Admiral Chester Nimitz - Master of the Pacific

[@Drachinifel]

Pinned post for Q&A :)

[@bkjeong4302]

I’ve recently come across an interesting article about how Admiral Yi was specifically used in Meiji-era Japanese propaganda to show how sea power was important and as a role model for IJN officers (article title is “The images of Yi Sun-Sin reflected on the writings of a naval officer at the period of Meiji - Focusing on the writings of Ogasawara Naganari”). Has there been any other case where a naval officer who played a prominent role in defeating an enemy nation was later used as a model by that enemy nation to build up a much more powerful navy?

[@jonathanwhite5132]

Did the Royal ever thought about doing an attack very similar to Doolittle raid using medium bombers and carriers?

[@codieomeallain6635]

Why was Congress and the U.S. Government generally so opposed to investing in a powerful navy? As I see it the U.S. could only face serious danger by sea, leaving that route open in fear that a powerful navy may become a kingmaker as early U.S. politicians seemed to fear of any armed force seems shortsighted. An unduly influential navy can be dealt with, but only if there is a country to deal with it. It doesn’t seem to be an issue of resources considering they always managed to build a big navy when it was indispensable.

[@satern7473]

How good do you think ABDACOM could have performed if there werent issues with signals/translation etc?

[@gizmophoto3577]

One wonders what the effect would be if Nimitz had died or been severely injured in that plane crash in San Francisco. What are you thoughts, Drach?

[@admiraltiberius1989]

One of the very very few men deserving to have a super carrier named after him.

[@1977Yakko]

I was on Carl Vinson CVN-70 back in the 90s, and I had to look up who he was in an encyclopedia. While he was certainly vital in the building of the fleet that would go on to win WWII but whether that warrants having a super carrier named after him, your mileage may vary.

[@admiraltiberius1989]

@@1977Yakko to me Nimitz, Washington, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt are the only ones deserving of a carrier. All 4 men contributed something or had achievements of vital importance to the Nation.

[@ploegdbq]

It royally pissed off Senator Samuel S. Chapman, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

[@admiraltiberius1989]

@@ploegdbq since 90 percent of career politicians are on the same level as common dirt, I find that amusing.

[@Inquisitor6321]

@@admiraltiberius1989 I think Jefferson and Franklin would deserve one too!

[@th8973]

In the early 1960s Nimitz had a home in the Berkeley hills overlooking the San Francisco Bay. The neighborhood children knew he was a good customer for girl scout cookies and boy scout fund raising efforts. As a 10 year old, I managed to sell him a boy scout event ticket. He invited me into his living room and showed me his telescope where he could view ships in the Bay. My interaction with him seems consistent with what I have read about his interpersonal relations since.

[@CountingStars333]

Well grandpa why is your profile image sus

[@Dra741]

Aren't you fortunate you are a very fortunate what a treat

[@redluke8119]

That's awesome

[@alanmydland5210]

What a nice guy, good story

[@timf2279]

I'm sure his house was also a good stop for Halloween as well. Unfortunately, times have changed and so have people. Thank you for your story. Make sure you write it down and pass it along to the family.

[@Broomtwo]

Nimitz was extremely competent and it seems like he made everyone around him better, no matter the context. He had massive respect for those working beneath him, and empowered his subordinates to do their best.

[@jamesharding3459]

He was undeniable a very competent strategist and tactician both, but I would postulate his greatest skill was as a leader. The best commander in the world will fail if he cannot lead his subordinates well, and Admiral Nimitz's leadership was nothing short of superb.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

Where is, repeat, where is Task Force Thirty Four? The world wonders.

[@pagejackson1207]

@@Edax_Royeaux The phrase "the world wonders" was a throw-away phrase added when the message was encrypted. A similar phrase - which would have no relevance to the core message - was added to the beginning of every message in an attempt to make decrypting the message more difficult.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

@@pagejackson1207 Yes everyone knows that, but it was enough that Halsey believed Nimitz would be the type of person who'd send that message which caused a mental breakdown in the man. Made Halsey even more useless that day since he wasn't able to commit to fighting either fleet with his Battleships.

[@Wolfeson28]

@@Edax_Royeaux Actually it's more the opposite. To quote Halsey himself, "I was infuriated by what appeared to be an insulting message. After my rage had cooled off and I had time to think, I realized that something was wrong. I also realized that Admiral Nimitz could not possibly have sent me a message such as this." Keep in mind also that Halsey learned during this timeframe that "the world wonders" was not actually part of the message and had been left there in error. Halsey's "mental breakdown" was much more the result of Halsey's own stress, fatigue, and temper than anything Nimitz did.

[@jaredthehawk3870]

There's another good anecdote about Nimitz. During his time as Captain of The USS Augusta, he managed to accidentally collide with a tanker during a routine refueling operation in a major sea incident. Captain Nimitz turned to a young lieutenant and asked him what he should have done. The young lieutenant replied that Nimitz should have anchored in the weather and backed down to the ship. Nimitz looked at him and said “That’s right, and don’t you ever forget that!”

[@cameronnewton7053]

It seems like it isn't a case of "do as I say, not what I do," but " you know the right thing to do, sodon't do what I just did"

[@paulmahoney7619]

@@cameronnewton7053 I'd call it a case of "Learn from my mistake."

[@josephpicogna6348]

Met Halsey in 1958 just before he died, and it was a wonderful ten minutes. Saw Nimitz close up and while he didn’t greet anyone individually, it was obvious we were in the presence of greatness. .

[@TillyOrifice]

I was never a great enthusiast for the US Navy, my area of study was the IJN and I always vaguely resented the USN for smashing it up (as ridiculous as that admittedly is). Nevertheless I'd give my right arm to have met either Halsey or Nimitz. Great men.

[@michaelwoolsey3886]

My uncle served on Halsey’s executive staff and was the Intelligence Officer on the Yorktown when she went down at Midway….

[@michaeldebellis4202]

@@TillyOrificeI agree but I think Spruance was as essential to the greatness of the USN in the Pacific. Spruance and Halsey were like Yin and Yang, almost diametric opposites and I think it shows the genius for leadership of Nimitz that he used them both so effectively.

[@sirboomsalot4902]

@@michaeldebellis4202It’s kinda like the relationship between Patton and Bradley from what I’ve gathered about those two.

[@Rickinsf]

A story I heard about the crash in San Francisco Bay was that Nimitz would not leave the wreck until his cap had been retrieved, much to the outrage of some of the rescuers. They learned later that the cap had a pocket in the crown in which the admiral carried communication codes relevant to upcoming operations and he wanted them secured or destroyed.

[@GG-yr5ix]

More importantly was when the Bosun told him to sit down he did and told the Bosun to stick by his guns when he was right.

[@turbulentlobster]

My grandfather, Lt. Tommy Roscoe, was the copilot of the plane Nimitz was on that crashed and the one fatality. They never found his body, because it was pulled off by the strong currents in that part of San Francisco Bay. I knew the plane had flipped over when it struck a submerged object, but I'd never seen that photo of the wreckage. Much more damage to the front of the plane than I'd always pictured. Appreciate you including it in the video.

[@20alphabet]

Old Tommy wasn't much of a pilot, huh?

[@warwatcher91]

@@20alphabet Wow rude much.

[@douglasturner6153]

​@@20alphabet I think he said his grandfather was the "CoPilot"!

[@964cuplove]

@@20alphabet- why not just shut up if you don’t have anything useful to contribute

[@jimfesta8981]

Agree, it's amazing how rude and insulting some people can be on the internet who wouldn't dare insult you in person for fear of getting punched in the nose. @@964cuplove

[@bobfrancis123]

I’ve been to the Nimitz Museum (now named the National Museum of the Pacific Theater) in Fredericksburg, TX, many times. It’s always an inspirational journey, and Nimitz was absolutely the Right Man at the Right Time!

[@SoloRenegade]

lot of that going around in WW2. General Somervell, Admiral King, Admiral Nimitz, General Eisenhower, and many more. US was under stellar leadership during WW2.

[@firstnamerequiredlastnameo3473]

Been to the museum myself several times. Informational. Saw the cut open example of the then new, super secret of WW2 -- the proximity fuze. It's design was intended for large artillery shells. Amazing accomplishment for the elementary electronics of that era. Admiral Nimitz is surprising in how a man from the dry rocky hill country of Fredericksburg in middle Texas became the admiral of the greatest naval fleet.

[@Conn30Mtenor]

Strange place for a Museum of the Pacific. I know that Nimitz was originally from Texas, but one might expect a museum of the Pacific to be near....the Pacific.

[@bobfrancis123]

@@Conn30Mtenor Nimitz was born there. Lol, and the hotel that his family ran was converted to the museum

[@SoloRenegade]

@@Conn30Mtenor the war in the Pacific didn't really happen on the East Coast either (aside from a few minor incidents most people have never even heard of). Having a museum of a famous person in their home state/town is common. Where in the US would you put a museum for the North African campaign. Africa doesn't exist in the Americas, but we're still going to have museums anyways. Plus, the US is large, good to have museums about the big topics scattered all across the nation so more people can learn about it.

[@petesheppard1709]

In my shallow reading of WWII Pacific history, Nimitz seemed like a distant, omniscient demi-god who never erred. Thanks for this opportunity to gain way-overdue details to his remarkable performance and character.

[@RogerWKnight]

Nimitz, being human, erred. But those errors 1) did not destroy his career or place a glass ceiling over him relegating him to Captain but never an Admiral status, and 2) he LEARNED from those mistakes.

[@petesheppard1709]

@@RogerWKnight Well-said.

[@therealuncleowen2588]

Thank you for this excellent discussion. Broadly, Nimitz humility allowed him to get the best out of his subordinates and work with the massive personalities of King and MacArthur without derailing the war effort. He's the best kind of leader because he didn't let his ego get in the way of figuring out the best way to win the war in the Pacific. Truly a great man.

[@tyharris9994]

Regarding those big personalities, MacArthur argued in his autobiography that the US could have won the war quicker and with fewer casualties if we had had unified theater command in the Pacific. Forces divided too many ways and not acting together in unison according to one commander's plan.

[@johnferguson1970]

Sounds a lot like Willis A. Lee. He never blew his own horn, but encouraged his subordinates to learn how to do their job better.

[@bryantcurtis2665]

Hello my friend. BT3 BRYANT U.S.S. Gridley CG-21 Advance boiler technician here. I'm 62 now and still on duty, manning my(our) bridge and street, trying to keep the silly...villains SAFE here in San Diego. I'm always busy w/medical stuff etc. and your channel cures my woes. Thanks. Curtis.

[@untermench3502]

I spent an evening with Admiral Nimitz. My father worked for the Perkin Elmer Corporation and I was a member of the company rifle team. One evening the sponsor of the rifle team, Chester Nimitz paid us a visit and I was able to spend the evening with him talking about life.

[@alexandarvoncarsteinzarovi3723]

Find it also cool he met Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō of the IJN and was there for his funeral, also he helped preserve his flagship, but there was great deal of tragedy in his family in the aftermath of the war,

[@charleslarrivee2908]

Craig Symonds recently released a book focussed on Nimitz's tenure in the Pacific, "Nimitz at War." It's not a conventional biography, it only really picks up steam once Nimitz gets off the plane at Pearl Harbor (even his cross-country train trip from DC to San Diego is mentioned only superficially). And for the first six months of Nimitz's tenure Symonds retreads much of the same ground he did in his previous book on Midway; although even then he's able to add a new twist to it by telling the battles from Nimitz's perspective (which means a whole lot of anxious waiting, then a burst of paperwork when the fleets come home) and by talking about his grand strategy and political activities, including dealing with King, MacArthur, the army leadership in Hawaii, even the French. But these are relatively minor hiccups. We still get a solid glimpse into Nimitz's character, leadership style, and relationships with friends, subordinates, and military and political peers. We get a look at the decisions behind Nimitz's many successes, and even his relatively few failures (not sticking up for Rochefort and Fletcher, and not cancelling the Peleieu landings). We even get a short look at the personalities and achievements of the likes of Halsey, Spruance, Mitscher, MacArthur, Turner, Smith and others. Somewhat to my amusement, I found myself liking Symonds' depiction of the likes of Spruance, Mitscher, Turner and Smith much better than say James Hornfisher's in The Fleet at Flood Tide, since Symonds is actually willing to critically examine people and assign blame where it is warranted.

[@Kevin_Kennelly]

This is a helpful book review.

[@michaelmichael4132]

I haven't yet read "Nimitz At War", but I agree Symonds can relish being tart now and then.

[@johnbuchman4854]

Should add as a failing not cashiering Halsey after any of these: 1) Commanding his fleet into the first typhoon 2) Commanding his fleet into the second typhoon 3) Battle of Bull's Run (Pulling his entire fleet from covering the Leyte landings, when he KNEW, and had pointed out, that the IJN had few skilled carrier air crews left)

[@willriley994]

Symonds is the best

[@thomasphillips96]

I'm reading it now. It is proving to be an excellent read. I'm a USN vet.

[@lokay7233]

havent watched it yet, but please make more videos spotlighting important or even semi important people in naval history. One of my favorite typ's of videos on this channel

[@kwad8]

I totally agree with this.

[@bkjeong4302]

Admiral Yi video when? Or a De Ruyter video.

[@brentm9848]

It’s a treat to wake up on cold grey days to a new Drach video

[@tspencer227]

For the Coxswain part, regardless of rank, it's always a position of authority regardless of rank to see to the safety of all passengers and crew on the small boats. That's taught very early on to anybody who's going to be crewing small boats in the US Navy. As for the rest, it's so much of "it's easier to beg forgiveness than ask (or wait for) permission."

[@BattleshipOrion]

I was playing a card game with my cousins, and got a card that said "if you could go back in time and meet one person, who would it be & why". I responded with Nimitz, and my why was at the time "name another person to see the Pacific more action during ww2". This actually impressed my ex-navy grandfather, who served on CGN-36.

[@tyharris9994]

To answer your question- probably some sailor we have never heard of on Enterprise.

[@SB-lp7yj]

I’m reading Trent’s book right now (I bought it when John Parshall mentioned it in one of the past streams. Great book, it’s basically a leadership masterclass in practical steps. It’s a great new way of approaching history, which makes it feel much more actual and close that it is when reading a more “traditional” history book. Well done Trent!

[@chrisdooley8155]

Looking forward to this!! As someone who grew up in this man's hometown, on a street bearing his name, and who's high school summer job was giving tours at his museum (housed in the hotel his grandfather built) I can't help but feel a special connection to Adm. Nimitz. I hope to be a fraction of the leader, listener, and competent decisionmaker he was.

[@firstnamerequiredlastnameo3473]

Thanks for commenting. Have visited the museum several times. My mother used to visit her cousins annually in the Fredericksburg area. Loved the beautiful St. Mary's Church there. Amazing how a man from the dry rocky hill country of Fredericksburg became the admiral of the world's greatest navel fleet.

[@bruceday6799]

Didn't Nimitz live in Kerrville in his teens?

[@chrisdooley8155]

@@bruceday6799 He did. I think he bounced back and forth between the two a lot. I know his families seafaring tradition had a significant influence on him.

[@NewDealChief]

YES!!! My favorite Naval officer finally has a video on here. I'm so happy.

[@theeNappy]

That story about the sailor telling Nimitz to sit down after the plane crash: King would have chewed the sailor out for daring to even speak to him; MacArthur wouldn't have let his rank insignia be covered by a blanket.

[@ricardokowalski1579]

The moment a coxswain told and admiral what to do, Nimitz became certain he had the human capital required to win the war. Imagine this same scene played over a thousand ships, for several years and the cummulative gains.

[@RCAvhstape]

That boat was the coxswain's responsibility. He was its commander. Nimitz understood that. General Order 12 states clearly, "When on duty, I must walk my post from flank to flank, and take no shit from any rank."

[@NautilusSSN571]

@@RCAvhstape You must be think about the marines general orders, in the navy our 12 general order is "chief is always right."

[@gregsiska8599]

I had something like that: PO2 ASROC guard on USS Dewey DDG-45. Officer enters the secure area. "Please open your briefcase sir." (Hand casually on my shotgun) Got look of indignation. "I WILL see the inside of that briefcase, sir." Officer complies...

[@GiangNg320]

What I found remarkable about Nimitz is that he was able to restrain both Halsey and MacArthur while somehow appease the God Emperor of USN, Fury itself incarnate, Admiral King at the same time, that require a nerve of steel, a keen mind and great understanding of strategic situation.

[@jaredthehawk3870]

In that regard, he was essentially the Pacific version of Eisenhower. Both were superb at dealing with primadonnas and troublesome personalities.

[@the_real_ch3]

I’ve always wondered how he stayed sane

[@tommonk7651]

Interestingly, Halsey and MacArthur got along very well. They respected each other and worked well together. Of course, MacArthur and Nimitz butted heads quite a bit.

[@VersusARCH]

Nimitz was superior to Halsey, so it was simply a matter of whether to overlook his gaffes or not. Macarthur was not only a different branch outside of Nimitz'es chain of command, but was also thankfully given his own little South Pacific playground by the higher ups, while the US Navy could concentrate on the trully important Central Pacific drive up until Leyte. King was a brilliant superior whose bad temper flashed when he encountered incompetence, which he did not find in Nimitz, so not that remarkable after all.

[@tmsmqwx]

I believe the United States has had the benefit of having great managers rise at the top of its warrior class in time of need. Indeed, the great strengths of Nimitz and Eisenhower were their abilities to manage people. And as for King, he was definitely the right man at the right time, if for no other reason than he forced the Bureau of Ordinance to pull its head out of its butt concerning American torpedos.

[@paulfollo8172]

Great video! I enjoyed the opportunity to learn about Admiral Nimitz. Thank God he was there when we needed him.

[@scottyfox6376]

In every generation a person steps up to put their hand on the tiller to guide the ship of history. As an Aussie I salute Admiral Nimitz.

[@telegrampole]

Another great guest speaker. Have to say I’ll be getting the book. Also credit again has to go to you Drach for the tone in which you conduct these interviews/conversations. Not too formal, but loads of information presented in an interesting way!

[@danasmith3288]

. . . And interjecting your humor in your questions to Trent . . . which I think he quite enjoyed.

[@IanMcCain-h8m]

Drach, your love of naval history is a blessing to everyone who watches your channel. Thanks dude!

[@ShawnMM]

I admire Admiral Nimitz and thanks for the great interview.

[@mikeynth7919]

The best German admiral of the war. So to speak.

[@ewok40k]

In Polish, Niemiec, spelled almost exactly as Nimitz , is the word for German, I presume his ancestors have been from Polish -German borderlands like Silesia or Prussia...

[@Stormoak]

@@ewok40k Nimitz family had roots in Saxony. But until the high medieval age Saxony and the River Elbe was the border between german and slavic people. So you have a good point about the origin of the family name

[@firstnamerequiredlastnameo3473]

Cute!. Well, Fredericksburg really was a German settlement in the new country called Texas. Was founded about the time the Republic of Texas joined the nation of America. Texas has immigrant roots from many European countries in its early years.

[@IzmirWayne]

Aaaah...this explains his expertise in submarines ;-)

[@jaredthehawk3870]

He did speak fluent German. He idolized his grandfather, who was a German immigrant and a merchant marine. Said grandfather was also a state congressman at one point. That would be Charles Henry Nimitz Jr. (Originally Karl Heinrich Nimitz).

[@allenjones3130]

Chester Nimitz was one of the greatest general officers the US Navy has ever known.

[@readhistory2023]

He definitely had the respect of the sailors.

[@grizzlygrizzle]

In this regard compare Nimitz with the woke clowns at the top of today's military.

[@vedsingh-bp2ke]

​@@grizzlygrizzle ???? You people and your agendas I can't man

[@frankbarnwell____]

Thank you Trent, Drachinifel, and Admiral Nimitz!

[@chowder7256]

The Nimitz museum in Fredericksburg, Texas is my favorite military museum I’ve visited. Great exhibits.

[@firstnamerequiredlastnameo3473]

Has one of the rare real examples of the WW2 super secret proximity fuze.

[@johnschuh8616]

Well worth a visit.

[@bobhealy3519]

The greatest admiral, man and American. Most humble and professional. Family man that had high morals and solid love for a free world. Went on to do great things for the betterment of mankind. There better be a new Nimitz carrier.

[@goobfilmcast4239]

Temperament is the final attribute that great leaderships need to be truly successful. Even if that leader lacks or is deficient in other areas, the ability to demonstrate an unaffected calm is essential.

[@patrickshannon4854]

Your biographies of Admirals is truly excellent. Outstanding in every way. I enjoy them a great deal.

[@wbwarren57]

Great video! Thank you. Trent Hone is truly a very knowledgeable guy who is excellent to listen to. Thanks for interview him.

[@Dave_Sisson]

Great work on profiling the two best theatre commander admirals of the war in the past few weeks; Cunningham and Nimitz

[@willriley994]

What a man. America's greatest sailor and one of history's greatest military commanders

[@jameskasper6534]

Wow, this was amazingly good! The insights on the complexity of interactions between huge egos handled so adeptly by Nimitz was inspiring. God bless you all for bringing that to us in such a beautiful way. Cheers!

[@marknelson8724]

Sometimes we get conflicting stories and have to mull things over. There was a story from MacArthur's side that MacArthur was getting pressure to do something, so he worked up a plan to attack Rabaul with its 100,000 Japanese soldiers. This was crazy and he got a perhaps somewhat panicked communication to NOT do that. He was happy to be left alone to continue his planning. The other side of the story is that MacArthur once came up with a crazy plan to attack Rabaul and wiser counsel from higher up put a stop to that. In any case, Rabaul was bypassed and the Japanese must have turned to farming to survive for a ride home after the war. It would be interesting to see a list of all the strong points that were bypassed. Nimitz and many others seem to have quickly realized, or knew it all along, that control of the air will chase away the other side's navy and then when no supplies arrive and no enemy comes to fight, the strong point is useless. This also makes me wonder if any soldiers were picked up after their position had been bypassed to garrison another strong point. And now I wonder how many Japanese personnel were picked up from somewhere behind the front lines when the war had ended.

[@vincentanguoni8938]

Us ole folks remember newsreels in the fifties about Japanese soldiers who were discovered on pacific islands.. .. waiting for orders!!!!

[@SS-ec2tu]

Unfortunately, Peleliu was not bypassed, but should have been. Many Marines died there for no reason.

[@gregscott9325]

Thank you Drach. Well done. Excellent interview and in depth discussion.

[@jamesharding3459]

I've loved these overviews of significant naval figures, especially these collaborations/discussions, and I surely hope to see more like them!

[@johnwarwick7684]

Thank God we had him and many other great men to get us thru that war

[@stevemolina8801]

Outstanding. Thanks to both of you.

[@dirkd4514]

Having grown up in central Texas, I wrote a paper in a college history class about the contribution of Texans in WWII, and the disproportionate number of service persons Texas contributed more than most other states to the war effort, and Admiral Chester Nimitz, from Frericksburg Texas, was one of my subjects. So I learned a lot about him and enjoyed every bit of studying the man and his life contributions. God bless service persons everywhere.

[@88FELIXS]

I've been waiting for this! What an outstanding Officer & Naval career... Cheers & Thankyou Drac

[@jayjohnson9996]

This was a well put together Documentary of Admiral Chester Nimitz. I believe that he was one of America’s favorite World War 2 Admirals of all time!!!!

[@Onceayoungidiot]

Absolutely fascinating insight into an extremely capable commander. Thank you Drach, as ever, and also to Trent for all the work that went into the insight. On the lookout for your book, sir! 🧐

[@whitby910]

Excellent, thank you both.

[@paulfarace9595]

Excellent job with a fascinating yet complex story!!! I learned more here about Nimitz and the Pacific campaigning than in any other place!

[@Kierkergaarder]

This was amazing, very insightful with these anecdotes on the interpersonal level. Thank you

[@MyBlueZed]

I appreciate this channel very much. My favourite videos are this one, the series about the salvage operations at Pearl Harbour and Typhoon Cobra. Thank you very much. ❤🇦🇺

[@JJobrey]

Ypur channel is absolutely amazing. It's a treasure trove of naval history.

[@agesflow6815]

Thank you, Drachinifel.

[@jameshunter5485]

I am reminded of generals of the past who had to deal with disparate personalities and events to achieve their goals. Henry V comes to mind. Eisenhower had Patton and Montgomery, among many. I can’t think of anyone who had to deal with the likes of Halsey, MacArthur, Roosevelt and King et al and prosecute the Pacific war over such a vast battleground. Chester Nimitz was a man perfectly placed for the job at hand. Excellent insights from your video.

[@nathanweitzman9531]

It's a good episode to show how critical management of people and personalities matters as a skill set, on endeavors of that scale. Lincoln and Grant comes to mind as well.

[@timandsuzidickey9358]

Great guest & discussion !! Thks !

[@araneaetvelivolum1086]

Brilliant episode and format. 2 masters of their profession at work. Love it 👍

[@alantoon5708]

Everyone here needs to read Potter's biography on Nimitz. If not the finest military officer produced by America, he was a peer of the finest..

[@hourlardnsaver362]

I started on it. Thanks for reminding me that I need to finish it. Potter’s book on Arleigh Burke is also worth a read.

[@willriley994]

Potter's book is excellent and you need to check out the one Craig Symonds wrote. It's fantastic

[@johnandrewmunroe]

Brilliant and insightful. Thank you for this quality interview.

[@spidrespidre]

Fantastic presentation. Thanks, Drac & Trent

[@DailyDamage]

I must admit, the various little anecdotes and insights into one of the great managers and strategists, was vastly more interesting then anticipated. 😊

[@slartybartfarst55]

A great chat. Already grabbed the E-book & really looking forward to reading it!

[@helenel4126]

I'm one of those "children of" who is grateful for his leadership. My father served in the USN in the Pacific Theater.

[@jmac3997]

God Bless Fredericksburg TX!!

[@ronaldmorton6852]

The Nimitz museum is well worth a visit. The wineries in the area are too.

[@ChrisSmith-mi2zo]

@@ronaldmorton6852 I recommend going for the Peach Jamboree in June. The area has always been famous for its peaches, the wineries are a recent phenomenon mostly owned by out-of-state companies that import most of their grapes from California. The locals can't stand them. Burg's Corner in Stonewall has about anything and everything you could make out of peaches.

[@ronaldmorton6852]

@@ChrisSmith-mi2zo That's completely wrong, the best wine makers are using grapes grown in Texas. Vintners like William-Chris, Slate Theory, Ron Yates, and Hye take a great deal of pride in using only Texas grapes. Recent? 30 to 40 years is hardly recent.

[@ChrisSmith-mi2zo]

@@ronaldmorton6852 Pay attention. I said "most" wineries, as in the dozens that have sprung up over the past 10 years like that gimmicky castle, not the handful that have been there for 30 or 40. Never mind that the peach farms have been there for 70 or 80 years at the least. Wine is definitely a "recent" phenomenon by comparison.

[@stuartdollar9912]

Great interview. I'd read Craig Symond's recent biography of Admiral Nimitz. Looks like Mr. Hone's book is going to move up the stack for my next read. As always, excellent work, Drachinifel.

[@ocsplc]

No more laconic and stoic leader. Perfectly willing to accord his inferiors plaudits. Refused to make scapegoats after Pearl. Yet, uncanny and aggressive in his battle doctrine. Great man.

[@0Fingolfin0]

this is the fourth time I am watching this clip, I love this kind of videos on great leaders

[@kilpatrickkirksimmons5016]

As a Navy man currently it's pronounced "fohksuhl" and "cocksin" rather than forecastle and coxswain. Weird I know lol. But great vid as always, and great guest. Nimitz is one of the greatest to ever take to sea.

[@nautifella]

These profiles you do on _Great US Navy Admirals_ leads me tell you this. Such men and women are still flourishing in the USN. They stand out from amongst their peers by their intelligence, perseverance and dedication. And they encourage (if not demand) the same from their fellow officers and enlisted crews. I served with several such men because my COs sought them out, recruited them from other commands, trained and mentored them and pushed and tested them. Ensigns didn't often last long. During my five years of sea duty; Of the officers that served 20+ years, All had _Command at Sea,_ 9 made flag rank; in addition to my COs that both retired as Vice Admirals. One of those ensigns made CNO. On the enlisted side, of those that served 20+ years, 80% retired as E-8 or E-9. If you know anything about Submarine crews, you know that these percentages are astronomical. The Boat herself did even better. But we still can't talk about that.

[@cenccenc946]

excellent. I would have liked to hear more about Nimitz views on submarines and their use in the pacific.

[@SeanTheSarcastic]

I bought Trent's book on Kindle back in December. Haven't finished it yet, but the subject matter is well covered.

[@marvinacklin792]

Superb!

[@stevencoghill4323]

Excellent program

[@stephenlaw9827]

Brilliant video, thanks.👍

[@TheFlutecart]

Likely just an old sailors story but supposedly Adm, King wanted to change the working Navy officer uniform, Nimitz refused and kept on wearing wrinkled brown kakis, so did everyone else under his command. That explains the uniforms in the photos with King anyways. Great video. Thanks!

[@gregedwards3267]

This is covered in detail in "Nimitz at War". Another good book!

[@mpersad]

I cannot recommend Trent Hone's books too highly! Top video, Thank you Drach!

[@garymclaughin]

Thanks for sharing 👍

[@TheFlutecart]

That aerial picture of USS Lexington CV-2 at 16:10 - very cool photo - Wow.

[@flexangelo]

excellent video! thanks drach!

[@davidhouston4810]

As a Student of Naval Warfare, and also British Born. I feel it must be stated That Admiral Chester Nimitz was an Exceptional Naval Commander. His Leadership and Ability, was in large measure responsible for the Success of the USN in the Pacific. He was a Master of Strategy and Tactics, while being a wise judge and inspiring to all under his command.

[@NV555_82nd]

Great video, thank you.

[@clayedwards987]

Really preferred the format you used for EJ King and Ching Lee, chronological and organized detail. Was looking forward to that here.

[@SammyNeedsAnAlibi]

I am a huge Nimitz fan being a Retired Navy Chief, so obviously I am going to read this book! I don't know if you have it in your book, but in WW II the Pacific Sailors proudly said "The Army has Bradley, we have Nimitz!". No higher compliment that I can think of, for sure. One point that I don't you know or mention in the book- Nimitz not only got the Navy away from gasoline submarines (which were highly dangerous to operate) and start using diesels which were safer, but also when he was Chief of Naval Operations after the war, he pushed the Navy into the Nuclear Power propulsion era. He was a big fan of the USS Nautilus program from it's conception. So he impacted the US Navy Submarine Service by bringing in newer and safer propulsion programs. Shows how visionary he was.

[@johnschuh8616]

From what I read, Bradley really didn't deserve that reputation.

[@R34LI7Y]

I would highly recommend the Nimitz’s museum in Fredericksburg Tx, they have one of the Japanese minisubs from the attack on pear harbor. Really cool place.

[@jimcronin2043]

Excellent job on this video! I believe that I need this book.

[@duwop544]

Fascinating insights.

[@vernonfindlay1314]

That was excellent, bravo,ww1,ww2, Korea ,Vietnam, all videos are great from everyone. 🙏 Wife's grandmother second husband was D-Day, Canadian army. Blessings

[@leojablonski2309]

Excellent book !

[@Lone_Star_Proud]

There is a fabulous WWII museum about the Pacific theater in Nimitz's hometown of Frederick burg, Texas.

[@powellmountainmike8853]

Another very interesting video... thanks!

[@johnspizziri1919]

Great show.

[@DSToNe19and83]

I’m a year late, but you always knock it out the park! 🍻

[@mattclark5728]

My grandpa was his aid during ww2, always spoke extremely highly about him.

[@ramal5708]

One hour length video about Nimitz, yay

[@MemorialRifleRange]

Thank-you

[@martinmdl6879]

Great work.

[@brookeshenfield7156]

I’m buying that book!

[@rashkavar]

One thing that amazes me about WWII in the Pacific is the sheer confidence it takes to leave what used to be major objectives behind in 1944. I'm watching the World War Two In Real Time series, which has just hit 1944 (their gimmick is they present the war as if it was currently happening, just 79 years in the future of when it actually happened, and with the benefit of that many years of history to provide understanding of what was happening). At this point, they've just had the first landings on the west coast of New Britain, seemingly intent on finally taking out the Japanese base at Rabaul, which was a constant source of problems basically from the start of the Battle of Guadalcanal onwards. Everything suggests this is a major military base and capturing it would be a major strategic victory....but I looked it up and apparently the Americans just bomb their airport into oblivion (already largely done as of the timeline of the WWII In Real Time presentation), the Australians use a submarine blockade to deny the use of its naval facilties, and they all just leave some 69 000 Japanese troops (of presumably various services) behind as they move on to win the rest of the war. That seems like an extremely large force to leave behind your front line....though I'm thinking like this is a land war - 69 000 troops with 0 planes and 0 ships stuck on an island are only a threat if you really want to be on that island. And unless it's a really big island with good agricultural capacity, if you do want to be on that island you can just sit offshore and wait. Sieges are slow and can be difficult to maintain long enough, but there's a reason they've been a part of war since the development of fortifications that you'd rather not actually attack: it's the best way to neutralize a defensive emplacement if you have the time.

[@wwoods66]

Rabaul is on one end of New Britain, and Cape Gloucester is on the other. And it's a fairly big island -- about 250 miles long. Without command of the air or sea, or much in the way of roads, it'd be hard to move a large enough force overland to threaten the Allied air base. (I tried Google Maps but got "Sorry, we could not calculate walking directions from "Rabaul, Papua New Guinea" to "Agulupella, Papua New Guinea")

[@rashkavar]

@@wwoods66 Yeah, it's just, in the scale of the Pacific Theatre at large, 250 miles is not very far and it seems interesting to just pin down tens of thousands of troops and then just go around them. Especially since Rabaul was kinda the big threat from the Japanese in the area ever since the start of Guadalcanal. Clearly it worked, and the tens or hundreds of thousands who would have died had the Americans insisted on mopping up actions before pressing forward would have died needlessly. But WWII is loaded with interesting out-of-the-box strategic choices - a lot of the command staff served in WWI early in their career and a lot of them clearly spent a good chunk of the intervening 20 years working out how to avoid a trench warfare stalemate.