Barb deserves a historically accurate movie. Great story, great History and is one way to get USS Barb's war record more known.

Admiral Gene Fluckey was my great uncle. I followed him by qualifying and serving aboard a nuclear submarine for 4 and a half years. I met him several times but only once as an adult. Gene was a Medal of Honor recipiant. He remains a bright spot in our family's history.

The only known test flight of a railway locomotive.

I'm a retired submariner, and I remember that a replica of the Barb's battle flag used to hang in the base gym on the Subase in Groton. Pretty amazing to see how many ships (and a train) they sunk.

I didn't know about the USS Barb or her commander "Lucky" Flucky until I saw this video. THANKS! I knew that USMC General Chesty Puller had won 5 Navy Crosses in three wars, but for a submariner to win 4 Navy Crosses in one war is an even more heroic and amazing accomplishment. The fact that everyone under his command returned home safe and sound is probably the most satisfying accomplishment in Flucky's long and distinguished naval career.

Imagine driving a train and needing a destroyer escort

I did 14 years in the US Navy and so far you have taught me more about naval history than I learned from the actual Navy. Thank you for that.

Submarines in WWII were death traps. The fact that Eugene Flucky led five tours, and never had a man die or even wounded badly is absolutely astonishing!

I had no idea a US sub conducted an onshore raid on the Japanese home islands during the war, and I've read a lot of history about the Pacific War. Thank you for educating me!

Commander Fluckey's book (Thunder Below) on the last war patrols of the U.S.S Barb are one of the best books ever written about this chapter of history. The things this boat and it's fine crew, accomplished, and experienced. That if there was not so much solid evidence in the historical record of it's actions. You'd swear it was fiction. Thank you for reminding us of this noble skipper and his fearless crew!

"You can't sink a train with a submarine" Flucky: "Hold on to my periscope."

I have read Flucky's book about the Barb's "adventures". It is called "Thunder Below" and I highly recommend it. It certainly reads more like a novel than a factual history of a submarine and I highly recommend it for anyone who likes to learn about history in general and World War II in particular.

As a Cold War submariner, I can attest that RAdm. Fluckey set a high bar for us, which contributed greatly in our successful operations during that critical period. Sailor, rest your oar....................................................

How did Hollywood miss this juicy opportunity for a block buster movie?

My grandfather was a submarine mechanic at Mare Island California and I have heard him talk about this submarine. It would always come in flying either a mop or a broom. I remember him telling me that one time when they supplied this submarine when the cook went aboard to check his supplies they had put Hot-Dogs on the boat he told me that submarine crews basically acted like they wanted, did what they wanted, dressed how they wanted, and ate what they wanted, and hot dogs were never on the menu. So the hot dogs were loaded into two wheel barrels take to the end of the pier and dumped into the ocean. He also told me that there were a lot of submarine crews that just did not come back! This was the main reason that these crews got away with so much. Submarine crews when they boarded would salute a flag and the boat but never each other. Toward the end of the war my grandfather even worked on two Russian submarines that came in to Mare Island for repair. He told me that the crews off of the Russian boats we're cap under armed guard and not allowed to leave a holding area until their boats were repaired. One of the things he noticed when on board the Russian boats was Japanese flags on the torpedo tubes at this time Russia was not at war with Japan.

This is what the internet should be. I appreciate your efforts to be true to the facts. I regret that I did not find this channel sooner, but I did find it, and for that I'm grateful. Thank you for a quality product.

my father serves in this vessel as a first italian crew in 1954 . i admire the history of the ship and their us crew

Admiral Fluckey's book "Thunder Below" is a masterpiece and his unique personality just bursts out of it. He truly was a leader of men who ruled by incentive, not harsh discipline. Take care of your men and they will take care of you was his mantra. I'm proud to own a personally signed copy of "Thunder Below."

This story kind of reminds me of the movie “Operation Petticoat” with Tony Curtis and Cary Grant. They tried to sink a Japanese freighter, but instead sank a truck! Thanks again THG for another wonderful adventure with “Lucky Flucky” and his heroic crew!

When I was in 8th grade I read a book about America's naval heroes and Rear Admiral Flucky was one of the heroes. I showed the book to my dad and he said if Hollywood made this movie most people would think it was fiction. His deeds of daring, noted the book, were never reckless, he trained his crew to be ready to take advantage of any opportunity at any time, and he always weighed his chances against endangering his crew. His well thought out attacks are said to be studied even today for the insight into his preparedness and planning abilities.

Unbelievable!! I've never heard that story before and I'm 74 yrs old! Thank you so much for these wonderful documentaries. I look at one or two every night. How could such a story not ever make it into every schools history book.

My cousin’s father was on the shore team that laid the explosives. They still have all of his badges and documents.

I am retired a US Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer. I was a surface warrior, Operations Specialist, and one of my duties was as an ASAC (Anti-Submarine Air Controller) using P-2's, S-3's fixed wing aircraft and SH2's and SH3's helicopters to locate, prosecute and destroy subs. I had never heard of the fantastic war record of the USS Barb (SS-220). What a fantastic record! Capt. Flucky was indeed a great sub commander and his crew was just as great! Thank you for presenting this piece of forgotten history! May this boat's true-life legend NEVER be forgotten! Thank you again!

“Feared they’d become too reckless.” “He asked for rocket tubes.”

Somebody needs to make a movie about this submarine.

They should have made a museum out of this submarine.

"C14" 'Dude that's not even an optio....hit.. you sunk my....freight train!?'

What an extraordinary story was this - I absolutely loved it. In the same way of lucky Fluky, a famous golfer who was accused of being lucky replied "It's funny you know, the more I practice the luckier I become."

4 dislikes came from the freight train crew?

Being an avid WWII submarine aficionado, I was aware of many of the great submarines and their Commanders and crews, and Gene Flucky is no exception. What I didn't know was that the Barb had been sold to the Italians. The submarine was eventually sold for scrap in 1972 for approximately $100,000 (currently $585,000). Admiral Fluckey noted that, had the crew known of this, they would have bought the sub and brought her back to the United States to serve as a museum ship (Wikidpedia) It is unfortunate that she was sold as scrap, but we seem to forget many of the noteable ships and units that have been taken out of service. Might I suggest you do a story of Rear Adm. Daniel V. Gallery when he was in command of the 'jeep' carrier U.S.S. Guadalcanal, and they bordered and captured a German U-Boot in the Atlantic Ocean.

As a Vet Submariner(USS Springfield) out of Naval Base New London, this video really put a smile on my face! Well done sir. Thank you for bringing attention to the USS Barb and one hell of a skipper, rear admiral Fluckey. Subscribed

Top rigjt corner in then picture with the battle flag is my granddad John Markuson. After the war he went back to Princeton, NJ and became a police officer. He had my 2 uncles, George and Robert right after the war in the 40s and my mom, Judy in 59. Uncle George became a pilot in the USAF and then a helicopter pilot the the NJ state troopers. Uncle Bobby was also a sumbmariner and then diver and dock builder. I unfortunately never got to me my granddad as he died of a heart attack in 1975 but I am proud to be related to him and hope I am making him proud. His great granddaughter, Gianna, will turn 11 months old in a week and I know he is watching over her.

There is still much WWII history to be told. During WWII the Alcatraz inmates built the climbing nets for the sides of ships, and they also did the laundry for the Pacific Fleet. From what I understand the inmates also produced pots and pans. Oddly enough some of these things the inmates were not given good credit time for producing some of these items. Some of these things were done after they spent their eight hours in prison industries. Most of the inmates had previous military experience and felt that their civic duty to contribute.

Barb: "I'm tired of sinking ships. Is there anything else I can sink?" :( *Sees a train* Barb: "...PERFECT!" :D

When you consider just how aggressively Captain Flucky commanded the USS Barb, that final statistic of his record is the most impressive of them all. (Please note that I said "aggressively" not "recklessly", there is a difference)

WOW.!.. Another great, hardly known story of the mothers of all wars : WWII.! Thanx History guy.. You AND the tales of that war DEF Nééd to be remembered.!I'm 54 and a WWII-fan whole my life, as my fam participated actively. (One, ended up in a concentration camp in Breendonk, Belgium, where he was tortured and killed in '44 at age 21...) There are thousands of these tales, and it's a pitty that we could lose them, therefore a big-ass "Thank you", is Sooo diserved by you.! Please continue to upload these diamonds of the past... The ghosts of the war aswell as the living will pay their inner respect for you.! God speed, sir, and blessings upon you.!

For exclusive content and behind-the-scenes fun, join our community of fans and supporters at thehistoryguyguild.locals.com! Several viewers have noted that “Gato” should be pronounced with a long “a.” I apologize for the error.

"Thunder Below" is one of the most amazing biographical books I've read so far, and I've read a lot of them!

Naval engagement of a freight train is amazing. The History Guy kicks ass. Historically

You've gotta love the planners, the folk who apply reasoning, common sense, and a McGuyveresque spirit to all they undertake. All the successes, including the unprecedented fifth opportunity to shine, and not one of his crew died or suffered serious injury- that man was truly remarkable! This was a fantabulous story, one I had not heard. Thank you HG.

He never told me this himself because he and my mother separated when I was 7 years old, but my dad, David Nicholson served on a sub in W.W. II. One assignment, that his vessel had, according to what Mom said he told her, was to monitor the ship traffic in and out of Tokyo harbor.

History Guy, hopefully you will read this. Another interesting sub story is the USS Tang, who in 5 sub patrols led tonnage sunk until she was sunk by one their own torpedoes that malfunctioned. The Captain of the Tang, Cdr O'Kane, was one of the few survivors, was captured, spent the rest of the war in Japanese prison camps, and he later wrote the book "Clear the Bridge."

Just discovered the 5 Minutes of History! My gosh, Sir! What you and your crew can jam into so little time is delightful! I get to see the humor, that's barely hidden, in the appropriate places. Do so enjoy the work you do! God bless you and all your teammates; wives and kids not excluded. Thanks

A very uplifting tale of true warriors that was never told. From experience in the USN, I can tell you there are thousands of stories of sailors that never received accolades for their dedication, bravery, and innovation while serving during war time and peace time. A mighty thanks to all our unsung heros of America's fighting forces. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.!!!!!!!!!!!

For those who want to watch an excellent series made in the 1950’s called “Silent Service” ...about the American sub missions of WW2... each episode being about a particular sub and its mission, they are available on youtube.

The production quality of your show is excellent. I have about given up tv for entertainment.

Hello. I am retired from the Navy Submarine Force with 21 years. Served on 4 boats and loved every minute of it. Thank you

Outstanding crew and commander. What a record !!!!! May they always sail together.

These little glimpses of history are incredible. Love every story you put light on.

I never heard of this captain and i was in the Navy. Such a great tale of wits, intelligence, and making do with what you have.

Thanks for memorializing these vets!

When I was a kid I loved to build models. Perusing the available model ships I happened on a model of the Barb. I was always fascinated with history, but unfortunately I was not aware of the sub's Amazing history, for if I had been, I would've bought it that very day. Thanks H.G. for this... I feel enrichment after watching Every Single One of your lessons. You're an Amazing, Gifted story teller

This channel is one of the best channels on KZfaq. You’re so meticulous in the significant detail you give that it really makes the story. Should you decide to put these stories in a book, please let me know so that I can purchase it. Thank you!

Japanese locomotive driver - "What the Fluck was that?"

My Uncle Ed was one of those brave men that went on the raft to plant the explosive, Never realized all they went through until I watched an excellent segment on the Smithonian Channel. History Guy thank you for this excellent video .

I just have to take a moment to tell you how much I enjoy your history videos. I'm a history guy too, taught US history for 21 years and wrote 14 books. We have covered a lot of the same ground, but your videos are absolutely magnificent. Thanks

I'm a former bubblehead. I enjoyed this history lesson more than you'll ever know. great presentation. I can tell you love what you do.

You should write scripts. The crap they use to make movies doesn't compare to real history.

My father in law was a torpedomen on the 11th and 12th war patrols of the Barb. I got to meet Admiral Flucky at Annapolis at the last reunion my father in law John Arthur attended. Admiral Flucky was a truly great American.

You do a very important service with your snippets of history. It is a dauntingly broad subject and your curated list of things that "deserve to be remembered" gives people a place to start what for many, will become a lifelong enjoyment of the history that makes us who we are today. You are able to pique a viewers interest with pertinent details in a short format and leave further exploration to the viewer. Everyone that enjoyed your USS Barb video should find a copy of Lucky Fluckey's book "Thunder Below". It is not a great literary feat, but it for damn sure is an exciting read and details the calm calculated planning that went into Capt Fluckey's audacious endeavors. Thank you.

Haha! A submarine sank a freight train. Brilliant.

Lucky Fluckey was the best submarine captain of WWII. Fantastic exploits and survived to tell the tail. I remember reading his book twice when I was a submariner in the 1990’s. Wish I could have met him.

I have been fascinated by WW2 since i was in elementary school. Really glad i found this channel. The fact that a sub "sank" a train it pretty epic that is the stuff of legends.

I totally missed the intro of Captain "Lucky" Flucky. After a double double take, I scrolled down and saw what I had missed. I laughed aloud while hearing his audacious story. I grew on Navy bases. My mother and father were sailors. My father eventually became a SeeBee. They trained my father intensively for a year in which among many other combat skills he learned VietNamese. A neighbor, and friend Marvin "Billy" Sheilds. Billy received the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously during his second tour in Viet Nam. My father was KIA during his third tour in Viet Nam. I was 15 years old, in Oct 1967, when my mother made me receive, my fathers medals at a passing review. Wow! These memories were almost forgotten. I type this weeping.

Thank you for remembering Fluckey and the Barb. I had the privilege to meet RADM Fluckey at a Naval Academy graduation in 1999. His leadership presence was still palpable over 50 years after his Medal of Honor patrol. Amazing man and ship. I wrote an article on bus leadership for the uboat.net website.

Now that should be a movie.

Everything that happened in WW2 was important, but my favorite stories are aviation and submarine stories of the era. Thanks for this one.

History is certainly NOT boring... when you have a good teacher. My compliments to you sir. That was a great story I will never forget.

The redoing of the torpedoes was used in a John Wayne movie. They dropped the weapons straight down from a crane until perfecting the firing pins. All Hollywood. My opinion only was that most of your WWII Naval heroes came from the submarine service. One famous line was " Take her down " given by a wounded sub captain trapped on the bridge under enemy attack. We were shown a dramatic recreation of it in submarine school during the early 1970's. I believe Ward Bond made it for the Navy during the war.

May those brave men rest in peace. Good job , history guy.

One of the best stories of WW2 that I’ve never heard!! Thank you History guy!

Great job on this video, Lance. This story is so good, it’s almost hard to believe. For anyone reading comments a year later, please allow me to offer a few additional comments. The leadership style of Commander Flukey is a great example to anyone who leads or manages people. Coming up with the plan to destroy the train involved a number of ideas from many members of the crew. Please read or listen to Thunder Below, by Eugene Flukey, to see what I mean. The Barb rescued POWs captured at Singapore. They were left to die by Japan after the ship they were on was sunk. For the heroism and compassion they showed these men, who survived 6 days in the water, Winston Churchill, among others, sent them letters of thanks. And, of course, pirates. The crew itself was nicknamed the pirates of the China sea. Commander Flukey used the Chinese pirates to hide, and to determine the locations of routes through mine fields. Once again, great story told wonderfully!

I'd never heard of this before, what an awesome story! There should be a movie made about this. It's a shame the Barb did not survive. Just like the Enterprise, these were unique vessels whose crews changed history.

I really enjoyed this episode! Thank you for sharing! I agree with one of the posters below - that this story needs to be re-told in an historically accurate movie. Wow!

I love this guys presentation, professional but warm and pleasant. The choices of topics are fascinating, interesting, offbeat stories told well. Satisfying.

Your story telling is second to none, I can see it in my mind because of your words! Bravo Sir!

Your videos are tremendous. Thank you for remembering the USS Barb in all its glory. My father served on the Gato class USS Jack during the war.

Awe struck... Thank you so much for bringing forgotten history to life👍

History Guy, your penchant for bringing meaningful history to light is nothing short of outstanding! Personally speaking, I regard my military experiences in the submarine service with just a little more pride than before I reviewed your work. Well done, and thank you.

"Thunder Below" the story of the Barb and Adm. Fluckey's time in command is one of my favorite books. I highly recommend it.

Wow! That was an awesome service record. Lucky Flucky thank you for your service as well as the men of USS BARB.

That was an awesome record and a great job History Guy for telling us about it. Makes me want to go watch some great old WWII submarine movies like, "Operation Pacific", "Run Silent Run Deep", "Destination Tokyo", or my absolute favorite "Operation Petticoat" (they sank a truck in that one). I'm let'n the adds play my good man. Cheers!

One of your EPIC episodes! You told the story of the Barb. Better than other versions I have encountered! This is at least my third Re-visit to this epic tale told with a Masters touch!

I saw the Barb battle flag at the Submarine Force Library and Museum in Groton, CT. It’s a great museum located right off of I95 and home of the U.S.S. Nautilus. The Barb record is an awesome history story. Thanks for sharing!

if you want to read the whole story get his book THUNDER BELOW

Wow! You are teaching a class of 21,110 in this episode! The University of Enormous! Bravo! (sorry for too many exclamation points).

Am proud to state I served the nuclear USS Barb SSN-596 as quartermaster (QM2-SS) and distinctly remember the battle flag with the train embroidered on a smaller version, a copy, of the original. We also had a CO with boldness and courage: Cdr. "The Daring and Fearless Young Man" Plath and an exacting, detail oriented, fast operating XO, "Wild Bill" LCdr Wm. McGann III. Good ole' days; tuff days; would do it again with them.

Amazing record of commander and crew for sure. If not for you I would never have known about these feats that the Barb pulled off. Thank you. More history please.

a movie about this fella, we need

One of your best, Mr. Guy although I seem to say that after about every second or third one of your “snippets” that I watch!

One of your top outstanding stories of military history. That was Flucking Awsome History Guy!!! Sent it to a sub-base my son is currently stationed at.

As a lover of history i watch for THG videos. As a Navy Veteran and having 2 Wespac cruises this video and others about Navy war patrols are of special interest.

Loved this story of Lucky!!

I bet Flucky's sailors loved him. Thank you for the vid.

Fantastic!!! Another great vignette of victorious American History Thank you so much!

I learned about this sub and her skipper when I was a kid in the 60s. They are some of the heros that saved the world. I hope we got more like them.

I actually knew this one beforehand. Glad to get your point of view on it

That was just one amazing "train" of the historical facts about one crew, of the one US submarine, and its commander !!!! Thank you very, very much Mister :o))

Found your channel by accident and got hooked. You make these short videos interesting, with a great gift of storytelling.

I love this episode. Ive watched it a dozen times!!!