122 - Heinz Guderian's Christmas and the fall of Hong Kong - WW2 - December 26, 1941

[@WorldWarTwo]

It might be Christmas week, but the war certainly does not stop for anybody's holidays. In fact, in some ways- notably the war against humanity- the war is growing worse as each week passes. We have a whole sub-series called the War Against Humanity that comes out twice a month covering just what the title implies. Check out the playlist at. kzbin.info/aero/PLsIk0qF0R1j4cwI-ZuDoBLxVEV3egWKoM And please read our rules of conduct before you comment, saves everyone headaches (and loads of time): community.timeghost.tv/t/rules-of-conduct/4518

[@PhillyPhanVinny]

I guess I'll do what is becoming my weekly defense of MacArthur now. First though, I'm not a fan boy of MacArthur, I don't love or hate the guy. I just think he has gotten a terrible reputation thanks to many media members from back in the day not liking him (because of trivial reasons like not giving them interviews or the housing he gave them not being to the level the journalists received in Europe) and some older historians making errors and not focusing their work on primary sources to make their conclusions. As for this weeks topic on MacArthur regarding the food/supply situation. To start I'll say as Indy mentioned in the video when the Japanese attacked the US and Filipinos forces were in the process of changing up their defensive plan to stop the Japanese at the beaches. The Japanese attacked while MacArthur's command in the Philippines was still waiting for the troops and equipment to make such a defense possible. It is not MacArthur's or anyone's fault the Japanese attacked in the middle of the changing of the plans, the Japanese just deserve credit for a well executed and timed plan. As I stated in past comments General George Marshall who also served in the Philippines was in agreement with MacArthur's plan to change up the defensive plan of the Philippines. After the attack on the Philippines began MacArthur immediately recognized the new plan could not be executed and reverted the US and Filipino defensive plan to the plan to defend at Bataan and wait for the US Pacific Fleet to help them. That of course could not happen anymore since the US Pacific fleet was pretty much destroyed. MacArthur was able to get the majority of his troops back to Bataan with a large amount of supplies but he did not get all the supplies he could have gotten. He is often criticized for not taking the rice supplies from the Philippines capital city of Manilla. Could those supplies have helped the allied forces last longer in Bataan? Yes, I do think they may have. But even if they could have lasted longer in Bataan with those supplies I still think MacArthur made the correct decisions in not taking the food supplies from Manilla. I'll explain why I think that below. I think MacArthur's decisions was correct because first, lets point out that the US and Filipino forces within the Bataan peninsula will last many more months there then anyone thought they would last. When the Japanese first started attacking Bataan they thought they would overrun it in a matter of weeks and were so confidante that they will start to remove troops from the Philippines before taking over Bataan. With great anger and regret the Japanese will need to then send troops back to the Philippines in order to try to knock MacArthur and his forces off the island. They fail to do so even after bringing the forces back to the Philippines. It wasn't until after FDR ordered MacArthur to leave the Philippines that general Wainwright will surrender the island when the Japanese capture Cargador Island and threaten to execute the troops they capture there. That is months past where anyone thought the allied forces would last and months past even what the original defense plans called for the forces at the Philippines to last on the Bataan peninsula because the US Pacific fleet was supposed to come help them right away in the original plans. The second issue with taking the food from Manila for the troops in Bataan is it would have led to people in the city dying of starvation. That was all the food they had to live off of and if they found out that the Americans took it for themselves there is a chance that the people of the Philippines could have reacted to the Japanese invasion like the Asian people of the European colonies did and support the Japanese. Had the Americans not treated the people of the Philippines like a independent country they were looking over or had MacArthur been demeaning to the troops of the Philippines it could have resulted in the allies having to fight yet another enemy forces. Something MacArthur is almost never given credit for is his love of Asian culture (he used to where a a kimono while smoking a cigarette in a Chinese jade cigarette holder). MacArthur always went out of his way to praise the people of the Philippines and their military to the point that quotes from MacArthur on the Filipino troops are still stated today as a matter of national pride in the Philippines. So at the end of the day I don't see how it could have been worth it for MacArthur to take the food supplies from the people of the Philippines to feed the troops in Bataan when while short on supplies they did still have enough to be able to hold out there for months longer then anyone thought they would have and taking the supplies from the people of the Philippines could have also resulted in the people shifting their allegiance from the United States and over to the Japanese as happened on many other colonies the Japanese took over.

[@QuizmasterLaw]

Happy Boxing day! Now put up your dukes! no war but class war!

[@midsue]

Merry Christmas and happy new year to you all ☃️🎇

[@QuizmasterLaw]

"convinces them to avoid surrender, to avoid further loss of life" About that...

[@lexingtonbrython1897]

How on Earth are the Allies going to recover things in the East? Can they even? Like, it's pretty certain they're going to control the resources the Kido Butai requires with a month or two, if its only taken 3 weeks to basically secure control and surround everything - especially with the Pacific Fleet out of commission.

[@ariochiv]

It seems that the major requirement for being a high-level British officer was to have "Archibald" or "Percival" somewhere in your name.

[@FrankFurther]

My first British army captain was called Captain Percival 😂

[@neoanderson4874]

What about King Arthur and Sir Lancelot

[@timrutkevich3222]

You will not become very high ranking officer in British military if you are not of nobile blood

[@stevekaczynski3793]

@@timrutkevich3222 Or upper middle class. William Slim was of relatively humble social origins, though. German field marshals tended to divide between aristocrats and middle class. Hitler seems to have got on better with the second category but he found sycophants, those who stood up to him and those who plotted against him could be in either category.

[@timrutkevich3222]

@@stevekaczynski3793 Lots of things look different if you look deeper. Economics of generation have nothing to do with person of nobility. But the economic situation greatly advances ones becoming general officers. Your opinion does not include the caste system in UK. And like in India, you will not become anyone if you are not a part of higher caste. If you do, then there are objective reasons for so. Like British say: mind your betters.

[@fogeltje]

Great news from Jean-Paul. Donated after the last shoutout and received a very nice thank you email. Great to hear the museum can survive.

[@hannahloew5027]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aIfFZIWsfLF-eMU

[@TiredCzech]

Glad to hear that, I'd like to visit the museum after covid ends... Thanks bud

[@stephenb.rossetti7400]

Which museum does he head?

[@oLii96x]

@@TiredCzech i have been there 2 yrs ago and it was amazing. You can even buy some ww1 stuff there, like newspapers and old bayonets.

[@TiredCzech]

@@oLii96x wow okay, that sounds pretty cool!

[@billd.iniowa2263]

I'm learning more about Japan's campaign in China here than anywhere else. The amount of carnage in this war cannot be over estimated. It's just hard to grasp for us today. And very few people even know about it now. That generation is passing. We mustn't let the world forget these lessons. Thankyou for all you folks are doing.

[@tamjeff1751]

Tactical lessons I guess.

[@veritasabsoluta4285]

@@tamjeff1751 It's a lot more than just "Tactical lessons" wtf are you talking about

[@thewashingtontapes5476]

Western military history has usually ignored the contribution of non Western armies such as China & Red army, despite the fact that they usually faced more troops from US/UK

[@architech02]

Sad fact: we are the last generation who had the opportunity to talk to ww2 vets

[@billd.iniowa2263]

@@thewashingtontapes5476 I'm afraid Hollywood and the lack of info that came out of the USSR after the war, and then the Cold War as well, have combined to leave us ignorant of the true facts. That damned Cold War is a shame. We could have had a united world by now. Instead we have fear and suspicion amongst the nations of this world. Did we really learn nothing from WWII? :-(

[@JellothePallascat]

I'm a little saddened that you did not mention Canadian Brigadier John K. Lawson. After his western sector HQ was surrounded by the Japanese. His last message out was "I'm going to fight it out" and left his bunker with a pistol in each hand and was found with dozens of Japanese dead around his body and multiple bullet and bayonet wounds. He was given a full honor burial by the Japanese for his bravery in the fight. A Chaplin was allowed to take and keep his Identification disk and held it on his person for the rest of his internment as a P.O.W.

[@TLTeo]

Also of US Marine Captain Henry T. Elrod, who died fighting on Wake Island. The first Japanese air raid damaged most Wildcats stationed there beyond repair, so most aircraft ended up being used for spare parts. Marine pilots would come back from a mission, get off their damaged Wildcat, jump into a newly repaired one, and go up again. Captain Elrod shot down two Japanese bombers and even sunk a destroyer while there were still Wildcats that could be flown. He then took command of the marines defending the beaches of the island, and died in the fighting on December 23rd. The few bits left of the last Wildcat (which is actually the one shown in the foreground in this video at 8:57) he flew were used to restore the F4F displayed at the Washington Air and Space Museum.

[@JellothePallascat]

@@TLTeo Never Count out a marine!

[@lycaonpictus9662]

@@TLTeo A minor correction...Elrod didn't take command of the Marines defending the island. They were under the command of Major James Devereux, who was senior to Elrod. Devereux was also an artillerymen as were the majority of the Marines defending the island (no infantry had yet been sent there when the Japanese attacked), so seniority aside there would be no reason to defer to an officer from outside the chain of command. The coastal artillerymen had their own officers, besides Devereux who was in overall command. Elrod did organize support troops that had been used to defend the airfield to assist in defending a beach, where they repulsed a few Japanese attacks, but he was commanding those particular troops on a particular stretch of beach, not leading the defense of the entire island. A side note about Wake Island... Although it was not known at the time the defenders at Wake had scored a small measure of revenge for the attack on Pearl Harbor when another of the Marine wildcat pilots, Herbert C. Freuler, shot down two B5N Kate bombers on December 22nd. Aboard one of the downed bombers was Noboru Kanai, the bombardier credited with dropping the bomb that had destroyed the USS Arizona. Kanai was killed in action.

[@tamjeff1751]

The P.O.Ws got it way worse in HK sigh.

[@TLTeo]

@@lycaonpictus9662 Cheers, I didn't know that part!

[@christerprestberg3973]

Having read and listened to alot regarding the 2nd sino-japanease and the 2nd world war, one thing that never cease to suprise me is the sheer brutality of Imperial Japan.

[@asheer9114]

Too bad that many Americans don't treat with same regard Greman war crimes (and don't get me started with entire "holocaust never happend" idiocy) as alleged (mostly by CCP) Japanese war crimes... 😒

[@Jay-ho9io]

The thing is, while in no way am I lessening the absolutely inexcusable and unforgivable brutality of the Japanese military, many militaries the historically up to and including western military activity prior to World War II was equally as repugnant, horrifically evil, and casually brutal. The invasion of the subjugation of the Philippines, The actions of my own Marine Corps in Haiti, the little talk about German actions against the Herrero, The British invasion, subjugation and ruthlessly brutal suppression of any freedom fighters in their empire are all similar. It's just that winners write more books than losers, and even losers write more books than the winners victims.

[@veritasabsoluta4285]

@@Jay-ho9io You're absolutely fucking delusional if you think western atrocities were "equally as repugnant, horrifically evil, and casually brutal". It was definitely horrific but the Japanese were FAR WORSE and make western atrocities look like child's play by comparison. You have no idea what you're talking about.

[@MrNicoJac]

@@veritasabsoluta4285 LOL You're the delusional one if you think that less than a decade of brutal torture by Japan outweighs centuries of brutal torture by the West. At least the Japanese didn't sell the babies of their victims into slavery....? :/

[@Jay-ho9io]

@Clemens VM You have a very different reading about the British militaries response after the Indian rebellion than I do

[@thisguyaintfunny1881]

So interesting to see how the war progressed from a small conflict in Europe in September 1939, to basically all out war in 1941 ragining across the globe, Really looking forward to the following years with even more in-depth coverage of events and battles. Not complaining on the videos averaging 20 mins either, with probably longer videos to come in the future :). Keep up the spectacular work!

[@porksterbob]

The war in Asia was an apocalyptic bloody affair with millions of dead already in 1939.

[@thisguyaintfunny1881]

@@porksterbob Yea thats true, as some say ww2 began in 37 with the second Sino-Japanese war as the beginning. I provided my comment with a European view, as i myself think of 39 and 41 as when the "war" started and grew global. But in reality i find it hard to put it all under one big war as there war major and minor conflicts before, in the middle of it, and after that has much to say. As well as nations fought and made alliances for different reasons and out of situational circumstances. Not fighting one big war for one big reason everyone shared. The conflict in Asia before 41 had a major impact on the war, and here in Norway we focus very little to no extent on that in school. Something i feel like should be focused more on. Thank you for attending my Ted talk.

[@jamestheotherone742]

More like a series of separate brushfires that converged to set the whole world on fire.

[@koplogame]

or you could say ww1 and 2 was 1 conflict with a ceasefire in between

[@thisguyaintfunny1881]

@@koplogame Yea that too, heard many people say the period 1914-45 was one big conflict. But who am i to say whats right or wrong, i'm just a guy interested in history! ;)

[@garnetk3751]

my uncle regretably was a member of the canadian force that was killed in hong kong. he was only a member of the military for about 6 months before being sent there.

[@darrellborland119]

@Garnet K...thank you for your comment.

[@lycaonpictus9662]

May he rest in peace.

[@commando4481]

A true hero. All gave some, Some gave all. May he rest in peace.

[@garnetk3751]

I never got to meet him, so my feelings are somewhat removed, but I can tell when my mom has talked about it that it still breaks her heart loosing an older brother. thank god she isn't too informed on how brutal some of the japanese tactics were when it came to an enemy who surrenders when the japanese were expected to fight till death and never surrender.

[@commando4481]

@@garnetk3751 Maybe he went down fighting. Killing as many Japanese as he could. Either way he’s still a hero in my books.That’s what I would think if he was my relative. I wish your mother good health she sounds like a strong woman.

[@randymi9334]

Dang McArthur kinda sucked in the defense of the Philippines. He first wastes his bombers by leaving them on the tarmac letting the Japanese destroy them. Then he lets the Japanese eat all his rice. When all hope is lost he dips to Australia. Worst of all he's remembered as some sort of military genius, shifting all the blame to his subordinates.

[@tamjeff1751]

You think McArthur sucked try the Gin Drinkers ridge.

[@cenccenc946]

My father had the bad luck as a marine to be under his command twice, in two different wars, and was in the Philippines at 15 years old. He later volunteered for korea, after recieving a draft notice by mistake. The draft board was not expecting someone so young to be a vet, and told him he was exempt from the draft. He decided since he was there anyway, he would volunteer to join the Marines again. He use to say, "the only thjng a Marine fears is army generals".

[@randymi9334]

@@tamjeff1751 pretty much all of the allies defense of their pacific holdings were hindered by their underestimation of the japanese

[@Ronald98]

@@randymi9334 exactly.. they were too blinded for their racism... and they paid a heavy price for it

[@badcarbon7624]

My Stepfathers friend was a marine who survived the death March and captivity. He always referred to him as Dougout Doug.

[@gunman47]

One trivia fact that I missed out last week for old school Call of Duty fans: last week on Dec 17 1941, was the first mission of Call of Duty 2, the Red Army Training level under Private Vasili Ivanovich Koslov which happens 20 miles west of Moscow. Rather well known for its grenade training with potatoes, because real grenades are more valuable :)

[@JC-hs5wf]

i love you

[@yourstruly4817]

Hold [Tab] to check your objectives.

[@jamestheotherone742]

In Leningrad potatoes might have been more valuable than hand grenades...

[@shadowling77777]

:D

[@jaysalisbury193]

Wow! Thank you for this. Nostalgia!

[@bread_n_butter]

Little bit of additional perspective: my grandmother was a Hong Kong resident prior to this time. I'm not exactly sure of the timeline of this all, but according to my father, she remembered the Canadian "young kids" crying while faced with the inevitable. She escaped to the mainland dressed as a boy and lost her first child (technically my uncle) to disease due to medicine shortage within the next few years.

[@ScooterWeibels]

Flying Tigers after the war will start up an air freight business, also for a short time they will run a chain of restaurants with the name Flying Tigers, they had a restaurant in the town where I live.

[@troystaunton254]

It makes sense that they would make their own airline/freight business. Qantas was founded by Paul McGinness a ww1 Ace from Australia and an Australian light-horseman Hudson Fysh and a businessman Fergus McMaster. I’m honestly surprised that more war time pilots or squadrons haven’t been the founder of airlines.

[@surferdude44444]

Troy Staunton........Cathay Pacific was founded by an Australian pilot and an American pilot (Sidney de Kantzow and Roy Farrell) who flew DC3 cargo planes over “the hump” during the war. They had two DC3s in their fleet and started off by fly cargo from Hong Kong to Sydney and Shanghai. The original DC3 “Betsy” is located right by the front door of Cathay’s corporate office on Lantau Island right by Chep Lap Kok airport in Hong Kong.

[@mikehimes7944]

That freight company became air america. Yes. That air america.

[@surferdude44444]

michael himes.....what freight company?

[@Maxfr8]

Red Ball became Red Bull and kept people awake during the day.

[@jasondouglas6755]

There is no Christmas truce this year

[@thunderkatz4219]

Noooo 😔

[@Oxtocoatl13]

Christmas 1914: exchange cigarettes and play football with the enemy. Christmas 1941: your enemy comes to your hospital and bayonets you in your bed.

[@christopherjustice6411]

I don't get the Japanese soldier's mindset. They consider it dishonorable to surrender, yet they're filled with murderous rage whenever they encounter even the slightest resistance.

[@lycaonpictus9662]

Not always, though it does seem to be the case often enough. A rather notable exception was during the battle off Samar in 1944. US Navy destroyers and destroyer escorts conducted one of the most famous last stands in naval history, attacking Japanese destroyers, cruisers and battleships in order to buy time for escort carriers to get to safety. Although the US destroyers and destroyer escorts punched above their weight and inflicted more damage, allowing the carriers to escape, the attacks were suicidal. Sailors from the USS Johnston, one of the destroyers sunk, reported that as their ship went down the captain of the destroyer Yukikaze was seen saluting her from the bridge of the Japanese ship. Other US sailors in the water (can't recall which ship now) were bypassed by one of the Japanese ships that was still steaming forward on the attack. As the ship passed them they saw armed Japanese sailors and marines rushing toward the side of the ship facing them and were expecting to be massacred in the water. Instead a Japanese officer saluted and the sailors and marines brought their rifles to "present arms" as the ship passed.

[@XDestroyoxZx]

Humans are very good at being hypocrites. Soldiers of a genocidal army even more so.

[@garrymartin6474]

Because like most facist regimes who believe their own publicity they ultimately prove to be nothing but excrement in human form.

[@jagdpanther2224]

Those Japanese soldiers must have been took drugs or alcohols, they were high in cruelty moods! But the British/Canadians resistance was very fierce in Hong Kong Island their last stands and shocked the Japanese very much! The Japanese retaliated with shear brutality especially over European women, the nurses!

[@stevekaczynski3793]

@@jagdpanther2224 I read the book "When Tigers Fight" about the Sino-Japanese War. I don't recall the author's name, I think it was written in the 1970s. An unusually forthright Japanese veteran was quoted. From memory (I don't have the book with me) he said, "We did whatever we liked to their women. If anyone complained, we killed him and ate his liver." In view of how they conducted war, somehow the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki may not have excited sympathy and sorrow in many places...

[@chenglongyin2232]

As a Hong Kong person, I sincerely thank you Indy and his team to mention Hong Kong as the topic. It was a Black Christmas for Hong Kong people and the start of the "Three years and eight months' rule of the Japanese. I know that Hong Kong also became the highlight last year. And I also wish 2020 would be a year for us to treasure what is valuable to us. Let's wish a happy 2021!

[@williamgordon5708]

Red Army: Seems like the Northern front's gonna go easy on us in 1942. Rzhev: Allow me to introduce myself.

[@Duke_of_Lorraine]

Also known as "the meat grinder" ?

[@Overlord734]

Northern front was around Leningrad, Rzhev is close to Moscow.

[@creatoruser736]

And yet, few people have heard of it. Everyone talks about Stalingrad and the Caucasus that year.

[@nicholasconder4703]

@@creatoruser736 Yet it is likely that the continuous action around Rzhev denied Paulus and 6th Army the reinforcements needed to take Stalingrad, and aided in halting the advance into the Caucuses.

[@auguststorm2037]

@@creatoruser736 I have the impression that for many the Eastrn Front limits itself to Moscow, Stalingrad and Kursk. Battles of Sebastopol, Odessa, Rjev, or Voronezh are literally unknown

[@gianniverschueren870]

Oooh I like this tie. Unique colour-combination but a classic design. Very well done. 4/5

[@gianniverschueren870]

Best of wishes to everyone reading this!

[@WorldWarTwo]

@@gianniverschueren870 and form all of us to you Gianni - a merry, merry Christmas. Thank you for diligently and consistently adding a bit of levity and fun to our series, You're a star!

[@gianniverschueren870]

@@WorldWarTwo I wish you the very same, thanks for indulging and encouraging me!

[@QuizmasterLaw]

stripes on stripes clash. AU POTEAU!

[@robina.9402]

I love your tie reviews. I came looking for this week's review to add that I love this striped tie and shirt combo! Cheers to Astrid (and anyone else who helps with the outfits) for another stellar year.

[@GeneralSmitty91]

Glad to see Jean-Paul can keep going. His museum was one of the best special episodes from The Great War series.

[@lautaromoyano5692]

For a while I wished that this series was 80 and not 79 years apart from the war just to have a round number, but tbh having the worst year of the allied cause seeing the biggest achivements of japan and germany be documented along 2020 was as emotionaly close as we could get (or at least I hope nothing worse happens next year or so). In any case this series has been among the most intresting things to have in such a year and for all the suport you claim this comunity does, all of you in Time Ghost's team give us a lot of support just by being as awsome a team as you are. I had a rough year with my carear in history and if it wasn't for you I may have forgoten how much I love to understand the best and the worst of humanity all along the past. Thanks for absolutely everything and I hope you had a lovely christmas and I wish this new year will be to all of us a much better one than this mess we went through. And for anyone else reading, happy christmas and new year for you too!

[@QuizmasterLaw]

I start to get the sense that MacArthur is tactically incompetent, possibly strategically too. Or am I mistaken?

[@Zen-sx5io]

Maybe sometimes.

[@riccardorigliano7110]

Nuke'em

[@GRANOLA77]

@@riccardorigliano7110 Hold your horses buddy we’re not there yet.

[@richardkammerer2814]

I thought the general did a commendable job up until 1941.

[@user-ez9ng2rw9c]

He's very overrated, that's for sure.

[@nikitasimonsen1459]

My great grandfather was serving as soviet marine during Great Patriotic War and landed at Kerch peninsula. He was the only one who survived out of the whole battalion. He got his hip injured by shrapnel and was lame for the rest of his life. He took me and showed me the place of landing of his battalion once and told me his long and horrible story with all the small details of surviving this meatgrinder . But it was the only time he told me about the war, he refused to tell me anything after that, and he would never talk about the war with anyone. The story was truly terrible, the D-day landing that was shown in saving private Ryan is kindergarden comparing to Kerch operation (I do not want to offend by sayingthat, but it is only the truth). For starters- Germans had total air superiority and actively used stuka dive bombers on landing ships. And there were many other factors that made the situation worst possible. I will never forget the rusty carcasses of landing ships that were still on that beach during 90s. And my grandfathers maimed leg with deep scars. He was the kindest man I ever known, may his soul rest in heaven.

[@EMM7291]

Well, this is the last episode of the year. All the best to the TimeGhost crew for next year. And merry Christmas and happy New Year to the TimeGhost crew.

[@potato88872]

Depress fact: Japan still denied any war crime of any type and they still have that honor bushido thing intact

[@nicholasconder4703]

One can say the same thing about the code of chivalry. I doubt very much it was adhered to.

[@Hongobogologomo]

They can deny it all, at the end of the day they still got nuked twice. Vengeance is more than satisfied

[@TotallyNotRedneckYall]

Years ago, one of my customers was a WW2 vet who served on the Saratoga. Super cool guy, had lots of stories about the war. He told me that he had to help clear the wreckage of Japanese planes from the deck, and they found a picture of a pilot's family. Made the old guy tear up just thinking about it. He ended up marrying a nice Japanese/American lady from Hawaii and pretty much got to live happily ever after.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

That's nice, because others were collecting Japanese body parts. Not that the Japanese were exactly chivalrous, as this episode shows.

[@lib556]

Thanks for mentioning the Canadians. All too often we are forgotten in WW2 histories. 2,000 raw Canadian soldiers and a Brigade HQ were quickly sent to HK to assist in its defence. Half of the survivors of the battle tied in Japanese captivity after.

[@caryblack5985]

You should get a lot of mention in the fighting in Italy and around Caen, Antwerp and Northern Germany but that won't happen for some time.

[@hojoj.1974]

"Loads and loads of quality replacements..."

[@garcalej]

“The best people...”

[@canthama2703]

Hey Indy, happy to see Jean Paul managed to survive this winter. I wish you and all the TimeGhost team a happy holidays, you've nearly done the impossible with the Dec 7th 5 hours show, you guys deserve a break no doubt, all the best in 2021 guys!!!!

[@flipflopzg]

I basically just want to echo Canthama's sentiments, thanks for the great work you're doing and all the best to everyone in 2021!

[@evancrum6811]

Thank you for taking about Wake. They fought very hard. Crazy what the Japanese did to prisoners. People forget that

[@rostokmcspoons]

"Achtung Panzer!" is sitting right next to me in my bookshelf... this has reminded me I must get around to re-reading it. What a great series this is, superbly presented and pitched at just the right level of detail.

[@PedroConejo1939]

My grandparents were still serving in Singapore at this time, grandad was a Wing Commander on the RAF staff side by then. Dad and his sister there too. Will they get out in time, I ask. Can't wait for Indy to tell me.

[@indianajones4321]

Glad to hear Jean Paul’s museum is doing better, it deserves to have all the recognition it can!

[@shoddyknight]

Indy's message at the end got me tearing up, we never think you're sarcastic Indy, just in character. But it's always poignant when you break character to wish us all well. Here's to a better 2021 (and let's see how 1942 develops, surely the war can't grow any bigger?)

[@PreciseGameplay]

I just want to say I'm thankful for the fantastic work you guys do week in and week out and I hope you guys have a happy and healthy holiday season.

[@nickgooderham2389]

After the fall of Hong Kong, Canadian POWs would be singled out for "special treatment" in the Sham Shui Po prison camp by Sergeant Kanao Inouye, a Canadian born Japanese, known as the Kamloops Kid who would beat them mercilessly. After the war, Inouye would be tried unsuccessfully for war crimes since due to his Canadian citizenship he could not be convicted of war crimes against the allies. The Canadians would have justice in the end by trying him for treason instead. He would be Hanged in Honk Kong in 1947.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

The English-speaking Inouye was used as an interpreter but also seems to have had more authority in the camp than his rank of sergeant would suggest. Inouye was also nicknamed "Slap Happy". Guarding POWs was a low-grade task, the soldiers assigned to it were often marked out by a star insignia on their left sleeves. Frequently they were Korean although this was not the case with Inouye. Abused by Japanese themselves, they frequently took it out on Western POWs. One Korean told a British POW, "You me same-o", that is, they were both enslaved by the Japanese.

[@jagdpanther2224]

He had a very unhappy time in Canada!

[@mth469]

Apparently he was bullied in school when in Canada because he was an Oriental. He saw that as "revenge". He was specifically looking for Canadian POWs.

[@blugaledoh2669]

@@stevekaczynski3793 did many Korean served as prison guard?

[@gunman47]

2:45 A side note this week here. By the end of this week on the 26th, Ipoh, the capital of Perak state, will fall to the Japanese as the Allied forces withdrew from Ipoh and fell back to Kampar 25 miles to the south. Ipoh is an important tin mining town so this is considered yet another blow to the Allied forces.

[@podemosurss8316]

6:28 It seems Chang has managed to complete the "Flying Tigers dispatch" focus...

[@Zen-sx5io]

This channel is amazing.

[@theyhave268]

I read this in a thesis paper long ago. Back in 1930, in Oton, Iloilo, a Japanese ship got stranded at the beaches, the crew and passengers went down and asked for aid from the people, which they received. By 1941, during the Japanese invasion, Oton was one of the landing spots on Panay Island, in order to surround Iloilo City. The people of Oton remembered the incident back in 1930 and concluded that the stranded Japanese were actually already surveying the town and its surrounding area for their invasion 11 years later. No idea if their conclusion is true or not, it just seems interesting to share.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

It is surprising that they were thinking in those terms already in 1930, but if so their aggression was even more pre-planned than I thought.

[@theyhave268]

@@stevekaczynski3793 maybe as an event, it may have struck the townsfolk. A Japanese ship stranded in your town isn't an everyday thing back in 1930s Philippines. I think the townsfolk may have just connected the dots, a la "coincidence? I think not."

[@eduardouchoa307]

I think it is very unlikely that Japan would decide to lose a ship in 1930 or the sake of planning a minor military operation in 1941! One or two spies sent in early 1941 would have done the job. This a typical wartime rummor, people are desperate and believe in any explanation for their misery.

[@jasatotakouzeno4674]

Pretty nice of McArthur and the Quartermaster to not take rice from the civillians :3

[@nick-jo3hy]

Hopefully if India is threatened Churchill will be inspired by this humanity and not act like an imperialist racist Monster !

[@stevekaczynski3793]

I would have removed as much of the rice as possible to prepare for the siege which is coming up. It was perhaps logistically impossible to remove it all anyway. While it was humane to leave it for civilians, I suspect the abandoned rice was largely used by the Japanese forces for their own needs.

[@rcgunner7086]

@@demonprinces17 Actually it was owned by the Philippine Commonwealth and MacArthur was following their wishes which was much to his own soldiers detriment. The official history says, "The transfer of rice to Bataan proved difficult because of Commonwealth (ie the Philippines government) regulations which stipulated that neither rice nor sugar could be removed from one province to another. When the time came to move supplies to Bataan, authority was requested to take these commodities but permission was not received in time." That's not "big business". That's "big government". He also had the chance to confiscate food and materials owned by Japanese business, but he refused to allow this to happen as he viewed that as theft. In fact, MacArthur's HQ said that anyone who took Japanese materials would face court martial.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

@@rcgunner7086 Odd that there was no martial law regulation overriding such BS. They were after all fighting off an invasion.

[@rcgunner7086]

@@stevekaczynski3793 I agree. I want to say that martial law had been imposed to some degree, but that civilian authority was still in place too. There are a lot of benefits to the military being subordinate to civilian control, but there are times when it bites you in the butt too.

[@indianajones4321]

The British in Hong Kong had the worst Christmas time

[@bangscutter]

I still find it weird how the US and Nationalist China were allied together against Japan at that time. Then, after the war, the geopolitics shifted and the US and Japan became allies against Communist China. Makes you wonder if another world war breaks out in the future, how will the nations realign themselves at the end of it, if there is even anything left.

[@AndreLuis-gw5ox]

I guess thats the nature of geopolitics: every ally and enemy is just a temporary one, since the best conditions for your own nation can allways change

[@porksterbob]

The difference between nationalist China and communist China were night and day at this point.

[@mxn1948]

@@midknightfenerir different entities, yes. but the chinese civil war would not slow down(it never ended, there is no peace - or any - treaty even to this day) til 1950. and they are certainly not different countries, at least de jure-wise. Both officially claim to be the sole representative of china and to this day establishing official diplomatic relations with one means the other will end official relations with you. of course now that the DPP is in power in taiwan, that party would love to declare independence, but independent is generally not freely given no matter what country we are talking about(see spain, or the birth of the us). they want to be a "republic of Taiwan" then they'll have to fight for it.

[@DeepseaSteve]

Not sure if you are aware but Italy and Japan were on the allied side in the First World War. Funny how politics changes things

[@porksterbob]

@@mxn1948 Taiwan won't give up the ROC's claims because that's a redline for massive Chinese missile strike. The reason China makes that a redline is so comments like this... "Taiwan still claims all of China" keep getting made.

[@yorick6035]

Gunfingers to you Indy, and of course the entire TimeGhost crew for making the content that helped me get through this year. Enjoy your well deserved holiday!

[@jamescarr6324]

8 Christmas and new years soon listening to you...the quality only gets better THANK YOU. The one consistent GAME CHANGER over the two war series to date ....LOGISTICS 😂😂😂....I'm as guilty as anyone getting into all the fancy weapons each side develope but it really doesn't matter if you can't supply them

[@YourTypicalMental]

It was my esteemed honour to support you, Jean-Paul.

[@viktro546]

A moment of silence to commemorate the Fall of Hong Kong 79 years ago.

[@tamjeff1751]

A lot of Canadians served in Hong Kong.

[@Blazcowitz1943]

And the poor souls butchered by the Japanese.

[@1queens_record210]

HK is still fallen as we speak

[@kevinbyrne4538]

Hong Kong fell a second time earlier this year.

[@dwayneohh]

I have been enjoying this chanel and all you guys do. Makes much more sence the way things are explained, the thought process of the times, the decisions made and the reasons why. Fantastic work you all do! Thank you!!!!! And merry Christmas to you all.

[@brokenbridge6316]

It's great to know that French guy is keeping his museum. I hope it stays open for many years to come. Great job.

[@thcdreams654]

Rewatching the series yet again to distract myself from some family issues going on (though this morning this seem to have improved). Just wanted to thank you all the content and dedication to your work. Appreciate it.

[@Jacob562622]

My grandfather had a cousin who was part of the garrison forces stationed on the Philipines. He joined up with 2 of his his friends, they originally wanted to join the Army Air Corps, but they ended up with the in the garrison units. He was on Bataan and survied the Bataan Death march. He spent the whole rest of teh war in a Japanese POW camp in Manchuria and was the only one out of the three friends who made it out of the camps. Both of my grandfathers were in the war as well. My Paternal grandfather was a rifle instructor for the SeaBees and my Maternal grandfather was an MP with the exhiled Norweigian Royal Airforces.

[@glenmartin2437]

Thank you. A belated Merry Christmas. Happy New Year.

[@NCFCNathanLuiz]

Such great news about the Romagne museum! Awesome video as always TimeGhost team, thanks for always giving us such fantastic historical content. Have a wonderful christmas guys

[@DedMan516]

Love from Australia guys. Best production team and presenters on KZbin. Stay safe and hope your Christmas was enjoyable.

[@davidblair9877]

“It would seem that Hitler, much like Stalin, has a habit of rewarding the questioning of his plans with unemployment. Perhaps he has loads and loads of quality replacements.” Now that sounds familiar.

[@rajeshkanungo6627]

Stalin shot them. There is a difference.

[@caryblack5985]

@@rajeshkanungo6627 Not usually after 1941. He started to trust his generals and the ones he got rid of mostly got different assignments, got kicked upstairs or sent somewhere away from the front.

[@lycaonpictus9662]

@@caryblack5985 Exactly right. Stalin learned to defer to his generals most of the time as the war went on, while Hitler became increasingly more of a micromanager that was intolerant of his plans being questioned or criticized. One of many reasons why the war ended the way it did.

[@kenoliver8913]

@@lycaonpictus9662 Yes, though don't forget that after the war the German generals were very, very keen to blame Hitler for everything. They blamed a lot of their own blunders on him in their memoirs. According to their memoirs, of course, allied generals never made any blunders.

[@TheCuissedepoulet]

Just want to say you're one of the best content channel for history on KZbin. I wish I could help you more! Happy new year!

[@robertkoons1154]

Its not just food for Bataan peninsula but also ammunition for the army. In the end, April '42, ammunition and food ran out at about the same time. MacArthur was also stuck with high numbers of civilian refugees. Phillipines army units had no artillery except for 1st (regular) division of Philippine army, (3 in mountain guns and some 75mm guns mounted on half tracks).

[@porksterbob]

There were 19,000 civilians out of 115,000 people on Bataan.

[@Mike-tg7dj]

General Guderian really couldn't have been more happier than too be fired by Hitler because made a statement to Hitler. In the end seeing that Guderian survived the war I think he got the last laugh.

[@calebminor6661]

Thank you so much to the whole team. For making the best set of youtube channels we’re grateful. Merry Christmas Happy New year from Ottawa ❤️

[@roryrobson2857]

Best wishes to everyone involved Since finding your channel this year, I have obsessively watched your videos and look forward to new ones.Thank you - keep up this important work. We'll all have a better year in 2021 (but perhaps not 1942). Also very glad about the museum! It's nice to hear a message of positivity in a world full of constant depressing news.

[@michaelmixon2479]

Considering the atrocities that Japan and Germany committed, I am surprised that the West was as generous as they were with the surrenders.

[@randomclouds4404]

Also, by the time Germany and Japan were defeated, they were beginning to fear communism far more in the Soviet Union and China. They took a stand in West Germany and Japan became a close base for international soldiers in the Korean War.

[@architech02]

Imagine if they had france make the terms of surremder again like in ww1

[@_ArsNova]

Interesting bit from the Second Battle of Wake: Two Japanese destroyers were deliberately run aground to land a contingent of SNLF marines, since all landing craft were already earmarked for other landings. The destroyers (Aoi & Hagi) were obsolete second-rate destroyers laid down in 1920, to the degree that the IJN had actually downgraded them to "patrol boat" status. You can find photos of the wrecks of the two from the Japanese occupation.

[@halepauhana153]

German General Staff sees some R&R... Relieved and Retired.

[@TheHighSpaceWizard]

What a wonderful and somber way to end the video. Thanks Indy and the Time Ghost team. You've made this year better for your work.

[@1999sanjeevaloria]

My Great-grandfather fought for British Indian army in Battle of Hong Kong.

[@Tramseskumbanan]

Guderian wrote that He and von Kluge were such personal enemies that a duel with pistols was proposed to settle the conflict between them.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

Interesting. Von Kluge did not survive the war so we do not have his side of the incident. The Third Reich banned dueling after Roland Strunk, a reporter on the main Nazi daily "Voelkischer Beobachter", was mortally wounded in 1937. Even fraternity sabre duels aimed at giving male students those fetching facial scars were banned, at least in wartime.

[@Tramseskumbanan]

@@stevekaczynski3793 I know! And wether or not Guderian was writing the whole truth in his memoirs, it was common knowledge at least in the army command and the general staff that the two men were bitter enemies.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

@@Tramseskumbanan SPOILER Guderian may have been pleased by von Kluge's fate in 1944, although his own behaviour on July 20 that year was a little ambiguous (he retired to his estate, as if he expected something and was awaiting developments.

[@Tramseskumbanan]

@@stevekaczynski3793 By that time he was newly appointed chief of the general staff and he wrote that one of the duties he felt most uncomfortable with and deeply regretted was heading the commission that degraded, dismissed and dishonored senior army and military officers so that these could then be ‘processed’ as civilians by the Volksgerichthof.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

@@Tramseskumbanan Like von Rundstedt. Not admirable behaviour at all. He appeared to me to have some inside info about July 20, perhaps advanced knowledge and chose to be out of the way in hope of landing right-side up, whatever happened.

[@ngqinaunathi1655]

"Indy interrupting Indy" 😅🤣💔 Happy New year I'm advance man, you 've been great 💯

[@cookingwithchefluc7173]

Merry Christmas Indy & Team, greetings from Cape Town South Africa 🇿🇦

[@lukeeszeha5381]

15:53 Maybe glantz made the mistake, but at least according to Hindenburg, it was "bohemian private", not Bavarian corporal

[@EmperorEdu]

No, Von Paulus called Hitler "Bavarian Corporal", saying he had no intent on dying for him when he surrendered on Stalingrad, mistaking Hitler's birthplace.

[@caryblack5985]

He was actually Austrian although he served in a Bavarian regiment in WWI.

[@hanspetrich6520]

I might be wrong on the German-English translation here, but I believe "Gefreiter" (Hitler's rank in the Bavarian army during World War One) translates to "corporal", and since Hindenburg once fought near Braunau in Bohemia (which sounds very similar to Braunau am Inn, where Hitler was born) and always thought Hitler came from that Bohemian town instead of German-speaking Austria, he referred to Hitler as the "Bohemian Corporal" ("Böhmischer Gefreiter").

[@lukeeszeha5381]

@@hanspetrich6520 Gefreiter is Nato rank or2, equivalent to a Private out of basic training. Corporal is or4, which is the german stabsgefreiter, oberstabsgefreiter, Korporal or Stabskorporal. But if even the generals Mix up the ranks, then it's probably fine for us mere mortals 😁 Edited, typo.

[@residentgeardo]

IIRC "Gefreiter" would be something equivalent to a "lance corporal" or "private 1st class".

[@CheckouttheRILEYS]

New friend here, American living in the Philippines near Davao. BAM! WWII is my jam.

[@boarlegion5077]

Great news for Jean Paul and Merry Christmas!

[@captainyossarian388]

17:27 LOL, I love the sarcasm. Love this series, it's addictive.

[@alexamerling79]

The stand fast order was a blessing and a curse for the Germans. It worked at Moscow but Hitler became convinced it would continue to work...

[@mth469]

i think Hitler was in awe how the Soviets held onto Stalingrad tooth & nail and wanted to see the same heroism on his side. He kept talking about fortifying cities and fighting till the last man after Stalingrad even as one city after another was taken back by the Soviets.

[@rabihrac]

Great episode and a lovely message Indy and crew, thank you, keeping supporting you throughout 2021 / 1942. Merry Christmas !

[@divarachelenvy]

wishing you all a blessed new year :)

[@PalleRasmussen]

Merry Christmas Indy, Spartakus, Astrid and all the rest. Thanks for your effort.

[@mobilityxstore]

Two fish are sitting in a tank. One looks over at the other and says: "Hey, do you know how to drive this thing?"

[@pnutz_2]

sounds like (spoilers) late-war german tank crews

[@henrybostick4573]

Very pleased to hear about Jean-Paul, and his museums good turnaround of fortunes. Hoping to add it to my bucket list itinerary. Thanks also for the well wishes from The 👻 and it's staff. Back at you 👻 with prayers 🙏 and we'll wishes, and thank you for all the work you phenomenal people are doing to preserve our history without bias.

[@alvinxyz7419]

Just found your channel! , i think this series is going to be interesting, subbed!

[@Snipergoat1]

Oh dude, he did all of WW1 on a different channel but with same week by week format. It's well worth a check out.

[@johnblasik9647]

When it comes to WWII history most channels focus on the European Theater and give short shrift to the Pacific but not this channel. Thank you for covering in detail Allied-Japanese Conflict.

[@millennialwatchman6703]

No mention of the North Africa front? This week the allies recaptured Derna and Benghazi.

[@BarryH1701]

I wish I had a history teacher like you when I was in high school. I have learned so much more about this terrible time in history.

[@Hongobogologomo]

That's every school.

[@victoriaalvarez1557]

I’m wondering if you could do a special about Canada’s military mobilization for WW2. Over 10% of the ENTIRE COUNTRY served in its armed force from 39-45... That has to be the highest per capita on the Allied side

[@BarnDoorProductions]

Canada's mobilization was the largest per capita of any Allied country whose mainland was not (in a major way) attacked during the war. The U.S. effort was larger, per capita, along with the U.K., fighting for its life for six years. Australia was about equivalent; New Zealand slightly less.

[@smigly6856]

I went to the Romangne Museum last year and it was the highlight of my france trip

[@steeltrap3800]

Ironic to think we arguably have the Japanese and Stalin to "thank" for the current Chinese Communist Party and all its "blessings".

[@hiramw1889]

America First!

[@PitterPatter20]

David Stahel challenges the idea that the Hold Fast order from the Bavarian Corporal actually was the correct decision in his book Retreat from Moscow. In this book he outlines how the German generals were effectively talking out both sides of their mouths, telling Hitler they were holding fast whilst secretly making multiple local retreats that they would then cover up. The book is a very good read, and I strongly recommend it to those interested both in challenging the conventional wisdom around the Soviet counterattacks around Moscow as well as getting a deeper understanding of this conflict in general.

[@Batuhanify]

Merry Christmas Indy and Team

[@IrishTechnicalThinker]

Thank you and all the crew for your extensive work.

[@eugene7145]

Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong❤

[@karlmuller3690]

Eugene 714 - Ah, yeah mate, you could apply that statement as equaly today, as 79yr ago.!!

[@actionong]

I'm a year late to this. Way to go keeping History alive

[@WorldWarTwo]

@actionong To quote Cheech Marin in Ghostbusters 2, Better late than never!

[@CineMasterDamian]

The Philippines had their own president when they were still a U.S territory ?

[@azlanadnan2948]

Self rule, commonwealth of the Philippines...in preparation for eventual independence

[@chedelirio6984]

Yes, since the Philippines Commonwealth was explicitly transitional to independence in 10 years, it was set up with the structure of a national government (as opposed to later territorial "commonwealths" that are just upgraded territories but with no specific next step) to which functions would be transferred as it got up to speed. MacArthur in fact was serving nominally as a Marshal of the Philippine military before being called out of retirement and back into official USA duty.

[@patricktorres4226]

There even was a Philippine Army at this time but composed mostly of partially trained conscripts

[@aaron6178]

Thanks guys. Merry Christmas. Be safe.

[@eetutorri8767]

To any Heinz Guderian fans out there, don't worry. He will be back. And he will be waging war against Jagdpanzers, Stugs and Bulgarians although that will take time.

[@MikeyD8716]

Great message at the end. Thank you Indy and all of the Time Ghost Army.

[@thethirdjegs]

I think i'm gonna learn more about PH in WW2 than elsewhere (i mean documentaries not books). At least here, the tendency to give undue praises is minimal if there is any. Also even the minor details are tackled. Who would have thought this channel would talk about Jolo landing, the number of contiguous beachheads in Lamon bay, or the total number of Japanese nationals residing in the PH islands. 💗Mabuhay ang WW2 channel

[@nicholasconder4703]

And raise a glass of San Miguel beer. Mag Beer Muna Tayo! Actually, my father (who was British) said it was one of the better foreign beers he had ever had. Certainly better than Canadian or American beer. Never tried Ginebra San Miguel though.

[@thurin84]

thanks for the holiday wishes all. i am heartened by all the support for jean-paul and his museum. i would love to visit there one day.

[@robertalaverdov8147]

Hitler was such a terrible boss; to fire someone around Christmas time. Why, that's just evil!

[@damonwright608]

I'm getting the impression that this Hitler guy might be a bit of a dick.

[@ottovalkamo1]

I freaking love FDR, he is so humble and chill looking

[@gunman47]

Is that the British flag lying on the shelves I see there? That is probably not a good omen of things to come...

[@maximilianolimamoreira5002]

yeah, it looks like it

[@lovablesnowman]

Britain will be back. Don't worry

[@VikingLord101]

You shall see down the road.

[@thetabletopsedge]

Indy, love the picture on your wall of Nolan Ryan giving Robin Ventura the business after he was foolish enough to rush the mound! Warms the cockles of this old guy's heart every time I see that young buck put in his place by his elder. A classic MLB moment!! As soon as I found out you were a big baseball fan, I knew this series was in good hands. Oh, and keep up the great work on this fantastic series. I'm looking forward to the next 3 1/2 years with all of you at the World War Two Channel!

[@InvertedGigachad]

Everyone: yay christmas, cant wait for my PS5 the Japanese: Hong Kong will serve.

[@melgross]

I wish everyone a much better year than the past one.