“The Japanese Imperial Navy's Center Force fleet is bearing down on a handful of American escort carriers....but wait! Here comes the USS Johnston with a steel chair!!!”

Japanese Battleship: “Oh, you’re actually approaching me??” USS Johnston: “I can’t beat the shit out of you without getting closer.”

I’m not entirely convinced that the Johnston isn’t to this day sitting on the ocean floor planning its single handed amphibious assault on the Japanese mainland

"This is to be a fighting ship and I intend to take her into harms way." He didn't fucking lie. He stood against capital ships for 3 fucking hours. What a true American hero.

"Faced with an enemy whose gun turrets weigh more than the entire ship, Johnston decides running is boring."

American carriers were servicing planes from squadrons that came from who knows where, without question. Anything to get planes rearmed and back up. Meanwhile, in Imperial Japan, the Army can’t even be bothered to tell the Navy that they spotted the enemy.

"I'm not locked in here with you. You're locked in here with me!" -USS Johnston

That pilot that found an entirely new wing in an active battle is a legend

“We call it a destroyer. We’re going to earn that name today, boys.” USS Johnston

*after the 6th AP shell passes through your ship without detonating just making very large holes.* "STOP PUTTING HOLES INTO ME BLOODY SHIP!!"

When a more cautious approach may have guaranteed tomorrow, the Johnston and her crew chose eternity.

IJN Officer: "Sir, we've got the enemy on the run!" IJN Captain: [Calmly points toward the rapidly approaching USN Johnston]

Had the japanese not retreated the Johnston crew would have attempted boarding actions

Lt Frank Lupo departed one of the light carriers with no ordnance but constantly buzzed the enemy ships, rolling on it's side as he passed and shooting at the bridge with his .45 sidearm. That's either incredibly heroic or he was really pissed

“A Johnston- free firing position…” Read, “Any point on the map marked as ‘reserved for those too cowardly or too smart to fight the Johnston’.”

28:37 "Seeing the ship under attack by a heavy cruiser, she promptly shoots up this ship as well, because of course it does." Never change.

Narrator: "As the Johnston goes down..." Correction: As the Johnston engages submarine mode for its 6th counterattack...

It's amazing that the Johnston stayed afloat for as long as it did, considering the weight of the crew's massive balls.

Can you imagine what it must have felt like to be flying above the South Pacific on a warm day, listening to other people fight on the radio, and you dip beneath the cloud cover for another look at the clear blue sea only to come cockpit-to-mast with the _fucking Yamato._

Interesting to note USS Samuel B. Roberts also pulled a Carpathia and managed to exceed its design top speed by five knots during the battle by diverting all steam to her boilers.

"Shipmaster, they outnumber us three to one!" "Then it is an even fight."

This was the only time the worlds largest battleship Yamato fired at enemy ships, and a destroyer chased her away.

It's almost a crime that today there are no USN ships bearing the name _Johnston_ or _Evans_ ... their stories need to be told forevermore.

I love that description: "Johnston decides running is boring"

"This is going to be a fighting ship. I intend to go in harms way, and anyone who doesn't want to go along had better get off right now"-Cmdr. Evans' speech to his crew the day the Johnston was commissioned.

We're just escort carriers sir. We're ment to be expendable Uss Johnston: not to me

INJ Chikuma: *Sees USS Samuel B. Roberts approaching* "Aw look at that! Ain't it such a cute little ship!" *Roberts Proceeds to rip the Chikuma a new one* Chikuma: "AAAAHHHHHHH!!! Get it off! Get it off!"

"We're suckering them into 40mm range." 😂

Yamato: I’m the best ship in world war 2 USS Johnston: unfortunately for you history will not see it that way

The Johnson carried 5" guns, as well as an unknown number of absolutely colossal balls.

Three weeks ago, probably more, they announced Johnston had been discovered. Its number proudly displayed, its guns still aimed where they were when it was sunk, almost as if she still fights on even in death.

The Battle off Samar is, IMO, the finest moment of the US Navy.

Japanese Fleet: WHY WON'T YOU DIE!!!?!?!?! USS Johnston: BECAUSE WE'RE NOT DONE YET!!!!!

"In no engagement IN ITS ENTIRE HISTORY has the US Navy shown more GALLANTRY, GUTS, and GUMPTION than in those two morning hours between 0730-0930 off Samar." S.E. Morrision, the US Navy's historian of WWII.

In a curious twist of fate, the Battle off Samar occurred on the 90th anniversary of the infamous "Charge of the Light Brigade". Tennyson would write "the world wonders" in his famous poem, a phrase that managed to be attached in a message from Nimitz to Halsey.

*Edit* Samuel B. Roberts has been found in 22,262 feet of water, she now holds the title of the deepest wreck ever discovered. DD-557 USS Johnston has been found at a depth of over 21,000 feet as of yesterday. Her wreck is surprisingly intact, and, with its depth confirmed it holds the record of the deepest shipwreck ever discovered.

Capt. Evans was on the stern of Johnston, giving orders to manually steer his ship for an attack. His bridge destroyed, his right hand blown off, he saluted the other destroyers with his left.

USS Johnston; the whole damn crew should have received the Medal Of Honour. In the annals of naval warfare there has never been a more determined and courageous display of sheer guts and commitment. Rest in peace.

The craziest thing to me was that the Johnston's decision to apply for the title of "biggest lunatic in the history of warfare" possibly single-handedly changed the tide of the battle. If they had failed, the japanese bombardment might have killed my great grandfather, who had just landed with MacArthur as a major in charge of an all-black Army Engineering corps. So I pretty much owe my great granddad's life to Ernest Evans, a man who probably only died because those 400 ton brass balls made it really hard to swim after he ordered the abandon ship. I highly recommend the book "Last stand of the tin-can sailors". Fletchers were crewed by not only heroes, but absolute madlads. Also interestingly, the Johnston's wreck was discovered about a week ago. She's now officially the deepest wreck ever discovered, at 21,000 feet.

"The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" damn book almost reads like a thriller

"Sir we have no more ammunition!" "Affix bayonets, sharpen the butter knives, and prepare to board the enemy cruiser!!"

“One pilot vanished off with a patrol of troops and comes back with a new wing” Me: “I’m sorry, he did what now?”

Said Admiral Clifton Sprague later: "The failure of the enemy ... to completely wipe out this task unit can be attributed to our successful smoke screen, our torpedo counterattack . . . and the definite partiality of Almighty God." Possibly one of the best Military quotes I've ever read.

In 1967 my math professor at The Citadel was Captain Hathaway, commanding USS Heerman during this battle. He was awarded the Navy Cross. Heerman initially charged at flank speed through the formation of aircraft carriers, barely dodging collisions with Hoel and Johnston in the rain and smoke (sometimes as little as 100 yards visibility), and engaged a line-of-battle of four battleships--with just five 5" guns, some 40mm Bofors, and some torpedoes. Being only 19 years old, I was not mature enough to figure out or even to ask what ribbons he was wearing on his uniform. He never, ever, brought attention to himself or his role in the battle. I had no idea that this pleasant, genial officer, quick to lend academic assistance to any needy cadet, was indeed a "giant", and I had no clue what he and every single one of his gallant shipmates had achieved that day. Watching this video, and the unbelievable gallantry by all sailors in Taffy 3 just brings tears to my eyes. How proud I am to be an American, though just an Army paratrooper. What an inspiration!!

The USS Johnston is the premiere example of a “Call an ambulance! Call an ambulance! But not for me!” scenario.

"A serious problem in planning against American doctrine is that Americans don't read their manuals, nor do they feel any obligation to follow their doctrine" Just win. Taffy 3 all day every day.

The USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413) was found on June 22, 2022. She rests at a depth of 6,895 meters (22,621 feet) in the Philippine Sea. This sets a new record for the deepest shipwreck ever found, which was previously held by the USS Johnston (DD-557). Her bow is damaged from impact with the sea bottom and the stern is separated from the rest of the ship by a distance of about 5 meters.

Thank you for making this video. My grandfather fought in this battle on the USS Heermann. He was a watertender, first class and was in the engine room giving the commands to open and close the valves that created the smoke screens. According to him, this was a risky procedure because they had to allow pressure to build. Not timing it right would allow too much pressure and cause an explosion. I'm remembering this story from when I was a boy so I might have certain details wrong. But, the way he would tell the story would make the hair on the back of your neck stand up - felt like you were right there with him.

"We're sucking them into 40mm range," is one of my favorite quotes of the war.

"Did... did we just win?" "I believe so sir." "How the hell did we win?"

The yamato has the power to crawl out of the ocean, but johnston went with her to make sure she never makes it out of the deep.

"Dammit, boys, they're getting away." 😂

You could make a Hollywood movie about the USS Johnston... but people would just say it was a way to unrealistic film...

"Work around to a Johnston free firing position"..lol

Tips for your navy: make certain at all times that your firing position is Johnston free, or you will be destroyed.

Admiral Kurita: "How about a lovely game of Axis and Allies?" The Johnston: "We're playing DOOM, fuck off!"

"I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go in harm's way" J.P. Jones November 16th 1778

"After 17 bombs and 19 torpedoes, at least some of which were probably unnecessary..." - Said no American. Ever.

Yamato crewman: "look, I-I ain't talkin about that destroyer, alright!?....shit, it-its not still here, is it!?!?

The Johnston currently lies on the Ocean floor as the deepest shipwreck to date. Even in it's death it had to show off

*Large Japanese Fleet of many guns exists Captain Evens- "Targets!".

"Here have a carbine... " pilot: "Roger, but after we finish i need a wing" "seems like a fair trade"

Another fascinating tidbit - Lt. Cmdr Copeland of the Samuel B. Roberts had an encounter with a higher-ranking officer before they sailed west from Pearl Harbor, where he was told that the Navy was considering removing the torpedo mounts from the DEs and replacing them with anti-submarine weapons. He apparently told that officer something to the effect of "we're little boys, but sometime, someone is going to forget that and send us to do a man's job. When that happens, I want to have a man's weapons." Removal of the DE torpedo mounts wasn't brought up again, and the Sammy B still had her three fish on October 25 - much to Chokai's dismay. In a double irony, with Samar being the end of the IJN as a fleet capable of surface operations (and Copeland and the crew of Sammy B being a big part of that) the Butler-class DEs *did* end up having their torpedo mounts replaced with Hedgehog anti-submarine weapons - something that would later result in USS England's insane submarine hunting spree. Lt. Cmdr Copeland was apparently at least part of keeping the torpedo mounts on the Butlers for a bit longer, but in the end played a big role in making them obsolete. Just another bit of weirdness from a completely insane situation.

Imagine a pride of lions walked up on a group of small forest creatures, only half of them are honey badgers and the other half are like ant eaters or something that shoot bees out of their mouth

When talking about the Yamato as the largest battleship, you forgot to mention that the USS Samuel B. Roberts was the smallest battleship around :P

My uncle was on the Samuel B. , He joined the Navy because he thought it would be safer than being a infantry soldier , when telling me this story he stated , " Boy was I wrong " . He spent 30 years in the Navy because it was " a safe place to be " go figure .

On June 22th of 2022, the torpedo mount of the Samuel B. Roberts was located, lying at a depth of 6850 meters. But as of the 24th of June, the rest of the Samuel B. Roberts has been located, lying at a depth of 6895 meters now making her the current deepest shipwreck recorded, taking that title from another ship sunk during the same battle, USS Johnston.

USS Johnston was found in over 20000 feet of water, the deepest shipwreck ever found. It was discovered that she was dragged so far down, due to the absolutely gigantic brass balls of her crew and captain.

"We're suckering them into 40mm range" Nelson would have been proud!

Captain of IJN Yukikaze saluted as USS Johnston went down, recognized her as honorable enemy.

30:03 When you're such a hard ass you turn two ships away causing their entire squadron of ships to break off and avoid you. If the captain of the Johnston had a ship with the same capabilities and size as the Yamato he could have won the war in the pacific with just the crew he had.

U.S.S. Johnston saw this main Battle Group and said “ now this is more like it! Finally a worth opponent.”

Bro imagine you and the bois are walking away from an air-sprip, and you just find a freaking airplane wing, bring it back, attach it to your plane, and fly into a warzone. These guys are the definition of madlads

Japanese fleet: oh oh, you dare to approach me? Uss Johnson: I can’t hit you without getting closer.

The bravery of the Johnston is akin to that displayed by HMS Ardent and HMS Acasta in their final stand; defending the HMS Glorious on their home voyage. Truly courageous and inspiring self sacrifice to defend your brothers in arms. May they Rest In Peace.

Faced with an enemy whose gun turrets weigh more than the entire ship, Johnston decides running is boring. USS Johnston: "I'm not having this!" Engages Angry-Small-Ship mode *Doom music intensifies* IJN: *fear*

This needs to be a movie. "You say we're massively outnumbered. I prefer the term "target-rich environment""

I took a pottery class in the 60's in high school. The teacher was a very gentle man, and very patient with us lamos who wanted to see what we could do with clay. He would sit and talk with us as we tried to make figures or pots. After a while he began to tell us what he did in WWII. His religion taught he was not supposed to fight other people, but when his country was attacked he and his brothers joined up. Being in the Navy came as a real shock. They had to learn to stick up for themselves. They did, and became real sailormen. He told us about a battle none of us had ever heard of. Some small aircraft carriers had been caught off by themselves by some Japanese battle ships. There were no American battle ships nearby to defend them. The small carriers were running as fast as they could, but the Japanese ships were catching them. Shells from the Japanese ships began to fall on each side of their little carrier. The Japanese had them bracketed. They crouched down along the sides of their little ship with their hands over their heads, knowing the next Japanese shells would probably hit them. They were terrified. Right then, miraculously, the Japanese battle ships turned around. The Japanese thought the American battle ships were just about to arrive. They didn't know the other American ships were still far away. I'm telling this the way you would explain it to high school kids, because that's the way our teacher explained it to us. He was so quiet, and kind. I tried to imagine him as a young sailor in a uniform on a small ship in the Pacific. So, I got to know someone who served in Taffy 3 and survived The Battle Off Samar. He told us because we respected him, and he knew it.

Well, Johnston was just found, and is the deepest recorded wreck, that ship is truly special

I heard they had to talk the Captain of the Johnston out of what he really wanted to do, ram the Yamato and launch a boarding party which he had planned on leading. The officers under him even had to take his cutlass and blunderbuss away to drive the point home.

Already blasted to pieces the USS Johnston turns to face another enemy flotilla like: "I didn't hear no bell."

The Valkyries put in a lot of overtime carrying US Sailors to Valhalla on that day. Including my cousin Norman Peden, Machinist Mate serving on a 40mm mount on USS Johnston.

Wife's cousin, a logger from Twisp, Washington, had been a 19-year-old Fireman 1C on the Johnston when she was sunk. He was a Plankowner who joined the ship with Cdr Evans. Fortunately, he was one of the 141 out of 327 who survived.

The carriers USS White Plains and USS Gambier Bay were both built in Vancouver Washington and my uncle Phil and aunt Marcella helped build them. Marcella died at 69 from Mesothelioma because she had used asbestos to insulate the ships. All 50 escort carriers of that type were built in Vancouver. It’s amazing that they could build that many including all of the other ships built there. They had only 12 “ways” where they ships were built.

"...since, OBVIOUSLY, no mere destroyer would dare risk this kind of charge, nor achieve this kind of damage." Never, ever underestimate the silly things Americans will do in battle, and get away with.

28:37 "[Johnson] seeing the ship under attack by a Heavy Cruiser, it promptly shoots up this ship as well....because of course it does." I died a little, hahahahaha

31:30 This bit is actually wrong, but nobody knew it at the time of recording and it would not have been considered an unusual event at the time, the Type 93's being notorious for exploding at the least provocation from enemy fire. An expedition aboard the RV Petrel located and dove the wreck and determined that her Type 93's were still intact, but that happened almost three months after the video was recorded and wasn't publicly announced until eight months after this video was recorded. Still, it does rescue the Chōkai from the indignity of being the only ship even sunk as the result of gunfire from a carrier.

13:20 lol @ The Imperial Navy is fighting the Japanese Army, in addition to the US Navy. 29:38 "What do you think happens? Of course the Johnston swings around to engage the entire flotilla."

"Ok we've fired the armour piercing, the HE, the Anti-Air, and the Starfire shells. What have we got left?" "I got a pistol, sir." "I'll get a little closer then. They won't be expecting that." :P Edit: My suggestion for review is HMS New Zealand. I'd love to hear your dry wit speaking about the "lucky" ship.

This seems to prove an old addage. It doesn't matter how big your Johnston is, It's how well you use it. Lol.

I have wondered about Kurita's psychological state leading up to the battle with Taffy 3. Just over two years before while at the humiliating defeat at Midway, Kurita had lost the cruiser Mikuma (I don't know if he personally ended up in the water on this occasion). More recently, he had been with, as I recall, dengue fever. Then while on the way to the Battle off Samar, he had survived his heavy cruiser flagship, Atago, being sunk from underneath him by the USS Darter. Kurita was fished out of the water by an IJN destroyer (this must have had an impact on him), not to mention that another of Kurita's heavy cruisers had also been sent to the bottom by a USN sub, Dace. Then, while Kurita is still drying out on his new flagship, Yamato, airstrikes damage the Yamato and SINK the Musashi. Thus, under his command and responsibility, he had just lost his own flagship and one of the two largest battleships that ever put to sea which were the pride of the IJN. Kurita was not having a very good week at this point. It would not be hard to imagine that he would not want to put the Yamato at risk (also, he may have wanted to avoid getting wet again).

Ernest Evans is the obvious hero of this story but Admiral Clifton Sprague was as cool headed as anyone could possibly be in a situation like this. He sizes up the situation, knows he is doomed, but he is going to salvage as much of his assets as possible and sting his opponent as much as he is able before going down. He knows that there is only so much he can do and he immediately sets himself to the task of completing that short to do list, in the correct order, as quickly as possible. First two things: Have all boats make smoke and get all the airplanes off the carriers with whatever munitions they have, even if they have no munitions. Then get the carriers, which he knows will be the primary targets, as far from the enemy as possible and/or under the cover of smoke or rain squalls, all the while calling for whatever help there may be near without bothering with code. Then he sends his puny mosquito fleet of destroyers and destroyer escorts on a suicide mission to slow down the Japanese fleet as much as possible. Captain Evans didn't wait for the attack order. He knew the proper course of action and did not want to waste any precious time waiting for the order he knew would come. Because of his quick decision, he blew the nose of one heavy cruiser clean off which took that and another vessel that moved alongside to assist out of the fight within the first ten minutes or so. He spent all his ordnance before turning around but, when his comrades caught up with him, he re-reversed to join the charge. Even though he had little remaining ammunition, he knew that his presence would still capture some of the attention of the Japanese gunners so that another American vessel might be able to do some damage. To my mind, this battle belongs in the annals alongside Thermopylae as an epic example of standing up against overwhelming odds. If you want to read an excellent account of this, get a copy of "The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" by James Hornfischer.

The Battle off Samar: What happens when a superior enemy force runs into a bunch of Americans who have something to fight for and nothing to lose.

"The Johnston turns around, screams 'Leeroy Jenkins' for the 5th time that day and then, as the kids say it now adays, yeets another cruiser from the Imperial Japanese battle line." "The Japanese navy report the Johnston for aimbot, no clip, and teleporting, as it seems to never miss, appear and disappear at will, and all salvos against it pass straight through. But what they fail to understand is that this is just how the little destroyer do."

Yamato: Appears in the distance. Captain Evans: “LOOK at what they need to mimic a FRACTION of our POWER!!!”

"Where is, repeat, where is Task Force Thirty Four? The world wonders." Though improperly decoded, the message finally got through to Halsey who finally turned around but too late to help Taffy-3.

My grandad was lucky that day. He was on the only remaining gun turret aboard the USS Samuel b Roberts. I got to talk to him about it before he passed about 15 years ago. Well until he broke out in tears then I stopped. Said he couldn’t swim because his arms were like spaghetti after the action and almost drowned. I’m here because he kept fighting.

The skipper of the Johnson, Lieutenant Commander Evans, proved the old adage, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog"

“This is going to be a fighting ship. I intend to go in harm's way, and anyone who doesn't want to go along had better get off right now,”

So I watch this video probably a couple times a year. I never get tired of hearing about the absolute insanity/heroism of the escort captains of taffy 3. Great job on this video. Truly a work of art.