The Hellcat and Corsair always get the glory and recognition but it was the old Wildcat fighter that had to do the heavy lifting against the most skilled and experienced Japanese pilots. Pilots that were seasoned veterans with several YEARS of air combat experience. Pilots that were without a doubt some of the best air combat pilots in the world at the time with an aircraft that was superior in speed, maneuverability, range, and climb to the Wildcat.
This doco glosses over much of the Hell our Boys` went thru in battle. A very simplified accounting of WWII. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. YA'LL TRULY ARE THE GREATEST GENERATION!
To be fair, this doco squeezes 4 YEARS into less then an hour. Alot had to be left out, including all the work our submarines and transport ships had to go through. Not to mention the three fleet battles known collectively as the battle off Samar, the sinking of the shinano, or the sinking of either of the super battleships Musashi and Yamato (the latter of which is a textbook lesson in overkill)
The "Wings" series on the Discovery Channel was one of the best ever. I wish Discovery would pull them out of the vault and remaster them in HD. I know it'll never happen, but I loved this series back in the 90s.
This is one of the very few, accurate and genuine, documentaries of WW2. Hate to see those animated versions done on computer , based on some stories we don't know. Still think had the Japanese not so arrogant/senseless to invade Pearl Harbour and forced the U.S. into war, south East Asia/China would be very different today.
The USA got more savvy during war with Japan. They learned their weakness and took advantage. The 2 super bombs brought Japan to their senses finally. The emperor was not a god but human like them
TBD attacks during the battle of Midway didn't bring the IJN CAP fighters down because they could climb to the SBD's altitude with time to spare before they arrived. If they weren't taking on fuel and ammo they were just plain absent from their picket duty fixated on the air battle with the fighter escorts. What the TBD crews sacrifice did do was run out the clock on Nagumo preventing him from either timely recovery of CAP fighters to refuel and rearm or launch his own counterattacks. Not exactly by the book of coordinated "Hammer & Anvil" attacks in showing up at different times but the circumstances worked in our favor.
At around 35:00, that ceremony (and subsequent burial at sea) was of gunner Loyce Edward Deen, who had been killed by flak and was basically beheaded. www.criticalpast.com/video/65675070253_TBF-Avenger-aircraft_USS-Essex_sea-burial_dead-gunner
My grandfather was flying a wirraway(aussie plane), he was shot down over Darwin nth Australia, he said if you sneezed at a zero you would shoot it down, I think he exaggerated, lol
The narrator says at about the 4:35 mark, that the bases ignored radar warnings! That's a cheap shot. The radar had just been installed and a Private was working with it on a Sunday morning. Privates shouldn't be manning or reading new radar installations. He saw the planes coming, and even called a junior officer who told him to forget about it because it was probably the flight of B-17s from the mainland which was expected shortly. in fact, some tried to land in the middle of the attack. To claim radar warnings were ignored is shoddy work....
The raiders of Doolittle's squad were all heroic, no doubt. However, they were not the first heroes of WW2!! I know you want to push your view, but when it doesn't match up with the truth, these statements hurt the validity of the video, historically speaking, and it becomes your opinion, not history. I like the video, but there are several straight up errors, and it's more like your overview of aviation based actions, leaving out important facts while replacing them with your point of view which is stated as fact. Twice there is mention of radar being used. Once, at Pearl Harbor the "warnings" were ignored. The radar "warning" wasn't ignored at Midway These statements leave out so many truths about the radar as being important in these two instances, which is misleading. Pearl's radar wasn't even calibrated, let alone working... The radar warning Midway had was the fact a trap was laid by American Navy. Midway KNEW the attacks were coming. Radar importance was not paramount to victory. I still enjoyed the video. Perhaps this is an old "Victory at Sea" programs from early TV years. Some facts were not known at the time of making these films which could cause unintentional errors. Thanks for post it.
@ Wes Peeble Wes, Not everything. Washington did not tell Short to line up the planes wing tip to to wing tip. Or not to take the radar seriously. I am an old geezer--77. As for the military. I have always had a good fix on my capabilities. I felt I had to serve during the Vietnam War, but I knew I did not have what it takes to do what you did. I did not want to be responsible for other people.
DNA loss... so to say... if we do not really care of preserving our best DNA /young, strong and committed people/ - we are doomed... And I'm not talking, nor supporting - eugenics or others commy/nazi ideas...
Old biography information. Lot of facts where traditional or misleading. P-38 had the most kills and was an Army aircraft, Corsair and the Hell Cats both claim the most Navy kills. The "most" depends on your source you are using. and what information you leave out. More information is now available that correct the traditional facts.
No mention at all of the Helldiver that sunk more shipping tonnage than any other bomber in the pacific? Not a favorite of either mechanics or pilots but got the job done.
If, as you claim the Aichi D3A could only carry 813lbs. bomb load, then how could it carry a modified 16" shell? The shells were certainly heavier than that.Get your info squared away before you make a "documentary". Some pay attention.
I have never heard such a bunch of whining experts, why don’t you make a documentary instead of keep criticising the efforts of people that make the documentries
Great video. Thought the superfortress carried 16,000lb compared to the Lancasters 22000lb grandslam (still I believe the largest non nuclear bomb). Still, with the added underneath gun turret I suspect they were less easy to shoot down (the Germans modified some aircraft with 45degree upwards angled guns so they could fly under the Lanc and shoot them down).
I’m an old grunt, so I don’t know why I’m worried about it, but it seems to me some of the most important pieces of the Air Wing mechanism is the mechanics that keep the planes in the air. We never really hear much about them, but consider what they had to work with. I don’t think duct tape had been invented. That leaves bailing wire and bubblegum. Of course I favor the Navy Corpsman, but I tip my hat to the boys that work on the planes and keep them flying
On behalf of my late father who was AMM on USS Franklin in 1944, thanks for the commemoration. His job was to keep the Helldivers flying which was not an easy task. The Franklin lost many aircraft on takeoff during shakedown before the mechanics and pilots fixed the problems in time to take the fight to the enemy. RIP CSRII.
Good point. Air forces are commonly measured in terms of numbers. But the important calculation is how many the planes were serviceable. And here the United States did not only lead in numbers of plans, but also the percentage kept serviceable. The fact that so many Americans were familiar with cars, tractors, and mechanics, gave the United States a substantial advantage.
You're absolutely right. The conditions those men worked in were some of the most uncomfortable and unforgiving on Earth. Especially the ones that worked at Henderson field early on during the Guadalcanal campaign. Shame they don't get the recognition and appreciation they deserve. Semper Fidelis my fellow Veteran and thank you for your service and sacrifice.
I was interested to see the reference to skip-bombing by B25s. My father-in-law (Canadian) flew with the RAF out of India and they used B24 Liberators to do the same thing! He was a bomadier. Being British/Commonwealth, they flew WITHOUT co-pilots - I can't even imagine the effort it took to keep a Liberator on track at 50 feet over the water. Thanks to all who served.
The F4F Wildcat, especially the -3 model with its two stage, two speed turbosupercharger, did the heavy lifting in the naval air war until the F6F Hellcat entered the fray. The F6F shot down more enemy aircraft and had a higher kill to loss ratio than any US fighter during the war...not the P-38, P-51, P-47, or F4U.
The old, outdated P-40's of the Flying Tigers had an almost 25 to 1 kill ratio. You must have missed that part of the video. That was due to the tactics being used. It took the Navy and Army Air Corp forever to change to those tactics. There were a lot of F4F and P-39 and P-40 pilots killed because of the old tactic of dog fighting the Japanese.
The Wildcat had to deal with Japan's most skilled and experienced air combat pilots. Pilots that had several YEARS of combat experience flying a plane that was superior in speed, maneuverability, range, and climb. The old Wildcat is definitely worthy of praise. Semper Fidelis my friend!
Au Contraire whoever historian.. Japan's formsl surrender was NOT SEPTEMBER 15TH. IT WAS SEPTEMBER 2ND. On the deck of the USS Missouri!!! I was ten years old on that day! Like Pearl Harbor, Dec 7th 1941, that day is forever recorded in MY brain!! Wiki'd it for ya: "The surrender of Imperial Japan was announced on August 15 and formally signed on September 2, 1945, bringing the hostilities of World War II to a close"
Yamamoto was an American asset... the lead turned out to be too long... can't you see any similarities to BinLaden murder? And then others... Like Russian Litvinienko...
A lot of inaccurate facts in the show. For instance, the Japanese "Kates" carried the type 91 aerial torpedo which weighted 1870 ponds, not the Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedo which weights 5900 pounds. They never would have been able to fly with such a heavy load!! When you include obvious inaccuracies, it diminishes the narrative.
Being land or sea based makes quite the difference, weight and wing difference alone make huge variables in a planes performance, making them basically different planes even if most components are exactly the same.
As with a lot of documentaries about the air war during WWII the attack on Pearl Harbour is used to set the historical events in motion, and one thing that always comes to my mind is the shear appalling way that America was forced into the war. Mistakes where made by American top brass in its interpretation of intelligence and disposition of its forces, but japan committed such a cowardly attack that they got what they deserved in the end. At one point in the narration,during the Mariana’s turkey shoot, the narration states that the Japanese were shot down by “superior aircraft and pilots” Japan would never b able to match America in terms of aircraft superiority, but had Japan not left all their experienced pilots on the front line, but rotated them the same way as America did the American pilots would have had a far harder time in the “target rich environment “ they would still have prevailed but the kill ratio would have been far worse. To this day I believe that American industrial might will never be matched, and the determination of its citizens to support its military can never be overlooked by the enemy, then or now. Thanks for sharing this excellent film, it concentrated on the facts and not the politics behind the war, a refreshing approach. Tx from the United Kingdom 🇬🇧.
Many things seem obvious when we look back. The U.S. even had war games or fleet problems where Japan attacked Pearl, Panama Canal and other places by carriers. It was said that Japan would attack Pearl Harbor on a Sunday morning years before it happened. The other targets in the Pacific Ocean seem obvious as well. All you have to do is look at a map. Japan needed oil, rubber, metals etc when the American's stopped exporting these goods to them. Seems obvious again to look at a map and think where Japan will get these goods. However, that was then and maybe today we oversimplify yesterday's world. I do know one thing though, there is far too many cheap shots and put downs between the U.K. and the U.S. today. Nobody's perfect but out of respect for the sacrifices made by servicemen and women and their families, the comments section needs to be censored. It warms my heart to see you simply saying thanks. I say thanks to the U.K. as well. My family's sacrifices did not end at the end of the 2 WW's. Those boys came back men, changed men. They were never the same as when they left to serve. Cheers...
The Japanese weren't counting on a long, drawn out war lasting several years. They figured on 18 months, maybe 2 years and the Allies would be ready to sue for peace. When that didn't happen, they didn't have a system in place to train large amounts of pilots. Pilot training takes a lot of time and resources that have to be diverted from the frontline units doing the fighting. Semper Fidelis my friend!
The Japanese introduced the rules of war at Pearl Harbor and the Americans pursued those rules at Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Unreserved destruction, achieving maximal results. This was necessary and justified action by the Americans.
Read up on how much destruction and killing was done by regular bombing compared with the Atom Bombs. I am fully convinced that they were only dropped to show Russia how powerful America was.
Actually, the Russians would've overrun Japan within a week, and, we couldn't have that! Oh for shame, my dear. Also, let's face it, just like the Nazis, we wanted to see what it would actually do to actual people. And, in spite of our romantic memories, Harry S Truman made Trump look like a genius. Glad to see the American propaganda so successful all these decades later! So... you probably never heard of the LBJ impeachment that was going to start the week of Nov 25th, 1963. Or the attack on the US Liberty in 1967. Well sir, allow me to bring you joy of your bliss. You ain't missin nothin!
@ The Russians did not have the Navy capable of invading Japan in August 1945. And just who is this Just who is this "We". The main reason the bomb was used was because of the losses on Iwo and Okinawa. Any president that had not used the bomb would have been impeached when the casualty reports began coming in from a Kyushu invasion.
@@mmckee58 The Russians did not have the Navy capable of invading Japan in August 1945. And just who is this Just who is this "We". The main reason the bomb was used was because of the losses on Iwo and Okinawa. Any president that had not used the bomb would have been impeached when the casualty reports began coming in from a Kyushu invasion.
I don't think we really defeated the Kamikazee. If the war had continued the suicide planes would have continued and I understand they were responsible for some 10,000 Allied deaths as well as all the ships they hit in just one attack from Saipan. Who knows. The war was ended with our atomic bombs, preventing a full frontal assault of the home island of Japan.
You are going to hate this but; nuts Japan had few planes and no fuel left for Kamikaze attacks and despite what the Americans claim the Atomic Bombs did not cause Japan to surrender Russia declaring war on Japan did.
@@philbellamy5556 Whatis your source? Simply not true. The Japanese had 5,000 planes ready to go. And you do not need much fuel for a one way, short range flight.
The narrative about the torpedo bombers bringing the zeros down to low altitude thereby giving the dive bombers a clear run, is an old narrative, and has since been disproved by primary source material. Jon Parshall has multiple videos on youtube explaining his recent findings.
Sucker punching unexpecting targets is good strategy but doesn't make the Japanese great warriors. But it sounds like great literature. Its all about the "sell".
Okay, the Japanese Torpedo's used at Pearl Harbor, actually had special wooden anti diving fins installed on them. Second, the two "Aces" of the Pacific theater of war.Flew P-38's. Mustangs played but a small role. Sorry, no sub.
@ Janes Hart Mustangs did not play a small role, thee number of air victories were limited because of when they were introduced, but they played am important role in escorting the B-29s and than low-level attacks that destroyed the Japanese transport system.
The P-38 was faster than what is listed by a long ways. It was a 400+ plane, easily as fast as the Corsair, and as much better fighter. Both the US #1 and #2 aces of the war flew them.
We had only 3 aircraft carriers in 1942? There was the USS Lexington (CV-2), USS Enterprise (CV-6), USS Yorktown (CV-5), USS Hornet (CV-8), USS Wasp (CV-7), USS Langley (CV-1), USS Saratoga (CV-3), USS Ranger (CV-4). We had 8 aircraft carriers when we entered the war!
The Japanese home islands are not tropical whatsoever They suffered the same challenges as the Americans…..malaria,dysentery,staph infections,heat and humidity…the huge difference is the American’s had much better support…the Japanese often suffered from significant food shortages….malnutrition certainly was not uncommon and contributed immensely to there other tropical issues especially infections 😮😮😮😢😢😢
Still remember seeing this especially after the VHS tape. Memories.
This narrator has the coolest voice and diction. One of the best and most understandable I've ever heard.
Frank Frazier Jr. He sounds a little like Stacy Keach. A tad more intense than Stacy. A touch of Charlton Heston/Ronald Reagan. He is good !
The Hellcat and Corsair always get the glory and recognition but it was the old Wildcat fighter that had to do the heavy lifting against the most skilled and experienced Japanese pilots. Pilots that were seasoned veterans with several YEARS of air combat experience. Pilots that were without a doubt some of the best air combat pilots in the world at the time with an aircraft that was superior in speed, maneuverability, range, and climb to the Wildcat.
Lt. Col. (Post.) Richard "Dick" Cole, the last of the Doolittle Raiders died April 9, 2019.
This doco glosses over much of the Hell our Boys` went thru in battle. A very simplified accounting of WWII. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. YA'LL TRULY ARE THE GREATEST GENERATION!
To be fair, this doco squeezes 4 YEARS into less then an hour. Alot had to be left out, including all the work our submarines and transport ships had to go through. Not to mention the three fleet battles known collectively as the battle off Samar, the sinking of the shinano, or the sinking of either of the super battleships Musashi and Yamato (the latter of which is a textbook lesson in overkill)
The "Wings" series on the Discovery Channel was one of the best ever. I wish Discovery would pull them out of the vault and remaster them in HD. I know it'll never happen, but I loved this series back in the 90s.
This is one of the very few, accurate and genuine, documentaries of WW2. Hate to see those animated versions done on computer , based on some stories we don't know. Still think had the Japanese not so arrogant/senseless to invade Pearl Harbour and forced the U.S. into war, south East Asia/China would be very different today.
as an old ac mech, you're welcome, we did what we could, but it seemed the fly boys did their best to bust our birds.
What a beautiful way to be buried at sea, in your plane at battle stations,
The USA got more savvy during war with Japan. They learned their weakness and took advantage. The 2 super bombs brought Japan to their senses finally. The emperor was not a god but human like them
I t wasn't a captured Japanese medal , it was a medal presented to Doolittle during peacetime by the emperor
exactly - why would he give 'back' a captured medal - a war trophy? :-DDD there's many more manipulations and lies in this"doc"...
during the Vietnam war, a classmate was a naval pilot and returned home safely
TBD attacks during the battle of Midway didn't bring the IJN CAP fighters down because they could climb to the SBD's altitude with time to spare before they arrived. If they weren't taking on fuel and ammo they were just plain absent from their picket duty fixated on the air battle with the fighter escorts. What the TBD crews sacrifice did do was run out the clock on Nagumo preventing him from either timely recovery of CAP fighters to refuel and rearm or launch his own counterattacks. Not exactly by the book of coordinated "Hammer & Anvil" attacks in showing up at different times but the circumstances worked in our favor.
The Final Countdown
Fantastic movie!
Starring Kirk Douglas!
Lots of incorrect info in here - the Avenger specifically had a 2000lb load, 3x .50 cal, and 1x .30 cal (not 1600lb load, 2x .30 cal and 1x .50 cal)
At around 35:00, that ceremony (and subsequent burial at sea) was of gunner Loyce Edward Deen, who had been killed by flak and was basically beheaded.
www.criticalpast.com/video/65675070253_TBF-Avenger-aircraft_USS-Essex_sea-burial_dead-gunner
@22:55 It means much worse scenarios if Japan did not surrender,
My grandfather was flying a wirraway(aussie plane), he was shot down over Darwin nth Australia, he said if you sneezed at a zero you would shoot it down, I think he exaggerated, lol
pat rick ,mustangs were used near end of the war from okinawa to japan
Many --not all-- of the 49th FG transitioned from Lightnings to Mustangs at Hokaido. They did not like the Mustangs as well as the 38s
P-38 lightning shoot down more aircraft in the Pacific then any other and it wasn't even mentioned!
The narrator says at about the 4:35 mark, that the bases ignored radar warnings! That's a cheap shot. The radar had just been installed and a Private was working with it on a Sunday morning. Privates shouldn't be manning or reading new radar installations. He saw the planes coming, and even called a junior officer who told him to forget about it because it was probably the flight of B-17s from the mainland which was expected shortly. in fact, some tried to land in the middle of the attack. To claim radar warnings were ignored is shoddy work....
Again, at 26:20, the radar warnings were heeded, not ignored like at Pearl Harbor..... come on, man. Get it right.
The raiders of Doolittle's squad were all heroic, no doubt. However, they were not the first heroes of WW2!! I know you want to push your view, but when it doesn't match up with the truth, these statements hurt the validity of the video, historically speaking, and it becomes your opinion, not history. I like the video, but there are several straight up errors, and it's more like your overview of aviation based actions, leaving out important facts while replacing them with your point of view which is stated as fact. Twice there is mention of radar being used. Once, at Pearl Harbor the "warnings" were ignored. The radar "warning" wasn't ignored at Midway These statements leave out so many truths about the radar as being important in these two instances, which is misleading. Pearl's radar wasn't even calibrated, let alone working... The radar warning Midway had was the fact a trap was laid by American Navy. Midway KNEW the attacks were coming. Radar importance was not paramount to victory. I still enjoyed the video. Perhaps this is an old "Victory at Sea" programs from early TV years. Some facts were not known at the time of making these films which could cause unintentional errors. Thanks for post it.
Darrell Dailey @ Absolutely correct. There was nothing like the British Chain Home system.
@ Wes Peeble Wes, Not everything. Washington did not tell Short to line up the planes wing tip to to wing tip. Or not to take the radar seriously. I am an old geezer--77. As for the military. I have always had a good fix on my capabilities. I felt I had to serve during the Vietnam War, but I knew I did not have what it takes to do what you did. I did not want to be responsible for other people.
What a massive loss of life.
DNA loss... so to say... if we do not really care of preserving our best DNA /young, strong and committed people/ - we are doomed... And I'm not talking, nor supporting - eugenics or others commy/nazi ideas...
Excellent.
At about 12:50 there’s a North American Aviation AT-6 pretending to be a Mitsubishi Zero.
Good call, I wasn't the only one to catch that. That AT-6 was modified to look like a zero for the movie "Torah- Torah- Torah".
The capture of iwo jima only
50:05 "The Imperial Empire"
Ah yes, American America vs. the Imperial Empire of Japanese Japan
The P-38 did not destroy the most Japanese aircraft the F6F Hellcat did.
No, you are wrong. The P-38 was #1 in this, and this is a long-settled question.
between 8:32 & 8:33 looks like the cameraman recorded the explosion that killed him.
Old biography information. Lot of facts where traditional or misleading. P-38 had the most kills and was an Army aircraft, Corsair and the Hell Cats both claim the most Navy kills. The "most" depends on your source you are using. and what information you leave out. More information is now available that correct the traditional facts.
No mention at all of the Helldiver that sunk more shipping tonnage than any other bomber in the pacific? Not a favorite of either mechanics or pilots but got the job done.
Weird video effects(to escape the copyright bot)makes this unwatchable. I wanted to see this.
Airman Stork had a good name for a pilot. LOL
Absolutely the Zero was “Fun to Fly” as the vet says . Probably the aircraft I would want to fly for fun
That was good...
Val's did not carry the modified 16" shells, that would be the Kate's.
If, as you claim the Aichi D3A could only carry 813lbs. bomb load, then how could it carry a modified 16" shell? The shells were certainly heavier than that.Get your info squared away before you make a "documentary". Some pay attention.
I have never heard such a bunch of whining experts, why don’t you make a documentary instead of keep criticising the efforts of people that make the documentries
I did try and watch it but the camera focusing in and out was to much for my brain
Does the beginning of this video seem like the start of an SNL skit?
Jesus Loves You
I'd love to watch this but that narrator makes me want to drill holes in my own ears!
butch blakesley 😂😂😂
Go for it pilgrim.
Great video. Thought the superfortress carried 16,000lb compared to the Lancasters 22000lb grandslam (still I believe the largest non nuclear bomb). Still, with the added underneath gun turret I suspect they were less easy to shoot down (the Germans modified some aircraft with 45degree upwards angled guns so they could fly under the Lanc and shoot them down).
I'd like to see todays purple haired $HIT BAG'$ try and pull this rabbit from the hat......
P-51 Mustang? Pacific War? Hmmm missing something? I thunk it was the: Hellcat, Bearcat and Corsair in the Spacific war!!!
Most of the 49FG transitioned from Lightnings to Mustangs at Hokaido, just as the war ended.
The war was over when the Bearcat was made.
@ Pat Rick Part of the reason for taking Iwo was to provide a base fir P-51 escorts.
This is horrible. 3:45 in and just about every "fact" stated has been wrong!
Soon in the War the “maneuverability” of the zero was marginalize
I’m an old grunt, so I don’t know why I’m worried about it, but it seems to me some of the most important pieces of the Air Wing mechanism is the mechanics that keep the planes in the air. We never really hear much about them, but consider what they had to work with. I don’t think duct tape had been invented. That leaves bailing wire and bubblegum. Of course I favor the Navy Corpsman, but I tip my hat to the boys that work on the planes and keep them flying
@Larry Carmody CMD
we had 600 mph tape.
On behalf of my late father who was AMM on USS Franklin in 1944, thanks for the commemoration. His job was to keep the Helldivers flying which was not an easy task. The Franklin lost many aircraft on takeoff during shakedown before the mechanics and pilots fixed the problems in time to take the fight to the enemy. RIP CSRII.
Good point. Air forces are commonly measured in terms of numbers. But the important calculation is how many the planes were serviceable. And here the United States did not only lead in numbers of plans, but also the percentage kept serviceable. The fact that so many Americans were familiar with cars, tractors, and mechanics, gave the United States a substantial advantage.
You're absolutely right. The conditions those men worked in were some of the most uncomfortable and unforgiving on Earth. Especially the ones that worked at Henderson field early on during the Guadalcanal campaign. Shame they don't get the recognition and appreciation they deserve. Semper Fidelis my fellow Veteran and thank you for your service and sacrifice.
They don't make documentaries like this anymore. Priceless content
I was interested to see the reference to skip-bombing by B25s.
My father-in-law (Canadian) flew with the RAF out of India and they used B24 Liberators to do the same thing! He was a bomadier.
Being British/Commonwealth, they flew WITHOUT co-pilots - I can't even imagine the effort it took to keep a Liberator on track at 50 feet over the water.
Thanks to all who served.
The F4F Wildcat, especially the -3 model with its two stage, two speed turbosupercharger, did the heavy lifting in the naval air war until the F6F Hellcat entered the fray. The F6F shot down more enemy aircraft and had a higher kill to loss ratio than any US fighter during the war...not the P-38, P-51, P-47, or F4U.
The old, outdated P-40's of the Flying Tigers had an almost 25 to 1 kill ratio. You must have missed that part of the video. That was due to the tactics being used. It took the Navy and Army Air Corp forever to change to those tactics. There were a lot of F4F and P-39 and P-40 pilots killed because of the old tactic of dog fighting the Japanese.
The Wildcat had to deal with Japan's most skilled and experienced air combat pilots. Pilots that had several YEARS of combat experience flying a plane that was superior in speed, maneuverability, range, and climb. The old Wildcat is definitely worthy of praise. Semper Fidelis my friend!
Au Contraire whoever historian..
Japan's formsl surrender was NOT SEPTEMBER 15TH. IT WAS SEPTEMBER 2ND. On the deck of the USS Missouri!!! I was ten years old on that day! Like Pearl Harbor, Dec 7th 1941, that day is forever recorded in MY brain!!
Wiki'd it for ya:
"The surrender of Imperial Japan was announced on August 15 and formally signed on September 2, 1945, bringing the hostilities of World War II to a close"
Cool. Thanks for the info. Proofread next time.
Long live the greatest country in the world they really woke us sleeping giants lol , not for death but for victory Japan u fucked up on this 1
no matter what anybody says, this was the greatest generation ever, i thank every man , woman , and child for my freedom . lets never forget them..
@ dmr122003 @ Tragically the current Cultural Revolution/ Cancel Culture/ Social Justice Warrios already has.
@@dennisweidner288 so sad you are right..
Let it not go unnoticed that the "hunting down of Yamamoto" took place ONE YEAR TO THE DAY after the Doolittle raid on Japan - Ap 18 '42 - Apr 18 '43.
What are you attempting to suggest?
@@Vatsyayana87 That the God of Abraham & Isaac & Jacob had his hand in the matter. OK?
fixed typo
Yamamoto was an American asset... the lead turned out to be too long... can't you see any similarities to BinLaden murder? And then others... Like Russian Litvinienko...
@@zdzichus.3264Yanamoto was an American asset? Hardly. Ben Laden murder? Please look up the meaning of murder.
I was surprised that there were any Japanese fighters left to tell the tale.
@25:49. Wrong!~. JIN had 4 carriers at the battle of Midway, NOT 6.
A lot of inaccurate facts in the show.
For instance, the Japanese "Kates" carried the type 91 aerial torpedo which weighted 1870 ponds, not the Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedo which weights 5900 pounds. They never would have been able to fly with such a heavy load!! When you include obvious inaccuracies, it diminishes the narrative.
Oscar is the same as the zero just land based and both had 20 mm cannons plus machine guns..
zeke was the land based zero. oscar was a different bird.
Being land or sea based makes quite the difference, weight and wing difference alone make huge variables in a planes performance, making them basically different planes even if most components are exactly the same.
And the Oscar only had Two 7.7mm Machine Guns and No 20mm Cannons. See History Channel "Dogfights Flying Tigers"
it wasnt the only way out,should have just surrenderd earlier...!!!
No mention of the p47 thunderbolt??!!!
11:59 this Zero fighter doing aerobatics over Australia is a captured one the Allies tested for evaluation.
Cool, thanks for the info. Little things like that add to the story as a whole.
Missed one,one landed in Russia.
As with a lot of documentaries about the air war during WWII the attack on Pearl Harbour is used to set the historical events in motion, and one thing that always comes to my mind is the shear appalling way that America was forced into the war. Mistakes where made by American top brass in its interpretation of intelligence and disposition of its forces, but japan committed such a cowardly attack that they got what they deserved in the end.
At one point in the narration,during the Mariana’s turkey shoot, the narration states that the Japanese were shot down by “superior aircraft and pilots” Japan would never b able to match America in terms of aircraft superiority, but had Japan not left all their experienced pilots on the front line, but rotated them the same way as America did the American pilots would have had a far harder time in the “target rich environment “ they would still have prevailed but the kill ratio would have been far worse. To this day I believe that American industrial might will never be matched, and the determination of its citizens to support its military can never be overlooked by the enemy, then or now.
Thanks for sharing this excellent film, it concentrated on the facts and not the politics behind the war, a refreshing approach. Tx from the United Kingdom 🇬🇧.
Many things seem obvious when we look back. The U.S. even had war games or fleet problems where Japan attacked Pearl, Panama Canal and other places by carriers. It was said that Japan would attack Pearl Harbor on a Sunday morning years before it happened. The other targets in the Pacific Ocean seem obvious as well. All you have to do is look at a map. Japan needed oil, rubber, metals etc when the American's stopped exporting these goods to them. Seems obvious again to look at a map and think where Japan will get these goods. However, that was then and maybe today we oversimplify yesterday's world. I do know one thing though, there is far too many cheap shots and put downs between the U.K. and the U.S. today. Nobody's perfect but out of respect for the sacrifices made by servicemen and women and their families, the comments section needs to be censored. It warms my heart to see you simply saying thanks. I say thanks to the U.K. as well. My family's sacrifices did not end at the end of the 2 WW's. Those boys came back men, changed men. They were never the same as when they left to serve. Cheers...
@ Dj Phantom The Japanese were guilty of just about everything during the Pacific War. Cowardly is not one of them.
The Japanese weren't counting on a long, drawn out war lasting several years. They figured on 18 months, maybe 2 years and the Allies would be ready to sue for peace. When that didn't happen, they didn't have a system in place to train large amounts of pilots. Pilot training takes a lot of time and resources that have to be diverted from the frontline units doing the fighting. Semper Fidelis my friend!
Nice toupé, Stuart .... lol
It was climb mount Niigata
I am sure the P38 was not the most successful fighter in the Pacific. That honor went to the Hell Cat...19-1 ratio.
It depends on your definition of successful, one had a higher kill-to-loss ratio the other destroyed more planes.
The Japanese introduced the rules of war at Pearl Harbor and the Americans pursued those rules at Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Unreserved destruction, achieving maximal results. This was necessary and justified action by the Americans.
Read up on how much destruction and killing was done by regular bombing compared with the Atom Bombs. I am fully convinced that they were only dropped to show Russia how powerful America was.
Actually, the Russians would've overrun Japan within a week, and, we couldn't have that! Oh for shame, my dear. Also, let's face it, just like the Nazis, we wanted to see what it would actually do to actual people. And, in spite of our romantic memories, Harry S Truman made Trump look like a genius. Glad to see the American propaganda so successful all these decades later! So... you probably never heard of the LBJ impeachment that was going to start the week of Nov 25th, 1963. Or the attack on the US Liberty in 1967. Well sir, allow me to bring you joy of your bliss. You ain't missin nothin!
@@philbellamy5556 Only? I suggest you read a little about Iwo and Okinawa.
@ The Russians did not have the Navy capable of invading Japan in August 1945. And just who is this Just who is this "We". The main reason the bomb was used was because of the losses on Iwo and Okinawa. Any president that had not used the bomb would have been impeached when the casualty reports began coming in from a Kyushu invasion.
@@mmckee58 The Russians did not have the Navy capable of invading Japan in August 1945. And just who is this Just who is this "We". The main reason the bomb was used was because of the losses on Iwo and Okinawa. Any president that had not used the bomb would have been impeached when the casualty reports began coming in from a Kyushu invasion.
I don't think we really defeated the Kamikazee. If the war had continued the suicide planes would have continued and I understand they were responsible for some 10,000 Allied deaths as well as all the ships they hit in just one attack from Saipan. Who knows. The war was ended with our atomic bombs, preventing a full frontal assault of the home island of Japan.
and that is why the A bombs were used,,, to stop more killings
You are going to hate this but; nuts Japan had few planes and no fuel left for Kamikaze attacks and despite what the Americans claim the Atomic Bombs did not cause Japan to surrender Russia declaring war on Japan did.
@@philbellamy5556 Whatis your source? Simply not true. The Japanese had 5,000 planes ready to go. And you do not need much fuel for a one way, short range flight.
8:28 --> a most nerveless cameraman !
Loose the drums...
FINALLY, I have seen the man with the golden narrarating voice!
Lorne Greene, "The Voice of Doom" ?
The narrative about the torpedo bombers bringing the zeros down to low altitude thereby giving the dive bombers a clear run, is an old narrative, and has since been disproved by primary source material. Jon Parshall has multiple videos on youtube explaining his recent findings.
Sucker punching unexpecting targets is good strategy but doesn't make the Japanese great warriors. But it sounds like great literature. Its all about the "sell".
4:45 badass
The general gentle roast seemingly amuse because beginner inherently concern failing a mature pizza. flagrant, mighty dentist
Man that aircraft signal guy sure look like he was serious about his job.With a smooth transition look to it.Had the hint of Art or sum.
I'm hep.
Japan surrendered on September 2 not 15th
Whitey ,he is here in CdA Id 99 yrs old ,what a guy ! Trying to find this DVD on line
No mention of the Thatch Weave? Seriously?
12:44 real footage of Zeros is not that rare, why then use shots of a North American T-6 disguised as a Zero ?
Okay, the Japanese Torpedo's used at Pearl Harbor, actually had special wooden anti diving fins installed on them. Second, the two "Aces" of the Pacific theater of war.Flew P-38's. Mustangs played but a small role. Sorry, no sub.
@ Janes Hart Mustangs did not play a small role, thee number of air victories were limited because of when they were introduced, but they played am important role in escorting the B-29s and than low-level attacks that destroyed the Japanese transport system.
mark r pa usa excellent thx brave men both sides nuff said
38:30 - this is the way you chase only your own spies and assets...
The P-38 was faster than what is listed by a long ways. It was a 400+ plane, easily as fast as the Corsair, and as much better fighter. Both the US #1 and #2 aces of the war flew them.
I dunno, I’d much rather have an air cooled radial engine in my plane than two liquid cooled engines.
Lots of misinformation in this video.
Just going to set that bold statement there without any elaboration? That's like a bread sandwich.
the post filming camera work is disgusting and completely ruins anything about this video.
We had only 3 aircraft carriers in 1942? There was the USS Lexington (CV-2), USS Enterprise (CV-6), USS Yorktown (CV-5), USS Hornet (CV-8), USS Wasp (CV-7), USS Langley (CV-1), USS Saratoga (CV-3), USS Ranger (CV-4). We had 8 aircraft carriers when we entered the war!
Three in Pacific.
What’s with the camera moving all over the place. Shitty special effects mate 👍
The Japanese home islands are not tropical whatsoever
They suffered the same challenges as the Americans…..malaria,dysentery,staph infections,heat and humidity…the huge difference is the American’s had much better support…the Japanese often suffered from significant food shortages….malnutrition certainly was not uncommon and contributed immensely to there other tropical issues especially infections 😮😮😮😢😢😢