Talk about the longest cliffhanger in the history of KZfaq, haha

He finally remembered his password for his youtube channel.

The fact that Thatch distracted the enemy enough with his snazzy flying, leading to the destruction of the carriers, and then personally took out Tomonaga to save the Yorktown (albeit temporarily) has all the feels of the main character storming through the campaign and taking out the final boss single-handedly.

"Winning is optional, but trying your hardest is not" is an oddly inspiring quote

And when the world needed him most he returned.

America: Took out 4 carriers Japan: Took out one carrier 3 times

The Yorktown's surviving planes getting the final strike on the Hiryu was some bittersweet revenge. Also, Jimmy Thach had some serious plot-armor in WW2. Dude was a badass.

Japan on losing 4 carriers: "We basically lost the war." US, if it had lost 4 carriers: "We'll have four more in two months."

He protecc He midway attacc But most importantly HE BACC

KZfaq: Here's a Midway video from Montemayor Me: Meh, I've already seen it KZfaq: (2/3) Me: *surprised pikachu*

Hey Montemayor: your Midway trilogy and Coral Sea documentaries are the best WWII sea battle documentaries on Earth. Better than anything on US or British TV or film. I don't know what else you do with your life, and how fortunate or unfortunate you have been in other matters, but I hope that, for the rest of your life, you take comfort and pride in that fact. You made the best WWII sea battle documentaries ever made. Thank you so so very much!

Legends say Yorktown didn't sunk. She just tactically submerged into the Pacific.

The day has finally come

The legend himself has awoken once more

the Hiryu chasing the enemy was definitely a wounded pride situation.. its honestly insane how much ordinance it took to sink the Yorktown..

Love the narration. No forced melodramatic voice, just straight story telling. Well done

HE’S BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER

Narrator: ‘It’s been 6 months since the attack on Pearl Harbour.’ Me: ‘It’s been 15 months since the last video.’ FINALLY THE LONG WAIT IS OVER!!! CONGRATS EVERYBODY!!! 🎊🎊🎊🎉🎉🎉

It's always the one you miss that's going to cause you grief

I think the general reaction aboard the Yorktown, after getting her patched up again, was a massive "Oh come on! Seriously?! Not again!!!". But the fact that the Americans patched her up so fast and well that the Japanese thought that she was another carrier speaks volumes about the men serving on her.

*And when the world needed him most, he returned*

Yorktown: I didn’t hear no bell

My father served during World War ll and was in the Battle of the Bulge so of course I have read and watched many accounts of that but this Midway documentary is the best of them all. I can only imagine how much time was spent on this work of art. Thanks for all you did to bring this to us.

The USS Yorktown is a crazy story. A damn near unsinkable ship, to have survived as long as she did and required two more torpedo hits to sink as she was being towed for salvage

Best battle of Midway documentary I've ever seen.

Yorktown: 'sunk' in the Coral Sea; 'sunk' at Midway; 'sunk again at Midway; finally finished off by a submarine while under tow. The ship was too angry to die.

Hey, it looks like you even used a 48 star flag there at the very end! Now that's a high level of attention to detail!

The 1976 Midway movie has its flaws to be sure, but the scene where the Japanese pilots on the Hiryu rush to the deck and see the burning carrier fleet is one of the most striking scenes of that film.

The Mogami and Mikuma don’t get enough examination. They are textbook examples of how Japanese Damage Control was entirely dependent on the leadership of individual officers on a per ship basis. Mogami survived because she (almost alone of the Japanese ships that day) had an aggressive and forward thinking Damage Control Officer. As soon as the ship was crippled in the collision he ordered the Torpedos jettisoned. Realizing that at her limping speeds they and the floatplanes aviation gas were the greatest danger to the ship. As the bomb hits occurred he further quickly ordered the ships magazines flooded. This meant that the dive bomber attacks really only tore up Mogami’s superstructure. As would be seen in other battles, dive bombers while damaging were nowhere near an efficient weapon against well prepared armored heavy surface units. Unless they could cause subsequent secondary explosions of the ships own weapons. The Mogami got rid of her Torpedos, dumped her AV gas and flooded her main magazines. The far less aggressive damage control officer on Mikuma did none of these things. The dive bombers triggered a raging AV gas fire as her seaplanes went up like kindling. The AV gas fire in turn cooked off her rear torpedo battery causing a massive explosion which left her dead in the water with her rear half wrecked just waiting for her other Torpedos and magazines to cook off. At that stage of the war most Japanese Damage Control doctrine was strictly reactive. They weren’t thinking ahead of the problem until things actually started exploding and burning. And it shows up in the smallest details when comparing their ships to their American counterparts. The first thing everyone notes in seeing pictures of the Japanese Carriers in operation is what look to the American eye to be sand bags tied around the bridge and other exposed positions. The Americans think putting sandbags around like that is a cheap and clever trick to limit shrapnel damage in combat. Which would be true, if they were sandbags. But they’re not. They are the crews Cotton bedrolls tied up all around the bridge and superstructure, to air out. Y’know their highly flammable bedding is tied around the admirals command bridge like a pillow fort. All the furniture in the ship is wooden. The walls are paneled with wood. Wooden floors etc. Paper and flammable paint everywhere. Contrast that with American ships. Everything on them was placed with an eye towards fire risk. Furniture and floors were metal. And after Pearl Harbor every crew in the Navy was spending what little spare time they had scrapping off the old flammable paint and repainting with fire resistant stuff. They tried to anticipate and thus reduce the damage before the hits started coming.

The Japaneses: We've taken out Yorktown Yorktown: Good job The Japanese: What? Yorktown: What?

I like the subtle forshadowing in this video that the Yorktown isn't out yet. After the first attack, the graphic just turns yellow, and after the second, it's still orange, when a deep red is the code for truly sunk ships.

I have heard of this battle my whole life and never really understood it. Through your efforts, know I do. Excellent job!

A noteworthy thing to mention: Mogami's commander made the decision to jettison the torpedo stores once it became obvious they were going to come under air attack. Mikuma did not. When the cruisers came under attack by the carrier bombers, both Mogami and Mikuma took hits that started fires in or near the torpedo storage rooms. The results were as might be expected.

Yorktown's grit against the odds is enough to make a man cry.

Amazing. In a couple of hours I went from knowing almost nothing about this battle to having a thorough view of the tactics and, more importantly, seeing the tremendous loss of life on both sides, and the bravery shown by both. Excellent. Thanks for the videos.

Alternative Theory: WHAT IF the Hiryu's second counterstrike (Tomanaga's torpedo bombers) had found TF 16 instead of the wounded _Yorktown_ ? In our timeline, Tomanaga's group managed 2 hits on an already-damaged ship ... and still didn't kill it. Had they found the target they were actually looking for - Task Force 16 - they would've been facing two undamaged (read: faster and more maneuverable) carriers, with presumably 2x the number of aircraft flying CAP. The likelihood is that (a) Tomanaga's group may well have been wiped out without scoring any hits, (b) had they managed the same performance, it's entirely possible that two hits on an undamaged carrier may not have been fatal, and (c) they may have split their forces to try to take out both carriers simultaneously, which given the strength of TF-16's defenses vs. the size of the Hiryu's strike package could have prevented any hits being scored. So, had Tomanaga actually found his assigned target, the outcome might have been no fatal damage to _Enterprise_ and _Hornet_ , and _Yorktown_ still steaming at 19 knots just over the northern horizon. With Yorktown still able to make good time under he own power, she would not have been a sitting duck for the I-168 the following day, and thus the battle would have been even more lopsided - the Japanese may have lost the entire _Kido_ _Butai_ with all 3 American carriers making it back to Pearl Harbor.

its honestly insane how much ordinance it took to sink the Yorktown.

This is why I learn English. I now know much more than I ever did reading books in Japanese. Thank you.

I am lost words on watching this. It is the most detailed, exaustive account of a battle I have ever seen. I am hooked now and have sunscribed to this channell and look forward to watch the rest of the accounts. If KZfaq Oscars awards were awarded Montemayor would surely get on.

By far, this is the best presentation on Midway I have ever seen. Great work and thank you.

Man, just imagine what wonders can Montemayor do to Battle Of Leyte Gulf with a history-telling and analysis as good as this.

Wow, at last! I stood up and shouted "He's back!" My wife, what? who's back?. Montemayor, you have outdone yourself, twice again (2/3 & 3/3). Now the question arises - What are you going to do next? Your videos and talent are simply outstanding. Based on the number of posts to your videos, I hope you understand that you have become a KZfaq star. Thank you for all of your efforts putting these videos together. I look forward to seeing more of your productions in the not too distant future... God has blessed you with a talent that most of us could only wish we had a fraction of. I had three uncles who were in the US Navy aboard different destroyers throughout the Pacific theater during WWII. Fortunately, all of them made it safely back home again but none of them ever talked about their experiences.

Thank you for a very cogent explanation of a fascinating battle. So many lives lost, let us not forget that all war is disastrous for them and their loved ones left behind

Great job - this is a lot of work. It took me days to put together a 30 minute PowerPoint presentation - can't imagine how long this took, and it was done well. The artwork by Mateusz Dąbrowski was also very impressive, very talented.

When A small Low to Nun budget Chanel makes a better documentary than National Geographic

*_IT'S HERE._*

This series of 3 videos is absolutely outstanding. Kudos to you for the depth and detail of understanding that you are providing.

IJN's Gettysburg. This was well done! The pictures, some of which I have never seen before are a fantastic touch & told from the view of IJN is also another thing I have not seen before & I watch a lot of WWII coverage. The manner in which you showed the battle, complete with movement, air strike damage sorties etcetera makes this mandatory viewing for WWII Pacific theatre people

"This turned out to be a foolish move" can be said for much of human history.

Montemayor's content is unbelievably better than anything I've watched on the military channel, discovery channel, or any other Television network in many years, if ever. The delightful visuals and detailed examination are truly superb. The commercial-less format, paired with not being rewarded by just filling time in with nonsense probably helps. Cheers Montemayor.

I truly appreciate all the work you put into this great piece you did. OUTFREAKINSTANDING!

Yorktown just doesn't die, legendary ship

IJN: Sir! We bombed an aircraft rendering it out of action, its now a 1v2, USS: 1v3 actually

I love how he starts like it hasn’t been 15 months since his last upload and starts it like any regular video!

Dude. This is such an awesome video series. I'm so glad I was lucky enough to discover your channel. I can't thank you enough for taking the time to do this.

Part 2 is amazing as part 1, WOW.

Yorktown ends up being the punching bag the USN needs. She participated in coral sea, where she helped to put down a light carrier and to put two carriers out of commission prior to midway. Had she not been at coral sea it's possible that it would have been 6-3 at midway. Then she gets repaired and shipped out to midway where she takes the brunt of two different strikes from hiryu, likely saving either enterprise or hornet.

I was more surprised to see this in my notifications than the Japanese fleet at Midway.

Heroes deserve their due. The heroic performance of many men who would not return home went unacknowledged during and after the war. What seems ironic is that certain noteworthy men were celebrated deservedly so for their accomplishments, but many of their comrades remain unnamed, although they too accomplished great acts of courage and determination which led to the defeat of their adversaries.

This is incredible work. I have never seen a better war history. Kudos to you sir!

Wait, this isn’t sponsored by World of Warships?

I can't believe that I feel genuinely sad that a ship sunk more then 75 years ago, the Yorktown really was too angry to die.

An excellent description in the detail needed to understand the Hiryu's actions. Well done!

Thank you very much Montemayor. One of the clearest, most interesting and well produced videos that I have ever seen on KZfaq. Very good graphics, chilling photos of the floundering ships and, best of all, the excellent narration. It was not only balanced and informative but was narrated without the unnecessary repetition or the game show host delivery style that has become so common in documentaries. A new subscriber.

Damn I'm getting all emotional over the Yorktown. What a badass ship.

It took longer to upload the second part of this series than it did for the United States Navy to respond to the Pearl Harbor attack. And it was well worth it

@Montemayor - This and the preceding video in this series are the first videos I’ve seen from your channel. They were excellent and I enjoyed watching them. Your presentation, analysis, graphics, narration and other aspects were concise and easy to follow. Thank you for your hard work and for making them available on KZfaq. I look forward to watching more of your videos and hope you will continue making them.🧨

Hindsight is really something - and you do an excellent job of explaining it here. Your posts are masterfully done. I anxiously await your next.

My father and I are huge history fanatics, and I just called him to tell him this video came out and we were both giggling like school kids lol

the Hiryu chasing the enemy was definitely a wounded pride situation.

As a kid I never truly appreciated my dad being a fire chief on countless carriers. I always thought he was just a fireman with outstanding cardio. But damn was I wrong, I owe my father an apology.

This was an extremely well put together presentation and I learned a great deal about something I thought I knew a good deal about. The timing of the airstrikes and search patterns is crazy!

I was expecting, "Previously on The Battle of Midway", at the beginning.

So proud of you my beloved brother. Mom and I are your #1 fans!!

This is the best discription of the Midway victory, I have ever seen! Thank you for doing a w job.

Thanks! A wonderfully put together doc in every detail.

When I thought 2020 was a lost cause, he rises and gives me hope.

he's back!

Excellent, yet again. You have a real talent for these documentaries. Thank you for posting them.

That was a very interesting overview on the battle. Very nicely done.

American Damage Control: I AWAKEN

FYI the wrecks of both the Kaga and the Akagi were just found in October 2019

Very well done, your research and graphics are first rate. I appreciate hearing the Japanese side of this battle.

Thank you for that. Hearing and seeing the whole engagement in chapter and verse was as enlightening as it was brilliant.

Man When the Yortown sinking always gets me. What a stubborn ship despite all of that beating. ಥ_ಥ

Godfather 2 , Empire Strikes Back , Montemayor’s Part 2 on Midway

These videos are insanely good man. You should be proud! Thank you so much.

Superb documentary. I thought I knew the battle of Midway, but wow! This is the best use of events timeline that I’ve ever seen. The presentation form the Japanese perspective is an effective learning tool as well. Please continue to make more.

it's always amazed me that these huge WWII pacific battles came down to just a handful of planes. You'd think with the might of both countries and the scale of this war, you'd be talking hundreds of planes vs each with when it was just 6 vs 5 type situations. The fate of world resting on just a dozen aircraft.. blows my mind.

The fact they made Enterprise the focus of the movie that came out last year was, to me, was a disservice to Yorktown. It was the underdog of the battle, with it getting repaired ahead of schedule and taking its hits like a champ til the death blow. Say what you will about the 70s film, at least they had her in it where she needed to be. Also, glad to see you are back. I’ve waited a while to see you finish these series.

Absolutely spectacular work. Flawless, detailed, deeply nuanced. Great job and thanks for sharing.

Watched all three videos 3 times and still get chills every time. I’m glad the Yorktown bombers were able to get their vengeance on the Hiryu instead of attacking a battleship. And to all those American pilots flying to their deaths to delay the counter attack are the true MVP. Their sacrifice was able to help sink 3 carriers.

Oh my god, getting a notification after all this time made my day. Haven’t watched it yet but I know it will be great. New Edit: this was really worth the wait, great content and keep up the great work

Hiryu crew: Captain they outnumbered us three to one Hiryu Captain: So it is an even fight

This was an excellent overview of the battle. Well explained and detailed. Thank you for this

I have watch these 3 video now 3 times over the past year or so and still pause to read the charts and rewind to make sure I catch all the action. These are better then any movie made about Midway IMO. Pure Gem. KZfaq knows my mind and keeps bringing these back to me.

I have to hand it to you. This is the best, most detailed understandable documenting of the Midway battle Ive ever seen on KZfaq. Cheers!

Legit upset at my teachers in high school and college for skimming over and poorly explaining history. Raced through it all as if not important. When done properly, as in this vid, it captures your attention and should make one think and appreciate history. Thank you for taking the time to put this together. Sincerely, it’s an awesome and well done documentary of history. 🙏

Hey man, I just wanted to say thanks for making history entertaining and memorable. It can be difficult to figure out who was where doing what, when I'm just reading it, the visual aid and wonderful narration really make this standout.

Wow, that was really well presented. Thanks for preparing and posting this. Very informative.