Another amazing aspect of this battle would be from the Japanese perspective. I dont think theres any videos on it at all anywhere and your team does wonderful research. Yall would knock it out of the park
My great grandpa was on the USS Johnston when it sunk during the battle of Leyte Gulf. He was also one of the last men to see the Captain before he abandoned ship. He also told me a another story of how the Japanese just waved at them while they in the ocean after the ship sunk. He was stranded in the Pacific for 3 days with no food and a couple drops of rain. If my grandpa didn’t survive, I wouldn’t be alive today. I was always thankful everyday for my grandpa and his service. I want to take this moment to thank you for making a video about this. Rest In Peace Grandpa (1923 - 2014) USS Johnston (Purple Heart)
The Japanese waiving and saluting is surreal to me based in what I heard about the Japanese during the war. Did he describe much more about that exchange?
The Japanese ship that saluted the Johnston at the end was the IJN Yukikaze. Herself being something of a legend. Being one of the few Japanese warships to survive the entirety of the war. Being present at almost every major battle. And being present when each of the three Yamato class ships was sunk. Musashi (the day before the battle described here) Yamato in her suicidal charge to Okinawa for Operation Ten Go, and Shinano, the Un completed Yamato sister that was converted to a Carrier, and sunk off Japan by an American Submarine 10 hours after she was launched. As she was being moved between shipyards. The Yukikaze became known as “the one that survives”. And rather remarkably brought most of her crew home alive. After the war she was captured by the Americans and given to Taiwan. Where she served a particularly long career.
The instance with Shinano gave her another nickname, "Shinigami" God of Death as called by Shinano's crew after being rescued. IIRC, 12 people lost their lives aboard Yukikaze, 3 of which during Operation Ten-Go. With that kind of career to only lost 12 people....
A legendary destroyer captained by a legendary man and equally legendary crew, do or die grit only matched by it's fellow ships of Taffy 3 and the airmen of all three Taffy groups. The USS Johnston's wreck held the record as the deepest wreck for some time, it's guns still aimed upwards in defiance. The record has since been taken by another wreck: fellow Taffy 3 comrade USS Samuel B. Roberts. Legends and heroes all, all the respect to you, crew and airmen of Taffy 1, 2, and 3.
@@watchface6836 Yes, I know, please reread what I posted. Johnston WAS the record holder until as recently as July 17 2022 when the Sammy B was finally found and was given the title, it was in a number of news articles.
My father was on the Johnston. He was a helmsman on the ship and manually turned the rudder when hydraulics were destroyed. He joined the Navy on his 17th birthday, missed much of his high school and yet was a voracious reader his whole life. High school math teacher, GREAT football coach, retired and worked in the scouting department for an NFL team. Needless to say he was my hero as well as my dad, a total mensch. Unlike many people today he clearly knew right from wrong, was not religious but had a moral center that never waivered which I think was common for his generation. He's been gone eight years now and I miss him so much.
Salute Husky ! Captain Evans had it all ! My Dad was Korean Vet had thaT same Moral Compass been gone since 79 I miss him Immensely I did a cruise on USS Forrestal US-2 Libya -0 Cruise VMFA_115 Teamwork without it we are a ZERO
One thing I have always admired about the Japanese is their level of honor. There were several occasions while stationed in Japan that Japanese citizens would treat me with more respect that I even got back home in the states at times.
Honor in imperial Japan was... At most relative. Sure we had some good apples like that captain. But this was MASSIVELY outweighed by the amount of war criminals and downright monsters that made up the empire. Remember these guys were the only ones to deploy chemical weapons during the war and slaughtered hundreds of thousands of innocent people after the Doolittle raid.
@@rorodollars Oh trust me I'm more than aware of the shit we've done like manifest destiny, and I know what the Marines were doing with Japanese skulls. But with the kinda shit that the Japanese military was doing during the war. Seriously, thousands of these guys are basically government employed serial killers who not only got away with their crimes, but are actually commemorated in Japan.
For those unfamiliar with this battle, they might have wondered why the Navy planes weren't more effective. The carriers were not fleet carriers. They were providing infantry support. They did not have the weapons to sink ships. All they could do was harass the Japanese with bombs designed to support infantry, and strafe bridges and decks. These pilots did several sorties during the battle that day. Every time I read about this battle, this 80 year old ends up with tears running down his face. This was truly the "greatest generation".
They used what they had in a desperate fight to save men like my grandfather who was landing on the beach with the 37th Infantry. I’m alive today because of their courage and devotion to duty.
The escort carrier planes continued to make diving runs well after their hardpoints and machine guns were empty. It was all about distracting the powerful Japanese fleet so the escort carriers could get away.
@@RangerGress When you're out of everything, you fight with your fists. I can only imagine the confusion, distraction and no doubt a bit of terror on IJN side as this angry swarm of planes harrass you from every angle in a sort of free-for-all manner. Which plane has bombs? Which plane has bullets? Which have none? Can you take the risk and NOT shoot at it or take no other counteractions?
@@Makapaa One important thing is that Kurita thought he was facing Halsey with his TF38 so the Japanese must have been quite frightened by the "escort planes" of Taffy 3. Not to mention that they mistook all the US destroyers including USS Johnston for heavy cruisers.
If I remember correctly, all the battleships and cruisers had left to go after decoys, not leaving at least ONE battleship or a few cruisers to protect the carries was pretty stupid, I think. If I have my history wrong on this let me know, maybe that was another battle.
@@TheRealNSAand nats great grandfathers are legends,they charged into battle with a courage that I could never have to the uss johnston and her fallen...CHARGE TO GLORY LADS
There’s a book by James Hornfischer called “The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors” that beautifully describes this battle minute by minute, down to the level of individual gun crew captains. It’s epic, and this video barely scratches the surface of the valor of these men.
Got me thinking of Mike Tyson's statement "Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." Getting that ship back in the fight after the bridge was taken out is a testimony to the experience, preparation, and skills of every member of the crew. It's one thing to have a bright shiny ship, it's another thing to have a crew that knows how to fight it.
What a story. The courage of the US Navy in the Pacific war never ceases to amaze me. The captain was one seriously brave man and I can well believe that his crew would proudly follow his lead. RIP to the men who didn't make it but their sacrifice undoubtedly contributed to saving countless others.
My father was a seaman in a destroyer escort and was in several major battles and said that the good thing about being on such a small ship was that you were a less valuable target. They were escorting a supply convoy to the Philippines and on anti submarine duty when an ammunition ship, the SS John Burke, was hit by a kamikazi. My dad told us about it many times and no matter what he said I it wasn't until until I grew up and saw a movie of the explosion I could really comprehend it. It is still considered the largest non-nuclear explosion in history and it rained metal down for several minutes. Three of my uncles on my Mom's side saw combat in Europe and one was a POW and was liberated by Soviet troops. Young people today have no idea what that Greatest Generation faced. There is a video of the Burke explosion on RUclips
@@terryjohnson8317 What a fascinating story Terry, thanks for sharing it!! I've checked out the SS John Burke and that's quite an explosion - that ship must have been carrying a very large quantity of ammunition to go up like that. I don't even want to think about how many casualties there were as a result.
Wonder why this episode of the war has never been made into a film. They did a resaonable job of it with Midway and everyone loves a hero story. The captain would still have to die in any film made of course.
@@schwerergustav. Ah yes a bot. Oh? Japanese side showed more heroism? Their naval force is bigger, hell even Yamato tonnage is more then Taffy 3 combined. Multiple destroyers and Destroyer Escort fought against Destroyers, Cruisers and battleship. That is not heroism according to you? You must be a downgrade syndrome.
Good timing! A real American warship has just magnificently arrived at the Capital of my country for a joint military exercise. It looked epic and absolutely massive.
I'm British but damn. this even this makes me proud. i think even the pilots earned their due respect that day and i love the subtle nod at the end to the USS Samuel B Roberts almost like the torch was passed on to yet another legendary ship.
Having seen 'Taffy 3' and 'Yamato' already, it was good to see you complete the trilogy. Well, Captain Evans said she was a fighting ship, and he certainly spoke truly. What a man - straight out of the mould of Cochise, Sitting Bull and Geronimo. And what a crew.
Even though Samuel B. Roberts is the one known to fight like a battleship, Johnston also fought like one, and sunk like one as well. A legendary destroyer, crewed by a legendary crew and commanded by a legendary commander. My deepest respects for all those men🙏
Johnston was the first ship to face the japanese centerforce. Johnston Capt. Ernes E Evans knew that taskforce 3 will be completely wiped out without a sacrifice to delay the enemy advance, the johnston turned and face the enemy head on, the johnston action inspired the other captain of taffy 3 and followed Johnston into hell.
@@Isolder74Yeah, that was a big thing with the entire story about the Taffy 3 incident. The japanese assumed that they were fighting fleet carriers, not escort carriers. So when it came to identifying the escort ships, they assumed they were looking at cruisers, rather than destroyers, just based on range. That's also why they initially got way too close for comfort as they assumed the enemy was further away than they actually were.
The Japanese destroyer who passes by at the very end is none other than Yukikaze, who herself was a Japanese navy legend and warrants her own video! Known as “the Lucky Ship,” she survived almost every major battle of WW2 and made it all the way to the 1970s.
@@whatdadogdoin8703 It was the Republic of China (Taiwan) which she served under after the war, not communist China. By then, Taiwan and Japan were already allies during the Cold War. After she was scrapped, the ROC Navy returned her rudder and anchor back to Japan as a sign of goodwill.
“This is going to be a fighting ship. I intend to go in harm’s way, and anyone who doesn’t want to go along had better get off right now.” Lt. Ernest E. Evans, at the commissioning of the USS Johnston, October 27, 1943. He later added "[n]ow that I have a fighting ship, I will never retreat from an enemy force." Evans was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery during the Battle off Samar. The citation read: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of the U.S.S. Johnston in action against major units of the enemy Japanese fleet during the battle off Samar on 25 October 1944. The first to lay a smokescreen and to open fire as an enemy task force, vastly superior in number, firepower and armor, rapidly approached. Comdr. Evans gallantly diverted the powerful blasts of hostile guns from the lightly armed and armored carriers under his protection, launching the first torpedo attack when the Johnston came under straddling Japanese shellfire. Undaunted by damage sustained under the terrific volume of fire, he unhesitatingly joined others of his group to provide fire support during subsequent torpedo attacks against the Japanese and, outshooting and outmaneuvering the enemy as he consistently interposed his vessel between the hostile fleet units and our carriers despite the crippling loss of engine power and communications with steering aft, shifted command to the fantail, shouted steering orders through an open hatch to men turning the rudder by hand and battled furiously until the Johnston, burning and shuddering from a mortal blow, lay dead in the water after 3 hours of fierce combat. Seriously wounded early in the engagement, Comdr. Evans, by his indomitable courage and brilliant professional skill, aided materially in turning back the enemy during a critical phase of the action. His valiant fighting spirit throughout this historic battle will venture as an inspiration to all who served with him. In 1955, the destroyer escort Evans was named in his honor.
That’s a medal well earned. It’s just too bad he wasn’t there to receive it. Maybe his massive steel balls were just too heavy for him to stay afloat, idk. In all seriousness, with his extensive injuries he would have been very attractive to to sharks if he did make it off the ship. I just hope his end came quick. At the very least, he earned that much.
@@lorddaquanofhouserastafari4177 ...what is really badass is he went toe to toe with 4 dreadnought battleships in a tiny boat with 5 inch guns and turned them around. THAT is badass.
I wish Stephen Spielberg and Tom Hanks would make a film about Taffy 3 and this famous naval battle near The Philippines. The Johnston and the Samuel B. Robert's - their stories should never be forgotten. Amazing battle - especially the nice History Channel documentary depictions of the relative sizes of the ships attacking and defending. Unbelievable heroics by the American navy here.
The ship that saluted the Johnston was the IJN Yukikaze, she also had a legendary life. She escorted the Musashi, Yamato and the Shinano. She had a lucky life and was given to the Taiwanese Navy and served them until 1970, she was also somewhat hated because they think they would sink and the yukikaze wouldnt. Luckiest ship ever
Yeah it was said that she sucked the luck out of the formations she's ever put on and that how she kept getting away. She even got herself saved from operation crossroads over at bikini atoll which is the final resting place for much of the remaining IJN fleet after the war had ended.
@aurelian2668 her luck did eventually run out however during a particularly bad storm in taiwan after she'd served her time in active duty however and she was scrapped because of that. There were originally talks of bringing her back to Japan but I think only the bell or the chrysanthemum made it back cuz she was damaged beypnd repair and was su subsequently scrapped.
The finest hour of the US Navy! Even the Japanese recognized the bravery of these great warriors! I’m proud to be a US Navy veteran. And thankful for my brothers that gave it all! Rest in Peace! Excellent video!
I love that, in spite of being enemies in war, that the IJN ship didn't fire upon the USS Johnston but instead saluted the crew for their courage in battle. It shows that even in dark times, there are limits to enmity, and that honor is a universal language.
Unfortunately the Japanese were quite well-known for the practice of cruelty on downed/in the water/injured/captured enemies. Like other warrior ethos through history, Bushido was largely a nationalist myth. This speaks highly of the moral character of that particular ship & captain, but we shouldn't read too much cultural weight into it.
That ship was IJN Yukikaze, served a prestigious Career in the Japanese navy, participating in all major battles, later serving Taiwan Proudly until 1969, where a typhoon damaged her beyond repair, she was scrapped in 1970. If that Typhoon didn't kill her, she would likely be a museum ship in either Tokyo, Okinawa or even Taiwan itself for it's career alone.
Of all the Medals Of Honour awarded since its inception USS Johnstone and her Commander are right at the top of my list. He did a heck of a lot more than make a nuisance of themselves and gave the carriers time to retreat.
In 1967 transfered from my sub at sea (USS SIRAGO SS 485 ) to destroyer on emergency leave. I will never forget the kindness shown to me by the officers and crew on the destroyer during several days aboard. Hats off to destroyer people ,they are the best!
@@ElsinoreRacer, they really didn't have much choice in the matter. Admiral Halsey had run off glory seeking, much like General MacArthur had been doing during the entire war, after four empty impotent carriers to make an even bigger name for himself, taking their main defences with him. Had those four small ships not made the ultimate sacrifice Taffy Three's fate would have been sealed along with possibly Taffy Two and Taffy One. Add that to the helpless troops ships and it would have been a slaughterhouse!
This ship, and its crew. I've read stories and watched documentaries about this. Heroic ship svaing the lives of many by sacrificing itself. hats off to capt. Evans and his crew. This story deserves a movie. This ship amd commander evans really deserves a movie dedicated or about them.
there is a book named the last stand of the tin can sailors which is about the warships that took part the in battle. There was to be a movie called come hell or high water but it seems the movie has slipped beneath the waves.
@@NoireBIanc The book (and the traditional narrative about this battle in general) is badly out of date and vastly downplays the massive importance of American airpower in the victory.
No let's try a female "Batman", see how many hundreds of millions of dollars we can waste in ANOTHER epic flop. Not make a true story of incredible bravery and heroism or anything.
I had a neighbor for years who served on the Johnson and almost finished the battle without injury. Problem was that the ship was blown up but the timeline he gave differed some from this. The story here is of necessity condensed but the battle raged for hours. My friend was a gunner on one of the guns and was at his station for a while. The gun fired a cased shell and at his station he had to duck to one side as the gun fired to avoid the automatic case ejection that threw the spent case out toward his head. They had fired so many rounds that in his fatigue he forgot to duck and was hit in the face by a spent shell case losing teeth. They continued to fight until the broken ship capsized.
@@gjkvchllnv He did remember the rounds from the big Japanese battleship would pass right through the Johnson and the ship had lots of holes. He spoke well of the captain of the Johnson and the men had great respect for his courage. He did recall being in the water for days after the battle. In retrospect I should have picked him for more information and taken notes. He is passed of course so it is too late now. My dad, my uncles, and several neighbors served in either the first or second war and the unspoken rule was that you did not ask for them to talk about it. As an example, my dad's two brothers served in the Navy, one on a destroyer in the North Atlantic and the other spent time on an oil tanker along the West African coast. Though never estranged after the war the one did not know that the other on the tanker had his ship sunk out from under him by a sub. My dad must not have known because I did not learn about it until just before my uncle's death in the early 2000's. They did not talk about it, and I respected that my neighbor did not want me to be asking questions. I just let him tell me what he wished to say.
@@larrymcever4601 Ah, I see. I am sorry for your loss and I completely understand. Thank you for sharing this though, it really does interest me and I always find it captivating to hear war veterans speak about their experiences.
This is the first time the Yamato has sailed in nearly a hundred years. The fact that a Japanese captain was impressed enough to salute the enemy is a testament to the Johnston's effectiveness and bravery.
@@dwrdwlsn5 The Japanese military of the imperial era were rotten to the core, the exceptions were the bits that could be considered 'edible' in this analogy. The navy was perhaps less rotten than the army, which if it had anyone who wasn't a dispenser of war crimes, was utterly drowned out by the rest. I think the only reason the navy had fewer monsters than the army is they had most of the fight taken out of them pretty early on and often couldn't really do anything about their lack of ability to vent their rage. Anytime prisoners were taken they would be interrogated and brutally murdered, any time Japanese sailors were captured, it was an act to try and get in close to kill their rescuers.
Never will there be a braver ship captained by the bravest man, RIP and thank you. And thank you Yarnhub for doing them justice, I first heard about the Johnston ten years ago on the history channel and was amazed and disheartened she wasnt more publicly known
The fact that Admiral Halsey was sucked into chasing aircraft carriers that no longer had any real strength due to lack of trained qualified pilots plays into the lack of publicity over this one sided fight we strategically won as the IJN retreated . The small boys did an outstanding job.
@@raystory7059 I dont blame him at all, the japanese were becoming increasingly desperate and unpredictable, we must realize that suicidal japanese tactics were still alien to our commanders thinking. Betting a battleship force against a large carrier base force is suicidal if they couldnt pull the carriers away.
To earn the respect of a Japanese soldier, and even more so the respect of the captain of She who survives, is in and of itself the highest honor from the enemy. Especially with how little the Japanese thought of Americans during the war. Calling them more or less cowards. Very few men have gotten respectful notions from the Japanese, but those few rightfully earned their status of legends.
Kurita lost his nerve, the ferocity of the US response was so fierce he got convinced that the bulk of Halsey's fleet was just over the horizon and he retreated.
Considering that Kurita was days too late to attack the landing beaches anyways (the landings began on Oct 20 and most of the men and supplies were ashore by the morning of Oct 24), and considering he had a narrow window of opportunity to get in and out before Halsey actually did return, he arguably made the right call even in hindsight.
He had also been awake for seventy two hours straight---I wouldn't be surprised if he fought this battle with dark circles around his eyes. On top of that, his previous ship, the ATAGO, had been shot out from under him and he'd been pulled from the water. So he was likely not in the best of shape.
As time went on more and more land based aircraft joined the battle. With no aircraft of their own, there was no reason to continue. "Last stand of the tin can sailors" is a great book.
There was an episode of the show "Dogfights" which covered the Battle off Samar including the USS Johnston. I watched it all the time as a kid. One of the best episodes of that show. The USS Johnston and the USS Samuel B. Roberts remain the deepest shipwrecks ever to be found.
It's the Johnston or Admiral Yi's tiny fleet of Panokseons at Meongnyang. In fact I might be so bold as to say that Captain evans is the only man other than Y i to hand the Japanese such a lopsided military defeat.
I’ve been on one of her sisterships, the USS The Sullivans (though she’s modernized for the Korean War). This and the story of the Johnston is why the Fletcher class is one of my favorite ships classes Edit: I’ve also heard that the Japanese mistook the American ships for fleet carriers and cruisers, when they were actually Escorted Carriers, Destroyers, and Destroyer Escorts. This is due to the limited amount of Radar in the IJN force, possibly only Yamato having any
Not due to radar. Due to the Japanese intelligence being so poor they weren't aware of the escort carriers, thus the identification books made zero mention of them. So, since the only carriers in the books were fleet carriers, *obviously* that must be the American fleet (wow they made a lot of fleet carriers in a short period of time didn't they?), and the little ships with obvious gun barrels *must* be cruisers or battleships by the scale difference. So they loaded the armor piercing shells when they should have loaded the high explosive lol
@@5peciesunkn0wn i see. If I’m correct the first Essex class ships were around about this time, but not nearly enough. Yeah because they were firing Armor piercing on fairly un-armored ships they weren’t being as effective as they thought. They did apparently switch to Heigh Explosive when they got close enough to tell that these were much smaller vessels when they sank the Gambier Bay, Hoel, Johnston, and Samuel B Roberts (at least some of these not sure if all)
My father used to be a Navy officer in the medical corps. When I was growing up, he still had memorabilia from his time in the Navy two decades earlier. Mostly pictures of him in his dress whites and he and my mom in Bahrain, where he was stationed. But the most prized in my eyes was a simple large porcelain coffee mug. And on it were the words "Don't give up the ship!" Just five words and yet they meant so much to me. In my five year old eyes, my father was a hero. Well these men are the authors of those words. The true and original American heroes who fought with everything they had. For, in the end, they never gave up the ship. That is why the Japanese officers saluted them.
these men were heroes, dying to protect the life of my father, who was in the landing force that day. Without those men I wouldn’t even be here and neither would my children. How does a man say thank you for something like that? I don’t know, but I try. Thank you, thank you, thank you. We will all hoist one together in Valhalla one day. I’m buying.
One of the crew of USS Johnston was Coxswain Clarence Carden. Carden was badly wounded and spent two days floating in the ocean. He was finally rescued after 50 hours adrift in a makeshift raft... Sadly, within hours of rescue, Carden passed away onboard the rescue vessel. Surprisingly, instead of a burial at sea, his body was eventually returned home to our tiny town of Hampton,Tn and burried in Hall Cemetery, just down the street from my grandparents house. I visited Clarence's grave on Memorial Day to find it completely forgotten. The Cemetery where he's buried hasn't had internments in 20 years or more... It was pretty sad to see one of our nation's heros totally forgotten... I did my best to raise awareness by sharing his story online... I spent a few hours that day cleaning up his gravesite, pulling away the grass and weeds and washing all the moss and mildew from his headstone, then giving the stone a good polish and a small American flag... As I went back to my truck and started to leave, I looked back out at the Cemetery and a ray of sunshine was absolutely beaming and reflecting off the headstone, making a huge, blinding light... I can't help but believe that was a little way of Clarence saying "thank you" for not forgetting him... Please, look deeper into the history of your local veterans... Pick one, pay their grave a visit, and give it a little TLC if needed... We can't let the memory of these brave heros fade into history
Someone give yarnhub a medal of honor for this animation. This story needs to be told. From a grateful fan of this channel. Keep it up. Whatever video you make will make it worth watching again and again. Well done yarnhub.
Excellent Video! That battle is largely forgotten history. As stated, the USS Samuel B Roberts and USS Johnston were absolutely amazing. They had Crews and Skippers of an Exceptional Quality, rarely found. They had little concern for themselves dying and were determined to protect the Servicemen around them. One detail, for the viewers unfamiliar with this battle, needs to be noted. That battlegroup had troop ships that were loaded with men for the landings. These troop transport ships were mostly defenseless and 'sitting ducks' for the Japanese attackers. Those little destroyers saved unimaginable numbers of men on those transport ships, that surely would have been sunk. Ya'll Take Care and be safe, John
Thank you for this. Evans was the definition of a badass who gave no poops about doing what he did. The Johnston is still my second favorite ship next to the YorkTown and Battleship X. But by far did the most insanely courageous feat of any other naval ship I have ever heard of to save the fleet they served with.
I mentioned this as well on the video on the Samuel B Roberts, I recommend the book, “The last stand of the tin can sailors” by James D. Hornfisher, in it the battle of the Leyte Gulf is described in great detail and also notes the feats of the Johnson in attacking and sacrificing itself intercepting a group of Japanese ships intended to destroy the remaining Carriers while only down to 2 of its guns previously taken fire knocking out the heavy cruiser Kumano
Absolutely, it's a great book. He also has a few others about Guadalcanal (Neptune's Inferno), the USS Houston (Ship of Ghosts), and the Pacific overall (The Fleet at Flood Tide).
The relatively new Sammy B #3 Got nicked in Operation Praying Mantis. It actually came close to sinking. The ship I was on relieved the USS Stark( 2 Exocet missile strikes). The Sammy B FFG 58 was one of those that relieved FFG 37 Crommelin. The Crommelin missed a mine by a few hundred feet more than once. Passed by one that was spotted by the look out. The next encounter, the ship behind it did not. The pressure wave sucks. Strange that it took 8 hours to sink the Crommelin as a target. The Sammy B #3 was finally stabilized after 7 hours after hit by a mine. I don't think think the name Samuel B Roberts should be used again as a ship's name after 2015. Sammy B #1 also sank soon after the Johnston. #2 Did a full service of 24 years and the same as the Crommelin it was used as a target. Maybe being a even number is better?
Spelled Hornfischer, He and Ian Toll are the preeminent naval historians of our day. Sadly, James passed away last June after a battle with cancer. We have all suffered his loss, but hopefully appreciate his ability to teach, entertain, and turn a memorable phrase at the opening and conclusion of each chapter of his many, many masterpieces.
I loved how it all connected, first from USS Samuel B. Roberts point of view to USS Johnston's point of view. The animations were so life-like, i really enjoyed it. Good job those at Yarnhub!
To the captain of that Japanese destroyer, and the sailors who served on it, the Johnston and her crew were everything they had been taught about how warriors should behave. They fought valiantly, against unwinnable odds, did not shy from the fight, and went down fighting. The didn't just salute them, they were proud of them, and would always dream of living up to the same standard that Johnston's crew and captain did. To put it simply, the Johnston fought like a Samurai, a true warrior (in the Japanese minds), and should be respected and honored for their bravery.
That ship was the just as legendary IJN Yukikaze. Served an incredible career, lost due to a typhoon under the Taiwanese flag. If that typhoon didn't kill her, she would be a museum ship.
@@chaosXP3RTWell.... sadly, no. During that time the Japanese military training principle could be sum up in these words "It's glorious to fight till the bitter end and to surrender is a total disgrace" and "Always obey your order". Tojo just cramb up all the Bushido in to his military personal's brain which made them agressive as heck. With that combind with their believe during that time that the Japanese is superior to other asian race and the western powers are a bunch of disgraceful hogs. The result of this combination made them sespect those who fight for the bitter end, and loath those who surrender. They even hate the population of the asian country that had fallen into the west's hands, seeing them as a bunch of inferiors who weren't brave enough to fight till the end for their country.
Like throwing mosquitos at an elephant....but they got the elephants attention......and respect. This is one of the most astounding naval engagements in history. A few tiny little ships crewed by real men turned away the Japanese flagship fleet that consisted of 4 of the biggest battle wagons ever to put to sea. Can you imagine the captain of the Yamato turning his fleet around because of such ferocious attack??? Taffy 3......those were real men that day.
So glad the Johnston got its time in the spotlight on this channel after the video about the Samuel B. Roberts. I liked that you modeled the detail about the red dye and the torn shirt so you could tell the two bridge officers apart more easily as the events unfolded and grew more chaotic.
Brings a tear to my eye when hearing this story told. I've read James D. Hornfisher's book "Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" and it if such an emotional book to read.
The best kickass navy battle ever. Anchors Aweigh Your heroic stand will never be forgotten Captain you and your men. Thanks for helping us in the South Pacific. New Zealand
My dad was on destroyers during WW2.. The Radford, Aaron Ward, and McDonough. He told me all three were sunk while he was on them, and he was lucky to be alive. He mentioned this battle as well. I didnt know much back then about what he told me...but now I wish he was still alive so I could tell him how proud I am of his service.
The Japanese used colored shells as an identification of a ship's guns, so each main battle ship had it's own color to aid in target determination and range. Taffy 3 is a testament to the amazing bravery of the US Navy in WWII. God rest the souls of all that died in defense of their homeland. Well done, indeed.
This is one of the most underrated stories of the war for the USN. There should have been more ships named after the Johnston and also after Ernest Evans and more accolades given. It is moments and people like this (Evans and the crew) that define a nation during war.
Right, I would consider the Battle of Samar and the Battle of Midway to be staple points in US navy history. These little destroyers and escort carriers scared the Yamato to the point it ran and didn't reappear until it's suicide mission and nailed in the coffin for the US navy's complete dominance over the Pacific Ocean.
One big thing to note was for most of the Battle of Samar, Taffy 3 was mistaken as Task Force 38 with USS Johnston herself being accidently labelled as a "cruiser" instead of a destroyer, leading the Japanese fleet to fire AP rounds instead of HE. It's also understandable why Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita would order his fleet to retreat. He already had his original flagship, IJN Atago, sunk with him having to picked from the water and it's clear from his actions he didn't want to go for another swim.
Yep, for a long time the Japanese used Armour piercing grenades, for both destroyers and carriers, overestimating their size and armour. Would they have started with explosive shells, it would have been a short battle. But its possible the ferocity of the American destroyers affirmed their wrong assumption to face cruisers and big carriers.
They had been under constant air and submarine attack for 2 days and knew that the southern attack had been destroyed by the 7th fleet the night before. Kurita had lost his flagship and Musashi in the days prior. It was very likely he was running low on AA ammunition and pressing south would commit his remaining ships into a suicide mission with no hope of escape. This would have left the home islands with no ships for defense thus I believe Kurita would have felt he had no choice but to retreat.
A collossal failure of command. How he could basically go on a one way kamikaze mission and then turn around is incredible. Had he pushed through at full speed. the Japanese could have decimated the landing support ships.
Wow, easily the coolest WW2 video yet in regards to story-telling and the animations. I love how we can see how big the shells are in comparison with the destroyer.
A fascinating story done justice. Mildly surprised Evans didn't just swim across the pacific and punch a hole in the Japanese warships. I want to mention that you guys are getting visibly better and more confident with your animation style, there was some real character and dynamic action in this one.
thank you for doing the uss Johnston! was hoping you guys would do this! some Inaccuracies I want to point out are: IJN Kongo knock out Johnstons electrical power not Yamato, although it is correct that the Yamato 6 inch guns smashed the bridge. Also when the electrical power went out and came back on only 2 of the 5 5inch guns were restored. Not mentioned in this video I'd love to point out: When Johnston got hit her speed was cut in half from 34 to 17 knots Lt Cmdr Enerest Evans was the only LT Cmdr in the US navy to receive the MoH during ww2 When Johnston fired her torpedoes not only did she hit Kumano but the heavy Cruiser Suzuya Pulled alongside the kumano and she too was hit by Johnstons torpedoes. To quote James Hornfischer:" Right on the battles onset, owing to Capt Evans audacity to attack alone, 2 of the 6 heavy cruisers were out of the fight in the first 10 minutes."
Brave men facing insurmountable odds. We in Britain have our version too when destroyers HMS Ardent and HMS Acasta took on the Scharnhorst to try and save HMS Glorious, an aircraft carrier, in 1940. All three Britsh ships sadly went down with a tiny number of survivors. Wars are terrible but they can bring out greatness in men. Stories like these prove it.
The Yorktown doesn't get the spotlight like The E but was the better carrier. It was in the first naval battle where ships did not see each other. They were almost sunk and went into the battle of Midway without several boilers bulk heads still damaged and yard workers still on board.
The Japanese recognised that the ship performed what their own “samurai” ethics had espoused. So it’s no surprise the Japanese ship’s captain saluted them.
If I remember right the Japanese had a common saying “Please continue to keep trying your best.” Even if you know you were defeated you were expected to at least try. The Johnston lived up to that ethic and gave all she could right up to the end and the Japanese captain understood this and respected it, hence the salute.
My great grandfather was on the USS DuPage (APA-41) and told me about this battle when he was still around. Amazing man. Took shrapnel and burns to his back after a Kamikaze hit the ship back in 45. Rest in Peace gg (1922-2021)
Considering the firepower brought to bear by these immense machines, these battles must have been unimaginably horrific. These ships must’ve been literally painted red in the blood and guts of numerous sailors after being hit by those shells.
The heavy 18 inch shells from Yamato punched through both sides of Johnston and went to the bottom without detonating. Johnston was just too thin and meager a ship to set off the armor piercing fuses. It was secondary armament from Yamato that actually killed that heroic ship.
That japanese ship is named Yukikaze, sailing next sinking Johnston which captain was saluting. As a result of participating in and surviving some of the most dangerous battles the IJN had fought, Yukikaze is very popular in Japan, being called "the unsinkable ship" and "the miracle ship".Yukikaze took part in more than 10 major battles, and more than 100 escort missions and resupply transport missions during World War II. Yukikaze is only one left from it's class and one of only three destroyers left from war of Japan.
Japan had more a lot more than 3 destroyer after the war. You must mean the special type destroyers because only 3 special type destroyer survive the war. 1 Kagero class(Yukikaze), 1 Akatsuki class(Hibiki) and 1 Fubuki class(Ushio).
I had a great grandpa who was on the escort carrier Fanshaw Bay which was the lead ship in Taffey 3 that day. The aircraft carrier (along with my grandpa) survived the battle, which included two kamikaze attempts, but four men were killed, and another four were injured.
If you want to read about another tin can in that battle, read the book “The Last Stand of The Tin Can Sailors” and the USS Samual B Roberts, a destroyer escort. The Roberts was smaller than the Johnston, with only one five inch gun and slower top speed. Her skipper ordered an extra large American flag run up the mast, her top speed being only 25 knots so the engineers tied the boiler safeties down and increased the speed to 29 knots which enabled the ship to evade the Japanese’s gunners and order all ahead flank and charged one of the battleships firing their only gun at the topside guns and bridge of the Japanese battleship. She was eventually sunk but the mental image of that little ship flying an extra large American flag and charging an enemy battleship balls to the wall in a desperate effort to protect the all important carriers from certain destruction with all their men is an awe inspiring picture. No, the Johnston was not alone in her desperate efforts. There were 4 destroyers plus the smaller Roberts. All were sunk by the Japanese. Their efforts were not in vain however. Due to the mounting damage by the tin cans and the fighter pilots, one battleship lost its bow, wandered off and sank the next day, it’s captain and bridge officers having been killed from bombs and shells when it’s bridge was destroyed.
Thanks for posting this. My uncle Lt. JG Henry M. Wilson died in the water after the USS Johnston was sunk. He was overcome by the burns he received during the battle. He was a fire control officer on the USS Johnston.
I've read a ton of European military naval history. The USS Johnston charging ships 10 and 20 times her size is unique. Your Uncle and his crew were the bravest. I'm sorry he didn't survive.
And the Johnston’s story finally has closure Last year, a team involving seasoned shipwreck explorer Parks Stephenson found the wreck of the USS Johnston; and this year, they also found the Samuel B Roberts
Victor Vescovo is an amazing person! Google him! He's a Navy veteran and uber rich. He didn't inherit his wealth. But he used many of his funds to explore the oceans. He designed and built the strongest submarine that has gone to the deepest trenched in the oceans. He's also a mountain climber Just was in on a live chat that celebrated the launch of the Johnston. He said he's going back to open another investment firm so he can make enough money for his next generation of submarine!
I really like how I'm starting to see a lot of youtube channels covering the more minor/lesser known battles from various wars across history. Literally never heard of this battle nor of the heroic deeds of this ship and its crew despite being a huge ww2 nerd because movies, documentaries, books, and all of the history lessons in school often only cover larger battles or the bigger picture. I've been learning a lot from videos like these and I'm starting to learn that ww2 was way crazier than I had ever previously imagined.
Well done piece as usual. Nice paired story to go with the Samuel B. Roberts one. As an FYI, the wreck of the Johnston was found last year and the Samuel B Roberts a few months ago.
Oh my god I have loved this story since I heard it but I never knew the captain was native American! Thank you! Your channel keeps me entertained and learning with every video. I am so grateful.
I am a Navy vet. Hard to express the admiration I have for all in this comments area that had relatives and predecessors who, dad's and grandad's that fought in this battle. Capt. Evans was a very brave man, and I just discovered he was a Cherokee Indian. I have Cherokee in my blood as my granddad was born on a reservation outside Oklahoma City. I was so proud to hear this about Capt. Evans...Fought like an Indian too didn't he? The Capt. of The 'Sammy B' (Samuel B. Roberts) was no joke either. Both of these men were pure Bravado. (They should of been given more rank, and much larger ships to command). My dad was in WW2 also ... but over in Europe in Patton's army fighting with a unit called the 'Redball Express'. He would tell me stories of the truck convoys that hauled fuel for Patton's tanks, putting 3 guys in a truck...when it was time to change, the driver would slide to the end, the guy in the middle would slide under him to drive and the guy on the end would then be in the middle. The only time they would stop the truck was to refuel. Hollywood made a movie about them. ( Shortly before our dad died, my sister looked in his military record, and found out he was also a sniper, but he never told me this). Hats off to all in here whose father's and grandfather's fought in this battle, and other battles during WW2 , for this country and our freedom...in the biggest sea battle in history...ISALUTE YOU in their behalf. The Navy should give every award they can offer to all those guys who fought that part of the battle and especially to those guys serving on those destroyers, in particular, the USS Johnston, and USS Samuel B. Roberts. I SALUTE YOU. God Bless You, God Bless You.
Nice video! Great job with the details! Fun fact about the USS Johnston: when it sank, it sank an incredible 21,000ft down taking the title of “deepest shipwreck”. (Titanic is 12,500ft down and the Mighty Yamato is 1,200ft down) Anyway great video! Keep it up yarnhub
It was the deepest discovered until the wreck of the Samuel B. Roberts was discovered this year; it was just a bit deeper I think. Fitting that these two brothers in arms are the two deepest discovered shipwrecks.
"I can see the biggest meatball flag on the biggest battleship I ever saw!"00:56 Love this line man and of course yarnhub your animation will one day become a live stream🌹😍😊
The destroyers that fought like battleships and won! She, Hoel, Sammuel B Roberts and the rest of the brave men of the destroyers and planes of Taffy 3 fought like hell and successfully tricked the IJN into thinking that they were fighting Nimitz's battleship force. I first knew of this battle when playing an old combat flight sim game called Heroes of the Pacific, where we were one of the fighter pilots covering Taffy 3. In game, you can hear the crews calling out the charge of the Johnston as well as the loss of Hoel, Johnston and Samuel B Roberts. Years later, someone finally made a video from the naval ships side of this epic fight. Great work Yarnhub. I'm so glad Sabaton introduced me to your channel.
Superb Yarnhub! Outstanding! Excellent animation, great script & narration. Another tale of courage and heroism retold in the twentyfirst century by Yarnhub. Thank you. You guys are the best! Semper Paratus.
You do such a great job with these videos. I love that this channel is here, because it never lets anyone forget what people did for their home country or our world. Thank you for never letting the history of our planet and wars die out.
Absolutely marvellous work, I keep being awed by the amount of work you guys put into these videos and wait with bated breath for the next. I know you guys probably have a list of topics a mile long but I’d like to suggest the voyage of the Adler commanded by Felix Von Luckner. It’s a cool story that I think would suit the channel really well and deserves to be told.
I've always loved the history of the USS Johnston due to its crews bravery and it's durable pride and also it's captains power. And that's why I've already watched this 50 times this year😅
All the recent submarine exploration stuff made me look into this battle. In a battle where you have several MVPs, the fact that the USS Johnston story stands above all else is a testament to what these men did that day.
Another great part of this battle was the aa crew of one the escort carriers. As they were being rushed by the cruisers and destroyers, they started taking fire before they could get into the safety of the smokescreen. One of the crew, sadly I don’t know which carrier it was from, said ‘don’t worry boys, we’re suckering them into 40mm range!’
And there's a chance the White Plains got to be the only carrier to essentially sink an enemy ship in direct action. Either a destroyer gun or the White Plains' 5in stern gun punched into the torpedo reloading room on the Chokai and the long lances went "Boom", permanently crippling the ship till it had to be scuttled.
Once again beautiful storytelling, poignant voice over. The animation is just absolutely amazing. All of you are a credit to those who wish to learn from these videos. It's absolutely amazing!! ❤️
I was a soldier not a sailor but my grandfather was a career man in the Navy. He died in 1935 but I have a great love for all of our armed forces. I have a framed photo of the DD 557 on my living room wall.The Destroyer that fought like a battleship.
Myself being First Native to USA and from the tribes Cherokee and Apache, l cried in joy and pain for our Brother Earnest Evans,,, l believe he had mostly Cherokee blood but may have also been mixed with something else… The blood of a true Warrior ran through his veins…bless his soul
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
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Another amazing aspect of this battle would be from the Japanese perspective. I dont think theres any videos on it at all anywhere and your team does wonderful research. Yall would knock it out of the park
Next, USS Enterprise vs. the Northern Force.
Still not gonna support your fucking patreon.
My great grandpa was on the USS Johnston when it sunk during the battle of Leyte Gulf. He was also one of the last men to see the Captain before he abandoned ship. He also told me a another story of how the Japanese just waved at them while they in the ocean after the ship sunk. He was stranded in the Pacific for 3 days with no food and a couple drops of rain. If my grandpa didn’t survive, I wouldn’t be alive today. I was always thankful everyday for my grandpa and his service. I want to take this moment to thank you for making a video about this.
Rest In Peace Grandpa
(1923 - 2014)
USS Johnston (Purple Heart)
Hell of a thing when your ancestor served on a Hero ship.
Please Don't forget the T in Johnston
@@boigercat Sorry about that typo
The Japanese waiving and saluting is surreal to me based in what I heard about the Japanese during the war. Did he describe much more about that exchange?
@@chasehudson7063 they loathed those who surrendered, but respected those who fought until the end
The Japanese ship that saluted the Johnston at the end was the IJN Yukikaze. Herself being something of a legend. Being one of the few Japanese warships to survive the entirety of the war. Being present at almost every major battle. And being present when each of the three Yamato class ships was sunk. Musashi (the day before the battle described here) Yamato in her suicidal charge to Okinawa for Operation Ten Go, and Shinano, the Un completed Yamato sister that was converted to a Carrier, and sunk off Japan by an American Submarine 10 hours after she was launched. As she was being moved between shipyards. The Yukikaze became known as “the one that survives”. And rather remarkably brought most of her crew home alive. After the war she was captured by the Americans and given to Taiwan. Where she served a particularly long career.
Wasn't she crippled by a typhoon? After all the horrors of mankind, only nature itself could take her down.
Headed by the skipper by the name of Commander M. Terauchi who did the salute.
The instance with Shinano gave her another nickname, "Shinigami" God of Death as called by Shinano's crew after being rescued.
IIRC, 12 people lost their lives aboard Yukikaze, 3 of which during Operation Ten-Go. With that kind of career to only lost 12 people....
Wow, can you imagine the stories those men had
@@miamijules2149 They spent the war always managing to be sailing next to a bigger juicier target.
A legendary destroyer captained by a legendary man and equally legendary crew, do or die grit only matched by it's fellow ships of Taffy 3 and the airmen of all three Taffy groups. The USS Johnston's wreck held the record as the deepest wreck for some time, it's guns still aimed upwards in defiance. The record has since been taken by another wreck: fellow Taffy 3 comrade USS Samuel B. Roberts. Legends and heroes all, all the respect to you, crew and airmen of Taffy 1, 2, and 3.
Not quite true. The Samuel B. Robberts, another legendary ship from the Battle of Samar, was located just a little bit deeper.
@@watchface6836 Yes, I know, please reread what I posted. Johnston WAS the record holder until as recently as July 17 2022 when the Sammy B was finally found and was given the title, it was in a number of news articles.
My grandfather had served on Johnson. He was XO but was moved to USS O’Brien when Johnson was struck
USS. Samuel B. Roberts "The courageous Destroyer Escort that fought like a Battleship, sinks beneath the wave" My favorite quote
Cpt ebmvans was last seen swimming towards the yamato wt a knife between his teeth
My father was on the Johnston. He was a helmsman on the ship and manually turned the rudder when hydraulics were destroyed. He joined the Navy on his 17th birthday, missed much of his high school and yet was a voracious reader his whole life. High school math teacher, GREAT football coach, retired and worked in the scouting department for an NFL team. Needless to say he was my hero as well as my dad, a total mensch. Unlike many people today he clearly knew right from wrong, was not religious but had a moral center that never waivered which I think was common for his generation. He's been gone eight years now and I miss him so much.
Classic Westerns caused. SALUTE
Salute Husky ! Captain Evans had it all ! My Dad was Korean Vet had thaT same Moral Compass been gone since 79 I miss him Immensely I did a cruise on USS Forrestal US-2 Libya -0 Cruise VMFA_115 Teamwork without it we are a ZERO
He had Balls Of Steel. To be on the ship and should be blame for sinking the ship due to sheer overweight of the balls of his and his comrades.
Respect
He may be gone but he lived a hell of a life and his (and his mates) contribution to winning the war will never be forgotten.
US Navy vet here. I'm not crying. My vision is just blurry for some reason. Salute to the crew of this most awesome warship. Thank you, Yarnhub.
Thank you for your service
Thank you for your service!
I may have been just a army grunt but I know badassery wherever I find it. The army itself has few stories that match Commander Evans
Thank you for your service
mine too... it's all that smoke the escort destroyers were laying down.
The Japanese captain saluting the ship is an amazing story. Even in war, some people still have honor and he absolutely had it.
Bet he changed his tune when the US killed 200,000 civilians on purpose
One thing I have always admired about the Japanese is their level of honor. There were several occasions while stationed in Japan that Japanese citizens would treat me with more respect that I even got back home in the states at times.
Honor in imperial Japan was... At most relative. Sure we had some good apples like that captain. But this was MASSIVELY outweighed by the amount of war criminals and downright monsters that made up the empire. Remember these guys were the only ones to deploy chemical weapons during the war and slaughtered hundreds of thousands of innocent people after the Doolittle raid.
@@Baldwin-iv445 Every nation has their monsters, and the USA is no different
@@rorodollars Oh trust me I'm more than aware of the shit we've done like manifest destiny, and I know what the Marines were doing with Japanese skulls. But with the kinda shit that the Japanese military was doing during the war. Seriously, thousands of these guys are basically government employed serial killers who not only got away with their crimes, but are actually commemorated in Japan.
For those unfamiliar with this battle, they might have wondered why the Navy planes weren't more effective. The carriers were not fleet carriers. They were providing infantry support. They did not have the weapons to sink ships. All they could do was harass the Japanese with bombs designed to support infantry, and strafe bridges and decks. These pilots did several sorties during the battle that day.
Every time I read about this battle, this 80 year old ends up with tears running down his face. This was truly the "greatest generation".
They used what they had in a desperate fight to save men like my grandfather who was landing on the beach with the 37th Infantry. I’m alive today because of their courage and devotion to duty.
The escort carrier planes continued to make diving runs well after their hardpoints and machine guns were empty. It was all about distracting the powerful Japanese fleet so the escort carriers could get away.
@@RangerGress When you're out of everything, you fight with your fists.
I can only imagine the confusion, distraction and no doubt a bit of terror on IJN side as this angry swarm of planes harrass you from every angle in a sort of free-for-all manner. Which plane has bombs? Which plane has bullets? Which have none? Can you take the risk and NOT shoot at it or take no other counteractions?
@@Makapaa One important thing is that Kurita thought he was facing Halsey with his TF38 so the Japanese must have been quite frightened by the "escort planes" of Taffy 3. Not to mention that they mistook all the US destroyers including USS Johnston for heavy cruisers.
If I remember correctly, all the battleships and cruisers had left to go after decoys, not leaving at least ONE battleship or a few cruisers to protect the carries was pretty stupid, I think. If I have my history wrong on this let me know, maybe that was another battle.
My great-grandfather was a gunner on USS Johnston. Sadly, he died due to the injuries.
Thank you, Yarnhub, for making this video, it brings memories.
Hey, my great uncle was on the Sammy B, he was in the same battle, thank you for his service and may those sailors rest peacefully amongst the waves
@@TheRealNSA He had to be a brave man.
I respect all who serve for their country. May your great-grandfather rest in peace...
@@TheRealNSAand nats great grandfathers are legends,they charged into battle with a courage that I could never have to the uss johnston and her fallen...CHARGE TO GLORY LADS
@@verstanppe Thank you!
There’s a book by James Hornfischer called “The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors” that beautifully describes this battle minute by minute, down to the level of individual gun crew captains. It’s epic, and this video barely scratches the surface of the valor of these men.
Great book
Got me thinking of Mike Tyson's statement "Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." Getting that ship back in the fight after the bridge was taken out is a testimony to the experience, preparation, and skills of every member of the crew. It's one thing to have a bright shiny ship, it's another thing to have a crew that knows how to fight it.
They punched Kurita in the mouth and saved the invasion transports. well done!!
What a story. The courage of the US Navy in the Pacific war never ceases to amaze me. The captain was one seriously brave man and I can well believe that his crew would proudly follow his lead. RIP to the men who didn't make it but their sacrifice undoubtedly contributed to saving countless others.
My father was a seaman in a destroyer escort and was in several major battles and said that the good thing about being on such a small ship was that you were a less valuable target. They were escorting a supply convoy to the Philippines and on anti submarine duty when an ammunition ship, the SS John Burke, was hit by a kamikazi. My dad told us about it many times and no matter what he said I it wasn't until until I grew up and saw a movie of the explosion I could really comprehend it. It is still considered the largest non-nuclear explosion in history and it rained metal down for several minutes. Three of my uncles on my Mom's side saw combat in Europe and one was a POW and was liberated by Soviet troops. Young people today have no idea what that Greatest Generation faced. There is a video of the Burke explosion on RUclips
@@terryjohnson8317 What a fascinating story Terry, thanks for sharing it!! I've checked out the SS John Burke and that's quite an explosion - that ship must have been carrying a very large quantity of ammunition to go up like that. I don't even want to think about how many casualties there were as a result.
Here he would have received the Victoria Cross
They saw the cost.
Wonder why this episode of the war has never been made into a film. They did a resaonable job of it with Midway and everyone loves a hero story. The captain would still have to die in any film made of course.
I see Johnston, I watch. Such an incredible crew.
Ikr.
Most of this is propaganda. Japanese side showed more heroism
@@schwerergustav. just no
@@schwerergustav. unit 731. Look em up
@@schwerergustav. Ah yes a bot. Oh? Japanese side showed more heroism? Their naval force is bigger, hell even Yamato tonnage is more then Taffy 3 combined. Multiple destroyers and Destroyer Escort fought against Destroyers, Cruisers and battleship. That is not heroism according to you? You must be a downgrade syndrome.
Good timing! A real American warship has just magnificently arrived at the Capital of my country for a joint military exercise. It looked epic and absolutely massive.
Allies to the end!
@ሳምኤል አላህ theres a battleship stationed somewhere in San Francisco bay
@ሳምኤል አላህ if you live in San Diego, you see them everyday
What country are you from ? Greetings from America
My grandpa was japanese he said that he worked for the imperial japanese army during the bombings of tokyo and the battle of bataan
I'm British but damn. this even this makes me proud. i think even the pilots earned their due respect that day and i love the subtle nod at the end to the USS Samuel B Roberts almost like the torch was passed on to yet another legendary ship.
Those yanks weren't messing around
Thanks dad
You have a great warrior yourselves in Lt. Cmdr. Roope of H.M.S. Glowworm, another great last stand of history.
Having seen 'Taffy 3' and 'Yamato' already, it was good to see you complete the trilogy. Well, Captain Evans said she was a fighting ship, and he certainly spoke truly. What a man - straight out of the mould of Cochise, Sitting Bull and Geronimo. And what a crew.
Even though Samuel B. Roberts is the one known to fight like a battleship, Johnston also fought like one, and sunk like one as well. A legendary destroyer, crewed by a legendary crew and commanded by a legendary commander. My deepest respects for all those men🙏
Johnston was the first ship to face the japanese centerforce. Johnston
Capt. Ernes E Evans knew that taskforce 3 will be completely wiped out without a sacrifice to delay the enemy advance, the johnston turned and face the enemy head on, the johnston action inspired the other captain of taffy 3 and followed Johnston into hell.
When reporting the hit on the Johnston the Yamato listed sinking an American CRUISER.
@@Isolder74Yeah, that was a big thing with the entire story about the Taffy 3 incident. The japanese assumed that they were fighting fleet carriers, not escort carriers. So when it came to identifying the escort ships, they assumed they were looking at cruisers, rather than destroyers, just based on range. That's also why they initially got way too close for comfort as they assumed the enemy was further away than they actually were.
The Samuel B Roberts. Known in Navy lore as “The Destroyer Escort that fought like a battleship”
The Japanese destroyer who passes by at the very end is none other than Yukikaze, who herself was a Japanese navy legend and warrants her own video! Known as “the Lucky Ship,” she survived almost every major battle of WW2 and made it all the way to the 1970s.
She was sadly scrapped after serving some years under China. A sad way for such a lucky ship to go.
@@whatdadogdoin8703 It was the Republic of China (Taiwan) which she served under after the war, not communist China. By then, Taiwan and Japan were already allies during the Cold War. After she was scrapped, the ROC Navy returned her rudder and anchor back to Japan as a sign of goodwill.
Yukikaze should've became a museum ship.
“This is going to be a fighting ship. I intend to go in harm’s way, and anyone who doesn’t want to go along had better get off right now.” Lt. Ernest E. Evans, at the commissioning of the USS Johnston, October 27, 1943. He later added "[n]ow that I have a fighting ship, I will never retreat from an enemy force." Evans was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery during the Battle off Samar. The citation read:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of the U.S.S. Johnston in action against major units of the enemy Japanese fleet during the battle off Samar on 25 October 1944. The first to lay a smokescreen and to open fire as an enemy task force, vastly superior in number, firepower and armor, rapidly approached. Comdr. Evans gallantly diverted the powerful blasts of hostile guns from the lightly armed and armored carriers under his protection, launching the first torpedo attack when the Johnston came under straddling Japanese shellfire. Undaunted by damage sustained under the terrific volume of fire, he unhesitatingly joined others of his group to provide fire support during subsequent torpedo attacks against the Japanese and, outshooting and outmaneuvering the enemy as he consistently interposed his vessel between the hostile fleet units and our carriers despite the crippling loss of engine power and communications with steering aft, shifted command to the fantail, shouted steering orders through an open hatch to men turning the rudder by hand and battled furiously until the Johnston, burning and shuddering from a mortal blow, lay dead in the water after 3 hours of fierce combat. Seriously wounded early in the engagement, Comdr. Evans, by his indomitable courage and brilliant professional skill, aided materially in turning back the enemy during a critical phase of the action. His valiant fighting spirit throughout this historic battle will venture as an inspiration to all who served with him. In 1955, the destroyer escort Evans was named in his honor.
That’s a medal well earned.
It’s just too bad he wasn’t there to receive it.
Maybe his massive steel balls were just too heavy for him to stay afloat, idk.
In all seriousness, with his extensive injuries he would have been very attractive to to sharks if he did make it off the ship. I just hope his end came quick. At the very least, he earned that much.
That was an honour well-bestowed ✌️
That is so badass to say but he actually kept his word what a badass
@@lorddaquanofhouserastafari4177 ...what is really badass is he went toe to toe with 4 dreadnought battleships in a tiny boat with 5 inch guns and turned them around. THAT is badass.
@@ssnerd583 seriously man he saved many Americans that day
I wish Stephen Spielberg and Tom Hanks would make a film about Taffy 3 and this famous naval battle near The Philippines. The Johnston and the Samuel B. Robert's - their stories should never be forgotten. Amazing battle - especially the nice History Channel documentary depictions of the relative sizes of the ships attacking and defending. Unbelievable heroics by the American navy here.
check out "In Harm's Way" with John Wayne..it is a vague , very poor version of the Taffy 3 situation
Samar is part of the Philippine Archipelago
Hold the cheese please...hard to do
What about a crowd-funded series like what Dallas Jenkins did with "The Chosen"? That way Hollyweird doesn't kriff it up.
The ship that saluted the Johnston was the IJN Yukikaze, she also had a legendary life. She escorted the Musashi, Yamato and the Shinano. She had a lucky life and was given to the Taiwanese Navy and served them until 1970, she was also somewhat hated because they think they would sink and the yukikaze wouldnt. Luckiest ship ever
Yeah it was said that she sucked the luck out of the formations she's ever put on and that how she kept getting away. She even got herself saved from operation crossroads over at bikini atoll which is the final resting place for much of the remaining IJN fleet after the war had ended.
@@finnmurtons8727 Holy damn! Dats one crazy ship.
@aurelian2668 her luck did eventually run out however during a particularly bad storm in taiwan after she'd served her time in active duty however and she was scrapped because of that. There were originally talks of bringing her back to Japan but I think only the bell or the chrysanthemum made it back cuz she was damaged beypnd repair and was su subsequently scrapped.
The finest hour of the US Navy! Even the Japanese recognized the bravery of these great warriors! I’m proud to be a US Navy veteran. And thankful for my brothers that gave it all! Rest in Peace! Excellent video!
My grandfather was landing on the beach of the Philippines with the 37th Infantry during this battle. I’m alive today because of these men.
The story of the USS Johnston is such a great tale of heroism, it's good to have Yarnhub make this following up their video on the Battle of Samar.
It amazing.
Battle off Samar
I love that, in spite of being enemies in war, that the IJN ship didn't fire upon the USS Johnston but instead saluted the crew for their courage in battle. It shows that even in dark times, there are limits to enmity, and that honor is a universal language.
Unfortunately the Japanese were quite well-known for the practice of cruelty on downed/in the water/injured/captured enemies. Like other warrior ethos through history, Bushido was largely a nationalist myth. This speaks highly of the moral character of that particular ship & captain, but we shouldn't read too much cultural weight into it.
@@jaiclary8423 that’s is because of their ridiculously high standards of a true warrior
Which is never surrender, never retreat, die if you must
I don't think the "salute" ever happened, frankly. In the heat of battle men are WAY too busy to engage in such niceties.
@@lurking0death it is plausable...the japanese miltary ethos has always respected courage and sacrifice.
That ship was IJN Yukikaze, served a prestigious Career in the Japanese navy, participating in all major battles, later serving Taiwan Proudly until 1969, where a typhoon damaged her beyond repair, she was scrapped in 1970.
If that Typhoon didn't kill her, she would likely be a museum ship in either Tokyo, Okinawa or even Taiwan itself for it's career alone.
Of all the Medals Of Honour awarded since its inception USS Johnstone and her Commander are right at the top of my list. He did a heck of a lot more than make a nuisance of themselves and gave the carriers time to retreat.
Johnston
In 1967 transfered from my sub at sea (USS SIRAGO SS 485 ) to destroyer on emergency leave. I will never forget the kindness shown to me by the officers and crew on the destroyer during several days aboard. Hats off to destroyer people ,they are the best!
This guy puts all his hard work to make videos for us to watch
Also credit his whole crew bro
fk him. He turned fact into fiction with his portrayal of the captains geniality.
Yeah its a team
And I give him a thumbs up every time
If you're an American and you can watch this without tearing up there's something wrong with you. RIP brave men of the US Navy.
I don’t cry on this. I salute.
Thank ou for your support.
Yep. Anything Taffy 3. The selflessness is overwhelming.
@@ElsinoreRacer, they really didn't have much choice in the matter. Admiral Halsey had run off glory seeking, much like General MacArthur had been doing during the entire war, after four empty impotent carriers to make an even bigger name for himself, taking their main defences with him. Had those four small ships not made the ultimate sacrifice Taffy Three's fate would have been sealed along with possibly Taffy Two and Taffy One. Add that to the helpless troops ships and it would have been a slaughterhouse!
@@julialuo69 true
This ship, and its crew. I've read stories and watched documentaries about this. Heroic ship svaing the lives of many by sacrificing itself. hats off to capt. Evans and his crew. This story deserves a movie. This ship amd commander evans really deserves a movie dedicated or about them.
there is a book named the last stand of the tin can sailors which is about the warships that took part the in battle. There was to be a movie called come hell or high water but it seems the movie has slipped beneath the waves.
@@NoireBIanc The book (and the traditional narrative about this battle in general) is badly out of date and vastly downplays the massive importance of American airpower in the victory.
My grandfather was landing on the beach of the Philippines with the 37th Infantry during this battle. I’m alive today because of these men.
No let's try a female "Batman", see how many hundreds of millions of dollars we can waste in ANOTHER epic flop.
Not make a true story of incredible bravery and heroism or anything.
I would pay to go see that
I just know this channel, and both animation and the story are wonderful.....
Thank you Riski for your kind support
I had a neighbor for years who served on the Johnson and almost finished the battle without injury. Problem was that the ship was blown up but the timeline he gave differed some from this. The story here is of necessity condensed but the battle raged for hours. My friend was a gunner on one of the guns and was at his station for a while. The gun fired a cased shell and at his station he had to duck to one side as the gun fired to avoid the automatic case ejection that threw the spent case out toward his head. They had fired so many rounds that in his fatigue he forgot to duck and was hit in the face by a spent shell case losing teeth. They continued to fight until the broken ship capsized.
Wow! That is an amazing story, I'd love if you shared more, of course if you are comfortable with it.
@@gjkvchllnv He did remember the rounds from the big Japanese battleship would pass right through the Johnson and the ship had lots of holes. He spoke well of the captain of the Johnson and the men had great respect for his courage. He did recall being in the water for days after the battle.
In retrospect I should have picked him for more information and taken notes. He is passed of course so it is too late now. My dad, my uncles, and several neighbors served in either the first or second war and the unspoken rule was that you did not ask for them to talk about it. As an example, my dad's two brothers served in the Navy, one on a destroyer in the North Atlantic and the other spent time on an oil tanker along the West African coast. Though never estranged after the war the one did not know that the other on the tanker had his ship sunk out from under him by a sub. My dad must not have known because I did not learn about it until just before my uncle's death in the early 2000's. They did not talk about it, and I respected that my neighbor did not want me to be asking questions. I just let him tell me what he wished to say.
@@larrymcever4601 Ah, I see. I am sorry for your loss and I completely understand. Thank you for sharing this though, it really does interest me and I always find it captivating to hear war veterans speak about their experiences.
USS Johnston
This is the first time the Yamato has sailed in nearly a hundred years.
The fact that a Japanese captain was impressed enough to salute the enemy is a testament to the Johnston's effectiveness and bravery.
And to the integrity and honour of the Japanese captain. Bravery, honour and respect know nno bounds
@@johndavies1090
The Army on the other hand
@@randomblacktemplar738 Any military force in any country has its bad apples, but such bravery should be honored, even in enemies.
@@dwrdwlsn5 The Japanese military of the imperial era were rotten to the core, the exceptions were the bits that could be considered 'edible' in this analogy. The navy was perhaps less rotten than the army, which if it had anyone who wasn't a dispenser of war crimes, was utterly drowned out by the rest.
I think the only reason the navy had fewer monsters than the army is they had most of the fight taken out of them pretty early on and often couldn't really do anything about their lack of ability to vent their rage. Anytime prisoners were taken they would be interrogated and brutally murdered, any time Japanese sailors were captured, it was an act to try and get in close to kill their rescuers.
@@tremedar every last one of them were not that way. Far too many were.
Never will there be a braver ship captained by the bravest man, RIP and thank you.
And thank you Yarnhub for doing them justice, I first heard about the Johnston ten years ago on the history channel and was amazed and disheartened she wasnt more publicly known
The fact that Admiral Halsey was sucked into chasing aircraft carriers that no longer had any real strength due to lack of trained qualified pilots plays into the lack of publicity over this one sided fight we strategically won as the IJN retreated . The small boys did an outstanding job.
@@raystory7059 I dont blame him at all, the japanese were becoming increasingly desperate and unpredictable, we must realize that suicidal japanese tactics were still alien to our commanders thinking. Betting a battleship force against a large carrier base force is suicidal if they couldnt pull the carriers away.
....the country they fought for is being spent and wasted by lesser men
@@petergraham5285 yep, getting sick of them doing it too
@@petergraham5285 sighhh
when the USS Johnston said " its standin' time" i realised that it was one of the most destroyer of all time
Standius
fr just pulled a "standing here, i realize"
can we arrive at 262 likes
@@Betto_333 Two short now.
To earn the respect of a Japanese soldier, and even more so the respect of the captain of She who survives, is in and of itself the highest honor from the enemy.
Especially with how little the Japanese thought of Americans during the war. Calling them more or less cowards.
Very few men have gotten respectful notions from the Japanese, but those few rightfully earned their status of legends.
Kurita lost his nerve, the ferocity of the US response was so fierce he got convinced that the bulk of Halsey's fleet was just over the horizon and he retreated.
Plus, he thought he had crippled 2 fleet carriers and sunk one. A good days work.
They thought the destroyer escorts were cruisers. "Inconceivable!"
Considering that Kurita was days too late to attack the landing beaches anyways (the landings began on Oct 20 and most of the men and supplies were ashore by the morning of Oct 24), and considering he had a narrow window of opportunity to get in and out before Halsey actually did return, he arguably made the right call even in hindsight.
He had also been awake for seventy two hours straight---I wouldn't be surprised if he fought this battle with dark circles around his eyes. On top of that, his previous ship, the ATAGO, had been shot out from under him and he'd been pulled from the water. So he was likely not in the best of shape.
@@bkjeong4302 good info I never read this before.
As time went on more and more land based aircraft joined the battle. With no aircraft of their own, there was no reason to continue.
"Last stand of the tin can sailors" is a great book.
There was an episode of the show "Dogfights" which covered the Battle off Samar including the USS Johnston. I watched it all the time as a kid.
One of the best episodes of that show.
The USS Johnston and the USS Samuel B. Roberts remain the deepest shipwrecks ever to be found.
Last I checked the episode was on Amazon Prime Video. It used to be on Netflix but that was YEARS ago.
@@fixman88 I think it's on RUclips too
It’s on Dailymotion. I just watched it again for the 500th time. Such a well done video.
You had me at "USS Johnston."
Fantastic video about one of the greatest fighting ships in world naval history.
Same
It's the Johnston or Admiral Yi's tiny fleet of Panokseons at Meongnyang.
In fact I might be so bold as to say that Captain evans is the only man other than Y i to hand the Japanese such a lopsided military defeat.
Definitely on the short list for "Fighting-est "
I’ve been on one of her sisterships, the USS The Sullivans (though she’s modernized for the Korean War). This and the story of the Johnston is why the Fletcher class is one of my favorite ships classes
Edit: I’ve also heard that the Japanese mistook the American ships for fleet carriers and cruisers, when they were actually Escorted Carriers, Destroyers, and Destroyer Escorts. This is due to the limited amount of Radar in the IJN force, possibly only Yamato having any
Not due to radar. Due to the Japanese intelligence being so poor they weren't aware of the escort carriers, thus the identification books made zero mention of them. So, since the only carriers in the books were fleet carriers, *obviously* that must be the American fleet (wow they made a lot of fleet carriers in a short period of time didn't they?), and the little ships with obvious gun barrels *must* be cruisers or battleships by the scale difference. So they loaded the armor piercing shells when they should have loaded the high explosive lol
@@5peciesunkn0wn i see. If I’m correct the first Essex class ships were around about this time, but not nearly enough. Yeah because they were firing Armor piercing on fairly un-armored ships they weren’t being as effective as they thought. They did apparently switch to Heigh Explosive when they got close enough to tell that these were much smaller vessels when they sank the Gambier Bay, Hoel, Johnston, and Samuel B Roberts (at least some of these not sure if all)
@@Alpha_627 Yes, once they got close enough to actually see detail, they switched to the HE shells lol
@@5peciesunkn0wn They really went: WAIT TOO LITTLE ARMOR
Has nothing to do with radar lol. Radar of that time couldnt tell the size like todays.
Radar isnt Radar
My father used to be a Navy officer in the medical corps. When I was growing up, he still had memorabilia from his time in the Navy two decades earlier. Mostly pictures of him in his dress whites and he and my mom in Bahrain, where he was stationed.
But the most prized in my eyes was a simple large porcelain coffee mug. And on it were the words "Don't give up the ship!" Just five words and yet they meant so much to me. In my five year old eyes, my father was a hero.
Well these men are the authors of those words. The true and original American heroes who fought with everything they had. For, in the end, they never gave up the ship. That is why the Japanese officers saluted them.
these men were heroes, dying to protect the life of my father, who was in the landing force that day. Without those men I wouldn’t even be here and neither would my children. How does a man say thank you for something like that? I don’t know, but I try. Thank you, thank you, thank you. We will all hoist one together in Valhalla one day. I’m buying.
🫡
One of the crew of USS Johnston was Coxswain Clarence Carden. Carden was badly wounded and spent two days floating in the ocean. He was finally rescued after 50 hours adrift in a makeshift raft... Sadly, within hours of rescue, Carden passed away onboard the rescue vessel. Surprisingly, instead of a burial at sea, his body was eventually returned home to our tiny town of Hampton,Tn and burried in Hall Cemetery, just down the street from my grandparents house.
I visited Clarence's grave on Memorial Day to find it completely forgotten. The Cemetery where he's buried hasn't had internments in 20 years or more... It was pretty sad to see one of our nation's heros totally forgotten... I did my best to raise awareness by sharing his story online...
I spent a few hours that day cleaning up his gravesite, pulling away the grass and weeds and washing all the moss and mildew from his headstone, then giving the stone a good polish and a small American flag...
As I went back to my truck and started to leave, I looked back out at the Cemetery and a ray of sunshine was absolutely beaming and reflecting off the headstone, making a huge, blinding light...
I can't help but believe that was a little way of Clarence saying "thank you" for not forgetting him...
Please, look deeper into the history of your local veterans... Pick one, pay their grave a visit, and give it a little TLC if needed... We can't let the memory of these brave heros fade into history
I know I'm a year late but that made me shed a tear.
@@TheIroncladResearcher Appreciated nonetheless!
Someone give yarnhub a medal of honor for this animation. This story needs to be told. From a grateful fan of this channel. Keep it up. Whatever video you make will make it worth watching again and again. Well done yarnhub.
You know you're a badass warrior if the enemy salutes you as you die
There's a saying that you get a true portrait of someone when their enemies and friends all praise them in death.
@@sigma80 Samurais respects a capable brave Enemy!
Excellent Video! That battle is largely forgotten history. As stated, the USS Samuel B Roberts and USS Johnston were absolutely amazing. They had Crews and Skippers of an Exceptional Quality, rarely found. They had little concern for themselves dying and were determined to protect the Servicemen around them.
One detail, for the viewers unfamiliar with this battle, needs to be noted. That battlegroup had troop ships that were loaded with men for the landings. These troop transport ships were mostly defenseless and 'sitting ducks' for the Japanese attackers. Those little destroyers saved unimaginable numbers of men on those transport ships, that surely would have been sunk.
Ya'll Take Care and be safe, John
Thank you for this. Evans was the definition of a badass who gave no poops about doing what he did. The Johnston is still my second favorite ship next to the YorkTown and Battleship X. But by far did the most insanely courageous feat of any other naval ship I have ever heard of to save the fleet they served with.
I mentioned this as well on the video on the Samuel B Roberts, I recommend the book, “The last stand of the tin can sailors” by James D. Hornfisher, in it the battle of the Leyte Gulf is described in great detail and also notes the feats of the Johnson in attacking and sacrificing itself intercepting a group of Japanese ships intended to destroy the remaining Carriers while only down to 2 of its guns previously taken fire knocking out the heavy cruiser Kumano
Absolutely, it's a great book. He also has a few others about Guadalcanal (Neptune's Inferno), the USS Houston (Ship of Ghosts), and the Pacific overall (The Fleet at Flood Tide).
....a MUST read.
The relatively new Sammy B #3 Got nicked in Operation Praying Mantis. It actually came close to sinking.
The ship I was on relieved the USS Stark( 2 Exocet missile strikes). The Sammy B FFG 58 was one of those that relieved FFG 37 Crommelin.
The Crommelin missed a mine by a few hundred feet more than once. Passed by one that was spotted by the look out.
The next encounter, the ship behind it did not. The pressure wave sucks.
Strange that it took 8 hours to sink the Crommelin as a target. The Sammy B #3 was finally stabilized after 7 hours after hit by a mine.
I don't think think the name Samuel B Roberts should be used again as a ship's name after 2015. Sammy B #1 also sank soon after the Johnston.
#2 Did a full service of 24 years and the same as the Crommelin it was used as a target. Maybe being a even number is better?
Spelled Hornfischer, He and Ian Toll are the preeminent naval historians of our day. Sadly, James passed away last June after a battle with cancer. We have all suffered his loss, but hopefully appreciate his ability to teach, entertain, and turn a memorable phrase at the opening and conclusion of each chapter of his many, many masterpieces.
Last Stand is sadly very out of date and gets multiple major details wrong.
I loved how it all connected, first from USS Samuel B. Roberts point of view to USS Johnston's point of view. The animations were so life-like, i really enjoyed it. Good job those at Yarnhub!
This story is so incredible...It brings me to tears of pride every time I see it.
To the captain of that Japanese destroyer, and the sailors who served on it, the Johnston and her crew were everything they had been taught about how warriors should behave. They fought valiantly, against unwinnable odds, did not shy from the fight, and went down fighting. The didn't just salute them, they were proud of them, and would always dream of living up to the same standard that Johnston's crew and captain did. To put it simply, the Johnston fought like a Samurai, a true warrior (in the Japanese minds), and should be respected and honored for their bravery.
Don't ever insult WWII era Americans by comparing them to Samurai.
Don't ever insult Samurai by comparing them to Americans. They were a greater breed of men. You ... not so much. @@Hiraghm
Wow! That's fascinating! What did the Japanese do to those who believed weren't true Samurai? Did they just treat them fairly, or what?
That ship was the just as legendary IJN Yukikaze. Served an incredible career, lost due to a typhoon under the Taiwanese flag.
If that typhoon didn't kill her, she would be a museum ship.
@@chaosXP3RTWell.... sadly, no. During that time the Japanese military training principle could be sum up in these words "It's glorious to fight till the bitter end and to surrender is a total disgrace" and "Always obey your order". Tojo just cramb up all the Bushido in to his military personal's brain which made them agressive as heck. With that combind with their believe during that time that the Japanese is superior to other asian race and the western powers are a bunch of disgraceful hogs. The result of this combination made them sespect those who fight for the bitter end, and loath those who surrender. They even hate the population of the asian country that had fallen into the west's hands, seeing them as a bunch of inferiors who weren't brave enough to fight till the end for their country.
Like throwing mosquitos at an elephant....but they got the elephants attention......and respect.
This is one of the most astounding naval engagements in history. A few tiny little ships crewed by real men turned away the Japanese flagship fleet that consisted of 4 of the biggest battle wagons ever to put to sea. Can you imagine the captain of the Yamato turning his fleet around because of such ferocious attack???
Taffy 3......those were real men that day.
Fantastic work as always Yarnhub, I love these brief glimpses into the past, seeing the heroic acts of valor of sailors, airmen and infantry alike
So glad the Johnston got its time in the spotlight on this channel after the video about the Samuel B. Roberts. I liked that you modeled the detail about the red dye and the torn shirt so you could tell the two bridge officers apart more easily as the events unfolded and grew more chaotic.
I have heard this story many times, even so, i see the USS Johnston, i click. Y'all did an amazing job.
Brings a tear to my eye when hearing this story told. I've read James D. Hornfisher's book "Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" and it if such an emotional book to read.
The best kickass navy battle ever.
Anchors Aweigh
Your heroic stand will never be forgotten Captain you and your men.
Thanks for helping us in the South Pacific.
New Zealand
My dad was on destroyers during WW2.. The Radford, Aaron Ward, and McDonough. He told me all three were sunk while he was on them, and he was lucky to be alive. He mentioned this battle as well. I didnt know much back then about what he told me...but now I wish he was still alive so I could tell him how proud I am of his service.
He’s proud of you too son 💙 Salut
The Japanese used colored shells as an identification of a ship's guns, so each main battle ship had it's own color to aid in target determination and range. Taffy 3 is a testament to the amazing bravery of the US Navy in WWII. God rest the souls of all that died in defense of their homeland. Well done, indeed.
Glory to Johnston. Her skipper and crew's courage always bring a tear of pride to my eye.
This is one of the most underrated stories of the war for the USN. There should have been more ships named after the Johnston and also after Ernest Evans and more accolades given. It is moments and people like this (Evans and the crew) that define a nation during war.
Right, I would consider the Battle of Samar and the Battle of Midway to be staple points in US navy history.
These little destroyers and escort carriers scared the Yamato to the point it ran and didn't reappear until it's suicide mission and nailed in the coffin for the US navy's complete dominance over the Pacific Ocean.
Thanks!
Thank you for your support !
A Sabaton-Yarnhub story and a separate Yarnhub story in one day?
PRAISE!!
I loves seeing recreations of naval battles, they’re my favorite
One big thing to note was for most of the Battle of Samar, Taffy 3 was mistaken as Task Force 38 with USS Johnston herself being accidently labelled as a "cruiser" instead of a destroyer, leading the Japanese fleet to fire AP rounds instead of HE. It's also understandable why Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita would order his fleet to retreat. He already had his original flagship, IJN Atago, sunk with him having to picked from the water and it's clear from his actions he didn't want to go for another swim.
Yep, for a long time the Japanese used Armour piercing grenades, for both destroyers and carriers, overestimating their size and armour. Would they have started with explosive shells, it would have been a short battle.
But its possible the ferocity of the American destroyers affirmed their wrong assumption to face cruisers and big carriers.
They were also aiming high because of this, thinking the ships were further away than they were.
@@bradgaines5091 Not to mention the heavy rain, the smoke screen and the lack of japanese radar fire control system.
They had been under constant air and submarine attack for 2 days and knew that the southern attack had been destroyed by the 7th fleet the night before. Kurita had lost his flagship and Musashi in the days prior. It was very likely he was running low on AA ammunition and pressing south would commit his remaining ships into a suicide mission with no hope of escape. This would have left the home islands with no ships for defense thus I believe Kurita would have felt he had no choice but to retreat.
A collossal failure of command. How he could basically go on a one way kamikaze mission and then turn around is incredible. Had he pushed through at full speed. the Japanese could have decimated the landing
support ships.
One of the best stories to come out of WWII. Great animation in this video. Hope to see more like it.
Wow, easily the coolest WW2 video yet in regards to story-telling and the animations. I love how we can see how big the shells are in comparison with the destroyer.
The Yamato's main battery fired a projectile that weighed about as much as a Ford Ranger pickup truck for ~25 miles.
A fascinating story done justice. Mildly surprised Evans didn't just swim across the pacific and punch a hole in the Japanese warships. I want to mention that you guys are getting visibly better and more confident with your animation style, there was some real character and dynamic action in this one.
thank you for doing the uss Johnston! was hoping you guys would do this! some Inaccuracies I want to point out are:
IJN Kongo knock out Johnstons electrical power not Yamato, although it is correct that the Yamato 6 inch guns smashed the bridge.
Also when the electrical power went out and came back on only 2 of the 5 5inch guns were restored.
Not mentioned in this video I'd love to point out:
When Johnston got hit her speed was cut in half from 34 to 17 knots
Lt Cmdr Enerest Evans was the only LT Cmdr in the US navy to receive the MoH during ww2
When Johnston fired her torpedoes not only did she hit Kumano but the heavy Cruiser Suzuya Pulled alongside the kumano and she too was hit by Johnstons torpedoes. To quote James Hornfischer:" Right on the battles onset, owing to Capt Evans audacity to attack alone, 2 of the 6 heavy cruisers were out of the fight in the first 10 minutes."
at 1:44 I love the little detail of the red sun in the background! great work!
Brave men facing insurmountable odds. We in Britain have our version too when destroyers HMS Ardent and HMS Acasta took on the Scharnhorst to try and save HMS Glorious, an aircraft carrier, in 1940. All three Britsh ships sadly went down with a tiny number of survivors. Wars are terrible but they can bring out greatness in men. Stories like these prove it.
Thanks so much! You’re content really is amazing. So good and educational but also entertaining! Again, thanks so much for the amazing content!
This is my favourite engagement in the whole Pacific. The Enterprise is great and all, but this just pure madness.
The Yorktown doesn't get the spotlight like The E but was the better carrier. It was in the first naval battle where ships did not see each other. They were almost sunk and went into the battle of Midway without several boilers bulk heads still damaged and yard workers still on board.
The Japanese recognised that the ship performed what their own “samurai” ethics had espoused. So it’s no surprise the Japanese ship’s captain saluted them.
I’m not 100%, but it seems the captain of the Yukikaze at that time was Masamichi Terauchi
Didn't help the guys on wake island. Or at Corregidor.
Lo it is a surprise considering how badly Japan treated prisoners and civilians.
@@bushwhackerinc.4668 brutality was common on all sides unfortunately.
If I remember right the Japanese had a common saying “Please continue to keep trying your best.” Even if you know you were defeated you were expected to at least try. The Johnston lived up to that ethic and gave all she could right up to the end and the Japanese captain understood this and respected it, hence the salute.
My great grandfather was on the USS DuPage (APA-41) and told me about this battle when he was still around. Amazing man. Took shrapnel and burns to his back after a Kamikaze hit the ship back in 45.
Rest in Peace gg (1922-2021)
Considering the firepower brought to bear by these immense machines, these battles must have been unimaginably horrific. These ships must’ve been literally painted red in the blood and guts of numerous sailors after being hit by those shells.
They were, The Last Stand of the Tin Can sailors goes into quite a bit of detail on how brutal and gory naval combat can be.
The heavy 18 inch shells from Yamato punched through both sides of Johnston and went to the bottom without detonating. Johnston was just too thin and meager a ship to set off the armor piercing fuses. It was secondary armament from Yamato that actually killed that heroic ship.
That japanese ship is named Yukikaze, sailing next sinking Johnston which captain was saluting. As a result of participating in and surviving some of the most dangerous battles the IJN had fought, Yukikaze is very popular in Japan, being called "the unsinkable ship" and "the miracle ship".Yukikaze took part in more than 10 major battles, and more than 100 escort missions and resupply transport missions during World War II. Yukikaze is only one left from it's class and one of only three destroyers left from war of Japan.
Japan had more a lot more than 3 destroyer after the war.
You must mean the special type destroyers because only 3 special type destroyer survive the war. 1 Kagero class(Yukikaze), 1 Akatsuki class(Hibiki) and 1 Fubuki class(Ushio).
I had a great grandpa who was on the escort carrier Fanshaw Bay which was the lead ship in Taffey 3 that day. The aircraft carrier (along with my grandpa) survived the battle, which included two kamikaze attempts, but four men were killed, and another four were injured.
Somewhere I read that the Johnston was the only US man-o'-war to receive such a salute from the Japanese Navy.
If you want to read about another tin can in that battle, read the book “The Last Stand of The Tin Can Sailors” and the USS Samual B Roberts, a destroyer escort. The Roberts was smaller than the Johnston, with only one five inch gun and slower top speed. Her skipper ordered an extra large American flag run up the mast, her top speed being only 25 knots so the engineers tied the boiler safeties down and increased the speed to 29 knots which enabled the ship to evade the Japanese’s gunners and order all ahead flank and charged one of the battleships firing their only gun at the topside guns and bridge of the Japanese battleship. She was eventually sunk but the mental image of that little ship flying an extra large American flag and charging an enemy battleship balls to the wall in a desperate effort to protect the all important carriers from certain destruction with all their men is an awe inspiring picture. No, the Johnston was not alone in her desperate efforts. There were 4 destroyers plus the smaller Roberts. All were sunk by the Japanese. Their efforts were not in vain however. Due to the mounting damage by the tin cans and the fighter pilots, one battleship lost its bow, wandered off and sank the next day, it’s captain and bridge officers having been killed from bombs and shells when it’s bridge was destroyed.
@@larryray3178 Not to take away from the rest of your comment but I think Samuel B Roberts had 2 5in guns as well as a triple torpedo launcher
Thanks for posting this. My uncle Lt. JG Henry M. Wilson died in the water after the USS Johnston was sunk. He was overcome by the burns he received during the battle. He was a fire control officer on the USS Johnston.
I've read a ton of European military naval history. The USS Johnston charging ships 10 and 20 times her size is unique. Your Uncle and his crew were the bravest. I'm sorry he didn't survive.
@@alzaidi7739 It was incredible but not unique. Check out HMS Gloworm and HMS Rawalpindi among others.
These stories humble me; the courage these men had is incredible; It makes me SO PROUD that I can call MYSELF “American!” RIP you sailers…. 🇺🇸🇺🇸😲😞👍🏼👣
And the Johnston’s story finally has closure
Last year, a team involving seasoned shipwreck explorer Parks Stephenson found the wreck of the USS Johnston; and this year, they also found the Samuel B Roberts
both wrecks were found by Caladan Oceanics founder Victor Vescovo
Victor Vescovo is an amazing person! Google him!
He's a Navy veteran and uber rich. He didn't inherit his wealth. But he used many of his funds to explore the oceans. He designed and built the strongest submarine that has gone to the deepest trenched in the oceans.
He's also a mountain climber
Just was in on a live chat that celebrated the launch of the Johnston.
He said he's going back to open another investment firm so he can make enough money for his next generation of submarine!
I really like how I'm starting to see a lot of youtube channels covering the more minor/lesser known battles from various wars across history. Literally never heard of this battle nor of the heroic deeds of this ship and its crew despite being a huge ww2 nerd because movies, documentaries, books, and all of the history lessons in school often only cover larger battles or the bigger picture. I've been learning a lot from videos like these and I'm starting to learn that ww2 was way crazier than I had ever previously imagined.
Well done piece as usual. Nice paired story to go with the Samuel B. Roberts one. As an FYI, the wreck of the Johnston was found last year and the Samuel B Roberts a few months ago.
Oh my god I have loved this story since I heard it but I never knew the captain was native American! Thank you! Your channel keeps me entertained and learning with every video. I am so grateful.
I am a Navy vet. Hard to express the admiration I have for all in this comments area that had relatives and predecessors who, dad's and grandad's that fought in this battle. Capt. Evans was a very brave man, and I just discovered he was a Cherokee Indian. I have Cherokee in my blood as my granddad was born on a reservation outside Oklahoma City. I was so proud to hear this about Capt. Evans...Fought like an Indian too didn't he? The Capt. of The 'Sammy B' (Samuel B. Roberts) was no joke either. Both of these men were pure Bravado. (They should of been given more rank, and much larger ships to command).
My dad was in WW2 also ... but over in Europe in Patton's army fighting with a unit called the 'Redball Express'. He would tell me stories of the truck convoys that hauled fuel for Patton's tanks, putting 3 guys in a truck...when it was time to change, the driver would slide to the end, the guy in the middle would slide under him to drive and the guy on the end would then be in the middle. The only time they would stop the truck was to refuel. Hollywood made a movie about them. ( Shortly before our dad died, my sister looked in his military record, and found out he was also a sniper, but he never told me this).
Hats off to all in here whose father's and grandfather's fought in this battle, and other battles during WW2 , for this country and our freedom...in the biggest sea battle in history...ISALUTE YOU in their behalf. The Navy should give every award they can offer to all those guys who fought that part of the battle and especially to those guys serving on those destroyers, in particular, the USS Johnston, and USS Samuel B. Roberts. I SALUTE YOU. God Bless You, God Bless You.
Nice video! Great job with the details! Fun fact about the USS Johnston: when it sank, it sank an incredible 21,000ft down taking the title of “deepest shipwreck”. (Titanic is 12,500ft down and the Mighty Yamato is 1,200ft down) Anyway great video! Keep it up yarnhub
It was because it deserved to never be disturbed. These men deserve their eternal rest.
It was the deepest discovered until the wreck of the Samuel B. Roberts was discovered this year; it was just a bit deeper I think. Fitting that these two brothers in arms are the two deepest discovered shipwrecks.
"I can see the biggest meatball flag on the biggest battleship I ever saw!"00:56
Love this line man and of course yarnhub your animation will one day become a live stream🌹😍😊
the amount of detail in the scene of everyone running to their stations is amazing
The destroyers that fought like battleships and won! She, Hoel, Sammuel B Roberts and the rest of the brave men of the destroyers and planes of Taffy 3 fought like hell and successfully tricked the IJN into thinking that they were fighting Nimitz's battleship force. I first knew of this battle when playing an old combat flight sim game called Heroes of the Pacific, where we were one of the fighter pilots covering Taffy 3. In game, you can hear the crews calling out the charge of the Johnston as well as the loss of Hoel, Johnston and Samuel B Roberts. Years later, someone finally made a video from the naval ships side of this epic fight. Great work Yarnhub. I'm so glad Sabaton introduced me to your channel.
Superb Yarnhub! Outstanding! Excellent animation, great script & narration. Another tale of courage and heroism retold in the twentyfirst century by Yarnhub. Thank you. You guys are the best!
Semper Paratus.
You do such a great job with these videos. I love that this channel is here, because it never lets anyone forget what people did for their home country or our world. Thank you for never letting the history of our planet and wars die out.
Absolutely marvellous work, I keep being awed by the amount of work you guys put into these videos and wait with bated breath for the next.
I know you guys probably have a list of topics a mile long but I’d like to suggest the voyage of the Adler commanded by Felix Von Luckner. It’s a cool story that I think would suit the channel really well and deserves to be told.
I've always loved the history of the USS Johnston due to its crews bravery and it's durable pride and also it's captains power. And that's why I've already watched this 50 times this year😅
All the recent submarine exploration stuff made me look into this battle. In a battle where you have several MVPs, the fact that the USS Johnston story stands above all else is a testament to what these men did that day.
Commander Ernest Evans had the biggest balls in the history of the US Navy
RIP to an absolute legend
Another great part of this battle was the aa crew of one the escort carriers. As they were being rushed by the cruisers and destroyers, they started taking fire before they could get into the safety of the smokescreen. One of the crew, sadly I don’t know which carrier it was from, said ‘don’t worry boys, we’re suckering them into 40mm range!’
Another reportedly said as the Japanese were retreating, “Dammit, boys! They’re getting away!”
And there's a chance the White Plains got to be the only carrier to essentially sink an enemy ship in direct action. Either a destroyer gun or the White Plains' 5in stern gun punched into the torpedo reloading room on the Chokai and the long lances went "Boom", permanently crippling the ship till it had to be scuttled.
Taffy 3 gigachad right there. The imperials decide to go after the wrong bunch of badasses. RIP
I believe that was on the Gambier Bay after the 5" gun on the stern started firing on the destroyer column.
@@5peciesunkn0wn Unfortunately, chances are that is a myth, as Chokais torpedo tubes were found intact when RV Petrel discovered the wreck.
THANK YOU YARNHUB! THIS IS AN AMAZING AMERICAN STORY. I appreciate you telling it to the masses ❤️ I got chills when you mentioned Cmdr Evans' name
Once again beautiful storytelling, poignant voice over. The animation is just absolutely amazing. All of you are a credit to those who wish to learn from these videos. It's absolutely amazing!! ❤️
I was a soldier not a sailor but my grandfather was a career man in the Navy. He died in 1935 but I have a great love for all of our armed forces. I have a framed photo of the DD 557 on my living room wall.The Destroyer that fought like a battleship.
Myself being First Native to USA and from the tribes Cherokee and Apache, l cried in joy and pain for our Brother Earnest Evans,,, l believe he had mostly Cherokee blood but may have also been mixed with something else… The blood of a true Warrior ran through his veins…bless his soul