This reminds me of the SS Beaverford, and at large Convoy HX-84. The convoy was attacked by the German pocket battleship Admiral Scheer, which unsurprisingly quickly sank the only escort - An armed merchant cruiser HMS Jervis Bay. At this point, the captain/crew of the Beaverford decided to do what they could... And it turned out that was "Quite a lot." The Beaverford fought the Admiral Scheer for almost five hours. A freighter. Against a battleship. For five hours. It pretty much saved the rest of the convoy, and that's something that deserves to be remembered.
@@wisconsinfarmer4742 The Beaverford could have have escaped on many occasions but chose to hound the Pocket battle ship to allow more of the convoy to escape. Brave men who got no recognition for their deeds.
Great except the Japanese machine gunning of helpless merchant sailors and firing on a ship that surrendered. Japan needs to remember its history. From what I hear they teach that they were victims in the war rather than aggressors with policies that encouraged war crimes
Totally agree. Mr History Guy ,your work is both informative and entertaining. Unlike some!!! Please keep it up, we look forward to your next video. Thank you
As a person of Dutch decent, thank you for your comments about the contributions of the Dutch during the war. I love your work on this channel too, keep it up!!!
Thanks for this one - one of my wartime favourites! And as you've stated, the efforts of the Dutch merchant marine and navy are often forgotten (and deserve to be remembered!).
As an Australian, I appreciate you recounting this particular piece of history - my father-in-law served on a Bathurst class minesweeper in the same war theatre. 😃👍👏👏👏
11:14 Classic, throwing overboard the code-books and having to send a coded message for help, only to have the receiving end think it was a Japanese trick. It's nearly Monty Python-esque.
You're the best History Guy. You have a unique way of presenting history we would never think of as important..but it really is. As former member of the RCR I appreciate your episode on that. There is nothing more important as how men and women form a bond to do the impossible for the sake of freedom. Cheers
Hi. Whenever I get tense and tired online I will often want to hear a story. It's just like when my mother would read me a story after I was tucked into bed, giving me that relaxed happy feeing. Thanks a lot, and please keep them coming!
My husband and I have really enjoy your videos! I was especially thrilled to see your video on WWII in the Indian Ocean. I have never seen any info about that part of the war, but I know for a fact about it because my Dad was serving in the Merchant Marine for several years before Pearl Harbor. He told me that the day Hawaii was attacked, his ship was unloading the last shipment of munitions to Bataan. He said that he never saw men empty a ship so quickly--they thought that the planes were going to bomb Baatan on the way back. I never knew till yesterday when we watched your video about the Philippine cavalry that they DID bomb Luzon! My Dad said his boat went to Java next to pick up a shipment of tea; then in the Indian Ocean it was torpedoed--they never saw the ship. He said his boat never completely sank--like a floating teapot! He spent several days in a raft with several other sailors until a Dutch sea plane rescued them and flew them toIndonesia, where he enlisted in the Army. He was one of two signal corpsmen in the entire Pacific theatre at the beginning--they flew him to Perth, where he took the train all the way across Australia to Brisbane, where the Allied Command Center was being set up. He met my mother in Australia and married her there, but not before he spent a year in Port Moresby, where the army was preparing for a possible Japanese assault on Australia. Things do indeed deserve to be remembered--like my DAD! I hope this is some new history for you!! Thank you for your wonderful programs which are entertaining, interesting, and informative.
I was able to dive on the Aikoku at Chuck in 1993 The devastation on the ship compared to the other wrecks was unbelievable. Thank you for a story to the ship
I greatly appreciate your choices of subject matter. I see myself as a history buff; Uneducated in history besides what I learned in High School, however I see the connection between the past and the now. It all started with a deck of aircraft recognition cards that my uncle (A Master Sergeant in the Army) gave me when I was twelve. Then I found, and read, a book on the Flying Tigers and I was hooked on World War II, and military aviation. Countless books on that subject alone also led me to the other conflicts in American history, and world history. As I stated, I am not "educated" in history, but the subject fascinates me. Probably because I am somewhat of a reminiscent soul. I knew that the majority of countries of the world participated in WWII at some level, but it is nice actually hearing the stories. Thank you.
Thank you again , professor, for high lighting the otherwise never mentioned battles in the deeper southern hemisphere and involving Australia and Indian ships and crew. I've always wanted to know more specifics about the battles involving the supply convoys in the Atlantic and elsewhere.
History Guy....you don’t want to know this but I play your channel in the A.M. when I am in the shower......get choppers brushed......and ready for work....5 min to 15 min well invested in my day. You help keep me up to date and nerdy all day long!
Many minor and major battles were fought in and around Australian Territory in WW2 People forget that after WW1 Papua and New Guinea were Australian protectorates and so were considered Australian Territory so, though Australia itself was never invaded just bombed at Darwin, Australian territory was invaded and this was the way once conscription was introduced those conscripted were able to be sent to Papua and New Guinea to fight after they thought they would be held back for mainland defense. These battles and the actions of many local people to aid and help fight the Japanese are stories that are not well known. The battle at Milne Bay where the Japanese were held back from full scale landings by the 2/25th Battalion is an example People in the Queensland city of Toowoomba may not even know that this is why the local swimming pool is called Milne Bay as this was the home area for the 2/25 Battalion. The actions of the people of East Timor to aid and protect a Company of Australian Soldiiers there and unable to leave when the Japanese arrived that fought on till finally rescued with many losses and with the Japanese killing hundreds and even thousands of the locals trying to force them to give up the Australians. I felt not only great pride but a great feeling of paying back to the East Timorese when I served there in 2000 as part of the 6th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment in the UN peace making and keeping operations after the initial INTERFET response to Indonesian withdrawal in 1999, for these reasons. It is good to see especially these little known actions like explained here are the history we are likely to forget as those involved often have never told their families and have died without passing on this history. My father never did want to talk about his time in the war except for some funny things that happened, he always kept the darkness bottled up inside and it was only when i had researched the historu of his unit and asked questions to understand where he was in certain parts if the battles they were involved in that he ever opened up at all and then only to answer the particular question and no more. I recommend to all families of those that served in any way in any actions in any war to take the time to learn all you can so if you cant learn all your family members experienced you will get a general idea of the hell they faced and have lived with ever since. This is why my mother always said the man she loved never came home as he was so changed by his experiences. I am just sad I never understood what she ment before he died.
It wasn't just Darwin that was bombed. According to Wikipedia: 64 raids on Darwin 9 raids on Horn Island 4 raids on Broome 3 raids on Exmouth Gulf 3 raids on Townsville
Brother, My Father was a MARINE with 1st Marine Division. When he was deployed for WWII(he had been a recruiter for the MARINE CORPS) His first stop had been Australia. And Australia always had a special place in his heart. Like your father, he never really come home. His last battle was peleliu, and he never really left that island. I know some of his time from him, more from books. He was so much involved in the history of 1st Mar Div and the Corps. He really did know everyone, The ones we Marines would call demi-gods of the Corps. The war in the Pacific had a cost only the children of whose Warriors understand. My Father (my Hero) took his owen life in 2005(one more for peleliu). SEMPER FI Cpl Seaberg K.A. U.S.M.C.
@@knutdergroe9757 Growing up in Melbourne in the 80s and 90s,, my neighbour was a Marine from Alabama who had originally come to Australia immediately after Guadalcanal. After the war, he came back to Melbourne and married a lady that he had become engaged to on his first visit. I'm not sure if he was at Peleliu (though I think he was in at least one other major battle later in the war) but he was definitely in Korea. He and his family then lived in the US for a while before coming back to live in Melbourne. He was a great bloke, with many interesting old expressions, such as, "Are you from round here, or are you just pickin peas"? Not many people from Alabama in Melbourne. He also told me about post-war desegregation of the Marines. He generally seemed to have survived the war OK but I heard that when he was in hospital later in life, he had some flashbacks to his foxhole in Guadacanal. He might have known your father, and at least in his case some good did come out of the Marine experience in the Pacific.
youtube better give you an award. seriously, helmets and now naval battles in WWII that I didn't know about.... and I thought I was a nerd. KEEP THIS UP!!!
I usually wake up at this time 2am or there abouts I not only find your channel educational interesting but comforting I off back to the land of nod now but before I go thank you sir
History Guy I adore your sea stories! I think I have watched your entire channel, but the sea stories are my favorite. Would love to see one about german raiders off the coast of New Zealand
This piece of history would make a great movie following all four crews for say 2 days before through to a day after. Thanks again for expanding my knowledge!
A note on naval weaponry: 3” (AKA 12 pounders, 76mm, 75mm) shot a 12-14 pound shell 4” (100-105mm, not usually measure in pounders) fired about a 30 pound shell 5.5” (140mm, Japan called them 14 cm) fires an 80 pound shell. These number illustrate partially how powerful they were in comparison, but the penetration and range of larger guns was also so substantially more than smaller examples, thus a larger gun was even more a significant advantage. 3” and 4” guns were by this point considered too small even to deal with destroyers when implored in large numbers, which is why they weren’t mounted as anti-surface armaments on pretty much any warship since before WW1. No design built warship in WW2 was sunk by shell fire from a smaller than 5” gun. And those two were both destroyers that suffered magazine explosions. The torpedoes used by the Japanese were especially volatile due to their liquid oxygen propellant, many Japanese ships suffered damage from such explosions, including famous at the Battle off Samar. Though the trade off was that these torpedoes were very fast and long ranged, allowing for early war naval victories in the Pacific and many Allied ships meeting a watery grave.
My father served in the British navy in world war 2 and was stationed in Sydney , unfortunately he never really spoke about it. I can only imagine the stories he must have had.
I always new my dad was in WW2 because of his 'war buddies'. He never opened up about it until I enlisted in the U.S.A.F. He visited me while I was in basic training and talked about it just a little. Damn I, like you, would have really liked to have known more...
Thanks History Guy. I have a personal interest in this video. My mother, grandmother and aunt crossed the Indian Ocean from India to Australia in a Dutch ship in 1943. Due to the threat of Japanese submarines (so the story goes) they couldn't land in their destination Melbourne but had to go to Sydney and get the train to Melbourne. Meanwhile, on the other side of the family, my grandfather was in a Catalina squadron in Cairns, engaged in long-range bombing and mining of Japanese shipping in the islands.
Thank you for the mention of the HSK Kormoran and HMAS Sydney. Through pure luck I happened to be in Carnarvon WA, the closest "major" town to where the action happened, when it was announced that the wreck of the Sydney had been found. Funnily the local paper showed a picture of the third HMAS Sydney, a small aircraft carrier, on the front page rather than the second HMAS Sydney that was sunk in the battle, a light cruiser.
Superb documentary.... Nice to see a Bathurst class corvette featured - two examples have been preserved, HMAS Castlemaine in Melbourne VIC and HMAS Whyalla in Whyalla SA....
Nice piece! I'd like you to talk a bit slower and also make longer videos. To make sure this happens I changed my settings to 3/4 speed. Love what you're doing to fill us in on interesting historical stories. 👍
Thank you for this. My father was a young engineering lieutenant on the Bengal during this encounter (The only issue I would take with your narration is when you said it was crewed by Australians - it was almost all Indian). This encounter was mentioned in Parliament in London at the time, and the UK issued a commemorative stamp depicting the HMIS Bengal. It was big news at the time - on her return to Bombay she was greeted by senior officers and the captain and crew took part in a parade, of which I have some photographs.
I tend to find these small 2-to-4-ship battles almost more interesting than the massed fleet engagements that get all the attention. I'm also becoming increasingly interested in the contributions of Australian ships in the pacific (and adjacent) theaters, so this made my night :)
La Hamel, Sir John Monash is a name you should know, Kap yong, Long Tan, Bardia, the defence of Tobruk later lost by others. Milne Bay. the 9th Division at El Aleman... thanks for your interest
Thank You History Guy, for this poignant story and all others, especially those concerning World War II that recall the brave gallantry of so many, each a part of a whole that can never be completely known. I sometimes wonder about the brave sacrifices of men whose stories are eternally lost and this saddens my heart; but each great story you present ameliorates. And each is delivered with just the right tone, eloquent and fitting, the value plain to see as is your genuinely conscientious effort to provide a correct story. Your spirit and pursuance of veracity is evident. I will be ordering some of your merchandise soon. True value should be respected and rewarded. I think it's the least I can do and my unreasoning heart somehow feels doing so is a tribute to those whose stories you tell and serves to alert that there is someone special here that deserves our attention. You reveal a rare gift and I salute you sir.
And shooting at pilots in parachutes of downed planes. And the mass killings in China. And the Bataan death march. And... and... and... But, none of this is taught in the U.S school system. According to the 'new' history being taught, the U.S is, always has been, and always will be, the fault of anything and everything bad in the world... unless we go socialist and muslim. How sad what our once great nation has become.
That was then, this is now. The Japanese don't teach their role in WW 2 truthfully, either. American war fighting has had some bad decisions made, but never on the scale of most of the enemy combatants. War is a terrible contest and the participants are stressed beyond reasonable and humane limits always, no matter the war, no matter the participants- very bad things happen. That is why war should ALWAYS be a last resort and NEVER A FIRST RESPONSE. That is why the most recent example of that regretfully is 9/11. Yes, almost 3000 civilians lost their lives in the twin towers. Was full scale war a measured and reasonable response by invading Iraq and Afghanistan? More than half of the American public supported the invasions. But how many thousands of Iraqi and Afghani civilians lost their lives, not counting legitimate soldiers killed resisting the Allied invasions? I've never seen official numbers, but estimates in Iraq alone was over 100,000 killed- just civilians! I believe the American government has not disclosed accurate estimates of Iraqi and Afghani casualties for all the years the Allies have been fighting this "war on terror." I'm an American, a veteran, and proud to be both. But, I think America has become too good at war fighting and has lost the leadership in diplomacy and democracy. It is long past time for a change in how America and the American people co-exist in the world today. War has been and always will be a very bad thing. Time for a new way to get along together on this planet before we manage to destroy our planet through whichever means- climate change, climate destruction or nuclear warfare.
Another fascinating story of battle, and a reminder that outcomes can hinge on single lucky moments as well as carefully thought-out strategy, cunning tactics and skillful operational techniques
The comment made by B Beck, Stirs my mind of how much there is to know about the history of this region of Australia and Southeast Asia. Goodness, of course we knew the encounters of the Japanese and the richness of this area to provide their militant supply. I, for one, am grateful that their efforts saved our nation and theirs. I know so little about these efforts that were so vital toward VJ. Thank you for Mr. Beck and the history guy, please feed us more.
Wonderful video & comments. The Aussie Coastwatcher also deserve mention. They, like the Seamen in this video sure were blessed with a large amt of intestinal fortitude, or great big ones, like a previous commenter mentioned. My Dad sure never talked much about WW 2, OTHER than some funny stuff. It is good to hear these videos & other folks' comments. I was in jr high school when the Vietnam War ended, & I remember my Dad didn't have any tolerances for people here talking bad about our Military Personnel, & I remember him telling more than a few folks where to get off
That is why you shouldn't mess with the Dutch merchant marine! (And their Australian friends.) :') This was great to see History guy. Truly the Dutch contribution in the early pacific campaign is very underrated. From Ship-a-day Helfrich to the disastrous battle of the Java Sea. To HNLMS Abraham Crijnssen's miraculous escape disguised as an island. Thank you for covering some of it.
To be honest many merchant Marines of all nationality we're often very courageous people, hard working and pretty much undervalued and misunderstood. I must admit the Dutch in general have not been given the respect they deserve.
My grandfather was a flight engineer on board dutch catalina flying boats in the Pacific. Always loved hearing his stories, until the day he told me about the day he was captured and put into fukuoka 2b prison camp. Really showed me just how real war is.
@@jamesedkins2823 I am partly Dutch but through marriage, and remember my uncle telling us how he escaped from occupied Holland to England and then joined the free Dutch forces to fight for his Homeland. He was a brave guy but all ways said he was just trying to get home, but ironically settled in the UK after the war with my aunt.
adventures in a subaru outback I'd like to speak with you about dangling participles as well as enquire as to the outcome of the *war with your aunt* 😆.
I subscribe to a naval history channel and just before this video i watched a video about the Battle of the North Cape and the sinking of the Scharnhorst. I think the words of Admiral Fraser led the British in the battle and who briefed his officers on board Duke of York after the battle are appropriate here. He said "Gentlemen, the battle against Scharnhorst has ended in victory for us. I hope that if any of you are ever called upon to lead a ship into action against an opponent many times superior, you will command your ship as gallantly as Scharnhorst was commanded today" I think that those words definitely apply here.
Mr. History guy. if you have not done the siege of Jedotville could you cover that. I love your work and it has made me consider a degree in history. Its a no brainier for me since I have a fairly substantial understanding of history. I love history so much. It deserves to be remembered.
I am a WW2 buff, but once again you have brought a new and fascinating snippet of history that deserves to be remembered. I had never read or heard of this engagement. BZ
Keep up the good work, sir. I thoroughly enjoy your channel and the way you present the subject matter. Thank you for what you do to nurture the love of history for so many.
You’re right, History Guy! The theater of war in the Indian Ocean has very much been overlooked. I read a book on the sinking of the famous Bismarck-killer, HMS Prince of Wales, and HMS Repulse in the South China Sea & it was fascinating. A vid by you on this battle would also be interesting.
I knew a Norwegian merchant mariner whose ship operated in that area. He could tell some stories. He married an Australian woman and settled in Alaska after the war.
The code books overboard reminds me of the CRM114 from Dr. Strangelove that was designed to ,”not receive at all, unless preceded by a three letter code”. I just love your presentations. Thank you History Guy. OPE. our precious essence
I remember watching a documentary about Canadian history and I found it super interesting. I remembered back to my youth and how incredibly boring it was presented in school. Just dreary facts with no enthusiasm. At least now kids get to watch videos like these in class. Which makes me wonder if someday the teaching profession is gonna have a dramatic change.
Cannot agree with you more. As for the CG Account comment, I also agree with you. BUT, nothing like this is being taught anymore in the U.S. school system. All history is now slanted to the "everything in the world, past present, and future is all the fault of the U.S. We are the bad guy all the way back to the beginning of time even if we were not there". A recent video from Liz Wheeler from OAN on UA-cam... 75 % of recent college grads do not know "We the people" are the first three words of the most important document in our history. Another insane percentage cannot name even ONE of the first ten amendments. How sad what our country has become. If you do not study history, actual history and not some warped version of it, you are doomed to repeat it.
@@donf3877 bro for enemy you are allways bad guy but for patriot brothers all over the world you are big brother forever dont forget that and walking free and proudly. From free Croatia now God bless USA you and your familly.
The mention of the Armed Merchant Ships reminded me about the HMS Jervis Bay which took on the Admiral Scheer to protect the convoy it was part of to allow the rest of the convoy scatter and most of the ships got safely away in the delay created by the Jervis Bay and freighter SS Beaverford. That fight should be worthy of remembering.
This reminds me of the SS Beaverford, and at large Convoy HX-84. The convoy was attacked by the German pocket battleship Admiral Scheer, which unsurprisingly quickly sank the only escort - An armed merchant cruiser HMS Jervis Bay. At this point, the captain/crew of the Beaverford decided to do what they could... And it turned out that was "Quite a lot." The Beaverford fought the Admiral Scheer for almost five hours. A freighter. Against a battleship. For five hours. It pretty much saved the rest of the convoy, and that's something that deserves to be remembered.
Thanks for the info ,I'll look the info up about the Beaverford
SS Beaverford
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Beaverford
.
When you have nothing to lose, stand and fight.
@@wisconsinfarmer4742 The Beaverford could have have escaped on many occasions but chose to hound the Pocket battle ship to allow more of the
convoy to escape. Brave men who got no recognition for their deeds.
When called for HEROES, ACTION men step UP
What a great story. I must agree History Guy....these sailors and their ships deserve to be remembered.
For them it was just as important and terrifying as D-Day!
Great except the Japanese machine gunning of helpless merchant sailors and firing on a ship that surrendered. Japan needs to remember its history. From what I hear they teach that they were victims in the war rather than aggressors with policies that encouraged war crimes
Thank you for remembering and presenting what is easily lost to time. Your channel is a true highlight of what can be accomplished on UA-cam.
Totally agree. Mr History Guy ,your work is both informative and entertaining. Unlike some!!! Please keep it up, we look forward to your next video. Thank you
Ditto
What @@9879SigmundS said!
Technology, in the RIGHT HANDS, is a very usefull communicative tool......otherwise, it is a DESTROYER.
The war in the Indian Ocean is greatly under reported and appreciated.
i have heard snippets of the Indian Navy. was well reguarded vs the IJN
@@thedeathwobblechannel6539 Royal indian navy
I'm an aussie and hadn't heard this story before. Thank you.
kirk claybrook, word for word what you say!
As a person of Dutch decent, thank you for your comments about the contributions of the Dutch during the war. I love your work on this channel too, keep it up!!!
Particulairly excellent episode thank you!
There must have been hundreds of small engagements that have been forgotten by history.
Thanks for this one - one of my wartime favourites! And as you've stated, the efforts of the Dutch merchant marine and navy are often forgotten (and deserve to be remembered!).
Stumbled on your UA-cam site a week back and have since subscribed..... best channel on UA-cam!👍
Needs to put his script nearer to the camera, but this stuff is pretty good.
@ Ken - Very probably. This guy is superb and his standards never diminish despite such a prolific output.
As an Australian, I appreciate you recounting this particular piece of history - my father-in-law served on a Bathurst class minesweeper in the same war theatre. 😃👍👏👏👏
11:14 Classic, throwing overboard the code-books and having to send a coded message for help, only to have the receiving end think it was a Japanese trick. It's nearly Monty Python-esque.
What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?
We are the Ships that say........Neeeee!
@Harry Buttwhisker - Is that an African Swallow or a European Swallow?
@@pmvaldez1 What do you mean? African or European swallow?
@@korbell1089 Lexi Swallow! 🤣
You're the best History Guy. You have a unique way of presenting history we would never think of as important..but it really is.
As former member of the RCR I appreciate your episode on that. There is nothing more important as how men and women form a bond to do the impossible for the sake of freedom.
Cheers
Hi. Whenever I get tense and tired online I will often want to hear a story. It's just like when my mother would read me a story after I was tucked into bed, giving me that relaxed happy feeing. Thanks a lot, and please keep them coming!
I love your channel man! So many great stories being lost to time, now preserved with UA-cam.
My husband and I have really enjoy your videos! I was especially thrilled to see your video on WWII in the Indian Ocean. I have never seen any info about that part of the war, but I know for a fact about it because my Dad was serving in the Merchant Marine for several years before Pearl Harbor. He told me that the day Hawaii was attacked, his ship was unloading the last shipment of munitions to Bataan. He said that he never saw men empty a ship so quickly--they thought that the planes were going to bomb Baatan on the way back. I never knew till yesterday when we watched your video about the Philippine cavalry that they DID bomb Luzon! My Dad said his boat went to Java next to pick up a shipment of tea; then in the Indian Ocean it was torpedoed--they never saw the ship. He said his boat never completely sank--like a floating teapot! He spent several days in a raft with several other sailors until a Dutch sea plane rescued them and flew them toIndonesia, where he enlisted in the Army. He was one of two signal corpsmen in the entire Pacific theatre at the beginning--they flew him to Perth, where he took the train all the way across Australia to Brisbane, where the Allied Command Center was being set up. He met my mother in Australia and married her there, but not before he spent a year in Port Moresby, where the army was preparing for a possible Japanese assault on Australia. Things do indeed deserve to be remembered--like my DAD! I hope this is some new history for you!! Thank you for your wonderful programs which are entertaining, interesting, and informative.
I was able to dive on the Aikoku at Chuck in 1993 The devastation on the ship compared to the other wrecks was unbelievable. Thank you for a story to the ship
Always a good Job telling the story, Thank you.
I greatly appreciate your choices of subject matter.
I see myself as a history buff; Uneducated in history besides what I learned in High School, however I see the connection between the past and the now.
It all started with a deck of aircraft recognition cards that my uncle (A Master Sergeant in the Army) gave me when I was twelve.
Then I found, and read, a book on the Flying Tigers and I was hooked on World War II, and military aviation.
Countless books on that subject alone also led me to the other conflicts in American history, and world history.
As I stated, I am not "educated" in history, but the subject fascinates me. Probably because I am somewhat of a reminiscent soul.
I knew that the majority of countries of the world participated in WWII at some level, but it is nice actually hearing the stories.
Thank you.
Another amazing David vs. Goliath adventure at sea.
oh, man, you made me cry on this one. thank you for not letting us forget thses people.
Thank you again , professor, for high lighting the otherwise never mentioned battles in the deeper southern hemisphere and involving Australia and Indian ships and crew. I've always wanted to know more specifics about the battles involving the supply convoys in the Atlantic and elsewhere.
Another interesting story about the Royal Netherland Navy. Was about a Minesweeper that evaded the Japanese Navy by dressing her like an Island.
This WWII story was a surprise to me. Thank you!! Amazing!! Thank you for remembering this for all to hear. Love your channel.
Again another reason The History Guy is one of the BEST youtube channels. Thank you for the diversity of history moments you share.
All history should be remembered. Great video.
Thank you for this. It certainly does need to be remembered.
Yet again, another terrific piece of obscure history from THG..
History Guy....you don’t want to know this but I play your channel in the A.M. when I am in the shower......get choppers brushed......and ready for work....5 min to 15 min well invested in my day. You help keep me up to date and nerdy all day long!
Learn something new every day. I never heard about this until now. Thank you History Guy!
Many minor and major battles were fought in and around Australian Territory in WW2 People forget that after WW1 Papua and New Guinea were Australian protectorates and so were considered Australian Territory so, though Australia itself was never invaded just bombed at Darwin, Australian territory was invaded and this was the way once conscription was introduced those conscripted were able to be sent to Papua and New Guinea to fight after they thought they would be held back for mainland defense. These battles and the actions of many local people to aid and help fight the Japanese are stories that are not well known. The battle at Milne Bay where the Japanese were held back from full scale landings by the 2/25th Battalion is an example People in the Queensland city of Toowoomba may not even know that this is why the local swimming pool is called Milne Bay as this was the home area for the 2/25 Battalion.
The actions of the people of East Timor to aid and protect a Company of Australian Soldiiers there and unable to leave when the Japanese arrived that fought on till finally rescued with many losses and with the Japanese killing hundreds and even thousands of the locals trying to force them to give up the Australians. I felt not only great pride but a great feeling of paying back to the East Timorese when I served there in 2000 as part of the 6th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment in the UN peace making and keeping operations after the initial INTERFET response to Indonesian withdrawal in 1999, for these reasons.
It is good to see especially these little known actions like explained here are the history we are likely to forget as those involved often have never told their families and have died without passing on this history. My father never did want to talk about his time in the war except for some funny things that happened, he always kept the darkness bottled up inside and it was only when i had researched the historu of his unit and asked questions to understand where he was in certain parts if the battles they were involved in that he ever opened up at all and then only to answer the particular question and no more.
I recommend to all families of those that served in any way in any actions in any war to take the time to learn all you can so if you cant learn all your family members experienced you will get a general idea of the hell they faced and have lived with ever since.
This is why my mother always said the man she loved never came home as he was so changed by his experiences. I am just sad I never understood what she ment before he died.
It wasn't just Darwin that was bombed. According to Wikipedia:
64 raids on Darwin
9 raids on Horn Island
4 raids on Broome
3 raids on Exmouth Gulf
3 raids on Townsville
Brother,
My Father was a MARINE with 1st Marine Division. When he was deployed for WWII(he had been a recruiter for the MARINE CORPS) His first stop had been Australia. And Australia always had a special place in his heart.
Like your father, he never really come home. His last battle was peleliu, and he never really left that island.
I know some of his time from him, more from books. He was so much involved in the history of 1st Mar Div and the Corps. He really did know everyone,
The ones we Marines would call demi-gods of the Corps.
The war in the Pacific had a cost only the children of whose Warriors understand.
My Father (my Hero) took his owen life in 2005(one more for peleliu).
SEMPER FI
Cpl Seaberg K.A. U.S.M.C.
There were also lots of Japanese flights over northern WA looking for the secret bomber base Corunna Downs Airfield
@@knutdergroe9757 my salute to your father.from england ,a friend in deed.
@@knutdergroe9757 Growing up in Melbourne in the 80s and 90s,, my neighbour was a Marine from Alabama who had originally come to Australia immediately after Guadalcanal. After the war, he came back to Melbourne and married a lady that he had become engaged to on his first visit. I'm not sure if he was at Peleliu (though I think he was in at least one other major battle later in the war) but he was definitely in Korea. He and his family then lived in the US for a while before coming back to live in Melbourne.
He was a great bloke, with many interesting old expressions, such as, "Are you from round here, or are you just pickin peas"? Not many people from Alabama in Melbourne. He also told me about post-war desegregation of the Marines.
He generally seemed to have survived the war OK but I heard that when he was in hospital later in life, he had some flashbacks to his foxhole in Guadacanal. He might have known your father, and at least in his case some good did come out of the Marine experience in the Pacific.
Excellent as usual. This little action is barely remembered but it is history, as you so succinctly put it, that deserves to be remembered.
youtube better give you an award. seriously, helmets and now naval battles in WWII that I didn't know about.... and I thought I was a nerd.
KEEP THIS UP!!!
A worthy story, very well told. I had no knowledge of this encounter/incident. Thank you very much.
I am Dutch, but I never heard this story.
Thank you for remembering this interesting story!
I appreciate the fringe history you provide. Stories like this really help round out the true history.
I usually wake up at this time 2am or there abouts I not only find your channel educational interesting but comforting I off back to the land of nod now but before I go thank you sir
History Guy I adore your sea stories! I think I have watched your entire channel, but the sea stories are my favorite.
Would love to see one about german raiders off the coast of New Zealand
Another great history lesson!! Keep them coming!!!!
I have read a vast amount of books regarding the war with Japan and never have read about this, Thank you.
This piece of history would make a great movie following all four crews for say 2 days before through to a day after. Thanks again for expanding my knowledge!
A note on naval weaponry:
3” (AKA 12 pounders, 76mm, 75mm) shot a 12-14 pound shell
4” (100-105mm, not usually measure in pounders) fired about a 30 pound shell
5.5” (140mm, Japan called them 14 cm) fires an 80 pound shell.
These number illustrate partially how powerful they were in comparison, but the penetration and range of larger guns was also so substantially more than smaller examples, thus a larger gun was even more a significant advantage.
3” and 4” guns were by this point considered too small even to deal with destroyers when implored in large numbers, which is why they weren’t mounted as anti-surface armaments on pretty much any warship since before WW1.
No design built warship in WW2 was sunk by shell fire from a smaller than 5” gun. And those two were both destroyers that suffered magazine explosions.
The torpedoes used by the Japanese were especially volatile due to their liquid oxygen propellant, many Japanese ships suffered damage from such explosions, including famous at the Battle off Samar. Though the trade off was that these torpedoes were very fast and long ranged, allowing for early war naval victories in the Pacific and many Allied ships meeting a watery grave.
Thank you for taking me to that battle on that day at that time in history.
My father served in the British navy in world war 2 and was stationed in Sydney , unfortunately he never really spoke about it. I can only imagine the stories he must have had.
I always new my dad was in WW2 because of his 'war buddies'. He never opened up about it until I enlisted in the U.S.A.F. He visited me while I was in basic training and talked about it just a little. Damn I, like you, would have really liked to have known more...
Thanks again for such an interesting piece of history. It is obvious to me that you love history.
Thanks History Guy. I have a personal interest in this video. My mother, grandmother and aunt crossed the Indian Ocean from India to Australia in a Dutch ship in 1943. Due to the threat of Japanese submarines (so the story goes) they couldn't land in their destination Melbourne but had to go to Sydney and get the train to Melbourne. Meanwhile, on the other side of the family, my grandfather was in a Catalina squadron in Cairns, engaged in long-range bombing and mining of Japanese shipping in the islands.
Another History Guy amazing video! What a great piece of history! I'm glad that some of the smaller allies are finally getting recognition. Thank you!
I love The History Guy!
Thank you for the mention of the HSK Kormoran and HMAS Sydney. Through pure luck I happened to be in Carnarvon WA, the closest "major" town to where the action happened, when it was announced that the wreck of the Sydney had been found. Funnily the local paper showed a picture of the third HMAS Sydney, a small aircraft carrier, on the front page rather than the second HMAS Sydney that was sunk in the battle, a light cruiser.
Your channel is one of the best on UA-cam. Thank you from a college history major.
Wow... I never heard about that. Thank you for another awesome video!
These historical side notes have been overshadowed by the big battles too long and are very interesting to hear. Thank you History Guy.
Two History Guy videos in one day. This IS a good day! :)
Superb documentary.... Nice to see a Bathurst class corvette featured - two examples have been preserved, HMAS Castlemaine in Melbourne VIC and HMAS Whyalla in Whyalla SA....
Nice piece! I'd like you to talk a bit slower and also make longer videos. To make sure this happens I changed my settings to 3/4 speed. Love what you're doing to fill us in on interesting historical stories. 👍
This story is really awesome! Worth of a movie in itself!
Bravo THG! Bravo!
A very interesting sea battle that I'd never heard of until now. Thank you again!
Thank you for this. My father was a young engineering lieutenant on the Bengal during this encounter (The only issue I would take with your narration is when you said it was crewed by Australians - it was almost all Indian).
This encounter was mentioned in Parliament in London at the time, and the UK issued a commemorative stamp depicting the HMIS Bengal. It was big news at the time - on her return to Bombay she was greeted by senior officers and the captain and crew took part in a parade, of which I have some photographs.
A great account of a great encounter. Thanks for making this!
I tend to find these small 2-to-4-ship battles almost more interesting than the massed fleet engagements that get all the attention. I'm also becoming increasingly interested in the contributions of Australian ships in the pacific (and adjacent) theaters, so this made my night :)
La Hamel, Sir John Monash is a name you should know, Kap yong, Long Tan, Bardia, the defence of Tobruk later lost by others. Milne Bay. the 9th Division at El Aleman... thanks for your interest
Wow! Love these "bits" of history! Thanks!
Love these videos. Thank you!!!
Thank You History Guy, for this poignant story and all others, especially those concerning World War II that recall the brave gallantry of so many, each a part of a whole that can never be completely known. I sometimes wonder about the brave sacrifices of men whose stories are eternally lost and this saddens my heart; but each great story you present ameliorates. And each is delivered with just the right tone, eloquent and fitting, the value plain to see as is your genuinely conscientious effort to provide a correct story. Your spirit and pursuance of veracity is evident. I will be ordering some of your merchandise soon. True value should be respected and rewarded. I think it's the least I can do and my unreasoning heart somehow feels doing so is a tribute to those whose stories you tell and serves to alert that there is someone special here that deserves our attention. You reveal a rare gift and I salute you sir.
I LOVE YOUR WORK , YOU MAKE MY DAY EVERY DAY, THANK YOU
Great story! Thank you!
Really interesting story. You are so correct about the Indian Ocean being an under appreciated theater in WWII. So many fascinating true stories.
Thank you for so clearly documenting the Japanese dishonourable (war crime) firing on a lifeboat and at a vessel under a white flag....
And shooting at pilots in parachutes of downed planes. And the mass killings in China. And the Bataan death march. And... and... and... But, none of this is taught in the U.S school system. According to the 'new' history being taught, the U.S is, always has been, and always will be, the fault of anything and everything bad in the world... unless we go socialist and muslim. How sad what our once great nation has become.
@@donf3877
Sad but true.
That was then, this is now. The Japanese don't teach their role in WW 2 truthfully, either. American war fighting has had some bad decisions made, but never on the scale of most of the enemy combatants. War is a terrible contest and the participants are stressed beyond reasonable and humane limits always, no matter the war, no matter the participants- very bad things happen. That is why war should ALWAYS be a last resort and NEVER A FIRST RESPONSE. That is why the most recent example of that regretfully is 9/11.
Yes, almost 3000 civilians lost their lives in the twin towers. Was full scale war a measured and reasonable response by invading Iraq and Afghanistan? More than half of the American public supported the invasions. But how many thousands of Iraqi and Afghani civilians lost their lives, not counting legitimate soldiers killed resisting the Allied invasions? I've never seen official numbers, but estimates in Iraq alone was over 100,000 killed- just civilians! I believe the American government has not disclosed accurate estimates of Iraqi and Afghani casualties for all the years the Allies have been fighting this "war on terror."
I'm an American, a veteran, and proud to be both. But, I think America has become too good at war fighting and has lost the leadership in diplomacy and democracy. It is long past time for a change in how America and the American people co-exist in the world today. War has been and always will be a very bad thing. Time for a new way to get along together on this planet before we manage to destroy our planet through whichever means- climate change, climate destruction or nuclear warfare.
The germans used to shoot at guys who were parachuting to the ground after their planes were shot down.
@@eligebrown8998 And shoot a firefighters during bombing raids. The bombing of Bath being an example of this.
Another great video thanks for sharing!
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOUR CHANNEL AND THE HISTORY THAT YOU HELP US REMEMBER!!!
Another fascinating story of battle, and a reminder that outcomes can hinge on single lucky moments as well as carefully thought-out strategy, cunning tactics and skillful operational techniques
Love The History Guy, always so interesting, well researched and well presented without any op-Ed. Cheers!
Looks like you had a rough night. Hope it was a fun one. Love your vids!
Always a good story. Thank you.
Great post, as usual! Thanks. Some similarities to the story of the San Demetrio.
The comment made by B Beck, Stirs my mind of how much there is to know about the history of this region of Australia and Southeast Asia. Goodness, of course we knew the encounters of the Japanese and the richness of this area to provide their militant supply. I, for one, am grateful that their efforts saved our nation and theirs. I know so little about these efforts that were so vital toward VJ. Thank you for Mr. Beck and the history guy, please feed us more.
Thank you very much for this. I look forward to more and browsing previous work. Thanks!
HAVE VIEWED MOST OF YOUR VIDEOS. YOU HONOR HISTORY!!
Never heard about this one, very nice
I am a history nut, especially WWII, have traveled to battle sites from Norway to Okinawa. But never knew this story. Thank you, very well done.
Wonderful video & comments. The Aussie Coastwatcher also deserve mention. They, like the Seamen in this video sure were blessed with a large amt of intestinal fortitude, or great big ones, like a previous commenter mentioned. My Dad sure never talked much about WW 2, OTHER than some funny stuff. It is good to hear these videos & other folks' comments. I was in jr high school when the Vietnam War ended, & I remember my Dad didn't have any tolerances for people here talking bad about our Military Personnel, & I remember him telling more than a few folks where to get off
I like how your speaking gets more excited as the battles are described. 😁
Great history lesson , thank you .
That is why you shouldn't mess with the Dutch merchant marine! (And their Australian friends.) :') This was great to see History guy. Truly the Dutch contribution in the early pacific campaign is very underrated. From Ship-a-day Helfrich to the disastrous battle of the Java Sea. To HNLMS Abraham Crijnssen's miraculous escape disguised as an island. Thank you for covering some of it.
"Disguised as an Island ..." ? That sounds like history that deserves to be remembered!!!
To be honest many merchant Marines of all nationality we're often very courageous people, hard working and pretty much undervalued and misunderstood. I must admit the Dutch in general have not been given the respect they deserve.
My grandfather was a flight engineer on board dutch catalina flying boats in the Pacific. Always loved hearing his stories, until the day he told me about the day he was captured and put into fukuoka 2b prison camp. Really showed me just how real war is.
@@jamesedkins2823 I am partly Dutch but through marriage, and remember my uncle telling us how he escaped from occupied Holland to England and then joined the free Dutch forces to fight for his Homeland. He was a brave guy but all ways said he was just trying to get home, but ironically settled in the UK after the war with my aunt.
adventures in a subaru outback I'd like to speak with you about dangling participles as well as enquire as to the outcome of the *war with your aunt* 😆.
I subscribe to a naval history channel and just before this video i watched a video about the Battle of the North Cape and the sinking of the Scharnhorst. I think the words of Admiral Fraser led the British in the battle and who briefed his officers on board Duke of York after the battle are appropriate here. He said "Gentlemen, the battle against Scharnhorst has ended in victory for us. I hope that if any of you are ever called upon to lead a ship into action against an opponent many times superior, you will command your ship as gallantly as Scharnhorst was commanded today"
I think that those words definitely apply here.
That naval history channel wouldn't happen to be Drachinifel by any chance? If so I also am a subscriber. ☺️
Robert Jentz me too👍
Robert Jentz me as well, I was just thinking that haha
There's clearly a bunch of us!
(At least my insomnia is being eased by excellent history videos. )
Ah, but were you subscribed when he was still using the robo voice?
The History Guy is the equivalent of Lindybeige, and equally as compelling. I upvote both channels, automatically.
As always great work!!
Mr. History guy. if you have not done the siege of Jedotville could you cover that. I love your work and it has made me consider a degree in history. Its a no brainier for me since I have a fairly substantial understanding of history. I love history so much. It deserves to be remembered.
Great content! Thank you
Brilliant, Thanks history guy👍
I am a WW2 buff, but once again you have brought a new and fascinating snippet of history that deserves to be remembered. I had never read or heard of this engagement. BZ
There are, no doubt, many such accounts that tell of the bravery of crews and individuals aboard these vessels.
Always a good History Guy video. Keep them coming!
That was interesting and well narrated, thank you
Keep up the good work, sir. I thoroughly enjoy your channel and the way you present the subject matter. Thank you for what you do to nurture the love of history for so many.
You’re right, History Guy! The theater of war in the Indian Ocean has very much been overlooked. I read a book on the sinking of the famous Bismarck-killer, HMS Prince of Wales, and HMS Repulse in the South China Sea & it was fascinating. A vid by you on this battle would also be interesting.
Another interesting and entertaining documentary.
I knew a Norwegian merchant mariner whose ship operated in that area. He could tell some stories. He married an Australian woman and settled in Alaska after the war.
The code books overboard reminds me of the CRM114 from Dr. Strangelove that was designed to ,”not receive at all, unless preceded by a three letter code”. I just love your presentations. Thank you History Guy.
OPE. our precious essence
If only history teachers made things as interesting as you do , i would have had straight A test scores .
I remember watching a documentary about Canadian history and I found it super interesting. I remembered back to my youth and how incredibly boring it was presented in school. Just dreary facts with no enthusiasm. At least now kids get to watch videos like these in class. Which makes me wonder if someday the teaching profession is gonna have a dramatic change.
Cannot agree with you more. As for the CG Account comment, I also agree with you. BUT, nothing like this is being taught anymore in the U.S. school system. All history is now slanted to the "everything in the world, past present, and future is all the fault of the U.S. We are the bad guy all the way back to the beginning of time even if we were not there". A recent video from Liz Wheeler from OAN on UA-cam... 75 % of recent college grads do not know "We the people" are the first three words of the most important document in our history. Another insane percentage cannot name even ONE of the first ten amendments. How sad what our country has become. If you do not study history, actual history and not some warped version of it, you are doomed to repeat it.
@@donf3877 bro for enemy you are allways bad guy but for patriot brothers all over the world you are big brother forever dont forget that and walking free and proudly. From free Croatia now God bless USA you and your familly.
The mention of the Armed Merchant Ships reminded me about the HMS Jervis Bay which took on the Admiral Scheer to protect the convoy it was part of to allow the rest of the convoy scatter and most of the ships got safely away in the delay created by the Jervis Bay and freighter SS Beaverford. That fight should be worthy of remembering.
Excellent as always