The many brutal night actions of Guadalcanal were won not by the side who perfectly foresaw and countered the enemies strategy, but the side who fucked up least and less massively

@earlyriser8998

2 жыл бұрын

As a baby boomer I was stunned by the incompetence revealed early in the war by french, brits, and usa. But i learned that this is due to 'peace criteria' and 'war criteria' for evaluation of commanders and soldiers. Perfect formations, all well dressed with shoes polished gets points. Ragged formations, dressed in work fatigues, but well trained get docked points. We end up seeing it in every branch and almost every initial contact with the enemy. Guadalcanal are one of the few pearly actions with experienced commanders in charge who are there based on skills not their parade ground polish. And the marines appear to learn more quickly than army or navy leadership on what makes a good commander and how to win.

@Wolfeson28

2 жыл бұрын

@@earlyriser8998 It's certainly true that all sides' militaries faced a "weeding out" process early in the war to get rid of officers who could check all the right boxes in peacetime but couldn't cut it in combat. However, I don't think that's really the story for these battles around Guadalcanal. Night naval battles can be chaotic messes at the best of times, and the USN was at a clear disadvantage early on because they simply hadn't trained for night fighting the way that the IJN had. Both good and bad officers alike were struggling to figure out what did and didn't work in those night battles, going up against an enemy that already had a lot of those answers (at least until new technologies came fully into play).

@BeingFireRetardant

2 жыл бұрын

This thread is fantastic... Feel like Scott accidentally won that victory. His caution, while justified, precluded a potentially much greater victory, but he committed a number of weird tactical errors. And one unintentionally brilliant maneuver...

@Synergist1c_

2 жыл бұрын

sounds like a typical WoWs match to me

@NorroTaku

2 жыл бұрын

that's how war usually goes

This channel is the definition of quality over quantity.

@Arphalia

2 жыл бұрын

agreed, alongside the channel primitive technology

@razen9766

2 жыл бұрын

@@Arphalia what

@deBebbler

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed EH. It is all killer, no filler, and the wide gaps in uploads just make me more hungry for one when it finally drops.

@christopping5876

2 жыл бұрын

So true!

@Syveck

2 жыл бұрын

I concur lol

The Operations Room always makes these engagement’s and battles much clearer and easier to comprehend. We’ve read, we’ve watched - now we understand.

@TheOperationsRoom

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks :)

@TheOperationsRoom

2 жыл бұрын

@@user-mp9rd4hg8b No 😄

@SAMUELSKUWAR

2 жыл бұрын

So true. And the narrator has the voice of a proper WW2 general, IMHO, based on all the older war movies I watched.

@gregc247

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed, also have read about this action many times but didnt visualize it like this

@jtgd

2 жыл бұрын

@@user-mp9rd4hg8b it’ll be a hillbilly moment

This is a messy naval battle. Must have been a nightmare trying to piece together all the ships locations for the video.

@sethkoch4449

2 жыл бұрын

I honestly don’t know how they find all this information such as the exact locations to animate. That’s quality work. Also I love your History channel ExpandedHistory!

@luiseduardo5216

2 жыл бұрын

@@sethkoch4449 read the book neptunes inferno, they show many of this details

@oldfrend

2 жыл бұрын

nah, just a lot of bad deicision making from an overly conservative commander. chose the wrong ship as his flag; didn't listen to his technical experts when they were telling him he was wrong based on the data. pretty much the whole fleet knew what was going on and where the enemy was except scott cuz he cared about his ego more than the truth. says a lot about the commander's lack of leadership that his fleet opens fire without him ordering them to do so. they won in spite of him, not because of.

@SusanWojcickiDidntEarnHerJob

2 жыл бұрын

@Seth Koch I believe he stated he uses battle reports on one of his old videos to give him precise locations for his animated reconstruction.

@Wolfeson28

2 жыл бұрын

@@oldfrend Scott didn't have a very good showing within the battle itself, but it's also important to remember that he did a lot of important things to prepare the ships under his command for this sort of engagement prior to the events we see here. So even though his ships seem to be winning in spite of him here, I think Scott deserves some credit for his ships recognizing and doing what needed to be done even when his direct command and control in the battle wasn't much help. I suspect that Scott would also would have been able to learn and apply some lessons from this battle and do a better job in the future. Unfortunately, Callaghan's slightly greater seniority meant Scott would never get that chance.

Scott - "Yeah I totally meant that" 😄

@ethangavrilmoreno8479

Жыл бұрын

never before I've known some humorous higher-ups from the military...

You know night actions must have been messy when you don't start shooting your own units until after they have positively identified themselves

Good the see the USS Laffey , that destroyer certainly had its close calls. And Scott, that man lucked out so hard. He probably returned to port and said "I was able to expertly cross the T of the IJN and destroy them in a night action. Just don't ask questions and believe me when I say, that I totally meant to do that"

@501ststudios7

2 жыл бұрын

This is actually a different Laffey than DD-724, the ship that survived 52 Kamikazes in 1945. This ship was that Laffey’s namesake.

@Checkmate3604

2 жыл бұрын

@@501ststudios7 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Laffey_(DD-459)

@Checkmate3604

2 жыл бұрын

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Laffey_(DD-724)

@501ststudios7

2 жыл бұрын

@@Checkmate3604 yes correct that’s the one I’m referring to, I think the OP saw Operations Room’s video on the later Laffey and thought this was the same ship.

@clementchan5977

2 жыл бұрын

Scott is killed in a later action of the same campaign

I salute the Captain of the U.S.S. Helena. It's men like that who ultimately achieved victory for the Allies. I have heard that some of these men who took the initiative & acted on their own, believed they would be Court Marshaled but were instead promoted. Excellent history. Thank You

@CinemaDemocratica

Жыл бұрын

There was a bomber group leader in the battle of the Philippine Sea who got so bored orbiting out of the way of his group's carriers that he led them on an un-briefed and un-approved raid on a nearby Japanese airfield. Apparently he was certain that he'd be court-marshalled as well. Love those guys.

@tacticalcalebgaming7264

3 ай бұрын

So as Boise as well she fires so quick

The fact that Scott didn't use the Helena or Boise as his flagship because of their high tech radar at the time makes the management of his battleline much more confusing before the shooting starts

@robomaster20

2 жыл бұрын

Trust me, most officers and sailors will blatantly follow tradition over common sense, because they don't want to be the person who rocks the boat

@aleksaradojicic8114

2 жыл бұрын

@@robomaster20 I do not know for fact, but I would guess that heavy cruisers had better command facilities compared to light ones. If that is true, taking CA for command ship makes sense (specially in time when extremely small number of admirals new how to use radar for there advantage).

Man, Scott almost messed that up so many times. He got so lucky that the crew of Helena actually used their radar correctly and fired even when he didn't want them too, otherwise the Japanese might've come close enough to destroy most of them.

I am amazed how much punishment these warships can take before sinking. I realize that's how/why they're built, but they're also built to sink each other. Incredible how much damage it actually takes to do the job.

@CSSVirginia

2 жыл бұрын

The US Navy had God tier damage control.

@ericamborsky3230

Жыл бұрын

This would not be the last time Aoba would take heavy damage and still manage to limp home. The ship would later take a direct hit from a B-17 which would detonate her torpedoes and later still, she would take a torpedo and still survive.

@ChaplainDMK

Жыл бұрын

I assume in this action its due to the short range, shells would impact into the hull above water and the superstructure and wouldn't cause a lot of damage that would cause flooding. But in almost all cases warships, especially cruisers, were combat ineffective long before they were in any serious danger of sinking. By the point you are sinking likely a large portion of your crew is dead or wounded, communication is hampered, equipment is destroyed, and radar or any other sensors you have are disabled - hence why you often see warships peel off from a formation very quickly.

8:08 of course it fails to explode, it's a Mark 14 torpedo, the best torpedo ever built till that time, the Japanese could never come up with better one, right?

@alexroselle

2 жыл бұрын

Japanese sailors: look out! American torpedo! The torpedo: *boop*

@d.olivergutierrez8690

2 жыл бұрын

Mark 15 technically

@sargesacker2599

2 жыл бұрын

Correction Mark 15 torpedo. Mark 14’s are submarine based, Mark 15 are surface based.

@d.olivergutierrez8690

2 жыл бұрын

@@alexroselle furutaka: dont worry, only one in ten American torpedoes actually wor-💥 Maccalla: what was that? Buchanan: the one in ten

@NotTheCIA1961

2 жыл бұрын

In fairness to the torpedo, it SHOULDN'T have armed when being launched directly into the structure. Aside from premature launch, it did exactly what it's supposed to in this situation.

USS Scott (DDG-996) was eventually named for RADM Scott. He was killed along with many of his staff when the ship he was on - the USS Atlanta - was hit by gunfire from the heavy cruiser USS San Francisco during the nighttime fighting in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. Scott posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Pacific Theater of World War II.

@badweetabix

2 жыл бұрын

In other words, he was awarded the MOH for the actions of the other ships captains who despite his blunder enable them to win the battle. Just another MacArthur MOH.

@mbryson2899

2 жыл бұрын

@@badweetabix How was it his blunder that his ship was mistakenly shot at?

@Looscannon94

2 жыл бұрын

@@badweetabix Scott wasn't even the Officer in Charge when he was killed, he was second in command. It was Admiral Callahan that was in command (who was also killed along with his entire staff as well aboard the USS San Francisco). Callahan was previously the Chief of Staff for area commander Admiral Ghormley before Ghormley was canned in favor of Bull Halsey. Callahan was then given command of Task Force 67 over Scott because he had been a rear admiral 15 days longer. Operations Room literally did a video about the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. Come on now lol.

@Looscannon94

2 жыл бұрын

@@mbryson2899 Scott wasn't even the officer in charge when he died. It was Admiral Callahan. Dude is wrong all over the place haha

@mbryson2899

2 жыл бұрын

@@Looscannon94 Callaghan apparently made no plan with his cohorts, then he issued confusing orders. It was his flagship that mistakenly hit Scott's U.S.S. Atlanta (though I believe that Kirishima and other Japanese ships hit her as well). She was scuttled the next day so no one will ever know for certain. In any case, Scott did best he could at Cape Esperance, especially given the information the USN believed about Japanese capabilities. He did prevent Henderson Field from being shelled that night, and that Japanese cruiser division was retired to other non-frontline duties for the rest of WWII as only Kinugasa was fit for service for a long time.

Life is simple... you see a new Operations room video... you click it.

My grandfathers older brother, Clarence Christensen, Electrician’s Mate 1st Class, USN, was aboard the destroyer USS Duncan during this engagement. We never really understood how exactly he died from friendly fire. Only just this past Memorial Day, my mother found some old documents, and I figured out that he must have been at this battle. This video breaks it down perfectly, and now we understand the circumstances of his death. Thanks man!!!!!! Sent this out to my relatives!!

The "Americal Division" had no official number during World War II. They became the 23rd Infantry Division during the Vietnam War when the division was reactivated. This Division was one of only two in the U.S. Army during World War II that did not have a numerical designation, the other was the "Philippine Division" lost in the Philippines early in the war.

Most people underestimate the importance of this battle due to its size, but the morale this victory provided to the US helped win Guadalcanal and the whole war.

@BeingFireRetardant

2 жыл бұрын

It was perhaps the definitive moment for the US citizens to believe the war was even winnable. I could be wrong, but I would hazard a guess that 1942 may have been one of the most pivotal years in all of human history. Simply because of how horribly different the world would be now, had any of it gone the other way...

The number of mishaps in this battle had me almost audibly swearing at the screen there...

@d.olivergutierrez8690

2 жыл бұрын

“Scott what are you doing in San Francisco, go to a ship with actual radar, NO stop, wait for your destroyers to finishing their turn, what are you waiting for OPEN FIRE, no cease fire you are hitting one of your ships 🤬aaaah”

@paullytle1904

Жыл бұрын

Night actions man

I cringe sitting here listening to how many “growing pains” the US navy had to endure during the war.. meaning, sinking friendly ships, making incompetent decisions and just overall negligence. Good lord.

@naamadossantossilva4736

2 жыл бұрын

At least they had a competent build plan and learned fast.If they got stuck in lalaland like the IJN they would never have won the war.

@Cailus3542

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah. The US Navy had excellent ships, superb training and brave sailors, but there was also spectacular incompetence, often at the highest levels. The Mark 14 torpedo. The refusal to properly employ ASW aircraft and blackout the US East Coast. The belief that Pearl Harbor was safe despite a British carrier strike on Taranto that sank or crippled half the Italian battle fleet. The incredible incompetence of some US admirals in battle. For the US Navy, there was the bright side that they had some excellent individuals too; King (usually), Lee, Nimitz, Spruance. The Americans learned very quickly from their mistakes, much like the British, and adapted. The Japanese didn't, and so rapidly lost their advantage over the Allied navies.

This is your best animation work yet. Along with Drachinifel's excellent scripting, this series is rapidly becoming my favorite content of yours

@TheOperationsRoom

2 жыл бұрын

Actually he wasn't involved in this one, but thanks! :)

@hdjono3351

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheOperationsRoom still a great video! What video did drach collaborate on?

@TheOperationsRoom

2 жыл бұрын

@@hdjono3351 Tassafaronga and Eastern Solomons 👍

@snugglecity3500

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheOperationsRoom i guess it was your excellent scripting

Just shows the Advantage of Having the Initiative in a Fight!

the quality of these videos is better than anything on TV

The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal is one of the least commonly known engagements of WW2, but in my opinion one of the most fascinating and horrifying. Well done as usual; you do great work with this channel.

Dude. Helena, San Francisco, and Laffey just seem to be involved in everything in that theatre. Why is it when something happens, it's always you three?

This is awesome. I’d love to see a video of the sinking, hiding and eventual rescue of the Helena’s crew. My great grandfather was one of the gunnery officers on Helena and survived the sinking and lived among the natives until his eventual rescue. I’ve read all the books but a video would be neat to watch.

I've been reading "Neptune's Inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal" recently and honestly was kind of surprised you hadn't done a Cape Esperance video yet. And now here you are providing one like 2 days later lol. You'll have to do the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands next.

My only critique is incredibly minor - the use of a 50-star U.S. flag instead of the 48-star. Other than that this is a great video! I love the work from this channel.

@jedhaney3547

2 жыл бұрын

...Well there were only 48 states at the time... Alaska and Hawaii wouldn't gain statehood till 1959. Hence why our Alaska class battlecruisers were all named after territories and not states like battleships.

@briandimascio2831

2 жыл бұрын

@@jedhaney3547 yes, which is why I was pointing out that in the video there were 50-star flags

@mailbox3982

2 жыл бұрын

@@jedhaney3547 Not to be rude, but please properly read and understand comments before "correcting" them.

@jedhaney3547

2 жыл бұрын

@@briandimascio2831 Ah, didn't get that was your point, my bad.

@jedhaney3547

2 жыл бұрын

@@mailbox3982 He wasn't clear on what he was referring to, thought he didn't know Alaska and Hawaii weren't states at the time, which is common tbh. Also... nunya? lol

I hadn't ever heard this referred to as the battle of Cape Esperance before.

@shellshockedgerman3947

2 жыл бұрын

Its known as the First Solomon Battle in Japanese sources

I’m impressed that American torpedoes were working as designed. It suggests the the navy Bureau of Ordinance wasn’t involved. Rather fleet commanders authorized the changes

This is probably my favorite history channel.

It’s cool to see the same ships across videos, I’m invested the Laffey like it’s my favorite character 😂

@bobcastro9386

2 жыл бұрын

My wife and I enjoyed touring the Laffey at Patriots Point in Charleston, South Carolina. A great museum which also includes the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Yorktown and submarine U.S.S. Clamagore.

Very cool timing. Every year around Memorial Day in the US, I read my grandfather’s war journal from his time on Guadalcanal and the pacific. Absolute hell on earth that they went through. Thanks for the video.

Incredible to imagine what those soldiers must have seen whilst bobbing on the waves in their dinghies.

That torpedo room moment sounds like something out if a movie

I recommend the book Neptune’s Inferno by the late James D. Hornfischer, a gripping but accurate account of the naval campaign for Guadalcanal.

My grandpa was part of this battle on the US Salt Lake City. He died about a year and a half ago of old age (99 years of age)

@stephaniesjobrown

5 ай бұрын

As was mine! He was a gunners mate and died in 2020.

It's always a good day when The Operations Room uploads

Books on the naval battle at Guadalcanal tell me that the Captain of the Helena was in the process of developing a combat information center and knew where every ship was. The Captain of the Boise did not trust radar, which told him where the Japanese where so lit off his search lights. The worse damage done to American ships at Savo island and here occurred when shells hit the seaplanes and their fuel. According to books I've read. Great job on both battles.

One of the few channels that I watch as soon as I'm notified of a new vid. Great stuff.

@TheOperationsRoom

2 жыл бұрын

Wow, thanks!

Always a good day when theres a new ops room vid

Thank you for illustrating this battle. I grew up right next to the memorial of the USS San Francisco. Standing next to her hull and reading her story, I could only imagine what she went through. This gives a new, deeper found appreciation to the remains every time I go by it.

Every single video is absolutely stunning and genuinely draws me in to watch another. I was curious and wanted to ask, will you cover the battle of Leyte gulf?

@TheOperationsRoom

2 жыл бұрын

At some point!

@thegunman2841

2 жыл бұрын

​@@TheOperationsRoom Let's goooo!

@hunter35474

2 жыл бұрын

I'm guessing Leyte Gulf will require at least four videos: one each for the battles of Sibuyan Sea, Cape Engano, Surigao Strait, and of course the Battle off Samar.

@brandydoll74

2 жыл бұрын

Maybe! Certainly going to be an enjoyable video / series regardless!

I see a video from T.O.R, I click. Another great addition, keep it up

@TheOperationsRoom

2 жыл бұрын

Awesome! Thank you!

This video was released while I'm watch Taff in Exile doing a play through of War on the Sea.

I seriously love this channel. I love history. I love Military history. Your visuals and play by play are simple but very effective. Thank you for the Awesomeness

Thank you for producing naval battles like these, you have no idea much we appreciate this

2:33 Yoooo those ships are huge!!!!

This channel is a national treasure.

Babe wake up, operations room made a video

Thanks for dropping more frequent vids as it’s much appreciated.

"Who are we firing at?" "No idea, keep firing!"

I like the considerable gumption of the captains that order their ships to keep firing

Great work. This is one of the few channels where I routinely watch the videos more than once.

@TheOperationsRoom

2 жыл бұрын

Wow, thanks!

Pizza and a new Operations Room video. I am a happy man.

one of the very best channels out there

I love how much you work on these.

@TheOperationsRoom

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

I love that thumbnail picture. Has a certain poster quality.

Another superb re-enactment from The Operations Room, thank you. 👍

@TheOperationsRoom

2 жыл бұрын

Many thanks!

when it zooms into the ships' details for the first time and the individual guns are animated 😮

The japanese were so kind to identify themselves but Scott still believes they are friendly!

This channel is incredible, I've binged loads of it the past few nights I'm quite upset that I'll soon rinse the lot of it keep going!

@TheOperationsRoom

2 жыл бұрын

We're pedaling as fast as we can :)

Seeing these come into my sub box make my day. Thanks for all the hard work you put in!

@TheOperationsRoom

2 жыл бұрын

Glad to hear it!

Can you do the 1916 Battle of Jutland please? Would love to see more content on this legendary battle in general, but gets overshadowed a lot by WW2. Those dreadnought battleships were monsters.

@zangrygrapes4571

9 ай бұрын

The british got torched in that battle

Something something Jutland something something the third/fourth battle of Savo, only the big-gun fights are generally remembered ... but this was the sort of slugfest Nelson would've approved of..

This is genuinely what i wanted to see everytime a WWII documentary starts talking specifics about a battle

Best historical channel on KZread

Amazing video, i love surface engagements. No long range airstrikes from carriers but ship on ship.

My grandfather was Francis Shepard Conlon EM2 USN. “Shep” He was on the Duncan that night. Some friends were eaten by sharks. Many died in front of him, badly burned and screaming in the ocean at night. He made it back to the states and was deployed on another ship for the remainder of the war in the Pacific. He survived the war and raised four successful children near Syracuse, NY. He never told anyone what he went through, only that his ship went down and he was okay. He was never an angry person always a kind gentleman. A great man, smoked a pipe. Hated highways and always took the back roads. Lived the quiet life until 1989. My hero I never really had the chance to know. I was proud to carry his name and sail back through the same waters & get my shellback like he did in our way to bomb Afghanistan.

Definitely the most in depth visual and graphic accounts of military operations I’ve ever been able to find. Love this channel!

Great to see you back!! I know these take a lot of effort, but was wondering about Pt 2 of the LaDrang story Thanks for all of your hard work!!

Guadalcanal was pretty much the closest to an even fight between the US and japan, they where exchanging blows squarely

A fantastic summary of the battle. A ship's position and movement are essential to understand the naval battle.

I've been watching your videos for literally years at this point and they never disappoint, thank you for all the hard work.

I just hit like before the video starts now as the content is solid. Thanks OR.

Can you imagine your ship being shot out from under you, treading water and not accepting a ride, even from your enemy

Would love to settle in to watch a 1 hour plus episode. Better than any history lesson or film reenactment

Scott has that Old Guard and Naval Lineage perk alright…

Glad I lived in Japan; my host family included a ww2 Pacific theater veteran; on my last day he spoke for ten minutes but my nihongo wasn't able of deciphering. These videos show me what serving in that part of the world must have felt like, I especially feel for the Japanese: in foreign waters without radar surrounded by strafing planes, PT boats, etc serving under an unforgiving military chain of command. It couldn't have been easy for any soldier serving there; thank you all for your service; these battles made all sides undoubtedly more knowledgeable, wealthier and hopefully more wise as well.

my goodness, all the Operations Room videos covering WWII in the area around Guadalcanal have been intense. I can really see why that body of water is now called "Ironbottom Sound". it looks like some truly intense fighting occured there.

I freaking total dig this channel. First Class mate!

@TheOperationsRoom

2 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoy it!

I'm reading the book, "Neptune's Inferno" right now and your vid helps put it in space.

Long live the greatest generation of Americans. The world war 2 vets 🖤 Thank you ops room as always for the phenomenal work.

So good, thank you for making these, love watching them ♥️

I’m obsessed with this channel

I absolutely love this channel. Top notch. Thank you very much

@TheOperationsRoom

2 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoy it!

Another awesome video! Unless the next one is in the making already, an Operation Ten-Go would be cool.

love your WW2 content. commenting for algo. happy to support content like this

Loved the video @The Operations Room! Can't wait for the next video guys! It's been a while since there's was a video on the Guadalcanal Campaign come to the Channel. Really hoping for USS South Dakota and USS Washington to have their Finest Hour come here as well!

Loving these naval battles🔥

Rarely comment on videos. But I love your channel, I tell all my friends about it. The content is so good! Thank you

Great piece of history. Thank you for the detailed narration. This is a wonderful channel. I watch your presentations within hours of their posting. Would love to hear more about Mig-28's....

@TheOperationsRoom

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much!

I wonder if students at war colleges studying these battles are cringing as much as I am when groups become so disorganized knowing of the fog of war and miscommunication

Please don’t ever stop making these videos

As someone who was born in raised in Boise, it was really amazing to hear that there even was a shipped named after the city, but also really cool to hear that the Boise was also a technologically impressive ship for the time!

@TheOperationsRoom

2 жыл бұрын

And that I got the pronunciation right? 😁

@KickerDrew

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheOperationsRoom Yes! I was actually pretty surprised to hear it 😅

This battle is a fever dream.

Love your WW2 naval videos, great job as always

"The rest are obliged of their request." I love the wording there lol.

@richardstephens5570

Жыл бұрын

Actually the Japanese sailors agreed to surrender the next day, 111 were captured.

Great job in outlining an often difficult to understand action. Very nicely done.

ABOUT TIME WE GOT A NEW VIDEO

I just watched Bismarck, so the thumbnail sparked some interest!