Commerce Destruction-The Battle of the Bismarck Sea with Jon Parshall-Episode 207

This week guest co-host Jon Parshall joins Seth for a discussion on one of the more important, if not lesser known, events of the Pacific War in 1943, the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. Seth and Jon break down the ins and outs of the epic aerial destruction of an entire Japanese convoy at the hands of the Royal Australian Air Force and GEN Kenney's 5th Air Force in New Guinea.
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[@georgegeller1902]

Let's give a tiny smidge of credit to my mom who helped assemble A-20s at Douglas.

[@william_toti]

There were a lot of at-home heroes in this war. Author Sara Vladic is working on a book on that topic.

[@dancolley4208]

More than just a smidge !!!

[@Clydesirota]

Your mom rocks!

[@jharris0341]

Respect to your mother.

[@michaelholden5131]

Dad crewed A-20s and later B-25's in New Guinea with 5th Army Air Force; many missions, many decorations including DFC, Air Medals and the one with Purple ribbon; made a career out of the Air Force and medically retired at 28 yrs of service. Amazing men with a desperate fight on their hands duking and jabbing with enemy troops and naval shipping not to mention the Japanese air forces.

[@bruce70403]

Jon Parshall: the unauthorized co-host of the podcast!

[@flparkermdpc]

I think Jon has a permanent credential!

[@jimwolaver9375]

@@flparkermdpc A permanently unauthorized credential!

[@ibpopp]

Excellent series. I'm an Aussie born in 1952. It's hard to comprehend the silent relief boys of my generation felt whenever the oldies spoke about the Bismark Sea, and the affection WW2 RAAF pilots had for the Beaufighter, aka 'Whispering Death' due to the sleeve-valve engines. It was a fight to the death against a merciless and sadistic enemy for Australia and we were eternally grateful for you Seppos (Yank ='septic tank' in rhyming sland) saving our bacon. Thanks. Looking forward to all future episodes.

[@jimb9063]

Well said. I'd like to think the Beau will eventually get the general recognition that the Mossie seems to have got in recent years. The name Whispering Death coming from the Japanese says it all. Not unlike how Mikey Holding got christened it by the rest of the world too!

[@jeffreymartin8448]

Historians don't sugar coat history. That's Hollywood's job. I think Seth and Jon handled it superbly.

[@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar]

History isn’t always apple pie and sunshine.

[@owensthilaire8189]

Almost never in fact.

[@scottsherman6889]

Agreed. Politicians interpret and argue history. Historians lay out the facts and let you think about it and make up your mind. Seth, Bill, and John do a great job of that.

[@jameshannagan4256]

After you guys finally finish this epic series I am going to watch them all again.

[@motorcop555]

I think I listen/watch each of them 3x the week they come out to make sure I didn’t miss anything.

[@jaymacpherson8167]

I was thinking the same thing just this morning.

[@hurch1915]

Me too.

[@dmbeaster]

Why wait? I have rewatched several episodes again already.

[@jeffreymartin8448]

@@dmbeaster Greatly relieved to learn I'm not the only one !

[@uselesswatcher1]

Don’t worry Jon most people didn’t notice your wallpaper. We couldn’t get eyes past your shirt😂. Loving this series . Thank you for all this.

[@josepetersen7112]

That’s called “marijuana pattern” camouflage

[@barneyfife291]

We need to due fund raising to get some paint on those walls

[@michielpatrick4583]

I noticed that too.

[@kensvay4561]

Wallpaper? I thought it was mould. Great series guys. I write this in cairns looking out over the Coral Sea.

[@trojankev]

Wallpaper and shirt are a match. I love when he recreates the cocktails. Would love to see Seth , Bill, and Jon out on the night!!. I've got an idea of what that would be like!!

[@ph89787]

Always good to see Jon Parshall. Especially good to hear about Royal Australian Air Force in the pacific. As my late Uncle Huey worked on P-40 Kittyhawks in New Guinea.

[@michaelcoe9824]

75 and 76 squadrons

[@chadrowe8452]

Didn't the aussie call them kitty hawks?

[@michaelcoe9824]

@@chadrowe8452 Yes, they were called many things by various people, perhaps indiscriminately: Warhawks, Kittyhawks, Tomahawks or simply p40. They were decried by many as no answer to the all conquering A6m Zero. The truth of course is about both tactics and logistics. The p40 was in many ways better suited to the New Guinea campaign than the Spitfire, p38, p39, or others in the 42, 43 air war.

[@davidelliott5843]

P40-B and C were called Tomahawk. P40-D and E Kittyhawk was supplied to British Commonwealth (Australia, NZ, etc) P40 F, L and later had the Packard Merlin.

[@michaelcoe9824]

@@davidelliott5843 Thanks for the clarification. Certainly 75 and 76 squadrons of RAAF in defense of Moresbey and Milne Bay utilised the p40 to the very extent of both the aircraft's possibilities and the strategic necessity of the time.

[@deanmaguire6701]

Great to see this often overlooked theatre of WWII get some attention. A note on accuracy, The ( Australian Manufactured under Licence ) Bristol Beaufighter had twin Radial Air-Cooled Engines (Bristol "Hercules" I believe), as opposed to the mentioned In Line, Water Cooled V12 RR "Merlin Engine". The configuration of the In Line Engine also necessitated a distinctive cowl shape which is hard to confuse with a Radial cowl profile. To the Hosts and the audience, I can't recommend highly enough, the "HypoHisterical" encyclopaedic series of KZbin videos on the New Guinea Campaign : "Milne Bay" "Kakoda", "Salamaua", "Lae" etc. for a balanced and nuanced account of these Actions, particularly from an Australian point of view. And finally, I hope the Team at "Unauthorised History of the Pacific War " will have a look at the unsung Battle of Milne Bay, where a single Squadron of RAAF P40's, a U.S. Army Engineer Battalion and a couple of Companies of Australian Infantry, held off a Division size Japanese attempt to seize Port Moresby with a landing at Milne Bay. Some have claimed this to be the first time the Japanese Army was defeated in an attempted advance in WWII. Thanks for your Videos . Appreciate your work.

[@blueboats7530]

Just to prove the rule, there is the ONE exception of the Beaufighter Mk.II was fitted with Merlin engines because right then all the Hercules were needed for Stirling bomber production. There is a photo of one on the Wikipedia page for the Beaufighter and it looks bizarre. They were used as night fighters in the U.K. so no overlap in the South Pacific.

[@deanmaguire6701]

@@blueboats7530 Thanks Blue Boats, I wasn't aware of the " Merlin " Beaufighter. I'm off to the Wiki page to check it out now ...👍

[@primmakinsofis614]

@@deanmaguire6701 The Merlin-powered Beaufighter was the Mk IIf, a night-fighter variant. There was also one other small error stated in the video: they said there were three .303 MGs in each wing. In fact, the port wing had only two and the starboard wing had four due to the position of a navigation light in the port wing. These wing-mounted machine guns were typically removed in Coastal Command variants and replaced with fuel tanks in order to extend the Beaufighter's strike range.

[@timborchers6303]

There was a full brigade of Australian militia at Milne Bay, not a couple of companies. Otherwise you are spot on.

[@deanmaguire6701]

@@timborchers6303 Thanks for the correction Tim. I was dragging figures off the top of my head when I made that post. 👍

[@gordonbutler5142]

Great Stuff! Jon Parshall is a national treasure, I love his work.

[@Boron121]

With Kenney's blessing. Pappy Gunn turned B-25s into attack planes. At first, he was using guns salvaged from damaged P-400s then factory attack versions with up to 10 forward firing .50 ca.. The Beaufighter could place a lot of rounds down range plus it carried rockets & bombs. Along with the A-20s, these were nasty planes if you were on the receiving end. It is my understanding Kenney was very much his own man and without a doubt, produced results. I think MacArthur gave the area some publicity but I don't think we Americans give the Australian forces the credit they earned.

[@flparkermdpc]

You're probably right. But look at who the Aussies were up against. It was hard to get a word in edgwise with the MacArthur horn always on full.!

[@Fulcrum205]

You forgot the best of all, the B-25H with a 75mm pack howitzer in the navigators crawlspace The Russians really like the A-20 as well. The version they got had 4x50cal and 2x20mm

[@kensvay4561]

The B 25s came first, the A20s later.

[@johnferguson1455]

As a current B-25 Pilot, thanks so much for putting my favorite bird so much in the forefront of this episode. Great discussion, really enjoy all your episodes.

[@briankorbelik2873]

My parents helped build B-25's and P-51's at the North American sub assembly plant in Pasadena, CA. Luckily for me and my sister, it's where they met.

[@USSBB62]

Maps ! Maps ! more Maps. Really helps put it in perspective . Thanks so much. I'm helping all my friends to your KZbin channel. Godspeed

[@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar]

Awesome, thank you!

[@grizzlygrizzle]

@@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar --Maps would be greatly appreciated. Currently, I need to search for "maps of battle of X" in another tab to get any sense for the geography of the battle being discussed. This isn't a hardship for me, but it has to suck for people watching on devices other than PCs.

[@user-px9jy1fp1u]

Former Amphib ship driver, USS Trenton LPD-14, and the son of Pacific Naval Officer. This is the only channel I have subscribed to and the only comment I have ever offered. Bravo Zulu for a great series, I look forward to you every Tuesady on KZbin. Keep up the good work, it is greatly appreciated.

[@jonparshall]

Super fun episode to record, despite the Comcast glitches. Excellent job, Seth, for editing most of that out! Thank you! Fascinating topic, and a really crucial event in the Pacific War.

[@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar]

Always a joy to have you on the show my friend.

[@christopherrowe7460]

Thanks to both of you for this great episode! I especially appreciated the lesson on the origins of skip bombing and masthead bombing. The latter was used by SBD's and Avengers for Operation LEADER in October of that year off Norway. Left me wondering whether the method was transmitted to USN from USAAF or via RN Home Fleet to which USS RANGER was attached. This resource suggests probably the latter: www.airuniversity.af.edu/Portals/10/AUPress/Books/B_0096_RODMAN_WAR_OF_THEIR_OWN.pdf

[@timborchers6303]

Am rereading Shattered Sword and have listened to so many of your presentations, that my inner dialogue is in your voice.

[@jonparshall]

@@timborchers6303 I do try to write the way I speak, so thank you!

[@Fulcrum205]

Jon I really enjoy your talks. I found you via Dan Carlins Supernova in the East series and then your lecture on Kursk and American vs Soviet vs German AFV production at the National WW2 museum. That lead me here. Great stuff. Love the shirt👍

[@larryfarr3075]

You guys have brought the war home!!! No where has it been portrayed with the love, concern and understanding as you guys did in this video.. Thanks. Bless you for your work.

[@flparkermdpc]

Couldn't have said it better...

[@AdmiralYeti8042]

If I ever see Jon Parshall with a different shirt on I’m going to assume it’s an imposter.

[@hidemisakamoto7707]

Another great episode! Pappy Gunn was the father of the “BBBBRRRRRTTTTT” flying platform - the A-20 and B-25 gunships were the A-10’s grandparents.

[@willl7780]

A20 is the most unknown bad ass plane of the war

[@strydyrhellzrydyr1345]

You guys videos... Have become... Literally my favorite thing... On KZbin.. I listen over and over. And look forward to a new episode each week. Sad that Bill isn't here... But.. hey... If Bill is moving. That might mean he got a nicer house... But either way. I hope it's a good thing for him

[@Jakal-pw8yq]

​@@DeepTissueExplorer 😂😊🎉❤

[@jeffreymartin8448]

Hoping to see Capt Toti next episode. Although Jon Parshall is without a doubt the best designated hitter out there and can show up anytime he likes if you ask me!

[@Titus-as-the-Roman]

Thanks! Enjoy both this show and you fellows. Here's a beverage of choice on me.

[@MrKen-mc4bu]

The Battle of the Bismarck Sea is truly an amazing story - that needed to be told. Thank you for explaining - in great detail - what happened at that time and place of WWII.

[@JohnnySmithWhite-wd4ey]

I wish my dad was still here to watch this. He was Army amphibious infantry in the Pacific. He was at Schofield barracks on Dec. 7th, 1941 and his last battle was the landing on Okinawa.

[@jonbowden5207]

Just listened to it - pretty good. Completely agree with recommendation of Bergerud's Fire in the Sky. A correct re: the Beaufighter - Parshall mentioned it had Merlin engines. It did not - it had the Hercules radials, with sleeve valves (interesting design). Great plane at it's time and place with the Aussies.

[@dennisweidner288]

The rules of the game were not set at Aligator Creek. They were set in the Philipines with Bataan Death March for the Ameruiabs. As well as the Japanese treatment of Australian and Dutch POWs. Of course, Aligator Creek and other Guadalcanal actions involved combat troops not overwhelmed by the Japanese.

[@Titus-as-the-Roman]

Almost made it on time, I've developed a serious liking to these guys, sorry Bill's gone this week, house moving is such a pain in the rear echelon, I've finished up all the older shows missed. Oh, P.S.- "I Brake for all Jon Parshall Commentary".

[@mikeat2637]

Seth, you Bill and your esteemed guests give the best podcast about the subject of WW II in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Many kudos are deserved.

[@GenDischarges]

Thanks so much! You guys are better allies than MacArthur ever was! I know you have referred to it on a number of occasions, but the Battle of Milne Bay is worth its own show and particularly the actions of two of my favourite units; 25 Bn and 75 Sqn. I know it appears to be a small scuffle in the greater scheme of things, but this event had significant tactical, operational and strategic impacts as well as a huge impact on national morale at a time of great trepidation.

[@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar]

We may do one on Milne Bay

[@Jakal-pw8yq]

​@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar Please do! Love your work! 🙏💖⚓️🇺🇲

[@parrot849]

Seth, you and Jon also described how the navy’s PT boats were tasked with destroying whatever Japanese survivors were found in and around the battle area following the final air strikes. You further commented on how the 5th Air Force continued to seek out Japanese barges attempting resupply/reinforcement of their island garrisons up through 1945. It should be noted the primary mission of the PT boats in the South and Southwest Pacific Theaters basically morphed into that same barge busting effort. In fact, the PT boats eventually shed themselves of their traditional torpedo ordinance and reequipped with additional 20mm cannons, multi-barreled 40mm surface action setups, and also 37mm cannon. All this while retaining the suite of .50 cal machine guns originally placed on the little vessels. They did outstanding work destroying these Japanese barges, especially at night, when the 5th Air Force wasn’t hunting them.

[@GrahamCStrouse]

PT boat armament got pretty eclectic. It was only really limited by mission parameters & the scrounging ability mechanical talents of the crew. Back in the ‘90s while I was going to college in Florida I became friends with an elderly gent I met at a hot rod rally who’d spent most of his war in the Pacific on PT boats. Arthur had some stories. Some of the field mods he & his buddies made to their boats when they were utilizing them as gunboats wouldn’t have looked out of place in an episode of the A-Team. Or a Mad Max movie.

[@carlrobinson2183]

My uncle, G. John Robinson, was a squadron engineering officer with the 89th Bombardment Squadron, 3rd Bombardment Group, 5th Air Force. He worked on the Douglas A-20s that Pappy Gunn had modified, and knew Pappy quite well.

[@frankbodenschatz173]

Seth, I'm grateful you're adding more pics and maps to the videos. Keep up the fantastic work, but don't fret over adding more!

[@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar]

Thanks man

[@frankbodenschatz173]

​@@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar and thanks to John as well!

[@stevemccoy554]

Lol My version of Monday Night Football every Tuesday morning. Thanks Guys!

[@williamlaforge4517]

Happy moving Bill! Always great to have Jon onboard…. Great episode 207. Scott

[@william_toti]

Thank you

[@philipmorrill8636]

Battle of Bismarck Sea is incredibly interesting. How far the Army Air Corps developed since Midway and was so innovative. BTW: I am hoping you do an episode on Finschhafen because it is such a tribute to the Australians and exposes MacArthur's command's ineptitude although they recognize their mistake.

[@TheBruceGday]

Agreed. I was thinking about what Havocs and Mitchells equipped like this would have done. They wouldn’t have had fighter cover enough against Japanese carriers. However another interesting place to wonder how this kind of firepower would have had an impact is Guadalcanal.

[@castlec6626]

It’s interesting that “Pappy” Gunn was not originally an Army officer, but served 21 years & retired as a U.S. Navy Aviator.

[@thomaschildress360]

Amazing episode, so much info. Thank you, no wonder veterans of the Pacific seldom talked about it...like my own Dad and 2 uncles.

[@robertmoffitt1336]

John Parshall is terrific! 👍

[@curtisweaver3682]

Gentlemen. At the risk of excess commentary, it has to be stated. You are the best thing on YT. I was actually disappointed when I caught up. I will take the advice of our viewers and re-watch binge.

[@william_toti]

Too kind

[@jeffburrell7648]

This podcast keeps getting better and is proving to be a true history of the Pacific theater that includes all services as appropriate. I echo some other commenters in that I would like to hear more about the exploits of the other members of the allies. We hear much about we Americans but relatively little about the contributions and valor of the other allied armed forces. The courage and tenacity of the Australians during the battles on New Guinea was revelatory and a much needed narrative. I understand there is a vast amount of history to relate, you all are doing this as a labor of love and there is only so much that you physically can do so take this request as you will. Perhaps it is because you are doing your best to include all of the allies that my appetite has been whetted for more.

[@flparkermdpc]

Amen. Well said.

[@flparkermdpc]

Amen, Jeff. Well played!

[@user-xj6rr3yv8q]

In every video, the more Jon talks, the better!

[@woodscrewz363]

All your videos are excellent but when Jon is on it just goes up another notch. Keep up the great work guys.

[@jamesharper7661]

Jon- The Beaufighter used Bristol Hercules 14 cyl radial engines. Not Merlins. Although there was a Merlin engined version, it was not produced in any numbers. Nobodies perfect, love your works!

[@jonparshall]

Thank you for the correction! #AlwaysLearning!

[@blankrobber]

Caught that too. Hercules had the advantage of being air-cooled, just like USN equip. You the man, John!

[@jamesharper7661]

@@jonparshall I can guarantee that I have learned much more from you over the years! Thank you!

[@robertstack2144]

You can see the radials in the formation picture

[@markwaughington6901]

Beaufighters were used primarily by coastal command in the anti shipping role in the med and North Sea. Besides the cannon they could drop torps and fire anti shipping 60lbr rockets. Absolute beast if a plane

[@secularbeast1751]

New to your channel and have been slowly viewing the backlog of your brilliant series on the Pacific War. For a detailed view the Australian side of the Pacific War, the YT channel hypohystericalhistory is creating a similar ongoing series.

[@garymackey850]

You guys HAVE to stop showing/recommending books!!!!! You're putting me in the poor house! 🤣

[@iratespartan13]

This podcast is my absolute favorite and has peaked my interest in WW2 in the Pacific. Thanks fellas.

[@omgdwayne1565]

I'm so glad you guys plugged Eric Bergerud. I've read his works over and over for years. In addition to the Pacific air war book you mentioned, he also did one on the infantry war in that theater. He had planned one on the war at sea, but when I emailed him about it he said he just didn't have the energy to write it after completing the research . A profound shame. He also wrote two books on the Vietnam War that were absolute gold.

[@macattack144]

It's a good day when unauthorized drops a new video, thanks

[@davidhoward3970]

Love Bismarck Sea- One sided slaughters with skip bombing and lots of nose mounted machine guns are the best! So happy to see you guys making something of this podcast, you've really come along great, and are attracting the heavy hitters like Drach and John Parshall. And happy to see your subscribers going up and up every week.

[@pokipua]

Lol , john parshall's wallpaper and iconic aloha shirt! Both are so rad!

[@xflyingtiger]

Great show gentlemen. I'm going to watch it again. Tons of good information here.

[@hazchemel]

Hi from Australia and thanks for this great episode. And I appreciate your personal honesty and discomfort in the discussion of Allies massacring helpless Japanese troops .... apart from a few individual outliers, I know that we all don't like it, nor do we like it when our troops are executed. We can assume that our Allied troops have called themselves harsh names and no doubt there were many intense Confessions that singed Padre's ears. I try to put myself there at the time alongside these air force and navy boys and doubling age in years, overnight ..... leave base 19 years old, return 40, eyes grim, visage grey with exhaustion, body aching with spent adrenaline, exhilarated with victory but fenced about with regret and sorrow .... when the dogs of war are unleashed, and in the killing pit dense with prey, a 3 second burst of 6 guns could yield 100 enemy. Do that few times, and the wrong killings later might seem a bit like routine, just business.

[@v.mwilliams1101]

Excellent, as usual. Miss the Captain but always great to see Jon. Thank you for all you fellows do.

[@braddegraffenreid9106]

You both Rock! Keep these coming!

[@scottsherman6889]

This podcast is addictive!! Thank you guys!

[@brookeshenfield7156]

Aloha! A retired teacher from a Navy family (dad a Captain in WWII, nephew serving in an Ohio class as we speak) says Mahalo for your work. My father returned from WWII and seldom spoke about his experiences. One story he told was about the “nightmare” of Biak. He commanded LSIs and LSTs. One night grounded on Biak his crew was exhausted so he set only one man on watch. They awoke to the sentry dead from a Japanese who boarded the ship up the anchor chain. He felt it was his fault for the rest of his life. I was in awe of him, yet, to my horror, he proudly displayed a set of gold teeth an Australian commando he carried in New Guinea had dug out of the mouth of some poor Japanese soul near Finschaven. After he passed, I contacted the Japanese consulate and returned the remains. They were accepted with a sobering dignity that was truly touching to me. I was reminded of this somber event by your thoughtful, logical and dispassionate discussion of the Allied war crimes in the Bismarck Sea after the battle. History has good tales and hard ones. You have earned great respect here for not avoiding a hard one. Aloha!

[@phillharrison7333]

Cheers guys for giving the Aussies a mention.

[@lennyhendricks4628]

I read an article on Pappy Gunn in one of the WWII publications a long time ago. When I saw this title and had Google Maps show me where it was, the first thing I thought is this: Are we going to hear about Pappy Gunn? And we did. Thanks Seth and Jon. And looking forward to hearing Bill Again.

[@william_toti]

I'm back!

[@steel5791]

Another informative, superb episode in an unbeatable series.

[@BWLightfoot]

Very good - liked it a lot. I have a couple of personal connections, albeit tenuous. Firstly I went to school with a nephew of Damien Parer, the war photographer who filmed the battle from the Aussie Beaufighter and secondly I was a "Kiap" in Rabaul and Jacquinot bay in the late 60's, early 70's. I took armour plating from a wrecked B25 at the south end of the Jacquinot bay airstrip to use as a BBQ plate. I acknowledge it is hard to fit everything into a KZbin video three inclusions I would have made myself are: 1. The combined air tactics, strafe, skip bombing, mast height bombing and high level bombing (meh) in that order were put together by Captain Bill "Bull" Garing. 2. Two Beauforts attacked on the 3rd with torpedoes (no hits) which set up the Japanese to anticipate more torpedo attacks which in turn led them to turn their ships head on to the Beaufighters when they arrived - perfect for the strafing attack. 3. The Japanese halted their progress for a couple of hours overnight for unknown reasons, possibly waiting for fighter cover at dawn. If they had proceeded uninterrupted they may well have reached Lae before the main attack.

[@southwerk]

This is one of my favorite episodes. I watched it twice.

[@MrBenjaminowns]

Great episode ! missed bill and eagerly await his return , hope the move went smoothly !

[@william_toti]

It went well, thank you

[@laurenceschmidt6306]

A great review of the little remembered but very significant South Pacific War battle, the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, a real game changer. Thank you Seth and John for your insightful discussion of the battle and for giving credit where credit was due to our Australian ally for their part in this overwhelmingly decisive victory at sea for the allies over Japan. The Japanese never again would attempted another ship resupply convoy to New Guinea! The War in the South Pacific has always interested me. I have read the many American accounts of the battle including Samuel Morison's (Vol. VI), Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier), to Eric Berger's "Fire In The Sky, The air war in the South Pacific", and Gen. George Kenney's two books, "Air War in the Pacific" and "The Saga of Pappy Gunn". On a recent trip to Australia, I picked up a paper backed book at an airport shop written by Australian Michael Veitch, "The Battle of the Bismarck Sea, the forgotten battle that saved the pacific", (published in Australia and New Zealand 2021). Michael's book gives a revealing, behind the scene view of the transformation of the USA 5th AF and it's tactical aircraft build-up before the battle and the battle itself from an Australian point of view. The book makes clear the Australians contributed much more than just aircraft to the battle. Some interest facts found in Michael's book; an Australia RAAF officer named William "Bull" Garing conceived the meticulously coordinated multi-aircraft battle plan to assault the Japanese convoy on March 3, 1943; a dress rehearsal held near Port Moresby prior to the March 3 attack, involving all aircraft types, failed miserable when the aircraft did not rendezvous as required; the various USAAF and RAAF aircraft types, from 16 squadrons deployed from their bases in New Guinea, rendezvous over Cape Ward, on the north-eastern coast of Papua, New Guinea. All squadrons, stacked at various altitudes as planned, set out to attack the Japanese convoy in one massive aerial armada at exactly 9:30 AM. RAAF Beautfighter Squadron 30, coming in at wave top level, lead the attack on the convoy. The Australian photographer Damien Parer (flying in a RAAF Beautfighter, standing behind the pilot and resting his motion picture camera on the pilot's head) filmed the actual attack on the Japanese convoy. Some of his film footage was shown during your discussion (his film of the Battle of the Bismarck Sea can be viewed on KZbin). L Schmidt

[@mikeat2637]

John Bruning, who wrote Race of Aces, also wrote THE book in Pappy Gunn, named Indestructible. I highly recommend both books. I read both at least three times a year, as I also do with Eric Bergerud's excellent books Fire In The Sky and Touched By Fire.

[@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar]

You may see John very soon…

[@mikeat2637]

Pappy's answer when some engineer asked him what about the plane's center of gravity was priceless, he told him "I threw it out because it wasn't helping anything !". lol

[@mikeat2637]

Pappy was also involved in the beginnings of the American use of skip bombing with an old B-17 at wavetop height practicing on shipping wreck just outside off Port Moresby's harbor. He was such a vital person in those earlier days in PTO.

[@mikeat2637]

@@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar That is awesome ! John is such a great person as well as a brilliant author. He will bring the same level of excellence as his good friend Jon Parshall.

[@JosephMalone-mg3yh]

Always enjoy your presentations, not too deep into the weeds but deep enough to realize how large a debt we owe to those men that protected us so faithfully 80 years ago.❤

[@gorgonzai]

Well done, fascinating discussion and lecture. Thank you .

[@parrot849]

Seth, you made a good point about the horrendous acts of killing helpless and disarmed enemy stranded in the water; ( 1:04:18 ) as “…both sides sinking to lower depths of depravity….” I partially agree with that statement insofar as the Allie’s “sinking” to new depths of depravity at this point in the Pacific War. As far as the Imperial Japanese Military was concerned, there was absolutely no sinking involved. This behavior was complete and routine business as usual in their concept of how warfare was to be carried out, in fact anything resembling the slightest act of mercy or humanitarianism on the part of a member of the Imperial Japanese Army or Navy that was observed by someone in a position of authority within those military organizations would have at the very least, raised an immediate eyebrow and more than likely let to disciplinary action and shaming toward the person(s) displaying such “aberrant”behavior during the course of combat operations.

[@Jakal-pw8yq]

My father was a veteran of the US Navy in the South Pacific during the war. He said there was a saying that went around back in the day that went, "wherever the Japanese went rape, torture, and murder followed." The facts speak for themselves.

[@Jackmonkey66666hghinnv]

@@Jakal-pw8yqa ww2 vet lived across the road from me when I was a young kid growing up, he was very blunt about his hatred towards the Japanese and he had absolutely no respect for them whatsoever, absolutely despised them.

[@m.r.donovan8743]

For the edification of the audience, the reason that George Kenney's Fifth Air Force was a "hodgepodge" of many different types of aircraft was that other theater commanders always requisitioned the specific types that they wanted. Kenney told Hap Arnold, "I don't care who built them, if they have wings and guns, send 'em to me and we'll put them to good use."

[@73Trident]

Fantastic as usual. Hope Bill's move goes good. Moving is a pain. When you have Jon and Drach as co-hosts how can it get any better. Thanks again look forward to this every week.

[@william_toti]

Went well. Thank you

[@billechols7136]

Great show gentlemen.

[@gagamba9198]

Love it! Starting to view, and I'm already excited. The Australian and US executed combined air ops almost flawlessly. They were cooking with grease.

[@anthonyquinn9399]

Very rarely have I seen quality reviews as you Seth and Bill , of course the wall paper man present My daughter is a submariner so yes I have gifts from some us submariners Bill My fervent thanks to you all

[@southwerk]

Very well done - Thanks guys!

[@gizmophoto3577]

Fire in the Sky is a great book. Glad to see it get a shoutout.

[@fighterace316]

Our Aussie Beaufighters were amazing. We had a variant, the Mk 21 which had 4x .50cals in the wings and 4x 20mm in the nose

[@daffodildude1143]

Another great intro Seth. John taught me something in his interview of Santa Cruz..."The Japanese pilots were shell shocked from the American AA." .... and now this. We can't imagine how messed up the Japanese were after these strafing and bombing attacks. I can almost imagine that people were injured by flying body parts and limbs. The blood flying around on those decks must have been suffocating. Imagine the moral effect that the survivors had on the soldiers once they were rescued. "We're dead, we are all SO dead."😮

[@jonparshall]

It really is unimaginable, isn't it? Yeah, PTSD aplenty there, for sure.

[@jeffholloway3882]

Good morning gentlemen, looking forward to this, and with Jon, terrific.

[@phann860]

An excellent presentation, you chaps were excellent, the battle and the aftermath was horrible but, I think , necessary.

[@bluesreign]

I was going to write and ask for this one and... here it is. Thanks. Keep up the awesome work.

[@garyrunnalls7714]

After reading Shattered Sword I'm a huge fan of Mr Parsals, Tully as well❤

[@innovationsurvival]

"Not shaping up to be a good day." What a totally gratifying outcome. Thank you for highlighting how the airplanes were modified. Incredibly informative program, immense thanks.....

[@kirkandersen2658]

Another fantastic entry. Thanks!

[@rtqii]

Love this series, and I have free time right now to sit and watch this!!!

[@davidamble5375]

Good episode until the inevitable, gratuitous and insufferable criticism of MacArthur. Take a step back and look at his contributions from WW 1 to WW2 to Korea. You two couldn’t carry his jock strap.

[@martinazariancriminaldefen3081]

Another great show about one of those often overlooked Pacific battles. Kudos to you Seth and as always kudos to Jonathan. I truly enjoy Jonathan's commentary and his absolutely magnificent book, Shattered Sword. Good job!

[@rogerpattube]

Jon has a great turn of phrase and I almost never fail to be impressed by his word choice. “The balloon goes up”

[@geneziemba9159]

Excellent episode. Tough topic but you covered it very appropriately. One aspect that is significant in the Pappy Gunn saga was where he obtained his first lot of B-25’s for conversion. Purchased by the Dutch, they were “impressed” into service by the 5th AF, without the cooperation of their owners. While we all applaud his creativity in utilizing equipment “found on base” (likely a skill learned in the peacetime USN), it must be recognized that the RNLAF likely has a an alternate view of the enterprise.

[@colinellis5243]

Another brilliant episode. Having John P, undoubtedly the finest WWII historian of his age, a major plus. John and Seth excellent treatment of all aspects of this air campaign including the less savoury (and I think absolutely unavoidable) follow up strikes on the Japenese survivors. Also Seth and John you cover the Australian Beaufighter and Beaufort contribution.....something Dugout Doug and Kenny failed to do! Thanks!

[@TradinTigerJohn]

These are stories that need to be told and that are every bit as relevant today as they were in the 1940s. You navigate potentially treacherous political agendas and explosive policy issues like a skilled submariner with FM sonar threads his way through a field of naval mines. You lay bare the consequences of decisions good and bad without regard to political correctness. The result is just what you'd expect from highly knowledgeable people seeking out first sources whenever possible and obviously striving for historical accuracy and objectivity. Congratulations on yet another extraordinary episode from an awesome series.

[@tedc.4956]

I learn so much listening to you guys. Another great episode. Great seamless editing because there was only one tiny place where I thought, "what did they cut out?" Jon forgot to mention his notorious lively print shirt in front of his his notorious wall paper.

[@flparkermdpc]

So, Ted C, you're not familiar with "Minnesota Nice?" In this case it's a period decor effort. There's more where that came from. My Dad was a Twin Cities native and his relatives all had wallpaper like that. In at least one room. I loved all the people, though.

[@Cometkazie]

Wonderfully done, gentlemen.

[@Noland55]

I like the way you bring the story from a military & human perspective. I am from Guam. My mother was trapped there during the war. My father was in Hawaii when the war began. He joined the army. I can't wait till you get to the Marianas. I have some stories.

[@kyanderson2461]

Great work !

[@WoodlandsArchive]

Thank you very much! I look forward to each episode. Got your book Jon, enjoyed every page.

[@jimwatts914]

Outstanding stuff Battle of Bismarck Sea one of my all time favorites. Great coverage from 2 of the best.

[@paladin0654]

One of my favorite books: Shattered Sword, written by Jon Parshall, is a triumph. Read it twice, still haven't "got" it all. Thanks to Jon and his colleagues.

[@orlandofurioso7958]

"Bismark Convoy Smashed" on Future of Tomorrow KZbin channel has the film referred to in this episode that an Aussie shot.

[@ericgrace9995]

There are two versions. One has been sanitised to remove finishing off the survivors.

[@chiron14pl]

My Dad was in the central Pacific campaign (Tarawa, Saipan), so though I was aware of the New Guinea campaign, this provided great detail; again focusing on the importance of logistics and supply to make or break the combat effectiveness of front line

[@antonioperez2623]

A Fantastic series. I do appreciate it when you reference writers and books for further reading. It heps introduce other historians. Thank you!

[@nathanheineke4789]

Gentlemen: I cannot thank you enough for your work on this episode. Working in New Jersey over twenty years ago I had the honor to work, and develop a dear friendship with, Joe Bayer. Still in his mid-80's, coming to work in the shop part-time, Joe was crew chief for B-25's in the 38th Bomb Group in New Guinea. Short handed and in need of crews to "up-gun" their B-25's, he was later transferred to the 345th Bomb Group- the "Air Apaches"- when that group was newly arrived to New Guinea. He said they did much of this work in the field in New Guinea, cannibalizing damaged aircraft, constantly adding more and more guns to operational planes. Joe said they lightened the bolts [of the .50 caliber machine guns] to increase the cyclic rate, as well as adjusting the solenoids to same effect. He also mentioned they had to rebuild the gun triggers as the pilots would at times perform turns so violent the g-forces would activate the guns. He spoke of the wooden dowel 'fake guns' in the tail and flanks to save weight and move those same guns forward. With regards to the pilots: Joe said "They [the pilots] flew off the reservation, no rules applied. They made those 25's do things they were not designed for." He also said "We were all young, scared and just wanted more guns to point at the enemy." Joe was still bitter, sixty years later, that he had to carry an ammo box of grenades with him the entire war. It was his duty, in the event of a crash-landing, to destroy sensitive information and gear on the aircraft. He told me he wrote a personal letter to MacArthur requesting to be issued a Colt .45 1911 in place of the grenades. Intercepting the letter, Joe's commanding officer said "Bayer, this is not a good idea. Just go find one." Although not pertinent to the Battle of the Bismarck Sea I can recommend "Warpath Across the Pacific" by Lawrence Hickey, a history of the 345th "Air Apaches". Thank you, again, Gentlemen! The work you are doing here is a treasure and hugely appreciated.

[@kilcar]

Love this topic. My father was with the 20th Naval Construction Battalion; New Guinea was to the east just under two hours flight time, Bougainville about the same to the east. Woodlark and Kiriwina Islands were the focus of their task to build airdromes to encircle Rabaul.

[@user-fg2cl3ke2v]

Excellent discussion about an often missed important battle in the Pacific theatre. The story of Pappy Gunn and General Kenney, along with Group Captain William "Bull" Garing and other notable characters, are fitting of a Hollywood blockbuster. BTW, Buna, Gona and Sanananda are more likely to be found on the north coast of Papua New Guinea and not the South-East of the country :). Also, I am starting to empathise with your attitude to Douglas MacArthur.

[@dougcastleman9518]

Love these podcasts/videos. I’ve read a ton of books on aviation and military history, and “Fire in the Sky” remains very near the top of great ones. Highly recommended.