Back in 2017 I am in a nursing home conducting vision exams. A patient is wheeled to me and I see his hat. It says DE-339 and if you know the Battle you should know that was the John C. Butler. I said you were at Leyte Gulf? His eyes opened in surprise that someone actually knew his ship. That was a long exam as we talked about the battle and what it was like for him. He recalled the other three DE's having to lay a smoke screen behind the three that attacked. He maned a 40mm, as an 18 year old, mount and was scared you know what. He was grateful that I knew and I said no the honor is all mine

Cmdr Ernest Evans received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his action as CO of USS Johnston. He was an Oklahoma native but mostly unknown and certainly not honored. My good friend LT Colonel(ret) Steve Reagan headed up a campaign to raise more than $35000 to create a bronze bust and memorial. It is now in place in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

@MDE123

7 ай бұрын

I remember reading about him in Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors by Hornfischer. Nice to know there is an appropriate memorial

@flparkermdpc

7 ай бұрын

Thanks for this update. I have read about the heroic stand of the Taffy Three men and ships. Evans was and still is a larger than life example of the best in a man. We ALWAYS men like this. Always.

@waskawiiwabbit4465

7 ай бұрын

Capt. Evans was the epitome of bravery, courage, and commitment. There should be more monuments built to honor this MAN among men. There should be a carrier with his name on it. And by the way, why is there no carrier with Halsey's name on it?? @@flparkermdpc

@matthewnewton8812

7 ай бұрын

That’s awesome. When did they put up the statue?

@JHillNC

7 ай бұрын

​@@matthewnewton8812 Looks like the monument was dedicated Oct 25 2022. It looks beautiful and is a fitting and honorable tribute.

For a detailed and readable account of the battle, get a copy of “Last Stand of the Tin-Can Sailors” by James Hornfischer. It focuses mostly on the USS Samuel B. Roberts but gives full credit to the USS Johnston and her gallant skipper. The book says the Japanese reports described the Roberts as a cruiser- and meant it - because of the fury of her charge at heavy Japanese units. That’s what “in the finest tradition” means. This book made tears come to my eyes. If you are interested in this video, you will love this book.

@markmclaughlin2690

7 ай бұрын

Excellent book, Hornfischer was an excellent author

@loopwithers

7 ай бұрын

Thanks. Rare for this great channel, I feel that I have just had a bin full of random and truthful facts dumped over me and I am now bewildered

@flparkermdpc

7 ай бұрын

I second that thought. In fact anything James Hornfischer wrote is must read material. He was also the man behind other author's including Jon Parshall and Anthony Tully who wrote Shattered Sword, the Battle of Midway account that sheds much previously unknown truth on the battle, much misdirected by other books.

@markthomas6436

7 ай бұрын

I get throat lumps from that book as well. I recommend his book "Neptune's Inferno," about the naval battles of the Guadalcanal Campaign. The U.S. Navy got its butt kicked early on, because the old captains did not trust radar at first.

@johnnyboy7002

7 ай бұрын

Agreed, it's a well written book. Gives you some insight into the crews before the battle and more importantly it covers the aftermath and how the survivors dealt with the ordeal trying to survive long enough to be rescued. Can't recommend it enough.

Drachinifel did a really great video on this battle. Captain Evans should have an aircraft carrier named after him, he's criminally under-appreciated as a commander in WWII.

@MrMojolinux

7 ай бұрын

Embarrassing to have an Aircraft Carrier named after Gerald Ford, a man who was never elected President and pardoned a criminal President!

@johngray8580

7 ай бұрын

Google Ernest Evans Muskogee to see article about the dedication of the memorial last October. When my friend, Steve Reagan, realized that there was nothing in his (our) home state to honor Cmdr Evans,it became an all consuming effort to correct this oversight. In the midst of his campaign to raise money, Steve had a heart attack and Covid shut everything down, but he kept the project alive by writing letters, doing mailings to veterans and submitting articles to newspapers. I have a feeling Steve personally donated a lot of the money. He first had to educate people about Commander Evans before they would consider donating.

@Dewydidit

7 ай бұрын

That's the best recounting of the exploits of Taffy 3 there is!

@jamesbrown5600

7 ай бұрын

That would be a very fitting tribute, but personally, I think the lead ship of the new DDG(x) Class ships should be named the USS Ernest E. Evans and that class of DDG's would be called the Evans Class DDG's. He would have an entire class of fighting ships named for him. It would also be appropriate because he commanded a Destroyer, thus a class of DDG's named after him, I think he would appreciate very much. He liked to be at the tip of the spear and in today's surface Navy DDG's are the tip of the spear.

@jamesbrown5600

7 ай бұрын

@@Dewydidit It most certainly is.

My dad's cousin was on the Gambier Bay. He survived the battle and the war. One of his shipmates was Richard Boone, the later famous actor.

@garynew9637

7 ай бұрын

I have a leather folder labelled USS Murzim, ammo supply ship in the Phillipines. One of the crew on this ship was Alex Haley. Author of roots.

@garynew9637

7 ай бұрын

Paladin!

@JohnSmith-dh4gw

6 ай бұрын

Where do you roam...@@garynew9637

@oldsailor8593

Ай бұрын

Have gun will travel is the basis for VFA-105 “The Gunslingers” they currently fly Super Hornets out of NAS Oceana.

While aboard USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) in Newport, we hosted the Samuel B. Roberts Survivor Association. To meet these humble heroes and hear their stories of that battle was one of the highlights of my Navy career. No Higher Honor

@SOSchangedme

6 ай бұрын

Well said

If you really want to get into this story, people should read “Last ride of the Tin Can sailors” by Hornfisher. Fantastic book.

@johngray8580

7 ай бұрын

Stephen Reagan credits that book for starting his investigation into Cmdr Evans life and history.

Gunner's Mate 3rd Class Paul Henry Carr was awarded the Silver Star. He died trying to load the last available shell in his 5 inch 38 mount after being mortally wounded. He served on the USS Samuel B Roberts.

As Captain Miller said, the battle for the Philippines went on for months. Even the island of Leyte took well into December to secure. During that continued battle, my cousin was aboard the USS Reid DD-369, which was sunk by kamikaze planes near the Surigao Straits while defending an amphibious re-supply of forces. I mention this ship for two reasons, the first to note that they had been in near constant battle for two weeks, being called to battle stations ten times or more a day. And the second is because the talk of kamikaze. The Reid was attacked by (and hit by several) seven planes within one minute. This is covered in the Wikipedia page for that ship, if anyone is curious, but worth thinking about to understand the experience of sailors facing that type of attack.

The USS Johnston is my guiding star. Whenever life gets tough and it's time to dig deep I think of the tenacity of that crew to willingly go into the teeth of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Great epesode guys! "If life forces you to walk through Hell, walk in like you own the place."

The year was 1974 or 1975. I was a twenty year old sailor stationed at NAS Miramar with VF-142 transitioning to F-14’s. My grandfather, a Navy veteran who served during WW1 and lived in San Clemente, CA. I would visit him regularly during my time off. He used to take me occasionally to play golf. One of those times, he introduced me to a man one the golf course in San Clemente. My grandfather said he was an officer on a ship in the Battle of Leyte Gulf where the ship was sunk and the Captain was killed and awarded the Medal of Honor. Afterwards I found out more about this amazing story. It is hard to believe I had this connection to this by meeting this man.

The battle of Samar deserves a movie! 3 Fletcher's and Sammy B verses Yamato alone is incredible, much less 4 battleships, 8 heavy and light cruisers, and 11 destroyers is insane, the fact they turned that fleet is a miracle. I met and had the writer of Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors, James D Hornfischer sign my copy of that awesome tome! I am proud of serving in the USN, being a tin can sailor makes me even more so!!!

My dear friend who passed away a few years ago, Richard Douglass, would have loved this episode. He was a Naval aviator in the sub hunting field, and in the many decades after his service, became a voracious student of WW2 in the Pacific theater. Before his passing, he loaned me many books from his comprehensive library and would spend hours talking anecdotes, bits and pieces of stories told to him by veterans that served, and detailed the many logistical issues facing our forces, not the least of which was limited range of movement with onboard fuel, and the reliance upon a fleet of 'oilers' to keep the ships moving. Thanks to his hours of discussion, building a historical foundation in myself, and generous sharing of books, I am today able to watch an episode such as this, and comprehend at least some of the subtleties of this battle. In my humble opinion, these videos of 'digging into history' are your best. Our current education system earns an F- in general history, and worse... often dis-information, when it comes to the wars. Thank you.. These history interviews and discussions are of great value and deeply appreciated by many of us.

@dks13827

7 ай бұрын

Yes. Really dumb teachers. Very.

Thank you so much. My father was at Leyte Gulf battle start to finish, Army Coast Artillery, 1st Lt. at the time, and his unit mostly shot at Japanese fighter planes from shore and hit quite a number. He often talked about watching front row show of kamikaze attacks on ships. Regarding McArthur's famous return, dad was there in group of officers/soldiers to greet McArthur as he waded to shore on that famous film clip, but dad always mocked that event as it was so staged, similar to a movie set with photographers directing McArthur, retakes actually.

@ToddSauve

7 ай бұрын

MacArthur said "I have returned." How tacky. He should have said "We have returned" but from what I can gather everything was about Douglas. 🙄

@AdAstraOnYafro

7 ай бұрын

My uncle was a major in the artillery at Leyte Gulf and my dad was a Seabee there as well. My dad actually ran into his brother just by chance later in the Philippines proper. Some great stories there.

@arneldobumatay3702

7 ай бұрын

I read that there were 3 attempts to photograph/film Mac landing on the shore. The first attempt Mac stepped directly off the landing boat into in nearly neck high water. The second try he stepped into waist high water. The third and final attempt was when the landing boat landed in slightly below mid-calf high water which became Mac's iconic photograph we know today. This information was from Mac's personal aide who wound up a professor at San Jose State University via his interview in the school's newspaper the Spartan Daily. @@ToddSauve

@ToddSauve

7 ай бұрын

@@arneldobumatay3702 Apparently there wasn't a lot about MacArthur that was real, other than he was a very good general and wore out the Japanese by landing where they weren't and forcing them to make an arduous march before facing them in combat.

@dukecraig2402

7 ай бұрын

​@@arneldobumatay3702 Doesn't make sense, if he'd have stepped off into neck high water on the first attempt his uniform would have been soaked top to bottom on the third attempt which is the one we've all seen that clearly shows his uniform isn't even wet up to his waist. Yea I'm calling bullshit on that one.

I was TDY to Tucson in about 2007 and by pure luck was in same hotel as reunion of Taffy-3. Met a whole bunch of vets from USS Hoel, Samuel B Roberts, Johnson, etc. One of my favorite USAF memories.

Halsey is certainly an interesting study. Arguably a very fine Carrier Task Force commander and he unarguably did amazing work in the Solomon’s after relieving Ghormley. His willingness to fight and take risks was key to our success in that critical theater of the war. His command of the Fast carriers in 44-45 wasn’t near as inspired unfortunately. Halsey by that phase of the war was in poor health and likely just flat worn out. Consequently his staff seems to have become overly protective of him and seems to have isolated him from decisions that he should have been making. That night before the battle off Samar is was clear to a lot of people in his command that TF34 should have been formed and left behind. Willis Lee who would have commanded it made attempts to get Halsey to reconsider but it seems these attempts were rebuffed by his staff who didn’t want to wake the Admiral. Burke and Mitscher were also deeply concerned if my memory serves. Trent Hone in his recent book on Nimitz also suggests that Nimitz’s command style that meshed so well with Spruance who he knew so well didn’t mesh as well when it came to Halsey. Given his orders that had been developed in the wake of Philippine Sea that gave precedence to a fleet action Halsey was right to go after the carriers. But he clearly should have left TF34 behind. That he didn’t might be more the fault of his staff than the Admiral directly but Halsey of course is responsible for his staff. It’s always fascinated me that Kurita choose to run away when he did. The entire intent of the Sho-Go operation was in affect a suicide charge to try and stop the Americans. Success was needed. Survival wasn’t. And yet Kurita turned and ran. Even assuming he thought he was up against the fast carriers that should have been even more of an incentive to continue pressing home his attack rather than an excuse to withdraw. It’s a great injustice though that only one ship has since been named for Evans and the Johnston. Both of them are so legendary and so exemplify the fighting values of the Navy that their names need to live on. We should have a Burke class USS Johnston and USS Ernest E Evans.

@brucelytle1144

7 ай бұрын

As a former USS Johnston (DD821) crewmember, I agree! There was a a DE named after Ernest Evans, she's been decommissioned also.

@flparkermdpc

7 ай бұрын

Agree as loudly as possible in two dimensions!!! Great comment. We read the same books and authors.😊

@oldfrend

7 ай бұрын

for decades historians wondered why kurita turned tail and ran. he never spoke much about it, presumably due to loyalty to those long dead, but later in life he hinted that he knew the war was over and to fight on was a waste of lives, even if they achieved all their tactical objectives. the americans would just come back with more and bigger carriers and the japanese would defend with rocks and sticks. in that sense i think he was 100% correct.

@stevenhaugland67

7 ай бұрын

Admiral Halsey got another star after Leyte Gulf. Ernest Evans and many others who saved the day after Halsey's serious error perished without adequate recognition.

@ramal5708

7 ай бұрын

One could argue if Spruance was in command during the battle TF34 would take full brunt of Center Force and the US fast battleships (other than Washington and SoDak) would finally get their chance at fighting enemy battleships

Ward, many thanks for bringing "Hozer" on to discuss the Battle of Leyte Gulf. My dad had landed on Leyte with the 11th Airborne and when I interviewed him about his combat experiences one of the things he described was witnessing the tremendous naval battle in the gulf from the hills onshore. That scene stayed with him for the rest of his life...

One of the most amazing stories is of AD1 Bruno Gaido who saved many lives onboard Enterprise Cv6 as she came under attack from enemy bombers. From the back of a bomber onboard Enterprise he shot down the approaching kamakazi , kept firing as it chopped off the back of his a/c jumped down and put out the fuel fires it caused! The details of his death were not learned until after the war.

@flparkermdpc

Ай бұрын

Guido was not killed in that action. Halsey called him to the bridge, promoted him 2 grades,telling Guido that it was the bravest thing he had ever seen. AIRMAN machinist mate Bruno Guido and his pilot, Frank O'Flaherty, were returning to Enterprise after bombing IJN Kaga (near miss), during the first phase of the Midway Battle,forming up with several other SBDs were returning to Enterprise, were jumped by Zeros which th we y fought off downing two. No SBDs were lost but O'FLAHERTY and Bruno Gaido's SBD Was hit in the fuel tank and ran out of fuel while heading back to Enterprise and had to ditch, which OFlaherty executed perfectly. Unfortunately they didn't get far enough away from the battle scene. The burning Japanese carriers were closely attended by their escorting destroyers, and one of the lookouts on IJN DD Makijima spotted their red life raft and paused to pick them up. Initially treated well, the interrogation degenerated into beatings. Guido gave them enough plausible information that the beatings stopped. On 6/15 the C.O. of Makijima got orders to execute the US airmen. When he asked for volunteers to do the deeds, NO ONE stepped up to participate. Instead the men were directed to step into shrouds, and accompanied by a 5" artillery round were thrown overboard to drown.Tragic as it was, they were spared the worst the Japanese had in their repertory of torture and abuse. Guido's mama, was inconsolable when he was reported MIA, and she died 2 months later. My mom was Italian, and she was capable of refusing water and nourishment, which she did after she suffered a stroke. She died in a couple weeks of her own volition. I think Bruno's Mother just thought of it as joining her son.

These history lessons are valuable for what they teach. I hope Hoser and you can do some more of these in the future.

@ddegn

7 ай бұрын

Agreed! Great show Ward Carroll. Thank you.

Thank you for this episode! A friend’s father was on USS Fanshaw Bay during this battle. He was at his battle station below deck when a shell went through the compartment. He survived as he was on his knees praying. A shipmate standing next to him was killed. He died as an old man after praying saved his life 1944, allowing him to have a peaceful life and family.

Hozer never disappoints!

@kevinmiller5780

7 ай бұрын

Thank you.

@get2dachoppa249

7 ай бұрын

I had to remind myself several times that most of the characters in “The Silver Waterfall” weren’t real people, the story was that good. Raven One is one of my favorite aviation novels, right up there with Flight of the Intruder.

@yes_head

7 ай бұрын

Other than getting which English king was at Agincourt. 😉

@kevinmiller5780

7 ай бұрын

:)

@kevinmiller5780

7 ай бұрын

@@get2dachoppa249 actually, the characters in my novel The Silver Waterfall are real people, the actual men who fought on both sides. Glad you've enjoyed my work, thank you.

There is so much to this story, so many details and nuances and lessons to be learned that it could scarcely be covered in a short amount of time. Certainly Cmdr Evans is deserving his MOH for his gallantry and leadership, but much credit goes to the rest of Taffy 3 and their escorts and the aviators who fought so ferociously, even with empty weapons. The most important lesson from this battle was that in the end audacity carried the day.

@flparkermdpc

7 ай бұрын

Great note. Winston Churchill famously said, "NEVER, NEVER NEVER GIVE UP. That is in the hearts of men of Taffy Three. And yes, the eventual outcome here had as much to do with the ferocious resistance convincing the Japanese commander that he didn't have enough fuel and firepower to defeat these men, and once he started thinking about his own, and his command's survival, and not winning HIS battle, he beat himself. So many battles are lost from within. Most, fact.

@brucestarr4438

7 ай бұрын

"L'audace, l'audace, toujours l'audace."

Head over to The Operations Room for an animated “chalk talk” about the battle. Then pick up a copy of “Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors”. And then after that, pick up “No Higher Honor” about the 1980’s Samuel B. Roberts frigate (namesake of the 1940’s escort destroyer) that survived a mine blast due to this same kind of bravery described in this video.

My middle school shop teacher was a tail gunner on St Lo. He was on the plane that first spotted the oncoming northern force and later his plane put a torp into Nagato. Never mentioned it to us when I was a kid, though he had a picture of him by his plane on his desk. Was reading Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors and saw him mentioned.

@billbrockman779

7 ай бұрын

That’s great, to have known such a guy.

The first kamikaze incident was on 21 October when a Val dive bomber attacked the heavy cruiser HMAS AUSTRALIA in Leyte Gulf. HMA Ships AUSTRALIA, SHROPSHIRE, WARRAMUNGA, ARUNTA, KANIMBLA, MANOORA and WESTRALIA were part of the amphibious force that supported the landing at Leyte Gulf. The kamikaze attack on the USS St LO occurred 4 days later.

Very insightful view of the battle and commanders. What occurred in Vietnam at the hands of Lyndon Johnson and Robert McNamara where bombing and actions were micromanaged by Washington & not the commanders in the field tells what the coming action will look like.

@flparkermdpc

7 ай бұрын

Amen. Not only microMISmanaged, but treasonously gave the target info for the next day's bombing so "that the North Vietnamese could evacuate civilians". This was why all the missions encountered heavy flak and missiles' defense. Our pilots were being betrayed by their top commanders. Outrageous.

As a Brit you may be interested that the Battle of Agincort was commanded by King Henry V not V111. Great episode Mooch and Hozer.

@kevinmiller5780

7 ай бұрын

Thank you, sir. No excuse; will fix it.

Thank you sir bringing up the battle of Leyte gulf. Finally as a Filipino i can get to know what is not written in history books.

My dad was on the USS Portland CA33 "Sweet Pea" at the Surigao Straits at the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

Halsey had left The San Bernardino Strait unguarded despite advising Nimitz that he had left a task force 34 covering. Had the Japanese not turned about and instead continued on to bombard the American invasion beaches and its fleet logistics train than the damage could have been devastating.

Mark E. Stille published a new history Leyte Gulf in 2022 that is excellent. Stille points out that while Taffy 3 was under attack it was supported by air strikes from Taffy 2 and Taffy 1. While Johnson blew the bow off one cruiser, these air strikes from the other escort carrier groups sank three heavy cruisers--Chokai, Chikuma, and Suzuya--from Kurita's force. Actually, the escort carrier groups inflicted more damage than they took which is why Kurita thought he was up against our main fleet. In fact, in relative terms their performance was better than Halsey's fleet carriers during strikes on Ozawa's force to the north. The carrier Independence had radar equipped Avengers that tracked Kurita during the night as they transited San Bernadino Strait and reported that fact which makes the failure to defend the strait even more inexplicable. Stille assigns blame to both 3rd and 7th Fleet commanders although the lack of direct communications between the two fleets contributed to the error. As an aside, during that period all encoded naval communications were transmitted in standard sized blocks with filler at the front and back to prevent decoding efforts from using cribs like assuming the first line was always the FROM line and the final line was something like end message.

I would also recommend “Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors”. It is one of the most inspiring books on the Pacific War ever written. Interestingly, this action is mentioned in” The Hunt For Red October” after the Americans have boarded the Red October. When Sean Connery ask Alec Baldwin what books he had written. Baldwin says he wrote about Admiral Halsey and the battle of Leyte Gulf. Connery says that Halsey acted “ stupidly” in chasing after the Japanese carriers. Later I learned that Halsey is the only American Navy flag officer not to have had a ship named after him. Thank goodness for Taffy 3!

@mako88sb

7 ай бұрын

There have been two ships named after Halsey. DLG-23(later changed to CG-23) and DDG-97.

UK aircraft carrier HMS Glorious was sunk by gunfire from German battleships Scharnhorst & Gneisenau in 1940. I think that was first carrier sunk by gunfire. Gambier Bay was first US carrier sunk by gunfire

@kevinmiller5780

7 ай бұрын

Thank you sir; will fix.

@flparkermdpc

Ай бұрын

THE ONLY US Carrier sunk by gunfire in WW2. USS Princeton was the ONLY US carrier sunk by other means by the Japanese during WW2. Impressive.

Goosebumps every time I think about USS Johnston, and Evans. A famous WW2 saying I love is from Guadalcanal when Willis Ching Lee takes BBs So Dak and Washington and 4 destroyers to stop a Japanese bombardment. "Stand aside, I am coming through". Willis Lee was a gunnery and radar expert. Today it is all about the missiles.

I have to correct a remark made in this video. Evans was not Sioux, and he was not from South Dakota. He was from Oklahoma, and was a mix of Cherokee and Creek.

@snsixstringerfjb7730

7 ай бұрын

Creek? That's my first time hearing that. I'm gonna have to research that....very interesting.👍

@johngray8580

7 ай бұрын

You are correct! He was born in Shawnee, Ok and graduated Muskogee High School. At one time there was a plaque at the highschool but ignorance of the significance lead to it being given to University of Oklahoma NROTC. After that, I know nothing of its whereabouts.

@kevinmiller5780

7 ай бұрын

Thank you, sir, I'll fix this.

A pro tip from personal experience. Never ever allow yourself to say anything like "Man, I've missed all the action." If you hear anyone else say this then grab your helmet and hold on to something solid because you will find yourself not missing the action soon enough.

Glad i inherited my father's love of history. Thank you for a fantastic recounting of this milestone battle.

I lived at Clark AB 91-94. VOA, MWR tours. Visited Leyte, SoCSea, Subic, Cubi, Bagio, Corridor Is. Grande Is. et al. Spent many road hours on McArthur Highway, now N Luzon W Expy E4 Valued time at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, a powerful and emotional experience. Read the tiled walls of the sea battles and left with a profound respect of all the names of the lost seamen. It was and is a lifetimes experience. I wish every American the same opportunity. I believe we would be in a much better place together today. Respects and regards. Tom, Poulsbo, Washington

30+ years ago I had the privilege of working for a man named Dick Dudley who served aboard the Gambier Bay. I heard about his service from someone else and ended up reading a book about the Gambier Bay, as amazing as it is that he survived the sinking of the ship, spending days floating in the water waiting for rescue as your shipmates are eaten by sharks is too much to comprehend. I guess anything that life hands you after an experience like that pales in comparison! Dick was a jovial guy who went on to a very successul career in broadcasting. It makes me realize how fortunate most of us are for never having to experience events like this and pray we never do!

Check out The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors by James D Hornfischer. A great book about this battle.

@kevinmiller5780

7 ай бұрын

I had it at my elbow and am ashamed that I did not mention it. Yes, must reading.

I like to think I'm somewhat knowledgeable about the Navy in WWII, but always learn new things when Hozer presents. Thank you for another interesting discussion.

@kevinmiller5780

7 ай бұрын

My pleasure.

Adm. Halsey had TWO chances to split his enormous forces before and after Kurita's threat to protect the 3rd fleet and blew both of them. Later, Halsey twice ordered his forces to steam into a deadly typhoon with loss of smaller ships.

My dad was on the USS Bunker Hill that took several kamikazes in Leyte Gulf. Over 400 of his shipmates were killed.

Those photos of the battle look so unreal...cant imagine what it was like to be involved in some of these

The amount of damage the American DDs & DEs inflicted on the Japanese cruisers at the Battle off Samar was pretty impressive. If we’d known earlier in the war just how vulnerable Japanese cruisers were in close-quarters combat earlier in the war it might have had some impact on doctrine. Japanese cruisers had good 203 mm & 155mm guns and usually carrier a lot of them. They were also fast and of course they were all equipped with Type 93 torpedos. They didn’t have much armor, however, and more critically their secondaries weren’t very good. The Japanese 127 mm was hampered by its rather poor rate of fire & the 100 mm gun, which would have been a pretty good AA gun if Japan had developed decent radar directed fire control, was kind of a lightweight. At point plant range the cruisers couldn’t depress their guns far enough to hit the American destroyers & the superior quality of the American 5”/38 compared the the Japanese secondaries meant that one Fletcher with all 5 guns on its centerline basically had as much firepower at that range as the CA or CL it was sparring with. If the cruiser still had any torpedos left on board it was really in trouble because those suckers were very, very volatile. The “Big Boys” and “Little Boys” weren’t just plucky. They mauled the Japanese cruisers. Taffy 3 inflicted far greater losses on Center Force than Center Force inflicted on Taffy 3; not just morally and strategically but tactically & materially. The US lost two CVEs, 2 DDs & 1 DE during the battle with another 2 DEs & 1 DD damaged. Japan lost 3 CAs & suffered significant damage to another 3 CAs & 1 DD. Two or three of their BBs also got took some damage, almost entirely from air dropped weapons, I believe. As a wise man once said, that’s a paddlin’!

While Bull Halsey was the bitter tonic that was needed when the Guadalcanal campaign was in doubt, but he should have been replaced after his hour long sulk. And there were plenty of good candidates... Also, MacArthur had his own Presidential ambitions in 1944 as well.

Another excellent video Ward and the fact, Kevin met one of the crew of USS Johnston....incredible! Your channel is defiantly, one of the best, Military channels on KZread.

@flparkermdpc

7 ай бұрын

Defiantly?!? I like it. Don't second guess the word!

Yay - another Mooch and Hozer collab!

Those stories of those battles are so interesting. He's a good story teller. Keeps it interesting.

Samuel Eliot Morrison wrote a large book, The History of Naval Operations in World War II. He wrote an abridged version , The Two Ocean War. These writings are an excellent reference for this story and many more.

Captain Evans was from Oklahoma and was Cherokee and Creek Indian. Just learned he was also a 'Mustang' served as an enlisted sailor before his appointment to the Naval Academy.

@kevinmiller5780

7 ай бұрын

Thank you, sir. Will take that on and fix it.

Many have questioned Kurita's decision to retire from the battle, which was designed to be a charge of expendables. But the ones doing the questioning have not had a cruiser blown out from under them (as had Kurita the day prior), or been the target of an enraged destroyer squadron firing torpedos. Admirals, especially Japanese ones, are rarely described as 'shaken', but this was surely the case with Kurita.

@mako88sb

7 ай бұрын

The one book I read about this battle says those DD’s & DE’s put up enough of a fight that Kurita was convinced he was up against a much larger force than he expected. Of course, what American aircraft were available were also thrown into the mix. I wonder what he must have felt after the war and finding out what he was actually up against was a remarkably small group of ships.

As many times as I have read about this battle, I will likely listen to this episode at least a dozen times more. Hozer tells a damn good story!

Both of you are such great story tellers!

Ward, can we have an episode about the forgotten battles of Guadalcanal; the Eastern Solomons and Santa Cruz? these were the battles in which modern carrier ops were first tried.

@flparkermdpc

Ай бұрын

Look up The podcast, The Unauthorized History of the Pacific War. They are into their 324th episode of season three. In the first and second series of this podcast the early naval battles are well covered.

Great accounting of the battle. Read the "Last of the Tin Can sailors". A riveting account of the heroics of the destroyers behaving like warriors

Battle of Leyte Gulf is a great example of no plan survives contact with the enemy for both sides of the battle.

What an amazing and captive storyteller Hozer is. I could have listened for another hour.

My grandfather was on the DD-529 USS Bush which was split in half after taking 3 Kamikaze hits on April 6, 1945. Gramps would've loved these KZread videos.

as always, a strong story. one small point: when Hozer says "halsey was a flawed man", it needs to be understood that he means "halsey was a (flawed) MAN"

@alanholck7995

7 ай бұрын

Who should have been fired after leading fleet into typhoon.

@victorfinberg8595

7 ай бұрын

@@alanholck7995 you are too quick to judge. the fact, alone, that he earned the navy cross indicates that you are wrong.

I liked the expression "tectonic Plates" colliding. An understatement. Well done interview. Mr. Miller was very impressive with his knowledge and delivery. GB

Outstanding history lesson! Do more of these!!

There is a great quote from Robert Copeland who was the Captian of the USS Samuel B Robert's. When the Sammy B was being built she was initially built with Torpedo launchers, and the were going to be taken off, leaving the her with only her 5 inch guns, and Commander Copeland told the Admiralty that "One day I am going to have to fight a man's battle, give me a man's weapon." They left the torpedoes on the Sammy B. It's sad that the Johnston always gets talked about and the Sammy B gets forgotten, but her story is extremely amazing! She is the Destroyer Escort that fought like a Battle Ship!! She literally went toe to toe with a heavy cruiser if I'm not mistaken and just wrecked shop!!!

The Last Stand of Tin Can Sailors is one of my favorite books. Mostly because my father in law was a torpedo man in the destroyer escort fleet in WWII. He joined the Navy on 12/8/41 at 16. By early 1942 he was doing convoy duty in the North Atlantic. Made 37 trips through the canal seeing Naval combat in both the Atlantic & Pacific theaters. We miss you Brownie. Thanks to all now serving, those who have, and those who will in the future. FLY NAVY!!!

Ward, excellent episode, so much about Leyte Gulf I never knew.! Thank you also for putting Hozer in his element…he really came alive here!

Ward-- Mike West here, a blackshoe who's written you once or twice about other matters. My dad, Jos. M. West (USNA '39) was the Air Boss on FANSHAW BAY that day off Samar. He only spoke once in my entire life about the battle, only to say the Nipponese were shooting armor piercing rounds at the little TAFFY THREE ships, and since the little jeep carrier had nothing substantial enough to detonate the AP rounds, they would pass right through the ship and detonate on the water. Imagine that...18" holes through a CVE...musta been quite a day for those men... Dad went on to be the Ops Boss in HORNET (CVA-12) in the mid-50s, then CO of PARICUTIN (AE-18) and ESSEX (CVS-9) in '62. How i miss him...

@flparkermdpc

Ай бұрын

What a great addition to the discussion. I'll add my sorrow for your loss, but throw in the joy of his blessing while here as Dad.

@whipple1062

Ай бұрын

@@flparkermdpc Thank you...

Mooch, Hozer; fantastic job! What a great lesson, told by two officers steeped in naval tradition. Your point about technology reducing the emphasis on force of personality demonstrated by Halsey is an excellent one. I would add that the zero-defect mentality that has infested American military leadership during our careers is also a factor, exascerbated by technology.

Outstanding podcast learned a lot. Thank you so much much, and hozer, 2 outstanding Americans.

You’ll be proud of me Commander. I watched the whole episode and it was damn good! Naval history is so important Sir.

My grandfather was at Leyte Gulf but never liked to talk about his experience there. Thank you for this interview.

I have read “Silver Waterfall”. I really enjoyed it. I would expect no less from another Kevin Miller!😉👍. My uncle was a mortar man with the 24th Infantry Division .

@kevinmiller5780

7 ай бұрын

Thanks Kevin Miller!

I love Ward's long form videos!! I look forward to them.

I have watched probably 20 videos on this topic but yet here I am. Let’s do this!!!

I have read Stiller, Woodward, and about 5 other books about Leyte Gulf, and this is probably the best 'lesson' I ever had. Well done.

Well done. Hard to cover that battle in a short episode. Enjoyed Hozer’s story of meeting the Johnston’s OOD. My dad was a TM on Intrepid. He armed the torps that were the first to hit Musashi. Liked how Hozer pointed out how torpedo attacks from both sides acted as counter flooding. Also allowed AA guns from both sides of the ship to engage! I’m surprised Avenger pilots & aircrew didn’t veto that tactic.

Victor Davis Hanson. National treasure.

Well done, Mooch and Hozer; very enjoyable and informative. As usual with the presentations on this channel, the viewer comes away with a strengthened appreciation of this country and its many heroes.

When you think about it, the kamikaze attacks were the first cruise missile attacks the US Navy was subjected to. A kamikaze is basically an anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM). It has a subsonic, maneuverable airframe, a guidance and target discrimination system (the pilot), a warhead (usually a bomb), and it causes destruction by whatever remaining fuel it has on board. Sound familiar?

Having lived in the P.I. for a few years, and being a somewhat amateur historian (especially naval history), I found this quite interesting and informative. It filled in some gaps in my knowledge of the timeline of the war in the Pacific. Thank you!

@JohnRodriguesPhotographer

7 ай бұрын

I would suggest Drachinifel for another video on the battle

@donalddrake6512

7 ай бұрын

@@JohnRodriguesPhotographer thanks! 😁

Came here expecting to be taught by Hozer; was a supremely good 42 minutes spent!

you have a chemistry of presentation that makes me want more. and then you produce more. this is a great period of time for your viewers and hopefully for you (both) as well. thank you.

A great book about the Battle Off Samar and the incredible exploits of the Johnston, Sammy B and the other ships is called "Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" it is a fantastic book I highly recommend.

@adamrichardson6821

7 ай бұрын

Yes, indeed. Every book by the late James D. Hornfischer is excellent, and that was one of the best. Neptune's Inferno may be my favorite; it's a fascinating account of the naval battles surrounding the invasion of Guadalcanal.

One consistent aspect of Japanese naval strategy/tactics during WWII was that the plans were always complex. In many ways too complex to be carried out adequately. The three-pronged Battle of Leyte Gulf was an example. On paper it looked great. Kurita's double-back ruse worked to perfection. But splitting of the Central and Southern forces in strict radio silence was a disaster. At Surigao Strait the Southern forces became non-entities.

@grahamstrouse1165

7 ай бұрын

It wasn’t so much that their plans were complex that was the problem, I think. The main issue with Japanese tactics was that their commanders weren’t encourage & trained to take initiative & shift tactics on the fly when they had to. American officers were very good at that. I believe it was Clausewitz and/or Mike Tyson, who noted that everyone has a plan until they make contact with the enemy (or get punched in the face.) 🙂

@jimcronin2043

7 ай бұрын

@@grahamstrouse1165 I think that the points raised by you and me are not inconsistent. In fact, when engaged in complex plans it would be detrimental to have more junior officers engage in independent action because it would make those plans disintegrate even faster. To my point I would add the following examples: 1. Pearl Harbor. I was, by necessity, a complex plan because of the number of sites to be attacked. While the elements of that plan coordinated perfectly, strategically it was flawed because the attack failed to destroy the American carriers, drydocks and/or the existing fuel reserves. I believe that the perceived success of the complex Pearl Harbor plan led the Japanese to adopt that approach in later campaigns. 2. Coral Sea. The Japanese split their forces into two task groups: one to destroy the American Fleet and the other to seize Port Moresby. When the fighting ended in a virtual draw the strategically important Port Moresby landing was abandoned. The tail wagged the dog. 3. Midway. The Japanese sent an entire task force to invade the Aleutian Islands as a decoy meant to drain strength from the American main fleet. Why they though that Nimitz would rush substantial forces to confront the invasion of two strategically unimportant Alaskan islands while leaving Hawaii unguarded is anyone's guess, but they sure could have used the carrier and the accompanying ships at the actual Midway battle. 4. Philippine Sea. The Japanese, wanting to take advantage of the longer range of their aircraft over the Americans, developed a strategy of shuttle bombing in which they would launch planes from their carriers who would not return to the carriers but fly on to Guam where they would rearm and refuel and then attack the Americans on the way back to the carriers. That plan didn't work out because few Japanese planes made it to Guam and those who did found that their airfields had already been attacked and debilitated by Spruance's fleet. Many could not even be refueled and ended their days on Guam. Oops! 5. Leyte Gulf. Japanese forces were divided into three parts for a pincer attack which depended on the success of all three branches. The Southern Force basically capped its own tee by attempting to enter the Gulf through the very narrow Surigao Strait. The Strait was so confined that the Japanese Southern Force had to be split in two and after the first half was destroyed the second half tried to turn around and fell into chaos, mixing with the remnants of the first. Thus, the Japanese lost about 1/3 of its attacking force and although the Northern Force ruse worked perfectly, the whole effort was a failure. Perhaps, if the Japanese had tried to force the San Bernardino Strait with the combined Center and Southern Forces the battle might have proceeded much differently. After Leyte Gulf the Japanese Navy didn't have the resources for complex plans. The Japanese Army did not suffer from the same disease. Its plans were more direct and overwhelming, such as the march down the Malay Peninsula or the conquest of the Philippines in 1941/2.

Fabulous reporting thanks Ward & Hozer

Thanks…. My grandfather was air combat intelligence officer on Kitkun Bay… I have several items from that engagement including some of the photos in your piece here as well as a presidential citation signed by Forrestal. Great info and heroes all over the place that day.

Scholarly presentations, Ward! Interesting and I look forward to each one!

Herman Wouk's epic novel "War and Remembrance" includes an outstanding account of this battle. Most interesting is that he tells the story from the perspective of a battleship commander who follows Halsey on the infamous decoy north.

@kevinmiller5780

6 ай бұрын

A must read.

I read that the reason no motion picture studio has made a movie about this battle is that no one would believe it. In spite of that, I think a movie should be made and the disclaimer that all of the actions were true should be made. These guys deserve to be honored.

Phenomenal episode, Ward. Thank you so much, Hozer, for bringing this important battle to life for us. You had me hanging on every word....

My Uncle Bill Cuming was radar officer on CVE 73 USS GAMBIER BAY. He swam away as she sank. He spent a couple of days in the water watching sharks eat his shipmates. I served aboard WW2 Essex class carrier USS BOXER. Thanks for your time. Pete Cuming in South Carolina.

Reccomend a very fine book on the Battle off Samar, the Johnston, Cdr. Evans, by the late James D. Hornfischer, The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors. When you start to read, you won't stop till done. Have grog close at hand, and a hankie.

Outstanding naval history lesson. Thanks for an epic episode, Mooch and Hoser. 👍🏻👍🏻

@WardCarroll

7 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it

@AA-xo9uw

6 ай бұрын

Hozer with a "z".

I didn't notice the time passing, thank you both, some new things I hadn't heard before too.

Didnt he say "I am turning into the enemy AND DO NOT EXPECT TO SURVIVE"? Definitely read "Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors"

Thanks to you and Hozer for a Fantastic episode!! 👍👏

This is where I live in the Philippines. Looking forward to watching! Lots of history here and many of the concrete artillery pads look like concrete was placed yesterday. Edit: I thought there was more off a disconnect between Macarthur and the Chief of Staff who suggested they bypass the Philippines.

@snsixstringerfjb7730

7 ай бұрын

My wife is from Dulag, Leyte. The major landings were done near Dulag. My dad was an A&P mech and he was sent to Rawis Airfield after our forces secured the airfield. She took me there when I first went to meet her and the other war memorials on the island. Another notable memorial was Hill 21.

Interesting. If you do an episode or two in PNCLA, I hope you'll show what's become of the TraCon high spots since we were there, e.g. Mainside O Club, Sauffley (now condos?), South Whiting, Corry Field, Ellison, etc. I've known a "Hose" Christofferson, and "Gozer" (Air Force exchange officer). Now, here's "Hozer!"

Great episode, sir. Hornfischer’s book is a must read. The last eyewitness accounts of LCDR Evans on the fantail, mortally wounded, almost naked, giving rudder commands through the scuttle to after steering, while still directing the last 5-inch mount is gripping. You should consider an interview with LT Art Conklin, DCA USS STARK. His 1988 USNI article is excellent and I had the honor to be present for his presentation to US Naval Postgraduate School student body when we were students in 1988. Very impressive.

My father was OD (on a seaplane tender I believe) when the shoot started. Said he called the skipper and told him, "all hells broke loose out here".

25 October 1983, I was jumping onto Point Salinas Grenada. Never knew I was in such magnanimous company.