Fleet Admiral Ernest King - Semper Iratus

Today we look at the life and career of one of the most important figures in the 20th century USN, Admiral King.
Sources:
www.amazon.co.uk/Master-Seapower-Biography-Admiral-Ernest/dp/1591140420
www.amazon.co.uk/Admirals-Nimitz-Halsey-Leahy-Five-Star/dp/0316097837
www.amazon.co.uk/Fleet-Admiral-King-Naval-Record/dp/B0007DMU7Q
www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/people/chiefs-of-naval-operations/fleet-admiral-ernest-j--king.html
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[@Drachinifel]

Pinned post for Q&A :)

[@joshthomas-moore2656]

Is Kings opinion on Beaty recorded and if so where, also were their any WW2 Royal Navy Officers he liked?

[@roadrunner6224]

I am aware this is a longshot, but when do you believe the quality of sources will improve to a point, that you would feel comfortable to talk about early Cold War tech? For example the early Guided Missile Cruisers with the 3 T missiles.

[@kaustubhillindala2643]

This isn’t very much naval related, but could the juene ecole be a good idea? And is the q and a only for this specific video topic?

[@Eric_Hutton.1980]

Does semper iratus translate to Always Irate as I don't speak Latin.

[@toddwebb7521]

Well if King hadn't wanted to keep the Brits out of his playground how does Samar go if there's potentially some of Britain's more expendable battleships there? I mean come on who doesn't want to try and plot out Warspite vs Yamato

[@dynamicpaintball]

FDR described King as 'the type of man who shaves with a blow torch'. his daughter was quoted saying 'Hes the most even kilter man I've ever met; he wakes up angry and he remains pissed throughout his entire day.'

[@drtidrow]

rofl!

[@hawkeye5955]

I wonder if King was a descendant of a Scotsman.

[@ramal5708]

The fact that he was one of the handful that earned the rank OF-10(FADM) or Fleet Admiral. No current USN officers have earned this rank today

[@OuPoot999]

@@ramal5708 That's cause the rank is only used in times of congressionally declared war in order to have a rank equal to a Field Marshal, since they outrank Generals. There has been no need for the rank since WWII.

[@thecursed01]

@@dukeford8893 what is unlikely about that? language changes over time

[@MaxwellAerialPhotography]

“And the navy seeming to focus on a persistent campaign against the growth of trees, generating an ever increasing amount of paperwork.” Never change Drach.

[@rcwagon]

On the ship I was on, the common statement was "we are not allowed to get underway until we have produced the displacement of the ship in paperwork" by mass. We managed it without delaying the ship, which would not be delayed.

[@species3167]

That campaign was simply a hold over from the age of sail. We were already killing trees at a good rate but once we stopped turning them into hulls we needed something else to do with them (or else Congress might take away even more of our funding!)! Simple SURVIVAL.

[@McNubbys]

Love that phrase and 100% accurate lol🤣

[@danagiles5100]

This is the guy who once commented NOT that a ship 'was sunk' but rather "after relieving the ship of the burden of positive bouyancy..."...laughed for two solid minutes at that one...

[@cvproj]

@@rcwagon Same thing in the Air Force: The mission does not fly until the weight of the paperwork equals or exceeds the weight of the airplane. See also the comment in the movie "Fail Safe" about a war between bureaucrats and berserkers.

[@maxkennedy8075]

>At naval academy >Top student, absolutely rocking it despite working class upbringing >Coordinates with his classmates to help struggling students to spite the staff >Everyone passes. 0 dropouts due to his help Thats why He’s called King folks

[@jacobwerner274]

@crassgop before everyone pissed him off

[@GjVj]

@crassgop Fuck that, man. I love this guy.

[@iankerridge5720]

@@GjVj Even though I am English, I can applaud his energy in getting the Mk14 torpedo sorted once he found out about it

[@VersusARCH]

@crassgop He did it so as to avoid being hated by everyone, perhaps?

[@M167A1]

A lot of good officers and NCOs take a similar approach. Constant upward support combined with vicious downward pressure. Basically see who's effective and help them, see who's not and motivate them. What you end up with someone that you often hate to work with or for, but you will prefer them to any other if the situation requires anything serious.

[@sameschenbrenner9150]

"Although this victory also sent King's blood pressure to levels more commonly associated with hydraulic presses..." The Drach-isms are absolutely glorious here!

[@sameschenbrenner9150]

"Tempting as it was to send MacArthur in a landing craft to meet the firepower of most of the Japanese surface fleet head-on...." OH YESSSSSS! I am HERE for this!

[@AtomicBabel]

"Actively made sure that all his academy mates graduate" and then demonstrated a 100% success rate. The man has my eternal admiration from that point alone!

[@herseem]

That is an extremely honourable thing to do, especially at an early age

[@alan-sk7ky]

And thus generate ready allies for future solidarity...

[@jackthorton10]

Camaraderie at its finest

[@dlkramer88]

That is truly awesome. They've now accomplished nearly the same result, with a much more institutional approach.

[@Conn30Mtenor]

I reckon that he did that as much to piss off the instructors as he did to help his classmates.

[@rackstraw]

There's a portrait of E. J. King at the US Naval Academy Officer's Club...it seems to be saying, "Finish that drink and get back to work, you layabouts and skulkers."

[@pdunderhill]

Reminded of Eisenhower who simply ordered himself to stop smoking and was successful.

[@EricGoesToShopClass]

King never stopped drinking, or thinking. He just did both better.

[@EricDaMAJ]

From what I know of the Navy, it's an apt command.

[@MaxwellAerialPhotography]

Everything I’ve learned about admiral king suggests that he was either working hard or playing hard, there was no in between.

[@donaldsmith3926]

@@MaxwellAerialPhotography His daughter said he was very even-tempered, always in a rage.

[@Halinspark]

My god, the man took any challenge as a personal affront. I'm amazed he didn't learn to change the weather at will purely out of spite.

[@scottgiles7546]

??? What makes you think he didn't?

[@dropdead234]

@@scottgiles7546 Because Britain wasn't wiped off the map by hurricanes.

[@nathanrandall7003]

@@dropdead234 Yeah, but he was pretty torqued at Halsey who did get hit by two typhoons...

[@kahoki]

Halsey did that, not once but twice, and was about to be sacked for it when the War was on the cusp of being won.

[@TheEDFLegacy]

@@dropdead234 I haven't laughed that hard in a while!

[@maxkennedy8075]

“My Father is the most level headed man in the US navy. He is always angry”

[@jon-paulfilkins7820]

Alternatively I heard he only lost his temper about twice a year. Though each would last, about 6 months!

[@silentotto5099]

I heard it as "My father is the most even tempered man in the Navy. He's always in a rage." Kings daughter had quite a wit.

[@cvproj]

Eric Grove recounts it as "My father has a very even temper. He's angry all the time."

[@jackcrisci2957]

"King roared with laughter, and when he had finished laughing said, 'Well, Russel, I hope this isn't urgent.'" What a legend.

[@midnightteapot5633]

At least he did not throw 44 pairs of binoculars into the sea like Admiral Rozhestvensky.

[@untruelie2640]

I think if Kamtchatka would've been part of his fleet, he just would've ordered the other ships to open fire at it. ;D

[@joeclaridy]

Well it wasn't like Adm. Rozhestvensky didn't have a good reason for his "episodes".

[@tuatara2418]

@@untruelie2640 He should have had Kamchantka torpedoed during the night clash with what turned out to be the Dogger Bank fishing fleet from England. It would have been a good cover story that Kamchatka was sunk in the "confusion" and would have been the single best way to improve the Baltic Fleet's chances of getting past the Japanese at Tsushima. Not that they had anything like a decent chance regardless. Not for nothing was it called "The Fleet that Had to Die".

[@CrystalKingdomGeneral4942]

Well, he never personally commanded a fleet as abysmal as the second pacific squadron.

[@Ragefps]

As someone with temperament issues myself I would honestly feel the 2nd Pacific Squadron would have given King a stroke. Rozhestvensky made something out of absolutely nothing. Sadly he had lost as soon as he set sail.

[@_Nat3345]

Sees "Always Angry" *Checks the video title* "Fleet Admiral Ernest King" *Checks video length* Well this will be good. Edit: Uncle Drach loved my comment. My day has been made.

[@crazywarriorscatfan9061]

When you edit your comment, the heart goes away. Sorry bud :(

[@_Nat3345]

@@crazywarriorscatfan9061 T_T

[@fernandomarques5166]

@@_Nat3345 I can still see it

[@le_floofy_sniper_ducko]

@@crazywarriorscatfan9061 no i still see it

[@crazywarriorscatfan9061]

@@le_floofy_sniper_ducko I think he reliked it. Right after your edit it wasn't there.

[@miked6036]

Top lessons from the king school of anger management 1: Be angry 2: Get shit done

[@Philistine47]

Less "anger management" and more _"angry_ management."

[@Darth.Fluffy]

3. Always remember, 1 is only valid if it accomplishes 2.

[@matchesburn]

"The man is so god damn angry that he actually solves problems with it." *Local Navy Admiral too angry **-to die-** not get shit done*

[@Jordan-Ramses]

You'd be angry too if you were that smart and everyone else was so stupid and lazy by comparison.

[@archclement2902]

That be my wife.

[@Executioner9000]

I love how King and Cunningham bonded over their shared stubbornness.

[@CSSVirginia]

In my mind they had that step brothers "Did we just become best friends?" Moment.

[@CFarnwide]

@@jimbalsbaugh233 thank you for that comment. I remember this incident from some documentary years ago. After hearing that story I started researching who exactly this King guy was and that’s when I realized... It wasn’t Eisenhower, Patton, Nimitz, Halsey, nor McArthur running the show. It was all Admiral King.

[@M167A1]

@@CFarnwide he reminds me of Curtis LeMay in a few respects. His monstrous reputation doesn't seem to be completely deserved. Although certainly with Admiral King it is a lot closer to the truth than with General LeMay.

[@CFarnwide]

@@M167A1 I’m not to familiar with General LeMays service. From what little I have read he turned some lack luster operations into sparkling diamonds. Ive also read he was blamed for a lot of things regarding unnecessary loss of planes and pilots. He himself also stated that “Had Japan won the war, I would be tried and convicted of war crimes”. With that said, would you have any research recommendations I should look into for General LeMay?

[@alphabravodelta42]

@@CFarnwide the reason Lemay said that line was because the Japanese had passed a law outlawing bombing of the Japanese Home Islands. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enemy_Airmen%27s_Act#:~:text=The%20Enemy%20Airmen's%20Act%20was,if%20captured%20by%20Japanese%20forces.

[@maxschaeffner9005]

"King was an intense Anglophobe" Patton: Did we just become best friends?

[@redskindan78]

Ha! Patton was a Soldier...didn't King hate the US Army even more than the Royal Navy?

[@scubaman6]

Patton didn't hate the Brits, he just hated Montgomery.

[@customerclient697]

@@scubaman6 and Anderson

[@j.p.vanbolhuis8678]

Guilty of causing the death of many (including US) sailors due to willful incompetence: "Historian Michael Gannon blamed King for the heavy American losses during the Second Happy Time. Others however blamed the belated institution of a convoy system, partly due to a severe shortage of suitable escort vessels, without which convoys were seen as more vulnerable than lone ships. *King, who was an Anglophobe, displayed stunning and uncharacteristic incompetence and disregard for the lives of American sailors by ignoring valuable British advice regarding convoys and up-to-date British intelligence on U-boat operations in the Atlantic*.[33][34][35]"

[@psilvakimo]

@@j.p.vanbolhuis8678 "Historian Michael Gannon" Another academic moron. "King, who was an Anglophobe" He just hated Lord Alanbrooke. According to Alanbrooke, the French people preferred German occupation to British and American occupation. How do you like that!?!? If the British advice regarding convoys was so great, then why didn't the commander-in-chief FDR countermand this?

[@homersimpson90210]

That story about Russel being given the unenviable task about asking King about his funeral arrangements and him roaring with laughter was the icing on the cake. What a guy.

[@dmcarpenter2470]

Drachism of the Day: "God-Emperor of the US Navy"

[@deaks25]

I mean, he's not wrong...

[@AT2Productions]

It really is the best way to describe Fleet Admiral King. Wish more modern commanders had his drive and foresight.

[@nathanrandall7003]

Next logo idea for the teespring shop right there.

[@MartinCHorowitz]

Did King design a Sandworm based Uniform for this Rank?

[@70galaxie]

...became a warlord on Caledan..

[@iflycentral]

The fact that The Texas only had a war plan for Mexico is pure comedy gold. XD

[@eduardocharlier7560]

The plan: "Come and take it if you think you can! "

[@taccovert4]

I think Texas, and by extension everything CALLED Texas, has a war plan for Mexico

[@u805]

I'm sure USS Texas had a included plan to defend The Alamo again by driving herself on land to San Antonio. xD

[@llllib]

Are we sure that the plan for war against Mexico did not contain contingencies for invasions of Italy, Germany and Japan (as part of the war against Mexico, of course...)

[@jesseestrada8914]

This had me laughing hard.

[@darrellsmith4204]

A remarkably balanced, restrained, and objective look at a man that it would have been easy to dismiss as nothing more than an irritable egotist from the British perspective. Very, very well done Drach..

[@stefanjovanovich3543]

Yes. This is the best assessment of King ever done on KZbin.

[@LewisFranck]

Yes, excellent. Good to read.

[@beyondsingularity]

Frame this comment.

[@gyrene_asea4133]

Very correct you are. If you've the interest in MacArthur read "An American Caesar" by Wm. Manchester. A WWII combat Marine writes about the man who refused to award Unit Commendations to Marines because "... they got enough medals in France (WWI)". At the end, I could only admire the scholarship and complete fairness that the author had given to his subject. Drach did as well with this.

[@tonyswan6834]

Me in a Past Life lol

[@Philistine47]

For all his flaws, Admiral King seems to have been a strong net positive for the USN in particular and the Allied war effort in general during WW2. Of course the Allies would have won even without his services, and might even have done better in a few areas - but it's hard to imagine that without him they'd ultimately have done as well as they did overall. Especially in the Pacific, where a strong advocate for sanity was needed to keep MacArthur from hijacking the entire war effort.

[@GrenvilleP710]

King was mentally ill...

[@beedalton9675]

He got my fellow merchant marines killed cause he didn't like to adapt British..convoy system what a jerk..

[@SudrianTales]

@Bee Dalton whoever had king running the Atlantic is the one to hate.

[@sledgehammerk35]

My favorite tongue and cheek saying about Admiral King, from his daughter... "My father is the most even-tempered man in the United States Navy. He is always in a rage."

[@herseem]

Genuinely, thanks for that additional insight. I appreciate contributions like this :-)

[@100dollarpie]

The citations never say which daughter. He and Mrs. King had four.

[@ElGrandoCaymano]

Yes, and FDR described him as a man who "shaves every morning with a blow torch."

[@weldonwin]

"That's my secret Mister President... I'm Alway Angry..."

[@johngregory4801]

@@weldonwin Admiral Bruce Banner?

[@Kevin_Kennelly]

35:11 "And set to work on the business of rebuilding the US Navy into a juggernaut that would crush all of King's enemies before him." (and hear the lamentations of their women)

[@robertfrost1683]

It is said that he chased skirt as well as drink.

[@Mikey300]

“That is good!” (Hearing ‘the lamentation of their women’.)

[@parrot849]

@@robertfrost1683 - With Military officers in command of forces at war like Admiral King; there’ll be a tremendous amount of excess skirts available to chase in the enemy’s homelands at the conclusion of hostilities....(“...and hear the lamentations of their women....”)

[@jamesricker3997]

Just ignore the torpedo scandal and promote those who were responsible to keep them from talking

[@sawyerawr5783]

@@jamesricker3997 mate better plan: load them into the torpedo tubes and impulse them into the sea, since theyd be about as useful as their tin fish...

[@calvingreene90]

Ernest King is one of the very few men whose ego was equalled by his capabilities.

[@handpaper6871]

I suggest you read up on the 'Second Happy Time' of the U-boat war. Totally unnecessary, totally his fault.

[@wesleyjohnson3786]

@@handpaper6871 in his defense, there were a great many very capable admirals who themselves had major mistakes in their careers, think Halsey and his typhoons. I think that while the U-boat war was certainly not the strongest point of his career, King should not be judged on this alone.

[@bluemarlin8138]

@@handpaper6871 I think he’s talking about King’s mental capabilities as an officer. Even the most capable men can make bad decisions when personality flaws and ego get in the way. Patton and MacArthur weren’t bad generals because they occasionally did stupid things.

[@lovablesnowman]

@@handpaper6871 not really though. Clair Blair thoroughly debunked this 20 years ago at this stage

[@raywhitehead730]

Yep!

[@scrambledganglia6946]

I believe King's opinion of MacArthur was more generous than my departed uncle. A WW2 Marine. Auntie would cringe when he got going.

[@adenkyramud5005]

If you have any particularly good or funny things he said pleeeeeeease share them.

[@michaelanderson8186]

As my great uncle would say (to this Marine), the "gyrenes" could take a number. As a US Army Ranger who was hip-deep in Normandy, he thanked his lucky stars he was under Ike and Bradley who gave a damn about their men at least in theory. As he put it, MacArthur was so detached from his men he even referred to *himself* in the third person!

[@michaelanderson8186]

@Hoa Tattis Not very often, by design. The Navy tended to keep their front-line stuff away from MacArthur, and that included the USMC. He did receive Marine support for a few landings in his area of operations, but aside from the Philippines campaign, the Navy held him at arm's length. At one time, MacArthur's navy forces consisted of just five cruisers and eight destroyers. His amphibious forces included a ship made from concrete and another which hauled cattle. The main reason why the Marines were so leery with operating with Army troops in general was that coordination was difficult. The Army saw the Marines as just another source of personnel, a version of their own infantry divisions, whereas the Marines were jealous of their independent traditions, and for their development and deployment as amphibious "shock troops". They were (and are) very reluctant to stay in one place for long and fight in a drawn-out campaign far from ports unless there was no alternative. To be bluntly honest, too, they didn't want MacArthur hoovering up their share of the glory. Things changed a bit in Korea. MacArthur saw the value of the Marines, and took their side when they were fighting for their existence during the early Cold War budget battles when they were the only service who tended to eschew atomic weapon use and were seen as redundant to the Army. Once his ego was broken a bit by his dismissal in Korea, he actually became a defender of the USMC.

[@spike.strat1318]

My dad was navy... your uncle and he would gotten along just fine. MacArthur was a dirty word in my house.

[@johnmaxwell1750]

@@michaelanderson8186 - MaxArthur left thr Marines (and Army units) cut off in brutal conditions during the retreat from Chosen

[@TomFynn]

Typhoid bacterium: [infects Ernest King] Ernest King: [Gets angry] Typhoid bacterium: [suddenly realizes it has other appointments]

[@PQRavik]

During the 1980s I served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ranger. I remember the tradition of ships breaking formation and racing into port as fast as possible. I never witnessed this, but rumor had it that the nuclear powered USS Enterprise was the undisputed master of this competition. Now I know how this tradition started. Thank you.

[@CiaranMaxwell]

As Enterprise was, for the time, the fastest warship alive, I very much believe this.The one time she brought her reactors to full power was in the immediate aftermath of the Twin Towers. The burning rage of the Grey Ghost, and thus certain parts used in CVN-65's construction, allowed nothing less. She left her DD escorts in the dust (or the naval equivalent) as she heeled around and made for the Persian Gulf coast.

[@barleysixseventwo6665]

They say the heat of King’s rage over the torpedo problem caused any paper transmission of the meetings with the BoO to spontaneously combust.

[@gmanbo]

Unlike some detonators in a certain torpedo

[@dcbanacek2]

Probably some poor yeoman trying to take the minutes, "Admiral King, sir, I can't write down that sort of language, I don't even know what half those words even MEAN."

[@theokamis5865]

@@dcbanacek2 after a fortnight, the yeoman could outswear any 30 year CPO, and in one more, outswear him in Latin as well.

[@cdfe3388]

@@dcbanacek2 R. Lee Ermey had to learn it somewhere!

[@twotone3471]

They only say that it was Uranium in the atom bomb, but in fact it was a detonation of a collection of Admiral King's dressings down to people who got in his way that was the actual source of destruction. Both were known to melt faces, but King's words also often destroyed the souls of the ones they are aimed at.

[@scottdrone-silvers5179]

Excellent work, Drach. While it is absolutely clear that King lived up to his fierce reputation, your video also makes clear just how much King did throughout his career to better the Navy. He may have been an absolute bastard to work with, but he was able to do something with his anger that most lack the ability to do: to channel it into useful action. It certainly seems like each one of his postings led to improvements in weapons, strategies, doctrine, and practical warfighting capabilities. It’s a pity that a man who was primarily known for his temper has had his real accomplishments obscured over the years in the popular mind. Thank you very much for giving us a much better look at those contributions and the place that King should rightly hold in the history of the United States Navy.

[@RemoteViewr1]

Absolutely.

[@gmanbo]

"indeed"

[@alan-sk7ky]

But a competent bastard, and OUR bastard ;-)

[@theread3480]

@@alan-sk7ky That sounds like some commie talk to me 😂

[@johnmaxwell1750]

Good comment, Scott.

[@ThatSlowTypingGuy]

21:35 Within a couple of years he was actually in command of the Lexington. Her sheer size had lead to the crew becoming *somewhat relaxed about discipline.* Me: Uh oh.

[@sawyerawr5783]

Somehow I imagine the entire ship shaking with the force of his raging voice...

[@hmsrenown7801]

King: So you have chosen, death

[@philbaumgaertner2275]

IMO, WW2 shaped what fleet carriers could do and how they should be used. King contributed in a valuable way to shape the best strategy RE carriers. He was a flawed man, but his value far outweighed his flaws, in my opinion.

[@davidvasquez08]

269 likes

[@gregb6469]

King's efforts during the 20s and 30s to get the Navy ready to fight the next war, not the last one, can not be over-appreciated.

[@cnlbenmc]

One of the few people that managed to Beat the Bureau of Ordinance into compliance; shame he didn't do it sooner or more thoroughly.

[@johnferguson1970]

Willis A. Lee, Jr. did quite a number on them as well, especially concerning the VT fuse and AA guns. But I think that King was rather approving of that sort of shenanigans.

[@josephlinck1892]

It took him two years to get them to make a working torpedo. Not good.

[@KR4FTW3RK]

"In the pacific we face two major enemies - distance and the japanese"... that guy's a savage!

[@JohnSmith-kg2rt]

I wonder if he was thinking that distance should maybe be replaced with British ....

[@Philistine47]

@@JohnSmith-kg2rt King had a sound enough grasp of logistic to not disregard distance so casually. But he might have considered replacing "the Japanese" with "the Army" - of course "the Army" in the Pacific meant "MacArthur." So that's understandable.

[@SonsOfLorgar]

@@Philistine47 and Drach called him politically indifferent! Bah!

[@JohnSmith-kg2rt]

@@Philistine47 I was joking (making light of his pop history version)

[@GeorgeSemel]

The Pacific War was a logistical nightmare. The Distances that we had to go to not only to fight but to keep the trigger pullers well supplied. It never gets the play like ships airplanes and tanks get. All the Russians had to do was to get from Moscow to Berlin and they had a lot of problems. It's always about transport, what to load first and what to load last so when you get to where you are going the stuff you need Now gets offloaded first.

[@edwardjtruskyjr1921]

I heard on another podcast. That his daughter said he was even keeled. He woke up angry and stayed that way until he went to sleep.

[@gokbay3057]

I heard that she had once said "Daddy hated everyone" or something long those lines.

[@gizmophoto3577]

I’ve heard that she said he had two moods, angry and enraged.

[@Deridus]

Dan Carlin?

[@ericadams3428]

I heard she said he was even tempered. Angry all the time.

[@taccovert4]

He certainly wasn't prejudiced....he hated everyone equally

[@stephenrickstrew7237]

Kings discipline problems ...? Now I’m starting to think more of him ... I once got into a screaming match with a captain on the flight deck ... in the middle of the Atlantic .... I was quite relieved to be found in the right ... but it was caught on the flight deck cameras ... hopefully it made the highlight reel ...

[@Jpdt19]

I can't be the only one intrigued. Tell us more :)?

[@jamesharding3459]

I am intrigued. Please tell me more.

[@dropdead234]

I can believe it. Something about putting on Eagles tends to corrode common sense.

[@colincampbell767]

Been there. One very dark night my unit was finishing up a night movement and I was moving my tank to my assigned battle position. My loader was dismounted and was guiding my tank using a red-lensed flashlight. Suddenly two soldiers walked right in front of my moving tank - at night. I screamed Stop! Stop! STOP! over the intercom then got onto the front slope my my tank and began a profanity laced tirade about the safety rules when you're around tanks. Included in that tirade was me telling them that we couldn't see them and we almost killed them because of that. (Moving a tank at night when I knew that there were people wandering around was always a high stress event for me due to the difficulty in seeing those people.) When I ran out of breath and had to stop screaming long enough to breathe - I noticed the rank on their helmets. It was the Battalion commander and the Command Sergeant Major. I climbed back into the TC hatch as they continued on their way. I was really, really, hoping that they didn't recognize me. Nothing happened afterwards. A couple of years later at a formal event the former commander related that story from his perspective. (He'd gotten promoted since then.) He ended by saying: "And I was lucky that the tank commander didn't recognize me."

[@Jimorian]

@@colincampbell767 This is why anybody who is in charge of anything specifically involving safety *should* have complete authority in that situation. (See: Range Safety Officers chewing out higher ranking people when they screw up)

[@paulpeterson5214]

"The conference concluded without anybody being shot" You're funny and you do superb research.

[@Shogun459]

As a Vet I can tell you that such a Man, is an absolute Terror to work for or around. That being said the World owes this man eternal thanks. He made the Navy exactly what we needed to go into WWII. The Right man at the Right Time and Place.

[@michaelblair5566]

God blessed us with so many great leaders just at the time we needed them!

[@hektor6766]

Rather serve under him than the usual numbnuts who slither up the chain of command.

[@dankelly2147]

@hemtor6766 Ticket punchers are politicians. Warriors are their bane. During peace time the former do all in their power to undermine the latter.

[@TheMarineJr]

​@@hektor6766amen the purpose can be seen

[@jacktattis]

and for what does the world owe him ?

[@QuarterDollarKing]

Archadmiral sounds like a hell of a prestige class.

[@davidelliott5843]

First Sea Lord sounds trivial by comparison.

[@mybadluckcharm]

Archadmiral sounds like he should be shooting lightnings and fireballs with his hands, shoot down air squadrons by looking at them tersely, and land massive hits on battleships by shouting at them.

[@elysiankentarchy1531]

@@mybadluckcharm To be completely honest, it isn't like Admiral King wouldn't consider trying that if he was told it may work.

[@ohredhk]

It sounds like some from George Lucas, which is not a good thing.

[@MrChickennugget360]

or a warhmmer 40k title.

[@mrbloodmuffins]

WWII: A conflict in the mid 20th century who's primary belligerents were Admiral King and the British Navy and with peripheral involvement of the militaries of Germany and Japan.

[@theokamis5865]

Of which conflict the IJN and IJA took copious notes, and several senior officers of both committed seppuku because they failed to live up to Admirals King and Cunningham's sheer pugnacity.

[@CharlieSeattle1]

Excellent and deserved bytch slap!

[@otohikoamv]

This was quite likely the most even-handed and I would even say positive biography of King that I'd come across from a British perspective - well done, Drach! To an extent, I suppose this also points to how much the views of King in the decades following his career were informed by his frigid relationship with the press more than anything. The man was certainly not without flaws, but it is refreshing to hear his character strengths highlighted in equal measure, and in general not portrayed as the worst thing to happen to both the US Navy and UK-American relations in the past century. All in all, I can't blame him for staying away from the press - they've done his legacy no favours.

[@clarkevanmeter2676]

King knew what Gell-Mann Amnesia was before it was a thing. I'm an aviator and every single time the press has been involved in something I've been involved in they have gotten the story, if not wrong, so badly mangled as to make it meaningless. If you follow the rule that you stop reading any article about a military event when an APC is called a Tank you'll probably never finish another NYT's article.

[@otohikoamv]

@@clarkevanmeter2676 Having spent over a decade working in science/medical communication before moving over to transportation - I can only nod and agree, because journalism in all those areas is, on average, equally dreadful. This is true of history too of course - what seems to sell are dramatic stories with clear villains, and especially over in British histories of WWII, King always fit that role all too well. So it's good to see a break with that "tradition" from Drach - at least this particular admiral always deserved a more nuanced look than just a self-proclaimed God-emperor with no tact and a chip on his shoulder!

[@eruantien9932]

While it's a shame that Beatty was his primary impression of the RN, frankly the only major gaff he made was not listening to Western Approaches.

[@j.p.vanbolhuis8678]

@@eruantien9932 It was one gaffe, that might have cost the war.....

[@lobsterbark]

@@eruantien9932 He seems like a Henry Ford type character. Huge asshole, thinks way too highly of himself, only able to lead people by force. But extremely task driven, able to accomplish many things others struggle with because when he encounters lots of trouble with whatever task he has identified as important, he doesn't stop and try to shift to something else. Hes decided he is going to accomplish x by doing y, and he is going to do y no matter what. Its a common personality type. Unfortunately most people like that aren't blessed with competence and intelligence. They end up being assholes who don't even accomplish anything by being an asshole.

[@Arthion]

I've got to say, for having mostly heard of his impressive temper and antipathy towards the Brittish, I never quite realised just how brilliant the man was. Shame how all his worst traits came to overshadow most of his really good ones. Brilliant organiser and always looking for even greater efficiency certainly come to mind when thinking of his better traits.

[@iamhungey12345]

Yeah, knowing of the great legacy he had made it worse knowing what he did to McVay for example and that was only for starters.

[@GrenvilleP710]

CIf almost losing the eat before the US actually got started can be called brilliant !!! The man was a pig headed incompetent waste of uniform.

[@randomlyentertaining8287]

"A good act does not wash out the bad, nor a bad the good." -Stannis Baratheon

[@gyrene_asea4133]

All props to Drach for this one. Reminds me that just because somebody isn't "buddy" materiel, doesn't mean that they don't deserve respect and appreciation for what they do. btw: My Dad was a U.S. Merchant Officer in mid-42. King did much that was essential for the win.

[@KCODacey]

O

[@georgesoros6415]

I'd bet if you were his friend, he was as gentlemanly as could be. Noone loves being told they are wrong, even from a man who knows much more about it than you do. Govt is filled with place holders. I'm sure King could not stand them. He was truly an expert, in many things. He suffered no fool gladly! How do you think he got to be CINCUS? (Yes. That was its title before WWII!). SINK US! Yet, he counted Nimitz and Lee as minions, which made him their mentor. I hardly think a man without any charm could have fooled either of them. But I think he suffered no fools. And he did hate the English, for many reasons, some of them well founded. How many commanders ever won a global War against two determined, skilled, and dastardly opponents on opposite sides of the World that you know of? Using novel strategies and weapons that had never been used to any effect before? And resist8ng the urge to just step in and take over control, as was known to be done by many a CINC before? I think this Nation owes him a debt of Gratitude that only Grant ever deserved. He never got that, and he never bitched about it. Well, not much. If I were he, I would have gone ballistic over this sleight. "I was too mean?" EFF YOU! Maybe I identify with him too much. People always resent people who really know their craft. And are so certain of it. Especially those critics who are simply hounds for attention, yet know nothing. I admire his restraint post-war. Admiral King was just what we needed to win WWII. For that, he will always get my credit.

[@Thumpalumpacus]

@@georgesoros6415 Ike and Nimitz both showed you can lead without being a dickweed. King was effective, but he was not a great leader.

[@sreckocuvalo8110]

Aight', I have a newfound respect for this dragon in human disguise.

[@M167A1]

Truly effective people are seldom affable. There are many exceptions to this but to push the boundaries and when necessary to knock heads usually requires a strong personality and the willingness to fight. Very few people can do all of that gracefully.

[@AnimeSunglasses]

Well put, my man, well put!

[@adamtruong1759]

Yeah! No kidding.

[@species3167]

Assuming Yamamoto actually did say the famous "Sleeping Giant" line, I have to imagine he was speaking to King in this regard. "Filled With Terrible Resolve" takes on a whole new meaning if he did.

[@sreckocuvalo8110]

@@species3167 Quick, someone write fan-fic where Yamamoto is foreign exchange student and roommate with King in Acadmy!

[@Frank-bc8gg]

With a title of "always angry" I just know this is going to be great

[@Legitpenguins99]

"ALWAYS ANGRY! ALL THE TIME!"

[@alexandermackie7621]

@@Legitpenguins99 Ah, the return of the Angry Marines, truly this is a glorious time for the Imperium

[@c.j.cleveland7475]

Consistency is an Admiralable trait!!😁

[@Sleep-is-overrated]

Can we get a T-shirt or mug of God Emperor Admiral King sometime Drach? Probably one of your best Drachisims as of late

[@dropdead234]

Prototype of the Angry Marines, God Emperor of the Navy....The only reason he doesn't walk on water is that he doesn't want to ruin the shine on his shoes.

[@MrBlueBurd0451]

@@dropdead234 You think water would have the balls to touch anything involving Admiral King's personage?

[@tyronebiggums2739]

I’d definitely buy a mug

[@theokamis5865]

@@dropdead234 King and Chesty Puller would get along just fine...

[@dropdead234]

@@theokamis5865 Puller was/is a Marine? Yeah, that's a fight I'd only want to watch from way over the horizon.

[@Ostenjager]

This man is a criminally under-appreciated officer in the history books. Thanks for illuminating this figure for a benighted military history enthusiast like myself.

[@MrAwsomenoob]

"The British were very nice to let us use the high seas." The shade 🤣

[@trevorday7923]

Oh of course, must help out the Colonials 🇬🇧😎👍🏻

[@auggie8958]

King: teach me how to fly Seaplane pilots: What, thats impossible, you need land training first. Wait, aren't you the captain? King: did i fucking stutter

[@DardanellesBy108]

Yep! I can easily visualize that it went exact that way.

[@russelljohnson6267]

@@DardanellesBy108 me too

[@sawyerawr5783]

the worst part is thats almost 100% sure how that went.

[@SonsOfLorgar]

To be fair, as long as the sea is calm and the airspeed at landing is sufficiently slow, I would presume there's less things to go disastrously wrong with flight lessons in a sea plane compared to a land plane.

[@AsbestosMuffins]

"Damnit man I'm a captain, if I wanted land training I,'d have joined the army!"

[@mattwoodard2535]

Never realized how heavy King was in to technology. Taking apart, improving and rebuilding range finding equipment is not a simple thing by any means. Wish he had taken a great many anger management courses though. sm

[@iankerridge5720]

Probably helped with sorting the Mk14 torpedo, not only was it a bad idea to upset him, but even BuOrd would respect his technophile status

[@jamesricker3997]

@@iankerridge5720 the whole torpedo scandal is a black mark on his career He did not pay attention to it for far too long

[@iankerridge5720]

@@jamesricker3997 Although not his fault, due to budget constraints the torp was not adequately tested. Also, when negative performance reports were filed in wartime, the arrogant so-and-sos at BuOrd presumed the (especially) sub commanders and crews were incompetent and that the product was fine :-(

[@mattwoodard2535]

@@iankerridge5720 I doubt it. BuOrd has their heads so far up their asses that they has to pipe in air through their navels. King probably only got anything done with BuOrd because he scared the living sheep dip out of them. sm

[@mattwoodard2535]

@@jamesricker3997 King has a million (and counting) problems on his plate. The problem with the Mark 14 should have been taken care of further down the food chain. And IIRC BuOrd did it's best to cover the problems up so King and other high rankers wouldn't hear about it. sm

[@olivergs9840]

We all know someone like this, who is absolutely terrifyingly competent

[@kmech3rd]

I would give my left arm to have someone like that come on board at my shop. Aggressive amateurishness is the best management seems to be able to come up with.

[@olivergs9840]

@@kmech3rd *cough cough*, Nelson, *cough cough*

[@gyrene_asea4133]

Competent, albeit terrifying. That'll work too.

[@silaskuemmerle2505]

Sadly I don’t know anyone who is terrifyingly competent...

[@Philistine47]

IF you can keep up with them, they're the very best people to work for or with. IF. Some of my most rewarding professional relationships have been with people who were generally considered "difficult." (It also does no harm to be The Guy in the office who can talk to the Dragons without getting his head bitten off. But that's secondary to the sheer pleasure of working with someone who is on top of their game and constantly pushes you to up your own.) The problem is sorting out the ones who are difficult to work with because they aggressively hold everyone around them to the same incredibly high standards they set for themselves, from the ones who are difficult to work with because they aggressively hold everyone around them responsible for covering their sloppy, lazy, incompetent asses when they screw up everything they touch.

[@riverraven7359]

I can't help but wonder how he'd feel about Britain if he had spent more time with Jellicoe rather than Beatty... And thank the gods he never got to brainstorm with Grand Admiral Scheer or General Kuribayashi!

[@bernhardlangers778]

Well, to think those men all lived at more or less the same time...

[@Steve9312028]

Dear Drac, I’m a very proud American, who is also a dedicated Anglophile as Great Britain was our mother country. Yes, like most off spring, America was bound to rebel against a parental figure, hence the small family squabbles that have popped up between us during the18th and 19th centuries. I first read about Fleet Admiral King’s attitude towards the Royal Navy when I was rather young and from that moment always felt a strong dislike of him for that and other reasons. From most of the history books I read, I believed him to be a “Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex Malevolum”. After listening to your presentation of his career, I find I must re-evaluate this gentleman somewhat. It appears that he was more reasonable in his attitude towards the UK and the RN than I gave him credit for. I shall now have to research a WWII figure I had up until now avoided out of anger and embarrassment with respect to his behavior and attitudes. Thank you for giving me a chance to overcome my feelings and learn of someone I had a strong prejudice against! 😎🇺🇸🇬🇧

[@DonDueed]

King grew up "near Cleveland" -- specifically, in the city of Lorain, Ohio. I attended Admiral Ernest J. King High School in Lorain for one year in the 1960s.

[@clarkevanmeter2676]

I went to college near there for 2 years. The forecast is always, "3k broken, light rain, winds variable." No wonder he was cranky.

[@chrismaverick9828]

@@clarkevanmeter2676 Except when it isn't. Then it is 75, partly cloudy, wondrous day. But you have to work during it, so no getting to enjoy.

[@chriswhitehouse9137]

He grew up with my Grandfather and his brother and was very close with my Great Grandmother after losing his own mother. His father worked with my Great Grandfather in the railroad engine shop. After the war he visited my Grandfather and family to explain to my Aunt exactly how her husband, a Naval officer, was lost in the battle of Ormoc Bay in 1944. Until then all she knew was that he was missing and presumed dead. For over a year she didn't know any details.

[@alexjohnston706]

If Admiral King appears in any movie, he has to be played by J.K. Simmons.

[@jimmyseaver3647]

My thoughts exactly as I saw photos and heard him speak.

[@alexeiwheel4859]

Just like in Transformers 3..."Duuuutch!!"

[@TheShrike616]

Admiral King is seemingly " the able man archetype ": cunning, commanding and with enough knowledge of his allotted fields to be considered extremely dangerous, on either side. JK Simmons would be perfect.

[@TheAsh274]

Combination of Terrence Fletcher (Whiplash), Cave Johnson (Portal 1 & 2), and J. Jonah Jameson (Spiderman movies) characters.

[@edgarhielema6806]

Amen to that.

[@Squad23jta]

King might have been a hardass but he was clearly capable, ahead of his time and the right man at the right time for the job he eventually held.

[@wierdalien1]

That clearly didnt help.

[@jamesricker3997]

He had his problems Roosevelt had to bring him into the oval office and explain to him they were at War and he needed to actually go out and sink German submarines The US Navy actually took way too long to fix their defective torpedoes, that is directly on him

[@Mikey300]

@@jamesricker3997 the delay in fixing the defects of the Mark 14 torpedo was the responsibility of BuOrd Chief RADM W.H.P. “Spike” Blandy, and CAPT/RADM Ralph Waldo Christie (who, as developer of the Mark 6 exploder, refused to believe any reports or evidence that it was defective).

[@johnmanning4577]

@@Mikey300 All based on virtually no testing by BuOrd! Scandalous!!

[@jameson1239]

@@jamesricker3997 no it wasn’t when king discovered the problems with the MK-14 he got very many at Buord

[@JM-mh1pp]

He made sure that everyone graduated, no dropouts. This here, is amazing. As a young man he was already admiral, world just needed some time to catch up to that.

[@larrytischler570]

That may be why Nimitze copied his approach to handeling problems.

[@casparcoaster1936]

At age 64 myself, never having joined military, but my father and uncles all, and growing up in Annapolis (wiping out my m/c on the brick cobblestone running beside the Academy) I have always cared about US Navy history, and read. Just have to say this channel has been a wonderful blessing in my life, and I am very grateful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Eisengeboren]

>USS Texas's warsafe only had the warplan for war with Mexico Ah still remembering the Alamo I see.

[@iankerridge5720]

Still, she had the best Plan for Preservation for a Dreadnought Battleship ;-)

[@jeffreypierson2064]

@@nickdanger3802 It was a joke. Also, since this is a military history channel, most of us already know your facts.

[@monkmoto1887]

@@jeffreypierson2064 did you know the uss Texas was a very large ship?

[@monkmoto1887]

BecAuse it was, in fact, quite LARGE

[@SnowmanTF2]

@@monkmoto1887 So one could say everything is bigger in USS Texas

[@Nipplator99999999999]

King was more of a great man than I thought, icing Mcarthur makes him a personal hero.

[@theokamis5865]

And getting along well with someone who wouldn't back down (like Cunningham), and not liking Beatty...he's definitely getting hung up over my desk, next to Jellicoe.

[@Nipplator99999999999]

@@theokamis5865 at least none of them had to buy a town to worship themselves...

[@maxschaeffner9005]

King: "If you expect me to let the war be dictated by a man who couldn't even follow his OWN DEFENCE PLAN in the Philippines, you're more of an idiot than he is"

[@cdfe3388]

@@theokamis5865 I picture the two of them having a relationship akin to that of Archie Bunker and George Jefferson: hate eachother’s guts and agree on almost everything.

[@JohnSmith-kg2rt]

@@Nipplator99999999999 wait what and who did that?

[@John.0z]

Thank you for a far more complete biography of King than I have ever before been interested enough to pursue. I had never before heard that MacArthur wanted to be sole signatory to the Japanese surrender. I can easily appreciate King's opinion of the man.

[@dropdead234]

If it were possible to weaponize Ego, MacArthur could've won the war (Pacific, Atlantic, AND European) by himself. King had his problems, but over swollen ego doesn't appear to be one of them.

[@MagnusVictor2015]

@@dropdead234 Perhaps it might be said that King had a *swollen* ego, but he was actually so talented that he could match his ego with ability. MacArthur, on the other hand...

[@gyrene_asea4133]

@@dropdead234 What may have "saved" us all is that King appears to have had the saving grace of Zero Political Ambition. Perhaps related to his general (admiral?) unwillingness to tolerate lesser able people. MacArthur's ambition overrode all qualms.

[@ijendr0995]

Drach this is really good. I've been subbed to this channel since before the first drydock and have always chuckled at your jabs at King. However, this video exorbitantly highlights your ability to produce a video that doesn't seem to represent any bias at all. Cheers mate if I ever see you in a pub the brews are on me.

[@Jpdt19]

Ditto

[@calebcourteau]

Yes, Drach is super fair and balanced in his analysis of king.

[@larrytischler570]

Well King had the un envinable position of defending the West Coast of the USA against Japanese forrest fire bomb attacks and protecting agiasnt

[@larrytischler570]

* At the same time he must the defender ivfThey were no I 😊

[@and15re1]

"The signal said to proceed independently, so I did" I laugh so hard XD

[@randomguy-tg7ok]

Admiral King: Cons: Refuses to take advice from anyone else. Pros: Balances out BuOrd's stupidity.

[@cdfe3388]

On the upside, he would tolerate no bullshit. On the downside, everybody had to put up with his bullshit.

[@jackthorton10]

That is the best way to handle the bull

[@taccovert4]

"The only people that Adm. King hated more than the enemy, were the British" Well that's a bit harsh of him "His first experience with the Royal Navy was with Beatty getting thrashed by Sturdee and throwing his toys and going home in a tantrum" Oh, now it all makes sense!

[@mattwoodard2535]

Almost right. He hated MacArthur even more than he hated the English. sm

[@taccovert4]

@@mattwoodard2535 True. I wonder if King or Truman wound up hating McArthur more....he was a VERY hateable guy.

[@jimmyseaver3647]

Matt Woodard MacArthur was a diva who was increasingly nuts. Anyone with an gram of sanity would stay well clear of him.

[@jefferyindorf699]

Another disaster caused by Beatty.

[@robertbodell55]

​@@mattwoodard2535 King would probably be very envious of Truman getting to fire MacArthur, the only difference is that King would have fired him out a gun on USS Iowa

[@kpdubbs7117]

Drach I don't know how you keep outdoing yourself. This was just amazing. A biography on a naval officer's career from 80 years ago should not be this captivating, but it was. That hour felt like 10 minutes and I could have kept watching for much longer.

[@PorqueNoLosDos]

Thank you on behalf of a very grateful nation to our most special friend for laying tribute to such a great American. I swell with tears of pride even after the 2nd time listening to you use such wonderful words describing the deeds and accomplishments of such a great man and under appreciated hero in American history. God bless you.

[@geofftitto]

As a Brit this man is inspiring and an icon. His view and opinion of the British Navy of that time, particularly the Senior Ranks is totally accurate, people of influence but little ability, people of societal rank!. Individuals like Ernest King but within the Royal Navy were shunned or buried by an avalanche of entitlement from others who historically would've been accused of buying their commissions. Thankfully when my daughter joined the Royal Navy it had become progressive and promotion was based on genuine ability. A great video Drachinfel. Thank you.

[@johngregory4801]

Such as the treatment of Admiral Sturdee, a man whose name, devotion to duty and understanding of fleet tactics match those of Manley Power's understanding of flotilla tactics and ferocity in leading his five destroyers against a Japanese cruiser? When I heard of Captain Manley Power and what he had done to the Haguro, well... If ever a name matched a man, I thought he was at the pinnacle... Until Drach spoke of Admiral Sturdee. Two peas in a pod!

[@glastonbury4304]

Completely wrong!!

[@Big_E_Soul_Fragment]

Admiral King? *looks at video length* This is gonna be good

[@Xino6804]

So basically; you don't tug on Supermans cape, you don't spit into the wind, you don't pull the mask off the ol Lone Ranger, and you DON"T piss off King (or do anything to his Navy).

[@AnimeSunglasses]

Frankly, I think ALL of the other things in that list would be MUCH easier to extricate oneself from then offending admiral King...

[@Philistine47]

You *COULD* piss off King, but you'd damn well better be right - and you'd better show up at his office ready to fight.

[@Arbiter099]

I would rather have to deal with Charles Nelson Riley instead of Admiral King

[@spudskie3907]

Arbiter099...I would kill to see Charles Nelson Reilly vs. Admiral King!

[@Archangelm127]

In the man's own words: "When things get tough, they send for the sunzabitches."

[@MrChickennugget360]

the quote is actually from FDR

[@Archangelm127]

@@MrChickennugget360 I stand corrected.

[@williamlydon2554]

@@MrChickennugget360 King did say however, it was the sort of thing he’d say.

[@MrChickennugget360]

@@williamlydon2554 he says it in the recent movie midway- while i was watching the Director's commentary (or maybe a review) they pointed out that the quote came from FDR- it was a good scene none the less. Midway 2019 was a disappointment but it is all we are ever going to get about that battle.

[@customerclient697]

@@MrChickennugget360 An earlier movie with Charleston Heston was better, much.

[@teddyduncan1046]

The dry English sarcasm is so appreciated.

[@mcmoose64]

Did King have anything to do with instituting the US Navy system of after action reports ? This system ensured that deficiencies in equipment and tactics were clearly identified, and lessons learnt and disseminated. From what I can gather , these reports played a major role in the evolution of the USN as an effective fighting force . Might be worth an episode .

[@Starsky3022]

00:00 Intro 00:34 Introduction 01:41 King enters the US Naval academy 02:53 Outbreak of the Spanish-American War 04:11 Return to the academy 05:20 King joins USS Eagle as a navigator 05:85 King joins USS Illinois 06:32 Reassignment to USS Cincinnati 08:20 USS Alabama 09:22 Return to Annapolis as an instructor 10:26 King back on USS Cincinnati as Flag Secretary 10:47 King joins the USS New Hampshire in the engineering department 12:05 King as Executive officer of the Naval Engineering Experiment Station in 1912 12:30 King aboard USS Terry 12:50 King aboard USS Cassin 13:15 First run-in with the Royal Navy 14:10 Declaration of war against Germany 14:45 The Navy department's persistent campaign against the growth of trees... and Beatty 16:18 End of the War and Reworking the Naval Officer Training Program 16:45 Admiral Wilson looms 17:11 King in a submarine 19:01 A Carrier for a King 20:00 The tragedy of USS S-4 21:16 Commanding the USS Lexington 23:38 King attends the Naval War College 24:40 King becomes Head of the Bureau of Aeronautics 26:15 The San Diego practice 26:40 King in charge of the carriers 30:00 King aboard USS Texas 33:25 Pearl Harbor gets attacked 37:25 King becomes God Emperor of the US Navy 42:40 The loss of USS Lexington 46:20 Guadalcanal becomes a headache 49:16 Balancing an impossible list of demands 49:41 Addressing MK 14 Torpedo issues 51:10 Build up for an invasion of Europe? 52:25 King becomes Fleet Admiral 56:05 US Navy propaganda video 57:32 Keeping track of the Mariana Assault as well as D-Day at the same time 59:28 Trying to reign in Halsey 1:01:40 King retires

[@CFarnwide]

I would like to add 49:41 Addressing MK 14 Torpedo issues

[@CFarnwide]

And thank you very much for this! Extremely helpful for when I get caught up in reading comments and not paying particular attention to the narration. Makes it easy to go back and review 👍😎

[@craighagenbruch3800]

So moral of story dont piss off king...

[@jaybee9269]

Thanks!

[@meepfanmeepster8620]

a good guide thank you

[@RemoteViewr1]

Deep respect and appreciation by Drach for a man whose primary life focus was effective pursuit of targeted goals.

[@Paludion]

Thank you for this video. I thought Admiral King was just a stubborn anglophobic old man who carelessly sent dozens of merchantmen to their death in the Atlantic. Now I can appreciate all his accomplishments, and salute him for his tenacity and energy, whose vision helped shape one of the greatest navy that have ever existed.

[@Stardude78]

He was singularly poorly suited for the Atlantic command...

[@shawndouglass2939]

@@Stardude78 why is that?

[@Stardude78]

@@shawndouglass2939 1. His anglophobia seemed to be a real problem. 2. His least successful assignment seemed to be his time in the submarine force. 3. He made his bones with the carrier fleet which was a different mindset then required for the Atlantic job. 4. The Atlantic campaign required soft skills dealing with various politicians and non-governmental type folk.

[@J_A_Redshirt]

A splendid portrait of the career and accomplishments of a bull headed, irascible, talented and influential naval officer - one of the most influential US Navy officers of the 20th century. Thank you, Drachinifel.

[@joebuchanan9563]

I can't begin to tell you which part of this video I enjoyed the most. Your dry humor narrative delivered with perfect timing had me repeatedly stopping the video so as to laugh and clear the tears from my eyes. You Sir are a rare breed! Dry wit combined with accurate history makes for a most entertaining evening. I'll be chuckling to myself for the next few days as I recall some of the jewels of humor you cast about. Thank you so much.

[@thomaszinser8714]

Christ, this guy's career is just something else.

[@nullanonsonemmenoiocosascr6676]

Something new and not well known: *Exists* Admiral King: THIS WILL BE A FINE ADDITION TO MY COLLECTION OF KNOWLEDGE

[@wun1gee]

Could you imagine this man's power level if he had access to Wikipedia?

[@AdmRose]

When I heard he had to fight 70 other applicants for his spot at Annapolis I pictured him literally having to fistfight them in a lose-and-out March madness style system. Maybe it’s just me.

[@adenkyramud5005]

Knowing how he was later in his life I guess he would've just looked his opponents in the eyes and ordered them to step aside. And succeeded in that.

[@blainedunlap4242]

King and Marshal do not get the credit they are due for the war. Figuring out what to do and how to do it is as important as actually doing it.

[@mp4373]

Yes! They were both critical.

[@keithpennock]

What was Admiral Halsey’s “erratic behavior” that almost got him relieved? Perhaps you could do an episode on Halsey and if the “erratic behavior” requires more explanation & background a specific one on that as it sounds like there is a story there.

[@dyingearth]

Typhons.

[@josephzimmerman-ej3is]

Ask Admiral Clifton Sprague

[@georgesoros6415]

@@dyingearth Or maybe Typhoons. lol! But that man was in the war at an advanced age for that day, from Dec 7th, in the thick of the fighting. Pivotal when it mattered. Probably a bit worn out by Leyte. I'm now roughly his age, and I cannot do what he was doing at the same level he was doing it. Drach has a lot of things about Leyte Gulf, Operation Ten-Go, and all that. Look at them. Then you might see what he's talking about. Halsey at Guadalcanal is a genuine gold-plated HERO! At Leyte an old worn out man. Yet I hardly think anyone could have done much better, even in the typhoon. At Sea, Nature does shit...lol. It's why sailors always rescue their enemies, if at all possible, even though their own lives may be imperiled. They know The Sea is all their enemies, with more power than any nation can ever bear. The Brotherhood of The Sea is an amazing thing. I would love to hear what Drach thinks of what difference Marc Mitscher might have made if he were in command at Leyte. because that would make the Golden Boy, Nimitz, the scoundrel, wouldn't it? For putting an old, worn out commander in, when he had a man who was a proven wonder who might have done it. They alternated back and forth. Same ships, different commanders and staffs. I think 3rd Fleet and 5th Fleet, if I recall correctly. They changed every major operation. Not enough is told of this. What other Navy ever did this? What other Navy ever had an entire two or three State's worth of men and warships constantly at Sea. bringing pain and death to probably the most noble and determines enemy we ever faced? Almost 5000 miles away? Amazing stuff. I'm sure Drach will get to it.

[@davidvasquez08]

@@georgesoros6415 But Halsey actually could’ve avoided both typhoons, but he didn’t and decided to give the Japanese a bit of an equal fight of whatever was of the IJN force

[@jg1093]

The content on this channel is criminally underrated

[@Mr.Praetor]

Petition to change Drachinifel's official title to Arch-Admiral Drachinifel.

[@dropdead234]

Arch-Admiral would be Mrs. Drac. First time out, and she boxed his ears proper.

[@tominiowa2513]

@@dropdead234 - He knows better than to tell us his Azur Lane Waifu (live chat a couple of weeks ago). 😜

[@lim-dulspaladin50]

Fair's fair Drachinifel, I would deeply appreciate if you did a series on the relavent movers and shakers in each of the navies leading up to or through WW 2. The real "shapers" of the doctrine that should be remembered.

[@herseem]

Particularly impressed by dismantling and improving the range-finding gear to win a shooting competition for his ship. As well as strategic brilliance that shows an exceptional level of extremely low-level technical ability. That combination at both ends of the scale is what can make a man great. Also, an exceptional documentary on a guy I never even knew existed but is someone a bit like me, but with anger I don't need - I like to improve things too and sometimes break eggs in the process, but I'm usually right.

[@AdamosDad]

"Fair Winds and Following Seas" Brothers Thank you Drach for this tribute to a truly great man.

[@parrot849]

An outstanding oral overview of a most remarkable 20th century naval officer. Here is an interesting situation one could imagine in some lazy daydreaming moment: You find yourself stuck in a life raft with Admiral King, General MacArthur, General Patton, Admiral Beatty, and General Montgomery; and for the sake of the scene, they’re at the same flag/general officer rank, i.e. O-3....

[@alganhar1]

I would take my chances in the ocean rather than stay on that raft tbh! Far too many overly large egos there for my liking....

[@JediKnight19852002]

If there was a revolver as well and shooting one's self was on the table, somehow, Beatty and MacArthur would have two hits each, Patton and Montgomery one each, and you'd be stuck in a boat with a slightly less angry Admiral King

[@cbbees1468]

Can you imagine if Curtis LeMay and Halsey were also on this life raft? It would be known as the world's most dangerous life raft for both it's occupants and once they managed to clamber back ashore.

[@davidmorgan7235]

@@cbbees1468 but Halsey would probably find a typhoon

[@cbbees1468]

@@davidmorgan7235 Oh that's rich lol.

[@aaronjohn6586]

King had a quote attributed to him which was said at the start of WW2, "These are the time when they send for the son's of bitches", meaning war called for cold calculating ruthless toughness.

[@leops1984]

He was asked about it, I think. His answer was along the lines of: I didn't say it, but I would have if I'd thought of it.

[@adenkyramud5005]

I think it was FDR who said that, but not 100% sure. Please correct if wrong.

[@bubblesofthecoast6393]

I can’t help but see King as the guy saying “I warned you” as the knights of the round table ran from the bunny

[@TheAsh274]

You mean.... Tim?

[@tominiowa2513]

But if the Bureau of Ordinance had been in charge of Holy Hand Grenade development and production...

[@CFarnwide]

@@tominiowa2513 1... 2... 5! No, 3 sir! After some time... “Jesus Christ!”

[@herseem]

@@tominiowa2513 It's probably because they firing the torpedoes and counting to 2, or 4, or 5 (which is right out), but not 3, and 3 was not the number to which they were counting

[@stephenpowstinger733]

My dad was an officer in the USN in WW2 and I remember him saying back when I was a boy that the true commander in the Pacific and overall in the Navy was Admiral King. Some people still argue with me and don’t even know who King was. I also watched the series Victory at Sea when it was new, still a good dramatic history of the war. King is underrated in most histories. A guided middle destroyer was named for him but he deserves a greater honor. Navy ship-naming has gotten messed up though. One new advanced ship is named for congresswoman Gifford, victim of a mass shooting, clearly a political move.

[@jsorbieus]

The best bio of Admiral King I’ve seen, he’s usually simply dismissed as an anglophobe.

[@tonytrotta9322]

Per Wikipedia: After a Navy Court of Inquiry recommended that McVay be court-martialed for the loss of Indianapolis, Admiral Chester Nimitz disagreed and instead issued the captain a letter of reprimand. Admiral Ernest King overturned Nimitz's decision and recommended a court-martial, which Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal later convened. McVay was charged with failing to zigzag and failure to order abandon ship in a timely manner. He was convicted on the former. Prior knowledge of Japanese submarines being identified in the area was withheld from the court and from McVay, prior to sailing, as well. Following McVay's conviction for hazarding Indianapolis by failing to zigzag, Admiral King recommended setting aside the punishment. USS Indianpolis CA 35 should have had an escort destroyer after dropping off the main parts of atomic bomb.

[@InchonDM]

The King-Nimitz dynamic is both interesting and important to understanding the Navy's operations in the Pacific. King was, of course, a hardass, though always to the end that produced results. Nimitz, by contrast, was much more personable and sympathetic to the struggles of his frontline admirals (and, of course, he was also much closer to them while King had to sit on the mountain and watch two oceans at once). You get a little bit of good cop-bad cop as a result, which didn't always turn out in a good manner -- the gross court-martial of McVay or the eventual suicide of Howard Bode being two examples of the Navy's insistence on culpability producing likely unnecessary and thoroughly tragic results.

[@sawyerawr5783]

@@InchonDM I've got a lot less sympathy for Bode than McVay personally: maybe its the former's personality.

[@InchonDM]

@@sawyerawr5783 Bode has some extenuating circumstances -- specifically, before skippering _Chicago_ he was the captain of the USS _Oklahoma._ Not only was she sunk while he wasn't on board, but because he was over on the _Maryland_ on business, she was sunk right in front of his eyes. I can't imagine that didn't have an effect on him, personally, and it gives me more sympathy for his situation.

[@tonytrotta9322]

In his book Abandon Ship, author Richard F. Newcomb suggests one possible motive for Admiral King’s ordering McVay’s court-martial. According to Captain McVay’s father, Admiral Charles B McVay Jr: “‘King never forgot a grudge,” he replied in anger. King had been a junior officer under the old man’s command when King and other junior officers sneaked some women aboard a ship. Admiral McVay had letter of reprimand placed in King’s record. “Now,” he raged to his son, “King’s used you to get back at me.'” American submarine experts testified that “zigzagging” was a technique of negligible value in eluding enemy submarines. Sub Commander Hashimoto also testified in agreement. Despite that testimony, the official ruling was that visibility was good, and the court held McVay responsible for failing to zigzag. On Nov. 6, 1968, Captain McVay committed suicide by shooting himself at his Litchfield, Conn., home. USS Indianapolis survivors organized, and many spent years attempting to clear their skipper’s name. Ironically, more than 50 years after the incident, a 12-year-old Pensacola, Fla., student, Hunter Scott, was instrumental in raising awareness of the miscarriage of justice carried out at the captain’s court-martial. As part of a school project for the National History Day program, the young man interviewed nearly 150 survivors of the Indianapolis sinking and reviewed 800 documents. His testimony before Congress brought national attention to the McVay case. In October 2000, the United States Congress passed a resolution that McVay’s record should reflect that “he is exonerated for the loss of the USS Indianapolis.” President Clinton also signed the resolution. Commander Hashimoto died Oct. 25, five days before McVay’s exoneration. In July 2001, Secretary of the Navy Gordon R. England ordered McVay’s official Navy record purged of all wrong-doing.

[@sawyerawr5783]

@@tonytrotta9322 You make a good case. My view was always that, the loss was so public and so humiliating for the Navy (especially the loss of life of the men who went into the water), that *somebody* had to pay. and as usual, the guy(s) who really should have, the ones with stars on their shoulders, weren't going to. so McVay was essentially scapegoated.

[@petersouthernboy6327]

King was *very* smart, and quite creative and determined. Well I learned something new today.

[@robertdubois3448]

@Hoa Tattis Did you miss the part where Drach mentioned King didn't have the authority to order civilian governments to shut off the lights?

[@robertdubois3448]

@Hoa Tattis Not referring to the convoy mess because that was his fault and he could have done something about that. In the US the military does not dictate to the civilian government. Or its not supposed to at least. Top man or not, he cannot tell state governors what to do.

[@robertdubois3448]

@Hoa Tattis Easier said than done

[@silentotto5099]

The only pictures of King I've ever seen before were when he was old and crusty. I think he was quite handsome when he was young.

[@Conn30Mtenor]

He was one of the architects of victory, underappreciated and almost forgotten in some quarters.

[@omgdwayne1565]

Very happy you've done this video on King. Fascinating character. I'd love to go back in time and hear him yelling from the bridge of the Lexington.

[@cp1cupcake]

You missed the important question everyone has: was King in fact the Primarch of the Angry Marines?

[@ooopretty7596]

Can't be, he wanted to do away with swords!

[@scottgiles7546]

@@ooopretty7596 KA-BAR isn't a sword, and I can see him carrying one..

[@dropdead234]

@@ooopretty7596 Angry Marines use Power Fists, not sissy blades.

[@M167A1]

My dad was in the Navy in the Pacific and my uncle, his brother, a marine. My dad, the sailor thought the world of King, his brother not so much. in fairness they both detested MacArthur.

[@mindwarp42]

Nah, the Man-Emperor of Mankind simply used some of King's DNA in some of his Primarchs: Dorn, Perturabo, Angron...

[@mpersad]

Well Adm. King might not have admired the British, but THIS Brit is full of admiration for him! Terrific video Drach!

[@michaelanderson8186]

Well, as the old saw goes, you only get one chance to make a good first impression. The RN did not make a good first impression - or a second one - on the younger Ernest King.

[@ElGrandoCaymano]

If King had had his druthers, there would have been no British Pacific Fleet during the war years. It's presence was due to Churchill and FDR overruling the irascible admiral.

[@MH-gm3ju]

Thank you for providing quality content several times a week

[@charlesbaker7703]

I would suggest the following revision: "Thank you for providing *several hours* of [quality] content every week"

[@dropdead234]

@@charlesbaker7703 I would further suggest "Thank you for providing several hours of *high* quality content every week," Quality is easy. Deep research, good speaking rhythm, and organization isn't.

[@jarvisfamily3837]

"When they get into trouble they send for the sons-of-bitches." ADM Ernest J. King, USN Chief of Naval Operations, March 18, 1942 - December 15, 1945 Fair winds and following seas, sir.