USS Princeton (CVL-23) - “Everything is on Fire. Try to Save The Ship!”

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USS Princeton (CVL-23) - “Everything is on Fire. Try to Save The Ship!”

Рет қаралды 26,611

Күн бұрын

The only American light carrier to be lost to enemy action, USS Princeton had an exciting life prior to that. From a mock air raid on Pearl Harbor, to the actual raid on Rabaul, to participating in the Marianas Turkey Shoot. She should be remembered for those actions, just as much as she is remembered for blowing up in spectacular fashion.
Even if her service career was, in the end, relatively short at only a little over a year and a half of active service.

Пікірлер: 55

@jacqueschouette7474 Жыл бұрын

My sainted father was on the USS Birmingham when the USS Princeton exploded. His battle station was a quad 40 mm mount on the other side from the Princeton. He said that since the Japanese weren't attacking, they weren't really at battle stations so he and many of the other men were just watching damage control fight the fires when something told him that he needed to go below. It was after going below that the Princeton exploded and he survived without a scratch. Many of those who were killed and wounded were like him, watching damage control fight the fires.

@shiningstarr7298 10 ай бұрын

My dad was on the Princeton. He thankfully survived ❤

@judekincer1059 Жыл бұрын

You're obviously inspired by Drach, the patron Saint of naval KZfaq. But you manage to put out content that doesn't overlap too much. Kudos man!

@levipierson4946 Жыл бұрын

I find Drach to be very bais and quite dry. He's too bais in favor of the royal navy and makes them seem as perfect as possible

@judekincer1059 Жыл бұрын

@Levi Pierson interesting perspective, I always found Drach to be very impartial, particularly considering the Royal Navy has generally been the dominant naval power for centuries.

@jeremydoud4885 Жыл бұрын

@@levipierson4946 He’s a Brit, that’s why, lol….but, the Royal Navy ruled the 🌊 for centuries, till Pearl Harbor forced our hand and we became the King of the Sea 🌊!!

@levipierson4946 Жыл бұрын

@@judekincer1059 ironically he's thr most fair on topics pre dreadnought. He's very defensive to the RNs short commings in ww1 and ww2. He also refuses to do content on post ww2 which I think is stupid especially when talking about ships who have very interesting post war careers

@pedenharley6266 Жыл бұрын

I have been and remain a big fan of Drach, but I think this channel’s creator has his own distinct strengths, and I enjoy the slightly longer format for individual ship histories.

@12131569 9 ай бұрын

My late father served on the USS Princeton from 1958 to 1961. It is so fascinating to watch this video, knowing that my dad served on this ship.

@petestorz172 Жыл бұрын

While October-November 1942 was a crisis time for USN carrier availability, the process leading to converting some Cleveland class light cruisers into CVLs began in October 1941, i.e. before the PH attack. As things turned out, USS Independence and USS Essex entered into service around the same time in early 1943. Using light cruiser hulls probably allowed yards too small to build 34000 ton Essex class carriers to build aircraft carriers.

@BHuang92 Жыл бұрын

The idea of converting the Cleveland class cruisers into aircraft carriers was Roosevelt's idea!

@rcdogmanduh4440 Жыл бұрын

Both points are mentioned in this video.

@petestorz172 Жыл бұрын

However, the start of the video said that the decision to convert light cruiser to light carriers was related to the situation in late 1942. That is what my post responded to.

@alephalon7849 Жыл бұрын

I intellectually knew about Princeton's service and end, but you made the "dry" history I read feel alive in my head, especially involving Birmingham's ill-fated attempt to save her half-sister.

@taskforce3833 Жыл бұрын

interesting story about the service of Princeton, the Cleveland class where actually a little too light in construction but it took time and convincing the navy to give up 2 heavy cruiser hulls under construction to build the Tinian and Saipan on Baltimore class cruiser hulls that where a little larger and as shown a little more capable of performing the tasks they where intended for. The Japanese had thought about converting cruisers to full aircraft carriers, as did the Kriegsmarine, but they didn't have a lot of cruisers left in 43. there where also plans to convert some of the planned Alaska class into carriers, but someone pointed out that the cost of that would be almost equal as that of an Essex class and at that time the Kido Butai had lost so many ships and pilots that the war could probably be ended with the ships currently ordered.

@billkallas1762 Жыл бұрын

One of my uncles served on the Princeton. I'm not sure what his job was on the ship, but in combat, he operated a single 20mm antiaircraft gun. He was lucky in that he was transferred back to the States before the ship was sunk.

@edelweiss1944 10 ай бұрын

My uncle was killed. His parents were told the sharks got him as when they were in the water people were shouting “sharks”. Uncle Jimmie was only 18

@benjaminjohnson4054 6 ай бұрын

My Grandfather was a air radio man 3rd class for VT-27 stationed on the princeton when she was sunk

@petestorz172 Жыл бұрын

Re the attack on Rabaul, the point of damaging as many ships as possible was to make them unavailable for combat and occupy Japanese shipyards, workers, and materials with repairs instead of new-builds.

@sharonbartholomew35 7 ай бұрын

My mother's first husband lost his life on the Princeton. They only had about 30-days together from the date of their marriage to the date of the sinking of the Princeton.

@joel530johnson2 Ай бұрын

My father was a boiler tender on that ship. I know he had burns all over his body and spent time in the water (I don't know how long, he never talked about it). Had my sister and I (a son) and died in 1979 at 52.

@panic_2001 Жыл бұрын

U deliver great content, respect 👍

@Straswa Жыл бұрын

Great vid Skynea, an excellent retelling of Princeton's sinking.

@jamesm3471 Жыл бұрын

I’d like to also praise the airmanship of the young Japanese pilot, who despite being very inexperienced, and up against almost impossible odds, managed to get through the force’s formidable combat air patrol without a wingman, execute a textbook dive, releasing two bombs at 1500’ and squarely hitting Princeton with one, before timely pulling out of the dive, in all an attack far more difficult to execute than a kamikaze attack. His fate afterwards is not known with any certainty. Some say A/A gunners on the cruiser Reno hit his aircraft, other claim a Hellcat from Lexington splashed the Judy. Whatever his fate, he served his nation with courage and skill, and that’s commendable.

@biwamasa Жыл бұрын

I do really like your content. Keep it up.

@takashitamagawa5881 Жыл бұрын

The INDEPENDENCE class being conversions did not have the best construction as aircraft carriers but PRINCETON's loss was more due more to the vulnerability of carriers in general when conducting flight operations rather than to deficiencies in its design. It was an INDEPENDENCE class light carrier, the BELLEAU WOOD, which claimed the biggest prize in TF58's air attack on Ozawa's fleet at Philippine Sea, the medium Japanese converted carrier HIYO, which fell victim to BELLEAU WOOD's torpedo planes.

@73Trident Жыл бұрын

You are doing a great job on these. Keep the good work. I look forward to your videos.

@TheDavidlloydjones Жыл бұрын

"One in either ocean" means one, with only the slightest hint of ambiguity. If you mean two, you mean one in each ocean.

@Ex-LDS Жыл бұрын

Good job! Well done!

@rickm9244 Жыл бұрын

After what happened to the birmingham I don't think another ship would have risked going along side her again. Considering how many was killed.

@mahbriggs Жыл бұрын

The hazards of war.

@kaneo1 Жыл бұрын

"The ship was on fire and it wasn't my fault."

@conanhom Жыл бұрын

I'm curious as to what the reference is for the Pearl harbor test raid so to speak. That sounds like an interesting story to read more on.

@jonathanj8303 Жыл бұрын

I don't know about the one Princeton was involved in during WW2, but the 1930's one happened during one of the USN's annual 'fleet problem' large scale war games. Drachinifel has a whole video series on those and it's covered in one of them. Essentially the team playing 'honestly not Japan' decided that the best way to neutralise the one playing the US was to carry out an air raid on Pearl Harbour. Just after dawn on a Sunday morning. Sound familiar? And except for the fact that they weren't using live ammo, they were entirely successful. Unfortunately the USN/USAAF top brass's learning point from this seems to have been a combo of "That guy cheated" and "Why worry, no chance anyone else would think of this." (Just checked, Admiral Yarnell did this during fleet problem 13 in 1932, and King did it again in 1938, with the results being ignored both times.)

@skyneahistory2306 Жыл бұрын

The source is: www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/p/princeton-iv.html These are almost always good for little anecdotes like this. There’s often a lot of detail and little stories, depending on the ship. Direct quote: "The Pacific Fleet dispatched a plan to the three ships on 7 August 1943, directing them to stage a simulated attack against Oahu to determine the defenders’ alertness. The staffs carefully planned their raid and an hour before dawn on the 9th, the trio of carriers launched their planes from a position about 100 miles out. The attackers swept in on aircraft installations on the island, and only then did U.S. Army Air Force fighters rise to intercept them. "

@conanhom Жыл бұрын

@@skyneahistory2306 thank you very much!

@anycombo Жыл бұрын

Visions of the Kamchatka😬

@Gamer_1745 Жыл бұрын

Can you do something about the light booming in the background?? Otherwise very good.

@luvr381 Жыл бұрын

Man, I much prefer listening to you over Drach.

@lt.petemaverickmitchell7113 Жыл бұрын

Could you imagine Biden having any viable input to the Navy concerning the conversion of the hulls of two different classes of ships? Just correctly pronouncing “conversion” would be impressive 😂

@billkallas1762 Жыл бұрын

What is your degree in?

@victorboucher675 Жыл бұрын

@@billkallas1762 98.4 F

@billkallas1762 Жыл бұрын

@@victorboucher675 Figures.

@CaptainSeato Жыл бұрын

Halsey: "This is a risky mission!" Also Halsey: * sends someone else * "Bull" Halsey? More like "Full of Bullshit" Halsey.

@brianslack7234 Жыл бұрын

Why did US shipbuilders put wooden decks on American carriers? British carriers always had steel decks.

@EllieMaes-Grandad Жыл бұрын

Lighter weight topside for one and the British carriers expected to fight against land-based aircraft in the North Sea and Mediterranean. Late UK war experience in the Pacific was good.