IJN Hatsuzuki - A Doomed Last Stand at Leyte Gulf

Рет қаралды 16,482

Күн бұрын

Doomed last stands. A popular topic in any kind of history, but especially naval history. The Battle off Samar is a legend for good reason.
At the same time as that battle, however, there was also the death of Japan's carrier force. And during that process, a doomed last stand by a Japanese destroyer. Hatsuzuki is not the best known Japanese ship. But her story, of defiance against impossible odds, is worth remembering.
There are echoes of Samar, here, and it's a shame her story isn't better known.
10cm Gun Video:
• The Japanese 10cm Moun...
Further Reading:
www.history.navy.mil/research...
www.combinedfleet.com/hatsuz_t...
ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%88%...)
In Japanese, and with the usual 'treat wiki with a mountain of salt' caveat.

Пікірлер: 59

@skyneahistory2306 2 ай бұрын

Since I’ll probably need to note this before someone tries to use ‘OMG WIKI, THIS GUY DOESN’T RESEARCH’ as some sort of gotcha moment: A: I always, always cite my sources in the description. B: The primary source here is the Wichita DANFS entry with Combined Fleet for the pre-Leyte bits. C: I make it very clear that Wiki is Wiki, and where things come from there. And to treat it with the appropriate massive pile of salt. This is probably shouting into the void, but still.

@AnchoredPast 2 ай бұрын

It's a shouting into the voide that is highly valid. People will find anything to complain about...I know I have to deal with this in my comments as well

@skyneahistory2306 2 ай бұрын

Copying from another comment… Frankly, there were exactly four things that came from there: 1. The reference to Mobile shooting first, which I noted isn’t mentioned in her DANFS entry. 2. The message to Isuzu, which seemed reasonable enough. 3. The smoke screen/torpedos, which fits destroyer doctrine in a holding action 4. The speed the ship was moving at, after catching fire. And, I suppose, catching fire at all. The rest came from Wichita’s DANFS entry. This isn’t like I’m relying on Wiki as a source, I cross referenced it with the reliable information and included only the bits that fit with other information.

@AnchoredPast 2 ай бұрын

@@skyneahistory2306 kinda the same deal. It's good that you said something about it, and it's not something you should beat yourself up about. Wiki although rarely reliable is able to give enough cross references to somewhere else if you can't find it in say the DANFS entry's. We do what we can as content creators, but my comment does still kinda stand. People no matter how small something is will find something the complain, or nitpick. You do a awesome job with each video.

@brownwrench 2 ай бұрын

Wiki is far from authoritative

@torgothegrey3567 2 ай бұрын

Hatsuzuki's last stand is one of the more interesting encounters. 1 destroyer holds off a cruiser-destroyer group to defend 4 ships laden with 2300 survivors for two hours so they can successfully escape.

@mikeynth7919 2 ай бұрын

The mirror image of what the Taffey 3 escorts did.

@williamromine5715 2 ай бұрын

It's strange that several cruisers and destroyers spent about an hour battling one destroyer while several other high value Japanese ships escaped.

@williamromine5715 2 ай бұрын

It's strange that several cruisers and destroyers spent about an hour battling one destroyer while several other high value Japanese ships escaped.

@torgothegrey3567 2 ай бұрын

Kuwa and Wakatsuki rescued 847 from Zuiho and 866 from Zuikaku, respectively, while Maki, which had 150 Akizuki survivors and Isuzu had 480 crew of Chitose. Little Kuwa, basically the equivalent of a destroyer escort, must have been a scene with 847 extra crew on her. She was so overcrowded that the Zuiho survivors were ordered to stand still. She transferred around 310 survivors to Isuzu and around 100 to Maki the next day. Hatsuzuki saved over 2300 survivors, not to mention the 1500 or so crew of the four ships.

@DragonShadowfire1 2 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for covering this plucky little tin can!! I remember first hearing the story of this little gunfighter through the Kings and generals Channel (Shoutout to their awesome Pacific war series!) I don't think enough credit is given to how much the odds were stacked against this ship, starring down the gun barrels of one of the best heavy cruisers in the US Navy, USS Wichita, but also USS New Orleans, a veteran of the battles off Savo Island, and a half dozen destroyers all capable of matching her firepower, and that's not including the two light cruisers. As to why her captain made the decision he did, I think it was initially based on a pragmatic decision to be the rearguard while the remaining warships finished collecting survivors...but once she was being concentrated by the entire formation, and her captain could see that his ships were withdrawing, he made the hard choice to make a last stand to buy as much time as he could for those who got away. I don't think any captain of a warship caught in such a situation makes a decision based on heroics, but it is thanks to their efforts that they are recognized as a heroic feat. Thank you again so much for covering this little gunfighter! One of my favorite classes of destroyer, and a sincere shame that none remain today as a museum. Can't wait for the next one!

@Weegee246 2 ай бұрын

Designed as an escort for aircraft carrier battle groups, Hatsuzuki (“New Moon in Autumn”) was one of the Imperial Navy’s excellent Akizuki-class anti-aircraft destroyers. Commissioned in December 1942, Hatsuzuki served throughout the Pacific War as a fleet escort. Her first major battle was the June, 1944 Battle of the Philippine Sea as part of Admiral Ozawa’s Force A, where she assisted the torpedoed carrier Taiho and helped rescue survivors. Four months later she was again with Ozawa as an escort with his Northern Carrier Force during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Again she found herself engaged in the unhappy task of rescuing survivors from sunken carriers, this time from Zuiho and Zuikaku. It was while so engaged that her great moment came. As Hatsuzuki was rescuing the survivors along with sister destroyer Wakasuki and the smaller Kuwa, the group was surprised by a U.S. force of four cruisers and three destroyers. In an act worthy of the more famous U.S.N. “Taffy 3” destroyer action a few hours earlier that day at San Bernardino Strait, Captain Amano Shigetaka detached Hatsuzuki to attack the U.S. force to cover the escape of Wakasuki and Kuwa. In a two hour running battle the fast, agile ship made repeated real and feint torpedo attacks and fired her guns continuously, managing to straddle the cruiser Santa Fe and shower the Wichita with splinters. More importantly, these all-out attacks distracted the U.S. force as Wakasuki and Kuwa withdrew. The destroyer put up such a fight that American observers identified the ship variously as an Aoba-class heavy cruiser or an Agano-class light cruiser - but the end was inevitable. The lone ship was, in the words of a USN battle report, “literally punched to pieces” under the combined firepower of four cruisers and three destroyers. All aboard Hatsuzuki, including the Destroyer Division Commander, perished. Nevertheless, the sacrifice enabled Wakasuki and Kuwa with their deckloads of survivors as well as the light cruiser Isuzu (which had been assisting the sinking carrier Chiyoda), to escape. Source - forums.kitmaker.net/t/ijn-hatsuzuki-1-200/882

@lyedavide 2 ай бұрын

Wow! In the Royal Navy or the US Navy, such an action would have been lauded and Victoria Crosses and Medals of Honor being handed out. Against the odds she faced, this ship put up one heck of a fight. Thanks for covering this lesser known action.

@davidh25952 2 күн бұрын

Thankyou for bringing to light a great heroic story, worthy of recognition. Bless'em all for their sacrifice.

@mikedee2503 2 ай бұрын

Well done Skynea, another interesting video. Paul S. Dull devotes 2 lines to Hatsuzuki's final action in "A battle history of the Imperial Japanese Navy", a source you might think would give her a bit more emphasis. But for obvious reasons the IJN records don't contain Hatsuzuki's log. The entire Cape Engano section of the Leyte Gulf series of battles is glossed over as inconsequential in most published accounts. Usually we are just told that Ozawa lured Halsey away to give the other non-carrier groups a chance. Which he (and Hatsuzuki) certainly did. I'm now looking out for your other work, thanks Skynea.

@bkjeong4302 2 ай бұрын

I’d actually argue Hatsuzuki’s last stand was more impressive than Johnston’s, given she had less backup and was fighting under enemy air superiority rather than having air superiority on her side. Still nothing on Edsall’s last stand tho, which I consider THE ultimate crazy destroyer last stand of all time as that was easily the most hopelessly outmatched (1 obsolete four-stacker vs. 4/6 of the Kido Butai and its full set of escorts)

@metaknight115 2 ай бұрын

I disagree. Johnston crippled the heavy cruiser Kumano, for a time belting survived three 18.1-inch shells from battleship Yamato herself, and despite being heavily crippled still shelled the light cruiser Yahagi and went down in a 1v7. Hatsuzuki just got her ass kicked.

@kpd3308 2 ай бұрын

I don't think comparing them is fair. Both ships fought bravely against hopeless odds to the end.

@sonicspeedster2684 2 ай бұрын

@@kpd3308You speak wise words

@philhawley1219 2 ай бұрын

Look for HMS Gloworm.

@istillusezune82 2 ай бұрын

@@metaknight115 I think O'Bannon's fight against Hiei was more impressive. She didn't fight alone but her gunfire and torpedo heavily damaged the battlecruiser while taking no damage herself.

@808scott 2 ай бұрын

Thank you for NOT USING AI for the narration. ❤❤❤

@tomlindsay4629 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for posting!

@frankwalder3608 Ай бұрын

33 Knots is pretty pedestrian for a destroyer. Earlier IJN destroyers made 35-36 knots, and US Fletcher and Sumners were making 35-36 knots as well. Many European contemporaries had top speeds of 36-39 knots.

@jeanlarose2343 2 ай бұрын

Thank you for the research.

@JGCR59 2 ай бұрын

If I have a shot every time you say "25 morale booster" on IJN vids I'd become an alcoholic

@tresco303lithgow4 2 ай бұрын

The 25mm guns never disappointed when it came to being disappointing.

@tresco303lithgow4 2 ай бұрын

As you ststed, wiki is wiki. Also, as you stated, sources are sparse and details are contradictory. You did a good job on this one. Pay no mind to the youtube trolls.

@HandyMan657 2 ай бұрын

Thanks, Skynea. Take care

@markymark3572 2 ай бұрын

Great video👍

@JGCR59 2 ай бұрын

The photos of Suzutsuki are not from the torpedo damage from USS Sturgeon in early 1943 but from her damage during operation Ten-Go as escort for Yamato on her last mission, where her bow was damaged again.... She managed to survive steaming backwards all the way to Japan but was never repaired. You can also see the simplified angular bridge Suzutsuki recieved in her 1944 rebuild compared to the more rounded bridge of the other ships.

@user-zj2zw1tg1x 2 ай бұрын

英語なので内容まではよくわかりませんが、写真を見る限りレイテでの囮作戦について解説されているんだなとわかります。その中で秋月型駆逐艦がいかに闘い散っていったのかですね。これらの中に出てくる写真で貴重な２枚がありました。１つは空母大鳳で今までに不鮮明なものを入れて３枚しかありませんでしたが、この写真で４枚となります。ものすごい貴重なものです。あとは、いまでは既に埋め立てられて土の中ですが、戦後防波堤に使用された涼月。使用されて間もない姿が拝見できたのは嬉しい限りです。大切に保管していただいて有り難うございました。

@mikearmstrong8483 2 ай бұрын

I might have explained it on another of your videos, don't recall, but the type 96 25mm AA did become much more effective towards the end of the war, not by modification of the gun or mount, but by a change in doctrine.

@craigpalmer9196 2 ай бұрын

i have always liked these

@cookiemurderer4866 2 ай бұрын

Amazing work as always! Is the image of Taiho at 6:00 a real one or photoshop?

@kidmohair8151 2 ай бұрын

why does everyone rain on wikipedia? wikipedia is the place to *start* research. it is not, and does not claim to be, anything more than a general information collater. any contentious claims *generally* have citations, or are marked as disputed. it is up to the person who is doing the search, as it would be with any other collation, to do their own checking of the sources cited.

@mikeynth7919 2 ай бұрын

Follow their citations, not the actual narrative they publish. Like when opposing counsel files a brief, you read their citations to see if what they wrote is accurate to what the court cited actually said.

@RebeccaCampbell1969 2 ай бұрын

There is clear foul play regarding the american task force logs from this engagement. Probable causes are many, but I think a honorable last stand ... avoiding publicity, might be the main cause. Hate and revenge for Pearl could also be included. The Japanese side lack of records is understandable... the other ships which escaped the Americans didn’t saw what happened, not even the survivors who disembarked as they were not caught by the Americans. America was the top fighting force in WW2, in strength but also in ethics and morality of actions. But it is impossible to expect them to be 100% pure, even in the most favorable conditions criminal actions happened. Great ship IJN Hatsuzuki, joining USS Johnston and USS Samuel B Roberts in the honor hall of fame (crews)

@bartonstano9327 2 ай бұрын

NEVER use wikipedia, editing of entries are often done by people with bias.

@AnchoredPast 2 ай бұрын

It's a good place to gain resources from such as sites, and images to use, but not much more than that.

@skyneahistory2306 2 ай бұрын

Frankly, there were exactly four things that came from there: 1. The reference to Mobile shooting first, which I noted isn’t mentioned in her DANFS entry. 2. The message to Isuzu, which seemed reasonable enough. 3. The smoke screen/torpedos, which fits destroyer doctrine in a holding action 4. The speed the ship was moving at, after catching fire. And, I suppose, catching fire at all. The rest came from Wichita’s DANFS entry. This isn’t like I’m relying on Wiki as a source, I cross referenced it with the reliable information and included only the bits that fit with other information.

@AnchoredPast 2 ай бұрын

@@skyneahistory2306 it's not something to beat yourself up about. In relation to the said topics it's better to default to wiki if you can't find it anywhere else. Most of the time you should be able to be able to cross reference it to a website, or somewhere it just depends.

@metaknight115 2 ай бұрын

@@skyneahistory2306What I always do is check the references below and see what the sources say

@issacfoster1113 2 ай бұрын

She didn't do damage compared to Johnston. No wonder she's not well known. Just stalling means nothing. Americans weren't even trying

@brookeshenfield7156 2 ай бұрын

She showed bravery to rival the Johnston.

@zachjordan7608 2 ай бұрын

stalling is better than failing to run and dying faster

@bkjeong4302 2 ай бұрын

By that logic Johnston doesn’t deserve much renown either as a lot of her fame comes from her (and the other tin cans) being credited for ALL the damage done to Centre Force at Samar, even though the majority (though by no means all) of the damage came from air attack.