USS Stewart (DD-224) - “No, I'm Not a Japanese Ship!” 

Another reason they didn't usually use captured ships in modern times, was the difficulty of maintaining foreign made machines from enemy combatants.

I have a set of optical sights from one of Stewart's Japanese AA guns. In the original wood storage box marked PB-102 on the metal tag on the lid. A Japanese friend translated everything for me.

In a very similar story, the elderly British destroyer HMS Thracian was damaged by the Japanese during their assault on Hong Kong and then captured by the Japanese. She was repaired by the Japanese and entered their service as Patrol Boat No. 101. She also survived the war and was found by the British in Japan after the war.

“25mm morale boosters” one of the best descriptions of the infamous Japanese AA gun 😅

This mirrors the life of Torpedo Boat Q-111 'Luzon' that was part of the escort torpedo boats of the Offshore Patrol during the daring breakout attempt of MacArthur to escape to Australia. She is unique that she was essentially a prototype by Thornycroft to provide the Philippine Commonwealth with a slightly larger 65 ft Torpedo Boat in the same style as American PT Boats instead of the smaller 55 ft CMBs that have their torpedoes on the centerline. This was supposed to be replaced with the more mature 70 ft design but those ended up getting seized when the Winter War broke out and was sent to Finland instead. Ironically, the crew of the OSP and Q-111 'Luzon' would get their success and awards by downing Japanese Dive Bombers, damaging 3 while being attacked by a total of 9 planes. During the breakout attempt, they got intercepted by Japanese Shiratsuyu-class destroyers and so had to separate. With the boat in bad shape and the Japanese Naval Air Force on their tail, they still attempted but only got as far as Mindoro iirc and had to scuttle it. It was raised by the Japanese to be the Patrol Boat No. 14 and was reportedly sunk by American dive bombers during the reconquest of the Philippines. Torpedo Boat Q-111 'Luzon' holds a special place for the Philippines as it was the flagship that formed what would eventually be the Philippine Navy. Its unique design is also something that would be mirrored by the French with their VTB designs.

I Find It As A Tragic Waste: When Recovered From The Japanese Navy In 1945, There Was Already A New Destroyer Named Stewart To Replace The Lady They Thought Was Lost. Still Afloat, Seemingly Ready To Carry On The Fight, There Was No Money Available To Return Her To Her Original "FOUR-FLUSHER", (Four Stacks/Flush Deck,) Configuration, Nor Do They Want Her In Her Japanese Rebuilt Condition (As To Rub Salt On Still-Fresh Wounds So Soon After The War!) Nor, Like Dewey's Cruiser "OLYMPIA", Did They Want To Have It "In Mothballs" For Decades Until Restoration Funds Were Raised, So They Made Her A Target! But If They HAD A Chance To Restore Her, She Would Be The "HOPE DIAMOND" In ANY Naval Or Maritime Museum!

I often wondered what happened to DD 224. I knew that she was recovered but that was the extent of my knowledge. Thanks for the update.

Absolute shame we didnt keep her around. Would have probably been the best Clemson to keep around in General. What a story.

The mention of the USS Stewart battling the Japanese off Bali reminded me of my late friend, Carl Hazenberg. He had been raised on the island before the war where his father, Major Carl F. Hazenberg, commanded an engineering battalion of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL). By the time Bali was invaded, Major Hazenberg had been transferred to Sumatra and was heavily engaged in ground combat until forced to surrender when the Dutch government capitulated. He and his men would spend the remainder of the war as POWs working on the Death Railway in Burma (made famous by the movie "The Bridge on the River Kwai"). Meanwhile, young Carl was living in Holland and serving as a member of the Dutch underground. Both father and son survived the war and were later reunited back on Bali.

This video is actually genuinely underated.

kamchatka: you can't fool me japanese torpedo boat!

I used to use the Mess Hall of the USS Stewart in Galveston as a study place whenever I was cramming for a hard exam. They would often loop 50's and 60's music through the sound system, so it always felt like I was in my own little time capsule while I was there. Highly recommend seeing the Stewert, along with the USS Seawolf! Such an interesting little Tin Can. It still amazes me how many of the 'Four Stacker' type were built, and how long some of them served. I think the last one still in service was only decommissioned within the last two decades (correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought either the Taiwanese navy, or the South Korean Navy had one until the 2000's). Regardless, these destroyers are such an underappreciated workhorse of the American navy. I'm not sure if you've done a video about this or not, but I figured you'd be interested in the 'Honda Point' incident. About half a dozen of these four stackers ran aground badly on the California coast, and it cost a few sailors their lives alongside a few of the ships being totally lost. Would love to see your video on the incident, as there are only a handful of reputable ones out there who talk about it. Always love to learn more from your vids! Can't wait for the next one!

By 1943, the IJN was starting to feel the pinch of destroyer losses and and damage. Raising the drydock added to service/repair capabilities and yielded a ship worth repairing. Four-pipers are not much respected, but the USN found them worth use in other roles. The IJN, similarly, did the repair and conversion work and gave the Stewart a less exalted name and role.

Prize warships usually have interesting histories and USS Stuart/PT 102 was no exception. How about covering PT 101 the former HMS Thracian.

Nice story, well worked material. Deserves kudos.

Another great video, very informative

So weird! They restored her USN hull number on the bow, but they left the prominent Japanese markings in place right to the end!

Excellent

USS Luzon was another ship that was captured by the Japanese after she was scuttled in Manila and was renamed as the Karatsu. She had the ignominious "honor" of helping sink submarine USS Cisco on September 22, 1943 with a couple Japanese planes. She later had her bow blown off by USS Narwhal and was towed to port, but the Japanese couldn't repair her on time and she was scuttled in Manila again when the Philippines fell again.

This would have made an excellent museum ship. Oh the stories she could tell!

I'd love a series of videos all about captured warships that were used by the capturing party in war

Well done.

Just stumbled across this video. Reall enjoyed it just subscribed 👍

Great mini doc. Read about uss Stewart in high school in 1978.

HMS Sandwich!? Best British ship name ever! (5:18)

This was very interesting

Wait, hold up. The British had a ship named "Sandwich"?! Need more info on that one pronto!

Just for the lulz, it might be fun to take a look at another old four-stacker destroyer - USS Tracy, DD-214 - for reasons that are obvious to anyone that's served in the military.

1:15 If whoever took that photo had OCD he would be irritated that the numbers don't line up.

While on the subject of 4 Stack/Flush Deck destroyer fascinating histories please consider the USS Turner, DD-259 which became USS Moosehead, IX-98 and made some truly incredable technical innovation contributions to the US Navy WWII effort.

Neat story

I'm a Stewart. Thanks for the info

Gotta love a nice destroyer.❤

US destroyer spam really is epic when it ramps up. From ww2, if you average the number of ships across the days of ww2, it turns out that around 5-6 days a week, the USN was commissioning a ship (so this doesn't count anything but proper USS ships). Most likely either a DD or DDE. In reality it obviously ramped up over the years. But that really does help give it perspective. I remember someone saying: A destroyer a day keeps the Japanese at the bottom of the bay.

I think it was mentioned in the Official History of the US Navy in ww2 that this ship was spotted behind Japanese lines. First reports were dismissed. Then photos by US submarines were submitted. Then she was located after Japan surrendered.

Great Story. Bravo Zulu

This made me think of the movie The Sand Pebbles with Steve McQueen 1966.

Interesting

I've never heard of a 4 stacker,I've heard of 4 pipe destroyers!

This is a very interesting story. I wonder how many other US ships have been captured and put in service against us?

Stewart's story blurs the line between good and bad luck. Is it good luck to effectively come back from the dead and eventually make it home, or bad luck that the enemy was the one to raise you up out of desperation?

Stewart's Folly.

14:36/15:25 : R.A.M.P. -Recovered Allied Military (NOT Personnelle..., ) But Property!

Wow he did my comment

What happened to the rats ?

Interesting video, however, I hope your video can be more focus on title, this video had too much contents not too related. Please make it more compact.

Ship equivalent of moving to Japan and became a weeb

In the days of wooden hulls, ships simply stayed afloat much longer due to the natural buoyancy of wood. In fact it was very rare for a ship to sink in battle. Some blew up but ships took days to founder. Hence it was mostly possible to capture ships that had struck their colours. First explosive shells and then steel hulls reversed that so now it was the usual fate of a warship to sink, though outright sinking due to flooding after shell damage rarely occured.

Haven't had a naval war since the 40's so no one knows but the Germans used captured ships in WW2

“Maybe they thought it was the USS Jon Leibowitz instead”.... Bad joke, but ironically quite funnier than what the comedian with similar name utters... Bad timing with this ship :D

Pirate people of a pirate nation😮😢

I knew about this ship from my history class from 1978-79