Q&A: I've heard Admiral Donitz did not invent the U-Boat Wolf Pack but he popularized it. Whom invented the tactic and why did it take Donitz to popularize it instead?
Often mentioned, never explored: Are you planning a Wednesday special on Operation Magic Carpet? Could be interesting to see the logistics of getting an army and a navy demobilized.
@@nickmoore385 @Rusty Shackleford There are two sets of plank owners for a warship: the first for her commissioning crew, the other is her decommissioning crew.
For the book "Danger's Hour" (the story of the attack of May 11), the author was able to determine the identity of the crashing pilot with a high degree of certainty (his Zero had a wonky engine patch). This particular pilot had been drafted out of Waseda University (roughly equivalent to Dartmouth, it supplied most government officials and was ridiculously competitive to enter) and then "volunteered" out of pilot training for suicide service. Drafting students out of a top-three university for use as cannon-fodder, was a power-play by high command, and was seen as "eating your seed grain".
I have that book sitting on my book shelf and right now it is second on my non-fiction 'to read' list after The World Looked Away by Dave Bushy. By all means it looks like it will be a good read.
There's a small plaque to the Bunker Hill at the Bremerton naval yard. It notes that this was the most heavily damaged ship the shipyard had ever repaired.
What a treat to see my fathers ship featured in a Drach video! And all the facts are correct as well. Dad served aboard from '44 March until '46 as a Pharmacists Mate. Was aboard 11 May, trapped below decks, rescued by unnamed sailors who dragged him to the fantail. Smoke inhalation killed many, he said he was hocking up black stuff for almost a year afterward.Transferred by rope in a mail sack to the Wilkes-Barre. He shared many stories and experiences with me over the decades. Dad passed away 2 Sept. 2021
My dad was a aviation machine mate aboard the Hill,he never spoke of any of this,I know that he was severely burned saving pilots on the flight deck but also was a seabee that laid com lines in Korea and was captured and was a pow as have been told growing up.I still have questions being born in 61 and currently 62 years old would like to learn more about this era
My grandfather was on her during the kamikaze attacks and said staying on the guns while she burned was the hardest thing he ever did. Everyone wanted to help damage control and they felt guilty being ordered to man the guns after the first attack.
Thank you for the Essex Class ship by ship guides. Each of the Essex's differed from each other. Some differences were very minor while some were quite comprehensive. Later in their careers some Essex class remained All purpose CV's while others became dedicated Sub hunters and Intelligence gathering ships. The Essex Class gets overlooked in the scheme of CV developments thanks in part too the advent of the Superior Midways and later Super Carriers astounding capabilities. Imo the Essex class was the design/s that propelled the US Navy into the World Naval Super Power we see today. The US had 20 of these sailing throughout the Sea's at one time and that power projection was absolutely staggering post WWII. My father served on CV 33 later designated CVS 33 from 1958- 1962. His ship became a huge relief platform when Japan was hit with a devastating Typhoon. Their efforts of relief and medical, food and clothing supplies aid literally saved thousands of Japanese people lives at that time. In a prefecture in Japan the Kearsarge and its crew was revered as heroes and too this day they honor the efforts of the CV 33 and its accompanying group for above and beyond humanitarian aid. October 1959 - Nagoya, Japan (Typhoon Vera) (navy.mil)
I just posted about my grandpop. He felt guilty for having to man the guns and everyone wanted to help damage control. He said it was the hardest thing he ever had to do even though they fought off further attacks they felt guilty just sitting there most of the time. Although they did what they could to help from their mounts.
My grandfather was an electrician's mate on Bunker Hill... He didn't necessarily have the most glamorous job, and from what I know, while he was wounded when the kamikazes hit the ship, a good many of his friends were killed... and as such he really didn't talk about it much. Shows how painful things can be, regardless of the job one had on the ship. May the ship and the crew be remembered... both those who lived and those who gave their all.
Side note: Tom Blackburn, the CO of VF-17 during _Bunker Hill's_ initial deployment to the South Pacific, wrote after the war that the concerns about the F4U Corsair's carrier suitability were hugely overblown - that the aircraft was perfectly fine as far as his squadron was concerned, and that the logistics issue (Grumman was building F6F Hellcats a *LOT* faster than Vought was building Corsairs, despite Vought's head start) was the only _real_ reason the F4Us went to land bases in 1943-44. It should perhaps be noted that the pilots of VF-17 were a relatively experienced bunch, who all had flown the F4F Wildcat before moving up to the Hog - they weren't jumping into the "Ensign Eliminators" straight out of primary trainers.
Hopefully many of the commentors under a F6F Hellcat video here on YT read this and understand that the F6F wasn't the all-powerful world-beater they think it was. In my layman's reading, it appears that the F6F was going to be on its way out in late 1945. The F8F Bearcat was going to take over the bulk of the fleet defense CAP mission with the F4U Corsair handling the escort and strike mission. I also believe you are spot-on re:VF-17. Blackburn and company had the F4U working just fine for carrier operations and were only taken off the ship due to logistics. The Navy didn't want the problems of supplying two different fighter types in the fleet. Therefore with the F6F being built faster and being admittedly easier to land, it won out for the moment. In Blackburn's book I found it interesting that, despite being reassigned to land-based operations, VF-17 kept their F4Us tail hooks handy and did reinstall them for use on missions where they would land on carriers to rearm/refuel as needed.
@@TenSeven97 I thought the plan was to put them on Escort carriers and perhaps CVLs. By 1945 the the F4U-4 had arrived and was faster and had a higher climb rate than the F8F-1. The Bearcat was a better dogfighter but after the Battle of the Phillipine Sea that wasn't going to be an issue.
@@johnshepherd8687 - The F4U may have been faster in level flight than the F8F buy given that it was considerably heavier than the Bearcat, I doubt it had a higher rate of climb.
My grandpa was one of the marines in charge of one of the gun crews on the Bunker Hill. Miss him a lot… Just to clarify he lived the ripe old age of 95 so I had plenty of time to be with him. Just wanted to make that clear if it wasn’t before.
My father served on this ship. AOM2c. Earned 9 battles stars. The crew that replaced his when he rotated off was killed by the kamikaze attack. My dad remembered his replacement's name and mentioned it a few times- William Lutz from PA. My dad came back to the US and was helping to train night fighters by sitting in the rear seat of a plane and turning on a flashlight when the night fighters got too close to the tail. He said he feared more for his life doing this then being on the flight deck during an attack. Thanks for posting this. I wish my dad could have seen it!
There was a 16 year old 3rd class baker on that ship. He was my grandfather. Glad he made it out of there. I remember asking him about the war. He shared his Purple Heart story with me.. And I believed it for years till I figured it out. He told me he was baking blueberry pies & was burnt by blueberry filling. Thanks for your service HK. I miss you
My father - Herman Louis Johnson - served on the Bunker Hill. I am not sure if he was on the Bunker Hill when it was attacked by the Japanese. He may not have been. He did survive the war unscathed. Kudos to all of those Americans who served in the military during World War II. Some generations are presented with opportunities for greatness. My father's generation was certainly one of those.
There's this really NSFL picture I saw of the hallway outside the ready room just filled with dead bodies. Bunker Hill and Franklin are proof the Essexes were built tough, much like their Yorktown predecessors, and American damage control worked its miracles on both ships.
@@richardmalcolm1457 Eh, the Shōkaku-class at least had solid DC and durability so I think they would have a chance, though not as much as the Essex-class.
@@S0RGEx The Shokakus were quite good for when they were built (1939-41), but you can hardly say they were as durable (or capable) as an Essex; and while IJN damage control improved as the war wore on, it was never on par with that of the US Navy.
@@richardmalcolm1457 The Shokakus still showed good enough DamCon that the lead ship survived two near-death experiences in 1942 (Coral Sea and Santa Cruz). The main issue with Japanese DamCon was organizational rather than lack of skill or knowledge. The DamCon teams were very skilled, but they were the ONLY members of the crew who knew what they were doing, and there was a rigid mentality of “leave damage control to the experts so you do not mess up” that prevented the rest of the crew from taking things into their own hands, so a ship’s survival depended on whether her DamCon team was available or not. In contrast, in the US everyone knew at least some damage control and was expected to participate in it.
@@bkjeong4302 Not saying there isn't some truth in what you say, but it's hard to look at the Taiho's loss and say there wasn't also lack of skill and knowledge among the damage control officers, too.
I don't know much about warships. My wife was a chef, she belonged to a national chef's organization, and at one dinner function I had the pleasure of sitting with the executive chef from the Essex. I'm sure he had a naval rank which I don't remember, but he told me what it was like to feed the 3,000 odd people on that ship around the clock during warfare. Quite a job, , , ,
Saturday morning coffee and Drachinifel ... an awesome combination. You always are able to provide details I hadn't been aware of even of well known ships and ship classes. Thank you sir, your efforts are well appreciated.
its been a personal tradition with me as well since i stumbled upon this fantastic page a few years ago. guess we're having coffee together in a way, lol. cheers!
Would love to see a review of my father's ship, USS Evans DD-552. She was hit by four kamikazes the same day as Bunker Hill, May11, 1945. Very nice video tribute to the Bunker Hill.
@@edwardstevens6787 Howard Moser from Steubenville Ohio was repair 17. He was decorated for leading to safety 50 men from smoke filled compartments below deck. He still remember every detail. He was carpenter mate. I see him every day.
Very nice video. My wife's uncle served aboard CV17 during the attack. He passed away before I met my wife but my father-in-law told me his brother was one of those "blown overboard" by the explosions.
I knew Bunker Hill never sailed again in the USN, but I didn't realize she was around untill 1973. How cool would it be to have an Original construction Essex as a Muesem. So many ships lost to the breakers torch.
iirc, Franklin was also laid up after the war and never modernized. I remember seeing a documentary about Franklin in the 60s, when she went to the breakers, which featured many of her crewmen recalling how they survived the attack as they retraced their steps through the ship.
All those ships could have been museum ships but its hard to get one of those going and its hard to keep up on maintenance as interest wanes as the years go by. Even the Battleship Texas has struggled in that regard, and it's supported by the state government and has long been docked at another major state attraction.
@@Sarkus01 I saw a video highlighting the problems with the location of the USS Texas. Its really not that great of an area given it is surrounded by an industrial area.
@@t1e6x12 That's true, but you had the Texas and the San Jacinto battlefield together, and it doesn't get much better then that from an attraction draw standpoint. Plus its close to Houston. And it still didn't work and now they are moving the ship to another location after its refurbished. That was my point. Simply having a ship guarantees nothing.
My dad was on the Bunker Hill. My dad didn't talk much about the war but my dad said,I will never forget the smell of fuel,seeing body parts ,blood and the smell of burned flesh! My dad requested to get off after the second attack.
My dad filled me in on every event that ship went through along with his and his mate's love for that ship! He was in the boiler room when they were hit and had to seal it off to continue the boilers running for the survival of the ship, he endured a lot after opening the hatches he had to seal and see his shipmates dead from suffocation. I can only imagine his nightmares. I am a combat vet and could only relate to my father after my experience. Thank You to all the Bunker Hill Family!!!
I remember seeing the Bunker Hill many times when I was young, during it's service as a Naval Electronics Laboratory Facility moored at the north end of North Island NAS in San Diego. When she was scrapped, I thought the bay looked empty without her.
Many Thanks for this episode …. This is one reason All Navy personnel have to go to shipboard fire-fighting school …. Ironically We were shown the film of the horrifying Forestall Fire, and since that was to be our ship … you know we payed close attention ….as we would be berthed right under the arresting gear … such a peaceful place to sleep …
At NAWS China Lake, they still do testing, inspired by the Forrestal Fire, to see how long it takes for the ordnance to fail (in a non-boomy way), i.e., hang it in a burning trough of jet fuel and see what happens.
@@kemarisite The 1000lb bombs on the Forestall were from ww2 and they cooked off way too soon ….I forget who… but one of the officers didn’t want to bring them onboard from the ammunition ship ..But most Munitions have a sell by date …. So it kinda explains why we blow up some county ever 20-30 years …
I wish present nuclear carriers had been named after these fighting ladies. Saratoga, Lexington, Hornet, Wasp, Yorktown. Guess it wasn't to be even though they gave their all.
Once the named a carrier for JFK you know darn well every other president was going to want one too.... I will bet the house trump doesn't get one through... 🤣🤣
@@CS-zn6pp and yet some racist Democrat senator from the south gets one named after him. Isn't politics fun? None of the super carriers should have been named after politicians. They should all be named after the carriers of ww2.
Paul Newman actor narrowly missed the final attack on the Bunker Hill as the ferry pilot had an earache and as a radio operator/rear gunner, he was also confined until medically cleared, so as not to bring infection onto a crowded ship. However, still attached to the Bunker Hill for two years more.
I went to see the Laffey and Yourktown a few years ago. The Laffey was a sister ship of my first Destroyer, USS Lyman K Swenson DD-729. Looked idenitcal to mine, except the Signal Bridge shck was not there. Those being flimsy structures to begin with I assume it was removed after ship ws put in reserve.
My father had an office on the Bunker Hill when it was an electronics testing site on North Island in San Diego. As a kid, he would sometimes take me to the ship on the weekends if he had to work. On a few occasions, he had me bring a specially rigged fishing pole with a huge spool and a ton of line. I would sit either on the flight deck or hanger deck with my fishing pole and my legs dangling over the side. Needless to say, those were far different days. I never caught any fish, but the memory of that, and then getting bored and running through the decks with a fishing pole as officers would stare in bewilderment is my Huck Finn/Tom Sawyer moment. After spending a few hours on the ship, exploring cubby holes and what not, my dad would usually take me to the Boll Weevil on Shelter Island for one of their 99 cent 1/2 lb burgers and fries. I remember when it was decided to scuttle the ship. It was sad. My dad had his office moved to Top Side on Point Loma, but the days going to North Island and roaming that ship were some of my most cherished times.
In 1971 or 72 I was fortunate to be allowed a private tour of Bunker Hill at Naval Air Station North Island, in San Diego, before she was towed away to be scrapped. She was literally a time machine, altered little during her many years in the mothball fleet. Plans of the Day dated 1945 were still pinned to bulkheads. The Captain's sea cabin still had his blanket, sheets and personal bible. There were still 5" shell brass casings littering the 5"/38 mount decks and the quad 40's were silent under their mothball domes. It was a ghost ship in more ways than one and I had goosebumps going into that hangar where so many good men died. I was sorry to see her scrapped, she deserved better.
My grandfather was one of her plankowners. He made chief, then Bosun aboard her. He never talked much about his service to us, but the photo of her at pierside with her commissioning crew was framed with his bosun's call and a chip of wood, and held pride of place in his den.
Would have been nice to see Bunker Hill or Franklin preserved as they would have been about the only Essex class ships that were in essentially their WW2 configuration when preserved.
@clara bell yes there are several preserved Essex class carriers. Yorktown, Hornet, Intrepid and Lexington. However none of them are in their WW2 configuration. They were all modernized post World War II to accommodate larger aircraft and eventually jet aircraft. Angled flight decks were added among other changes to the ships. Bunker Hill and Franklin were never modernized so as a result there are no Essex class carriers that are preserved as they were in their World War II service.
@@joelrodriguez9661 as they were is correct. My father the Bunker Hill during the attack. He never got over it. Would have bad flashbacks about kamikaze attacks throughout his life. He took his own life at 80...now he is at peace.
as a kid i remember seeing the USS Bunker Hill in Sand Diego in its final 'stationary electronics platform' stage of its career. Now wish i had gotten a photo of it.
My brother and I would go fishing next to her in the early 70’s when she was moored at North Island. I spent more time gazing at the silent giant warrior than minding my line. Such a shame when she left.
The ship was tied up at North Island for the whole time I was growing up and I never knew the history of it. I remember reading an article in the S.F. Chronicle when I was at the California Maritime Academy in Northern California, that when she was being towed north for scrapping, there was an incident with a Japanese freighter as it was going past the bay area and I was chuckling that there had to be at least one old grizzled navy guy who, having his morning coffee and reading the paper grumbled under his breath, " well she got one more J*p before going to the scrappers". Of course the crew on the freighter were just doing their jobs, but the early 70's were closer to the end of ww2 and there was still a lot of emotion about it. Also the book " Danger's Hour" was nicely researched and written. Being an engineer, I cringed at the part where all the watertight doors were secured and the ship run at flank speed out of the area. When they were opened, in one of the engine rooms, every engineer had suffocated to death, but the steam plant was still churning away. One of the lessons learned was that having all the ventilation air intakes in one spot was a huge problem and that system was redesigned. The other thing that stuck with me was, the crew of the Bunker Hill, buried their dead (almost 400) whereas the Franklin sailed back to Pearl and let the shore gang clean up. I'm always amazed when you read in the comment section, the false bravado of people advocating that the U.S. military go out and kick a$$. War is hell and even those that returned were changed for the rest of their lives. I appreciate the sacrifices that those young men made and I'm thankful that I was never put in that position.
She was my first introduction to the Essex Class in person versus books. Sailed by her numerous times between 1968-72 ( age 14-18) as she sat at the far end of North Island. Watched her towed out of the harbor while sitting on an overlook on Point Loma. Have pictures of that. Hornet was the first Essex I got to walk on in 1998 and have been on her ever since.
I had a relative on this ship who told me a story about how he went for a pee from his radio station on the fateful day and before he came back the man who took over his station was crushed by a sakae engine from a zero. Just casually while i was riding in a car with him. My family is a carrier family. This doesnt even get into USS Saipan, USS Independence or USS Enterprise that close and/or nuclear family served on
I remember seeing the Bunker Hill in San Diego harbor on a harbor cruise back in the early 70'S?! What the "Tour Guide" said that they sold it for the metal that became razor blades.
Thanks for the video. It's great that you note that the expansion of the US Navy started before the attack on Pearl Harbor and was well underway by the time of the war. In my opinion the Japanese never had a chance.
They really didn’t, and at least some of Japanese High Command realized that; they were just banking on the US still being isolationist enough to not want a war.
@@AtholAnderson Imagine the Einsteins in the Imperial Japanese headquarters: "Hey they don't want war, let's attack them! What could possibly go wrong?"
They HOPED they could grab what they needed (DEI), set up a defensive perimeter, and so bloody our noses that we would accept their fait accompli. They knew we were thinking Germany First and so expected to have a few years to build up strength with their new Empire before we got around to them. It was that or make a deal with the Allies and give up their Empire.
Some have argued that it might have gone differently if the Japanese had warned the U.S. of the attack...that it was the "sneak attack" aspect that aroused the anger of the Americans. That probably exacerbated it, but it only made it easier for FDR to get the declaration of war by Congress. The attack-warned or not-established a state of war between the U.S. and Japan, which was essentially a military dictatorship. Despite their dedicated population, homogeneous culture, and even fanatical devotion to their warrior traditions, they could not possibly out-produce free-enterprise-based production with self-contained access to all the necessary resources.
In the early 1970's the decommissioned Bunker Hill was tied up at the far end of North Island. My ship USS Coral Sea was in port next to her however we were not allowed to board her. Sad.
I enjoyed the presentation and really peaked my interest upon hearing of the Japanese using an electronic counter measures (IFF) to infiltrate past the combat air patrols. This is the first time I have ever heard of that and will have to follow up by doing some research. I have a personal interest due to my father serving aboard as a signalman stationed at the "Flag Boards" station on the island structure. He narrowly escaped the impact of the second Zero of which destroyed the Flag Boards station. My listening to my father's stories has been least to say interesting of which those stories are not in any of current books written. For example, a crewman decided he wanted a souvenir from the second Zero. So during the clean up of the Zero wreckage down in the hanger deck, the crewman took one of the arms of the Zero Kamikaze pilot, Kiyoshi Ogawa. Stuffed it in a sea bag and went on his way. But as sailors do and talk, the rumor spread aboard ship and finally made it's way to the Captain who promptly had a Marine detachment locate the arm and have it thrown overboard. Anyway, a little bit of unknown trivia. I enjoy your videos very much so keep doing what you do that you do so well!
my Dad's cousin served aboard and I attended the Commisioning of the Ageis Class USS BUNKER HILL at the Boston Navy Yard @ Charlestown late 1980s it was a grand spectacle my Dad also worked at that yard during the war as a rigger on D E 's
Not sure if you'll read this but I wondered if you'll do an episode on the Béarn, the French WW2 aircraft carrier, as I've found very few information about her.
Love this channel! While the information gained from watching these videos is extremely interesting, the style and dry humor of the narration makes them that much more enjoyable. I happen to love the artful way the British properly use the English language, while we Americans often times butcher it😂 Looking forward to seeing more of these educational yet fun videos.
That thing was built right here in Quincy Massachusetts right now the cruiser Salem is up there my grandmother in love to seen that carrier come home for repairs after the battle I think it was coming into New York or Boston I forget
There is an interesting and somewhat disturbing book titled “Dangers Hour” where the author was able to identify by name the kamikaze who hit Bunker Hill and give some of his history. The disturbing part is how the kamikaze were recruited. Edit: I hadn’t read one of the following posts with the same info
Fun fact, the Disney film ‘planes’ squadron the ‘Jolly Wrenches’ used a similar logo to the ‘Jolly Rogers’ VF-17 and was clearly based on them. ‘Skipper’ was an F4U and the planes that rescued ‘Dusty’ over the pacific were F18’s which VF-103 (who were the descendants of the Rogers) were flying F18’s at the time the film was made.
JOLLY WRENCHES? OMG. Embarrassing, frankly. I'm so glad i started avoid anything Disney years ago. Disney productions have always been at least phony; some years ago they became mostly exercises in cultural "redirection" as i call it. Funny thing that was the last straw for me - it was a scene in a Disney flick i was basically obliged to watch due to the presence of nieces and/or nephews. There was a skateboarder kid in a scene talking with others, and 1) NOT ONE CUSS WORD (XD) and 2) not one scratch on his helmet or pads. How phony can you get?
@@TheJudge2017 I briefly thought maybe "Jolly Wrenches" was really a play on "Jolly Wenches" - but i haven't got around to looking up whether there was such an appellation applied to any unit - though it would definitely be more characteristic of the pre-woke and pre-Disney military XD.
Read Jolly Rogers by VF-17 CO Tom Blackburn. The reason the Corsairs were not deployed to combat on the ship was logistics, as the supply chain for the carriers was optimized to support Hellcats. VF-17 was fully carqualled when BUNKER HILL left the East Coast, which was well before the FAA had qualified any of their Corsair units since they were still working up. VF-17 would have been the ONLY F4U unit on a carrier, hence COMFAIRPAC being reluctant since they'd be jumping throgh hoops to support the unit. For exploding other myths on the F4U and taming it for carrier duty, read Whistling Death by Boone Guyton, who was Vought's test pilot.
My uncle flew from the BH. He was on an Avenger crew, Torpedo Sqdn 8. He was injured and taken off ship not long before she was hit by the kamikaze attack.
After visiting the ex-USS Yorktown in Charleston it's kind of spooky hearing about the damage done to Bunker Hill; I've been to those places, kinda. The equivalent on CV-10, at least. Imagining them being blasted apart and on fire is easier when you've taken a gander.
The US anticipated participation in WW2 and started a naval buildup, aircraft buildup (F4U, F6F, P-38, etc), and increased pilot training accordingly, years prior to entry into WW2. The US even anticipated the battle of Midway prior to the start of WW2.
Ya that’s what governments do. There is already plans laid out for major battles that might happen with a war with China, Russia, North Korea and even the EU.
@@kevinwebster7868 I remember reading about, but can't remember the name and specifics, but leading up to WW2 the US decided to build a large enough fleet to combat the Axis powers single handedly. The plans assumed they would be fighting German, Japan, Italy, Russia, France, Denmark, the British Empire....etc Specifically, they planned with the assumption that the Axis powers would be able to capture the various navies intact. My understanding is they never got to the full buildup because WW2 ended first (and they stopped making some of the ships because they had run out of *targets*). Edit: It might have been the Two-Ocean Navy Act, in which case I think the only thing they didn't end up building are the BBs and the Alaska's. The full list from that is: 2 Iowa's 5 Montana's 6 Alaska's 18 carriers 27 cruisers 43 submarines 115 destroyers 15,000 naval airplanes That doesn't count the smaller craft, the facilities, or the ordinance also ordered. The plan was for this to also be finished within 5-6 years.
Answer: Have a light enough construction that the bomb is not triggered until it passes clean through you and a few fathoms of water (if memory serves).
For Q&A in regards to ways to bypass the naval treaties-- what do you think about doing developing by putting the guns on rail cars aka no that’s not a naval gun it a rail gun!
For Q&A in regard to crew and leadership. Take Enterprise or Saratoga and swap the with one of their sisters at time of sinking would they have fair better?
I read somewhere that the actor Paul Newman served on this ship as part of a dive bomber squadron. He was a tail gunner in an SBD and would have been in the ready room where all the pilots were killed that morning except that his pilot had gone to sick bay instead, scrubbing his flight. Can anyone confirm that? Also, it was either the Bunker Hill or the Franklin that was so badly damaged that they sailed straight to Bremerton for repair, bypassing Pearl.
Pinned post for Q&A :)
Q&A: I've heard Admiral Donitz did not invent the U-Boat Wolf Pack but he popularized it. Whom invented the tactic and why did it take Donitz to popularize it instead?
Often mentioned, never explored: Are you planning a Wednesday special on Operation Magic Carpet? Could be interesting to see the logistics of getting an army and a navy demobilized.
@UNSCForwardontodawn we did. Most notably we sold ships to France and Spain.
Why aren't publishing Podcast anymore?
What were some of the upgrades that they would have done to Bunker Hill, and are there pictures of it?
Thank you. This was my uncle’s ship. He was a plank owner. Sadly he lost his life onboard due to the kamikaze attack.
@@waggyn One of the original crew - I.e. at the time of commissioning.
Respect.
@@nickmoore385 @Rusty Shackleford There are two sets of plank owners for a warship: the first for her commissioning crew, the other is her decommissioning crew.
@@waggyn they're issued pocket sand
My uncle also died in that attack.
For the book "Danger's Hour" (the story of the attack of May 11), the author was able to determine the identity of the crashing pilot with a high degree of certainty (his Zero had a wonky engine patch). This particular pilot had been drafted out of Waseda University (roughly equivalent to Dartmouth, it supplied most government officials and was ridiculously competitive to enter) and then "volunteered" out of pilot training for suicide service. Drafting students out of a top-three university for use as cannon-fodder, was a power-play by high command, and was seen as "eating your seed grain".
Crushed Jewels
I have that book sitting on my book shelf and right now it is second on my non-fiction 'to read' list after The World Looked Away by Dave Bushy.
By all means it looks like it will be a good read.
There's a small plaque to the Bunker Hill at the Bremerton naval yard. It notes that this was the most heavily damaged ship the shipyard had ever repaired.
In the photo at 6:27, you can also see the hill that my house now sits on :) the kitty hawk is now in that berth, waiting it's scrapping...
She is the last of the non nukes. Not one is being preserved, JFK may still be in Philly but I don’t know. She was just sold in November
Bunker Hill: Definitely a member of "I didn't hear no bell" club of ships who refuses to die
Enterprise: I raised that girl.
Taiho would like to change sides
@@issacfoster1113 Albacore is planning the welcome party.
@@ramal5708 and laffey its still with us thankfully
@@ramal5708 And she turned Hiei into a giant pinata when she was DD-459 !
What a treat to see my fathers ship featured in a Drach video! And all the facts are correct as well. Dad served aboard from '44 March until '46 as a Pharmacists Mate. Was aboard 11 May, trapped below decks, rescued by unnamed sailors who dragged him to the fantail. Smoke inhalation killed many, he said he was hocking up black stuff for almost a year afterward.Transferred by rope in a mail sack to the Wilkes-Barre. He shared many stories and experiences with me over the decades. Dad passed away 2 Sept. 2021
My uncle was one of the young sailors who was asphyxiated below decks on that day.
Richard, your father was a true American hero
My father too was on the Bunker Hill, also was a pharmacist mate.
My dad was a aviation machine mate aboard the Hill,he never spoke of any of this,I know that he was severely burned saving pilots on the flight deck but also was a seabee that laid com lines in Korea and was captured and was a pow as have been told growing up.I still have questions being born in 61 and currently 62 years old would like to learn more about this era
My grandfather was on her during the kamikaze attacks and said staying on the guns while she burned was the hardest thing he ever did. Everyone wanted to help damage control and they felt guilty being ordered to man the guns after the first attack.
My grandfather was a gunner on the Bunker Hill as well. I bugged him insensately for more stories of the war in my youth.
My great uncle gunned.
He never talks about it.
Thank you for the Essex Class ship by ship guides. Each of the Essex's differed from each other. Some differences were very minor while some were quite comprehensive. Later in their careers some Essex class remained All purpose CV's while others became dedicated Sub hunters and Intelligence gathering ships. The Essex Class gets overlooked in the scheme of CV developments thanks in part too the advent of the Superior Midways and later Super Carriers astounding capabilities. Imo the Essex class was the design/s that propelled the US Navy into the World Naval Super Power we see today. The US had 20 of these sailing throughout the Sea's at one time and that power projection was absolutely staggering post WWII. My father served on CV 33 later designated CVS 33 from 1958- 1962. His ship became a huge relief platform when Japan was hit with a devastating Typhoon. Their efforts of relief and medical, food and clothing supplies aid literally saved thousands of Japanese people lives at that time. In a prefecture in Japan the Kearsarge and its crew was revered as heroes and too this day they honor the efforts of the CV 33 and its accompanying group for above and beyond humanitarian aid. October 1959 - Nagoya, Japan (Typhoon Vera) (navy.mil)
----- I had never heard about Japanese Electronic Warfare capabilities. Every time I watch one of your videos I learn something new.
Yes, and I’d like to hear more!
Am I the only one that finds the 5" 38s on this ship making it seem more...Elegant?
"Let's make this aircraft carrier more armed than a Gearing!"
Indeed.
a brace at least of 5" 38 makes any ship more elegant. :)
Very classy indeed
Wouldn’t want to be taxiing to take off when those start blasting across the deck.
All those guys who stayed in their gun tubs and stopped further damage - props to a great crew
I just posted about my grandpop. He felt guilty for having to man the guns and everyone wanted to help damage control. He said it was the hardest thing he ever had to do even though they fought off further attacks they felt guilty just sitting there most of the time. Although they did what they could to help from their mounts.
@@southjerseysound7340 God bless him. Sorry for the guys and their families that gave the ultimate sacrifice for us. RIP
I am unworthy of it, but I'll bear the thanks to my great uncle's spirit as best I can.
My grandfather was an electrician's mate on Bunker Hill... He didn't necessarily have the most glamorous job, and from what I know, while he was wounded when the kamikazes hit the ship, a good many of his friends were killed... and as such he really didn't talk about it much. Shows how painful things can be, regardless of the job one had on the ship. May the ship and the crew be remembered... both those who lived and those who gave their all.
My great grand father's name is Walt John, he was on the USS bunker hill. He's always going to be my hero
Side note: Tom Blackburn, the CO of VF-17 during _Bunker Hill's_ initial deployment to the South Pacific, wrote after the war that the concerns about the F4U Corsair's carrier suitability were hugely overblown - that the aircraft was perfectly fine as far as his squadron was concerned, and that the logistics issue (Grumman was building F6F Hellcats a *LOT* faster than Vought was building Corsairs, despite Vought's head start) was the only _real_ reason the F4Us went to land bases in 1943-44.
It should perhaps be noted that the pilots of VF-17 were a relatively experienced bunch, who all had flown the F4F Wildcat before moving up to the Hog - they weren't jumping into the "Ensign Eliminators" straight out of primary trainers.
Hopefully many of the commentors under a F6F Hellcat video here on YT read this and understand that the F6F wasn't the all-powerful world-beater they think it was. In my layman's reading, it appears that the F6F was going to be on its way out in late 1945. The F8F Bearcat was going to take over the bulk of the fleet defense CAP mission with the F4U Corsair handling the escort and strike mission.
I also believe you are spot-on re:VF-17. Blackburn and company had the F4U working just fine for carrier operations and were only taken off the ship due to logistics. The Navy didn't want the problems of supplying two different fighter types in the fleet. Therefore with the F6F being built faster and being admittedly easier to land, it won out for the moment.
In Blackburn's book I found it interesting that, despite being reassigned to land-based operations, VF-17 kept their F4Us tail hooks handy and did reinstall them for use on missions where they would land on carriers to rearm/refuel as needed.
From what I've read, the FAA (Fleet Air Arm, that is) were quite happy to use the Corsair on carriers.
@@thhseeking On Escort Carriers no less.
@@TenSeven97 I thought the plan was to put them on Escort carriers and perhaps CVLs. By 1945 the the F4U-4 had arrived and was faster and had a higher climb rate than the F8F-1. The Bearcat was a better dogfighter but after the Battle of the Phillipine Sea that wasn't going to be an issue.
@@johnshepherd8687 - The F4U may have been faster in level flight than the F8F buy given that it was considerably heavier than the Bearcat, I doubt it had a higher rate of climb.
My grandpa was one of the marines in charge of one of the gun crews on the Bunker Hill. Miss him a lot… Just to clarify he lived the ripe old age of 95 so I had plenty of time to be with him. Just wanted to make that clear if it wasn’t before.
My father served on this ship. AOM2c. Earned 9 battles stars. The crew that replaced his when he rotated off was killed by the kamikaze attack. My dad remembered his replacement's name and mentioned it a few times- William Lutz from PA.
My dad came back to the US and was helping to train night fighters by sitting in the rear seat of a plane and turning on a flashlight when the night fighters got too close to the tail. He said he feared more for his life doing this then being on the flight deck during an attack.
Thanks for posting this. I wish my dad could have seen it!
There was a 16 year old 3rd class baker on that ship. He was my grandfather. Glad he made it out of there. I remember asking him about the war. He shared his Purple Heart story with me.. And I believed it for years till I figured it out. He told me he was baking blueberry pies & was burnt by blueberry filling. Thanks for your service HK. I miss you
My father - Herman Louis Johnson - served on the Bunker Hill. I am not sure if he was on the Bunker Hill when it was attacked by the Japanese. He may not have been. He did survive the war unscathed.
Kudos to all of those Americans who served in the military during World War II. Some generations are presented with opportunities for greatness. My father's generation was certainly one of those.
There's this really NSFL picture I saw of the hallway outside the ready room just filled with dead bodies. Bunker Hill and Franklin are proof the Essexes were built tough, much like their Yorktown predecessors, and American damage control worked its miracles on both ships.
Yeah, if that had been an IJN carrier, she'd have been sunk within a half hour.
@@richardmalcolm1457 Eh, the Shōkaku-class at least had solid DC and durability so I think they would have a chance, though not as much as the Essex-class.
@@S0RGEx The Shokakus were quite good for when they were built (1939-41), but you can hardly say they were as durable (or capable) as an Essex; and while IJN damage control improved as the war wore on, it was never on par with that of the US Navy.
@@richardmalcolm1457
The Shokakus still showed good enough DamCon that the lead ship survived two near-death experiences in 1942 (Coral Sea and Santa Cruz).
The main issue with Japanese DamCon was organizational rather than lack of skill or knowledge. The DamCon teams were very skilled, but they were the ONLY members of the crew who knew what they were doing, and there was a rigid mentality of “leave damage control to the experts so you do not mess up” that prevented the rest of the crew from taking things into their own hands, so a ship’s survival depended on whether her DamCon team was available or not. In contrast, in the US everyone knew at least some damage control and was expected to participate in it.
@@bkjeong4302 Not saying there isn't some truth in what you say, but it's hard to look at the Taiho's loss and say there wasn't also lack of skill and knowledge among the damage control officers, too.
Thank you for this. My grandfather was on the ship when she was hit. Sadly he died when I was 6. I'd give anything to hear about his experience.
My dad served on the USS Bunker Hill. He was a pilot for VT-84.
I don't know much about warships. My wife was a chef, she belonged to a national chef's organization, and at one dinner function I had the pleasure of sitting with the executive chef from the Essex. I'm sure he had a naval rank which I don't remember, but he told me what it was like to feed the 3,000 odd people on that ship around the clock during warfare. Quite a job, , , ,
Saturday morning coffee and Drachinifel ... an awesome combination. You always are able to provide details I hadn't been aware of even of well known ships and ship classes.
Thank you sir, your efforts are well appreciated.
its been a personal tradition with me as well since i stumbled upon this fantastic page a few years ago. guess we're having coffee together in a way, lol. cheers!
@@mikeholton9876 Cheers! (Coffee cup hoisted in salute.)
Would love to see a review of my father's ship, USS Evans DD-552. She was hit by four kamikazes the same day as Bunker Hill, May11, 1945. Very nice video tribute to the Bunker Hill.
My friend 96 years old served on Bunker Hill. He’s still alive.
What did he do? My grandfather was a gunner when the ship got torched. He was later assigned to the Tulagi.
@@edwardstevens6787 Howard Moser from Steubenville Ohio was repair 17. He was decorated for leading to safety 50 men from smoke filled compartments below deck. He still remember every detail. He was carpenter mate. I see him every day.
My uncle was an EM3, died below decks of asphysxiation.
Very nice video. My wife's uncle served aboard CV17 during the attack. He passed away before I met my wife but my father-in-law told me his brother was one of those "blown overboard" by the explosions.
I knew Bunker Hill never sailed again in the USN, but I didn't realize she was around untill 1973. How cool would it be to have an Original construction Essex as a Muesem.
So many ships lost to the breakers torch.
iirc, Franklin was also laid up after the war and never modernized. I remember seeing a documentary about Franklin in the 60s, when she went to the breakers, which featured many of her crewmen recalling how they survived the attack as they retraced their steps through the ship.
All those ships could have been museum ships but its hard to get one of those going and its hard to keep up on maintenance as interest wanes as the years go by. Even the Battleship Texas has struggled in that regard, and it's supported by the state government and has long been docked at another major state attraction.
@@Sarkus01 I saw a video highlighting the problems with the location of the USS Texas. Its really not that great of an area given it is surrounded by an industrial area.
@@t1e6x12 That's true, but you had the Texas and the San Jacinto battlefield together, and it doesn't get much better then that from an attraction draw standpoint. Plus its close to Houston. And it still didn't work and now they are moving the ship to another location after its refurbished. That was my point. Simply having a ship guarantees nothing.
Thank you, this was my grandfather's ship. I'm always glad to see her get her due
A Saturday Morning piece of wonderfulness.
Love that Bunker Hill finally got its own 5 minute guide, now to recommend the rest of the class and hope the other patreon supporters agree.
My dad was on the Bunker Hill.
My dad didn't talk much about the war but my dad said,I will never forget the smell of fuel,seeing body parts ,blood and the smell of burned flesh!
My dad requested to get off after the second attack.
My dad filled me in on every event that ship went through along with his and his mate's love for that ship! He was in the boiler room when they were hit and had to seal it off to continue the boilers running for the survival of the ship, he endured a lot after opening the hatches he had to seal and see his shipmates dead from suffocation. I can only imagine his nightmares. I am a combat vet and could only relate to my father after my experience. Thank You to all the Bunker Hill Family!!!
I remember seeing the Bunker Hill many times when I was young, during it's service as a Naval Electronics Laboratory Facility moored at the north end of North Island NAS in San Diego. When she was scrapped, I thought the bay looked empty without her.
Many Thanks for this episode …. This is one reason All Navy personnel have to go to shipboard fire-fighting school …. Ironically We were shown the film of the horrifying Forestall Fire, and since that was to be our ship … you know we payed close attention ….as we would be berthed right under the arresting gear … such a peaceful place to sleep …
At NAWS China Lake, they still do testing, inspired by the Forrestal Fire, to see how long it takes for the ordnance to fail (in a non-boomy way), i.e., hang it in a burning trough of jet fuel and see what happens.
@@kemarisite The 1000lb bombs on the Forestall were from ww2 and they cooked off way too soon ….I forget who… but one of the officers didn’t want to bring them onboard from the ammunition ship ..But most Munitions have a sell by date …. So it kinda explains why we blow up some county ever 20-30 years …
It's a shame Bunker Hill was scrapped. She had kept her basic WW2 configuration right to the end.
Last time I was this early to a Drach video, the Kamchatka hadn't seen torpedo boats.
Bunker Hill's VB-17 would also have the unfortunate pleasure of being the first squadron to be fitted with the SB2C Helldiver.
"Son of a Bitch Second Class"
@@hammer1349
My body lies under the ocean.
My body lies under the sea.
My body lies under the ocean.
Wrapped up in an SB2C.
It had a horrendous vibration that on long flights made pilots get off in a wheelchair or so i heard but hey the name was awesome
You can't beat Slow But Deadly.
I wish present nuclear carriers had been named after these fighting ladies. Saratoga, Lexington, Hornet, Wasp, Yorktown. Guess it wasn't to be even though they gave their all.
Richard A Arnold... Marine... wounded on the USS Bunker Hill battle at Rabaul Harbor..11/11/43.
Once the named a carrier for JFK you know darn well every other president was going to want one too....
I will bet the house trump doesn't get one through... 🤣🤣
@@CS-zn6pp and yet some racist Democrat senator from the south gets one named after him. Isn't politics fun?
None of the super carriers should have been named after politicians. They should all be named after the carriers of ww2.
Finally, the Holiday Express video is here!
Paul Newman actor narrowly missed the final attack on the Bunker Hill as the ferry pilot had an earache and as a radio operator/rear gunner, he was also confined until medically cleared, so as not to bring infection onto a crowded ship. However, still attached to the Bunker Hill for two years more.
Riiiiiight. Ear Ache Quarantine for the progeny of the rich and famous.
Great video sir. The Laffey and Yorktown are waiting for a visit when you make it to the US.
I went to see the Laffey and Yourktown a few years ago. The Laffey was a sister ship of my first Destroyer, USS Lyman K Swenson DD-729. Looked idenitcal to mine, except the Signal Bridge shck was not there. Those being flimsy structures to begin with I assume it was removed after ship ws put in reserve.
My father had an office on the Bunker Hill when it was an electronics testing site on North Island in San Diego. As a kid, he would sometimes take me to the ship on the weekends if he had to work. On a few occasions, he had me bring a specially rigged fishing pole with a huge spool and a ton of line. I would sit either on the flight deck or hanger deck with my fishing pole and my legs dangling over the side. Needless to say, those were far different days. I never caught any fish, but the memory of that, and then getting bored and running through the decks with a fishing pole as officers would stare in bewilderment is my Huck Finn/Tom Sawyer moment.
After spending a few hours on the ship, exploring cubby holes and what not, my dad would usually take me to the Boll Weevil on Shelter Island for one of their 99 cent 1/2 lb burgers and fries. I remember when it was decided to scuttle the ship. It was sad. My dad had his office moved to Top Side on Point Loma, but the days going to North Island and roaming that ship were some of my most cherished times.
Scrapped in Tacoma, Washington at Zidell dismantling. The first aircraft carrier I ever saw when I moved in 1973.
Thank you, Drachinifel.
In 1971 or 72 I was fortunate to be allowed a private tour of Bunker Hill at Naval Air Station North Island, in San Diego, before she was towed away to be scrapped. She was literally a time machine, altered little during her many years in the mothball fleet. Plans of the Day dated 1945 were still pinned to bulkheads. The Captain's sea cabin still had his blanket, sheets and personal bible. There were still 5" shell brass casings littering the 5"/38 mount decks and the quad 40's were silent under their mothball domes. It was a ghost ship in more ways than one and I had goosebumps going into that hangar where so many good men died. I was sorry to see her scrapped, she deserved better.
Thank you Drach, waiting for this one for a long time. Great job as always!
Another great video. Love ship histories of various navies.
My grandfather was one of her plankowners. He made chief, then Bosun aboard her. He never talked much about his service to us, but the photo of her at pierside with her commissioning crew was framed with his bosun's call and a chip of wood, and held pride of place in his den.
Would have been nice to see Bunker Hill or Franklin preserved as they would have been about the only Essex class ships that were in essentially their WW2 configuration when preserved.
If it was up to people on naval history videos, the harbours of the world would be filled to the brim with Museum ships. lol
The Hornet CV11 is on display in Alameda CA an ESSEX class carrier
@clara bell yes there are several preserved Essex class carriers. Yorktown, Hornet, Intrepid and Lexington. However none of them are in their WW2 configuration. They were all modernized post World War II to accommodate larger aircraft and eventually jet aircraft. Angled flight decks were added among other changes to the ships.
Bunker Hill and Franklin were never modernized so as a result there are no Essex class carriers that are preserved as they were in their World War II service.
@@joelrodriguez9661 as they were is correct. My father the Bunker Hill during the attack. He never got over it. Would have bad flashbacks about kamikaze attacks throughout his life. He took his own life at 80...now he is at peace.
@clara bell sorry to hear about your father. My condolences.
as a kid i remember seeing the USS Bunker Hill in Sand Diego in its final 'stationary electronics platform' stage of its career. Now wish i had gotten a photo of it.
That's some seriously awesome damage control.
My favorite Essex Carrier.
My brother and I would go fishing next to her in the early 70’s when she was moored at North Island. I spent more time gazing at the silent giant warrior than minding my line. Such a shame when she left.
The ship was tied up at North Island for the whole time I was growing up and I never knew the history of it. I remember reading an article in the S.F. Chronicle when I was at the California Maritime Academy in Northern California, that when she was being towed north for scrapping, there was an incident with a Japanese freighter as it was going past the bay area and I was chuckling that there had to be at least one old grizzled navy guy who, having his morning coffee and reading the paper grumbled under his breath, " well she got one more J*p before going to the scrappers". Of course the crew on the freighter were just doing their jobs, but the early 70's were closer to the end of ww2 and there was still a lot of emotion about it. Also the book " Danger's Hour" was nicely researched and written. Being an engineer, I cringed at the part where all the watertight doors were secured and the ship run at flank speed out of the area. When they were opened, in one of the engine rooms, every engineer had suffocated to death, but the steam plant was still churning away. One of the lessons learned was that having all the ventilation air intakes in one spot was a huge problem and that system was redesigned. The other thing that stuck with me was, the crew of the Bunker Hill, buried their dead (almost 400) whereas the Franklin sailed back to Pearl and let the shore gang clean up. I'm always amazed when you read in the comment section, the false bravado of people advocating that the U.S. military go out and kick a$$. War is hell and even those that returned were changed for the rest of their lives. I appreciate the sacrifices that those young men made and I'm thankful that I was never put in that position.
She was my first introduction to the Essex Class in person versus books. Sailed by her numerous times between 1968-72 ( age 14-18) as she sat at the far end of North Island. Watched her towed out of the harbor while sitting on an overlook on Point Loma. Have pictures of that. Hornet was the first Essex I got to walk on in 1998 and have been on her ever since.
I had a relative on this ship who told me a story about how he went for a pee from his radio station on the fateful day and before he came back the man who took over his station was crushed by a sakae engine from a zero. Just casually while i was riding in a car with him.
My family is a carrier family. This doesnt even get into USS Saipan, USS Independence or USS Enterprise that close and/or nuclear family served on
Wonderful ship, and excellent review. Sad she wasn't saved as a museum ship.
wow! You really make a lot of interesting videos in a short period of time that I hardly watched them and the next one is already ready.
I found Drach I believe in August 2018 and it's been so much fun having 4 years of this consistent content :)
It is unbelievable how much expertise he has and knows how to tell in a nice way that it is fascinating.
Thank you Drach! Your navy history videos are amazing!
I remember seeing the Bunker Hill in San Diego harbor on a harbor cruise back in the early 70'S?! What the "Tour Guide" said that they sold it for the metal that became razor blades.
My grandfather served later in her life during the 50s, they had her doing submarine hunting operations primarily by that point
Thanks for the video. It's great that you note that the expansion of the US Navy started before the attack on Pearl Harbor and was well underway by the time of the war. In my opinion the Japanese never had a chance.
They really didn’t, and at least some of Japanese High Command realized that; they were just banking on the US still being isolationist enough to not want a war.
@@AtholAnderson
Imagine the Einsteins in the Imperial Japanese headquarters:
"Hey they don't want war, let's attack them! What could possibly go wrong?"
They HOPED they could grab what they needed (DEI), set up a defensive perimeter, and so bloody our noses that we would accept their fait accompli. They knew we were thinking Germany First and so expected to have a few years to build up strength with their new Empire before we got around to them. It was that or make a deal with the Allies and give up their Empire.
Some have argued that it might have gone differently if the Japanese had warned the U.S. of the attack...that it was the "sneak attack" aspect that aroused the anger of the Americans. That probably exacerbated it, but it only made it easier for FDR to get the declaration of war by Congress.
The attack-warned or not-established a state of war between the U.S. and Japan, which was essentially a military dictatorship. Despite their dedicated population, homogeneous culture, and even fanatical devotion to their warrior traditions, they could not possibly out-produce free-enterprise-based production with self-contained access to all the necessary resources.
In the early 1970's the decommissioned Bunker Hill was tied up at the far end of North Island. My ship USS Coral Sea was in port next to her however we were not allowed to board her. Sad.
I enjoyed the presentation and really peaked my interest upon hearing of the Japanese using an electronic counter measures (IFF) to infiltrate past the combat air patrols. This is the first time I have ever heard of that and will have to follow up by doing some research. I have a personal interest due to my father serving aboard as a signalman stationed at the "Flag Boards" station on the island structure. He narrowly escaped the impact of the second Zero of which destroyed the Flag Boards station. My listening to my father's stories has been least to say interesting of which those stories are not in any of current books written. For example, a crewman decided he wanted a souvenir from the second Zero. So during the clean up of the Zero wreckage down in the hanger deck, the crewman took one of the arms of the Zero Kamikaze pilot, Kiyoshi Ogawa. Stuffed it in a sea bag and went on his way. But as sailors do and talk, the rumor spread aboard ship and finally made it's way to the Captain who promptly had a Marine detachment locate the arm and have it thrown overboard. Anyway, a little bit of unknown trivia. I enjoy your videos very much so keep doing what you do that you do so well!
Nicely done video! Keep up the amazing work man! 👏
my Dad's cousin served aboard and I attended the Commisioning of the Ageis Class USS BUNKER HILL at the Boston Navy Yard @ Charlestown late 1980s it was a grand spectacle my Dad also worked at that yard during the war as a rigger on D E 's
Not sure if you'll read this but I wondered if you'll do an episode on the Béarn, the French WW2 aircraft carrier, as I've found very few information about her.
Yay! My Saturday is complete :)
What an experience those attacks must of been, even for the senior officers!
Actor Paul Newman and Dune Buggy creator Bruce Meyers were a few of Bunker Hill's mates, along with my grandfather
Love this channel!
While the information gained from watching these videos is extremely interesting, the style and dry humor of the narration makes them that much more enjoyable.
I happen to love the artful way the British properly use the English language, while we Americans often times butcher it😂
Looking forward to seeing more of these educational yet fun videos.
The first pic has Arleigh Burke's signature on it. Great find. sm
He was Mitcher's Chief of Staff, they had a semi-official policy of balancing each major naval command between surface and air commanders.
That thing was built right here in Quincy Massachusetts right now the cruiser Salem is up there my grandmother in love to seen that carrier come home for repairs after the battle I think it was coming into New York or Boston I forget
There is an interesting and somewhat disturbing book titled “Dangers Hour” where the author was able to identify by name the kamikaze who hit Bunker Hill and give some of his history. The disturbing part is how the kamikaze were recruited. Edit: I hadn’t read one of the following posts with the same info
Fun fact, the Disney film ‘planes’ squadron the ‘Jolly Wrenches’ used a similar logo to the ‘Jolly Rogers’ VF-17 and was clearly based on them. ‘Skipper’ was an F4U and the planes that rescued ‘Dusty’ over the pacific were F18’s which VF-103 (who were the descendants of the Rogers) were flying F18’s at the time the film was made.
JOLLY WRENCHES? OMG. Embarrassing, frankly. I'm so glad i started avoid anything Disney years ago. Disney productions have always been at least phony; some years ago they became mostly exercises in cultural "redirection" as i call it.
Funny thing that was the last straw for me - it was a scene in a Disney flick i was basically obliged to watch due to the presence of nieces and/or nephews. There was a skateboarder kid in a scene talking with others, and 1) NOT ONE CUSS WORD (XD) and 2) not one scratch on his helmet or pads. How phony can you get?
@@markmaki4460 it's a kids cartoon man. Personally, I thought it was a fun play on words
@@TheJudge2017 I briefly thought maybe "Jolly Wrenches" was really a play on "Jolly Wenches" - but i haven't got around to looking up whether there was such an appellation applied to any unit - though it would definitely be more characteristic of the pre-woke and pre-Disney military XD.
@@markmaki4460 _Rory Lowe Comedy_ does hilarious voiceovers of Disney clips using language that would make a sailor blush.
@@markmaki4460 Harrumph! Harrumph!
Read Jolly Rogers by VF-17 CO Tom Blackburn. The reason the Corsairs were not deployed to combat on the ship was logistics, as the supply chain for the carriers was optimized to support Hellcats. VF-17 was fully carqualled when BUNKER HILL left the East Coast, which was well before the FAA had qualified any of their Corsair units since they were still working up. VF-17 would have been the ONLY F4U unit on a carrier, hence COMFAIRPAC being reluctant since they'd be jumping throgh hoops to support the unit. For exploding other myths on the F4U and taming it for carrier duty, read Whistling Death by Boone Guyton, who was Vought's test pilot.
My uncle flew from the BH. He was on an Avenger crew, Torpedo Sqdn 8. He was injured and taken off ship not long before she was hit by the kamikaze attack.
IIRC ... in addition to it's service in Electronics Testing - it was also used for office space.
.
The last Essex to exist in a WWII configuration. A pity museum efforts in the '70s failed.
If everything goes well tomorrow I will actually get to meet a man that was on the USS Bunker Hill at the time of the kamikaze attacks.
One of my Dad's carriers. Saratoga, Bunker Hill and Antietam (Korea).
Lovely stuff
After visiting the ex-USS Yorktown in Charleston it's kind of spooky hearing about the damage done to Bunker Hill; I've been to those places, kinda. The equivalent on CV-10, at least. Imagining them being blasted apart and on fire is easier when you've taken a gander.
The US anticipated participation in WW2 and started a naval buildup, aircraft buildup (F4U, F6F, P-38, etc), and increased pilot training accordingly, years prior to entry into WW2. The US even anticipated the battle of Midway prior to the start of WW2.
Ya that’s what governments do. There is already plans laid out for major battles that might happen with a war with China, Russia, North Korea and even the EU.
@@kevinwebster7868 I remember reading about, but can't remember the name and specifics, but leading up to WW2 the US decided to build a large enough fleet to combat the Axis powers single handedly. The plans assumed they would be fighting German, Japan, Italy, Russia, France, Denmark, the British Empire....etc
Specifically, they planned with the assumption that the Axis powers would be able to capture the various navies intact. My understanding is they never got to the full buildup because WW2 ended first (and they stopped making some of the ships because they had run out of *targets*).
Edit: It might have been the Two-Ocean Navy Act, in which case I think the only thing they didn't end up building are the BBs and the Alaska's.
The full list from that is:
2 Iowa's
5 Montana's
6 Alaska's
18 carriers
27 cruisers
43 submarines
115 destroyers
15,000 naval airplanes
That doesn't count the smaller craft, the facilities, or the ordinance also ordered. The plan was for this to also be finished within 5-6 years.
It's interesting that she shares a launch date with USS New Jersey BB62.
The bunker hill was the first air craft carrier I had ever seen, tied up on the outside of NAS North island San Diego in 1972
Tough day at the office.
Thanks for great content. I have a video suggestion. The action of Kiwi and Moa on a Japanese transport submarine. During Guadalcanal battle.
Thanks
Well done.
Happ New Year all. How about an episode on USS Savannah, CL42, or how to take a Fritz when you are only 10,,000 tons.
Answer: Have a light enough construction that the bomb is not triggered until it passes clean through you and a few fathoms of water (if memory serves).
13-4
I wonder how many people aren't going to get that.
For Q&A in regards to ways to bypass the naval treaties-- what do you think about doing developing by putting the guns on rail cars aka no that’s not a naval gun it a rail gun!
Thank you.
Love this channel plz do a guide about independence class cve
Thanks. Have you done USS Valley Forge? The first jet air strike off Korean took off from her decks ans she was used in the filming Silent Running
For Q&A in regard to crew and leadership. Take Enterprise or Saratoga and swap the with one of their sisters at time of sinking would they have fair better?
Another great video thank you
Great historical name for a carrier. Wish we had a Bunker Hill today. Bunker Hill or Ford? That's an easy one.
Too Easy!
There is still a Bunker Hill. Ticonderoga Class cruiser CG-52.
I read somewhere that the actor Paul Newman served on this ship as part of a dive bomber squadron. He was a tail gunner in an SBD and would have been in the ready room where all the pilots were killed that morning except that his pilot had gone to sick bay instead, scrubbing his flight. Can anyone confirm that? Also, it was either the Bunker Hill or the Franklin that was so badly damaged that they sailed straight to Bremerton for repair, bypassing Pearl.
He was the tail gunner on an Avenger.
Excellent video, snappy and interesting.