52 Kamikazes Attack Single Destroyer USS Laffey, 1945 - Animated

Go to curiositystream.thld.co/OPSRO... and use code OPSROOM to save 25% off today, that’s only $14.99 a year. Thanks to Curiosity Stream for sponsoring today’s video.
Destroyer USS Laffey is deployed as a radar picket ship to watch for Japanese aircraft flying from the mainland to attack the US forces fighting on Okinawa. On 16th April 1945, she spots 52 Japanese "Kamikaze" aircraft coming at her from all directions. Her AA battery crewmen desperately try to save their lives against the incoming swarm.
My "Group Captain" tier Patreons vote on my next video subject. If you'd like to have your say on my next video, please check out my Patreon at the link below:
/ theoperationsroom
/ the_ops_room
Special thanks to my Patreons: Abusemtex, Alexander K Leach, András Csányi, Andy Kim, Blair Bunke, big mike, Bill Luster, Bryant Miano, Chris Faehl, Christopher Vance, Cody, dan, Dave Lombard, David West, Dean Winger, Dullis, e 141, Eric Gagnon, Ethan Chickering, Eric M, ETB, Flavio Ribeiro, Galen, Harmen, Ian Young, imfromthe808, iulian stef, Jeff Phillips, John Smaha, JONATHAN Vallett, Kole Pulley, libor riska, lokiju, Luke Graham, Michael Choi, Miyama1018, ned hulton, Nicolai E. G, omega21, PS, Richard Bejtlich, Richard Knijnenburg, Richard Selsor, Sami Koivuluoma, Sean Bao-Han Rogers, Shane Harper, Shay Kneupper, Shomik M, Stephen James, tired swed, Tommy Truong, wilbs43, Will Coward, Yancey Larochelle-Williams, Yurnero, Zachery Plaice, Aaron, Aaron M Love, Aaron Weisenburger, AgentComet, Alistair Jones, Alex Bell, Alex Pickworth, Andrew Ringquist, Apollo, Arthur Morgan, Axel Essbaum, Ben Harazim, Bodo Nuber, Brandon, Brenton Williams, Brett VanBuren, Brian Chan, Caleb DeArmas, Casual Observer, Casey Ross, Christopher Cardona, Christopher Pivetz, Colin Stachowski, Connor Kunihiro, CTomic, D4VN, Damien Dec, Darius Cosby, Dayan, Douglas, Eddy Gurge, Ekstasis, Eric Bolks, Erick Velez, Escipio Sumski, evantown, Fredrik Inzix, Fredrick Wilson Nordby. Gaute, Geir Morten Soerensen, Geudang Asak, Graeme McEvoy, Grant McFarland, Gunship Sequel, Hanne Kortegaard Støchkel, Harrison A Tamke, Harry, Hunter Thornsberry, Innominate, Jack Baylor, Jack Mermod, Jack Parkin, Jackie Carson, Jason, Jason Wemyss, James Trevor, J Shefsky, Jeffery Barnes, Jerry Xiao, Jessica Tiger, Jingold, Joe Robinson, John Harrison Herndon, John Smith, John Walters, John Hesketh, Jordan Hedges, Joseph Sullivan, Justin Smith, kokosabre, Kristian Hagberg, Kurt Fox, Lasse Pedersen, Laudern, Leo Maltoni, Luffylink, Luis Martinez, Luke Graham, LVE, Manfred Breuner, Mark D, Matthew Fessenden, Mathew Baker, Matthew Flint, Michael, Michael J Jacobsen, Mike Thompson, Muj Rahman, Nate Graham, Nick, Nick Rudd, Olufemi Adediwura, piranha45, Pongsapak Yopinta, Rabbit Corn, Reese Spector, Richard Woodard, Rick Y-Bobby, Riley Matthews, Robby Gottesman, Robert Evans, Roderick Russell, Rory Weden, Ryan March, Scalar, Schnitz, Siddharth Ahuwalia, Silver Sk, SONY _USR, Squerdle, Steven Leach, Tactical_Jackal, Tadwinks, The Man They Call Asher, Thomas Burton, Tim Storey, Timothy Bucklin, UnicornStampede, Vral, Walter Kim, Warren Rudkin, Weston Hullander, Will Merrill, William Lydon, zintho9, Aaron Roberts, Alex Mackinnon, Andrew Rodman, bascommander, Chris Roybal, Christopher Guilmette, Dave, David Burt, Douglas Foulds, Dylan Gilstein, e, Henry Buckley, Jack Lazarus, Jake Castadio, James Rosengrove, Johan West, john boland, Keven Guimaraes, Kristian Klibo, Loyd Enochs, Marcelo Avila, Mark L., Mason, Matt, Matt Gonzales, Matthew Pulitano, Miguel, Neil Meldrum, No Gods No Masters, Nicole Johnson, Peter S., scott carson, Shawn Heidrich, Ryan Bertsche, T. Anthony Moore, The Rainmaker, Theodore Harris, Thomas Evans, Tom Cho, Tom Handal, Tommy Gates, Travis Metzger, Shikhir, SkytechCEO, SWVYX, WeatherRaptor58, Wolfgang Seitz, Wyatt Flynn Wilgus, Glen C, Kelson Ball
Music: www.purple-planet.com

Пікірлер: 2 700

  • @TheOperationsRoom
    @TheOperationsRoom2 жыл бұрын

    Go to curiositystream.thld.co/OPSRO... and use code OPSROOM to save 25% off today, that’s only $14.99 a year. Thanks to Curiosity Stream for sponsoring today’s video.

  • @Interdictiondeltawing

    @Interdictiondeltawing

    2 жыл бұрын

    Laffey will be the ultimate legend

  • @peytonsteinberg7002

    @peytonsteinberg7002

    2 жыл бұрын

    If your ever in Charleston hit me up and I’ll give you a tour of the Laffey

  • @henrywoodbury3273

    @henrywoodbury3273

    2 жыл бұрын

    I love you videos

  • @Normandy1944

    @Normandy1944

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Av-vd3wk What ad?

  • @gwtpictgwtpict4214

    @gwtpictgwtpict4214

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Av-vd3wk Ah, so you don't think he should be paid for his work? Cool. Pop round, I've loads of stuff that needs doing.

  • @Makos93
    @Makos932 жыл бұрын

    Is it me or is it kind of hilarious that the Laffey was decommissioned to be basically target practice for nukes, but survived that, and re-entered service? This ship refuses to give up!

  • @xnomdfrost1938

    @xnomdfrost1938

    2 жыл бұрын

    she's too badass to die

  • @Nat3ski

    @Nat3ski

    2 жыл бұрын

    She who Laffeys last....

  • @mahboi64

    @mahboi64

    2 жыл бұрын

    Absolutely Also Lilly best girl

  • @rinconusmc

    @rinconusmc

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Nat3ski you win the comment secion.

  • @Nat3ski

    @Nat3ski

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@rinconusmc thanks! XD

  • @crazywarriorscatfan9061
    @crazywarriorscatfan90612 жыл бұрын

    I'm surprised that the Laffey's story hasn't been made into a movie. There are countless WWII stories that need a film. Great job!

  • @GARRETT2BY4

    @GARRETT2BY4

    2 жыл бұрын

    Nice to see you here! I definitely agree a movie should be made.

  • @Qwerty-jl2yw

    @Qwerty-jl2yw

    2 жыл бұрын

    It was announced in 2018 it will be turned into a film

  • @phillip_iv_planetking6354

    @phillip_iv_planetking6354

    2 жыл бұрын

    For real.

  • @GARRETT2BY4

    @GARRETT2BY4

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Qwerty-jl2yw Awesome! I’m glad to hear that.

  • @crazywarriorscatfan9061

    @crazywarriorscatfan9061

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@GARRETT2BY4 I'm not surprised you know this channel!

  • @DesGardius-me7gf
    @DesGardius-me7gf2 жыл бұрын

    “When they got close enough, you could actually see the pilot in the cockpit, and he’s not looking one way, or the other; he’s looking right straight ahead, and he’s aiming that plane right at you. You can’t imagine what goes through somebody’s mind that does that.” -Al Dorris, an AA gunner aboard Laffey

  • @stylesrj

    @stylesrj

    2 жыл бұрын

    I can imagine what goes through their mind... Antiaircraft fire.

  • @viswajitbala3455

    @viswajitbala3455

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@stylesrj Lmao why aim for the aircraft when you can aim to the person controlling it

  • @stylesrj

    @stylesrj

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@viswajitbala3455 Well it's either that or the rest of the plane...

  • @fate3071

    @fate3071

    Жыл бұрын

    @@viswajitbala3455 if you take out the pilot the plane will still generally go the direction it was before. Take off a wing and it will flip around and potentially miss the target

  • @Blox117

    @Blox117

    Жыл бұрын

    @@stylesrj if you aim for the pilot the plane will still slam into you. congrats on your darwin award

  • @danishkfd
    @danishkfd2 жыл бұрын

    Imagine having 30-40 enemy planes circling ur lone destroyer taking a moment to think what you did in life and think of the loved ones. And all of sudden US marine aircraft rush in to save you out of no where. That moment gives you chills.

  • @Balthorium

    @Balthorium

    2 жыл бұрын

    As an American I particularly love this story.

  • @danishkfd

    @danishkfd

    2 жыл бұрын

    @Evan Leeds then it's not even a crime to kill someone because they die anyways mate

  • @bobbyurosevic8764

    @bobbyurosevic8764

    2 жыл бұрын

    @Evan Leeds nnnnnnnn

  • @agentmilton6585

    @agentmilton6585

    2 жыл бұрын

    It's like really a badass American moment

  • @danielmocsny5066

    @danielmocsny5066

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@danishkfd - A crime is whatever the government says is a crime. For example, some forms of killing are crimes. That is, it is sometimes a crime to be obviously the cause of someone's death, even though everybody will die eventually no matter what.

  • @Free_Russian
    @Free_Russian2 жыл бұрын

    USS Laffey previously assisted in D-Day assault and shore bombardment, and took a hit from German shore artillery. After the overhaul, she was assigned to the Pacific, where this story happened. In the end, she got the nickname "The ship that would not die"

  • @thomasmcsweeney7786

    @thomasmcsweeney7786

    2 жыл бұрын

    What’s great is that they have the decal showing it’s involvement in D-Day on the actual ship at Patriot’s point, near the signal deck (I believe it’s called, I’m not versed well with maritime terms that aren’t related to sail lol)

  • @canthi109

    @canthi109

    2 жыл бұрын

    Good thing they dont put name like ´´Insinkble´´

  • @f.wallace8969

    @f.wallace8969

    2 жыл бұрын

    Apparently she got nuked too. Lived up to its nickname

  • @galbert117

    @galbert117

    2 жыл бұрын

    She apparently even tried to sink herself back in 2008 when they found over 100 leaks in her hull while she was moored at Patriots Point. She was then fixed and was eventually returned to Patriots Point in 2012. Even as a museum ship she lived up to the name "The Ship That Would Not Die".

  • @jusmaxjust

    @jusmaxjust

    2 жыл бұрын

    The Japanese confirmed and reported sinking the USS North Carolina 6 times, but never did.

  • @dizzypenguin6509
    @dizzypenguin65092 жыл бұрын

    As a non American, the very image of sailors on a flaming battleship amid a massive fight raising a replacement flag is one of the most patriotic things I’ve ever heard.

  • @onlythewise1

    @onlythewise1

    Жыл бұрын

    yep , brave and honorable

  • @kaliphri9590

    @kaliphri9590

    Жыл бұрын

    well i mean its basically our national anthem, no matter the fighting the flag will still be there (if you dont know the history of our anthem i recommend looking into it, its involves the british shelling a fort for a whole night and when they investigated at sunrise they found the only thing still holding the american flag up was the bodies of american soldiers that had ran to keep it standing, since it falling would have signaled a surrender to the british)

  • @onlythewise1

    @onlythewise1

    Жыл бұрын

    @@kaliphri9590 yep my family was there

  • @veryslyfox

    @veryslyfox

    Жыл бұрын

    Isn't it even more patriotic of those Japanese pilots to give up their lives for their country?

  • @commanderstorm8874

    @commanderstorm8874

    Жыл бұрын

    It was a tiny destroyer not a battleship

  • @SidewaysEightSix
    @SidewaysEightSix2 жыл бұрын

    The sailor who raised a fresh American Flag mid battle, is one of the most badass things I’ve heard come out of the Pacific side of WWII

  • @TwoFingeredMamma

    @TwoFingeredMamma

    Жыл бұрын

    dumbest move ever. I would have raised a Japanese flag.

  • @simonmultiverse6349

    @simonmultiverse6349

    Жыл бұрын

    The narrator is pronouncing the word "Okinawa" wrongly. The first letter O is supposed to rhyme with the O in hot, lot and rot. However, you are pronouncing it to rhyme with GO, THROW and NO.

  • @IcemanTFV

    @IcemanTFV

    Жыл бұрын

    @@simonmultiverse6349 Lived in Oki for a year. Everyone that speaks English pronounces it like the narrator.

  • @simonmultiverse6349

    @simonmultiverse6349

    Жыл бұрын

    @@IcemanTFV When you say "English", what you really mean is "AMERICAN". In other words, everyone who pronounces it THE WRONG WAY like all AMERICANS do. The people who are native to Okinawa don't pronounce it the American way, i.e. the WRONG way

  • @IcemanTFV

    @IcemanTFV

    Жыл бұрын

    @@simonmultiverse6349 all of my Okinawa contacts that were locals pronounced it how the narrator did in this video. By English I meant locals, Americans, and other foreign nationals that happen to speak English to me and around me. I’m not telling you that you are wrong, I’m just telling you the reality.

  • @testingphaze4853
    @testingphaze48532 жыл бұрын

    10:21 this is the most cinematic thing that ever happened in the battle. I can't imagine the joy that the sailors had when they saw the last enemy plane be shot down

  • @Sorain1

    @Sorain1

    Жыл бұрын

    It's one of those things where, when you go to do the movie, you have to explain to the producers that "Yes, that actually happened that way. We have the USN and Marine reports to prove it." Because they will be sure you made it up.

  • @hobomike6935

    @hobomike6935

    3 ай бұрын

    8:10 holy sh!t how many planes did they have?!

  • @mrshark1757
    @mrshark17572 жыл бұрын

    7:35 "It can only sail in a circle" Swordfish pilots: "Hey I've seen this one!"

  • @kitasan_onegai

    @kitasan_onegai

    2 жыл бұрын

    Bismarck does not approve this comment*

  • @Spudtron98

    @Spudtron98

    2 жыл бұрын

    However, unlike Bismarck, the Laffey's AA system was actually worth a damn.

  • @thelvadam2884

    @thelvadam2884

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@kitasan_onegai its called "Bismarck"

  • @somerandomguy1475

    @somerandomguy1475

    2 жыл бұрын

    bismark crys in the corner

  • @aloysiusprasetyo3737

    @aloysiusprasetyo3737

    2 жыл бұрын

    Bismarck : German confused screaming

  • @brandonbrown2912
    @brandonbrown29122 жыл бұрын

    There were also two other small support ships on station with the Laffey that engaged the planes. LCS(L)-51and LCS(L)-116 - I love the Operations Room briefs, given how in-depth they are, though I feel like the existence of these two ships should be mentioned. LCS(L)-116 had 17 crew killed and 12 wounded during the action as well. The corsair that hit the Laffey's mast and the pilot bailed out was rescued by LCS(L)-51. LCS(L)-51 had also shot down several planes (official credit was 6) and assisted Laffey with firefighting. The commander was awarded with the Navy Cross for the ship's actions.

  • @adaml8726

    @adaml8726

    2 жыл бұрын

    Was looking through the comments to see if anyone knew if the bail out pilot survived. Thank you for your knowledge good sir.

  • @jonlong2663

    @jonlong2663

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for this mention. My grandfather served on LCS(L)-61 on the radar pickets. Such tiny ships on the open water.

  • @sayhey7482

    @sayhey7482

    2 жыл бұрын

    was CERTAIN ,UNCERTAINLY {near certain and HOPED] he was picked up {bailed pilot} and wondered WTF and WHERE laff's support was ESP {and before } that break in action {near 30min}, many thanx to you for xtra info

  • @peterlonergan

    @peterlonergan

    2 жыл бұрын

    Omg!! 2 other ships? That changes the whole story.

  • @ohiodungbeetle

    @ohiodungbeetle

    2 жыл бұрын

    I'd love to know your source for this - sounds like a great story.

  • @colbyphillips7039
    @colbyphillips70392 жыл бұрын

    Last spring I went to Charleston to see the USS Laffey and the USS Yorktown. I didn't know much about the Laffey until a navy vet told me about it when I was there. It's amazing that a small destroyer survived so much damage. It is surprising that the ship looked like it was never damaged in the first place when I got to go on it.

  • @orange_cat

    @orange_cat

    Жыл бұрын

    'Tis a scratch, it'll buff right out.

  • @andrewchilds8886
    @andrewchilds8886 Жыл бұрын

    This deserves a movie. It fits perfectly, overwhelming odds, last second twists, close calls, and a victory in the end.

  • @hobomike6935

    @hobomike6935

    17 күн бұрын

    the play-by-play alone of this skirmish had me on the edge of my seat, this is an incredible story...and it's true! the ship even survived to tell the tale

  • @Its-Just-Zip
    @Its-Just-Zip2 жыл бұрын

    I went to see USS Laffey in Charleston earlier last year. It's an impressive museum and they pay due homage to the previous ship. And have a dedicated section for the aft gun turret during this battle.

  • @oasis1282

    @oasis1282

    2 жыл бұрын

    I twisted my nipples so hard

  • @toddpeterson8653

    @toddpeterson8653

    2 жыл бұрын

    Born and raised in Charleston. They have or used to have the History Channel episode on it in there.

  • @stewartdalton3298

    @stewartdalton3298

    2 жыл бұрын

    G'day from Australia 🇦🇺 Definitely a Hardcore Battle and we can all see the right man was in the right job with the right attitude. The men he commanded knew what was required and would've followed him to the Fathoms below without a question. P.S. The video was pretty bloody good too. 😄

  • @drows3y_tiger344

    @drows3y_tiger344

    2 жыл бұрын

    I went there March of 2021. Was absolutely fantastic, unfortunately the submarine was inaccessible during my visit.

  • @victorwaddell6530

    @victorwaddell6530

    2 жыл бұрын

    There's a lot to see at Patriot's Point , South Carolina .

  • @yelsew816
    @yelsew8162 жыл бұрын

    My grandfather was Jim Spriggs, who was on the USS Laffey during this engagement! Weird to see an ops room video about something I heard about as a child. Quick Edit: Great to hear a familiar name!

  • @oasis1282

    @oasis1282

    2 жыл бұрын

    What u know bout rolling down in the deep when the

  • @SangvisEmpire

    @SangvisEmpire

    2 жыл бұрын

    Your grandfather was a true hero being one of the crew defending the laffey

  • @trealosgaming3345

    @trealosgaming3345

    2 жыл бұрын

    It was always great to hear ww2 stories in person. My grandfather was on the USS Benjamin Franklin and helped get her back to port after the mauling she took. And i had the honor of meeting a man who served on CV-6 Enterprise in a small farm store in western nys

  • @patrickmcglonejr8163

    @patrickmcglonejr8163

    2 жыл бұрын

    Your grandpa was a beast, mine own was killed in Pearl aboard the Oklahoma

  • @SangvisEmpire

    @SangvisEmpire

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@patrickmcglonejr8163 The pearl harbour attack? (parth adhvaryu thx for correction)

  • @e.b.1728
    @e.b.17282 жыл бұрын

    I'm from Charleston, SC and have walked the deck of the USS Laffey multiple times. It's docked at Patriots Point with the USS Yorktown where they turned it into a floating museum and is well worth the trip for any WWII buff.

  • @iuploadrandomthings7783

    @iuploadrandomthings7783

    2 жыл бұрын

    I've been there a couple times, always a lovely sight to see. No wonder why I was so mesmerized by it when I saw it.

  • @lune-3214

    @lune-3214

    Жыл бұрын

    Just returned home form visiting. The experience was super interesting! It's a shame that they've decided to scrap the Clamagore though...

  • @azurblueknights
    @azurblueknights2 жыл бұрын

    United States destroyers during WW2 seemed to have a habit of standing tall against overwhelming odds that few other ships would have managed. The Benson Laffey knife fighting two battleships, two destroyers, and then still severely wounding the Imperial Japanese Admiral, the Sumner Laffey repelling an extremely focused Kamikaze attack, USS Radford serving in three wars and rescuing survivors from USS Helena while constantly under attack from IJN, USS Johnston who was the first destroyer of the hopelessly outnumbered Taffy 3 to lay a smoke for her allies, then proceeded to charge the IJN Center Force while firing over 200 shells and all 10 of her torpedoes... the list goes on.

  • @geronimo5537

    @geronimo5537

    2 жыл бұрын

    they definitely punched far above their expected weight. and the men aboard were crazy enough bastards to see it through. a deadly combination.

  • @alexanderhamilton4258

    @alexanderhamilton4258

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@geronimo5537 The captains knew what they had, and the service men knew what they could do.

  • @einaol

    @einaol

    2 жыл бұрын

    According to the IJN, the USN didn't have 175 Fletcher-class destroyers, they had 175 Fletcher-class cruisers.

  • @Thermopylae

    @Thermopylae

    2 жыл бұрын

    Don't leave out USS McDermut torpedoing 3 IJN destroyers at Surigao Strait, sinking one and crippling two!

  • @ghandimauler

    @ghandimauler

    2 жыл бұрын

    It's amazing how much intense combat destroyers and even corvettes saw during WWII. Frigates too. The smaller ships were often in knife fights and were dodging air and subsurface threats to boot. I can't think of a case of a smaller vessel not having a fighting spirit and a willingness to have a go at the foe.

  • @alxndrmzksm8387
    @alxndrmzksm83872 жыл бұрын

    The two USS Laffey's are truly remarkable ships with brave crewmen, the first one fought a battleship at point-blank range while the second one refused to sink from kamikaze attacks

  • @imperiousrex128

    @imperiousrex128

    2 жыл бұрын

    The first one was getting shot at by 2 battleships and their escorts. The first Laffey managed to kill the flagship's (Hiei)'s chief of staff and injure the fleet's commanding officer (Vice Adm. Hiroaki Abe), right after the ship almost collided with the flagship, a battleship several times its size.

  • @alxndrmzksm8387

    @alxndrmzksm8387

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@imperiousrex128 those sailors aboard the first Laffey had balls of solid steel

  • @danielmocsny5066

    @danielmocsny5066

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@alxndrmzksm8387 - Most of those sailors didn't have a choice since they weren't steering the ship, and unlike soldiers on land they had no option to run away. I'm sure they were just as scared as anyone would be in that situation. But they were also trapped with nothing else to do but their jobs.

  • @stekarknugen9258
    @stekarknugen92582 жыл бұрын

    In case anyone wondered how the destroyer AA could be so deadly effective, they were using advanced photosensitive fuses in their shells at this point, which would detonate whenever near an aircraft. it was one of the biggest game-changers in the pacific war but hardly ever mentioned today.

  • @brucewelty7684

    @brucewelty7684

    2 жыл бұрын

    ??photosensitive??

  • @testaccount4191

    @testaccount4191

    2 жыл бұрын

    Not photosensitive, radar proxy fuse.

  • @rockboy3970

    @rockboy3970

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@brucewelty7684 they mean radar proximity fuses

  • @brucewelty7684

    @brucewelty7684

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@rockboy3970 I was challenging the fucktard that made the idiot comment. I KNEW what they were. And YOU were not part of the discussion. So,,,into the shit bin you go.

  • @CallsItLikeISeizeIts

    @CallsItLikeISeizeIts

    2 жыл бұрын

    Was extremely classified at the time and went overboard to not let any fall into enemy hands, which was why only the USN had them initially

  • @USNveteran
    @USNveteran Жыл бұрын

    The USS Laffey is at Patriots Point in Charleston SC for anyone wanting to visit. My father in law joined the Navy 12/8/41 at 16. Served in the Destroyer Escort fleet making 37 trips through the Panama Canal & seeing Naval combat in both the Atlantic & Pacific theaters. He survived quite a few kamikaze attacks, and finally started telling me his stories around 1995. They made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. We miss you Brownie! FLY NAVY!!!

  • @jackmcgonegal8728
    @jackmcgonegal8728 Жыл бұрын

    Great episode. A minor detail is that the Marine F4Us that took part in that fur ball were from VMF-441 "Blackjacks," based on Okinawa. The Grim Reapers mentioned was a Navy F4U squadron, VF-10, aboard Intrepid. VF-10 played a major role in the defense of Laffey. Three divisions of VF-10 were on CAP station above Laffey that day. A division was comprised of four fighters. LTJG Phil Kirkwood, and his wingman, ENS Dick Quiel, faced off against 20 kamikazes. Kirkwood shot down six before they reached the destroyer, while Quiel shot down four. ENS Al Lerch, who was tail-end Charlie of the division, engaged a separate group of enemy aircraft twenty miles away. Lerch's section leader was ENS Tuck Heath, who suffered a radio failure and should have returned to Intrepid. Heath signaled Lerch to take the lead and stayed with him, reasoning that his guns still worked. Lerch and Heath jumped a flight of 30 Nate fighters, each carrying a bomb. Al Lerch shot down seven enemy aircraft, while Heath killed three. The rest of the Nates scattered. Only four other American fighter pilots ever equaled Lerch's one-day tally. Meanwhile, overhead all of this action, another VF-10 division, lead by its CO, LCDR Wally Clarke, engaged the kamikaze's fighter escort, Tonys and Zeros, in a bare knuckle brawl. Clarke and his division flamed ten of the enemy and scattered the rest. Then they joined the melee over Laffey, along with F6F Hellcats from other Essex-class carriers, FM-2 Wildcats from the Jeep carriers, and the Marines of VMF-441. The number of kamikaze aircraft was almost overwhelming. It should be also noted that two gunboats, LCS-51 and LCS-116, were with Laffey to provide added firepower. The LCS (Landing Craft Support) were normally part of the bombardment force, armed with a 3"/50 gun, as well as twin 40mm, 4-20mm guns, and rockets. During the Okinawa campaign they were added to the radar picket stations. Another interesting little tidbit about Laffey is that she was part of the bombardment force during the invasion of Normandy and fired more rounds than any other destroyer. She had a well-trained, and well-led crew.

  • @angrydingus5256
    @angrydingus52562 жыл бұрын

    What you do, as far as I'm aware, is unmatched. Between your intensive research, and your extensive hours put into these animations. Its amazing, and you're bringing history into the modern era and saving it for life on the internet. You're doing wonderful things. Thank you for your services.

  • @ZE0XE0

    @ZE0XE0

    2 жыл бұрын

    I recommend "War Stories with Mark Felton" and "Drachinifel"

  • @SilverMist0121

    @SilverMist0121

    2 жыл бұрын

    Liveth forevermore is good also

  • @ZE0XE0

    @ZE0XE0

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@SilverMist0121 good call! I had forgotten about that channel. Great stuff too.

  • @bigriend

    @bigriend

    2 жыл бұрын

    There's actually quite a few great history channels out there that produce content just as great as The Operations Room. I agree with your praise of course but "unmatched" sounds a bit over the top and ill-informed tbh.

  • @brianmorris3614

    @brianmorris3614

    2 жыл бұрын

    yeah best video you’ve made i think. also im thinking, why isn’t this a movie? very well done sir

  • @Fuhrious
    @Fuhrious2 жыл бұрын

    Ops Room. You are one of the best original content on this platform. The work and effort put into every upload is obvious. I feel lucky to get it for free. Thank you.

  • @bryangilreath7333

    @bryangilreath7333

    2 жыл бұрын

    100% agree! Phenomenal videos with no details left out or overlooked.

  • @chicagotypewriter2094

    @chicagotypewriter2094

    2 жыл бұрын

    @Will Berry Of course, Susan Wojcicki has a vendetta against history content for some idiotic reason

  • @SgtMjr

    @SgtMjr

    2 жыл бұрын

    Hear Hear!!

  • @endlessengineering1488

    @endlessengineering1488

    2 жыл бұрын

    Total agreement 💯

  • @ProfessorTravis

    @ProfessorTravis

    2 жыл бұрын

    I mean, you don't HAVE to get it for free. You could throw him some beer money...

  • @adub1300
    @adub13002 жыл бұрын

    “I won’t abandon ship as long as a gun will fire” hell yeah captain

  • @madmaximus2836
    @madmaximus28362 жыл бұрын

    My son is in the Navy's Nuclear Propulsion school in Charleston, SC. A couple of months ago we attended his A-school graduation ceremony. After the ceremony we visited the Yorktown. We briefly also checked the Laffey out. If I knew its incredible history we would have spent way more time on the Laffey. Thanks for the history lesson.

  • @Undercoversteve96

    @Undercoversteve96

    Жыл бұрын

    I went through that school myself. Did he make it through? I’d assume he’s in the fleet now

  • @madmaximus2836

    @madmaximus2836

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Undercoversteve96 Short answer is no, he did not make it yet and is not in the fleet. While in Power School he applied to the Naval Academy. He got a spot and is about to finish his Plebe year. Once he is done at the USNA he wants to go back to Nuclear School and finish up the training. Apparently he'll have to redo Power School, so it will take him another year before he can join the fleet. He wants to serve on a submarine. Where and on what type of vessel did you serve?

  • @Undercoversteve96

    @Undercoversteve96

    Жыл бұрын

    @@madmaximus2836 well I’d certainly say he chose a more rewarding line to go down. I served on a carrier but I was a regular electrician (not nuclear)

  • @madmaximus2836

    @madmaximus2836

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Undercoversteve96 Cool! I'm working with a Navy electrician who is doing project management for the company we work for. He still does lots of electrician side work. Good guy with lots of confidence. I think confidence and the ability to make quick decisions is a skill that many military personal learn from the military. These are obviously important skills. The nuke path is interesting, but fairly limited in job prospects if he wants to stay in that field. My son's major at the USNA is computer engineering, so he will pursue it when he completes his Navy commitments. Thank you for your service!

  • @GhostRider659
    @GhostRider6592 жыл бұрын

    I had a short moment where I was sad that a ship that had survived such an attack was used for an atomic bomb test and presumably vaporized, only to hear it was recommissioned afterwards. what a wild fucking ride.

  • @peytonsteinberg7002

    @peytonsteinberg7002

    2 жыл бұрын

    It is now a museum ship that is weird to go through as half of the ship is more of a WW2 museum and the other half a Cold War museum not to mention that this ship also briefly served in the Atlantic against the Germans

  • @jchan3358

    @jchan3358

    2 жыл бұрын

    Everyone who served on the recommissioned Laffey after the atomic bomb test glow with pride.

  • @ghostarmy1106

    @ghostarmy1106

    2 жыл бұрын

    Laffey got: Hit by a battleship caliber coastal battery (sometime during DDay) Hit by 6 kamikaze Hit by 4 bombs Nuked at least once, but most likely twice And she is still with us

  • @DMW-iq2ie

    @DMW-iq2ie

    2 жыл бұрын

    The end of the video is actually a bit misleading, the Laffey wasn’t nuked. She was present for the tests yes, but as a ship that was monitoring the area, not as a target.

  • @einaol

    @einaol

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@DMW-iq2ie Yep. If it was used as a target, destroyed or not, the ship would likely be radioactive as hell and definitely not suitable for recommissioning.

  • @TheIronArmenianakaGIHaigs
    @TheIronArmenianakaGIHaigs2 жыл бұрын

    Let's get Laffey, they can't stop all of us

  • @lmcg9904

    @lmcg9904

    2 жыл бұрын

    Words before disaster

  • @ghostarmy1106

    @ghostarmy1106

    2 жыл бұрын

    Iron, we got a sumner and a bunch of japanese planes in WT, Laffey kamikaze survival event when?

  • @ramal5708

    @ramal5708

    2 жыл бұрын

    There's more viable target near the beaches of Okinawa and maybe those Fleet Carriers East of Okinawa, but nah those 52 planes chose the "cruiser" Laffey. The Japanese overestimated or identified the Fletcher class and Allen M Sumner class as cruisers

  • @classifiedad1

    @classifiedad1

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@ramal5708 Given the difficulty of identifying things from a fast-moving plane, that’s quite understandable. Other pilots were guilty of that as well.

  • @ramal5708

    @ramal5708

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@classifiedad1 tell that to the crews of Atago and Kirishima off Guadalcanal, they identified the South Dakota BB-57 as Heavy Cruiser.

  • @camc-cj6um
    @camc-cj6um2 жыл бұрын

    So proud to have this ship and the Yorktown located not even 10 minutes from my house. I used to visit all the time and it’s honestly what started my appreciation for history and military history.

  • @jeremyweaver9598
    @jeremyweaver95982 жыл бұрын

    I visited the USS Laffey, last summer at Patriot's Point in Charleston. They also have the USS Yorktown on display, along with dozens of aircraft. It was a humbling place! Having retired from the US Army, as a tank crewman, I never imagined the scope and scale of naval warfare in WWII. I found a new sense of appreciation and respect for the Navy, and their exploits. I fully recommend a visit to Patriot's Point, in Charleston SC.

  • @Sniper5875
    @Sniper58752 жыл бұрын

    its a damn shame uss enterprise was not saved as a museum ship, her impact on the war and her insane luck and stories still are amazing

  • @aaronmince

    @aaronmince

    Жыл бұрын

    The thing is the ship name enterprise before ww2 was well documented for the US navy. So there was no was they were going no put the ship to rest as a museum. They wanted to use the gray ghost name again.

  • @Mgl1206

    @Mgl1206

    Жыл бұрын

    @@aaronmince that’s not the reason why. The reason was simply there wasn’t enough funding.

  • @MandolinMagi

    @MandolinMagi

    Жыл бұрын

    @@aaronmince Museum ships are decommissioned, you can re-use the name then. The Constitution is the obvious exception, as she's an active commissioned warship that just happens to be a 250 year old sail frigate

  • @warriorpanda100
    @warriorpanda1002 жыл бұрын

    Grandfather served on the USS Sigsbee (DD-502), a Fletcher class destroyer. They too were on picket duty off Okinawa and came under attack two days prior to this on April 14th. Details that I've managed to gather have been vague at best, but a plane struck her aft of the number 5 gun turret which knocked out her port engine and caused severe flooding. Grandfather was a gunner's mate on one of the 40mm emplacements, and said that he was close enough that he could see the pilot slumped over in his seat just before impact. One of the other members of his gun crew sustained injury when a saucer sized piece of shrapnel embedded itself in his arm, which he had instinctively held up in front of his face.

  • @5peciesunkn0wn

    @5peciesunkn0wn

    2 жыл бұрын

    Damn. Well, better the arm than the face right?

  • @BeKindToBirds

    @BeKindToBirds

    2 жыл бұрын

    Had the pilot passed out from the dive or did he shoot himself after aiming the plane I wonder? How odd he was slumped over I would have thought it would be the thing to stick with it right to the bitter end.

  • @arneldobumatay3702

    @arneldobumatay3702

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@BeKindToBirds It's possible that the pilot had been seriously wounded or killed by shipboard fire.

  • @5peciesunkn0wn

    @5peciesunkn0wn

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@BeKindToBirds could have been killed by all the shots flying at him.

  • @BeKindToBirds

    @BeKindToBirds

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@arneldobumatay3702 Ohhh yeah duh lol. I think you're dead on.

  • @thatsatiricalguy1695
    @thatsatiricalguy16952 жыл бұрын

    I remember visiting the Laffey when I went to see the Yorktown and my God the story behind this one destroyer is amazing, and you get a picture of just how amazing it is that a ship this small survived that many direct hits

  • @kaiyinsmith3626
    @kaiyinsmith36262 жыл бұрын

    So 6 kamikazes, a nuke, and then serving in Korea? Probably one of the most fascinating stories about a destroyer ever

  • @boofusgoofus614
    @boofusgoofus6142 жыл бұрын

    Thinking of what those sailors went through on the laffey leaves me in awe, God bless the brave sailors that stood fast in the face of death.

  • @jonny-b4954

    @jonny-b4954

    2 жыл бұрын

    Imagine the guys below decks who probably had little to no clue what the fuck was goin on for most of the battle. Just a shake here, a shake there, an explosion off in the distance, a rumble in stern of ship that you felt, the echo of planes roaring in their dive, the sharp turns at flank speed etc. Wild to put yourself in that situation. Shitty situation to be in for sure.

  • @JohnyG29

    @JohnyG29

    2 жыл бұрын

    Indeed, but its not like they could run away!

  • @ramal5708

    @ramal5708

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thank god for those Corsairs and FM-2 Wildcats that provided the Laffey Close Air Support

  • @chicagotypewriter2094

    @chicagotypewriter2094

    2 жыл бұрын

    I know right! It must've been harrowing as all hell. Nothing short of a miracle & presence of mind.

  • @audiosurfarchive

    @audiosurfarchive

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@jonny-b4954 Never Forget: US Navy was only branch to have more KIA than wounded. I'd be shitting bricks if I were on a warship during a formal conflict. Goddamn..

  • @gompye1834
    @gompye18342 жыл бұрын

    This is a really cool story to me, as I have gone and visited the USS laffey. Its at patriots point next to the USS yorktown CV-10, and a submarine. Definitely a cool museum ship to visit, I would recommend going.

  • @johnzgamez810

    @johnzgamez810

    2 жыл бұрын

    A shame how they've let those ships get, though. Rotting away.

  • @glorytoarstotzka1009

    @glorytoarstotzka1009

    2 жыл бұрын

    Same

  • @peytonsteinberg7002

    @peytonsteinberg7002

    2 жыл бұрын

    Yeah I live in Mt. Pleasant and the submarine you are talking about is USS Clamagore which in recent years has become sort of a hot topic because it was supposed to be towed away and sunk as an artificial reef and dive site off of Florida five years ago but for some reason it hasn’t

  • @peytonsteinberg7002

    @peytonsteinberg7002

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@johnzgamez810 yeah during COVID since patriots point was closed for a while they had some talks about fixing the holes in the hull of Yorktown that have developed over years of being in the mud but the city decided to spend that money on COVID related things instead

  • @herecomesaregular8418

    @herecomesaregular8418

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@johnzgamez810 It's just really hard to keep a static ship that's mud-planted healthy over such a long period of time. Ships are kind of like us, in that from the moment they are birthed, they begin to deteriorate and are destined to eventually fail.

  • @Asrock73
    @Asrock732 жыл бұрын

    Living here in Charleston I’ve been aboard the Liffey a few times. And I also lived in Okinawa for 6 years, small world sometimes. Been lucky to see a lot of history in my time. Been along the Bataan death march, isle of Corregidor, and so much more. Took judo in Okinawa and my sensei actually served on an imperial destroyer during the war.

  • @randomlycasual4941

    @randomlycasual4941

    2 жыл бұрын

    One that wasn’t blown to bits I presume?

  • @ivancaraig1715
    @ivancaraig17152 жыл бұрын

    To avoid confusion, this is the Allen M. Sumner-class DD-724 Laffey, not the Benson-class DD-459 Laffey(-chan) that faced Hiei

  • @CanuckGod

    @CanuckGod

    2 ай бұрын

    And both voiced by Maria Naganawa in Azur Lane 😉

  • @audiosurfarchive
    @audiosurfarchive2 жыл бұрын

    Holy shit. This is one of those *"Reality Is Unrealistic"* stories that end up getting toned _down_ when adapted to film or television. Such insanity, chaos and brutality boggles the mind. So many close calls. Great content as always, keep it up!

  • @matthewkolar7560

    @matthewkolar7560

    2 жыл бұрын

    I loved the "and then we nuked it, but that didn't kill it either" bit that was just blithely mentioned in passing as if that was any less impressive than the preceding story.

  • @peterhineinlegen4672

    @peterhineinlegen4672

    2 жыл бұрын

    There was a Medal of Honor winner named James E. Williams. He was on one of the Navy river boats in Vietnam. His story is one of those cases. The write-up for the award sounds like an over the top Rambo movie, but it's just a summary. The whole story is worth looking up if you're interested.

  • @audiosurfarchive

    @audiosurfarchive

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@peterhineinlegen4672 Hell yeah, thank you for the recommendation. Thing that always come to mind for Reality Is Unrealistic is "Captain America" from _Generation Kill._ Holy shite, is that the humorous example.

  • @1truthbegettingtold275

    @1truthbegettingtold275

    2 жыл бұрын

    Real life doesn't have a health bar. Its more like "that looks important, glad it still works even if barely." That is why you hear about Roy Benavidez or Peter Lemon

  • @Hannibalkakihara

    @Hannibalkakihara

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@1truthbegettingtold275 i was about to mention roy benavidez. “If his story were a hollywood movie, you would not believe it” Something even rambo falls short of

  • @drpainglove3389
    @drpainglove33892 жыл бұрын

    The amazing thing about the Laffey is that the previous DD Laffey which was sunk in the Naval battle of Guadalcanal was also an extremely badass ship. Before sinking, the Laffey got into a knife-fight with the battleship Hiei from within 30 yards, the Laffey then strafed the bridge of the Hiei and killed the officer staff of the ship while wounding and almost killing Japanese admiral Abe before being sunk by torpedoes and concentrated fire. The actions of the Laffey that night helped decide the outcome of the battle. So yeah, a lot of history behind the name USS Laffey.

  • @ghandimauler

    @ghandimauler

    2 жыл бұрын

    30 yards! Jeez, anyone without an immediate job could have been throwing in small arms fire... 30 yards... that's like standoff distance when docking!

  • @laisy961

    @laisy961

    Жыл бұрын

    And for those who are wondering Hiei was sunk 3 days later, due to her crippled steering from this battle forcing her to steer in circles, which lead to concentrated attacks from US bombers. Eventually, the crews abandoned the ship and scuttled her.

  • @QwazolaDood

    @QwazolaDood

    Жыл бұрын

    @@ghandimauler At 30 yards crewmen could have been hitting eachother with pistol rounds even lmao

  • @michaelandreipalon359

    @michaelandreipalon359

    Жыл бұрын

    Hope we get to see another Laffey curbstomp space pirates and, I don't know, Andromeda Galaxy secessionists in the distant future.

  • @troywalker8078
    @troywalker80782 жыл бұрын

    What that ship and crew went through and survived (including atomic blast) actually made me cry a little. R.I.P. You are all heroes!

  • @gamewizardks

    @gamewizardks

    Жыл бұрын

    I'm pretty sure no one was aboard when they nuked it, though.

  • @mintheman7

    @mintheman7

    11 ай бұрын

    It was an observation ship, not a target.

  • @unnecessaryedits2818
    @unnecessaryedits28182 жыл бұрын

    My Great Grandfather served in the Navy in the Pacific during WW2. Once I heard him talk about how terrifying it was when there were kamikazes attacking their ships. He was very lucky to survive that war and Korea as well.

  • @alexanderleach3365
    @alexanderleach33652 жыл бұрын

    I've been onboard the USS Laffey. The crew and Cap. Beckton had guardian angels on their shoulders in the form of FM-2 Wildcats from USS Shamrock Bay and F4U Corsairs of the US Marine Corps.

  • @strategosopsikion8576

    @strategosopsikion8576

    2 жыл бұрын

    I have too!

  • @jamp12008

    @jamp12008

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@strategosopsikion8576 I shake both of your hands 🤝🤝

  • @strategosopsikion8576

    @strategosopsikion8576

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@jamp12008 🤝🤝

  • @svampebob007

    @svampebob007

    2 жыл бұрын

    as a tourist or serving?

  • @djmech3871

    @djmech3871

    2 жыл бұрын

    Were the Americans still flying Wildcats in combat in 1945?

  • @stevenmacdonald9619
    @stevenmacdonald96192 жыл бұрын

    As a Brit, that knows HMS Belfast still sits proudly on the Thames in London, I would take an American flag to see USS Laffey myself in South Carolina. She is one hell of a ship to have survived that, and to the 32 brave souls lost on that day, they know their lives were not given in vain. I was about to rage upon hearing she was used for nuclear target practice, so thank you for completing her story up to date, to The Operations Room. Thank you for such a heroic tale. Sometimes we refuse to see a machine as only a machine. It's usually when we see what that machine is truly capable of.

  • @morgan97475

    @morgan97475

    2 жыл бұрын

    We visited HMS Belfast. Very cool tour......and, of course, London rocks.

  • @oasis1282

    @oasis1282

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@morgan97475 yeah man i love london rocks everybody there eats them

  • @cb7600

    @cb7600

    2 жыл бұрын

    Say hello to HMS Javelin who lost her stern and bow and survived

  • @stevenmacdonald9619

    @stevenmacdonald9619

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@cb7600 I am typing this with with one hand, whilst I'm pulling up Google pages with the other 👍

  • @trealosgaming3345

    @trealosgaming3345

    2 жыл бұрын

    Uss Navada was used for Nuke testing, then target practice for the observing fleet which included an Iowa class bb for 5 days. And they finally used torps to sink her. There are just some ships that refuse to die.

  • @kevinnorwood8782
    @kevinnorwood87822 жыл бұрын

    First learned about this battle thanks to Season 2 of the History Channel show, "Dogfights". I knew Kamikaze attacks were terrifying, but THIS attack? Good God, my mind was completely blown after I heard this story the first time on that show.

  • @ethangavrilmoreno8479
    @ethangavrilmoreno84792 жыл бұрын

    US Admirals: How are you not dead!? USS Laffey (DD-724): I have no idea!

  • @abbytran8514
    @abbytran85142 жыл бұрын

    Meanwhile Operations room is like: So yeah I actually live nearby the Pacific Ocean and managed to get a video of all 52 planes flying by

  • @abbytran8514

    @abbytran8514

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@jmax8692 Watch Ops room's video on the special forces storming the Nave* Andromeda tanker

  • @snigg3346

    @snigg3346

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@jmax8692 it's a reference to one of his vid where he got fotage of an helicopter which flew to an mission to free a ship from pirtaes I think.

  • @abbytran8514

    @abbytran8514

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@snigg3346 Yup

  • @ramal5708
    @ramal57082 жыл бұрын

    Laffey survived multiple Kamikaze strikes and refused to be sunk. The Laffey CO refused to call for abandon ship, the CO Captain Benton said to his subordinate when the situation on the ship is dire, "No! I'll never abandon ship as long as a single gun will fire." Franklin, Birmingham and Enterprise: "Welcome to the Unsinkable Club"

  • @abielgabriel7095

    @abielgabriel7095

    2 жыл бұрын

    Don’t call a ship unsinkable, cuz it will always end up at the bottom of the ocean

  • @abielgabriel7095

    @abielgabriel7095

    2 жыл бұрын

    Also, did u forget about USS Nevada on how hard she was to sink (Nuclear wasn’t enough, torpedo was)

  • @christophernoah3749

    @christophernoah3749

    2 жыл бұрын

    Oorah Long Live The Republic!

  • @jvtagle

    @jvtagle

    2 жыл бұрын

    Bunker Hill deserves to be in that club

  • @brianwilke592
    @brianwilke5922 жыл бұрын

    I've been on the USS Laffey in Charleston, but did not really know of it's story until I watched this all the way through. Another great video!

  • @astralsoul3216
    @astralsoul32162 жыл бұрын

    I remember visiting and exploring this ship when I was a kid with family. Amazing to know it withstood so much and still kept going.

  • @Interdictiondeltawing
    @Interdictiondeltawing2 жыл бұрын

    The Entire Kamikaze Squadron: We are unstoppable That one destroyer: Pathetic

  • @ramal5708

    @ramal5708

    2 жыл бұрын

    Laffey:"send more Kamikaze"

  • @envoyofaries2456
    @envoyofaries24562 жыл бұрын

    Would love one of these on the USS Johnston.. the sheer badassness of that one ship is Legendary

  • @ramal5708

    @ramal5708

    2 жыл бұрын

    You shouldn't underestimate the power of US destroyers from Fletcher class up to Allen M Sumner class and also the power of the men who served onboard them.

  • @Nemesismaker

    @Nemesismaker

    2 жыл бұрын

    So badass, even in death became legendary for being the deepest known wreck just to really show that the greatest feats can come in a small package.

  • @kitasan_onegai

    @kitasan_onegai

    2 жыл бұрын

    Destroyer Uss Johnston (DD 557) was reported as a heavy cruiser initially on the japanese force because of her aggressiveness and determination thru out the battle. Hell of a ship and crew i would say. And dont forget Samuel robert B -the weaker destroyer escort but fought like a battleship.

  • @ghostarmy1106

    @ghostarmy1106

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@kitasan_onegai destroyers in WW2 are fucking insane suicidal maniacs *AND I WOULD VOLUNTEER TO BE ON ONE OF THEM*

  • @alexholtved4567
    @alexholtved45672 жыл бұрын

    Amazing content as always. The detail and effort you put into your videos does not go unnoticed!

  • @JamesAAshton
    @JamesAAshton2 жыл бұрын

    I'm betting the crew owe their lives to the proximity fuses they had in their 5" AA shells by that time. Instead of blowing up after a fixed time, they'd blow up when they came close to anything, including enemy aircraft. Proximity fuses were one of the great inventions and secrets of the war and a large factor in the US Navy managing to survive so many kamikaze attacks.

  • @TheOperationsRoom
    @TheOperationsRoom2 жыл бұрын

    In an alternate universe, the crew were singing Men of Harlech as the final wave comes in

  • @mixtape9123

    @mixtape9123

    2 жыл бұрын

    I'D LOVE THAT SO MUCH

  • @transvestosaurus878

    @transvestosaurus878

    2 жыл бұрын

    Men of Laffey, load your AA We're not going to have a good day, 'bandon ship or maybe just pray... Here comes the Marines!

  • @chicagotypewriter2094

    @chicagotypewriter2094

    2 жыл бұрын

    I sadly don't understand this reference. Would anyone care to fill me in on this?

  • @mannixperera660

    @mannixperera660

    2 жыл бұрын

    "Men of Harlech" was sung by Rick Rescorla as he evacuated Morgan Stanley employees from World Trade Center 2 on 9/11.

  • @mixtape9123

    @mixtape9123

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@mannixperera660 SERIOUSLY?!

  • @beane6426
    @beane64262 жыл бұрын

    I was literally watching this and holding my breath at times. I can only imagine what it must have felt like to be some 19 or 20 year old seaman seeing that many kamikazes bearing down on your small destroyer.

  • @dangerousfreedom5340
    @dangerousfreedom53402 жыл бұрын

    I really appreciate the amount of detail you put into these videos.

  • @huckfead8607
    @huckfead86072 жыл бұрын

    Oh wow! I was wondering why the Laffey sounded like such a familiar ship this whole video, but I’m glad you mentioned that it’s a museum piece now. I visited that ship over years ago it’s a really cool experience

  • @namja01
    @namja012 жыл бұрын

    I've heard of the USS Laffey's name and achievements before, but at the part where 20 IJN aircraft were circling over.... it had me in suspense. Then seeing the US aircraft coming in to the rescue; it really did feel like a Hollywood movie script. Amazing animation and narration as always.

  • @AinsleyHarriott1
    @AinsleyHarriott12 жыл бұрын

    4:30 If anyones confused as to how those planes were downed so easily, it's because the US had now begun using proximity detonators in their AA, invented by the British. There's an incredible video by Curious Droid on these and I highly recommend it.

  • @shangrilainxanadu

    @shangrilainxanadu

    2 жыл бұрын

    The relevant proximity fuses were not invented in Britain. The British developed a fuse for AA Rockets. Fuses that fit in far smaller AAA shells and work subject to 200 times the acceleration as well as centrifugal forces from the rifling were developed in the U.S. using different technology. There was a patent suit in the 60s proving no British contribution. Nor was the basic idea British, being quite old, and the U.S. (and also Germany and Japan) had begun working on the matter independently before the Tizard mission. In other words, the British made the first working proximity fuse, but it was not useful, and did not lead to the actually useful proximity fuse developed in the U.S.

  • @chaosXP3RT

    @chaosXP3RT

    2 жыл бұрын

    Incorrect. Proximity fuses were invented by the Americans

  • @AinsleyHarriott1

    @AinsleyHarriott1

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@chaosXP3RT maybe you're right, you're the expert. idk i dont research it like these guys.

  • @CallsItLikeISeizeIts

    @CallsItLikeISeizeIts

    2 жыл бұрын

    There is a documentary on the prox fuses at JHUAPL, they were grabbed by accident one day during a test firing and they all went “ holy shite” afterward.

  • @lothean2099
    @lothean20992 жыл бұрын

    I loved your animation. I loved how you see the bomb being thrown overboard by the saviors. Great job mate. Now I want to visit this ship.

  • @drgonzo305
    @drgonzo3052 жыл бұрын

    Not only survived this but also survived being nuked a couple of times then went back to war in Korea and is still floating today. They don't build them like this anymore

  • @EasyEighty-Eight
    @EasyEighty-Eight2 жыл бұрын

    Went to Charlestown, SC, got to get on this destroyer, and hear it’s story. Quickly became one of my favorites of the Second World War. Thank you guys so much for animating this. Top tier.

  • @ISYL515

    @ISYL515

    2 жыл бұрын

    @Easy8Eight mine was the Battle of Drøbak Sound

  • @simonshotter8960

    @simonshotter8960

    2 жыл бұрын

    Cheers chap. Your top comment gives away the ending 😂 it didn’t sink

  • @EasyEighty-Eight

    @EasyEighty-Eight

    2 жыл бұрын

    Oops, sorry. lol

  • @stormtroopercaptain1405

    @stormtroopercaptain1405

    2 жыл бұрын

    I live in charleston have seen it many times it is insane how much it survived

  • @mikuhatsune9766

    @mikuhatsune9766

    2 жыл бұрын

    Me too. I went to get on this destroyer and very incredible story about four months ago or less. It is so beautiful hot day like that photo.

  • @bretrachelcooper5632
    @bretrachelcooper56322 жыл бұрын

    So excited for this episode! I've toured the Laffey in Charleston a fair number of times. The room inside the guns is intense as it simulates what it was like for the gunners during the kamikaze attacks.

  • @jayo3074

    @jayo3074

    2 жыл бұрын

    How big would you say the rooms were?

  • @ramal5708

    @ramal5708

    2 жыл бұрын

    The room is in other word the 5"/38 Turret.

  • @visassess8607

    @visassess8607

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@ramal5708 Are you saying the rooms are as a big as the 5"/38 turret? Sorry, I don't know what you're trying to say.

  • @ramal5708

    @ramal5708

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@visassess8607 what he's said the "room inside the guns" is the 5"/38 mount/turret, the word should be turret not room, the so called "room" could traverse, you know and room is more of fixed space.

  • @ramengod5768
    @ramengod57682 жыл бұрын

    Dam i remember lafey from azure lane. That's a good ship

  • @Gool349
    @Gool3492 жыл бұрын

    incredible! I never knew of this battle...your channel continues to amaze with impeckable narration and astonishing quality of animation

  • @IdoDekel-do7hh
    @IdoDekel-do7hh2 жыл бұрын

    Still saddens me that the USS Enterprise (CV-6) was scrapped instead of being turned into a museum ship like the USS Laffey

  • @ramal5708

    @ramal5708

    2 жыл бұрын

    Not only the Big E, but also the South Dakota BB-57, Washington BB-56 and probably one of the US Standard Battleships that were there during the last Battleship vs Battleship shootout at Surigao Strait. SoDak and Washington were there during first ever capital ship vs capital ship showdown off Guadalcanal. Sadly those ships above were damage sometime in the war and preserving them is a hard job, secondly they don't have any sponsors to preserve them in the first place.

  • @spudskie3907

    @spudskie3907

    2 жыл бұрын

    Enterprise should have been saved, along with other ships. Sadly it costs money. I’m surprised at the number of battleships that have been saved.

  • @Arauge1981
    @Arauge19812 жыл бұрын

    I personally would absolutely love to see some Korean war battles on this channel. As the "forgotten war" I feel like it would be great to open some people's eyes to what that war was. Please keep making these amazing videos, they're so informative and really help to see the "overall picture" of relatively small engagements. Fantastic work.

  • @cwulfe1

    @cwulfe1

    2 жыл бұрын

    Yes! My father was on Heartbreak Ridge in Korea. He got severely wounded by mortar shells but lived to become a high school history teacher. He passed in '88.

  • @idontcare9797

    @idontcare9797

    2 жыл бұрын

    "The situation is a bit sticky "

  • @user-sj1uf6fd3w

    @user-sj1uf6fd3w

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@cwulfe1 I'm a Korean. Your father has made it possible for our people to enjoy freedom. And our country is living well with economic growth. What we enjoy is thanks to your father. Respect and thank you. I salute you forever. Thank you. Your father is an honorable man.

  • @challengertabletop5820

    @challengertabletop5820

    2 жыл бұрын

    The book "Breakout" would make for some excellent material.

  • @u.s.s.laffeydd-7245
    @u.s.s.laffeydd-72452 жыл бұрын

    Hey! Its Me!!!

  • @hankb1604
    @hankb16042 жыл бұрын

    The Allen Sumner class had amazing redundancy of engineering systems. It was a class of DD built for war and performed it's duties when manned with outstanding officers and crew - along with a bit of luck in battle.

  • @napoleonibonaparte7198
    @napoleonibonaparte71982 жыл бұрын

    "Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue." - practically the entire crew of the Laffey.

  • @iainmalcolm9583
    @iainmalcolm95832 жыл бұрын

    I had heard this story before but the animation really helped explain the fight. Great job (as always).

  • @caleroper4515
    @caleroper451527 күн бұрын

    Great video I was on the board the Laffey yesterday on vacation it was amazing to see it and the Yorktown in person it's definitely worth a visit

  • @philliplamoureux9489
    @philliplamoureux94892 жыл бұрын

    Excellent piece! Well done detail and a great choice for the final history to floating museum ending. Well Done!!

  • @jamesrussell7760
    @jamesrussell77602 жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much for telling the story of USS Laffey, the brave ship that refused to die.

  • @oasis1282

    @oasis1282

    2 жыл бұрын

    Its clearly a fake story. All of this is taken from a roblox game.

  • @bobs1150
    @bobs11502 жыл бұрын

    A couple of weeks later, my dad was also on Picket station #1 in LSM(R)-194, along with 3 LCS's and two destroyers. A kamikaze attack on the 4th sunk both his ship and the destroyer Morrison and badly damaged the other destroyer and two of the LCS's. The LSMR's were built for shore bombardment, not anti aircraft, and had no business being on picket duty, but I guess they just had to use what was available.

  • @arcticdragon104

    @arcticdragon104

    2 жыл бұрын

    Hope your dad survived

  • @fortusvictus8297

    @fortusvictus8297

    2 жыл бұрын

    Honestly, part of being on picket is just drawing fire. You want pickets to notify the fleet of incoming threats, try to break up attacks, and also be there for them to waste(?) weapons on the pickets instead of going at the landing craft or capital ships.

  • @bobs1150

    @bobs1150

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@fortusvictus8297 Sounds right. Kinda sucks to be that guy out there drawing fire, though.

  • @kurochi89
    @kurochi8911 ай бұрын

    Managed to visit the Laffey irl a while back. Ship is really small, so imagining it being bombed 4 times and not sinking is pretty incredible.

  • @ThriKreen

    @ThriKreen

    10 ай бұрын

    "Tough little ship." "Little?"

  • @sarnieken
    @sarnieken2 жыл бұрын

    Another informative and well constructed video. Liking these.

  • @thomaspowell7468
    @thomaspowell74682 жыл бұрын

    Did my first high school independent research project on both USS Laffeys, very fun to research and present. Glad to see that her battle has made it to the channel

  • @ringleader61
    @ringleader612 жыл бұрын

    The fighter squadron "the grim reapers" were originally from the USS Enterprise CV-6. They were transferred to the USS Intrepid in 1944

  • @chikokishi7030
    @chikokishi70302 жыл бұрын

    Your videos are so so amazing. I love learning about how things happened with this overview. please keep it up. Im very interested in airforce/navy airforce actions... so anything about airstrikes would be greatly appreciated!

  • @Will-dn9dq
    @Will-dn9dq2 жыл бұрын

    They ran thru the fire an tossed the bomb overboard. My God this is seriously deserving a larger audience. It would be a epic movie.

  • @thegamingfish547
    @thegamingfish5472 жыл бұрын

    If I ever pass through South Carolina i’ll make sure to stop and see the Laffey

  • @ryerial7723
    @ryerial77232 жыл бұрын

    The amount of courage from both the Crew of the Laffey and the Pilot of those 6 Corsairs…Imagine being in one of those 6 planes and seeing an entire Armada of Enemy Aircraft in front of you.

  • @cesaravegah3787

    @cesaravegah3787

    2 жыл бұрын

    The Corsair had an 11:1 victory ratio and it's pilots were some of the best trained batshit crazy young men that the USA had to offer, I bet that they focused on fight as a team and not worrying about nothing else than give hell to the enemy, damn, one of them probably joked about the number of targets, that generation was made of a harder material than us.

  • @ryerial7723

    @ryerial7723

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@cesaravegah3787 I don’t have a doubt about it that they probably joked over the number of Targets but it still would take a fuck ton of courage to actually fly into that mess knowing every other plane there would want to see you dead.

  • @cesaravegah3787

    @cesaravegah3787

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@ryerial7723 That too

  • @alexanderhamilton4258

    @alexanderhamilton4258

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@cesaravegah3787 All those young men thought at that moment was most likely how to safe their brother in arms on that ship, and by god, they did a great job.

  • @johntaylor-lo8qx
    @johntaylor-lo8qx2 жыл бұрын

    I'm glad this channel is doing more stuff again. This is by far one of the best channels on this platform. God Bless. I'm excited to watch this episode.

  • @SIDEKICKONYOUTUBE
    @SIDEKICKONYOUTUBE2 жыл бұрын

    MAKE SOME MORE !!!!! about ancient warfare up to WWII

  • @jean-christophedancause5587
    @jean-christophedancause55872 жыл бұрын

    I love how this channel has always been insane since the beginning and yet keeps getting better every video! The editing work on the tracers is well done, good job!

  • @kuraii201
    @kuraii2012 жыл бұрын

    Shikikan after watching: i need to pat laffey.

  • @windwindy5356

    @windwindy5356

    Жыл бұрын

    As Allen once said “oops, wrong Laffey”.

  • @the-secret

    @the-secret

    Жыл бұрын

    Laffey: zzz

  • @AudieHolland
    @AudieHolland Жыл бұрын

    It amazes me how deadly accurate the AA fire was but also how accurate the Japanese bombing was. Hitting a fast maneuvering destroyer, even if it is limited to sailing in circles, must be a lot harder than hitting a carrier.

  • @sayhey7482
    @sayhey74822 жыл бұрын

    THANK YOU SO MUCH ! this vid just made my DAY ! what a great perspective of a well know but UNSEEN battle ! MORE PLEASE

  • @csours
    @csours2 жыл бұрын

    Nice work on making the 5 inch fire look different from the smaller caliber AA cannons

  • @vipondiu
    @vipondiu2 жыл бұрын

    11:10 I have never seen this operation crossroads image in color before. Really impressive

  • @jakobinboden3083
    @jakobinboden30832 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for your work sir. I've been able to talk to people older than myself about things such as black hawk down or desert storm (which someone I know took part in) and be able to have a comprehensive conversation about the whole thing

  • @marcburroughs2969
    @marcburroughs29692 жыл бұрын

    I live in the Charleston SC area and the ship is docked at Patriots Point. Been there a few times and it's amazing to hear what her and her crew went through.

  • @indra8188
    @indra81882 жыл бұрын

    A small event in the grand scale of ww2 yet it is full of so many heroic actions. I really love this channel, especially when it brings things i would never have known otherwise to my attention in such detail and care.

  • @Dayvit78

    @Dayvit78

    2 жыл бұрын

    A war of that scale is made up of millions of these small encounters - ranging from extreme heroism as shown here to utterly banal and everything in between. It is mind boggling to think about all the stories that have been lost to time.

  • @chicagotypewriter2094
    @chicagotypewriter20942 жыл бұрын

    Oh man, those animations are so nice! I've never seen you draw the ships up close

  • @davidheyl1206

    @davidheyl1206

    2 жыл бұрын

    I agree, whoever animated did a great job

  • @bruceccorwin
    @bruceccorwin2 жыл бұрын

    What an amazing story. Thank you for sharing it and telling it so well.

  • @theterminalstupidityvariet1629
    @theterminalstupidityvariet16292 жыл бұрын

    "Brought down 5 miles out from a direct hit from a 5 inch shell" holy shit

  • @Taallyn
    @Taallyn2 жыл бұрын

    The last time that I visited the Laffey in Charleston is etched in my memory. I was looking at the painting they have onboard of this battle when someone came and stood next to me. I looked and it was an elderly Japanese man who had a very solemn expression as he took in the painting. The gentlemen had been accompanied by a couple that was a little younger than myself. One of them mentioned to the other that the older gentleman was a WWII veteran. I looked back at the painting and the little plaque on it caught my eye. The date on it stood out to me. The only way I can describe that moment is that I felt like the weight of history had just settled over me. I was standing on the Laffey at a memorial of the battle next to a Japanese WWII veteran exactly 50 years to the hour after the battle. It made WWII seem all too human to me.

  • @rael5469

    @rael5469

    2 жыл бұрын

    I had the same experience on the USS Arizona memorial. Lots of Japanese tourists there. In fact, with all that's transpired in this country regarding the economy, I can rarely afford to travel like that trip. But whenever I do go out and about I see lots of Japanese tourists. So who recovered form the war better, us or them? In America we are our own worst enemies.

  • @Spicy_Italian_Sausage

    @Spicy_Italian_Sausage

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@rael5469 the current state of the country’s economy is due to politicians shutting our country down over the flu. Not sure why you are comparing current events with how each country rebuilt after WW2. If you would like to make direct comparisons tho go ahead and see how the US recovered in the 50s ❤️

  • @rael5469

    @rael5469

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Spicy_Italian_Sausage "Not sure why you are comparing current events with how each country rebuilt after WW2. " History runs into current events. It doesn't all happen in segments Thanos. It all runs together. The fact is that republicans in this country are bald faced traitors to America. They literally decimated workers in this country by outsourcing all the jobs to communist China....which communist China uses to build up their effing military. There....if you want it in more plain language. That is the sitch-ee-ation.

  • @Spicy_Italian_Sausage

    @Spicy_Italian_Sausage

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@rael5469 So only the Republicans are outsourcing jobs? How about politicians in general? A politician is a politician. Everything they do, regardless of their party is corrupt. How many private corporations where forced to outsource when Obama and Biden started to regulate fracking? How many companies were forced to outsource to Mexico when Obama was putting pressure on car manufacturers in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio. Was that also the republicans fault? What have Democrats done to try and limit and the outsourcing of jobs? Not trying to defend the big orange baby, but trump is the only president that has openly worked to bring jobs back to the US. Stop living so one sided and realize both parties are at fault. The issues we have stem from the entire federal government. Our economy also isn’t helped by their incessant need to regulate/tax everything.

  • @rael5469

    @rael5469

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Spicy_Italian_Sausage "So only the Republicans are outsourcing jobs? " The congressional voting record is crystal clear, the republicans created the job outsourcing bills and the majority of YES votes were republican. Any more questions?

  • @ohmygoshitscole
    @ohmygoshitscole2 жыл бұрын

    I visited this ship while I was on vacation in South Carolina. It’s amazing that such a relatively small ship survived that much.

  • @Xaevryn
    @Xaevryn2 жыл бұрын

    I went and saw the Laffey. When I stood on shore looking at her, I appreciated the ship to be sure. But it wasn't until I stood on her deck that it hit me. This ship and her crew went through absolute hell. She and her crew fought one hell of a battle. And that I now stood on the same planks.

Келесі