamato. Though badly damaged, the Johnston continued fighting and later caused the light cruiser, Yahagi and four destroyers, that were making an attack run against the escort carriers, to fire their torpedoes prematurely and miss. But the Japanese ships soon trained their guns onto the Johnston and sink her. Captain Ernest Evans, though he abandoned ship with his crew, died of his wounds. He was postumastly awarded the Medal of Honor.
You can’t forget the part that they fired everything including the Sandbag practice ammo at the enemy. And I heard (although I’m not sure it’s true) The japanese threw food and water to the men in the water shouting “Samurai Samurai!” Honoring the men for their Fearlessness and honorable bravery.
For a long time, it was thought that Jonston was hit by a single 14 inch shell from Kongo, and a few 6 inch shells, possibly the 6.1 inch secondary armament from Yamato. However, as more info came out about the battle recently, and records from the Jonston were released, it was found that the Jonston was hit by 3 main armament guns, and 3 secondary armament hits. These hits matching the Kongo is extremely sketchy at best, as there was no way Kongo could have hit Jonston with 3 secondary guns in a single salve, as she could only fire 2 at an angle. The 6 inch hits also couldn't be from a light cruiser, as the only two light cruisers in the fleet were targeting other locations. Further more, if there was enough shell dispersion, she could hit 3 time with her main armament. The hits fit Yamato a lot more, matching both a frontal and aft salvo from her guns. She was in a better firing position, and could most definitively scored 3 secondary hits with her 6.1 inch guns. Not only that, but 3 main battery hits also suit her a lot more, since she was armed with triple turrets, while Kongo was only armed with twin turrets. So, most, if not all sources past 2012 list Jonston as being hit by Yamato, and not Kongo.
I believe I read somewhere that they recently found the Johnston at the bottom of the ocean. Still in pretty good shape considering the time. It is also the deepest shipwreck ever found
@@ctwells40 She was found back in 2019 and is currently the deepest know shipwreck in the world lying just past 6,100m/20,000ft and was explored partially in April 2021, the front portion was in relatively good condition with the guns still facing the correct direction, however it's hard to tell just what she was hit by yet and more dives are required however very few submersibles are able to reach her.
The transition from the animation to the actual photo made me tear up. It's amazing how much work and research goes into these videos beside the wonderful animations!
I am a Spanish guy of 52 years, who love this channel, the Animátions, and the Fantastic/motivated Narration *and perfect Music too!!!. My english is very basic, but I feel like in the middle of all the histories of this channel (and I learn some more English too, thanks to that clear narration/pronunciation *This is like the old days of the Radionovels of my youth, but with amazing Animations 😃) Even if these stories didn't have pictures, it would be a fantastic Historical Podcast on its own. I think this is a great team to do audiobooks too (of great interest to blind people for example)
Great content. To me, it is totally baffling that the truly epic "Battle off Samar" has yet to be made into a major motion picture. Indomitable bravery, and resoluteness against all odds. Legendary!
Unfortunately the Pacific war has always been revolving around Pearl harbor. It's too unfortunate that there's not much film about the WW2 in the Philippines. Hollywood should make one about this battle or the Bataan Death March or the Battle of Manila
@@gregorycochran911 My apologies in advance for my verbose response. I was aware of the Navy not wanting the details to get out. One reason was that, despite the incredible victory, many of the upper echelon Navy brass involved made decisions that were inept or negligent. 1. Poor coordination of the establishment of responsibilities for the various Task Forces; 2. Admiral Halsey falling for the bait of an IJN decoy carrier force; 3. Admiral Sprague's initial orders to Taffy 3 to retreat were totally inadequate. 4. Commander Evans, Captain of the destroyer USS Johnston, flagrantly disobeyed the orders of his superior, Admiral Sprague, to cover the withdrawal of Taffy 3 by generating smoke screen with his vessel; 5. Admiral Sprague was obviously shamed into taking more decisive action by the example Commander Evans' elan'; 6. The total screwup of post-battle rescue and recovery by Admiral Kinkaid that needlessly cost too many lives of victorious brave sailors helplessly adrift in the sea. So, yeah multiple high ranking Admirals screwed up royally and didn't want the details to get out and tarnish their reputations, using the lame excuse: "for the good of the Navy",
From the Philippines, we salute you Taffy 3 for your bravery and sacrifice in against all odds with the mighty center force of the Imperial Japanese Navy....
Thank you so much for making this video! I recommended it a while ago, but I don't know if you ever saw the comment. The last sailor from the USS Samuel B. Roberts, Mr. Adred Lenoir, just died this March, and I am very grateful to have been able to talk to him over the phone a mere 4 months before he passed away.
My grandpa was on the USS Kalinin Bay at Samar. He recalled that he didn't think much beyond his duties during the battle, but it "got his attention" when the 5" gun mounted on the aft of the carrier opened fire on the Japanese destroyers. One blessing the carriers had was that Japan initially identified them as fleet carriers rather than escort carriers, so their ranging was off.
I was expecting a full-on animation for the entire video. I love that the makers credited their sources instead of trying to pass off the animated parts and sound effects as authentic footage.
You forgot that one of the Flechers (USS Johnston, the badly damaged destroyer) was already returning from a torpedo run that crippled a Japanese cruiser when Coepland saw it.
The Yamato's guns may have weighed more than all the destroyers combined. But their balls of steel could sink her with a single hit. This is incredible
I'm a Filipino and Samar alongside Leyte is my neighboring island, it's truly fascinating that one of the largest naval battle (and the largest) in history, took place off the neighboring offshores
@@thesmirkingwolf They found parts of the Roberts( Torpedo Tubes) this week and hopefully the Hull soon *fingers crossed*. I believe they are also looking for Hoel and Gambier Bay.
My father was a destroyer man, a gunnery officer, USNA '43, graduated 1942. He served in the Atlantic during WWII, and patrolled the Pacific immediately after the war. He was an destroyer executive officer during the Korean War, and later commanded a squadron of 4 destroyers out of San Diego in the early '50s. As such, I was well aware of this engagement from his storytelling, long before there were great YT videos like this one. Thanks for your creative effort - this is a "tin car" story worth retelling over and over again.
For those who want to see more of the battle off Samar, look up this episode of Dogfights: Death of the Japanese Navy. It focuses on both fleets and the tactics used in the battle with accounts from a couple sailors and a navy pilot who were in said battle.
Recently saw the film made about the ship that went to find Gambier Bay ended up finding the Johnson and Sammie B. Men were made differently in that time, and the tin can sailors a breed we’ll never see again. Goddess and God keep them. Seeing the damage on the ships…just wow
I scrolled quite a ways down in the comments, but either nobody else caught it, or cared enough to comment upon it. I had a real honest to goodness laugh out loud when the engineering officer "Lucky" gets on the horn to say "She cannot take much more Captain". 6:08 Such a Scotty to Kirk moment. Little touches like these, plus the superb animation, are what set Yarnhub apart.
One can only imagine how differently the Leyte Gulf Campaign would’ve turned out if not for the courageous sailors, officers and airmen of Taffy 3. May they keep on sailing on calm seas.
If I'm being honest, i get bored whenever i watch naval battles documentary. But this video got me hooked, i actually did watch it from the beginning till the end.
I love the story of Taffy 3 with the legendary sacrifice of the USS Samual B. Roberts, but I wish you also talked about the USS Johnson who was the first US ship to attack the Japanese suite at the battle of Samar.
A minor detail: only battleship guns had dye packets in their shells. The colors in the Battle off Samar were red (Kongō), black (Haruna), and pink (Nagato).
Honestly that tale in my opinion is a greater story than midway. I mean even the pilot let's who lost their Carrier landed on a newly captured runway fought alongside Marines killing Japanese troops On the ground while there plane was being refueled and rearmed only to go backup To fly into battle On the sea. Even to the point of emptying their sidearm firing down upon the ships. This is a total badass battle. One of the best two fisted tales ever told.
My grandfather fought on the side of the british in North Africa (we South African). He served on a RAF bomber as crew. He wanted to be a pilot but alas he, and myself, are colour blind and this somehow prevented him from doing that, so i guess he did the next best thing. RIP Pops, miss you ❤️
There was a lot that went into Taffy 3's amazing victory. One part was that the aggressive action caused the Japanese ships to maneuver, and that threw their targeting off. The American ships had targeting computers that automatically adjusted for maneuvering, And the agressive maneuvering also put the Destroyers and Destroyer Escorts below minimum range of the ships they were attacking. And since Japanese thought they were being attacked by Cruisers and Fleet Carriers, they used armor piercing ammo against unarmored ships. It is still amazing that the US ships were basically killing a cruiser and damaging another large ship for every smaller ship they lost. This isn't a battle spoken of much outside of military and naval warfare fans, but it is still studied in naval academies.
While you glossed over the Johnston in a near-unforgivable way, im glad you covered the battle. Americans love a good last stand/plucky underdog tale, and this battle is about as "US Navy" as John Paul Jones raiding the British mainland.
He didn't "gloss over". He got key details wrong. Details about the actions of Ernest Evans, the commander of the Johnston. I get the impression that he didn't conduct research from a valid source. This inaccurate telling of an astounding battle is unforgivable.
The person I bought my house from 17 years ago was on one of those carriers, it was hit by a kamakazi he had some pictures of it, we sat around for awhile after all the paper work was done and shot the breeze so to speak, he was an alright guy. I'm 69 so Growing up in a small town I knew a lot of WWII vets it was a different and much better country back than, today not so much!
This story youve told is amazing. I would love to see a multi part series of this battle. Theres so many various stories to be told here. Excellent work yet again Yarnhub. Keep up the great work
Nice video on an amazing battle. This definately needs a part 2 with the USS Johnston DD-557 under Ernest E. Evans, the destroyer with the wounded captain on the back that was mentioned.
Johnston is the deepest wreck recorded and was only recently that they found her. One of the surviving crew was shown footage from a robot that was surveying the wreck. Her mounts were still pointed outward as if still engaging the enemy vessels.
A truly Epic video and yet another deep dive into war history, your videos never cease to both fascinate and amaze me with the heroic feats of those heroic men and the spectacular animations, Good show, Yarnhub
I never get tired of these videos, keep the videos up, its been two years since the first video i ever saw of you guys and been subscribed every since and I am so proud of the progress the channel has made. Once again, keep up the amazing work.
You should make a separate video for the USS Johnston. That ship make this battle legendary alongside the USS Samuel Roberts. Taffy 3 story is one of the stories out there to be called impossible yet it happened. That is why i love this story. Its good to see this animated. Good work as usual! From PH🇵🇭
I've been waiting for an episode related to the events here in the Philippines for a long time! Thanks, Yarnhub. It is amazing to see that your work is improving with every episode!
At last seeing my grandfather's battle on your channel makes me happy because more pl now know about it if I had my way everyone would know of there heroic battle and if only I could make a movie thank you yarnhub truly thank you
Another outstanding production by Yarnhub! The Battle of Samar is an excellent example of selfless sacrifice of US forces in combat. Keep up the great work.
For some reason, the Roberts is the ship most talked about from Samar. For my money, the USS Johnston was the big dog of that fight, it's captain and crew were among the ballsiest men in US Navy history. In this video, that was the ship with the captain on the aft deck yelling orders down a hatch. That was the last time he was seen. Captain Earnest Evans and the USS Johnston were the first ship to attack. Evans didn't wait for orders, he charged and blew the bow of an IJN cruiser with his torpedo run. After engaging several Japanese ships, including the Yamato itself, the Johnston returned to and rejoined the rest of Taffy 3. They were heading in for their own attack run, which is when the Roberts launched its torpedoes. The Johnston attacked the battleship Kongo and a heavy cruiser. The Johnston eventually ended up engaged a group of 4 destroyers and a light cruiser. This disrupted their torpedo run at our carriers. However, this last fight was joined by an additional 2 IJN cruisers and they finally overwhelmed the Johnston. In the end, the Johnston wound up crippling a cruiser, engaging 3 battleships (one of which was the largest battleship in history), 7 cruisers and an assortment of destroyers. She took hits up to and including 14 inch shells and kept fighting. By drawing fire, driving away enemies and disrupting torpedo runs, she saved an unknown number of friendly ships. That's one hell of a final battle for a tin can.
Great video, Yarnhub! .................... For those with some unfamiliarity, the "EOT" is the Engine Order Telegraph. The device used to send throttle orders down to the engine room. ................... The Japanese used different color dyes in their shells to differentiate whose shells were landing so the ship's gunners knew how accurate they were being and adjust accordingly. .................... The USS Samuel B. Roberts - the “Destroyer Escort That Fought Like a Battleship” - in the battle off Samar was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort, DE-413. Destroyer escorts were smaller than full size destroyers. There have been two ships with this name, the second being the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, FFG-58. .................... The commander who was seen directing his ship through a hatch at the rear was none other than Commander Earnest "Big Chief" Evans aboard the Fletcher-class destroyer, USS Johnston (DD-557). .................... For further reading/research, I heartily recommend the book "The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" by James D. Hornfischer. An excellent read! .................... @6:08 - Yarnhub, nice homage to Commander Montgomery Scott there!
Seen a lot about the battle off samar, Longer more detailed videos, but this is a good way to get people interested in the battle.... They found the Johnston a few years ago, deepest wreck ever discovered.
Samuel B. Roberts fought like battleship than Yamato itself. Sammy B literally schooled Yamato on how a battleship should be and thats literally a slap in the face of the so called "Pride of the Imperial Navy"
My grandpas brother was in the battle of samar but my grandpa escaped the Japanese death march and survived by drinking coconut juice And his cousin got beheaded . but this is A amazing video nice job yarn hub 😁👍
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Hi
Very well done
Yes a new video
Good vid like always😃 keep going yarnhub💪
Yes
“The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors”, such an epic battle, literally David vs Goliath on the high seas, I still remember watching this on Dogfights, amazing piece of history
It was the first documentary i watched
Sadly a lot of the "pop culture knowledge" about this battle isn't really correct.
- The American landings on the Philippines had been going on since October 20th. By the time the Battle off Samar happened, the Japanese were already too late to do anything abut them as almost all of the American land forces (men, supplies and equipment) were no longer on the transports. And there was not enough time for the Japanese to try and starve out the American forces by cutting off the supply lines (Third Fleet was going to come back and deal with Centre Force long before the American land forces ran out of supplies). So in reality, the Japanese didn't throw away a critical opportunity; they never even had that opportunity in the first place, and if anything they pressed too hard trying to achieve something that would be impossible without their ships being able to travel back in time.
- Samar was ultimately decided by the escort carriers. The idea the CVEs didn't have anti-ship weapons isn't true (they had them aboard, they just didn't have them loaded onto the aircraft at the start of the battle, so they rearmed with aerial torpedoes and heavier bombs after the desperate initial air attacks), and in fact air attacks were responsible for much of the damage traditionally attributed to surface action (Chokai being a good example).
- Taffy 3 was NOT fighting alone. Taffy 2 and Taffy 1 also launched air attacks, and by the end of the battle, the Standard battleships of Seventh Fleet (the ones at Surigao Strait the last night) were moving north to intercept. Had Kurita continued on, he'd have run straight into them.
I concur, wholeheartedly. “The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors” is an excellent book that tells the story of these brave sailors and pilots.
A book by that title is a good one about the battle . . . James Hornfischer is the author.
Totally
“The destroyer escort that fought like a battleship.” A truly remarkable story
And they did it well too
But not like Yamato and Bismarck. nah it wasnt something like those floating turds, that sunk within hours of an attack.
@@35SF Circumstances for each one we’re different, but they all went down fighting
@@35SF considering how much deficated fire power is needed to cripple a battleship, I think its impressive for one lone ship to handle a entire fleets worth of fire power on a good day if the crew is well trained
@@eageraurora879 true
An important detail: the aggressive action of the destroyers and destroyer-escorts confused the Japanese and convinced them they were actually fighting cruisers. This was critical because it meant the Japanese used armour piercing shells instead of high explosive shells for most of the battle, which simply passed through the lightly armoured destroyers and carriers. Once they switched to high explosive, several destroyers and carriers were quickly sunk, but by then the Japanese had enough and withdrew.
Also Overlooked was that two of the first planes the Japanese saw were from a land based patrol of F6-F Hellcats which the Japanese knew could only fly from Larger US Carriers and Not Escorts. This aided the interpretation that they were encountering the main US Fleet.
@@MartinCHorowitz i did bot know that part! Thanks!
Like we tank players in war thunder say, no armor is best armor
@@kommandantgalileo Can't hit what doesn't exist!
@@kommandantgalileo Armor? Lol, never heard of it.
Thank you for covering this. The "crew member" who goes to assist Carr at 9:40 was my Grandfather Machinist Chalmer John Goheen Jr. He survived and was at sea for 2 days and 2 nights with the other survivors fending off sharks until they were rescued.
History videos are truly incredible,in these videos I see people learning about their and other people's history
That is amazing. Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors, about this battle, is one of my favorite books.
@@remason8833 did you know there's a graphic novel written by that author and this battle as well!?
@@heartsoulmindlearning6753 Yes, bought it :)
@@remason8833 there is also a book about USS Samuel B Roberts with first hand experience of the captain!
The Sammy B and the Johnston are also the deepest naval wrecks in the history of warfare. Which is pretty natural, considering the girth and weight of those sailors' steel balls.
Yea but
Ayo?
What kind of steel balls 💀
Freedom ball of steel
I hope Hoel will be found soon, she might be lying just as deep as her two comrades.
Rumor has it that both ship's captains had a clinking sound when they walked
Taffee 3 and their incredible bravery may be the US Navy’s finest moment, ever. They have legendary status among the sailors and officers of the United States Navy
The destroyers of Taffy 3 are legends! To manage to turn away such an overwhelming force! When Johnston was sinking several people saw the Captain of the destroyer Yukikaze saluting the sinking ship in respect for how hard it had fought!
Taffy 3’s destroyer and destroyer escorts kicked more ass that day than any Destroyer over the course of the war. (Not sure if that’s factual but it feels like it should)
@@tdofducksplays it’s mainly the fact they were so outnumbered and outgunned and behaved like they were the bigger force and charged right at the Japanese that day
I totally agree! The US Navy at its finest!
Taffy*
My great uncle was on the USS Samuel B Roberts, he was in the water for 2 days and 2 nights surviving shark attacks, he was one of the lucky ones, remember our fallen, support our military and live life knowing they fought for our freedom
Hope you liked the film !
@@Yarnhub will u make a vid of the spanish civil war?
Thanks yarnhub, my uncle was a cook on the ship, I’m sure he tried to help around the ship but I don’t have much details unfortunately.
The Destroyer escort that fought like a battleship
My father was on the USS Heermann (DD 532), he saw the Robers go down. One important item missed was in the beginning of the battle, the Japanese were firing armor piercing shells not realizing how thin the ship’s hull were. Later they switched to high explosive rounds. This error actually saved some of the ships. The AP rounds passed through without exploding unless they hit something like an engine.
My father said if a marine found out you were in Taffy 3, that marine would by you a round. Taffy 3 saved a lot of marines that day.
My father had nothing good to say about Halsey.
I want to add, if you can visit Fredericksburg Texas, please visit the Pacific War Museum. The museum is next to the Admiral Nimitz Museum. In the Pacific War Museum, you will see the Japanese midget sub found on the beach in Hawaii. Try and coordinate your visit during the re-enactments of the island fighting. Very impressive.
My father was a veteran of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. My brother and I are Vietnam veterans, my mother was a very brave woman. Vietnam was not easy for her.
"When faced with an enemy who's largest gun turrets weigh more than his entire ship, Evans decides that running is boring"-
Drachinifel 2019
The Japanese guns shot over The American a lot because their aim could not be lowered enough
@@raymondweaver8526
The Japanese (specifically, the cruisers, and Yamato against Johnston) scored plenty of hits on the tin cans; it just so happened their shells over-penetrated.
Drach's video about this battle is enthralling!
@@crookedwell8527 . I love that one
The tin cans of Taffy3 standing up against a superior force is one of my favorite WWII underdog stories. Thanks for this.
My grandfather who was 19 when he fought in the Samuel B Robert’s, he was a gun operator on one of the side guns, he shot until the last bullet he had against the Japanese kongo ship.
Epic.
Omega respect
Respect!
Noice 💩
🗿
No matter how many times I hear this story, it still brings goosebumps, really a strong testament to how valiant the Destroyer fleet was during WWII
USS Johnston is another great example.
Testament to the bravery and courage of the sailors and their Captain
@@GrumpyIan Captain Evans, the one Captain that doesn't want to make one go down without a fight
True…absolutely true.
Imagine getting a radar hit and its like the bulk of the japanese navy.. must have been a "well shit" moment. Aircraft carriers arent even that armed and a single shot from the yamato or the battle ships could sink any of their ships. Really one battle ship is very hard to defeat even for a bunch of destroyers, let alone 3. they had 4. 6 heavy cruisers that are really scary and armed ships as well, 2 light cruisers and 11 destroyers. God.
The “this will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected" line was maybe the best line he could say to his crew. Everyone wants to run away from danger, to find a way to ensure survival. But if you know you ALREADY are at a point where no action can guarantee survival, it's when the will to at least go down swinging activates. That single line turned all his men into berserkers. And, ironically, that berserkness was what allowed more than half of his men to actually survive.
"Throw your soldiers into positions whence there is no escape, and they will prefer death to flight" - Sun Tzu
69th like
Basic fight for survival kicks in.
It's where man turns from normal sanity that we see day to day in our lives, to that of a beast.
A beast that has only one desire in that moment.
To live.
The things we will do to live is truly remarkable.
We all would engage in vigorous combat or make a strenuous effort, using all one's resources. I know I'm going to fight tooth and nail for that next breath.
The only negative thought that will enter your mind in that situation would be, taking more out on your way out.
'Berserkers' - sends a chill out my armhairs
WW2
6:32
That crippled destroyer was the USS Johnston, Fletcher-class commanded by Ernest E Evans (who disappeared after ordering abandon ship and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for leading the destroyer charge into battle).
The crew of the Johnston were also saluted by a Japanese captain as his ship passed by the crew in the water
To be honest I wish the episode focused more heavily on the Johnston, the entire crew was a badass
There was even pilots who landed on the very recently captured Airstrip and while their plane was being rearmed and refueled took up arms and fought alongside the Marines until their plane was ready, There's even an account of a pilot emptying his side arm firing down on the ships. They threw everything they had at them. And that's not to mention the bad-ass that was Evans. Taffy 3 is 1 of my favorite maritime 2 fisted tails, And in my opinion one of the greatest feats of arms ever committed.
Apparently the uss Johnston is still not done preforming great achievements. Because with discovery of her wreck see is now the deepest know ship wreck in the world.
Yea, when I heard this was task unit Taffy 3 I was sure this video would be about the Johnston. The tale of the Samuel B. Roberts, a destroyer escort, going toe-to-toe with the heavy cruiser Chikuma by using every munition they have for their two 5-in. guns is definitely incredible. But the story of the USS Johnston is one of unbelievable perseverance under fire that deserves more than a cameo.
So they found the Samuel B. Roberts two days ago, four miles under the pacific, split in half. It's now the deepest shipwreck discovered and surveyed.
I believe you meant "it's now*"?
@@cleverusername9369 Yes I did, thank you for bringing it to my attention.
The fact that a movie (that I’m aware of)hasn’t been made about the heroic actions of TAFFY 3 is astounding,it has everything that Hollywood loves,massive naval action,David vs Goliath scene,heroic last stands,suicidal attacks,noble deaths, and a triumphant conclusion….
I've seen (and made) that same plea every time I read an account of the battle...at least the ones which allow comments. In my mind, this was the US Navy's 'Finest Hour' moment; perhaps the greatest battle ever fought by the service.
@@jackdedert2945 you would think that during the late 40s and through the 50s and 60s at least one studio would have produced an epic surrounding Taffy 3….maybe a producer will stumble (it won’t be deliberate)upon the story some day!
@@54blewisYeah, elsewhere I remarked that it should be on it's second or third reboot by now (like Pearl Harbor or Midway).
I agree, an hour by hour account of this battle would be a fantastic movie and a fitting honor to the men who perished in service that day.
They would mess it up. No doubt make Ernest Evans ErnestINE Evans in order to have Julia Roberts or somebody play the role.
The third ship to bear the name was the USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58) an Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate. In commemoration of her original namesake, she carried a plaque of dedication to the crew that fought at Samar and their brave actions. On her first patrol assignment to the Persian Gulf she struck an Iranian mine on 14 April 1988. The explosion ripped a fifteen foot hole in the hull, flooded the engine room, and tore the two gas turbine engines from their mounts. More importantly the blast broke the ship's keel, which is normally fatal damage. Despite the damage, power was restored and pumps reversed the flooding. The crew lashed cables to the superstructure from broken hull sections to keep them from splitting apart. Crewmembers passing the plaque during the ordeal were seen touching it, as if to summon their predecessor's bravery in their ordeal. The crew kept her afloat until Navy tugs reached the Samuel B. Roberts five hours later, and the ship was saved. It took eleven months of relocation and major repairs (including the unprecedented removal of her entire engine room and replacement by a new module jacked and welded in place) before she returned to sea trials on 1 April 1989. She served proudly until decommissioned in 2015.
Wow! That name seems to be a synonym for "badass".
Definitely evoking her name sake. The efforts of that Sammy B's crew to keep her going despite her damage is completely in keeping with the spirit of the WW2 ship
Her crew did their namesake proudly?
The WW2 Roberts sister ship USS Johnston's wreckage is the deepest wreck discovered to date.
@@TheMhalpern The Johnston was one of the ships of Taffy 3, but she was one of the Fletcher class destroyers, not one of the destroyer escorts
Samuel B. Roberts earned the title "The Destroyer Escort that Fought Like a Battleship" for her actions on that day. Thank you yarnhub for this amazing video.
Don't forget Uss Johntson.Even The Japanese Honoured them Calling them Samurai and throwing overboard Rafts and Food,over the Legendary Ijn Yukikaze.
@@pranavshinde4472 dont forget USS Laffey and how she pummeled the IJN Hiei, heck is even in the Azur Lane as a hint and her skill is named "Warlord of the Solomons"
@@AtemerusRhayli There was One Pilot in a Bomber who had Ran out of Ammo,So the Mad Lad Literally,Opened The Hatch Of The Plane,Took Out his Pistol.And shot at The Sailors in MidFlight.And That too not at Any ship But Targeted Directly The Admiral Over Yamato.Yes.The Guy Literally Flied over The Yamato's AA while firing a Freaking!!Pistol!!Now That's Badass.The Pilot was from USS Laffey.
Samar is poop
I was just wondering when you would cover this! The Johnston didn’t run with the other ships, instead immediately turning on the attack in an attempt to protect the other members of the taskforce! Johnston was discovered last year almost perfectly preserved, its guns still in firing position, as if it was still fighting, its number still proudly displayed on its side, now the deepest wreck ever discovered!
You see, the Johnston was bored with running, its also really interesting hearing about the ship's wreck
The johnston is making sure yamato doesn't come back
@@Pointclearius love drachinifels video!
When the Johnston was commissioned, Captain Evans proclaimed that the the Johnston was a fighting ship and that he would never back down from a fight. He made good on his proclamation in this battle.
@@Pointclearius Ah, I see you are a man of culture as well. Drachinfels' account of this battle and the Johnston's continual 'wait, they did _WHAT?!'_ actions throughout the battle are just one of those things is always pleasing to listen to.
I had to come back here and share this:
They just found the Samuel B. Roberts today. She's split in 2 and a long way down. But she rests at a depth of over 6.5km in all her glory.
@StuckOnAfireHydrant
"6.5 km" ? ? ? ? ?
Convert that to a unit of measure that has meaning. Like feet or miles.
Or feet.
Nobody uses kilometers to describe ocean depth. Except maybe a coupla weirdos in the Commonwealth.
twice the depth of the Titanic
ruclips.net/video/sfGI_6_gvmU/видео.html
Beautiful ❤
@@linguinatorschwartz9309 you do know right that imperial units aren't the ones with 'meaning' cuz they're based of off metric units
@@big_man_ank1768 -- No one knows what you're trying to say. Re-read your comment, edit it for clarity, and we'll try again.
'She canna' take much more Captain'. Best reference ever. I like how the shell strikes are colored, indicating to the Japanese which shell hits are coming from a specific ship. Nice touch.
I was hoping it was indeed a reference
Sounds like a Star trek reference.
"she canny much more Captain" - fantastic nod to Montgomery Scott!! What a story of courage against overwhelming odds, brilliantly told as always thank you!!!
I was wondering if someone was going to mention this quote.....
The story of USS Johnston needs to be told here as well. That Fletcher got so close to the Battleship line that they took evasive manuevers expecting a torpedo attack, hampering their accuracy.
The ship took an absolute beating just like the Roberts and kept pushing on, before finally slipping below the waves, where she was found and is now the deepest shipwreck on the planet.
Update: THE SAMMY B HAS BEEN FOUND. THE ROBERTS IS NOW THE WORLD'S DEEPEST SHIPWRECK.
So glad to see the Battle off Samar getting more recognition, even if you glossed over the badass actions of USS Johnston and its commander Ernest Evans. Highly recommend the book The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors by James D. Hornfischer for anyone interested.
I imagine they had to pick only 1 player in the battle due to the cost of the animation. While the Johnstone was crucial in instigating the offensive action as well as defending the carriers from a destroyer line closing in; the actions of the Samuel B Roberts can't be overlooked. A destroyer escort with only 2 5" guns going toe to toe with heavy cruisers, with 1 turret weighing almost as much as the DE, for the better part of an hour is nothing short of legendary. The battle of Samar as a whole is legendary and Yarnhub could probably do a whole short series on the events in it. Drachinifel has an excellent video on it with time stamps and prelude/aftermath. Dogfights or Battle 360 has a good animated episode on the battle as well
@@hammer1349 Also because Ernest Evans was lost at sea (seen on life raft, never recovered) there are gaps in individual accounts of what happened there, mostly pieced together between actions and accounts of survivors from various ships, but a lot has to be inferred
He ordered oil dumped into the fuel mixture to produce more smoke. The officer from the Engine Room complained it would be bad for the engines. He responded telling him he expected the ship likely would not survive more than a couple of hours.
He did cover the Johnston in a later video.
LOVE that book!
On June 22nd, 2022, five days after this video was published, the wreck of the USS Samuel B. Roberts was finally found. She rests at 6,895 meters, and is as of June 2022, the deepest shipwreck ever surveyed. Coincidentally, the shipwreck she overtook for that title, was none other than her battle compatriot USS Johnston. It is some coincidence that in the days after this video released, she was finally surveyed. Blessings to you and the men who gave their lives to fight the menace at sea. We finally get to know of their resting place.
I am a Pole ... Piorun vs Bismarck. The tin cans really got their place in Halls of Valhalla
The Sammy B was only the secondary target for that dive. The dive team wanted to find USS Gambier Bay. However it may be the case that the Gambier Bay is resting even deeper than the Sammy B.
I heard about this battle about a year ago and since I am stunned how Taffey 3 survived. Rest In Peace all of those who died in this battle.
The Samuel B. Roberts was known to history as the destroyer escort that fought like a battleship.
But there was another great hero ship in the battle: the USS Johnston. She was the first of the Taffey III ships to attack. In just the first ten minutes of the battle, the Johnston blew the bow off the heavy cruiser, Kumano. The attack also caused the heavy cruiser, Suzuya, to give the Kumano aid and escort her from the battle zone.
Soon after, the Johnston was damaged by the battleship Kongo and possibly the Yamato. Though badly damaged, the Johnston continued fighting and later caused the light cruiser, Yahagi and four destroyers, that were making an attack run against the escort carriers, to fire their torpedoes prematurely and miss. But the Japanese ships soon trained their guns onto the Johnston and sink her.
Captain Ernest Evans, though he abandoned ship with his crew, died of his wounds. He was postumastly awarded the Medal of Honor.
It was nice that Evans and his ship had a cameo at 6:34, but honestly Yarnhub should do a who video on them as well
You can’t forget the part that they fired everything including the Sandbag practice ammo at the enemy. And I heard (although I’m not sure it’s true) The japanese threw food and water to the men in the water shouting “Samurai Samurai!” Honoring the men for their Fearlessness and honorable bravery.
For a long time, it was thought that Jonston was hit by a single 14 inch shell from Kongo, and a few 6 inch shells, possibly the 6.1 inch secondary armament from Yamato. However, as more info came out about the battle recently, and records from the Jonston were released, it was found that the Jonston was hit by 3 main armament guns, and 3 secondary armament hits. These hits matching the Kongo is extremely sketchy at best, as there was no way Kongo could have hit Jonston with 3 secondary guns in a single salve, as she could only fire 2 at an angle. The 6 inch hits also couldn't be from a light cruiser, as the only two light cruisers in the fleet were targeting other locations. Further more, if there was enough shell dispersion, she could hit 3 time with her main armament. The hits fit Yamato a lot more, matching both a frontal and aft salvo from her guns. She was in a better firing position, and could most definitively scored 3 secondary hits with her 6.1 inch guns. Not only that, but 3 main battery hits also suit her a lot more, since she was armed with triple turrets, while Kongo was only armed with twin turrets. So, most, if not all sources past 2012 list Jonston as being hit by Yamato, and not Kongo.
I believe I read somewhere that they recently found the Johnston at the bottom of the ocean. Still in pretty good shape considering the time. It is also the deepest shipwreck ever found
@@ctwells40 She was found back in 2019 and is currently the deepest know shipwreck in the world lying just past 6,100m/20,000ft and was explored partially in April 2021, the front portion was in relatively good condition with the guns still facing the correct direction, however it's hard to tell just what she was hit by yet and more dives are required however very few submersibles are able to reach her.
One of the greatest war stories. All we need now is the perspective of Commander Evans and USS Johnston.
I was certain that this episode would be about the Johnston, but the Roberts certainly deserves it's own chapter.
The Sammy B and GQ Johnny went down as legends
Got your wish
They fired that cannon like a machinegun!
My jaw hit the floor.
"The destroyer escort that fought like a battleship" indeed.
The transition from the animation to the actual photo made me tear up. It's amazing how much work and research goes into these videos beside the wonderful animations!
I am a Spanish guy of 52 years, who love this channel, the Animátions, and the Fantastic/motivated Narration *and perfect Music too!!!. My english is very basic, but I feel like in the middle of all the histories of this channel (and I learn some more English too, thanks to that clear narration/pronunciation *This is like the old days of the Radionovels of my youth, but with amazing Animations 😃)
Even if these stories didn't have pictures, it would be a fantastic Historical Podcast on its own.
I think this is a great team to do audiobooks too (of great interest to blind people for example)
Great content. To me, it is totally baffling that the truly epic "Battle off Samar" has yet to be made into a major motion picture. Indomitable bravery, and resoluteness against all odds. Legendary!
Probably too hard for most people to believe it happened.
It is baffling. Midway, Dunkirk and D-Day have been overdone in cinema. History like this needs to be shared.
Unfortunately the Pacific war has always been revolving around Pearl harbor. It's too unfortunate that there's not much film about the WW2 in the Philippines. Hollywood should make one about this battle or the Bataan Death March or the Battle of Manila
For a long time, the Navy didn't want to talk about it.
@@gregorycochran911 My apologies in advance for my verbose response. I was aware of the Navy not wanting the details to get out. One reason was that, despite the incredible victory, many of the upper echelon Navy brass involved made decisions that were inept or negligent. 1. Poor coordination of the establishment of responsibilities for the various Task Forces; 2. Admiral Halsey falling for the bait of an IJN decoy carrier force; 3. Admiral Sprague's initial orders to Taffy 3 to retreat were totally inadequate. 4. Commander Evans, Captain of the destroyer USS Johnston, flagrantly disobeyed the orders of his superior, Admiral Sprague, to cover the withdrawal of Taffy 3 by generating smoke screen with his vessel; 5. Admiral Sprague was obviously shamed into taking more decisive action by the example Commander Evans' elan'; 6. The total screwup of post-battle rescue and recovery by Admiral Kinkaid that needlessly cost too many lives of victorious brave sailors helplessly adrift in the sea. So, yeah multiple high ranking Admirals screwed up royally and didn't want the details to get out and tarnish their reputations, using the lame excuse: "for the good of the Navy",
From the Philippines, we salute you Taffy 3 for your bravery and sacrifice in against all odds with the mighty center force of the Imperial Japanese Navy....
Thank you so much for making this video! I recommended it a while ago, but I don't know if you ever saw the comment.
The last sailor from the USS Samuel B. Roberts, Mr. Adred Lenoir, just died this March, and I am very grateful to have been able to talk to him over the phone a mere 4 months before he passed away.
He’s with his brothers and family now! May he rest in piece!
What an honor
Incredible. Please tell us all you can about his view on the battle
This is just an insane display of how sheer will can overcome overwhelming odds. The tin can sailors are truly amongst the bravest ever
My grandpa was on the USS Kalinin Bay at Samar. He recalled that he didn't think much beyond his duties during the battle, but it "got his attention" when the 5" gun mounted on the aft of the carrier opened fire on the Japanese destroyers. One blessing the carriers had was that Japan initially identified them as fleet carriers rather than escort carriers, so their ranging was off.
never clicked so fast on a video. Taffy 3 NEEDS a Sabaton song, and a movie
I got chills when the animation transitioned to the original photograph. Fantastic video as always Yarnhub Team!
Yeah. 10:37
I was expecting a full-on animation for the entire video. I love that the makers credited their sources instead of trying to pass off the animated parts and sound effects as authentic footage.
You forgot that one of the Flechers (USS Johnston, the badly damaged destroyer) was already returning from a torpedo run that crippled a Japanese cruiser when Coepland saw it.
this video feels about bias towards the Samuel b Roberts. some of thing said and done were not carried out by the joberts.
@@Caktusdud. the Roberts was cool. But honestly I think the USS Johnston was more impressive
@@generalolivervonbismarck393 oh yeah definitely.
She tanked three 18.1 inch shells and three 6.1 inch shells from Yamato, and decided that dying is overrated and continued onwards
And at that moment, Evans was at the stern shouting engine & steering orders down through a hatch as his bridge had been damaged.
The Yamato's guns may have weighed more than all the destroyers combined. But their balls of steel could sink her with a single hit. This is incredible
6:42 = 2 missing fingers on the left hand of Commander Ernest E. Evans from shrapnel damage. Great attention to detail.
Thanks. We’ll be covering his story.
6:10 A cute Star Trek reference to Lt Commander Montgomery Scott!! Well
played Yarnhub well played
Nice to see the Yarnhub lot aren’t just Star Wars fans lol
bro, that made me laugh so hard.
I'm a Filipino and Samar alongside Leyte is my neighboring island, it's truly fascinating that one of the largest naval battle (and the largest) in history, took place off the neighboring offshores
The DD that the Roberts past was the first one into combat on this mission, and the last one to sink, USS Johnston DD 557
also the deepest known war grave and shipwreck
@@thesmirkingwolf aye, that she is.
@@thesmirkingwolf They found parts of the Roberts( Torpedo Tubes) this week and hopefully the Hull soon *fingers crossed*. I believe they are also looking for Hoel and Gambier Bay.
@@thesmirkingwolf and now she is no longer the deepest, they found the Roberts
@@thesmirkingwolf they found roberts and is now the deepest shipwreck
7:20 & 7:40 are Absolutely Gorgeous bits of Animation, the Breech shot Lighting up the Rifling was Cinematic Brilliance 👌
Reminds me of that one war thunder trailer called “Victory is Ours” which made me smile
@6:09 for the obvious but well placed Star Trek reference….nice job sneaking that one in there, Yarnhub animator / development guy, nice job indeed.
My father was a destroyer man, a gunnery officer, USNA '43, graduated 1942. He served in the Atlantic during WWII, and patrolled the Pacific immediately after the war. He was an destroyer executive officer during the Korean War, and later commanded a squadron of 4 destroyers out of San Diego in the early '50s.
As such, I was well aware of this engagement from his storytelling, long before there were great YT videos like this one. Thanks for your creative effort - this is a "tin car" story worth retelling over and over again.
For those who want to see more of the battle off Samar, look up this episode of Dogfights: Death of the Japanese Navy. It focuses on both fleets and the tactics used in the battle with accounts from a couple sailors and a navy pilot who were in said battle.
There a crap ton of languages on the world and even those can't express how much I love this channel.
I chuckled with the Scotty quote “She cannot take much more Captain!”. Well played!
Recently saw the film made about the ship that went to find Gambier Bay ended up finding the Johnson and Sammie B. Men were made differently in that time, and the tin can sailors a breed we’ll never see again. Goddess and God keep them. Seeing the damage on the ships…just wow
I scrolled quite a ways down in the comments, but either nobody else caught it, or cared enough to comment upon it. I had a real honest to goodness laugh out loud when the engineering officer "Lucky" gets on the horn to say "She cannot take much more Captain". 6:08 Such a Scotty to Kirk moment. Little touches like these, plus the superb animation, are what set Yarnhub apart.
I got it, after thinking about it for two seconds. “Why would an American in the engine room speak with a Scottish accent? Oh, I got it!”
I also wondered when someone else would notice the quote..
One can only imagine how differently the Leyte Gulf Campaign would’ve turned out if not for the courageous sailors, officers and airmen of Taffy 3. May they keep on sailing on calm seas.
A few Soldiers there after all that was point!
Thank you Yarnhub! I will use this for my project. Proud filipino 🇵🇭
I love the transitions to actual photos gives me the chills
I saw the title of the video and I made a bunch of sounds that sounded like I was drowning because I was so excited. Thank you YarnHub!
this is still my favorite story of ww2 and the crews of Johnstown/Sammy b Roberts serve as an inspiration. long live the tincan sailors
One of my favorites too! Try the video ‘odds what are those?’ By drachinifel for lots of good info and fun commentary!
Yamato: turrets themselves weigh more than the DDs
Johnstown: so i started blasting
One correcion: JohnsTON Not JohnsTOWN...though I would love to have such a glorious ship named after my hometown.
Imagine being in a destroyer and seeing the Yamato ... You'd have to be brave as hell to not simply bolt for the horizon.
If I'm being honest, i get bored whenever i watch naval battles documentary. But this video got me hooked, i actually did watch it from the beginning till the end.
1:25 That is 100% a background image right there. Amazing graphics as always guys
You use these as backrounds too?
The fact that the title "The Destroyer Escort that Fought like a Battleship" was never mentioned is a travesty
I love the story of Taffy 3 with the legendary sacrifice of the USS Samual B. Roberts, but I wish you also talked about the USS Johnson who was the first US ship to attack the Japanese suite at the battle of Samar.
Incredible story, very well told, I hope this video goes viral, it’s a story that deserves to be remembered
A minor detail: only battleship guns had dye packets in their shells. The colors in the Battle off Samar were red (Kongō), black (Haruna), and pink (Nagato).
The Battle off Samar, should be made into a movie.🍿
Honestly that tale in my opinion is a greater story than midway. I mean even the pilot let's who lost their Carrier landed on a newly captured runway fought alongside Marines killing Japanese troops On the ground while there plane was being refueled and rearmed only to go backup To fly into battle On the sea. Even to the point of emptying their sidearm firing down upon the ships. This is a total badass battle. One of the best two fisted tales ever told.
it's on History Channel a lot
Great video once again yarnhub!
Now it’s time to go to the comments to see tons of “my grandfather was *blank*”
My grandfather fought on the side of the british in North Africa (we South African). He served on a RAF bomber as crew. He wanted to be a pilot but alas he, and myself, are colour blind and this somehow prevented him from doing that, so i guess he did the next best thing. RIP Pops, miss you ❤️
'She canna take much more, Captain!'
- When Scottie from Star Trek is in your engine room, you have a big advantage.
There was a lot that went into Taffy 3's amazing victory.
One part was that the aggressive action caused the Japanese ships to maneuver, and that threw their targeting off. The American ships had targeting computers that automatically adjusted for maneuvering,
And the agressive maneuvering also put the Destroyers and Destroyer Escorts below minimum range of the ships they were attacking.
And since Japanese thought they were being attacked by Cruisers and Fleet Carriers, they used armor piercing ammo against unarmored ships.
It is still amazing that the US ships were basically killing a cruiser and damaging another large ship for every smaller ship they lost.
This isn't a battle spoken of much outside of military and naval warfare fans, but it is still studied in naval academies.
Truly a battle of epic proportions presented in an epic style. Great work Yarnhub.
It's important to remember the heroes who have since passed away.
That transition from animation to historical photo was just epic! Great video as always Yarnhub
While you glossed over the Johnston in a near-unforgivable way, im glad you covered the battle.
Americans love a good last stand/plucky underdog tale, and this battle is about as "US Navy" as John Paul Jones raiding the British mainland.
He didn't "gloss over". He got key details wrong. Details about the actions of Ernest Evans, the commander of the Johnston. I get the impression that he didn't conduct research from a valid source. This inaccurate telling of an astounding battle is unforgivable.
Might wanna check their update. There will be an upload on the Johnston's POV.
The engine room officer I about died from laughter when I heard him say can't take much more captain just like Scotty in star strek lol
The person I bought my house from 17 years ago was on one of those carriers, it was hit by a kamakazi he had some pictures of it, we sat around for awhile after all the paper work was done and shot the breeze so to speak, he was an alright guy. I'm 69 so Growing up in a small town I knew a lot of WWII vets it was a different and much better country back than, today not so much!
This story youve told is amazing. I would love to see a multi part series of this battle. Theres so many various stories to be told here. Excellent work yet again Yarnhub. Keep up the great work
The tv series dogfights covered this battle.
If you want a longer retelling of the battle going a little more in depth I recommend ruclips.net/video/4AdcvDiA3lE/видео.html
Nice video on an amazing battle. This definately needs a part 2 with the USS Johnston DD-557 under Ernest E. Evans, the destroyer with the wounded captain on the back that was mentioned.
Your wish is locked and loaded :)
@@Yarnhub Let's gooooo!! Thanks Yarnhub!
the Johnston was one of the most epic ships of WW2
@@Yarnhub thank! Th8s battle is one that I always like seeing videos on regardless of how much I’ve read or watched regarding it!
Johnston is the deepest wreck recorded and was only recently that they found her. One of the surviving crew was shown footage from a robot that was surveying the wreck. Her mounts were still pointed outward as if still engaging the enemy vessels.
A truly Epic video and yet another deep dive into war history, your videos never cease to both fascinate and amaze me with the heroic feats of those heroic men and the spectacular animations, Good show, Yarnhub
This is a well know and celebrated battle
Beautifully done with great honor. Thank you
I never get tired of these videos, keep the videos up, its been two years since the first video i ever saw of you guys and been subscribed every since and I am so proud of the progress the channel has made. Once again, keep up the amazing work.
You should make a separate video for the USS Johnston. That ship make this battle legendary alongside the USS Samuel Roberts. Taffy 3 story is one of the stories out there to be called impossible yet it happened. That is why i love this story. Its good to see this animated. Good work as usual! From PH🇵🇭
“Death of the Japanese Navy”
If you recognize this phrase, you are a legend
“In 5 furious minutes The Johnston’s main battery fires over 200 rounds”, ah dogfights, that’s my childhood right there
It was because of that episode the little me HATED the Kongo. How DARE she cripple the Johnston and Sammy B.
I've been waiting for an episode related to the events here in the Philippines for a long time! Thanks, Yarnhub. It is amazing to see that your work is improving with every episode!
Hahahahah
I am still amazed at how well the ocean waves and water effects look in your videos. Another great video, thank you!
"She can-nuh take much more Captain". Homage to Mr. Scott of Enterprise fame? :)
At last seeing my grandfather's battle on your channel makes me happy because more pl now know about it if I had my way everyone would know of there heroic battle and if only I could make a movie thank you yarnhub truly thank you
Another outstanding production by Yarnhub! The Battle of Samar is an excellent example of selfless sacrifice of US forces in combat. Keep up the great work.
For some reason, the Roberts is the ship most talked about from Samar. For my money, the USS Johnston was the big dog of that fight, it's captain and crew were among the ballsiest men in US Navy history. In this video, that was the ship with the captain on the aft deck yelling orders down a hatch. That was the last time he was seen.
Captain Earnest Evans and the USS Johnston were the first ship to attack. Evans didn't wait for orders, he charged and blew the bow of an IJN cruiser with his torpedo run. After engaging several Japanese ships, including the Yamato itself, the Johnston returned to and rejoined the rest of Taffy 3. They were heading in for their own attack run, which is when the Roberts launched its torpedoes. The Johnston attacked the battleship Kongo and a heavy cruiser. The Johnston eventually ended up engaged a group of 4 destroyers and a light cruiser. This disrupted their torpedo run at our carriers. However, this last fight was joined by an additional 2 IJN cruisers and they finally overwhelmed the Johnston.
In the end, the Johnston wound up crippling a cruiser, engaging 3 battleships (one of which was the largest battleship in history), 7 cruisers and an assortment of destroyers. She took hits up to and including 14 inch shells and kept fighting. By drawing fire, driving away enemies and disrupting torpedo runs, she saved an unknown number of friendly ships. That's one hell of a final battle for a tin can.
We’re working on the USS Johnston episode
@@Yarnhub Outstanding. I can't wait, you did great work with this one.
¡Gracias!
Thank you !
The animations just keep getting better and better
Great video, Yarnhub!
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For those with some unfamiliarity, the "EOT" is the Engine Order Telegraph. The device used to send throttle orders down to the engine room.
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The Japanese used different color dyes in their shells to differentiate whose shells were landing so the ship's gunners knew how accurate they were being and adjust accordingly.
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The USS Samuel B. Roberts - the “Destroyer Escort That Fought Like a Battleship” - in the battle off Samar was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort, DE-413. Destroyer escorts were smaller than full size destroyers. There have been two ships with this name, the second being the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, FFG-58.
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The commander who was seen directing his ship through a hatch at the rear was none other than Commander Earnest "Big Chief" Evans aboard the Fletcher-class destroyer, USS Johnston (DD-557).
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For further reading/research, I heartily recommend the book "The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" by James D. Hornfischer. An excellent read!
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@6:08 - Yarnhub, nice homage to Commander Montgomery Scott there!
The music and the red sun at 1:25 is just beautiful. Well done guys.
as of June 2022, Samuel B Roberts shipwreck had just been found.
Never fail to amaze. Fly high Yarn Hub.
Great animation guys! I remember watching one of you're 2d animations back in 2020. Gets better with every video!
Yeah remember that too.
Those waves at the end tho were pretty trash ngl 11:26
Seen a lot about the battle off samar, Longer more detailed videos, but this is a good way to get people interested in the battle.... They found the Johnston a few years ago, deepest wreck ever discovered.
I still don’t understand why you don’t have atleast 1 million subs
The Animations are beautiful. Amazing story work.
Samuel B. Roberts fought like battleship than Yamato itself.
Sammy B literally schooled Yamato on how a battleship should be and thats literally a slap in the face of the so called "Pride of the Imperial Navy"
These animations are great! So much detail and work goes into this, and I can see it in all the great scenes! Keep it up!
My grandpas brother was in the battle of samar but my grandpa escaped the Japanese death march and survived by drinking coconut juice And his cousin got beheaded .
but this is A amazing video nice job yarn hub 😁👍