''Congratulations on your promotion Captain, you are being assigned to the William D. Porter. Anything you would like before heading out?'' ''A discharge please''

Willy D. may have been the unluckiest ship in the US Navy, but she was lucky when it counted the most and everyone got off safely before she sank. Many other ships and sailors weren't as lucky in the same circumstances.

That poor ship had a distinguished, yet dysfunctional career. At least she went down in battle and not some hapless mishap.

FDR- excellent example in leadership in pardoning the sailor.

Giving the Willy D the benefit of the doubt at first, after about 9 minutes the saying "with friends like these who needs enemies" comes to mind...

my dad had a friend who was on that ship. i met him a few times in the 1980s and was fascinated with his stories. he wasnt allowed to tell us much in detail, but just to clarify on the "arrest" rumor, it was indeed false, but they all were detained on ship until a thorough search and investigation was done. this soldier was a wonderful man, his wife had alzheimers and then of course we didnt know its name ( just called old age/senility/etc...). his wife never remembered us, and i learned early on to be patient with her. but WHAT I REMEMBER THE MOST WAS HIS AMAZING AND TENDER LOVE FOR HIS WIFE. HE NEVER GOT ANXIOUS, MANY TIMES HE WOULD SIT THERE AND HOLD HER HAND....i will never forget him for both his service, and his wonderful example of what love should be.

Iowa: "Identify and say again, where is submarine?" Porter: "Submarine?...ummm...yeah a submarine, there's totally a submarine here that did it." Iowa: "So where is it?" Porter: "Where? Well...it's over there somewhere. It's not important. The important thing is it was totally a submarine that fired that torpedo and not us. It's not like we fired it or anything. Why would you ever suggest otherwise?" Iowa: "Uhhh, I didn't say you fired it." Porter: "Of course you didn't, because it was totally a submarine and not us, so be sure to remember that and tell all your friends."

As Rear Admiral Jingles says" When Mr. torpedo leaves its tube, it is no one's friend". Unbelievable. Sounds like a plot for a 3 Stooges movie. I doubt the crew of that ship ever lived it down. Even with the screwups, they did their duty. And survived.

FDR was told that a torpedo is heading towards him. *Ask his bodyguard to wheel him over to see it*

"We did it." is the 40's version of "My bad dude."

Takes out the kamikaze and still suffers from the result. But she and her crew ultimately did their duty. As a proud U.S. NAVY veteran I salute her and her brave crew. ✌🏻🇺🇸

My dad served (plank owner) on the USS McCord DD534 from christening to the end of the war. Fletchers were awesome ships. The Greyhounds of the Navy. Fast, agile plenty of firepower for their size. McCord unlike Porter was a lucky ship. Never took a direct hit, never lost a man 10 battle stars. ALL of the WWll Navy guys were heroes.

Thank you- much respect to President Roosevelt for the pardon and his reasoning.

"Mistakes were made"...motto of the Willy D ...But she went down fighting taking her last target with her And the Willy D's last thoughts...I can't catch a (frikking) break... Trivia: My great uncle Donald Byrd was an anti aircraft gunner on a destroyer escort...During a Kamikaze attack One attacker was destroyed so close to the ship its wing landed on its deck... MY uncles gun crew had managed to destroy the plane just before it hit...the crew took a wing spar and made rings as a thank you gift for the gun crews...he wore that ring the rest of his life and as far as I know is buried with it.

I retired from the US Navy in 2005. I'm impressed with the thorough work and research it took to produce this. The lore presented to recruits in the Bluejackets Manual is minuscule.

FDR loved the Navy. He was Assistant Secretary of the Navy during WWI.

Glad her crew survived, not such an unlucky ship after all.

McHale's Navy in the beginning.The Fighting Wille D in the end.

Lack of training was very common in WW2 my old man had six weeks basic training in the navy on ALC (assault landing craft) prior to landing commandos in occupied Holland on night raids. Respect to our valiant friends in the USA and the crew of the WD

As humorous as this is after 80 years, it probably wasn't so funny at the time. This kind of thing was common to all the services in the early years of WW2. Imagine a very small cadre of experienced military men trying to enlist, train, and bring to proficiency over 16 MILLION men in just two or three years! that in itself is a herculean task,and deserves remembering in itself.

Another fascinating episode from the History guy.. Best channel is ever subscribed to.

Don't shoot we're Republicans! That's a great line. My first laugh of the day. Kind of a gallows humor.

What a crazy record of mishaps! Now I know where that old show McHale's Navy came from. I cant help but picture the captain's face when that torpedo shot from the tube! Watching his career as it sank before the torpedo went off! Thinking of the headlines and a jail cell....wow

One of my high school teachers once told me a valuable lesson: "What really matters is not to be lucky, but to be lucky in moments when you're unlucky". This is William D all the way.

Stopping a kamikaze meant either ripping a wing off to change trajectory or literally diverting it via the impact of 40mm shells... 2 lbs at a time.

So the crew survived to man another ship. Other sailers: great

"You fire one torpedo at Roosevelt and everyone blames you for everything." LMAO That was one f-ed up ship and crew! Unbelievable!

Boy! Ya shoot ONE torpedo at the president and your the bad guy the rest of the war! Lol!

All I needed was the title to know this would be good. This ship has left it's mark on readers of interesting military history.

Back in 1970, when I was 17, my girlfriends father related the tale of how, during the war ,he accidentally discharged a Pom-pom gun during a gun drill. The shells landed on the Tunisian coast, his "chiefy" remarked; "I think we can safely assume your on a charge lad". Unfortunately I was too young and stupid to ask for more detail. I'm guessing he was not the first, or the last to make this mistake. Thank you sir.

Mr. History Guy I have pretty sure you have heard that rosevelt got his assistant to move him to where he could see it. But also when Rosevelt got back home to America he called the commander(also the commander of the Iowa) of the task force to his office to repremand him. But not for unsafe drills, or almost torpedoing a friendly vessel, but because his torpedo from his taskforce failed to hit its intended target even though the conditions were favorable. 😂😂😂

Served on USS Twining DD540, of the same design. Great ship, very fast. Designation for guns was 5-inch /38, which meant the barrels were 38 times the length of the bore, or 190-inches.

I So Enjoy Your History... Thank You for Education!

I needed a good chuckle this morning. Thanks History Guy for making my day, great story as always. Cheers!

What a piece of history! Willie D, might have had a rough start and a tough time of it, but the crew persevered right up to the end, says something about the character of those men!

My admiration for the “Greatest Generation” is only increased by presentations like this one. They didn’t complain, they didn’t demure. They simply took the “hand” they were given, and did their best. Thank you, History Guy, for this video. I remain, a loyal patreon participant.

Anyone else here come directly from Sam O'nella Academy?

I went from laughing at this video to cringing at the possibility I was laughing at a bunch of guys that were about to die. I am actually surprised Hollywood hasn't gotten hold of this story, applied the usual Hollywood treatment, and turned it into a movie. This is your best video yet.

After serving on the USS Boise (CL-47) until it was damaged during the Battle of Cape Esperance, my Uncle, George Mobrye 'Moby' Davis was assigned to the USS William D Porter (DD-579). He told me he was on deck smoking and watching the stern of the USS Iowa (BB-61) while it was shooting down its own weather balloons for practice (or show). At that moment, a torpedo fired above him and “Damn near took my hat off.” He said they were ordered to Bermuda and expected to have liberty there. When they docked at the end of the pier, there were a line of armed guards and no one was allowed to leave the ship. The crew had no idea what was going on. Afterwards they were sent to Alaska until the Iowa’s battle group entered the Pacific. Thereafter, the Willie D along with the USS Iowa and USS New Jersey was part of task force 38 under Admiral William F. Halsey Jr.’s Third Fleet or task force 58 under Admiral Raymond Spruance's Fifth Fleet. BTW, Moby’s youngest brother, my father, Lloyd Carl Davis was a member of the Iowa’s commissioning crew. He was manning a Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft gun as a pointer when, as he has said, “My brother tried to sink my ship.” The day before the Willie D was attacked by a Kamikaze and sunk off Okinawa, my uncle had been promoted to chief. He said he had just finished a shower and was sitting on the john when a shock slammed through the ship and the lights went out. He had to race naked to his bunk for a pair of pants. When recalling this episode at a family gathering, a very young nephew asked, “Did you have time to wipe?” “NO!” was his answer.

Another great story, thanks History Guy. I don't think people today would be able to do what people did in WWII. Half would be in denial that the war actually existed. The other half would cry out to have the war cancelled for not being PQ.

Grandfather was on DD 541 USS Yarnall . It was a fletcher class .

"Sir, I have a fantastic idea! We should simulate target practice by 'firing' at the U.S.S. Iowa!" "Fantastic idea lieutenant! Before we do that, why don't you take out your sidearm and simulate some range practice by aiming it AT YOUR OWN HEAD! GET OFF MY BRIDGE!!"

The talk of destroyers on picket duty reminded me of the USS Laffey from the book "The Ship that Would Not Die". An incredible story.

A small but fascinating piece of history. I’m grateful that all got off the Willie D with no loss of life.

Been a while since I laughed this hard! Thanks..

"It lifted the 2000 ton ship out of the water" The damned thing couldn't even sink properly.

The History Guy does it best and I am glad that Roosevelt had a heart.

This is my new favorite channel! Your storytelling is fantastic. Thank you.

Incredible,great history,thank you for sharing Sir.

The 1951 movie "You're in the Navy Now" could be the story of this ship.

Quickly this is becoming my favorite channel. Not only the historic events but your story telling is spot on.

Inexperience was the rule rather than the exception among much of the US WWII armed forces. Through my in-laws, I met a man who served as an officer on a LST in WWII in the Pacific. He joined the ship at the shipyard in Illinois. It was his first assignment to a ship. In their first voyage, the crew sailed down the Mississippi, into the Gulf of Mexico, through the Panama Canal and out into the Pacific war. He recalled that the only members of the crew who had ever been to sea before were the Captain and the Chief of the Ship.

Most of us HG viewers are already WWii buffs, but I never heard this one. Thanks

A very exciting episode. Thanks again for another history lesson.

This is great as usual. My uncle was a on a baby flattop that was furiously firing at an inbound kamikaze that was unfortunately being pursued by a P-38 - both were shot down and destroyed.

That's history worth remembering. Always the best videos. 👍

Very interesting information 🍀thanks so much 📜📜

What a wonderful history teacher !! Uummm let me rephrase that what a wonderful man I love his channel and his stories

All the bad luck was the ship saving up enough karma to get all her sailors to safety when it counted.

History Guy you've once again outdone yourself, thanks!

my first ship, 1971, was DeHaven DD-727, Sumner class of 1944. later, i served on Tattnall DDG-19. after 26 years retired from a 21 year Navy career, it's still heart-wrenching to watch a GreyHound heel over and sink. good story!

"Damn the torpedoes", indeed.

My dad was on a Coast Guard Cutter his first year in service, you should hear of some of the idiotic stories he had about that ship, it was right up there with the Willy D and then some and this was during peace time and an all volunteer force. But to go through the Okinawa campaign, lose the the ship and all hands survived shows just how skillful all hands were when the shit actually hit the fan. Great war story History Guy.

My father in law was a 18 year old crew member on one of those pickets at Okinawa.His description of Kamikazes swarming his ship was breath taking. His was the only picket that was not hit in his squad. He said if you were born in 1925 in the U.S. you were in the service by mid summer 1943.

Whenever I hear “Farragut”, my brain switches to Star Trek: Generations - “Picard to Farragut. Two to beam up.” and I forget whatever I was doing

Superb, naval history makes my day. The legends of the Fletcher class are many. The USS Johnson comes to mind when destroyers are the subject. The story of the USS Porter is indeed a McHale's Navy tale. It is significant in several ways. The ineptness coupled with circumstances certainly consign her to the least memorable moments of the USN. Her heroic and tragic end show the nature of the "greatest generation" when push came to shove. There are no thumbs down with over 1.5k views. The implementation of guided munitions is a story that requires telling. USN dive bombing which contributed to many successful outcomes has been virtually ignored in the post-war period. Kamikaze attacks, by suicidal, barely trained aviators seem to have garnered all the attention. Dive bombers, guided by highly skilled pilots, at nearly vertical angles, delivering munitions and within 2 seconds of collision pulled out of the attack. Had it not been for dive bombing the Battle of Midway would have been an entirely different event. Dive bombers a history that deserves to be remembered. Thank you, Sir.

Favorite snippet of history I've heard from you yet. Thanks for this channel!

Excellent short snippet as always. I have always been a history buff. And remember most of it well. And I thank you for bringing even more knowledge to me and everyone else who watches

Thank you for finding these amazing history stories. I wish they had teachers like you in history class they make it so boring. History has way more incredible stories than you can ever make up. Just need to find them and present them well like you.

This has to be one of the best World War 2 Navy stories ever. You can’t make this up.

That is an amazing story. I've been in the Navy for over 30 years, this is my first hearing it. Thank you for that slice of history!

Thank you, I watch your videos often. Sometimes to the hindrance of my own schedule, lol. I just want you to know how much your videos mean to me, how much I've learned from you and that I wish there had been someone like you during my schooling.

Wow! Outstanding reporting! Thanks! P.S. 2 types of ships in the Navy, Submarines and targets!

I hope in future, you will cover the USS Reuben James (DD-245) (had a distant relative die on her) and the USS Panay (PR-5) both examples of the war on the U.S. before Pearl Harbor.

I learn so much from these episodes. Thanks!

Very good. One of the best HG episodes I've watched.

lmao, I admit I've drunkenly fired handguns into the woods before, but drunkenly firing a ship's cannon at a Commodore's house? that's on a whole other level entirely...

This is so hilarious I can't believe this was real. But I served in the Navy and an inexperienced crew can mean a disaster in the making!

Love your videos. You remind me if my history teacher, Mr Worrall, back in the 60's at my high school in Melbourne, Australia. Made the subject come alive. Thankyou.

Love your videos.... Always enjoy your work, thanks.

Porter crewman: "I wish I could get off this cursed ship!" Kamikaze: "That can be arranged."

Those who rely on luck are going to be sadly mistaken. Hard work and training lead to preparation. The little luck you'll actually need will be follow closely behind.

Thanks for your great series.

I love this story, it reminds us that even in the worst of times, comical moments occur which should also be remembered. It would make a great movie. The hardluck case gone good

Members of what is rightly known as "The Greatest Generation" these young men put it all on the line. They were willing, but untrained, patriotic, and a bunch of people with a Can Do attitude.

Reminds me of the USS Belknap taking out all electricity to Sicily by bringing down the power lines while steaming through the Straits of Messina. A week later she collides with the JFK.

What a great story to be remembered, thank you for telling it to us.

A great story.. I love WWII stories about ships and aircraft... You did a great job of telling the story and using archives pictures... Thanks for the interesting video and I gave you a thumbs up.........

USS Samuel B Roberts as next story to highlight different spectrum of warship's history.

Not 1 soul was lost when she went down ? Sounds to me like one of the luckiest ships in the fleet.

Excellent job telling this tale my friend! Kudos your way!

I was waiting for you to do this story!! You did not disappoint!!

'Don't shoot, we're Republicans!' ROFLMAO! Love the image of Roosevelt calmly watching a torpedo miss him by 'only' a thousand feet. Your point that this sort of thing was not unusual in a Navy composed of citizen-sailors is well-taken. Excellent video.

Poor ship. It didn't even know that to sink you have to go downwards

I hope someone makes a movie of the ship and her history it would be well worthwhile, educational, moving and entertaining

All of your videos are great. Please keep up the great work and thank you!

The Willie D had some bad luck. Nearly torpedoed the Iowa while FDR was on, then she played a part in her own demise. The Willie D just couldn't catch a break. If it weren't so serious this would be quite comical.

Lemmony Snikets series of unfortunate naval commands

My favorite of your videos so far!

That gun fire at 9:22 is unbelievable!