America’s 16-Gun Jackhammer That Pummeled Japan Round-the-Clock

[@DerekChristopherNordbye-w7s]

As a Navy veteran the fact that she WASN'T made a museum ship, honoring her crew, her war record, in the city that bears her name is a disgrace!! It's one thing to have monuments and, her crew- those that may still be alive- to tell of her impeccable record, it's something else, entirely to board the ship, itself; to see her Battle Stars, the guns that saved innumerable lives, that warded off so many enemy aircraft, to see her berthing spaces, etc., brings home the humanity of it!! It bothers me THAT MUCH!!! Just like the valiant, ultimately, failed efforts to make the Big E a museum ship, too, drives this point home!!! It's pathetic and, a damned disgrace to my fellow shipmates who fought so damn fuc**** hard to win back freedom and, keep us free!!!! I don't give af, one bit, who gets offended by this!!! Y'all need to realize just how damn, freaking good YOU REALLY have it, here!!! Ships, like the San Diego, would've been excellent reminders of 'freedom's "high price"!!!'

[@garykubodera9528]

So true!! She would have been a great addition to the battleship Iowa!! A disabled US Army Veteran 😃

[@brianhomka290]

Just look at the political outlook in CA...and you'll know why! Disgusting! Thank you for serving.

[@daverobinson6110]

@@brianhomka290yeah she was taken off the register during the Eisenhower administration…how that relates to todays political climate in California is a complete and utter disconnect..

[@sarge4455]

🫡

[@brianhomka290]

@@daverobinson6110 Try decaf...

[@sarcasticscottsman8581]

The narrator misspoke about the guns but may not have understood why. The guns were 5 inch 38 s. That is the barrel length of this gun on this ship. The older style 5-inch gun was a 5-inch 54. It had a longer range but the same size shell. 2 5 inch 54 s we're taking off my father's ship to be used as Island defense for the Battle of Midway. The 5 inch 54 s were called long Tom's. The 38th had a 3 1/2 to 4 MI range while the long times had a 7 mi range. The Japanese were not aware of the two different kinds and parked their ships off of Midway at approximately 5 miles. The two guns taken off of my father's ship were placed on premade concrete pads and manned by some really sharp marines. They waited until many landing craft from the Japanese ships were in the water and the ships we're securely anchored then the Marines started pounding the shit out of them and sunk at least two and heavily damaged four other ships and a fair number of landing craft. That is first-hand information from someone who was there.

[@skipperclinton1087]

@sarcastic: You sir are ohh so wrong. The 5"/54s replaced the 5"/38s. 5"54s are automatic feed/load while 5"/38s are semi auto. They require a gun mount crew starting with the upper handling room to the mount itself. I just so happened to work all three stations (magazine) and up, hot case man in the turret, hoist projectile loader in the upper handling room.

[@skipperclinton1087]

@sarcastic: 5"/54 replaced the 5"/38. Both had a range of 9 miles. Do some Wikipedia homework. Obviously, if your father told you that tale, he was selling a sea story. The 3"/50 replaced the 5"/38 for better AA work, but they came into service late in the war. 5"/38s were great for SHOBOM/NGFS work. I was on a Gearing class DD, Fram Mk1B from 64-66 and we did a lot of both while in the Tonkin. The "story" your father told you happened on Wake Island and the guns were 5"/51s. Maybe your father wasn't even in the Navy or forgot which movie he watched?

[@sarcasticscottsman8581]

@skipperclinton1087 was a pearl harbor survivor and spent the entire war in the south pacific. And, shocker, a few details faded over 40 years, he wasn't a computer with perfect data recall. I just came from Oahu where his ashes were interred at the Utah. 21 gun salute and full honor guard. Where did you serve? Be careful who you disparage, someone more temperamental in your area may take great offense to your casual dismissal of their imperfect recall of traumatic events.

[@paulwoodman5131]

If you're listening to this channel, you better get used to misspeaking. Let it Go.

[@sarcasticscottsman8581]

@@skipperclinton1087 so, you did do something useful.....good for you. You get an extra cookie.

[@anthonyrose915]

The best navy then and now nobody else is even close

[@76629online]

What a fantastic story. It's a shame that this ship wasn't saved, to be put on display in San Diego. Being a Navy vet myself, and having sailed out of 32nd Street many times, this story gave me goose pimples.

[@richardcline1337]

Yes! They could save a piece of junk like the USS Missouri, but REAL ships with REAL histories were cut up for scrap!

[@harveyhandbanana]

I'm from San Diego,I take pride in that and I've never heard of this ship and that should be a crime

[@adriansmith-ro9nc]

👍🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@namename5917]

This story sent chills down my spine, the USS San Diego isn't talked about nearly enough.

[@fr.joeobrien3678]

At 6:36 there is a reference to escorting the torpedo damaged Lexington in December 42. Could that have been the Saratoga? Lex was sunk at Coral Sea in May 42.

[@medrickdevaney1171]

I'm A USAF Vet And A Former Resident Of The Republic Of Panama.. In One Of The Videos Was Mentioned The Ships Going Through The Canal, And It Completely Surprised Me That Those Ships WOULD Fit Through The Locks Because I've Seen Ships Making That Trip And It's A "Tight Squeeze" ~~ Some Of The Ship Being Taken Through The Canal, Will Be ONLY Inches From The Walls ~~ PS: When Traversing The Canal, The Ships And Not Taken Through By The Ships Personnel, They're Guided Through By Specially Trained Ship Pilots ~~ It "AIN'T" No Easy Task.~~

[@darlonripley606]

The US made sure its ships would fit thru the Panama Canal-however slim the margin.

[@williammorningstar8443]

My dad served in the Navy during the war of 401 to 45 and I'm still mad that didn't make the USS Enterprise of Museum

[@williamleadbetter9686]

Of all the US WW2 ships saved into museum ships the Big E deserved it the most. She had many battle stars

[@FD2003Abc]

That impressive record of the USS San Diego is a testament to her captain and men. Thank you for sharing this information about this amazing ship!

[@ericligotke3542]

Great video! A part of history that I hadn’t heard much about. Great details and a well crafted storyline.

[@hughjardon5869]

16 5" 38 caliber dual purpose guns? Sounds more like an over-sized destroyer. Bad-ass anti-air platform for sure! With a plus for being able to do shore bombardment.

[@mikeking7470]

At the beginning of WW2 most destroyers were armed with 3-inch dual purpose and 4 inch single mount main batteries. A light cruiser CL or later a CLAA like the San Diego would be a destroyer leader with "flag quarters" for a commodore or Rear admiral (lower half). Heavy cruisers were armed almost like battleships and lightly armored so that they could keep up with the aircraft carriers.

[@wstavis3135]

​@mikeking7470 Ummm, no. To work backwards: battleships were armed with main guns between 14 and 16 inches. Heavy cruisers were armed with 8 inch rifles, the only exception being the Alaska class with 12 inch guns.

[@wstavis3135]

​@@mikeking7470 Ummm, no. To work backwards: battleships were armed with main guns between 14 and 16 inches (356mm and 406mm). Heavy cruisers were armed with 8 inch (203mm) rifles, the only exception being the Alaska class with 12 inch (305mm) guns. Light cruisers were armed with 6 inch (157mm) guns. The only exception to this were the Atlanta class AA light cruisers / destroyer flotilla leaders which were armed with the 5 inch 38 cal (127mm) dual purpose guns which served as secondary guns on most other cruisers, battleships, and aircraft carriers. Destroyers, starting with the Farragut class were also armed with the 5 inch 38 guns (127mm). The 5 inch 51 cal (127mm) were secondary guns on battle ships and were only mounted on one class of DD, the Clemson class. The repurposed for shore defense guns came from old decommissioned battleships or battleships that had their secondary armament upgraded to the new standard 5 in 38 cal (127mm) dual purpose weapon. The Long Tom was a 6 in (155mm) field artillery peice used by the Army.

[@skipperclinton1087]

​@@mikeking7470: Mike what you speak of was because of the Washington Naval treaty limits on ship weights.

[@apersondoingthings5689]

⁠​⁠​⁠@@mikeking7470most destroyers mounted 4.7-5inch guns. 3 inch guns are what are found on suns and poorly armed corvettes or destroyers escorts. Most U.S. destroyers entering the war were using 4-5 5”/38 guns. Basically all British used the 4.7 inch gun. Most other nations also had the around 5 inch caliber of gun. Light cruisers almost exclusively were armed with 6inch guns. CLAA had guns mounted on destroyers but with just more of them. No heavy cruiser class aside from the Alaska class large cruiser with its 12 inch guns was even remotely armed like a battleship which typically had 14-18 inch cannons.

[@FrancisSullivan-j7t]

Aside from the IOWA class Battleships, The ATLANTA Class light cruisers are Sleek,Elegant, and loaded with an Abundance of guns!!! A little boys Dream ship!!!!

[@jlsperling1]

This group of four cruisers was completed before the new 40mm twin and quad mounts were available, so they were fitted with a suite of four 1.1" quad mounts. Two members of the class, Atlanta and Juneau, were both sunk at the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, and afterward the two survivors San Diego and San Juan, had their 1.1" mounts replaced with four 40mm twin mounts and their 20mm suite increased.

[@rtyrsson]

Very nice episode! Top notch!

[@mingfanzhang4600]

😊😊😊

[@suzannakoizumi8605]

Wow. What a legacy! Thank you. ❤❤❤

[@johncater7861]

I can only but imagine the skill of the designers, engineers and other trades. I cannot imagine the sheer hell and noise of the desperate battles.

[@danielrose-tt7os]

I had thought that the USS San Diego (CL-53 an Atlanta class light cruiser) was going to be the WWII cruiser credited with first use of the proximity fuse. Records show that it was the USS Helena (CL-50, St Louis class light cruiser) that was credited with first use in a successful combat engagement off of Guadalcanal on Jan 5 1943.

[@daystatesniper01]

By God she and her crew were one tough bunch of bad ass nuts to crack , utter respect here from the UK

[@daverobinson6110]

Floating machine gun. There’s a memorial to her at Tuna Harbor downtown. Right by the outstanding Taffy3 memorial.

[@Harleylovinchelley1]

Wow, what a grand bit of history. At least her bell is still being honored.

[@frozencanary4522]

USS San Diego owes a lot like many ships to the proximity fuse.

[@skipperclinton1087]

@frozencanary: They were called "VT frag". They were useful on troops in the open also. The problem being is that the preceeding blast wave would set them off at too high an altitude so they were pretty much useless in that use so we had to switch back to AA Common w/fuze settings.

[@dukecraig2402]

​@@skipperclinton1087 Nonsense, the proximity fuse was so devastating in land warfare that it forced a change in land warfare tactics.

[@sarge4455]

Never lost a man 🫡

[@mumwifeteacher]

New drinking game- take a drink every time he says San Diego.

[@tyo8663]

..or every time he said the guns fired continuously. 😁

[@OleDonKedic]

you paying to get my stomach pumped?😂

[@MasonHerrick]

Sounded like a challenge, currently in ICU, if anyone has a liver they would like to donate plz send ASAP

[@tswizard13]

You should also have mentioned the significance of the proximity fuse on AA weapons.

[@dgsantafedave1]

Now I know why all the old veterans at the VA who were in the Navy during WWII always went "What did you say" every time I tried to talk to them!

[@factchecker9358]

No, this overstates the importance of these two surface ships out of the massive strike force.

[@josephpacchetti5997]

Excellent Video.👍🇺🇸

[@YoutubeCrittic]

This is my favourite ship in WOW. o7

[@Glenn-em3hv]

It's wild how long the 5 inch 54 has been around on navy ships!!!

[@TheKansasredneck]

The 5"54 was introduced in 1971.

[@johnpower8356]

What a carrier wow!

[@johnpower8356]

Career

[@MushroomFromMars]

USS CANBERRA NO, HMAS CANBERRA YES. Come on, just a little bit of research you would have found this is Australia's capitol and the Royal Australian Navy played a critical role alongside the U.S. in the Pacific war.

[@stevenweaver3386]

USS Canberra YES. Baltimore Class heavy cruiser commissioned 14 Oct 1943. Originally to be USS Pittsburgh, renamed to honour HMAS Canberra sunk during the Battle of Savo Island.

[@TheKansasredneck]

Google is your friend, one quick thirty second search could have saved you from a lifetime of internet embarrassment.

[@dukecraig2402]

Oops

[@terraboundmisfit]

Excellent!!!

[@WilliamCrippen-mj7mj]

The ship is an anti aircraft cruiser!

[@larryl43]

THANK YOU

[@KayDiddle]

It's a wonder that she survived that storm. Those extra 5 inch mounts on each side were deemed to make the Atlanta class a little too top-heavy and weren't featured on future AA cruisers.

[@errolfoster1101]

RESPECT

[@flingmonkey5494]

With the discussion of the USS San Diego shooting at attacking Japanese planes, there was no mention on if VT fused shells were used. Were they?

[@skipperclinton1087]

@flingmonkey: Or the fact that it was mostly US Hellcats & F4U Corsairs that brought down the majority of the Japanese planes at the battle of the Philippine Sea. The story made it sound like the San Diego did it all alone. Actually, the ships shot down the ones that made it through (AKA) "The Great Marianas Turkey shoot"!

[@flingmonkey5494]

@@skipperclinton1087 I'll give you that, but I thing the VT fused shells get next to no mention when a video talks about ships shooting at incoming kamikaze planes, no credit goes to the fuse that allowed more frequent hits.

[@congerthomas1812]

Cool video, Not technical but historical! Pops was there, putting them on the beach!

[@Baskerville22]

At 0.53 - "Moments later USS Canberra was struck by a torpedo" . ???? HMAS Canberra was an AUSTRALIAN heavy cruiser. The simplest research should have made this obvious.

[@williampaz2092]

The USS San Diego fought almost the entire Pacific War and came through it almost without a scratch.

[@klymar8401]

New iformation for me . I had thought there was only the Atlanta and Juneo(?) of this class of light cruiser/destroyer leader .

[@skipperclinton1087]

@klymar8401: Eight Atlanta clasd cruisers in all. The ship that the Sullivan Brothers went down on was one if them.

[@ericemmons3040]

Juneau

[@michaelschneider6106]

There were NO San Diegos PLURAL. The was ONE, as in singular. The ship was ONE of the Atlanta-class light cruisers.

[@9OClockRant]

A ship that was never damaged in battle was sold for scrap…..

[@wendielangborders4116]

Sad

[@bobcornwell403]

Talk about a lucky ship. She may have been able to find off aircraft, but she wasn't torpedo proof.

[@tswizard13]

It's Baptism Of Fire not baptism by fire!!!

[@jeffreyleonard7210]

Buh bye

[@annehersey9895]

What kind of ship is the current USS San Diego? That’s a goofy looking ship. It looks like it has cranes instead of guns. Is it a recovery ship? Living in San Diego most of my life, I wish the city had bought the WWII ship as a museum ship. It could now proudly sit in SD Bay next to the museum ship the aircraft carrier USS Midway!

[@bwtv147]

The video says the current USS San Diego is an amphibious transport dock.

[@nahornig]

Is there somewhere we could hear this guy talk regular?

[@ooyginyardel4835]

Peter Coyote

[@Markinopliers]

How tf you going to put the name on a transport when it was once a cruiser? A destroyer or sub would make sense in the modern Navy but wtf

[@jonathanbaum3499]

Did you really call her "USS Canberra?" You do know that she was an Australian ship, right? You call yourselves naval historians?

[@ooyginyardel4835]

More commercials than cable TV

[@MasonGunneson]

"The fate of the Pacific rests on her guns"... Toss off mate. You don't need to over-dramatize this event. The war was dramatic enough thanks.

[@xtheunknown4310]

Im here because of Azur Lanes San Diego-Chan and Lil Sandy

[@auro1986]

if it was so good then how it let other ship which you called houston get damaged?

[@mikeking7470]

Houston was a heavier cruiser with much less in the way of AA guns. Her Captain got a Medal of Honor and her Chaplain the Navy Cross for giving his life jacket to a fellow sailor.

[@WilliamSmith-zk4tj]

How come you don't mention that electrical problems they had and brother they repaired those problems or corrected them they almost got sunk in Guadalcanal because of those electrical problems and a mediocre captain

[@AnthonyPrince01]

It's the West Philippine Sea, not the South China Sea.

[@ExplofingCreeperYT]

the hell happend to the ai voice its so bassey

[@spud3201]

I was wondering the same thing.

[@mingfanzhang8927]

😊😊😊

[@mingfanzhang4600]

😊

[@Sam-s3w1d]

The narrative is AI!

[@AnthonyOMulligan-yv9cg]

Canberra was Hmas Canberra

[@allennelson5419]

No Mr. Genius Historian, HMAS Canberra was sunk ta the Battle of Savo Island in 1942 during the Guadalcanal Campaign. In honor of the sacrifice of her crew and the RAN, the USN named a new cruiser USS Canberra

[@frednone]

Maybe if you want people to watch your vids, don't put a thumbnail of a ship armed with 5"/38s and call them sixteen inch.

[@mikeking7470]

16 5-inch 38's, 8 pairs, 15 rounds per minute per gun.

[@keith2762]

Thumbnail "16 gun jackhammer...... ", not 16 inch. Slow down while reading so you can comprehend what is typed.

[@raybame5816]

@@keith2762 "A man's GOT to know his limitations"....thanks for helping him out.

[@skipperclinton1087]

​@mikeking7470: In your wildest dreams, Mike. Obviously, you never were in a 5"/38 gun mount. 8-12 (usually 10) RPM max for a good experienced gun crew. That's about tops for the speed the upper handling room can load the hoists. BTW, I have, all three stations. Magazine to the mount.

[@tomleake8227]

First comment, aussie aussie aussie

[@stevenweaver3386]

oy oy oy

[@johnpaulson996]

Thank you for your good work.

[@mingfanzhang4600]

😊😊😊😊

[@mingfanzhang8927]

😊