The Battle off Samar Part 2 with Jon Parshall-Episode 329 

My father was 16 in October 1944 and lived in Dolores, Eastern Samar. He told me he woke when he heard the sound of big guns going off. He said he ran towards the beach and climbed up the highest coconut tree to “watch” the battle. (For reference on a clear day in SoCal, Catalina Island can be seen which is 26 miles away. From what I’ve read about the naval battle, visibility was 20+ miles October 25th). He could see ships but couldn’t distinguish who was whom. He wasn’t sure how long he held on to the tree. But he said he watched until the sound of big guns stopped. Needless to say, he despised the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Previous to the battle, he and a friend were captured by Japanese soldiers. They tortured my dad and his friend asking where American GIs were being hidden by the locals. My dad’s friend relented and lied thinking the Japanese would release them. The Japanese took my dad’s friend away and that was the last time he saw him. My dad didn’t talk and eventually the Japanese released him. But he had the scars on his back from the bayonet piercing done to him. After watching the battle, my dad secretly went to enlist with the US Navy. He was rejected because he couldn’t prove he was the legal age. So he returned home and had the town mayor write a letter stating he was 18. He brought the letter back and was accepted. My dad passed away May 2019 and I found his DD-214. I also found his dress blues and whites plus his medals and ribbons. He never talked about the medals and I had no clue what they were for. I discovered he was awarded the WW II Victory Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal-WW II, National Defense Medal, the US Occupation-Europe Medal, the Navy Unit Commendation Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the Good Conduct Medal. My dad served 20 years active and 10 reserve. He retired as a Chief Petty Officer. At his funeral, the US Navy sent a captain and seaman for formalities. Before the ceremony began, the captain asked what i knew about my dad. I let him know what I knew and was touched when he began to weep. He recognized the sacrifice my dad, and mom, made through those years. He began weeping again when he presented the US flag to me that was draped over his coffin. From that day forward, respect for my dad increased tenfold. Thanks dad and mom-and thank you US Navy. 🇺🇸

Captain Totti will always be a legend in the U.S. Navy.For those that don't know,capt. Totti was responsible for the information that led to the overturned conviction of Charles Mcvay,the skipper of the Indianapolis who was court marshaled for losing his heavy cruiser.In 1998,99?.The reason I say that capt Totti is a hero is because he gathered information to over turn and clear Mcvay of any wring doing.Mr. Totti is very humble,he doesn't interrupt people when they are speaking,and is highly regarded by the U.S. navy to once be in charge of a nuclear submarine. That's the highest honor a man can have,and was trusted with weapons that could have ended our world.

“Faced with an opponent where a single main turret outweighs his entire ship, Evans decides ‘running is boring’.” -Drachinifel

Parshall refers to Korita later stating that he should have gone into Leyte. Korita later retracted this remark. There was all sorts of criticism afterwards, and he did not explain himself. He did not fight back against this criticism. He largely said nothing for decades afterwards about this decision. But shortly before he died and when he was in his 80s, Kurita began to again speak of his actions at Leyte. He claimed privately to a former Naval Academy student (and biographer), Jiro Ooka, that he withdrew the fleet from the battle because he did not believe in wasting the lives of his men in a futile effort, having long since believed that the war was lost. He was not willing to engage in the suicidal banzai charge.

I visited the USS Iowa (BB-61) museum in 2019 or so. As we walked through the ship, there were volunteers in some of the compartments. They were there to answer questions from us tourists. There were lots of people visiting the ship that day, and the passageways were crowded. At one point we came upon an elderly gentleman, one of the volunteers. I heard someone ahead of me ask this gentleman what he did during the war. He answered "I was on the USS Hoel". The lady who asked the question moved on. She didn't understand the significance of that simple answer. I did. When I got to him I asked him "did you mean USS Hoel, from the Battle of Samar?" He said "yes". I was kind of blown away at that point and didn't even know what to say. I thought it would seem too cheesy and "touristy" and cheap to ask for a photo, so I just shook his hand and thanked him.

Dont forget Tacloban airfield. Many planes landed, gassed up and reloaded machine guns. The FM2 Wildcat is the most underrated plane of the Pacific War. Please do a JIMMY DOOLITTLE episode. Make it about his life and not just the raid on Tokyo. That was only 2% of his career. Major to three stars during the war. He convinced Shell Oil to create aviation fuel. He was their sales rep for 25 years. First man to fly blind on instruments. Second PHD in aerospace engineering ever given from MIT. Multiple time world speed record holder. He destroyed the Luftwaffe after he kicked the Japanese in the nuts with his raid! Do a live episode from Wash DC.

Commander Ernest E. Evans is one of the most extraordinary sailors I have ever heard of - a credit to his service and his country. As you have rightly said, you couldn't make this stuff up. I am an Australian subscriber and I take this opportunity to congratulate and thank you, Seth, Bill, Jon and all your other collaborators, for this outstanding series.

The padding on the message to Halsey, "The world wonders", is from "Charge of the Light Brigade", by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. October 25, the date of the Battle, was the 90th anniversary of that charge (October 25, 1854)

Bob Hagen of the Johnston deserves more attention. The man was in BOTH of the Navy's two most intense surface fights of the war. He was the radar officer on the USS Aaron Ward at the 1st Naval Battle of Guadalcanal and was wounded there.

Remember Kurita was forced to turn away from the CVEs early in the fight to dodge Johnston torpedoes. He could not turn in to comb the wakes because the Haruna was off his starboard quarter. Kurita sailed AWAY from the target for a long time. I think THAT is the reason he felt he wasn't gaining on them and that he faced fleet CVs.

The USS Indianapolis fast attack submarine in its heavy configuration weighs five times as much as the Samuel B. Roberts did!!! You guys rock so much.

Something worth correcting in the narrative. Halsey is never communicating with Kinkaid, nor did his orders require any communication with Kinkaid. They were in completely separate commands, and there were no orders concerning their coordination. Kinkaid was reading Halsey's dispatches to Nimitz even though not intended for him. Kinkaid was confused by Halsey's ambiguous dispatches, but they were never intended for him. Kinkaid's communications were going to MacArthur, and Halsey did not get any messages from Kinkaid. The command structure was a mess at Leyte, and Halsey was not responsible for that. He made enough other mistakes, but not this one. It was a byproduct of Nimitz not confronting MacArthur about him retaining control of a large portion of the Navy assets at Leyte, resulting in this split command structure with no coordination. The complex Japanese plan accidently exploited this screwball mess.

Another excellent episode covering this iconic naval battle! My grandfather was one of Admiral Halsey's flyers and on 25 October 1944 was in the thick of the Battle off Cape Engano - one of his vivid memories was overflying Task Force 34 as it peeled off and turned 180 degrees in an attempt to rush to Taffy 3's aid. During my own naval service I had the unforgettable experience of retracing Kurita's path through the Sibuyan Sea, transiting San Bernardino Strait in darkness and entering the waters off Samar just after dawn - on 25 October 2014, exactly 70 years after the battle!

Just remember, “It is not how big your Johnston is, it is how you use it.” TLE

Seth,you do a wonderful job of orchestrating the show.Your guidance means the show will always be complete when discussing what went on during these battles.

I’ve spoken about how enjoyable this podcast is many times and thank you guys again, but I would like to thank the administration of Mississippi Museum for allowing Seth to host this endeavor.

My father was an engineering officer on the Kalinin Bay "Lucky K". Fortunately he wrote his experiences down. James Hornfischer talked to him several times in researching "Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" . My sons have been educated on the sacrifices of the Tin Can Sailors and pilots of the CVEs and bravery of 17 year old kid that pulled a pair of dungarees from a bilge bump of the flooding engine room on CVE-68. Thanks for all you guys do.

This is by far the best explanation (since the word police now state that synopsis has been deemed verboten) of the Battle of Samar I have ever heard/read. It is making sense of what for me has always been a chaotic ordeal by combat with a fully armored Samurai warrior versus a really energetic chicken. This makes so much sense and a movie/television mini-series focusing in on the aircrews and deck handlers of the CVE's on this fight may allow us a much truer insight into this battle. The fight was never between the escorts and CVE's versus the Japanese Center Force, but between the 400+ aircrews of the CVE's and the Center Force.

Center Force attacking Taffy Three was like Grizzly bears provoking an angry hornets nest protected by a loyal pack of vicious mutant dachshunds with lasers on their heads.

Seth’s mosquito analogy and Bill’s No-See-Ems follow on after 1:32:15 reminds me of one of the worst nights of my life. A friend and I went fishing in the Minnesota boundary waters on a hot summer weekend in 1982. Note that the state bird of Minnesota is the mosquito. The day was an ongoing fight with blackflies, horseflies, mosquitoes, and no-see-ems. After finishing dinner, we got in the tent and killed all the mosquitoes that got in with us. As I lay there with my eyes closed, I could swear I was being bitten anew. After a few minutes, I opened my eyes and saw the ceiling of the tent covered with thousands, I mean thousands, of No-See-Ems. The netting was small enough to prevent the larger insects from getting in, but not these biting creatures.

Prior to Leyte, Captain Copeland became incensed when he was told that the single quintuple torpedo mount on the Sammy B was going to be removed and replaced with additional 40mm AA guns. He went to see the officer who was promulgating this order and told him that he flat out refused to have his torpedoes taken away. When asked why, he replied "One day my ship is going to be asked to do a man's job, and I need a man's tools to do it with." And so, he kept his quintuple mount. No Higher Honor...

“Do some of that destroyer stuff!” - I love it.

Here is what a destroyer man said about the DEs. quote> Just at the end of dinner that evening, an officer at a nearby table rose and came over. I recognized him as the skipper of one of the destroyers with which we had operated off Okinawa. He was a full Commander, and his Naval Academy class ring was prominent. I would have risen, but he held me down with a hand on my shoulder. "I don't want to intrude on your evening," he said, looking down the table, "and I'm glad to see you enjoying yourselves, because you sure as hell deserve to! I couldn't help hearing that you're from the Abercrombie. We operated with you a couple of times out west and there's something I want to say." He paused, and he had the whole table's attention. "You DE sailors," he went on, "did one hell of a job out there. Don't you ever take a back seat to anyone as far as fighting that war is concerned." (That last sentence was spoken like an order.) "You went out there right out of civilian life, most of you right out of school or your parents' homes, with a minimum of hurried training, in little ships that could have been better armed and equipped, and you did damned near everything we did with bigger, better, faster ships and a hell of a lot more training - and you did it just as well, sometimes better. I'm proud as hell of you and I want you to know it!" The next morning after quarters I called the whole crew back on the fantail and repeated that little speech as best I could, being especially careful to cite its source. No man who heard it at either first or second hand has forgotten it. I like to think that it was because it had the ring of sincerity - and truth. Edward P. Stafford - Little Ship Big War

On the lack of Japanese torpedo attacks, I have seen reports on how a destroyer division was in position early on to fire a full spread through the retreating CVE formation, but Admiral Kurita then recalled them because he was apparently concerned that they were using too much fuel running at flank (which was one of several indicators that he was looking to get as many of his ships back to base as possible and did not view his force as expendable even if that was required to destroy the landing support units).

An extraordinary set of the 3 battles even before the wardrobe malfunctions.You are awarded 10 stars each.

This action, was in my opinion, the finest performance of US arms by any branch, in any battle, since the civil war. I'm an ex-infantry officer and a historical obsessive - the absolute MOH level courage by ever officer on this field along with the pilots was something almost unique in history. In every battle but this one somebody hesitates - not here. Yours being the best narrative of WW 2 US pacific history, I think you folks should get authorized. As Hirohito is no longer here perhaps King Charles will do the honors.

"It seems like minutes". That never grows old.

Outstanding. I’ve been waiting patiently all week for this drop!

I am of the opinion that despite Halsey’s major blunder, it actually worked out for the best that a major American battle line wasn’t present when Kurita shows up. Obviously it meant certain death for the intensely brave men of the destroyer forces, but consider this- if the Oldendorf or even the new Iowa class battleships had been anywhere nearby, they absolutely would have tangled with Yamato and a dozen other battleships and cruisers. Now, I’m no suggesting such an American force couldn’t have held their own, but they would surely have taken hits and probably some losses too. And instead of losing 3 destroyers and 3 escorts, the fleet may have lost 120,000 tons worth of battleships, and mission killed another few who would have needed repairs. Plus the thousands of men on board each of those massive ships. So, although it’s counterintuitive, I actually believe that the way it happened probably yielded the fewest losses for the Americans.

This battle gives me goosebumps every time. Destroyers and escorts were f***ing METAL 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

There is so much content in this podcast I’m watching it again trying to get my head around everything happening. It’s amazing how taffy 3-2-1 sent the Japanese home with their tails between their legs. The chain of events with the accuracy you guys convey is superb, thanks.

I did some research a few years ago about Kurita's reasons for pulling out and retreating from this battle. I came across a report on an interview with him years after the War. My recollection of this interview was the following: (1) His fleet was days late to the scene, so whatever havoc his fleet could have mustered would have been essentially a bit too late (5 days), and that the landings would still have continued. (2) He and many of the others thought that they had run into a much more powerful force than it was, partly due to misjudging the US ships, thinking that destroyers were cruises, destroyer escorts were destroyers, and that the carriers seen were fleet carriers. (3) That moving forward with the attack would have resulted in his fleet's total or near total destruction, and that he was concerned about the lives of his men, and that further forward movement would have resulted in many, many lives lost, and for little gain. I think Kurita's concerns were pretty much right on, especially with our knowledge on how the battle wagon fleet had been called upon from Halsey, and Hurita's fleet stuck around, the appearance of the US battleships would have annihilated his fleet. It also appears to me that the Japanese navy was much more concerned about their loses, both in ships and lives lost, than the Japanese army ever was. You can see this trend throughout the whole Pacific War.

I was born on the shores oh the Coral Sea, two weeks old at the time of the epic battle so I think fondly of America and the heroics of your servicemen. I have loved the story of Taffy 2 but have wondered if Halsey should have been court-martialed. Seems my suspicions were correct.

Fantastic episode! I really enjoy when Captain Totti speaks about leadership, decision making, and the responsibility of command. Such a unique wrinkle. A question on the historiography: It seemed like Japanese damage control records carried precedence over the reports of US gun crews in assessing who scored hits on the Japanese ships. There was heavy traffic during my commute, I apologize if I’m mischaracterizing- just curious how you glean the truth from sets of records tainted by the chaos of incoming ordinance on the one hand and the tendency to over-claim on the other. Thank you gentlemen

When judging Kurita's decision to retire, it's important to remember the sacrifices that were made by the Southern and Northern forces. These sacrifices were made with one purpose in mind; to allow Kurita to make it into Leyte Gulf, and he failed to do so when he had the opportunity. Of course, I am writing this while sitting comfortably in my easy chair with a glass of wine... and nobody is shooting at me!

What a week! You guys really need to do an episode sharing your time travelling experience 😂 On a serious note. Another great episode, gents! Can't wait for the next episode!

I love Bill’s comment that the main thing is the main thing as well as his description of Halsey of playing checkers in a chess match. I have never understood how Halsey, the “Fighting Admiral,” received his fifth star while Spruance, the “Quiet Warrior,” did not.

Great episodes as always! Really enjoy hearing you guys unpack these events. When I first started out as a pastor in the early 90's I had a retired colleague who was on the Gambier Bay. He was only 18 or 19 at the time and told how the Japanese just pounded the ship. He spent some time in the water after abandoning ship and in his case defined the "there's no atheists in foxholes" saying (though there are). He had a "come to Jesus" moment and when he got home after the war went to Bible college and became a pastor.

Great stuff as usual. I have to wonder if the face saving IJN Commanders were loathe to admit being hit by (5" fire) what were sawed off runts compared to their mighty ships of war. There is no doubt that US DD, DE's pressed (their) attack and poked the IJN force in the eye. The unquestionably brave escort force didn't sit back and tell the carrier planes to "go get 'em boys". Amazing seamanship (& bravery) by all the US ships including the escort carriers & pilots. Thanks Seth, Captain Toti and Jon....very good work. You're appreciated.

Also, Fujinami captain ordered his crew not to shoot US survivor in water, and also saluted them for their bravery

Well done gentleman. I think one of the sayings you have applied about naval forces in these histories, "the sum is greater than the whole of the parts" can be applied also to your work and accomplishment in bringing this history of the war in the pacific to all of us. Bravo!

I've been studying and trying to figure out Jurita's motivations and reasons for turning North for years. He really only publicly talked about the battle twice. Once in 1946 for the US SBS. That one was filmed and is easy to find. Kurita speaks clear reasonably fluent English. And once for a magazine interview shortly before his death. I think the failure to understand his turn North stems from everybody believing what I suspect to be a lie in the SBS interview. When asked about Surigao Strait Kurita claims it was never the plan to use Surigao Strait as his intended exit. But if you look at it and work the numbers, it honestly had to be. First up we have to understand one clear element of Kurita's personality. Kurita clearly did not believe in suicide missions if they could be avoided. He did not seem keen on suicide overall. Note he made no moves to end himself after the disgrace of Leyte Gulf. In spite of the shame and scorn. I once saw it speculated that Kurita was Japanese Catholic. I never found clear evidence of this, but it might make sense. The analysis of Samar everyone fails to do is Kurita's fuel state. While the "cowards hiding in basements under Tokyo" (direct quote from the magazine interview) Might have intended Leyte to be a suicide mission, Kurita did not. And had budgeted his fuel to get home. At the point Kurita turned North a few things had happened. He was losing Cruisers to aerial attack from never ending swarms of carrier aircraft. Much more aircraft then he could see carriers for. He had just received word of what had happened to Nishimura's Southern Force, and that Surigao Strait had a fleet of American heavies astride it. And he was nearing his point of no return fuel state. Remember all the turns in the Siboyan Sea? He'd eaten up a lot of fuel. And now he was concerned about another force coming down from the north. Which would cut him off from San Bernadino Strait. He turned for San Bernadino Strait while it was still an option and while he still had fuel to reach friendly bases.

If they ever make a movie about this battle the title should be “The World Wonders”

Thanks for yet another outstanding episode Gents! I have to say that this one (parts 1 and 2) was my absolute favorite to date. (Whenever I hear the words "Taffy 3", "Battle Off Samar", or "USS Samuel B. Roberts" I get a lump in my throat.) Visit the monument to their heroism on Harbor Drive in Sand Diego. If you're wondering what you should wear on camera for the next episode, you should consider printing up some T-shits (or golf shirts with collar for the Captain), they'd sell like hotcakes and the proceeds would compensate you guys a tiny bit for your time and effort invested in the series.

Another amazing job on Tom Hanks/ Steven Spielberg new mini series. You finally cleared up the combination of ad hoc airpower, incredibly brave midgets attacking Giants. The IJN Center Force, or the surviving half, brave and still determined after 40 hours of culling Cruisers, losing Musahi, from submarine, aircraft and now a 7 ship escort of DD and DE. Epic Pacific History. Thanks for the Big 3, John is big time, Seth has a brilliantly done note sheet. Bill tosses softballs and keeps it moving.

Gentlemen, thank you for correcting the record. You had superb detail, but only necessary details. This was a spectacular episode and absolutely riveting. So many myths, so many myths.

With respect to Kurita, I just think he'd drunk the least kool-aid of the senior IJN officers. By this point in the war, he can see where this is headed. He's not lacking in courage, but neither is he interested in risking his life and the lives of his men for the glory of any damned emperor. Given a battle he could win, he prosecuted it. But he'd seen enough death, and the writing on the wall, and didn't want to sacrifice any more of his men for nothing. He was just being a realist.

solid content IJN had already failed to go all in at Guadalcanal. It now shied away from Leyte. The were presented with two "decisive battles", but did not recognize them.

Learn something new about the Pacific War every time I listen to you guys. Very entertaining, and fun, addition to my morning. Thanks and have a good week gentlemen

I love this podcast. Thanks for all the work you all do to put these shows together. I am such a big fan of you three "amigos" and your shirts!

Good grief. Only 1.6k likes and 299 comments. Guys, you deserve so much more! I've immensely enjoyed your conversation and relived the events of Samar with you (can I say "relived" if I'm far too young to have been there in the first place? Anyway. You know what I mean). Again, your love for tinny tiny detail adds so much life to the topic at hand. Even in some quite serious accounts of serious historians, it is the hopeless charge of the destroyers that what is supposed to have played major role in Kurita's decision to turn back but you are absolutely right in shifting the weight to the role of air attacks. In your discussion this battle finally makes perfect sense. Thank you so much for another great 90+ minutes with you!

Thank you for explaining the role of aircraft. I have always wondered why in this battle aircraft wasn’t portrayed as decisive as it was in other engagements and why U.S. was considered such underdogs. Once again you guys have set the record straight.

I have def found my WW2 Historian brothers in arms with your amazing channel you guys. I’ve been watching since the beginning and I just have to say that these Battle of Leyte Gulf episodes are some of the very best you’ve done so far. I thought that your Coral Sea, Midway, Guadalcanal, New Guinea, Tarawa, Marshalls, Pelelieu and Marianas episodes were excellent but these were even better. This is bc I had always believed that Mikawa just turned tail and ran for almost no reason (other then the battle of the Tin Can Soldiers who were nothing short of MONSTER HEROIC before understanding the powerful effect of the 400+ airplanes and combat 440+ sorties from the CVE’s of Taffy 1, 2 and 3 and the incredible amount of whoop ass that they unleashed on Mikawa’s ships, particularly the heavy cruisers. GREAT JOB FELLAS and I can’t wait for the next episodes to come!!😊

Oh, yes! I didn’t think this episode was coming out until tomorrow for some reason. Great great great. Thanks as always, fellas. Can’t wait to listen

24:00, to the lack of long lance torpedo activity. The Japanese mistakenly believed they were facing Cruisers, Battleships, and Fleet Carriers. Is it possible they set the depth to deep and simply sent all their fish UNDER the Destroyers and Escort Carriers?

Been waiting all week for this Torpedo Tuesday and this one comes with a costume change. I never tire of hearing this story. I always have to get the ole converter out when you old salts start talking ranges in yards. Hard for me to visualize. I live on the plains of Texas and can see for miles but we measure distances with time, not yards. We say it's about 30 minutes away or something like that. But 36,000 yards would be like hitting the town 20 miles down the road. I can see the grain elevators of these towns from my roof. It is incredible to imagine battleships fighting. Can't wait until next week.

Thank you Bill Seth and Jon.

I first heard about Samar at NTC San Diego in 1978. I've been half in love with Sammy B. ever since. Thanks, guys. Marvelous episode!

This battle and James Hornfischer's book deserve a film.

Kurita and those under him had been running on pure adrenaline for thee days. The thing about running on adrenaline is that when it is gone, you crash and you are good for nothing. Add the abuse that they had taken to their eardrums, just the noise would make you punchy. Kurita knew his men didn’t have another big fight in them even if their ships could make it to the gulf. Maybe Kurita also felt that his men fought so well they deserved at least a chance to go back home - and that Japan didn’t need to just take a victory home, Japan needed to take a victory home with survivors.

This 2 part series along with the other are freaking AWESOME. thanks SO MUCH.

Good evening gentlemen! Its time again to catch up with history.

One comment - not excusing Halsey - but I heard quite a few references to HIS FLEET or similar. My understanding has been that - PART - of the problem was that there was no overall navel commander who had oversight for 3rd and 7th fleets. Also, cannot forget the clarification from Nimitz about pursuing IJN surface unit opportunities in the wake of Saipan. Halsey clearly displayed a lack of strategic or war-winning aptitude, in addition to sub par staffing acumen. But being the well-known aggressor that he was, and the fact that he’d been out of the surface war for many months prior, King and Nimitz have some responsibility as well I think. Not to say this degraded either admiral but need to learn the right lessons.

Thanks so much for this episode and the series. I wonder if historians have discounted how much the Japanese were playing for a negotiated end to the war . Perhaps they were thinking that negotiations without capital Japanese ships in the mix, would be very difficult. And this battle could have ended with their side in a far reduced negotiating position had they pressed on. As we think of Lee after Gettysburg, perhaps; hoping for the best deal they could get.

Thank you so much for “skewering” those myths!

I love what you and Bill are doing here. I 've been waiting for this episode as I have a personal attachment to the battle off Samar, my dad's 2nd brother was radio/radar officer aboard Adm. Stump's flagship USS Natoma Bay CVE -63.

Another exciting recitation of this important sea battle. Great detail and impressive heroism exhibited by the American Navy. One of your best episodes.

Another great show,,I always look forward every Tuesday evening, seeing I am in dumaguete negros orriental, Philippines 🇵🇭

When you said that Samuel B. Roberts emptied her magazines, you weren't exaggerating. It's my recollection that by the end of her gun battle, Sammy B was firing anti-aircraft shells and starshells at the superstructure of the cruisers.

I have waited “all week” for the second episode. Thank you! Yet again a new perspective. OK, the Japanese retreat made sense. I love you guys. Thank You!

Excellent. Worth the wait. Thank you .... caught up in the story and missed the wardrobe change. 😀

Outstanding guys. You always take the battles to the highest insight possible.

Episodes like this make me proud to be an ex-Tin Can sailor. PS: We called the last iteration of the Hoel (DDG-13) the Oh Well. Thanks again for your work Gentlemen.

Evans exemplifies courage and initiative. "When in doubt, win the war"

You guys are all terrific, authoritative, with lots of higher teir ideas, and extras.

Wow it's like deja vu all over again

Tuesday is the best day of the week 🎉

Very enlightening! You guys are right, the constant air attacks from ALL the TFE groups really had to grind at the Japanese. That and the pure fatigue of the IJN fleet commander, plus the low morale of the staff and other officers led to the decision to cut and run. A comment of the sheer bravery of the USS Sammuel B. Roberts; because these are primarily ASW escorts, but for surface action they only carried THREE torpedoes versus 10 on the Fletchers )and later Gearings) and that class of DE had minimal fire control equipment. It's too bad that Heerman couldn't be saved a a museum ship after it was used by the Mexican Navy. It really needed to be restored to WW2 condition and displayed at an appropriate spot like Annapolis.

Exceptional!, simply Exceptional! analysis and brilliant presentation!

Big fan of the channel. The interaction of the three of you, and knowledge of the subject matter pulls the viewer in. Well done

The last episode caused me to do some more research around Halsey and this battle. I was sort of surprised to learn that even until his death Halsey vehemently denied that he had made any error at all in this battle. It’s sad because his legacy was already secure. His leadership in the crucible of the Solomons fight had been critical to winning the campaign that broke the back of the Japanese military. Had he been willing to admit he had errored it would if anything have enhanced his reputation. After all everyone is human and even the best of us make mistakes. To recognize what was already widely understood and admit to it wouldn’t have diminished his accomplishments in any way. But in his continued vehement refusals to admit error we are left wondering if this was the bluster of a MacArthur level ego that had to always be right or was his judgement really that poor? I’m also surprised that Carney his Chief of Staff rose to CNO despite having been a part not only of this mess but also Halsey’s Typhoons. Considering that only Halsey’s reputation and the desire to avoid scandal prevented him from being relieved you would have thought that Carney’s career would have ended right there.

Outstanding!!

I'm australian, love this show, i started watching late but caught up , it's tuesday nigh here in Brisbane 645 about an hour to go before part 3, bring it on

Similar to the discussion of Halsey's staff, something worth highlighting in regard to Kurita's decision-making at the end of the battle is Atago's sinking. When she went down he and his staff were not taken off the ship in an organized manner as one would hope for, but bodily thrown into the sea. The significance of this is that, even though they were able to reconstitute themselves on Musashi, the physical implements used to do that staff work were lost, along with the plotter they were using to track the various forces in the area. Taken in concert with the scale and complexity of the battle at large, the absolute chaos of the action off Samar, and the stresses that he and his entire staff were operating under, I think it's entirely possible that he'd lost situational awareness. This would feed directly into the notion that he was surrounded by American forces as was discussed in the video. This was written on the phone, apologies for any errors.

Thank you , you guys make so much sense of this mythic battle. I tend to agree with Seth, the masts on the horizon are like the periscope sightings that keep you from picking up survivors.

When the message comes through, in the clear, "WHERE IS LEE? SEND LEE", I bet Lee felt absolutely sick inside.

Great video as always, guys.

There is something incredibly demoralizing about being under constant air attack. At what point does an admiral realize he has a duty to keep his fleet intact enough to still pose a threat to the enemy? A case for Kurita to take either action can certainly be made. You guys are an incredible resource and I could watch you all day. Well done!

Excellent! Again.

Thanks for these episodes on Samar. Most accounts focus entirely on Taffy 3. What Taffy 3 did was remarkable and must not be trivialized, but there would have been little chance of victory in the battle without the factor of air power.

Can I congratulate the lads on their improved clothing choices. Much improved on last week. Great work in general, though.

This is the best history series that I have encountered to date. Thank you so much for taking the time to produce this series. Its important to remember these events, and you are keeping them alive. As a result of this series, and particularly the Submarine events, I have found, purchased, and have been playing'Silent War 2.0', a boardgame that replays the whole WW2 Pacific Submarine Campaign and some of the famous patrols by Wahoo, Tang etc. It creates an understanding of the pressures and frustrations of the service including the issues with the Mk XIV Torpedoes.

Regarding Admiral Kurita's decision to withdraw: Evan Thomas makes a point similar to what's been made in this video in his book "Sea of Thunder" -- that Kurita simply saw no point in fighting on against what he thought was the full might of the United States Navy. AFAIK Thomas even goes a step further, suggesting that Kurita was sick and tired of the increasingly strident death-or-glory blustering among Japan's top brass and said, "F*** this. I'm bringing my boys home."

The only thing that could have made this better would be if it's initial broadcast was on October 25 exactly 80 years after the battle. Any survivors would be at least 97 years old. But delay is not an option!

A rock solid , ball swinging, discussion. Well done!

There is something deeply satisfying and calming about listening to these 3.

I just ha to share this bit from Drachinifel's equally excellent video on the Battle of Samar: "Faced with an enemy whose largest gun turrets weigh more than the entire ship, Johnston decides that running is boring."

The courage these sailors exhibited was astounding. Kuritas decision will be the head scratcher of all Navel decisions from now on. Another great episode. Thanks,

you guys are awesome. Keep up the great work!

I am very impressed by the knowledge of many commenters. It is a rare thing when comments add a significant amount to the video.