A Battle Lost to History - Finschhafen 1943
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 9 июн 2024
- One of the great unknown battles of the Second World War, at Finschhafen the 9th Australian and 20th Japanese divisions fought desperately for control of the eastern Huon Peninsula, the key to the Vitiaz Strait, Bismarck Sea and eventual allied drive towards the Philippines. Denied reinforcement and resupply by allied high command, who refused to believe Australian reports of heavy Japanese resistance in the area, the beleaguered 20th brigade was forced to face the entire oncoming Japanese 20th division. Only reinforced in the nick of time, the 9th Division would have to endure one of the fiercest Japanese counterattacks of the Pacific War. With its formation penetrated, brigades separated and nearly driven back into the sea, the Australians faced the worst crisis of the war since Singapore. The heroic actions of just a few battalions averted disaster, fighting the Japanese to a standstill. Truly, the Battle of Finschhafen is one the Australian Army's greatest moments of the Second World War, one that is essentially unknown to Australians and World War Two enthusiasts alike. Much like the other 1943 campaigns in New Guinea, to Australians the battle is overshadowed by the towering historical colossus that is Kokoda, and American popular historians have, generally speaking, preferred to ignore Australian campaigns and battles, instead pretending that the Pacific War was a purely American endeavor. This video will, hopefully, redress some of that neglect.
0:00 Strategic Background
19:38 Commandos in the Ramu
36:37 D-Day on Scarlet Beach
53:51 A Bridgehead Over the Bumi
1:10:24 The Fight for Finschhafen
1:28:11 Easy Street and the Sattelberg Road
2:00:01 The Gathering Storm
2:14:07 Crisis: The Attack of the 20th Division
2:45:26 Victory and Defeat
Absolutely brilliant.
As an Australian I get a little tired of our contribution being passed over.
👍🇦🇺👍
As an American, so do II. The same could be said for North Africa and it was mostly the Australians who risked never being seen again who formed bonds with the islanders and manned outposts on islands providing intelligence that saved lives by the thousands and material by the millions.
Man you are another butt hurt Ausie.
Your attitude at McArthur is contradicted by historic reality.
McArthur oversaw the surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay, and the occupation of Japan, not Nimitz, and certainly not Halsey,
Need I remind your ungrateful self that Britain abandoned you to the Japanese, and any, and all support your Army required to defend it's homeland came from the US.
The Pacific campaign involved hundreds of thousands of US Army, Navy, Air Forces, and Marines.
Far, far more than Australia was capable of contributing. And, far more than Britain was going to contribute. Churchill abandoned you, he wanted your soldiers to fight and die in N Africa, under incompetent British leadership but he had no plans to defend Australia, or provide you with food, ammo, Ships, or fuel to do so...
MacArthur was a perfect example of the American military way of doing things, "If you kiss the right ass in the right way, nothing you ever do will be wrong"! Even though the dickhead was almost entirely responsible for the Philippine fiasco that led to it's loss to the Japanese, The ass he was kissing, Roosevelt, saved him from what he deserved, capture by the Japanese, and made him Supreme Allied Commander of the ground forces in the Pacific. I wonder how many lives were wasted because he was in command.
Your mistake was not kissing Dugout Doug's butt enough. So what if he ruined numerous good officers as long as his name was in the papers.
@@haldorasgirson9463, MY mistake? I'd much rather fill his ass with lead than ever get near him! Thankfully, he has been maggot food for decades now.
By god almighty- 3 hours of the finest military history content?! Hats off to you good sir
Didn't notice the duration till I got interrupted, might save this till I've finished work and can give it the attention it deserves!
I'm not that disciplined; I'm going to start it during lunch break today!
I've noticed that General McArthur in multiple videos wasn't exactly the legend we have been spoonfed for decades. I know of his negative & disparaging remarks he had made relating to the AIF in New Guinea. I don't wish to start issues here but McArthur isn't exactly worshiped here in Australia as our savior. #BrisbaneLine
@@scottyfox6376 I think the US recognised that too but their domestic propaganda during WW2 precluded any action being taken at the time.
His subsequent protection of Hirohito from indictment & trial for war crimes weakened his position & his later public criticism of his own government demonstrated a certain degree of narcissism.
In regard to planning: Strategically he was impressive but tactically & with his demonstrable desire to micromanage & override the commanders on the ground, he cost lives of many of those at the front line.
Heck, I'd rate Admiral King as being less egocentric...
@@scottyfox6376 He isn't worshiped by many in the know in the US either.
My late father fought in Lae & Finschhafen among many more battles up in New Guinea. Dad’s 3 brothers along with an uncles also fought in these areas during WW2. Dad took his box Brownie camera with him & I’m so lucky to have his personal account in black & white photos. And yes he got caught with his camera & pics, then faced an inquiry of his superior officers. After such he was given the bulk of his photos back. Some 600! “Lest We Forget”.
That's a great story man. 👏 he sounds like a legend. 90% of people would have just ditched the camera he argued down his superiors they probably thought he was a spy for a day or two. He probably argued that history would want them pics and he was right. Doing the Lords work. 🇮🇪
Well I wrote a lengthy comment that got deleted for whatever reason. But thank to your pops. Jesus be with him and embrace your family while on this earth.
Amen
That’s an awesome story!
God bless your dad and men like him!
Is there anywhere the photos are viewable online?
They're probably a useful historical source.
Please digitize those valuable pictures. Most ppl don't realize that time destroys visual & audio recordings of history. For the sake of your late father & his bravery I urge u to preserve those pictures. In fact you may find a financial gain by offering such pictures for use by documentaries etc. Salute to u Sir.
My father who was in the United States Army talked about being in Finschhafen , but it was latter in 1943.....I never realized growing up in the 50's,60's and 70's all the combat and terrible conditions that New Guinea offered, such a little part of the war to be covered......I did not know the questions to ask my father either....which I am now sad about, but do have the greatest respect for him and what he went through.....he stayed in the Army in the reserves until the mid 70's when he was forced to retire due to age and rank attained, it was a sad time for him as he really wanted to keep on going as we say.....he did have 36 years in the service.....thank you so much for covering this part of history.....Paul in Orlando, Florida
Bless your Pop. And his duty to our country. We could spend the rest of this century learning all the bits of a truly world war.
Im from Adelaide?
Hey Paul, when our Dad’s die we all have that empty feeling no matter what age we are as to why we didn’t ask about certain things or just one more day with Dad. Your dad sounds like a brave man and a very good and much loved Father.
from Australia.
@@covidmaskedmorons thank you so much....he did have a few humorous stories to tell, like haveing to get rid of the alcohol stills the men under his command would build in the jungle.....
@@ypaulbrowndid he actually get rid of the stills or just say “Don’t let me see that again”? Basically telling them to hide them better?
As an American I apologize for our vain, idiotic General MacArthur who treated the Aussies so condescendingly, and refuse to credit their courage and sacrifices as the first of the Allies to stop the Japanese in New Guinea and in other theaters. I know MacArthur callousnessly ordered the Australians to continue to engage the Japanese late in the war, when there was no military purpose to it, as the Japanese were basically POWS stranded and cut off, and could do no harm. Yet the Aussies were directed to fight them and lose men needlessly for no strategic or tactical gain. MacArthur was a glory hound, and the Australians forced to fight under him deserved better.
As another 'Merican it is far too late to apologize for "Dugout Dug" MacArthur. Just Point out President Truman had to fire him for contempt, and the firing is considered one of his best actions.
Well summed up Exit Only, facts and logic.
My dad went on patrols in Borneo after the surrender to get the japs out of the jungle.
It didn't take digging very deep into WWII history before I started to realize how large of a role the ANZAC's and Canadians played in victory over Germany and the role the played in Vietnam. Before that, as an American, I was COMPLETELY oblivious to their contributions.
I get it but where were the australain generals that should have seen the futility of mac arthurs orders and at the very least vigorously opposed him ..... maybe this happened but maybe it didn't. basically we have fat old men living in comfort and safety telling young men to die . Maybe wars should be fought by the old men and politicians and allow the young to learn from the stupidity of conflict and shape a better world
My relative, George (Jack) William NITZ was KIA in the battle for Finschhafen on 29th September 1943 fighting in the 2\15th Battalion. He had just turned 21 years old several days before. Thanks for putting such effort into this video and explaining the lead up to the battle. I've learnt more from this than I could from the few books that cover it.
As an American, it’s criminal how little our mainstream history includes the contributions of our Australian allies. Keep up the great work. Your channel is fantastic. In my opinion, Australia and Great Britain are our greatest allies (Canada and New Zealand are okay too) ;-)
AGREE!
A good read about the campaigns in New Guinea, is a book called “Those ragged bloody heroes “ warning though, it will make you weep in frustration, met one of these old diggers once, made me feel humble.
Trying to find the contributions of the British, Dutch, French and indigenous forces is difficult to obtain as well as being minimized. The war in the Pacific was fought by forces just as dedicated as the American forces. A fair and in-depth history is deserved by those hero’s defending their country and of their allies with less supplies and high casualties.
That’s because democrats are filling schools with transvestites and woke teachers. Spending class time propagandizing the students they are racist, worthless and in the wrong bodies.
For me, this is a type of closure in that my late father, who served in the 2/1 Field Company RAE, 6th Division, went through and could never communicate to me. These PNG campaigns are so vividly brought to life, so a heart-felt thank you.
Big ups to your late father Pete.
Respect to your late father.
This content creator is among the best and deserves more recognition and a much larger audience. For now, this channel is a hidden gem. 💎
This magnificent documentary is correctly named. As a USA citizen, I had no idea this incredible battle had ever occurred.
Thank you for educating me.
Studied for my Masters in US History some 50 years ago, but still remember those lessons about how to do history. Also had the good fortune to manage four military historic sites(US coastal forts). Your videos are among the best I've ever seen and comparable to the greatest books telling us about the Pacific War. Your research opens our eyes to Australia's role, often ignored or downplayed here(USA!), and to battles that were as important to us as to Australia. Thanks for your outstanding work. Looking forward to watching this one.
PS: I watched your videos of Kokoda, Buna and Gona, Milne Bay, and Salamaua and Lea. Your videos not only showed, they proved that McArthur treated troops in the field and often their officers too, both US and particularly Australian, with callous disregard for their skills or lack there of, with meanness of spirit for their human needs, and with tremendous hubris and lack of acknowledgement of his own battlefield ignorance. Yes, generals have to make some tough decisions that will inevitably cost, in this case, American and allies lives. McArthur cost good leaders their jobs and futures and perhaps cost soldiers their lives, needlessly.
Thank you for your unbiased vision & assessment of the early SE Asian war which history has glossed over.
I think back on what was he doing ? Why not use the fruit you have to win together ? My realisation is its rascism against Australians . They were doing marvellous exceptional work . He needed his own glory and spotlight . Later in 45 he denied Mountbatten well planned and timed rescue POW's from surrendering Jap Camp Commandors who wanted to wipe out the survivors. Nope .He had to organise the Surrender in Tokyo Bay. Possibly thousands died unnecessary in the last days of the war due to a Photo Op
My dad was a WWII vet (US Navy). He never really seemed to have as high an opinion of McArthur as most. He never directly said anything really negative, but it seemed he didn't think he deserved most of the praise he received. After studying McArthur's actual behavior during the war in some detail, I now totally understand why. McArthur was unbelievably arrogant and looked down on the Australians in general, and their Officer Corps in particular. It appears he did moderate to some degree later in the war, but he really was an ass for the most part.
@@jamesdunn9609 when he abandoned the Philippines, most of our depot level naval supplies were left. His unwillingness to change his perception of the enemy formations and lack of cooperation with allied forces is sad. From what I remember he was not liked by the Marines either.
@@fex77k My conclusion, after studying this stuff for several decades now, is that McArthur was an excellent staff officer. He was well-suited to broad strategic planning. But he was hot garbage as a field commander and should have been kept away from such positions at all costs. He was not good with people so he was a terrible liaison between allies. His arrogance was not a positive trait and always led to problems.Yet it remained with him his entire life and could be considered one of his defining characteristics. When he was told that Eisenhower had been elected President he replied; "That's good. He'll make a good President. He was the best clerk I ever had." I think his interactions with Truman had left him with a bad taste in his mouth, lol.
The tragedy of being under MacArthur's command was the 9th had already endured Tobruk, the first and second battles of El Alamein, and numerous smaller engagements, only to suffer heavy casualties because they were denied reinforcement and resupply by allied high command, MacArthur, who refused to believe the Australian reports of large numbers of Japanese in well-entrenched positions.
Nothing else I think highlights the sad fact that the greatest enemy of the Australians in Papua New Guinea was their supreme commander, the oh so moronic General MacArthur....
Dugout Doug and his acolytes never let the truth get in the way of their assumptions.
@@MarkGoding yes very true, nor did their egos let them admit they were wrong and take responsibility for it.
Well MacArthur and his coterie of arse lickers were, for the most part, megamaniacal dicks who ignored whatever didn't fit their preconceived notions.
MacArthur should have been left in the Philippines or court martial due to his incompetence of losing the Philippines
This is the best explanation of this campaign I have ever heard or read. Well done! As an American and a West Point graduate, please allow me to apologize for saddling your Army with Macarthur. He should have stayed retired and sold war bonds. His ego blinded him to the reality of modern combat. He was clinically unable to understand the conditions the men at the front faced. Congratulations on winning in spite of him.
Absolutely gold content. No pop history bullshit (like an umpteenth stalingrad vid) but high quality, in-depth and almost personal telling of more forgotten history.
I learned a lot from this video, and I hope you'll keep making them!
Lost to history NO LONGER!... Thankyou!
Brilliantly researched, balanced and presented in a truly approachable way.... Perhaps 'enjoyable' is not the right description!... but certainly factual, riveting and immersive ARE!!... WELL DONE!
I look forward to more!
PS. As an aside: Why do we hear/ know so little about the amazingly courageous coast watchers of the Pacific?
Thanks again!
Chris
Hey mate - I really enjoy your work and look forward to your posts. Please continue to do what you do. Also don’t feel pigeon holed. I think I speak for lots of us when I say I would listen to your well researched and articulated view on a wide variety of historical topics.Thanks!
Agreed, I'd listen to anything he makes.
Gimme a well researched and well produced video from hhh about the history of sewing needles and I'll watch it
@@Frenulem truth!
@@jcpkill1175
Here here. The man makes quality content.
SOB drops a 3 hour video 2 hours before bedtime. You're killing my habits, bro.
I just want to thank you for this three hour extravaganza. I like your narration. You cover the essentials and give enough depth without getting bogged down in regimental bureaucratic/organizational fluff, and what is left out is easily researched out later.
So few people seem to realize how essential Australia was to Allied victory in the Pacific.
(Here in the U.S. so few people know about history in general.)
Excellent presentation on an important and fascinating part of that story! Bravo!
'Cept for New Guinea and North Africa=early on, sure but once the Solomons got left behind, pretty much for the Pacific everything seemed to focus (over here, anyway) on the Marines and their Island Hopping Campaigns and the US Navy's carrier forces. The US Army (as well as the Australian Army) seemed to be 'overlooked' for the fighting in the Pacific, with their roles in places like The Marianas (Saipan, Tinian and Guam), the Philippines and Okinawa.
I guess the sheer bloodiness and violence of those Marine Campaigns grabbed headlines.
you must remember times were different priorities were different and things that are more important now might of seemed less important then so its very hard to judge with the opacity of time and those later battles were more flashy with bigger logistical problems more troops so its understandable they stood out more@@nickmitsialis
@@krispycool1 Sounds perfectly logical.
I greatly apearicate how you are doing in-depth videos about some of the lesser known Pacific engagements. Especially those fought around New Guinea and the islands around it, it's very well done. Keep up your amazing work and thank you for bringing more attention about this campaign of the Pacific War.
I would not know any of this important part of history but for Hypo's detailed and fascinating presentations. And I try not to let a day go by without a silent thanks to those who gave all for the likes of me and mine. We should have been taught this in school from day dot
Being older I've read & watched a lot of WW2 related documentaries & tbh im bored with the same old well worn stories repeating the same battles over & over again. I understand its all American centric but that does not do justice to their steadfast allies.
@ScottyFox Yeah I get what you stating, I always try to look for narratortions or documentaries that talk about the contributions that other powers and allies made during the conflict also.
@Nostromo Same here I always remind myself there are many unsung hero for their contributions.
@@cherryrunner7205 Ha ha, I'm so old I forget it all by the time I get to the next guy's take. So I win right?
Well Done! I made it through all 3 hrs in one afternoon. In the US, the campaigns of British and Australian Forces are mostly overlooked in favor of Nimitz's campaign. MacArthur is considered a bore mostly, to the detriment of our friends down under. Campaign actions in New Guinea, Malaya and Indonesia are a huge gap. One of the nice things about RUclips is the international flair and channels such as yours that really fill in the gaps that main stream history really ignores, and when they do, they make up fake stories when they could really draw off of true heroism of real events. The detail and day by day struggles of the every day soldiers are what matters most.
I commend your work. Your understanding is clear , accurate the ability to put personalities, and tactics together, well second to none. I'm ex-2Cdo,"Ex Colis" anyways your work will stand the test of time. I have studied history my whole life[60 yrs] Your research , tied together with talent , and passion. Is the greatest legacy that these fallen warriors could ever have. I thank you, God Bless ..here is a blessing from the Cdo " Don't silhouette on the ground" "Slither through the low ground" "Make your blade , slide deep & silent"
I've never seen a still footage documentary done this well. I'd never heard of this battle so thank you for going into great detail. Extremely well done, for real.
H³ is simply the best when it comes to Australia's Pacific war. I can't speak highly enough of the quality content.
I appreciate it as an american citizen. Because it's battles that we were somtimes involved in and in some cases didn't help as well as we should and could have, usually Due to the buggery of higher ups and their egos. Australia's contribution in ww2 is something something that should be taught To all ...especially when speaking about the pacific war. And especially to americans. OZs did a lot more than many people know, And I respect them highly for it.
I can not agree more.
MacArthur, just as he was in Korea, was more of a detriment to needed action than he was an efficient commander. He would simply not listen to any advice from a subordinate who wasn't in his staff of toadies. "Dugout Doug" was much smaller than his reputation. Thank you for a great presentation!
@General Melchett Seems to have captured the situation with very few words. Mac had his own very efficient propaganda machine.
MacArthur was a perfect example of the American military way of doing things, "If you kiss the right ass in the right way, nothing you ever do will be wrong"! Even though the dickhead was almost entirely responsible for the Philippine fiasco that led to it's loss to the Japanese, The ass he was kissing, Roosevelt, saved him from what he deserved, capture by the Japanese, and made him Supreme Allied Commander of the ground forces in the Pacific. I wonder how many lives were wasted because he was in command.
Couldn't have said it better. Well said.
Great doco mate, you've come a long way since you first started. At the 27:08 mark that's my uncle Bill, he's also the bloke in the centre in the next picture shown as well.
I really enjoyed this presentation! I had been familiar with what took place there and how tough the Australian 9th Division was. However, seeing it in dramatic detail really illustrated the greatness of this unit despite the handicaps given them by McArthur and his bunch.
That's a deep dive! Three hours of detail, omg! When you mentioned the commandoes of 2/6 and 2/7 at 20', I found particularly interesting as my dad was in the 2/8th independent commandoes but he mainly saw action in Bougainville I think. I read about their exploits in a few books published by guys from the unit (Check out Peter Pinney's trilogy or The Ridge and the River. Tom Hungerford.) but it was so cool to see the footage of them in action. Happened to watch it on Anzac Day too which was a bonus. Thanks for all the hard work remembering the incredible sacrifice made by those young guys to protect Australia from invasion.
Thank you for your very hard work! I came here looking for more information about Guadalcanal sea battles and Port Moresby defence after Drachinifel's great series. I find your cover of the land campaigns very educational and a great discovery on RUclips. You are criminally undersubscribed at 67 thousands, you're films are worth more! I hope you will be discovered by many more people. Keep up this great work!
What a treat to watch , listen and learn from both of these men on these hard to find battles so often overlooked. Brave as hell these hero’s.
I love how deep and meaty these historical dives are on this channel, and they pair nicely with the Kings and Generals: Pacific War series. It's refreshing to get a more complete picture of characters like MacArthur, who had some severe failings that tend to get glossed over in the American telling of this conflict. They don't take away from what he did well, but it's good to learn that these characters were, in fact, a mixed bag of strengths and flaws and not infallible heroes etched in marble.
These are my favorite military history series. Keep up the good work!
I so appreciate your work in this video. My dad was an original volunteer in the 9th Div 2/17 Battalion signal corp. I’d heard snippets from him and read of this battle in the book A History of 2/17 Battalion but your video makes it much clearer. Dad told of a time their patrol was surrounded for several days, 40 went in 9 came out!
Thanks again for this video
My Great Uncle was 2/17 9th Div, Tobruk, El Alamein I & II, New Guinea & Borneo. 1957 days of service. Nearly 1200 days outside Australia. Remarkable he survived.
@@thepimpernel6971 that they survived is a miracle. They were even going out on patrol into the Borneo jungle after the surrender. Dad spoke of the newer guys who wouldn’t go out as the war had finished so the older guys went out in their place.
Loved this, there’s so much left out about the Australian Army so I learned so much from this. Thank you for sharing this with everyone.
Thank you for this production! Never has a small group of Allied men (Australian) fought so bravely, be betrayed by their American support (General McArthur), and then be forgotten by history. I travelled Australia for years doing business in the early 2000s. Those folks are some of the finest people that were ever born. I would rather have an Aussie promise to show up for me when needed, than any other nationality.
God these HHH vids are good, wish other channels could breakdown WW2 battles with this breadth, depth, and conciseness, and simple photo graphics w/ maps, like this guy... love hearing stories of the Aussies in the Pacific, but would love to hear HHH describe Aussies in the desert sometime (in 1990, taught English in Tokyo w/ Aussies & Kiwis, was so fun) many thanks!!
I'm saving this on 'Watch Later' for Sunday afternoon, pizza, and a couple of beers. I am unfamiliar with this battle.
When I started watching this and noticed it was over 3 hours, I didn't think I would watch all the way through. But, it was riveting. Fantastic research and excellent narrative made a battle theatre I basically knew nothing about come alive. Impressive and important work.
"The farther away from the slaughter, the more optimism replaces reality. And the so-called reality is often non-existent at the very highest levels of decision-making. This is especially true when you're losing a war."
Sums up MacArthur's weakness in this episode I think, though not just him.
This is brilliant stuff! At the same time, is a bit like trying to drink concentrated orange juice, - enjoyable, but a bit overwhelming. To get the wider audience it so desperately deserves, it needs to work with YT's algorithms better so that more people get to see your content. Which I think pretty much every Aussie absolutely needs to see, understand and remember. I think this could have been broken up by chapter or by day, into smaller chunks - and many more people would not only watch it, but absorb it better. I also recognise what an absolute mountain of work it must be to create this - and you have my utmost admiration and respect for doing so. It is staggering to me that something so huge at the time, is almost forgotten in Australia today in mainstream consciousness, among the general population roughly 75-80 years afterwards. So many of the veterans could not really tell the whole story, or were in a fit state to be able to pass on the story in a useful way after the war - I know my grandmothers' brothers who fought at Kokoda and in this campaign, were both mentally and physically scarred by it. So what you are doing is the most profound gift to the families who loved them, remember them, and are still struggling to know and understand what they lived through. The words "Thank you" seem painfully inadequate to convey the gratitude I want to express for the work you have done.
Could not agree more he's got the "gift" can't imagine the amount of research needed to put this togeather it's been a while since we've heard from him and now understand why. Huge thank you.
Excellent in depth story telling and analysis of a little know battle. I particularly liked your detailed discussions regarding doctrine, tactical approaches used by the Australian forces and operational strategy etc. Of much more interest and value than many of the more 'flashy' RUclips videos posted by other military authors.
You my good sir deserve far more views, watched all your lectures on this campaign and the level of detail and insights are magnificent keep up the wonderful work.
Honestly as an American who has had a life long fascination with WWII, the significant contributions of Australia were always apparent to me (for what it’s worth). I would remove the “forgotten” from the title of this excellent documentary as you certainly done a smashing job of detailing the campaigns and battles of the SW Pacific.
For what it’s worth, we Americans paid dearly for MacArthur’s refusal to believe changing circumstances a few years later in Korea.
Amazing work! As an avid reader on the pacific war, your detailed reviews have filled me with even greater admiration of the effectiveness of Australia's effectiveness in this war. I would add as an American, I have learned, or confirmed, a few things about Mr. MacArthur.
Truth.
Brilliant. Thank you. We lost a good family friend in the New Guinea battles. They were such heroes.
Another superb video, amazing job mate!
Superb! I love the photo/maps that you do, it really helps with these unfamiliar battlegrounds. I love your tone of Australian pride. Your videos are an eye opener. Wishing you the very best from the Netherlands.
Another outstanding documentary of a little-known, but vital campaign. The well researched and comprehensive nature of your efforts makes these the almost definitive historical narratives for students of history.
This is truly an incredible retelling. You’ve done an incredible job with this one. Could be on the history channel honestly.
This is the first time I've seen one of your videos. Possibly haven't run across you before because I'm an American WW2 buff.
All I can say is bravo. This was excellent.
thanks for telling this story my grandma was Junior Van Noy Cusson I grew up hearing his story and have a copy of a graphic poem written by a soldier supposedly in his unit but throw all that we still had no clue as to why he was in New Guinea and in the states it has been a struggle for me to find more than a little piece here and there so I appreciate your dedication to telling the whole story. An interesting fact it he had been injured by a Japanese bomber a week prior and refused to be evacuated to a medical base. thanks agen
Pretty incredible that one of the first modern equivalents of special operations were the Australian commandos. The whole concept of raiders and jungle warfare was in its infancy I'm amazed that they adapted so well. They don't get nearly enough credit for their role in the Pacific theatre.
I greatly enjoy your videos on the Papua/New Guinea campaigns, and have watched them all multiple times, garnering new insights with each viewing. Glad to move beyond Postern and into the later stages of this campaign. I also share your unhappiness with McArthur's treatment of the brave Australian Generals whom he needlessly slandered. I think your viewers should watch some of the NHK documentaries about the Japanese troops who were in the New Guinea theater and survived. Very moving and immensely sad.
Love,
David
In New Guinea any victrory by the Australians was quoted as an Allied Victory, any victory by US Forces was quoted as an American Victory. That was Macarthur for you, much overrated due mainly to self publicity and self grandiosity. Would never give credit where it was due unless it benefited him.
@@barrettcarr1413 Spot on; he was an egoist of first rank !
@@barrettcarr1413 MacArthur was always a consummate a-hole and jerk. His thing really was politics, not military science or leadership. Eisenhower served under him during the brutalizing of the bonus army in Washington DC. As Eisenhower put it years later, the only thing he learned from MacArthur was "theater" ...
I had a general idea of what battles our forces were involved in during the south west pacific campaign, but these videos are a real eye opener, we contributed a whole lot more than I originally thought.
Excellent job. Great to see the Aussies' role in this theater given a detailed, solid treatment, instead of as an afterthought.
Another unmissable episode - thank you!
Brilliant work as per usual. Can't wait for the next PNG campaign. Thankyou.
Amazing story telling, with full details, photos and maps to help us understand hidden history. I shed a tear thinking of the outstanding bravery and strength of those Australian soldiers. From NZ ❤
My uncle served in New Guinea in the Australian Army Medical section. What made his service unusual to me was as a medical specialist Chiropractor. I've never heard of this vital medical aspect discussed in any books or videos. If anyone has ever hurt their back or shoulders they will understand how debilitating such injuries are. He went on to a very successful & notable practice in Brisbane treating athletes & elite proffessionals. Sadly I never heard much if any of his WW2 experiences & as usual this sort of information was only mentioned by sermon at his funeral.
Exceptional work. Both by you and those who fought this struggle in the face of their opponents, the terrain, and MacArthur.
What an amazinly detailed insight into some of the most forgotten and under studied battles of the whole war in the pacific. What a bunch of men. What a bunch of rock hard warriors that we all owe a massive un payable debt to.
I consider myself to be fairly well read, especially about the war in New Guinea, and this is masterful. I've never seen a better presentation explaining this phase of Operation Postern. Thank you.
I am really grateful that you are covering the battles in New Guinea in such detail. I have read a fair number of books on WW2, yet most of those that deal with the Pacific Theatre tend to treat the entirety of the New Guinea campaign as an irrelevant footnote. The only in-depth treatment of any of these battles that I have read is "Bloody Buna" by Lida Mayo. Other books that touch on the subject but contain few details outside their immediate topic are "The Flying Buccaneers", a history of the 5th American Air Force, Samuel Eliot Morrison's "US Naval Operations of WW2" and Manchester's "American Caesar", the biography of Douglas MacArthur. Other than these works the who campaign is a black hole in military history. Thank you for filling in this gap in the historical record.
"a bastardized of a place" brilliant book. Can't remember the author off the top of my head but it explains in detail the Australians in New Guinea
@@jamesrichards4859 Author Peter Brune.
Good to see some Aussie history. Thanks, from a Pom 🇬🇧
Really appreciate your work. I look at your channel more than tv 📺
Mr Anderson welcome back, we missed you
Thanks for telling this amazing story of bravery, skill and sacrifice by Australian soldiers. You are helping to keep their legacy alive.
It must have been a huge task gathering all that information together. It was well done.
Thank you for an excellent presentation. The maps were helpful for understanding the flow of the battle. I agree with your assessment of Gen. MacArthur's use of "intelligence." He was IMHO an arrogant narcissist, who always thought he was the "smartest person in the room." His armies succeeded despite his leadership, mostly because his subordinates and the troops serving under his command were excellent.
Hi Kevin, I agree with your insight regarding the presentation, absolutely first rate! However I do take issue with your observation of General MacArthur, who I agree with your point made regarding his self serving arrogance. Yet the General was a brilliant man, to this day only two Cadets from West Point have surpassed his graduation points record, one Cadet by the name of R.E. Lee. Read about his personal bravery at Vera Cruz and the multiple citations (2 DFC's, a DSM and seven Silver Stars) earned for bravery during WW1. The Pacific War was to take the rear seat with The Allies "Europe First" priority during WW2 but his planning for "Operation Cartwheel" was ingenious as well as the first truly successful, large scale test of combined arms in history. The huge Japanese held port of Rabaul was taken with minimal casualties because of his personal operational planning. In Korea, his amphibious landing at Inchon is studied at military academies worldwide to this day. To be sure his miscalculation of Chinese intentions in Korea was his fault and damn near a fatal flaw for our troops fighting there. Yet the man was one of the very best soldiers that our country has ever produced and even though his reputation has tarnished with age, he served his country with distinction for over fifty years. Cheers Kevin! - Steve
@@stevenconarroe8173 I agree with your assessment of MacAurthur's service in Mexico and in WWI. Thanks for raising excellent facts, esp. MacArthur's personal bravery in combat.
BTW, While MacArthur and Lee were both West Point standouts, Lee was a traitor. Lee chose Virginia and slavery over his oath to protect and defend the US Constitution and the country from its enemies foreign and domestic.
@@kevinmyles6436 Lee and all the other traitors. Human bondage was just a business for them.
Not just your opinion, just pretty much fact.
A story in the Navy is that Nimitz had a picture of MacArthur, and when asked, he replied "so i remember how to not act."
@@stevenconarroe8173imo Ridgeway was the better Commander by far.
Even began the desegregation of the US Army.
I just have to say, I was so excited to see this today. Gonna listen while I’m at work, then watch it once I get off. Always excited to see an upload from you man, no matter what it’s about. Thank you!
That was fascinating, love your work mate! Thank you
Thanks for putting this together. Keep up the great work.
Dude you do awesome work. You have captured my interest like few other history presentations have. I knew absolutely nothing about this part of WWII, nevertheless your diligent and interesting lessons have done wonders in informing my understanding.Thank you.
I see why our American war history education ignores these battles on New Guinea. The Aussies got screwed time and again by their US "allies". Its obvious that the history writers wanted to ignore the whole operation so as not to make MacArthur look bad...😕
Never clicked faster
Never liked faster
Oath
This channel is so good. Just wanted to leave a comment to help the Almighty Algorithm.
BABE WAKE UP
The Best of history told with such clarity for so many heroes who never thought they were.
Excellent video! Great narration, thorough information and lots of imagery. Thank you for your efforts!
Epic video.
Thank you for compiling, editing and posting
Some years ago, I was talking with a Canadian on the lead up to ANZAC day. He asked me why the Australian Army had not taken part in the war following the battle of El Alamein. There were some Americans listening close bye. When I mentioned the South West Pacific theater, they stated that only the Marines fought in the Pacific! They were not even aware that the American Army were the main American units in all the Pacific theatre's. I wish that your stuff was around at the time. Well done with this Documentary. The 3 hours were not a problem for me. My only question is why was an image of German troops inserted ?
Truly extraordinary, both as a battle and as a presentation. I guess one reason that this has been overlooked is that it would look bad on MacArthur's record? You're right to compare it to the early battles of Guadalcanal. Thanks for putting the work in to share this with us.
Love your stuff
Thank you.
My father fought in the Pacific with the US Marines. My uncle also in the Pacific, and his brother captured at the Kasserine Pass in Tunisia.
I have relatives in Australia.
Thank you for this great video.
Another outstanding piece of work. Many thanks for putting this together.
My grandfather Ken Lovell fought in this with the 2/23 battalion in the 9th division. He made it home thank God.
Thanks for that I really enjoyed it. Your narration is great and you made the action really clear, good visuals to illustrate how the battle developed. I think I'll watch this again.
This series and channel is one of the best out there. Completely captivating. Close your eyes, you're almost there with them.
I've been waiting for this.
Thanks for such a comprehensive accounting of events.
Read through the comments and we can all appreciate your hard work and diligence in bringing to us the history of WW2.
Amazing work and 3 hours worth of content is truly legendary.
This should be standard issue for schools in Australia and especially Japan.
The Japanese think they were hard done by but tell that to the P.O.W's that were starved, beaten, tortured and killed.
In war there are no winners.
Lest We Forget 🌺
Spectacular. The quality and effort of these Pacific theater videos are beyond impressive. Congratulations, and well done. For those who might seek to learn even more about this and other battles and campaigns, a brief listing of major sources might be helpful. If that is feasible and would not greatly add to the tremendous amount of work that already goes into these, something to consider.
And there's the 9th again! Thank you for such a clear and well researched doco. Please keep these going, these stories need to be told
Your videos of the SW pacific campaign are the most detailed and exhaustive available. The quality of the work places them among the elite of content producers.
You are a complete legend. Please keep making more videos
Amazing piece of work ! Well done sir!
Love your content brother. Professional with all the good details.
This is really excellent work here H3. One of the best wartime documentary series I've come across.
Another well made presentation. I do look forward to your videos. Thanks again.
Its incredible to see the 9th Division using the same tactics and same advantages in attack and defence as the South Seas detachment did in 42
High fighting spirit, aggressive patrols, infiltration assaults, vicious flank attacks, crossing brutal terrain to appear unexpectedly
The battle hardened men of two totally separate nation’s militaries both gravitated to a martial style that could easily be confused with one another
You have an exceedingly pleasant speaking voice and a well written, clearly understood script.
What a pleasant surprise when I wake up and see one of your new videos uploaded!
Always a much anticipated pleasure when you post.
The maps are really impressive in this video doc. The geographic relief also notably includes the sea beds which is useful to understanding the terrain of the islands. This entire video is impressive i.e. obviously a labor of love.
I was very excited to see another video by you about this underepresented subject matter. The videos about Papua New Guinea are how I found your channel and why I subscribed in the first place. Though all your videos are great and I am glad to have stumbled into the channel.