Cruise of the Black Terror

In February, 1863 the Union Navy suffered a stunning setback that threatened to change the course of the war. In response, the Union deployed an entirely new class of vessel, the massive and intimidating Black Terror. Flying the skull and crossbones, the cruise of the mighty Black Terror is another example of history stranger than fiction.
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This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.
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Script by JCG
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[@jonperelstein2480]

Giving Lance a story that includes pirates - someone got a raise for this one

[@lancerevell5979]

Many things done in wartime would be called piracy in peacetime. I personally believe that brutal criminal reprobate Sherman should have been hanged as a war criminal. Had the South won he would have been.

[@richragenj]

?

[@em1osmurf]

@@richragenj put "history guy pirates" into YT search bar. enjoy.

[@markingraham4892]

Here's one that would obliterate your viewers. Explain that the Yamato was rivet construction and carriers never actually worked. The ise, the tirpitz and all the other battleships survived air attack and all the important battles of Ww2 like Leyte and Savo were decided in surface actions.

[@wendychavez5348]

Technically it might not involve pirates directly, though I say it still counts!

[@markhumphrey1907]

A man who worked with my dad got a medal for holding a hill against the VC . What was not known at the time was he and the others were not leaving the only beer truck they had in months behind !

[@yesyesyesyes1600]

A Nam story? Awesome! 🤗😁😂

[@shawnr771]

Save the Beer. Your medal is a Pull Tab.

[@nacoran]

I had a teacher who was stationed in Germany during the Cold War. He and his squad were out doing maneuvers without much supervision. They decided to pool the cash they had on hand to send someone into town to sneak them some beer. One guy was selected and sent off. After a while they started to get worried though. He was way overdue. They were starting to panic when he finally showed up, carrying way more beer than they expected... only they didn't recognize any of the brands and the change he got was all in some funny money they didn't recognize. :)

[@shawnr771]

@@nacoran There is a story on You Tube by Pabst Blue Ribbon called the Greatest Beer Run. Worth the watch.

[@yesyesyesyes1600]

@@nacoran Here in Austria we have always problems with so called refugees crossing the border. So in some years there was the military at the border to assist the police forces. One guy from the unit of my buddy was hungry and crossed the border to Hungary with rifle and uniform. He bought his stuff, people looked at him but he returned without getting any trouble. 😂

[@richardmourdock2719]

"with the exception of the wine and liquor stores, all was abandoned." Some military operations, regardless of the year of combat, never change. Consider myself very well informed of the Civil War but had never heard of this. Well done History Guy. Quaker Guns afloat, who knew??

[@mohammedcohen]

...imagine that!!! the only thing saved was the alcohol!!!

[@johndavies1090]

@Ben Avery Good old Tommies - they never change!

[@steveperreira5850]

I like to read and listen to a lot of Civil War history, this is one I never heard, and the best story yet. Absolutely brilliant. I like the fact that the salvage crew, the confederate skunk drunks, they took off the wine and liquor first. Very very funny.

[@josephteller9715]

@Ben Avery not during the Civil War.

[@mohammedcohen]

@Ben Avery It was Secretary of the Navy, Josephus Daniels, who made the Navy dry on 1 June 1914 by General Order 99...prior to that directive the Navy was indeed 'wet'...he also ordered that all whorehouses within a five mile radius of any Naval base be closed....prolly just made it a new game for sailors to find and get both - if all of the movies I've seen in my lifetime are any indication (art imitates life)...certain joints in Germany were 'off limits' in the early 70s but it never stopped anyone I knew...nor me...The Eternal GI/Swabbie/Marine...always lookin' for wimmen and alcohol...just the same as thew Roman soldiers on Hadrian's Wall same 2,000 years ago...interesting aside - I got a tour of the guided missile frigate USS Josephus Daniels at Port Everglades about 40 years ago - right behind a really hot babe...all dressed up - or not - to tantalize the poor swabbies on board

[@HM2SGT]

Must be a good story, Pirates were mentioned in the first minute!

[@a.mathis9454]

Even in today’s valuation is $158.80 in 2022. Got to be one of the cheapest military engagement in US history.

[@ericbrammer2245]

I first read of this in 1974, in 4th Grade, when I checked a book, "The History of The Confederate Navy" out of my Grade-School Library. That group of Battles around Vicksburg was a See-Saw affair, but This Chapter, literally 'opened the Door' for both the Union Navy, but also for Grant's army as well. I recall relaying this to my Dad, (A literal-minded Mining Engineer, and former WW-2 Navy Veteran), and his telling Me, I was 'making up stuff'; whereupon, I simply left that book on his Bed, with a book-mark that read ('read my Lies, Dad'). That next morning at Breakfast, my Dad Apologized, and we had a great discussion on the Tactics used on the River!

[@timwells637]

Found an accurate model online her fake cannons numbered 17 that's a lot of firepower

[@magform]

As someone who spent many years in engineering of various disciplines, it always amazes me how often the simplest solutions work best. It is so easy, with all the new discoveries and theories to overthink the issue. Bravo!

[@danielseelye6005]

"The more complicated the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain." Capt. Montgomery Scott, Starfleet _Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock_

[@slateslavens]

Kind of like the four-leg ammo toting robots being developed for the Marines. After some field trials, the Marines figured that mules would work better and be much quieter.

[@-jeff-]

Well the story certainly shows that some "pork barrel" shipbuilding actually came out cheaper. A lesson to some in DC.

[@michaelwarren2391]

Good one!

[@Bbbuddy]

In today’s navy, that outhouse would have cost $200,000.

[@BigCreeper01]

Because it would have advanced fire control systems, radar, sonar, missiles, advanced armor, and nuclear power. The reason military tech is so expensive is because it has advanced technology. That and r and d

[@1pcfred]

@@BigCreeper01 The reason military tech is so expensive is because everyone gets kickbacks off the contracts.

[@IgnoredAdviceProductions]

@@1pcfred Its mostly Lockheed Martin, they evolved from selling day interceptors as close air support units to just straight up overcharging on everything, and it's worked, sort of.

[@1pcfred]

@@IgnoredAdviceProductions everyone at the table has their fingers in the pie.

[@scotcoon1186]

6.31 billion 12 years to build And still finished behind schedule If they tried it today.

[@nickw7619]

$8.63! That was the most striking detail of this entire story.... I have a few silver dollars from the 1850s/1860s and it puts a whole new perspective on what they would have been worth

[@BuzzSargent]

So many strange stories come from the American Civil War. My Great Great Grandfather Silver was from the NH 4th Regiment and was wounded in battle. The Confederates took over the field but he had heard of the prisons in the south. So dead with his wounds. The Union took the field of fire back from the Confederates where he was saved and patched up. After he was able. They actually sent him back to the fight. After the war, he lived another 63 years. They were a tough breed back then. Happy Trails

[@banditeastlick2471]

One of my great-great grandmother s s a1976 got shot three times by the Sioux Indians with a 50 caliber. They were facing the Indians from the tall grass, firing at them and my grandmother was struck in the front of the head in the bullet traveled along the scalp and stopped towards the back. That bullet was left in till she died there when old age. One of the to surviving boys carried the younger brother 76 MI to get help for him. I'm not doing the store Justice but for certain, they were a different breed back then

[@dont_test_me_bish]

During the lead up to the second civil war, a comrade and I were cornered by bantus demanding our footwear. We fought bravely and would have taken the lot had their fellow tribesmen not appeared from the nearby housing project. We fled on foot, barely evading the savage tribe. It was that day we coined the motto of the unmelanated, which is still very relevant today: NEVER RELAX!

[@otpyrcralphpierre1742]

"Deluded People Cave In". Perfectly describes today's political arena.

[@sherylcascadden4988]

Absolutely.

[@shawnr771]

No matter which side you are on. There is alot of delusion out here.

[@otpyrcralphpierre1742]

@@shawnr771 Yes, but the Left FAR out-weighs the Right on self-delusion.

[@sherylcascadden4988]

@@otpyrcralphpierre1742 I'm not sure I agree with that...

[@otpyrcralphpierre1742]

@@sherylcascadden4988 Are You deluded too?

[@JamesThomas-gg6il]

When you cant dazzle them with brilliance, befangle them with bullcrap.

[@brianspencer6397]

A wooden ironclad? Sun Tzu: "All warfare is based on deception." Some things never change.

[@rhuephus]

ha ha ... a wood ship is NOT an ironclad. An ironclad is made of (guess what) IRON

[@arrjay2410]

The Us Navy has to name a ship the "Black Terror", most suitable an Intelligence or Psy-ops ship.

[@HM2SGT]

Knowing the Navy it will wind up being a stores or admin / bureaucracy ship and still appropriately named!

[@ParaBellum2024]

They wouldn't dare give it that name, for fear of inflaming racial tensions (i.e., giving certain species an excuse to riot and loot) across the whole country.

[@w.m.woodward2833]

I would love to see an episode on the USS Cairo, an ironclad that was rediscovered and resurrected. It may not have done much significantly but is like a time capsule to that era of river warfare (Vicksburg national military Park).

[@popuptarget7386]

Absolutely worth seeing.

[@eldorados_lost_searcher]

Was the Cairo the one that was struck by a single shell that burst the steam chamber and forced the entire crew to evacuate, resulting in 100 deaths?

[@popuptarget7386]

@@eldorados_lost_searcher she was sunk by a remote detonated mine.

[@stevealvarado4627]

@@eldorados_lost_searcher No, it hit a mine and sank in the Yazoo River quickly with no loss of life.

[@schroedingersdog7965]

@@popuptarget7386 Totally agree! I was quite surprised at how large the vessel was.

[@MarshOakDojoTimPruitt]

thanks

[@HM2SGT]

Many people today can't conceive of how vital waterways were for transport and commerce. It's sad to think of all the effort that the Navy's put into all those canals that have since been abandoned and sometimes fill the back in.

[@johnr797]

Basically highways

[@TotalRookie_LV]

True, we only get some small insight from movies about river streamers and books like those about Tom Sawyer. I live over the Pond, we do have some paddle-wheel ships for tourists here in Europe, including one in my hometown, her name is "Misisipi" (with the wheel in aft, not sides). I guess it's not an actual steamer, just made to look like one, and her chimneys fold down, if there is a need to go under really low bridges... Hmm, now I'm not even sure if the paddle wheel is more than just a decoration.

[@kdrapertrucker]

@@TotalRookie_LV the county seat of my county was the furthest north a riverboat could navigate the Wabash river and it grew due to being a major transportation hub. The Wabash empties into the Ohio river which empties into the Mississippi river. Later a canal was dug that linked the Wabash at our town to lake Erie.

[@interstellarsurfer]

Still are.

[@yomasane3670]

@@TotalRookie_LV There are three vessels operating on Lake George in upstate New York. One, the Minnie Ha Ha, is a stern paddlewheel steamer, powered by diesel engines, but has all the bells plus three steam whistles in ascending scale.

[@deepashtray5605]

Now if that's not a screenplay custom made for Tom Hanks.....

[@alanmoffat4454]

WELL THIS STORY COVERD ALL OUR FAVOURITE BITS ABOUT PIRATES AND SAVES THE GOVERNMENT COFFERS .

[@johnr797]

THG upload is a great thing to wake up to

[@richardmattingly7000]

The remains of the City Class Ironclad USS Cairo can be visited with a partially rebuilt case mate a Vicksburg having been raised in the early 1960s. The ship had struck a torpedo later called a mine and sank with no loss of life which was the first war vessel in the Civil War to be lost in that way. Basically a sunken time capsule much of its contents are part of the Museum there and Oceanographer Jacque Cousteau visited the raised vessel in one of his TV episodes. The River Campaigns are one of the most fascinating stories of the Civil War and another ersatz Ironclad like the Black Terror was used later on causing more fear than anything else at its appearance. The South used what ever it could find to armor its Ironclads including rails from railroads and before the Northfolk Naval Station fell into their hands fires were set aboard ships including the Merrimack. One of the most daring escapes of warships occurred when Union Ironclads became trapped by falling water on a river tributary and they put a dam across it to raise the level. Having lightened the vessels by removing what the could including leaving armor in the riverbed the dam unexpectedly gave way and a fast thinking commander ordered the vessel to shoot the gap including a Monitor like Ironclad went down the cataract and escaped.

[@mban2748]

I was thinking about the development of ironclads during the civil war. I see many parallels of the development of tanks in WW1. The turret of the Monitor class and the FT-17 have many parallels with their contemporary military ideas. Turrets are revolutionary tech, when first introduced to a service. I couldn't resist the pun.

[@shawngilliland243]

@M Ban - Thank you very much for sharing that pun with us!

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

Back in the Saddle

[@bullettube9863]

According to a book I read many years ago Admiral Porter had some of the most inefficient, incompetent and rebellious officers that ever existed. They had all been passed over for promotion, all had numerous offenses on their records but Porter was told they were all that was available. While some straightened up and became good officers many were later cashiered. Porter later distinguished himself in several campaigns and later worked to reform the Naval officer corp concentrating on promotion due to ability and performance rather then politics.

[@evensgrey]

It's an interesting detail that ram-bow equipped warships is an idea that wasn't decisively done away with until after the construction of HMS Dreadnought in 1906. Somewhat ironically, given that HMS Dreadnought was designed to defeat all existing battleship designs and ramming is a difficult, dangerous and generally ineffective and sometimes counterproductive tactic, her only warship kill was from ramming a u-boat.

[@detroitredneckdetroitredne6674]

Hello from Detroit Michigan brother 94/275 thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise and for taking us on your adventure through time

[@g3heathen209]

the Quaker gun boat.

[@DocLaw172]

Yes, I remember now, but as a kid, never knew what they meant by that.

[@FuzzyMarineVet]

This brings to mind the deception of Hitler by Allies in Dover in 1944. The outcome of a pivotal battle relied on the success of the deception, and it worked. I love this kind of story.

[@superxDification]

My favourite example of wartime deception is still Operation Mincemeat.

[@someonebald2022]

@@superxDification That was Ian Flemings idea.

[@johndavies1090]

Apparently J N Maskelyne, who was a master of stage illusions and props was recruited to masterminded creating the deceptions - dummy tanks and equipment and all. Tom Hanks was rumoured to be making a film about it, but nothing seems to have come of it.

[@johndavies1090]

@@superxDification I felt sorry for the one German intelligence officer who did actually grow suspicious of the 'plant' - and was simply ignored because Hitler was totally taken in by it.

[@k3D4rsi554maq]

Hitler had a brillant losing strategy; do the opposite of whatever Rommel recommended.

[@banditeastlick2471]

There's a town called Indianola and there is Indianola Bay in Texas.

[@shawnr771]

Indianola Bay in Texas had two towns named Indianola. They were both wiped out by Hurricanes. Many of the early German settlers of the Austin Colony came ashore there.

[@banditeastlick2471]

@@shawnr771 the population in that region gets smaller and smaller after every hurricane. I was a disaster relief team leader for the Texas Golden Crescent area. I actually owned one of the old army barracks that used to be there. It was hauled by mules in 1904 to a town called La Ward. The barracks building was purchased with $4

[@TheQuickSilver101]

I've read a lot about the civil war but I never heard of this. Excellent bit of history. Thank you!

[@michaeldelvecchio41]

One of the few times in history that "a shadow" helped to defeat the enemy!!! This one made me chuckle!!! Thanks!!!

[@sandybruce9092]

Way back in HS I had a history teacher who was very knowledgable about the Civil War - I loved his class. Anyway, I’ve never heard this story and it would have really been a great addition to our class. Of course, we did get a better version of the Union Side. What a fabulous story!!!!!

[@jsp7410]

I've ALWAYS loved military history. Probably why I enlisted in 98. I've been teaching my son as much about history as I can. Most of the time I think he's ignoring me. But his mom said he'll go to her house and ramble off everything I've been teaching him. I've felt (especially since he was born) that history in general is one of the most important things to teach.

[@johndavies1090]

@@jsp7410 If you don't know how, and why we got where we are, what hope can have of changing things for a better future?

[@jsp7410]

@@johndavies1090 you are 100% correct! To many people do not have even a basic knowledge of history. I'm by no means an expert, but like you I do realize how important it is.

[@bubba22987]

Add to this the story of Fort Humbug (Turnbull) here in Shreveport. Overlooking the river but with no cannon they charred a bunch of logs and positioned them like cannons. Worked well enough.

[@jamesstumpf75]

This might be the greatest story Ever told! Because it literally has everything

[@TotalRookie_LV]

The inscription on the side made it absolutely epic, nice touch. I wonder how much 8 dollars could buy back then? Like what was the price of an average horse, a musket or a revolver, a pound of meat and bread?

[@JarrodFrates]

The Civil War skewed prices of materiel, including horses. In 1870, a good horse would run about $150. During the war, prices could be much higher, sometimes over $500, but usually seem to have run about $200.

[@johnr797]

8 dollars could buy a strategic victory on the red river

[@leifnelson6244]

About $300 today. Still cheaper than a toilet seat for the military.

[@garysilver718]

More history I love it. At 82 I’m full of history . I try to pass it on to my children they want no part of it.

[@JimDean002]

Find a little camcorder or use a cell phone if you have a smartphone. You can buy a little tripod on Amazon for about 15 bucks. Sit down and just start talking to that camera. Someday these kids and their children will be damn glad you did My dad had so much knowledge but he passed away before I could record any of it. I try to sit down at least once a week and share some kind of little story from my past. They all go into a Google drive which is pretty safe and free up to a point.

[@michaelwalton3202]

Pirate flags always strike fear in the hearts of men!☠😳

[@morrismonet3554]

And all I ever learned in school about the naval history of the war, besides the Union blockade of the east, was the battle between the Monitor and the Merrimack. I think they gave us 5 minutes.

[@CaptainJerry-]

In the early 1980's my 445' frigate experimented with alternate ship lighting. Using booms, extension cords, Christmas lights, and coffee cans; we made our ship look bigger or smaller at night. Towing a small rubber raft behind us 300 feet back with a small white light on a 15' ladder made us look 600 feet long! Even the submariners were confused when the noise of the gas powered generator did not match up with any of their sonar library archives!

[@BrentBestwick]

1863, $8.63....stranger than fiction :)

[@nigelgreen9369]

I love that this stuff gets used in the likes of Star Trek

[@kiplingslastcat]

I always think that the button you have holding up your buggle is something on my screen! Gets me every time! Lol!

[@Rayrard]

Kinda demoralizing for Vickburg for a pile of wood and garbage ran their batteries without damage, and the thing ran aground and fired no shots and the Confederates were still too scared to attack it and capture it like the Indianola. Odd that the two rebel rams were scared of this and not the Indianola ironclad.

[@sinisterthoughts2896]

Apparently it was much larger. He stated it was probably the largest warship ever on the Mississippi.

[@thejudgmentalcat]

Had to chuckle...men scrambling to save the whiskey but hell with the ordnance 🤣

[@johndavies1090]

But the whiskey was lighter......

[@patrickchambers5999]

You are one of the few people who pronounce Cairo, IL correctly. Like the syrup and not like the Egyptian city.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Only because I live in Little Egypt myself.

[@ccrider8483]

@@TheHistoryGuyChannel Greetings from a fellow little Egyptian, I always like the way Vienna, IL is locally pronounced, with a long "i".

[@shawnr771]

​@@TheHistoryGuyChannel Do you Walk Like an Egyptian?

[@rabbi120348]

The whole midwest is like that. New MAD-rid, MO. Versales, KY. Dez Plaines, IL. Makes you crazy.

[@shawnr771]

@@rabbi120348 Come to Texas. Burnet is pronounced Burn It.

[@jamesmoss3424]

Those pirates ☠ are very tuff.

[@HM2SGT]

$8.63 = $2,319.81 today

[@joshuabessire9169]

Dollar for dollar, still very cost effective for the results.

[@KarlBunker]

Actually only about $200, according to a couple of online calculators I tried.

[@HM2SGT]

@@KarlBunker 😹 I just tried it again and this time I'm coming up with $92 and change!

[@semirrahge]

The US Civil War is full of the weirdest shit I've ever heard. The 2v1 riverboat fight was like something out of an MMO and a great example of how war is often more absurd than honorable.

[@tenofprime]

Wars can result in lots of odd things, in part because militaries are more willing to experiment on risky ideas.

[@mjc11a]

Bravo Zulu Admiral Porter. Thanks very much for posting and be safe 🙏

[@joanhoffman3702]

I had no idea there were other Civil War iron clad ships. I learned something new today. Thank you!

[@dalemoss4684]

Wow I never heard about this till now! That's got to be one of the best bluffs in military history

[@rhoff523]

Excellent episode. My thesis was on the effect of ironclads on the Civil War, never knew about the USS Black Terror! History presented as it should be.

[@rhuephus]

well ... technically, the USS Black Terror was NOT an ironclad ..

[@robertphillips6296]

Excellent, thank you for posting.

[@anthonygray333]

Love it! As the saying goes, if it looks silly but it works, it ain’t silly!

[@hlynnkeith9334]

Farragut was christened James Glasgow Farragut. He took the name David to honor his foster father, David Porter, and went to sea as a midshipman under his foster father in the USS Essex. Farragut and David Dixon Porter were raised together as brothers. David Dixon Porter gone on well with U S Grant and W T Sherman. A large portion of the Union success at Vicksburg resulted from their ease of working together and understanding of each other

[@nilo70]

Gotta love a story with Pirates !

[@TamTran-vw7zm]

Great fun in otherwise grim circumstances. Thank you for this.

[@briane3657]

This is truly the most surprising story about the Civil War I have ever heard and read. Kudos to you History Guy and History Gal! This is a stranger story than any Hollywood studio could ever come up with with. I'd like to hear the story of how you even discovered all of this Naval river combat craziness!

[@jeffbangkok]

A very pleasant end to my evening. Good night

[@masterskrain2630]

Also impressive is the proper pronunciation of "Kay-Ro", since most people think that it's "Kye-Ro".

[@fortusvictus8297]

Because it is named after a city in Egypt with the same spelling (the capital at that), which is pronounced KY-ROH It would be like pronouncing Memphis MAM-PIS or something. But, we are not above changing the pronunciation of old-world names here in the USA. I live near a town called Saucier...pronounced So-shuh

[@yomasane3670]

@@fortusvictus8297 In Greene county,upstate NY there's a Cairo, it's Kare-oh to the residents.

[@ew1usnr]

You provided some fantastic paintings and photos. The ironclad riverboats look nightmarish.

[@pamelamays4186]

The Black Terror. The first military drone.

[@earllutz2663]

Another great lesson in history. It was amusing to hear of the outhouse being used as look out tower.

[@rhuephus]

considering the Black Terror was totally unmanned

[@johndavies1090]

Brilliant, just brilliant. And so funny, too. I'm fascinated by the makeshift warships of the Civil War, but hadn't heard of poor Indianola, or her unlikely consort. There have been several wonderfully successful bluffs in the history of warfare, but an 'ironclad gunboat' knocked up for 8 dollars - even 1863 dollars, no less - that caused so much chaos, loss of enemy shipping and waste of reb ammunition is priceless. What degree of return on his investment would you say Commander Porter got? 3000%?

[@bavondale]

9:52 "8 dollars ... and 63 cents" lol. very much enjoyed. thank you

[@danischeel4846]

You look very debonair in a bow tie!! Great video, as well.

[@raydunakin]

I've heard of decoys being used in war before but nothing quite like this clever ruse.

[@geoffreypiltz271]

Great story, well worth the retelling.

[@geoffreypiltz271]

@Amy Taylor What's the con?

[@geoffreypiltz271]

@Amy Taylor Gotham

[@joecaner]

_"History more interesting than fiction?"_ Often times, history is little more than fiction.

[@rhuephus]

that's only for those who are ignorant

[@joecaner]

@@rhuephus You lost me.

[@plawker]

When you mentioned pirates, you forgot your line: but don't all good stories include pirates?

[@Dfturcott]

If I may make a suggestion, I found out from a coworker yesterday about the incident onboard the uss stark in 1987 when it was damaged by an Iraqi jet. Apparently my coworker knew the captain and it feels like it would make for a great video.

[@FreihEitner]

What a brilliant tactic! Terrific story, thank you for this. I certainly never learned this in school.

[@dannyjones3840]

Man that was hilarious, they got their buttons spanked for only $8.63 🤣

[@kevinroberts4999]

This piece of history would make a fantastic movie! Drama, humor, and humiliation all in one operation.

[@theidahotraveler]

Thank you there's not enough information about these thanks so much for doing this one. Love ya buddy from Idaho 🤠

[@laurenceelisha689]

HG (Lance) ; No one alive has the story telling timing as you do. You make everything you present exciting or funny. Somber when the story requires. Enjoy all your work.

[@davidmurphy8190]

American Heritage series for young readers had a series of volumes on different topics. One of my favorites was the volume on the naval component of the American Civil War. The air war over Europe and the war in the Pacific were other volumes I had for years.

[@jimvick8397]

"An outhouse became a pilothouse"... Couldn't resist giggling at that.

[@loqutus8]

Masterful deception masterfully done. And masterfully told. Thank you Sir

[@lucienfury2606]

Ok now that is a great history lesson. I'm 50 years old and never heard this before.

[@Maxaldojo]

Seriously... How is this NOT a MOVIE!!! Amazing. Thanks for sharing this story, Lance!

[@jasonduncan2814]

This is an absolutely amazing story. Thank you!

[@tomh6183]

Bravo for American ingenuity,and of course The History Guy.

[@paulwallis7586]

That sort of history MUST be remembered. Excuse the expression, but humanizing history does make such a difference.

[@richardcleveland8549]

WOW, HG! You sure-nuf hit a homer with THIS! What a fabulous story, one I never heard before! You must have a VERY talented spade to dig up stuff like this! Thanks . . . eight dollars and sixty-three cents! TOOOOOOOOOOOOO fun-ny!

[@glenmartin2437]

Thank you. A very good tale. Never heard of this, so I learned something.

[@Talisman-tb6vw]

I wish you'd do a story on the Farragut naval base in Idaho.

[@umberct]

Now that was a great history lesson, Thank you. Fake ship, before Operation Fortitude WWII.

[@extendedarms]

Thanks for sharing our history. ❤️

[@alancady8335]

For quite some time now I have truly enjoyed this. And on many occasions learned.

[@bozodog428]

Great piece of history. Thanks for sharing.

[@tomclyne3320]

Great story!! Thank you so much THG!

[@Merble]

You know, I've been watching for a while now and it just now hit me that the whole 'looks like Bill Nye' thing isn't a coincidence.

[@rafaelramos1486]

Thats a hell of a budget for a warship.

[@jb6027]

This channel never fails to amaze me.

[@user-pi8yz3dd1x]

I am so grateful for you remembering and sharing lost history that I never learned in school. Would you please consider historical events that impacted our world from long ago. I am 57 years old and have granddaughters I would appreciate it if you could share the history worth -remembering from wars, music, economy, Presidents and disability rights and much more from the 1970's

[@user-pi8yz3dd1x]

I want my granddaughters to understand that there is so much more that was sacrificed to make that this world they live in is in place and that there are so many soldiers who lost their lives because 911. Would you please do something to remember the loss of life because I work in a place in customer service, and I can tell you how many people have forgotten.

[@Russia-bullies]

As US civil war riverine action is a fascinating topic,thanks for featuring it.

[@scotchsoda3165]

Please do a video on the largest mutiny in US Navy history, The Port Chicago Mutiny.

[@Slacktest]

Great story worth remembering thank you!

[@mikearmstrong8483]

A terrifying decoy ship that cost $8.63. Today's USN would spend more than $8.63 just to have one person type "$8.63".