Battle of the Eastern Solomons: Told from the American Perspective (1/2)

Рет қаралды 1,370,116

Күн бұрын

(Animated Battle Map)
If you came just for the carrier battle, it starts at the 21-minute mark.
Link to a bonus clip that's at the end of Part 2. • Combat Footage of the ...
00:00 Introduction
1:06 Covering Cactus
6:11 American Intelligence
9:41 August 20 to the 22
14:28 August 23
21:33 August 24 Morning
27:12 The Dilemma
34:28 Air Raid on Cactus
37:16 Ryujo’s Demise
40:27 TF-61 Attacked!
47:56 Evening Actions
51:06 August 25 Tanaka’s Misery
53:04 Total Losses
54:19 Fletcher’s Legacy
58:04 Outro
Corrections:
at 36:32 I misspelled zuikaku.
at 45:50 I said 5 wildcats but displayed 6 Wildcats. I accidently added one. It should have been 5.
I don’t have a Patreon but if you want to show appreciation for my work feel free to donate.
» paypal -www.paypal.me/montemayorytcha...
Artwork done by Mateusz Dąbrowski.
Check out his fantastic artwork on his Artstation profile : www.artstation.com/kwad_rat
Help with research: Michał A Piegzik
Help with script: Daniel N.
Music:
Filmstro
"Crypto" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/b...
Satiate Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/b...
Map terrain data obtained by Maptiler. "© MapTiler © OpenStreetMap contributors"
The images of Marines on Guadalcanal were from the USMC Archives on Flickr.
flickr.com/photos/60868061@N0...
www.flickr.com/photos/6086806...
www.flickr.com/photos/6086806...
Sources:
Cox, Jeffrey (2019). Morning Star, Midnight Sun: The Early Guadalcanal -Solomons Campaign of World War II ... August-October 1942. Osprey.
Dull, P.S. (1978) A battle history of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press.
Evans, D. C., & Peattie, M. R. (2012). Kaigun: Strategy, tactics, and technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941. Naval Institute Press.
Frank, R.B. (1990) Guadalcanal. Penguin Books.
Hammel, E. M. (2009). Carrier clash: The invasion of guadalcanal and the battle of the eastern solomons, August 1942. Pacifica Military History.
Hornfischer, J. D. (2011). Neptune's inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal. Bantam Books.
Lundstrom, J.B. (2013) Black Shoe Carrier Admiral: Frank Jeck Fletcher at Coral Sea, midway, and Guadalcanal. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press.
Lundstrom, J. B. (2005). The first team and the Guadalcanal Campaign: Naval Fighter Combat from August to November 1942. Naval Institute Press.
Prados, J. (1995) Combined fleet decoded: The secret history of american intelligence and the Japanese Navy in World War II. Random House.
Prados, J. (2013) Islands of destiny: The solomons campaign and the eclipse of the rising sun. New York: NAL Caliber.
Stille, M. (2015) Guadalcanal: 1942-43 ; America's first victory on the road to Tokyo. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
Stille, M. (2012) Santa Cruz 1942: Carrier Duel in the South Pacific. Botley, Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
Stille, M. (2013) The Naval Battles for Guadalcanal 1942: Clash for supremacy in the Pacific. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
Stille, M. (2007) USN carriers vs IJN Carriers: The pacific, 1942. Oxford: Osprey.

Пікірлер: 2 800

@sergeipohkerova7211 Жыл бұрын

I have never been so happy to learn that a stranger isn't dead. Welcome back, best military documentary channel on KZfaq!

@MontemayorChannel Жыл бұрын

haha thanks Sergei, I'm alive and well.

@norahc. Жыл бұрын

Same here

@hansonlee5847 Жыл бұрын

I feel you! There's another channel I follow religiously (Tooky History), and he has been MIA for 3 years after his Stalin video. Just can't take your favorite channels for granted

@BolsakTBagger Жыл бұрын

@@MontemayorChannel i was afraid covid got you. glad you are ok!

@WhisperingDeath Жыл бұрын

The old prophets foretold of the 2nd coming of Montemayor. We were called crazy, mad, but we kept the faith!

@NemrahG Жыл бұрын

I absolutely love the fog of war, it makes you feel more in the shoes on the commanders and better understand their thinking

@MontemayorChannel Жыл бұрын

Doing these fog of war videos take a lot of research and time, but in the end it's worth it. Hope you like it too. this one is a particular frustrating battle for the American commander.

@Jabarri74 Жыл бұрын

@@MontemayorChannel To quote Bart Simpson. You're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't. Lose lose situation

@rembrandt972ify Жыл бұрын

@@Jabarri74 Bartman, Avenger of Evil, is rightly considered by all as the greatest naval strategist of all time.

@timf2279 Жыл бұрын

Great job love the fog of war better.

@fakecubed Жыл бұрын

@@MontemayorChannel It's well worth it. Thank you for this style of video showing such a realistic look at the key decision making in these battles.

@tomm1109 Жыл бұрын

I wish Admiral Fletcher was around to see this and have his name cleared. I'm sure he would have enormous gratitude to you Montemayor.

@sasasaa9488 11 ай бұрын

You’re amazing Montemayor. Thank you. During Covid lockdown watched you videos over and over again. Thanks for returning 🙏🏻

@DoctorDork 3 ай бұрын

Well said @tomm1109

@vstar7196 19 күн бұрын

Jesus H. Christ!!! You think one dumb ass video on KZfaq makes a difference. Give your head a shake.

@Ass_Blaster_Disaster_Master Жыл бұрын

Monyemayor's videos have convinced me that the damage control teams were the true cornerstone of the American Navy.

@Fireheart1945 Жыл бұрын

I certainly agree, at least for their carriers. Hits that sank Japanese carriers often just left a US carrier afloat and perhaps even operational. The ships were also, I think, better designed for damage control, so part of the credit goes to the designers and builders of those carriers.

@billyhndrsn4542 9 ай бұрын

For true. These crews kept bad situations becoming fatal to all, and kept the ships operational where IJN would be knocked out, mostly to never return.

@atb2674 9 ай бұрын

Didn’t help the IJN made carriers with bright wooden flight decks visible from high altitude

@chowchow2386 8 ай бұрын

Actually American damage control was horrible, leading up to the disaster that was the Forrestal. After that they came to Canada to learn. We in the Canadian Navy actually have a training video, made from live video from the fires on the USs Forrestal. It's purpose was to show how NOT to do damage control. Up until that point, the US navy didn't even have dedicated firefighing dept on all their ships, used water to try and douse fuel based fires, lack of damage control/firefighting gear, etc. Was still better than the Japanese though.

@jeffbenton6183 8 ай бұрын

@@atb2674 Just to clarify, the American carriers' flight decks were also made of wood, but I think they were painted blue or grey at this point.

@nabusvco Жыл бұрын

He just leaves for a year and comes back with historical masterpieces.

@gabrielh7517 Жыл бұрын

He's basically the history version of Micheal Reeves

@ucflover2935 Жыл бұрын

Hes just like oversimplified

@thecappeningchannel515 Жыл бұрын

Eastern Solomons was his best so far. Cant wait to see Santa Cruz!

@jasonx1174 Жыл бұрын

Right? Just shows up, posts an excellent video, then vanished for a good amount of time. It pays off very well at least. Even if I do wish for more from him much more frequent.

@RandomMan1999 Жыл бұрын

Really gives his content a lot more weight and satisfaction, you can clearly see all the effort that went in to making this specifically from the US side and having the fog of war build tension throughout. As always, a great production

@rodod1917 Жыл бұрын

HE HAS RETURNED WITH YET ANOTHER MASTERPIECE 🔥🔥

@sergeipohkerova7211 Жыл бұрын

Yes! And look at that time length! No dinky little 9 minute thing, we get a whole hour!

@davidphillips6803 Жыл бұрын

Indeed! This is the best explanation of this battle that I've see. My question is just how long does it take to refuel a carrier? Where is the wasp in all this? Can't tankers come somewhere closer to the fleet?

@the_mowron Жыл бұрын

It is Easter, after all (he should have waited until Sunday, though).

@kcinkg Жыл бұрын

Quality for sure.

@jondirkes3423 Жыл бұрын

Dude, everyone who makes animated battle maps should consult YOU. You're an EXPERT at this. I used to be annoyed at the infrequency of your uploads but they're worth the wait. You CLEARLY do painstaking research and that takes a HELL of a lot of time. MUCH APPRECIATED.

@demef758 Жыл бұрын

Amen! While I had subscribed long ago, I just realized now that I had not hit the ALL button. I have now, so no more being in the dark with his newest releases. Woo-hoo!

@azmc4940 Жыл бұрын

It is true, he is EXPERT level.

@tygrenvoltaris4782 11 ай бұрын

Yep i like how simple it is.

@braniacc Жыл бұрын

I feel bad for Fletcher. He was let down by naval intelligence, terrible scouts and bad luck, still managed to pull a pretty impressive win out of it all, and got blamed for literally everything that went wrong.

@thecappeningchannel515 Жыл бұрын

He went for the light carrier decoy twice though, coral sea and eastern solomons. He was a bumbling dickhead.

@Glenn-em3hv 11 ай бұрын

Yes and the McCain treatment!!!

@schneejacques3502 11 ай бұрын

@@saltysailor3009Thats every military in history. My history teacher used to say after any battle a witch hunt will begin.

@BishopStars 10 ай бұрын

Everything good was inevitable, and everything bad was preventable.

@luker.6967 9 ай бұрын

He got pretty lucky with the second main strike force not finding him. That said, he made reasonable decisions. Striking the lone carrier sooner would've been a bit better but wouldn't have made a significant difference. B

@rg20322 Жыл бұрын

Fletcher deserves a lot of credit based on what he did during the worst times at the beginning of the war. I think he's amazing based on what actually happened and probably saved the Navy at that time.

@fakecubed Жыл бұрын

He's undeniably a hero. Kept the US Navy in the fight, which at the time was probably more important than anything else. Caution was warranted. Japan couldn't be allowed to just run wild while the US was still building new ships. And the victories he did get were significant. The Japanese were unable to get the sort of decisive victory they needed while he was in command.

@tommyle7376 Жыл бұрын

I think it was easy for Admiral King to criticize Fletcher when he isn't in the carrier making decisions. Fletcher took what he was given and worked with what he had and he came out relatively intact whilst inflicting damages to the enemy. Most importantly he preserved their carrier forces though they had to be repaired.

@thegoodcaptain1217 Жыл бұрын

the dude put six IJN carriers on the ocean floor. I have always scratched my head over why history gave him such a bad wrap...

@Pow3llMorgan Жыл бұрын

@@tommyle7376 King was reputedly a cantankerous prick and would probably have found any reason to reprimand Fletcher in any case :P

@ivanthemadvandal8435 Жыл бұрын

Fletcher was the right man at the right time, no doubt. It's a damn shame what happened to Black Jack Fletcher's reputation, but I do think that Halsey taking over around the time he did was a net benefit for the Navy at that time, then he stayed in place too long and we got Samar and Typhoon Cobra.

@theofficialgoth Жыл бұрын

Return of the (historically accurate) King! Thank you so much, Montemayor!

@dboi1656 Жыл бұрын

HE IS RISEN!

@michelwro Жыл бұрын

As a researcher supporting Montemayor's effort to deliver the best possible analysis to the audience, I must admit that they are masterpieces. Even though I know the details before the publication date, I can't wait until I watch the whole video.

@MontemayorChannel Жыл бұрын

Much appreciated Michał!

@bunkerhousing Жыл бұрын

Is he not great our Montemayor!

@thecappeningchannel515 Жыл бұрын

He's kind of a Fletcher apologist though. Will be interesting to see him cover Mitcher, Halsey and Kinkaid.

@TimPerfetto Жыл бұрын

@@MontemayorChannel I am reeally sick of Japan attacking things -- when do you think it will end?

@thatkristiandude4048 11 ай бұрын

@@thecappeningchannel515history was not kind to Fletcher at all. Sure Fletcher made some huge mistakes but generally he was a pretty competent commander

@Raptor747 Жыл бұрын

Fletcher and Spruance's caution actually acquitted them quite well each time, especially given how Halsey's recklessness and insistent aggression led to disaster several times (Leyte Gulf, running his fleet straight through a typhoon for minor reasons and getting his forces wrecked for nothing).

@jedimasterdraco6950 10 ай бұрын

I feel that Halsey’s issue was less his aggression and more being inflexible once he’d made an initial decision. At Leyte, he was pretty much fixed on the objective of taking out the Japanese carriers, partially because they represented the biggest threat in his mind and partially because he was no doubt recalling the criticism Spruance had faced after Philippine Sea. And in the case of at least one of the Typhoons, initial predictions made it seem like the storm wouldn’t be so intense so he decided to ride it out and stay on station. Speaking as someone who lives on the southern coast the decision to stay or evacuate is rather dependent on what the weather wizards tell us. Not to mention Spruance had his own shit-to-the-brain moment when he initially tasked the bombardment battleships to intercept the Yamato. Considering these were the older Standards, not the modern fast battleships, I’d say that could’ve been a little messy.

@StuffWriter 10 ай бұрын

Yes! Absolutely. Halsey is far too over-celebrated. The typhoon incident especially is unforgivable. Almost 1,000 Americans never made it home from the war not due to battle but abject recklessness.

@robruss62 7 ай бұрын

Halsey and Spruance each got the wrong battle- Spruance at Leyte would have bagged Kurita's as well as Ozawa's and Nishimura's forces. Had Halsey commanded at Philippine Sea, he'd have not only wiped out Ozawa's entire carrier force but run down and crushed the Japanese battle line. It's worth noting that Halsey managed to win the last great naval victory of WWII, when he literally destroyed the Combined Fleet at Kure, sinking 3 of the last 4 battleships and sinking or badly damaging 3 of the last 4 carriers. Besides avenging Pearl Harbor, it was also a spectacular political lesson that killed any notion among the Japanese of a Great Betrayal myth that they were betrayed by cowardly politicians while the fleet was still intact (such as the Germans claimed after 1918). It's also worth noting that at Bougainville, following Merrill's victory at Empress Augusta Bay, Halsey took the heroic gamble to forestall another Japanese counter attack by taking Saratoga and Independence with an inadequate surface escort to pound the Japanese at Rabaul. A daring gamble that paid off brilliantly. Without disparaging Nimitz's generally excellent handling of the Midway crisis, part of Fletchers and Spruance's caution in exploiting the victory was Nimitz's mistake in keeping Task Force 1 on the West Coast instead of backing up the carriers with a battle line. Assuming a similar outcome of the June 4 carrier action, Spruance could have indeed have pressed the attack and engaged the seven battle ships and two small carriers of Yamamoto, Kondo and Nagumo's remaining forces. Even Yamato might not have been adequate to carry the day with Spruance's dive bombers harassing the Japanese formation, though probably at least one of the 6 US dreadnoughts would have been sunk.

@jameshannagan4256 4 ай бұрын

Yes there is good and bad for all the main admirals but for some reason Fletcher seems to get the short end of the stick with no explanation that makes any sense. Fletcher was outmatched in every battle he fought in not just outnumbered, outclassed as well and still at least broke even and obviously did better than that (Midway). For some reason the brass didn't want to ackowledge that he was the guy in charge and he made the terrific decision to delagate correctly but gets no credit for it (Midway). Halsey made more mistakes and bigger ones than Fletcher period.@@robruss62

@cannonfodder4376 Жыл бұрын

He takes a long time but the world quakes when he uploads masterpieces.

@rg20322 Жыл бұрын

Couldn't have said it better.

@Vrym42 Жыл бұрын

I remember someone commenting on a previous video that this man is the king of ‘quality over quantity’ and it remains true.

@andreasgiasiranis5206 Жыл бұрын

Like sam'o'nella

@stevewhite3424 Жыл бұрын

@@andreasgiasiranis5206 I'm sure that means something but admit to being baffled what it is. Maybe I need coffee...

@JerBuster77 Жыл бұрын

Well sometimes life also happens.

@Fabian_Hu Жыл бұрын

The POV makes these videos more fun to watch compared to other videos. Keep it going ( :

@MontemayorChannel Жыл бұрын

thank you. but they take a lot of time to do. either way, I'm happy with the final result, it was worth it. :)

@seanmac1793 Жыл бұрын

@@MontemayorChannel the final result is just incredible and really puts you into the commanders shoes. I was agonizing over how to handle the situation.

@Amon_Gus6969 Жыл бұрын

@@MontemayorChannel you should since it is a very high qualtiy video. You even make better videos than some full time channels.

@RobertMeissner-hp5hs Жыл бұрын

Not only is your research impeccable, you have a great talent for narration and storytelling that’s hard to find these days!

@MontemayorChannel Жыл бұрын

Thank you Robert!

@CollinBehm-mp4ef 9 ай бұрын

My father was at Tarawa, I sure like to see what you could do with that operation , tell that story!

@billknudson2236 Жыл бұрын

Had I seen this in College, I would have had a totally different major. What a TOP SHELF explanation of what took place and why. So incredibly well researched and pulled together to make a presentation that I was literally sitting on the edge of my chair throughout and I am an old guy in his late 60's. THANK YOU Montemayor for sharing your talents. The Ken Burns of naval engagements---so WELL DONE. Does PBS or History Channel know of your talents? They should.

@RogerWKnight Жыл бұрын

Fletcher, Spruance, Halsey, and Nimitz had one very important goal to achieve: Keep the American Navy in the war until the new Essex Class carriers, Hellcat fighters, cruisers, Iowa Class battleships, and almost a thousand destroyers and that many improved torpedoes for the submarines, could be built and deployed to go over on the offensive against the Japanese. A debt of gratitude is owed to these admirals and to their men.

@novat9731 Жыл бұрын

100% agree. I feel Fletcher's career would have been more appreciated had it been the British navy. British military in general, being historically more accustomed to harassing the enemy on the fringes. Napoleon war in portugal and Spain, ww2 Africa campaign. Keep the enemy in the fight, but do so out of his comfort zone. This was over 1000 miles from Japan. Even before the war, Japanese shipping was insufficient to meet all demands. So, while the military would get enough, it would reduce resource flow from conquests. But the US was not willing to sloely chip away at the enemy. Engaging the IJN in a night battle with a smaller firce in 1942. Ridiculous.

@brianl7321 Жыл бұрын

Agreed. This is why when the question was asked about striking or holding I would've struck immediately. A practical guaranteed destruction of a carrier is worth it simply because all that needs to happen is hold ground and whittle down the Japanese carriers. Now I'm not sure if the American Pacific Fleet was operating under that assumption but if they were this was an incredible outcome for them. One japanese carrier down and status quo at Guadalcanal. Also engaging the IJN in a *night battle* with surface ships would've been suicidal. You still have no real idea what their force composition is and they've now TWICE pulled off impressive wins at night. You're risking your wounded carrier and turning a slight victory into a defeat.

@anthonyglennmollicasr.425 Жыл бұрын

Well said Roger.

@tommyjacobi2054 Жыл бұрын

@RogerWKnight But why? Sure Commanders "hope" they can hold the line untile reinforcements arrive. Nobody wants to lose all their fights in the next two years, of course not. But what IF? What would happend, if the US Navy failed this task? Is there really a danger, that japanese land forces can capture half of the US industrial power to win the production race? Or does anyone think, that if the us Navy goes to the bottom of the pacific in 1942, there is a real chance japan would attack the soviet union with so strong forces, that the axis defeat the soviets and then win the whole war? Yes with a lot of bad of bad luck, the usn may have te retake the midways in 1945. So what? Then they have dozens of nuclear bombs ready when mainland Japan came within range? I can't see the long term "win" for japan in this scenario. Even Japan never intended to defeat America, their hope was a non-combatant USA... This "a very important goal" is little more than a legend of the 1976 film and only the request to the military. Yes, the commanders may lose command if they are unsuccessful. And yes it whould cost the usa more. More time, more men, more production. No Officer wants that for his country. But i can't see the "one very important goal" in terms of winning the war. There was no "we must keep the usn swimming, or we losing the war".

@alexdrockhound9497 Жыл бұрын

exactly. he was working to maintain a very important opportunity cost. He HAD to maintain the military's capability, it was more than just the value of winning battles.

@thecappeningchannel515 Жыл бұрын

The fog of war scenario in this is enthralling. The Kinkaid surprise that a carrier is spotted, puts it all in perspective. These carrier battles were all about communication failures and what info they had to act on. Super interesting.

@toddpeterson8653 Жыл бұрын

Its truly the game of Battleship: Where are they? And Where the Fuck are we?

@Psytinker Жыл бұрын

Shout out to the scout that tickled Fletcher's balls before dying.

@johnr8252 Жыл бұрын

Caution was exactly what was called for in '42-'43, since we (US) we out gunned and on the defense. Monte, an excellent analysis. Thank you.

@dbznappa Жыл бұрын

"I hope you liked it" he says at the end. People are absolutely rabid for this content! Thank you so much team Monte!

@suprotwin 10 ай бұрын

@montemayor came to say same. I belong to a historical community that is focused on a different time in North American military history, but even given that difference, all our boys are way into sharing and discussing your content. Well done, friend.

@harmb1109 3 ай бұрын

Km NM q Ĵ@@suprotwin

@morenteria2988 Жыл бұрын

Montemayor, you can see how much we appreciate you, my friend. Guys, please read his description and show our boy some love.

@MontemayorChannel Жыл бұрын

haha I do Mo Renteria , I do. The number of these comments are insane. I feel much appreciated my friend. I'm honored to see such a strong community watching these videos I make.

@morenteria2988 Жыл бұрын

@@MontemayorChanneljust being honest, this is primo content. You can totally tell your hard work and time you put into your videos. They are worth the wait. Thanks again!

@DixonLu Жыл бұрын

Donated through PayPal. This channel kept me interested more than the History Channel or any WWII channel.

@MrJlucRober Жыл бұрын

@@MontemayorChannel This how History should be teached !

@OceanHedgehog Жыл бұрын

Your stuff is always such quality, I was expecting an April 1 (April Fool's) release of "The Battle of the Philippine Sea from the Japanese Perspective" video, which would just be a 20 second clip of Chicken Little screaming "The sky is falling!"

@alexschreiber3003 Жыл бұрын

😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣

@Mechanized85 Жыл бұрын

what the fuck

@Cobra-King3 Жыл бұрын

*"THE SKY IS FALLING!!!"* Also bro, to remember Chicken Little? We must be old

@naamadossantossilva4736 Жыл бұрын

That would be giving too much credit to the japanese.

@artbacon7906 Жыл бұрын

As a student of the game of chess, I'm glad that you include a few "pause the video and make a decision" moments in your videos. A lot of chess videos include this type of video editing technique, and I must say that it really helps me understand the situation and forces me to solidify my feelings about the situation. While I think it's dangerous to "gamify" war, putting the viewer in the commanders shoes is an effective teaching technique. Great video! And I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

@Spearca 5 ай бұрын

Games don't have to be abstract or trivial. Gaming a real situation _can_ be as legitimate an inquiry as in other media.

@themangix357 Жыл бұрын

Seriously, there's no one as comprehensive on detailing naval battles as Montemayor. You're the best!

@warazm7210 Жыл бұрын

Man these videos with Fog of War are just on another level you feel like you are in the heat of the moment and have to react quickly.

@someguy999 Жыл бұрын

It also sheds light on how difficult it was for the leaders to make decisions. A lot of documentaries don't make this clear and make it seem like the mistakes were easy to avoid.

@warazm7210 Жыл бұрын

@@someguy999 indeed

@TomPVideo Жыл бұрын

Completely agree. Videos like these are amazing from a historical perspective and it puts decisions in their true context. It's like how Das Boot shows only the perspective of the crew. Between this and the In Deep Geek videos of the Lord of the Rings from each characters perspective, I'm convinced the world needs more videos with total fog-of-war across all genres.

@fakecubed Жыл бұрын

@@someguy999 Yeah, I would have made the same decisions as Fletcher. The POV videos are great. Looking forward to one from the Japanese perspective. Hopefully it won't be too long away.

@sonsofcyrus Жыл бұрын

A new video by Montemayor is a major KZfaq event!❤

@MontemayorChannel Жыл бұрын

Haha thanks hsmmrain.

@quirinoguy8665 11 ай бұрын

This was a depressing fate for Fletcher, but to be honest I wouldn't decline a quiet front after three stressful strategic battles and won every one of them in some way, his cautiousness is commendable and understandable, bravery and initiative is great, but recklessness gets you and your men killed, better to be reprimanded than lose so many lives and the war itself. I always picked what he would've done in his situation, I too would like to have much information before undertaking a task, whether it is work, a game, or maybe you in an admiral's position, information is really valuable.

@flparkermdpc 6 ай бұрын

Information is decisive. Picking out what to believe is where judgement comes in, and that, this early in the war was like handling mercury. Herding chickens eould have been easier. Fletcher was in the hottest of seats, and won all three. His air group was the best in those encounters especially in contrast to Hornet.

@brianmessemer2973 Жыл бұрын

The quality and integrity of your work is astounding. Even the WW2 history professors and actual experts in the field must be watching these going "wow, I didn't think I'd ever see something so well done", let alone the reactions of casual history buffs like me. I've seen all your previous videos, and they're all of this quality - it's astounding. I've seen the word "masterpiece" in the comments and I completely agree. Going to go and watch part 2 right now!

@TheOperationsRoom Жыл бұрын

He's back! 💪

@Slakpranker 2 ай бұрын

A king respecting a king 🫡

@zeedub8560 Жыл бұрын

The mapwork is excellent, the narration is educational and thought-provoking, but it's the ability to build tension and suspense in a historical event whose outcome is well-known that is so remarkable with your videos. I can't wait to watch Part 2, and I look forward hopefully to Santa Cruz.

@fakecubed Жыл бұрын

It's starting to look like he's going to cover the whole war in the Pacific. I'm very excited for each installment.

@davidluck1678 9 ай бұрын

Fletcher's pull-back from Guadalcanal during the night of 8-9 August was, to to put it mildly, well-timed. That patch of ocean he vacated was, later that morning, being transited by the damaged US Destroyer Jarvis, attempting to get back to base. Where she was swarmed and sunk with all hands by two squadrons of twin-engine Jap torpedo bombers out looking for Fletcher's carriers. This was neither the first time nor the last that Fletcher's so -called "caution" paid off big. Overall, Fletcher - operating from a position of both qualitative and quantitative inferiority - defeated the Japs in the first 3 decisive carrier battles of the Pacific War; the only carrier battle the Americans lost - #4, Santa Cruz in late October - was the first one Fletcher did not command. This is not accidental.

@flparkermdpc 6 ай бұрын

Well played, Davidluck. You illustrate how mercurial was the fluid of the tactical situation.

@codyandrex152 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for giving credit to Fletcher's effort. His conservatism reminds me of Spruance who was similarly cautious at Philippines Sea. This is in stark contrast to Halsey's aggressiveness which is beneficial at times, but very detrimental at Leyte. But by that time, the disparity between USA and Japan had grown so large that enormous damage was mitigated. So Fletcher may very well have been a good admiral, but he just was not at his post at the best time.

@fabianzimmermann5495 Жыл бұрын

Amazing job in creating this video (as always), especially with the fog of war. I remember reading Black Shoe Carrier Admiral by John B. Lundstrom and realising just what a confusing clusterfuck this battle was. Thank you so much for portraying Fletcher in such a good way. I completely agree with you that his performance is underrated and that he deserved better in a lot of ways. I mean, he won more carrier battles than anyone else in history, including Midway, and did so against an enemy that was in many ways superior in carrier operations with better planes, better pilots, better launch procedures and more. Might be an unpopular thing to say, but Fletcher was the best carrier admiral of the US-Navy during the war in my opinion.

@dboi1656 Жыл бұрын

Honestly it's always one of the things I love about this channel. Regardless of the side being portrayed, he always has a great FOW take on what the respective commanders actually had a chance of knowing when they gave orders

@fabianzimmermann5495 Жыл бұрын

@@dboi1656 Yes, absolutely. Makes it way easier to understand their decisions.

@CFarnwide Жыл бұрын

It is crazy how history treated Admiral Fletcher until recently. The man was the Guinea Pig for USN tactics in the early and darkest days of WWII in the Pacific… and he still won! That said, I’m sure he was burned out (and concussed) after the Eastern Solomons and did need a break. Maybe he had done his share by then and others were a better fit for the type of battles yet to come. They certainly had volumes of experience written by Fletcher to help make them successful. But to savage the man’s reputation like it was??? Criminal!

@fabianzimmermann5495 Жыл бұрын

@@CFarnwide You couldn't have summed it up more perfectly.

@encinobalboa Жыл бұрын

1942 was before the first Essex class went into service. Carriers were a scarce commodity and had to be preserved. Given this, Fletcher's caution was prudent.

@ivanthemadvandal8435 Жыл бұрын

Love these fog of war videos. Having a God view of all events tends to give people a skewed understanding of events

@FalseNomen Жыл бұрын

I agree! It works so well that, even though we already know how the battle ends, there's a real sense of suspense.

@jeffjanoda8177 4 ай бұрын

It's good to see Fletcher defended. Thank you for that. He was a good carrier commander. It was a new weapon system, not fully understood by many. He came out of the battleship navy but adapted well to the new realities of air warfare. He made good decisions. Cautious, yes, but you had to be cautious in that kind of war. Mistakes meant defeat. But he could make the big decisions, and take the risks. He won big victories, like Midway. I always thought he was unfairly treated. At least they gave him another command instead of just trashing him. These are excellent stories, and you tell them well. Again, thank you.

@centurymemes1208 3 ай бұрын

honestly, this is the best the fletcher can get. imagine being under stress for months at that stage. i would’ve wanted a job but peaceful like in the north

@hypothalapotamus5293 2 ай бұрын

Some people prefer dumb and tough to cautious and correct. Fletcher understood where he needed to be and what he needed to do and acted with discipline, having a winning record. Most actions that he is criticized for were actually completely correct in hindsight (with the dumber criticisms advocating for the complete annihilation of Fletcher's Task force for no gain). On the other side of things were Halsey and MacArthur. It's amazing what you can get away with if you have a bit of swagger. "Where is task force 34? The whole world wonders." Then there was the willful ignorance exhibited in MacArthur's drive to the Yalu that led to so many American lives lost...

@robertbrown6500 Жыл бұрын

I have read about these engagements for fifty plus years, but this excellent analysis from the fog of war POV had me on the anxiously on the edge of my seat hoping Fletcher didn't suffer the same fate as Nagumo at Midway, even though I already knew the outcome of this battle from years of reading. I look forward to watching your video on the Japanese POV of this same battle.

@tylerrichards6456 Жыл бұрын

It’s very unfair to blame Fletcher for the failed Wake Island relief mission as this video sort of implies- he was given a direct order to turn around and he complied with the direct order like all naval officers should do

@thecappeningchannel515 Жыл бұрын

The americans fled the two cv carriers sighted outside Wake. No other word for it. They had 3 Task forces in the area and could have swarmed the Soryu and Hiryu. They chose to leave 1200 civilians and soldiers high and dry instead. 100 military pows were executed by the jap scum and the civilian prisoners had 20% death rate. Fletcher and Pie punked out like cowards.

@dukeford8893 Жыл бұрын

His supposed dawdling while refueling at sea has been cited as the reason the relief convoy didn't make it in time.

@davidluck1678 9 ай бұрын

@@dukeford8893 given that 2 Jap carriers - Soryu and Hiryu - with combat-experienced ace air groups were at that time lying in wait near Wake, while the 3 American carriers (with green air groups) were way too far apart to operate in concert if a carrier battle ensued....Fletcher's so-called "dawdling" was a damn fortunate thing. In fact Fletcher (correctly) sensed a disaster approaching, and forced Adm. Pye back at PH to cancel the whole mess. Fletcher didn't just win @ Coral Sea/Midway/Guadalcanal....he saved the USN's bacon at Wake.

@haroldsmyth6685 3 ай бұрын

Same old story. Nothing was done to mitscher at midway for his flight to nowhere. Could have cost the loss of yorktown. Fletcher wasnt in the 'club'

@darkstock5103 Жыл бұрын

Fletcher: *breathes* Everyone: “Omg why are you so passive???”

@Carvin0 Жыл бұрын

My dad was a Marine on Guadalcanal in 1942. Your idea of explaining this complicated history in the way it looked to US protagonists gives me an idea of the way my dad experienced it. Thank you so much!

@markswarbrick999 3 ай бұрын

My grandad Ted Striker was there

@davidsauls9542 Жыл бұрын

Another excellent video. Though Adm. King complained about Fletcher being cautious, he would have really raised hell if Fletcher had lost more ships. He could not please the man. At the time, we were Behind in terms of material superiority. People expect the naval commanders in 1942 to act like they had the ships/supplies of 1944. They didn't. They were very afraid of loosing what few assets they had. Wise !!

@christopherfranklin1881 7 ай бұрын

And don't forget that they gave ADM King another star to become one of the rare 5-Star Flag officers.

@Dilley_G45 6 ай бұрын

I'd say they didn't have material disadvantage AFTER Midway. They had a lot of ships under construction and the Japanese didn't and everybody knew it. All.Japan could do after Midway was buy time. They couldn't invade Hawaii, Midway, Alaska or New Caledonia, had given up on Moresby, still a British fleet in the Indian Ocean, USA still had a vast fleet that could retreat to save spaces that Japan could maybe hit with submarine raids. On the contrary I'd say the war in the pacific was decided at Midway and America could afford to lose units as long as they cause damage to the much harder to replace IJN. Had Fletcher lost all 3 carriers the US would still have won both Guadalcanal and the war. The Japanese carrier force as we saw struggled to hit their targets even without fighters and the US ships were about to get massive AA upgrades in 1942 that Ultimately shredded every Japanese attack wave

@ramblingsofadash5159 Жыл бұрын

Just need to say Montemayor, Take your time. You provide the most indepth videos about the pacific war and never feel rush/rush your videos. These are masterpieces and provide such info that other videos have to skip over to cover the wider campaign. Keep it up. Don't wavier for we are here and will always watch when you release these videos. Seriously much love

@lucchesi87 Жыл бұрын

ADM King: Stay here and cover Guadalcanal Fletcher: I'll split south so we don't get torpedoed ADM King: You're a coward. Now cover those convoys at this very stationary position Fletcher: ADM King: NOW LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE!

@thecappeningchannel515 Жыл бұрын

Sorry to say to all you Fletcher apologists. He got outplayed at Eastern Solomons. Only dumb luck saved Enterprise with moderate damage from the first wave and made the second wave unable to find them. He messed up his strike, his positioning, his search work and his CAP. At least he had the sense to withdraw before it turned into a disaster

@scottl9660 Жыл бұрын

I can’t tell where I’ve seen this exact comment like three times before, oh yeah it’s in this very comment section. I guess at some point a bot has to bot.

@thecappeningchannel515 Жыл бұрын

@@scottl9660 Not everyone reads alle the hundreds of comments. Fletcher nearly dropped the ball at Midway and did very mediocre at Coral Sea and Eastern Solomons. He was very correctly replaced.

@scottl9660 Жыл бұрын

Have to disagree, he did well at Coral Sea the loss of Port Moresby was the likely outcome if those transports went in. Fletcher went in with the inferior force and made the IJN halt the operation. It was the same story at Midway inferior force tasked with blunting an invasion, again the IJN pulled the plug on the op. At this point you know what I’m going to say about Eastern Solomon’s, inferior force, blunt IJN operation….IJN calls it off. Fletcher was the right guy, at the right time, with the right judgement, the right command authority, and just enough of the right weapons to change the course of history.

@thecappeningchannel515 Жыл бұрын

@@scottl9660 Thats one way to view it. I believe Fletcher set the american war effort in the pacific back at least 1 year, maybe 2 together with the faulty torpedo the us had. The results of Phillipines sea in 1944 should have come in 1942 (as Yamamoto predicted). I also think its a false established truth that the japanese held any advantage over american materiel or organisation. They were amateurs and had their code broken giving the us every advantage. How do you feel about Spruances failure to destroy the cvs at Phillipine Sea, when he had overwhelming advantage? He was widely criticised by contemporaries for that. If 'he did the best with what he knew at the moment' will be the refrain, this channel cheapens a very good concept.

@walterbsprinks Жыл бұрын

Our Father Was one of 76 SDB pilot’s & gunners -whose graduating class from May 1942 @Norman Oklahoma Air Station lost 65 of 76 graduates in the war. Your Video is Well done, to Excellent.

@official.djanthonyb Жыл бұрын

This is amazing!! Can’t wait for - Battle of Santa Cruz - Battle of the Philippine Sea - Battle of Leyte Gulf (this should be a 3 part series since so many things happened at once)

@hurgcat 8 ай бұрын

see you for leyte gulf in 2030 😅 I'm glad he takes his time but I hope I'm still alive

@antonleimbach648 Жыл бұрын

My dad was a WWII vet and I used to love listening to his war stories. Your channel is absolutely the best. Thank you for such great content, it is much appreciated.

@scuffedryangosling4264 Жыл бұрын

Love these tactical breakdowns of naval, specifically carrier based, combat. It's really hard to find on the internet. It's crazy how Fletcher was able to carve out a victory when the Japanese had the initiative this entire battle. Also, my grandfather was deployed in a dauntless naval squadron somewhere in this region of the Pacific. He was a tail gunner. He was likely in some of these strike groups talked about in your videos. Thanks for covering this.

@maxxiao1858 Жыл бұрын

The one history teacher we all want

@Summerwolff Жыл бұрын

Its good to see you back. I only came across your videos recently but your unique approach to use the Fog of War to explain the possible state of mind of both side is refreshing and also makes it easier to understand strategies of the past. I hope you will be able to approach other battles in history thru multiple ages this way, that would be the dream!

@ezequieldg7509 Жыл бұрын

it pisses me off so much to see a channel that puts this much effort into research, story telling and historical accuracy not have a much higher sub and view count. thank you for your work montemayor, it is deeply appreciated, please keep it up!

@thecappeningchannel515 Жыл бұрын

He's got good numbers for a niche channel though.

@FrothingFanboy Жыл бұрын

8 videos over a million views with the top one over 15 million is pretty swell if you ask me.

@thecappeningchannel515 Жыл бұрын

@@FrothingFanboy not as cool and well viewed as my Channel of course, at least before youtube removed many of my vids. But Montemayor is one of large ones out there. I just hope he wont fall into the 'he did as best he could with what he knew' thats he's been on. The choice to strike or evade is always there for the commander.

@cattledog901 Жыл бұрын

What are you crying about? His videos are very well done and thoughtfully researched but he posts 1 or maybe 2 videos a year, of course his sub count and views will be lower. Having 376k subs for 14 videos made is pretty good ratio and nothing to be "pissed" about lol 🤡

@silentrift63 Жыл бұрын

Yes! He's back! He's back! Montemayor I think your videos are absolutely fantastic and are an immediate must watch when released!

@MontemayorChannel Жыл бұрын

Thanks, I hope you like this one silentrift63.

@sergeipohkerova7211 Жыл бұрын

Facts. I like to listen to the three part battle of midway series repeatedly.

@t.n.h.ptheneohumanpatterna8334 Жыл бұрын

@@MontemayorChannel hi

@silentrift63 Жыл бұрын

@@MontemayorChannel absolutely love it! I got a masters in strategic studies and despite that I find your videos more informative than nearly any class I took during my time there.

@SiliconeJockey 7 ай бұрын

Thank you Montemayor for another masterpiece. Your work is exemplary!

@charlietango9523 Жыл бұрын

Love the fog of war and getting the perspective of not knowing and thus seeing what they saw. Great videos m8, you do a great job telling the story. I know it's a long time between videos, but I know it's a quality video with supreme maps and production value. So glad I found your Battle of Midway video years ago.

@manuelacosta9463 Жыл бұрын

It's been quiet a while and Montemayor delivers yet again. Nice of you to include the fog of war, it completes the account and gives us a feeling of what the commanders and intelligence officials went through behind the scenes.

@OnSilverWings Жыл бұрын

I found your midway videos really captivating, entertaining and always go back to watch it every now and then. The other WW2 battles were also enjoyable to watch but it's great to have another battle to study.

@MontemayorChannel Жыл бұрын

Great to hear vsilverwings. I'm glad you've enjoyed them. I guess this makes it a trilogy of carrier battles now. :)

@omenaccipio Жыл бұрын

I Hack-Downloaded them!

@ucflover2935 Жыл бұрын

@@MontemayorChannel i love your vids. Ur vids got me into naval combat

@AndrewGivens Жыл бұрын

It's so lovely to see a comment thread for a YT video that's full of "Masterpiece" and "Amazing quality" and even "At last; I've waited so long and not disappointed" - and best of all, to know that it's all true. This is among the very finest KZfaq channels. Montemayor; thank you so much for your work. I have quoted, referenced and linked your outstanding work numerous times in my writing (essays on Quora) because, to my mind, no other content producer really matches quite what you do in this niche. Some come close and many produce a lot more, but you *always* hit the gold standard. Thanks again.

@argenos40 Жыл бұрын

I was looking at my KZfaq feed and saw a thumbnail that looked familar. I was so happy when I seen Montemayor, glad to be learning history and your content is amazing. I learned about the battle of midway through you and I can't wait for your newer videos, keep it up! 🔥

@spudskie3907 Жыл бұрын

Admiral Fletcher has been criminally underrated by historians. He commanded in 3 of the 4 carrier vs. carrier battles in 1942 (3 of all 5 carrier battles in WWII) when Japanese naval aviation was at its best and never lost.

@thecappeningchannel515 Жыл бұрын

@Gotterdammerung05 Жыл бұрын

@@thecappeningchannel515 getting outplayed happens. Doesn't change the fact that he was still the commander at Midway and Coral Sea, messed up way less than the likes of Halsey who was practically a comedy of errors, or Admiral King with convoys on the East Coast. I don't know history is so unkind to him for a couple of comparatively minor mistakes when his primary success was one of the greatest and most famous of the war.

@johnwolf9816 Жыл бұрын

Eastern Solomon's was his toughest assignment, toughest carrier position in entire war. They knew roughly where he was, yet, didn't lose his pilots. It was his best performance, and that is saying something (Midway, Coral sea). No such thing as "dumb luck" this wasn't a video game.

@thecappeningchannel515 Жыл бұрын

@@johnwolf9816 the Japanese second wave of bombers -missing- his task force, is pretty damn lucky.

@Navarro_Jr Жыл бұрын

@@thecappeningchannel515 Be honest the first year of the war in the Pacific for USA was a mix of Luck , Japanese incompetence and american bravery

@ibbi32 Жыл бұрын

It's a good day when montemayor uploads

@jacobfisher8692 Жыл бұрын

While I have watched other military history/animated battle maps channels cover this battle already, Montemayer has gone far and above all of them with the details of this battle and the quality of their video. I never wish more time was spent on a topic or paused the video to get a good look at the fleet composition. This truly feels like a 30+ page essay on this battle with animated maps to visualize everything. Outstanding work as always!! Taking nothing away from other awesome channels, the best battle map/military history on this platform!

@casesully50 Жыл бұрын

I was recommended your channel. I'm a huge Operations Room viewer. Your content is great! You bridge the gap between what The Operations Room doesn't cover. To be honest I was skeptical going in but your research is spot on and your animations put me in the commanders seat.

@nopoint2427 Жыл бұрын

I cannot describe in words how amazing your work is this is undoubtedly the best WW2 military documentary channel on KZfaq. Your unique take with the POV increases the tension and suspense and makes great content.

@CaffeineGeek Жыл бұрын

Expected nothing less than a masterpiece. Montemayor did not disappoint.

@drwatkins68 Жыл бұрын

Another superb video. No one else, written or video, is presenting these complex battles in such an easy to follow and understand way. Very well done!

@lakeman_gj Жыл бұрын

I've been waiting a long time, but certainly the clip was 200% worth of it. Clip is very thorough and gripping. Eventhough I know the story of the battle, I watched your movie really hooked. The thing I like the most is "fog of war" attitude. It really recreates the dilemma of the commander. Keep up the very good work, Montemayor. You are doing the AWESOME job!

@Rudy-du2mt Жыл бұрын

This an absolutely PHENOMENAL video, I coud not believe there are 2 additionnal unlisted video attached to this! I absolutely love the Fog of War, First person view of the admiral, and the pauses, for us to think and make decisions! I know it sounds a bit cliché and memey, but it really makes FEEL like you're an Admiral! 😆 I can't wait to see your next video! I'm sure it will take FOREVER to edit! So take your time! You are truly blessing us with your superior documentary level quality! If I don't watch your next video, you better assume I'm DEAD! Congratulations! You truly deserve all the praise, I wish you the best! Cheers! 👏

@amsfountain8792 Жыл бұрын

I felt the same way.

@timf2279 Жыл бұрын

I really like this channel much more than the Opperations room. I feel the quality and in-depth information is a lot better. Also, having one video than broken into five makes it much better. I really appreciate your hard work and effort. I'm glad to see this new video.

@brucewayneisdeadpool830 Жыл бұрын

Operation's room is also excellent but he focuses more on small details and actions of individuals, without leaving time to pinder on the factors involved and the decision-making required. Every available info and the following decision is presented one after another, as well as the aftermath. That's also good giving a quick run down of the facts that took place, but loses part of the thrill and the stress that existed.

@timf2279 Жыл бұрын

@Bruce Wayne is Deadpool I was a sponsor of the Opperations room as I enjoyed his content. However, he seems to add a personal bias to his presentation. He is also very short with some of the comments, like how to pronounce Bastone. I pulled my sponsorship, however I still enjoy his content. I really like Montie much better.

@Rudy-du2mt Жыл бұрын

Both are incredible in their own way! I think! Maybe a collaboration video some day? That would be incredible!

@KWENTONGKWENTO Жыл бұрын

The Operations Room is also good

@Bradley_UA Жыл бұрын

@@brucewayneisdeadpool830 yeah OR just lays out the facts in the most dry way possible, and tbh a wikipedia article is more excelent than those videos. Only thing he does well is quntity... But again, its not like he covers things that you cant rea about in a better form. Not a fan.

@untruelie2640 Жыл бұрын

This video is yet another masterpiece. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, even though I did knew the outcome of the battle. I had already watched the Drachinifel series about the Guadalcanal campaign, but your videos add such a large amount of different information and details and provide so much suspense and emotional investment that it's like hearing about it for the first time again. I especially like your usage of the map, it really helps in understanding what is going on. Keep up your fantastic work!

@davidvanwagoner9027 Жыл бұрын

Boy, I’m glad you’re back! Your Battle of Midway and Nagumo’s 11 minutes to make the correct call really put the events into perspective. Yours are the most complete videos on your chosen subjects. A really sincere Thank You. 😊

@schuyler_anderson Жыл бұрын

I don't comment on channels often, but I have to say it's wonderful to see you back with another video. Thank you for sharing, it's truly top tier content.

@MM22966 Жыл бұрын

I too am pleased you released new content. Your commitment to showing (in detail) how decisions actually get made in real time with available information is nearly unique among history channels I am familiar with. I consider your Pearl Harbor episode to be the finest re-telling of that battle....and this one wasn't bad either! I never realized there was a second strike by the IJN that COULD have sunk Enterprise & possible Saratoga, thereby putting a twist in the whole Guadalcanal campaign, and thus the course of WW2!

@davidlee8551 9 ай бұрын

Excellent video. Thank you for your work that explained the battle well!

@nocturne000 Жыл бұрын

I just wanted to say I really enjoyed the way this information was presented. Besides the fantastic animated battle overall, the idea of posing questions about what the audience would do if we were in control of the carrier with the given information that Flecher had really made me think about the weight of these decisions, and appreciate what an immensely hard position the Commander was in.

@nosteponsnek2617 Жыл бұрын

I saw this upload and let out an audible gasp before immediately clicking. Glad to see everyone is just as excited as myself by your content, nicely done.

@mbryson2899 Жыл бұрын

Welcome back, I've missed you! Thank you for this account. Most recountings are written with 20/20 hindsight, they absolutely do not convey who knew what and when. Your account really makes the tension of the moments palpable, it put me right in the situation as it was. BRAVO!

@richmcintyre1178 Жыл бұрын

Without question the best videos on the war in the Pacific. The videos addressing battle strategies from both perspectives are both informative and thought-provoking. Thank you for the obvious time and effort you dedicated to these presentations.

@TheSeriousCat Жыл бұрын

The man, the legend is back ! Thank you for diving into details of history and giving us a comprehensive & respectful view of events. Obviously with insight it could be easier to criticize some choices but you don't, putting everything into perspective.

@TheBest_Nascar Жыл бұрын

The Man The Myth The Legend It's true- He is alive!

@notaidan4451 Жыл бұрын

HE IS ALIVE thank you so much for these incredible videos Incredible storytelling. Keep it up and take your time to make these videos as best as possible. They continuously improve every time.

@brian80ish Ай бұрын

By far the best, THE BEST, military channel on KZfaq.. The fog of war and analysis, just brilliant.

@jimmybryant1128 Жыл бұрын

I am always hoping and waiting for another Montemayor video to come out. So well examined and planned out. I am a HUGE WWII history fanatic. This is like some sort of crack for me. I was so excited to see this one come out! Now… to the Fletcher situation. Fletcher did the same thing at Midway. Being cautious and not over committing. If he had over commit on either engagements, he would have been the one that got caught with his planes un prepared on the decks fully fueled and armed. By being in reserve, he could launch a strike at any moment if/when the other 2 carriers were spotted. Fletcher didn’t want to be the one caught with his one big punch on the fly when the IJN carriers showed up. He did in this engagement as the Midway engagement. Sent some of his force to deal with the single contact and defeat it and hold his big strike for the other 2 carriers. What Admiral King did, was not for what Fletcher did or did not do, it was for his personal saving face and his redemption towards Nimitz’s embarrassing of him for the Midway engagement. King had serious concerns over Fletcher’s appointment of the Midway task force that Nimitz dismissed, and that Nimitz chose to engage the IJN from northeast of Midway and not pull back closer to protect for a possible invasion/attack of the west coast. This was Adm. King’s way of regaining his authority and respect over CINCPAC. This was the naval battle that actually foretold of the coming of the end for the IJN. The IJN had this battle in their pocket if the American fleet would have committed everything to the battle. The intelligence of the IJN was far superior in this battle and had so much going for it to win in dramatic fashion. But because Fletcher was “cautious”, he didn’t get drawn into the Ryujo sacrificial trap (Montemayor sees this clearly also) and comes out of it with 3 kills of IJN ships to zero on his side. Adm. King doesn’t see this and calls it a loss. Anytime you walk away with hitting and damaging your enemy seriously (and that’s what this is), and walking away with a scratch is a major victory. Now some may say that the Mariannas Turkey Shoot was the biggest defeat of the IJN or maybe even Midway, but intelligence and the subsequent ambush won Midway. The Mariannas was just the IJN sending out their bottom of the barrel pilots in the (by then) obsolete Zeros against the Hellcats, and poorly equipped naval assets. For the IJN the Mariannas was just pissing into a firestorm. I’ve seen the other reports and analysis on other media and publications for this battle. They do give a broad mixed examination and some are scathing. But the simple fact is… it’s a huge strategic victory for Fletcher! The negative reviews only look at “what-could’ve-been”. My congrats to Montemayor for another outstanding review, analysis and video!!! 👏👏👏👍👍👍 The CGI, demonstrations and commentary are superb!!! Fletcher should have been hailed as a Hero.

@jamesnigelkunjuro12 Жыл бұрын

You make some of the best blow-by-blow videos on military operations here in youtube. I appreciate the bird's eye view as well as the fog-of-war POV commentary you provide. Regardless of the long gaps between videos, they are all certain to be quality content. My hat's off to you, and I hope to see more content soon :)

@sparkysrg8706 Жыл бұрын

The day is finally here, the long awaited return.

@spongememefunnypants9101 Жыл бұрын

If only KZfaq promotes hardwork like this, he'll definitely get a higher sub count and views.

@RandomMan1999 Жыл бұрын

This is incredible work once again, Montemayor! The wait is always worth it with your content, thank you for pleasantly surprising us

@dannyn.6933 Жыл бұрын

American industry was so overwhelming that the war was basically a foregone conclusion. Its easy to makes it feel detached and small. But to be put in the perspective of the commanders with the fog of war, it’s so much more engaging. Especially at 39:32 when you (Fletcher) suddenly realize the consequences of your actions and the immense danger that your entire fleet is in.

@josestirtabudi6247 Жыл бұрын

You are by far my favorite military history channel! Absolutely beautiful and the fog of war is awesome. It really helps put things in perspective

@dkwtpby 9 ай бұрын

Bro i love your videos your one of the best. You explain everything with so much detail and clarity, your voice also very calming yet so expressive. Hope you upload more soon

@DASDAS1929b 10 ай бұрын

You really make these naval battles come to life. I hope you keep doing these as you are able. Wonderful storytelling.

@BigTLord01 Жыл бұрын

This channel is like oversimplified. He doesn’t post much, but when he does it is fantastic.

@thegoodcaptain1217 Жыл бұрын

Admiral Fletcher was depicted as a fool in the original Midway movie and left out entirely in the silly remake. I appreciate your helping set his record straight. The man appears to have been modest to a fault. When asked in an interview, "Who won the Battle of Midway?" Fletcher replied, "While we may not know who won the battle, I know for sure who would have lost it."

@thecappeningchannel515 Жыл бұрын

@thegoodcaptain1217 Жыл бұрын

@@thecappeningchannel515 too bad you weren’t there. Thank god you’re here now thou. Insightful AF.

@thecappeningchannel515 Жыл бұрын

@@thegoodcaptain1217 yeah, dont judge Hitler or Stalin either. Cuz you werent there. Is that how it is.

@shadow7988 Жыл бұрын

@@thecappeningchannel515 Why yes this comparison totally makes sense and isn't completely asinine.

@thecappeningchannel515 Жыл бұрын

@@shadow7988 Ok. You have a point. Still.

@mako88sb Жыл бұрын

Excellent video and well worth the wait. I read The Admirals a few years ago and it's obvious that King always had it in for Fletcher going back as far as the 1914 Battle of Vera Cruz were Fletcher was awarded the Medal of Honor. Meanwhile King's entire naval career appears to have been pretty quiet in regards to actual combat situations. He was furious with Fletcher for the loss of the USS Lexington which he had commanded before the war. Although awarded the Navy Cross and the Navy Distinquished Service Medal 3 times, none of them were directly related to combat. No doubt he had some excellent attributes or he wouldn't have become a Five Star Admiral but he also was responsible for poor decisions that resulted in a large amount of mechant ships and crews being lost along the US Atlantic coast.

@zero-arc3810 8 ай бұрын

God, I’d love more of these. The quality is supreme.

@legendofzelda1 Жыл бұрын

Judging by the time it takes to make these masterpieces, and by the number of battles forthcoming; I'll be happy to wait the decade it takes to get to the Leyte campaign, specifically the battles of Surigao Strait and Samar.

@RagingAura Жыл бұрын

I paused the video at 23:29 and chose the aggressive option. The first strike advantage was proven deadly in prior combat encounters, particularly Midway. I also lean towards aggression because fortune favors the bold, and with luck you might stumble on all three. There is a risk that you may be stuck in a situation akin to Nagumo's dilemma where the timing of the enemy attack means you are unable to launch yours, and the enemy gets to attack with impunity. It would be better to commit now and take the opportunity to reduce enemy firepower prior to their counterattack. My memory of the actual battle is fuzzy so let's see if I get it right or pull a Halsey. Edit: 33:09, safe option to attack immediately because to wait risks being bombed right now with armed and fueled planes a la Midway style, and the chance to attack at all will slip away soon. Sinking any carriers is a win, even if it repeats Coral Sea. Any carrier losses to Japan will be irreplaceable while even if the entire task force is lost, it will be replaced twice over in less than a year. Attacking now even with expected losses would leverage this future materiel advantage. Edit 2: Attacking early at 11:30 probably results in Ryujo being sunk earlier, possibly before launching any attacks, and and the US planes return to Saratoga either just before or during the Japanese attack; since Henderson field is nearby they can assist with CAP and then go to Henderson when low on fuel, avoiding a situation where planes have to ditch or clog up the decks just before bombers strike. The subsequent carrier battle likely goes the same way with minimal damage to the US carrier task forces. I wonder if the dilemma's really made any difference given the Japanese fleet carriers were never spotted. I think Fletcher made the best of a tough situation that he was forced into by his orders. He has one hand effectively tied behind his back lingering in the same area to the point that an entire Japanese operation can pinpoint his task force to sweep it aside prior to a naval invasion. It's a shame that he got dragged through the mud despite shepherding his forces well.

@willo7734 Жыл бұрын

Yeeeaaahahhhhh!!! a new Montemayor video!! This was another amazing one. I think your method of telling the battle from the viewpoint of each side respectively is revolutionary and makes for some of the best content around.

@furens-aru Жыл бұрын

I felt chills run down my spine when he lifts the fog of war, that was epic.

@trevorday7923 Жыл бұрын

Between you and Drachinifel the whole Pacific campaign has really been bought to life for me. Thank you, you're both fantastic :)

@Warmaker01 Жыл бұрын

This battle had a lot of crazy good and bad luck going for both sides. Wonderful video and I especially love how you painted the situation as it evolved. It gives the feeling of uncertainty that a commander would have to deal with.

@SavageDragon999 Жыл бұрын

American during aircraft carrier battles always had that 'main character' luck on her side to be honest. Fucking USS Yorktown getting torpedo'ed and bombed MULTIPLE fucking times? Nah barely a scratch bro. Enterprise getting 3 bombs? Nah still working bro. Japanese carriers getting 1 bomb from Dick Best? Nuked bro. It's like watching stormtroopers vs Han Solo.

@krvx591 11 ай бұрын

You're among the top of similar channels, not only for the clear and accurate visualisations, but also for the great commentary. Good job!!

@rainbowapm Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for your content. I know these battles already, and yet hearing you recount the strategies and offering your viewers a chance to "make a decision" on how they would handle the dilemma - Fantastic.