Guadalcanal Campaign - 1st Savo Island (IJN 1 : 0 USN)

Today we look at the first major battle of the Guadalcanal Campaign, the 1st Battle of Savo Island)
Sources:
www.amazon.co.uk/Neptunes-Inferno-U-S-Navy-Guadalcanal/dp/B004KSEYHI
www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Guadalcanal-Described-Survivors-Official/dp/0786458976
www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/PTO/H...
www.amazon.co.uk/Shame-Savo-Anatomy-Naval-Disaster/dp/1863736506
Maps Graphics - Wargaming (World of Warships)
Free naval photos and more - www.drachinifel.co.uk
Want to support the channel? - / drachinifel
Want a shirt/mug/hoodie - shop.spreadshirt.com/drachini...
Want a medal? - www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Drachinifel
Want to talk about ships? / discord
Want to get some books? www.amazon.co.uk/shop/drachinifelDrydock
Episodes in podcast format - / user-21912004
Music - / ncmepicmusic

[@Drachinifel]

Pinned post for Q&A :)

[@dejangabrovsek6534]

Many battleships prior to WNT had quarterdeck lower than the main deck (for example HMS Hood, QE, R classes) but many battleships after WNT had flush deck (Nelsons, KGV, Iowa). Is there any reason for this way of design?

[@usslexingtoncva-1639]

How Good Was USS Enterprise’s Helmsman. Since From What I Saw From Battle 360, She Was Able To Evade Torpedoes Like It Was Going Out Of Fashion.

[@Primarch359]

If the Carriers were present would they have been any danger?(I assume not) How many escorts left with them? and could those escorts have made a significant contribution?

[@Eric_Hutton.1980]

Would you do a video about the loss of the Royal Oak, if you haven't already? I love the Revenge class battleships, and this great battleship and 835 of her crew deserve to be remembered. If you have done a video about her loss them I apologize. A magnificent ship that should be and needs to be remembered.

[@MarcStjames-rq1dm]

Thoughts on the Tom Hanks movie, 'Greyhound'? From a Forester novel, 'the Good Shepherd". (I thought "Sink the Bismarck" was better).

[@kurumi394]

My parents made me learn English like any other native would since I was born, even though I'm from a non English speaking nation and they both don't speak English. 20 years later I get to enjoy every single moment of Drach along with his subtle humor sprinkled in. I really owe them big time

[@visassess8607]

What country are you from? Japan?

[@Ratdaddy752]

This channel really is a treat

[@wordsshackles441]

You swallow trees mate

[@randomrandomnesss2188]

You had great parents

[@lessthanimpressive1323]

Your English is perfect too!

[@Halinspark]

Ship Command: Your job is to keep an eye out and tell us if the enemy shows up. Watch: The enemy showed up Command: You're wrong and also an idiot. Watch: We are literally on fire. Command: It must be the wind.

[@scotty1108]

Don't you just love humans? I have been reading history my entire adult life, and it seems our own stupidity is a universal constant.

[@MasouShizuka]

I too, elect to go to sleep while my house is on fire.

[@sw96]

@@scotty1108 I think it was Einstein who said “Only two things are infinite, the Universe and human stupidity... and I’m not certain about the Universe.”

[@KiwiKaosAgent]

Sounds just like the senior management of the company I work for, All fucking idiots with their own agenda and anything you tell them they ignore.

[@ulfpe]

Supreme incompetence

[@LordOceanus]

I love the lieutenant who beat up a shark, I respect that man.

[@Yamato-tp2kf]

A man with a big M and balls

[@USSAnimeNCC-]

Jaw: I fear no man but that thing it scare me

[@greghelms4458]

Only man who sounded like he knew exactly what he was doing.

[@CowMaster9001]

They should name a megacarrier after him. The biggest deck in the fleet

[@FunctionalHistories]

And then GOT BACK IN THE WATER?! F THAT! Throw me a rope or something, guys!

[@Big_E_Soul_Fragment]

Long term series you say? *This is where the fun begins*

[@joshthomas-moore2656]

Long term series huzzah boys!

[@MrSleepy677]

Christmas came early

[@johnbuchman4854]

I am available for play testing! (Just in case, doesn't hurt to get the word out...)

[@OutlawedOutlander]

It turns out I have already watched your video and have subbed.

[@chadgessele7452]

While I hope Our man Drach never slacks off on the guides and such, this is the kind of thing that really fires my boilers. Yes sir, may I have another?

[@Iturnright]

Small note, the S class submarine used the WW1 vintage Mk 10 torpedo rather than the dud prone Mk 14 because their tubes were too short to fit the newer weapon.

[@Drachinifel]

True, although the mk10 wasn't without its own issues :)

[@jonathansmith6050]

​@@Drachinifel Still, not being saddled with the problematic magnetic influence exploder and having a slower speed which reduced the forces on the impact detonator couldn't have hurt.

[@rutabagasteu]

@@jonathansmith6050 And the exploder wouldn't work if the torpedo hit at a 90 degree angle. Others angles they told told to not use, the exploder/detonator would go off.

[@wrayday7149]

@@rutabagasteu Well, that may of been the case, but the act of firing them in a way where the Japanese would of seen them/forced to dodge, would of told the Japanese, their game was up. Since they were banking on the element of surprise.... that might of turned the fleet around and staved off the attack.

[@Ebergerud]

It sunk a blinking IJN heavy cruiser - the mk 14 rarely sunk anything - unless Blue really did get Canberra. The US torpedo debacle is worth a show - it's a laugh or cry story - and maybe a very important one when you consider how quickly USN subs smashed the IJN merchant marine once the tropedo problems were fixed in 43 - and the warships sunk.

[@MaxwellAerialPhotography]

"We lost four cruisers, Turner took everyone left and headed for open sea. We're it for now. A zero crashed into her (the Elliott's) midship, they couldn't control the fires so they scuttled her. She went down with half the battalions ammo, most of our grub and medical supplies, and all of our ass wipe." - Lt. Corrigan, The Pacific Part one.

[@SkylersRants]

I just recently learned that my grandmother worked in the factory assembling torpedoes in Chicago. I have it on good authority that it wasn't her fault.

[@jstetzer01]

Grandma doesn't make mistakes. I know , I had 2 in Chicago. Several Uncle's in the Military. One was a Submariner.

[@seasirocco3063]

Never realized how close Kirishima and Hiei’s wrecks were. Sisters to the end, I suppose.

[@jimmywrangles]

Poor HMAS Canberra. The crew got a lot of flak when they returned home, all of it undeserved. RIP my fellow countrymen, you did good.

[@MrSGL21]

they did their duty and did it well. we named one of our crusiers after the Canberra and we just laid down the keel of a new Uss Canberra.

[@captainobvious9233]

@@MrSGL21 And my Grandfather served on the U.S.S Canberra in WW2. My Father in law also server on her during the Vietnam War. Sadly my Grandfather passed before he met my Father in Law :(

[@gronk2577]

I’m the queen of England, Served on the U.S.S Hood

[@MrBITS101]

I read somewhere that a significant number of Canberra survivors were later appointed to it's replacement ship, the Shropshire and repeatedly mentioned that they had some scores to settle with the Japanese. Shropshire later participated in the Leyte Gulf battles and I believe the crew and ship performed well and gained some degree of revenge.

[@cmikles1]

That sucks. There’s not a whole lot you can do when you are the target of the opening shots and take a couple dozen hits. And they put themselves between the forces they were protecting and the attackers.

[@belekjenkins2308]

When you put on a Drach vid in hopes that his soothing voice will help lull you to sleep, only find the subject matter so interesting you stay awake another 43 minutes...

[@jonathanhill4892]

You ought to know by now that it is not just a five minute vid:) But who's complaining. There are more important things than sleep!

[@Anaris10]

I didn't want to go to sleep..but I did...

[@norahc.]

Glad I'm not the only one with this problem.

[@longlakeshore]

As one historian wrote: "Admiral King decided to set up a toll booth on Guadalcanal."

[@Johnnycdrums]

He was a God.

[@seavee2000]

@@Johnnycdrums He thought he was God

[@sawyerawr5783]

@Raging S doesnt make him any less of a self-righteous, arrogant asshole. even his own daughter said he only had one mood, "angry."

[@Johnnycdrums]

He overuled the taking of Rubaul, another good decision.

[@zeedub8560]

@@sawyerawr5783 The quote from her that I've read is "My father was the most even-tempered man in the Navy, because he was always in a rage."

[@christopherbrodhagen8646]

When I was young in the Navy at Pearl Harbor we would volunteer (or voluntold ) to help the old timers on Pearl Harbor Day. One guy in a wheelchair was a 40mm reloader, told some funny and crazy stories.

[@lamwen03]

And probably mostly true.

[@christopherbrodhagen8646]

@@lamwen03 Most were drinking and guys chasing women.

[@totalwar1793]

@@christopherbrodhagen8646 Yup, those are mostly true

[@kpdubbs7117]

2:42 Map: South of Florida Island, shows the location of the sinking of the BOW of the USS Minneapolis. This is my favorite detail so far.

[@michaeljones9861]

KPDubbs71 good spotting

[@sse_weston4138]

Adding to that, to the south end of the map the spot for the USS Serpens disaster

[@Ralph-yn3gr]

Officer: "Show me on the map where your ship is." Sailor (pointing): "That's them, sir." Officer: "There are two marks here. Did you make a mistake the first time?" Sailor: "No, sir. That's where the front of our ship is. The rest of her is over here."

[@stephenpickering8063]

I noticed a couple of oddities here, such as the Canberra being labelled DD! However if the rest is accurate you see why it got called Ironbottom Sound.

[@sse_weston4138]

@@stephenpickering8063 Actually the single D label for the Royal Australian Navy doesn't signify destroyer, although I myself am not familiar enough with the designations of the Commonwealth to give an accurate description

[@MrThekingofrock97]

Anyone here going through this series again? Drach at his best

[@rackstraw]

Ironically, the S-Boats had the best chance against surface targets in 1942, as they were still using WWI-era Mark 10 torpedoes. While these also tended to run deep, they lacked the problematic magnetic and contact exploders of the Mark 14, and could actually be counted upon to function in the event of a hit.

[@Drachinifel]

Probably why S-48 managed to bag one of them on the way back :)

[@rackstraw]

@@Drachinifel Spoilers!

[@MrTScolaro]

@@Drachinifel Three hits out of four fired and all of them exploded.

[@johnbuchman4854]

@@rackstraw Ah! Spoiler alert on a battle 78 years in the past... Speaks volumes about what passes (and has passed) for history education!

[@WWTwoGuy]

@@johnbuchman4854 It was probably a joke.

[@shaunsalter450]

I admire the confidence of the Quartermaster who overrode the arrogance of the Lieutenant. Warrant Officers have Saved Bacon throughout history. So easy to get arrogance confused with confidence, especially in the USN of 1942. Remarkable that even after the logistical truimph of Pearl Harbour (even if it was strategically insane in the long term) USN contempt for the Japenese wasn't at least tempered by wary acceptance of their abilities. Usually nothing educates like disaster, in that case the USN couldn't get past the insult and shake off their complacency. Excellent relating of the event as usual, I look forward to the next chapters.

[@sawyerawr5783]

NCOs make the world go round. never forget that.

[@Zerox_Prime]

Yes and no as to Japan's wartime prowess. Repeatedly, they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, i.e. Bombing old obsolete battleships in a shallow harbor, leaving fuel and subs untouched; at Savo Isle leaving transports untouched despite overwhelming tactical victory; Midway where it was against war game rules to position USN carriers where they actually would be, etc.

[@rogerwilco2]

I think that the US complacency is in this case significantly rooted in racism, but it is a trait of the US in general, from the war of 1812 up to the invasion of Iraq. The US wins wars because of its sheer size, geographical advantages, and resources. But it's citizens confuse this with tactical and strategic brilliance.

[@haggis525]

@@rogerwilco2 All those advantages and the Vietnamese kicked their butt. Will to win and dogged perseverance is a tremendous thing to have and the Vietnamese had that above all.

[@gayprepperz6862]

@@haggis525 The Vietnam war was doomed from the beginning because it not an all out war, but a stupid "policing action" with an ever burgeoning list of "rules of engagement.". As for the rest of your comment (RogerWilco), exactly what sorry country is it that you represent? The US was rolling Japan back across the Pacific using only 10% of it's resources, the remaining 90% being dedicated towards defeating Germany. Yes, Americans had a low opinion of the Japanese, but the Japanese (and Germans) were no less "racist", and underestimated the spirit and ingenuity of the Americans. Your knowledge and opinion of the US seems to be based on "feelings" and racism as well. If the US is so bad, why do all of the European and pacific nations all want treaties with the US for protection. We are being chained to small, incompetent, and incapable corpses that have nothing to contribute towards their own defense. We should shake all of those mangy rats (Europe included) from our necks and see to our own defense, and not be hindered with incompetent and weak, so-called "allies."

[@mikehillier6441]

My Grandfather was on Quincy. All he would tell me about Savo was that they were being hit before they even knew the IJN was there. The look in his eyes told me not to ask anymore. Thanks Drach for this video I'd been hoping you'd get to it. Ill pass the link on to my Mom and Aunt so they can hear about their Dad's ship.

[@MikeJones-qn1gz]

A night im sure he wishes he could forget, cheers to him.

[@kennethdeanmiller7324]

You would think that after such a horrible defeat that the USN would have learned that they needed a force in the area that was better trained with each other & understood that the IJN could show up at any moment & that that area was basically "the front line".

[@martinswiney2192]

Salute to your father and all others lost over the Japanese treachery. My uncle included.

[@jannegrey593]

Drach in the middle of the night Glorious

[@DaveSCameron]

Pervert!! Aren`t you aware he`s a married man?

[@BRAgamer]

The Nobleman has posted. We may rest the bosom of knowledge now.

[@aaronjohn6586]

1 of the best books written on the naval battles off Guadalcanal was James Hornfischer's "Neptune's inferno."

[@85gamingwot55]

Aaron John I had a birthday recently and I’m trying to get that book

[@johnreilly6630]

Last I was at the National WW2 Museum in New Orleans, it was down betwen "Neptune's Inferno" and "Shattered Sword", and Hornfischer won that one

[@ovk-ih1zp]

@@johnreilly6630 Still spend the money on Shattered Sword. It's an excellent breakdown of Midway with, at the time of writing, plenty of primary sources from the IJN side as well as the USN perspective. But both book can not be more highly recommended. I've read both multiple times.

[@gandydancer637]

@@johnreilly6630 Drach was sponsored by Audible recently, and he mentioned "Neptune's Inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal" in his ad, so I dropped a credit on it. I'd gotten through 1st Savo just before this video popped up. I think I can detect some of his sourcing in it. Can't say I'm that impressed with the book. A bit too top-"leader"-centric. And you don't get the maps from Audible. (There's some good stuff on KZbin, though, to give some binocular vision as well as animations, or at least this one that I ran across. kzbin.info/www/bejne/joiodnuFgMiHpKM ) Audible has Shattered Sword, too, but Midway is less interesting to me. A bit too oft told, I'd be more interested in something more obscure.

[@scottl9660]

Richard Frank had a trilogy of books from the perspective of the land battles the surface battles and the carrier battles. The surface edition focuses mostly on the nov 13-15 battles but it touched on the others to a more limited degree. It’s another resource and my personal first introduction to the subject.

[@OntarioRimrunner]

Interesting fact: Crutchley had commanded HMS Warspite at Narvik.

[@bigblue6917]

I'm sure he could have done with Warspite that night

[@RCAvhstape]

He also had a most epic naval beard.

[@sawyerawr5783]

@@bigblue6917 could you imagine Warspite steaming out of the blackness, 15in guns blazing on Mikawa?

[@jasonmccaslin821]

I don't really understand why he was even there. Really. Drach kind of let him off the hook I feel like. Bode messed up. No doubt. But Crutchley shouldn't have had those two forces split so far apart where they couldn't support each other. He should have known the effective range on the radar on Destroyers Blue and Ralph Talbot. Why was a RN Admiral commanding a force of R.A.N. and U.S.N. vessels without a single R.N. ship being involved?

[@steffenb.jrgensen2014]

@@jasonmccaslin821 Crutchley split up the two forces because he thought they were too unfamiliar with cooperating and a bigger united force thus would end up in mess. I think that was a valid point.

[@johnwhite7219]

The Marines on Guadalcanal called this battle of the 5 Sitting Ducks.

[@RCAvhstape]

There's a scene in the miniseries "The Pacific" where Marines on a hill on Guadalcanal are watching the battle at night and assuming that the burning ships in the distance are enemy, not realizing at first that the US Navy is getting its ass handed to it. In the book "Guadalcanal Diary" the Marines describe all the wounded and dead bodies of sailors washing up on shore later.

[@williamlydon2554]

The Battle of Savo Island was so disastrous for the U.S Navy, that the surviving sailors were returned to the United States, and confined to base to hide the seriousness of the losses suffered. It was only in October of '42 with the campaign shifting in Allied favor, that the War Department allowed the truth of the defeat to be published. That same month, the Mayor of Quincy MA, Thomas S. Burgin wrote to the Secretary of the Navy asking to have the then under construction USS St Paul at the local Bethlehem Fore River shipyard, renamed the USS Quincy to honor the city's slain namesake. "The loss of the United States cruiser Quincy,is keenly felt by the citizens of this city for which the ship was named. Maintaining the traditions of the United States Navy, our ship went down fighting during the fierce attack on the Solomon Island. She had made a distinctive record for herself since being built here at the Fore River Shipyard. Acting in behalf of our 80,000 citizens, I earnestly suggest that you authorize one of the new heavy cruisers being built at the Fore River plant in Quincy to be named Quincy as a tribute to the officers and men of the Navy who were lost on the Quincy..." USS Quincy ( CA-71) was a Baltimore-class Heavy Cruiser , that served during both Overlord and Dragoon, ferried FDR to the Yalta conference, was the sight of a historic agreement between the U.S and Saudi Arabia, screen fast carriers in both the Pacific theater, and five years later was dusted off to do the same in Korea. CA-71 had a hell of a lot to live up to, but her officers and crew would have made both the former Quincy, and her crew alive and dead, proud.

[@69Applekrate]

The Battle of Savo Island and the entire Solomon campaign is easily the most interesting part of WW 2. Have studied it, read about it in many books for years. So much happened and it seemed in the 'less important' parts of the war compared to - Coral sea, Midway, Leyte, etc, etc yet there was more naval action and more 'balance' between the powers during this time. I find it fascinating and learn a bit more each time I study it. thanks for posting and covering this

[@jasonmccaslin821]

Must have been mass confusion I would think. So many things happening at once. Drach let's Crutchley off the hook I think somewhat cause he was R.N. and bears a good deal of responsibility in getting 1000 + U.S. and Australian sailors killed. Montemayor on KZbin has a pretty good video covering this battle too.

[@Zerox_Prime]

Guadalcanal was America's finest hour. The USS Johnston would have been at home there.

[@ToreDL87]

@@jasonmccaslin821 Firstly let it be known I appreciate their contributions (where done right and aptly), how they were always first to step in (both world wars) and so forth. But two things I've noticed with Britt ww1/2 goofup's is 1) How much the R.N kinda screwed up. 2) How Britts wont let things go that actually turned out to be kinda their own fault, making it more and more clear that it was their fault but they keep blaming others. 99% of cases where Britts goofed, up they get so toxic about it that I can't even Heck, even Korea where a Commonwealth battalion some or the other was holding the line against 30k strong Chinese mass exodus over the N.K border was asked by U.S general if they needed help, Britt commander goes "We're in a bit of a tough spot" and then NO FURTHER communications from the Britt commander. Obviously U.S general goes "Ok nvm then", Britt's got overrun soon after. Britts screamed loud about it and so who got the blame? Yep, the U.S general. Even in non-conflict areas, for instance the failed Nova Scotia expedition, yep, Amundsen (their competition) got the full 100% blame there too by Ranulph Fiennes simply for getting there first. Britts just refuse to take one for the team, and for that reason won't let things go. And it's hurting their credibility IMO

[@rexmundi3108]

I sometimes feel overwhelmed by the sense that individual ships were the combatants while their crews are secondary characters. Hooray, the ship made it home! Too bad about the hundreds of men who died in the dark or in fire to get it there...You do a better job than most of highlighting the human cost of naval warfare.

[@JediKnight19852002]

Drach to start the day. Glorious

[@airfigo1]

Drach at end of the day Also Glorious

[@Kevin_Kennelly]

Drach at night (not found on KZbin).

[@ronnelson7828]

Drach when talking about HMS Glorious........ anybody...

[@Lich_V.]

@@ronnelson7828 Double the Gloriousness

[@billbolton]

Drach in the middle of the day Glorious

[@Thunderstruck170]

Drach to end the day. Glorious.

[@falloutghoul1]

Drach to start the day. Even better.

[@American22people]

Drach for Lunch Time. Maybe better?

[@hmskinggeorgev7089]

Drach all day best

[@scottgiles7546]

Why yes. Drach has done HMS Glorious. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYeVZqRsZbibrJo (That is what you meant?) (whimsy)

[@saulekaravirs6585]

The Cyclops, "Nobody is flying their scout planes over us. Nobody is blowing up our Sothern force. Nobody is shining their search lights at us. Nobody is shooting holes in our hull. Nobody is blowing up our fire control system." The other Cyclops, "Why are you shooting at those ships? stop that." Those ships, "My name is Imperial Japanese Navy, not Nobody!"

[@glitterboy2098]

Perhaps the japanese task force should be labelled "TF Nemo" in the tradition of the odessey

[@chrisbullock3504]

The early war naval battles are sooo interesting. it really showed that the Japanese were not pushovers who were in over their heads like many believe from late war actions.

[@BobSmith-dk8nw]

Their problem, however competent their Navy was - was that as a nation - they were in over their head. Mikawa didn't engage the transports - which was what he should have done - because he knew that if he lost any of his ships - they could not be replaced. The Americans made mistakes and lost ships - but they were more than able to replace them. .

[@augustosolari7721]

@@BobSmith-dk8nw Also, take into account that His orders were to take out the defenses, not take care of the transports. Also, the army had boasted how they would anihilate the army, so why not Leave it up to them?

[@BobSmith-dk8nw]

@@augustosolari7721 If the Japanese had truly understood Mahan - he would have taken out the transports - but they didn't. If you look at the RN - whose resources weren't all that great either - THEY - with centuries of Naval Tradition - understood how to use a Navy. When they went after Bismarck - they went all out. They lost the Hood - but - they made a good hit on stopping the Germans from Commerce Raiding with their surface fleet as the Cargo Ships -were what it's all about. But - the thing with the RN was - all their Captains knew - that if they took on the enemy and hurt them - even if they lost their ship - Britain would build another one. The Japanese could never say that. Do you have a source for the exact wording (translated to English) of his orders? And - how would he know what the Army thought? Had the Army thought anything at the point at which he received his orders? The Japanese Army and Navy weren't known for talking to each other that much. Another factor in all this is the Japanese dogma (from the Battle of Tsushima) of The Decisive Battle where in their fleet would take on the US Fleet in this one big battle that would decide the war. That big battle had actually already come - at Midway but they continued to pursue that strategy and preserved The Combined Fleet at Truk - when committing it to the Solomon's could have made the difference. 1942 was the year the Japanese stood the best chance (and not a good one) of winning the war and the time to go all out with all their forces to defeat the Americans. However they persisted in this strategy of preserving their ships and lost. .

[@augustosolari7721]

@@BobSmith-dk8nw please, i encourage you to watch montemayor video on the battle here in KZbin. Have a great day.

[@mryhdy6266]

@@BobSmith-dk8nw I agree with your chance that 1942 was the year the Japanese had a chance to inflict major damage on the USN. I know hindsight is 20/20, but the only chance they had was to concentrate their forces for mutual support, the exact opposite of what the did. Obviously the US would gain the upper hand eventually, but would they have stayed the course if victories didnt appear until mid 1943?

[@tomcook5813]

Thank you for this presentation. My grandfather Gene Morningstar was a Fire Tender in the boiler room of USS Minneapolis. After action, they had taken many hits and even lost their Bow. The ship was abandoned more than once before it was realized that she wasnt going down. The boilers were relit and she was nosed into a lagoon at Tulagi (as memory serves) and the crew used materials found on the island to cover enough of the bow to make it to pearl for a more fitting bow and then on to Mare Island for refit. My grandfather had suffered a collapsed lung for the fight, but miraculously his lung reinflated in the 1950s while working as a pipe fitter in California. Before service on the Minny, he had served on the USS Bushnell sub tender.

[@DanielWW2]

23:57 The one time USN torpedoes decided to actually worked...

[@derekrohan9619]

Work

[@RodneyGraves]

The lessons of war are always paid in blood, and most often forgotten in the peace between wars. As the RN veterans of the Falklands campaign can tell you.

[@michalsoukup1021]

No kidding, Id rate the effectivness of Argentininan weapons against the RN in the war in this descending order. The Brittish Treasury, The Weather, Argentinian naval aviation... Rest of the Argentinian navy...

[@jonathanhill4892]

If blood be the price of admiralty, Lord God we ha' paid in full! (Kipling)

[@JeffLMB]

"Mission failed! We'll get them next time!" -USN.... probably

[@24YOA]

USA did get them next time!

[@jasonmccaslin821]

Yes. But unfortunately the guy who led the next victory gets blasted by friendly fire in the 3rd Allied victory.

[@calvingibson8869]

My father was on USS Selfridge, DD357, during this campaign. Looking forward to later mentions of his ship. Thanks for this series and keep up the good work!

[@calvingibson8869]

@TheSlot1942 Yes, he was a boiler tender.

[@davefranklin4136]

It is a little unfair to disparage S-38's chances at the beginning of Mikawa's sortie due to her torpedoes. As an old S-class, her Mk X torpedoes, while not without issues, were not as prone to failure as the newer boat's Mk XIVs - as demonstrated by S-44 sinking Kako on the Japanese force's voyage returning to base.

[@Drachinifel]

True, but as others have highlighted the Mk10 still had problems, namely a tendency to run deep. :)

[@davefranklin4136]

@@Drachinifel I did say the Mk Xs were "not without issues", and if I had waited for the entire video, I would have seen you addressed S-44 sinking Kako, so I it's all good. Keep up the great work!

[@craftpaint1644]

But steam driven torpedoes leave a large wake behind them, super easy to spot.

[@larrytischler570]

@@craftpaint1644 no problem for nitetime battles.

[@JohnRodriguesPhotographer]

@@larrytischler570 you can see wakes in the dark. This is caused by disturbing plankton in the water creating bioluminescence.

[@John.0z]

Drach, have you read "The Shame of Savo"? It is an interesting book explicitly on this battle. Although primarily a detailed analysis of the sinking of HMAS Canberra, of necessity it covers the whole battle. I met a former crewman of Canberra, and his recollections, although limited to his experience, are not too different to the book's documentation of events. To say that Bode was not liked by the Canberra's crew following that battle would be a vast understatement. That turn she made to port was seen as outright cowardice. After the battle, by using fire hoses from the two US Destroyers, in his opinion the crew were bringing the fires on board under control. Until the Chicago turned up with guns blazing. His description was of the foremost destroyer alongside "doing 30 knots standing still" as the crew chopped through the ropes and hoses linking her to the Canberra. By the time those destroyers were back alongside, the fires had blazed back up, and the ship was in a much worse position. I got the impression that the episode with the Chicago, combined with the demand to sink their ship, had a very bad effect on the spirit of the Canberra's crew. His last experience at Savo was being placed on board one of the US transports for return to Australia. The Canberra's crew entered the recently vacated bunk area to find the bunks littered with "all sorts of drugs" that they had never seen. This did little to improve their already poor opinion of US servicemen of the time; but the use of Benzedrine by several military forces in WW2 is now more widely understood. He did not tell me if any of the Australian sailors sampled those drugs. Later the Chicago was sitting in Sydney Harbour when the Japanese launched a midget submarine attack, with her as the prime target. Bode won no friends there either. Regardless of the wisdom of his action, steaming out at the first sign of trouble had all the harbour defenders asking "Where is the Chicago?" the next morning.

[@Questknight12]

Why was Bode not relieved for cause?

[@John.0z]

@@Questknight12 Ask the USN of WW2. But I would guess they were short of commanders for all the new ships that were commissioning.

[@7thsealord888]

On Chicago's conduct during the Japanese submarine attack on Sydney Harbour, worth noting that she did fire her main guns - and scored a hit on Fort Denison, a fortified island in the middle of the harbour. The spot where the shell hit is still pointed out to tour groups - in 150 years of service, it has been the only time that fort was fired on by ANYONE.

[@babylon218]

@@Questknight12 Relieved? The more I read about this man, I'm surprised Admiral King didn't teleport next to him through shear blood-curdling rage and *shoot him*! A ship is only as good as its crew, but even a spectacular crew can't make up for an incompetent commander.

[@7thsealord888]

'To Sydney By Stealth', a probably out-of-print book covering the Japanese submarine attack on Sydney Harbour, plus both the lead-up and aftermath. A read. Drach, This is another possible topic to add to your extremely long list. Or possibly about the Japanese mini-subs in general - the ones used at Sydney were an updated version of what was used at Pearl Harbour, and the type was used elsewhere as well.

[@Maddog3060]

I remember reading about this when I read Robert Ballard's book he wrote after poking around in Ironbottom sound. A damn, terrible shame.

[@neniAAinen]

This was, however, where the modern US navy was actually forged.

[@MikeJones-qn1gz]

@@neniAAinen well said you don’t get to being one of the best navies in the world without making all the big mistakes, the British Royal Navy is a great example

[@johnashley-smith4987]

I've been waiting for this one !Gonna be a good day!

[@WandererRTF]

For Finns 'Savo' is a funny name as one of the inland regions of Finland - mostly lake-land consisting of (thousands of) lakes and islands - is also known as 'Savo' (in English term 'Savonia' is used and in Swedish 'Savolax').

[@hazchemel]

interesting, thanks for saying :) i grew up on the coast of north east australia; the sun rises from the coral sea.

[@Idahoguy10157]

Back in 1984 in college I had a professor who was a Marine on the crew of the USS Wasp. In the Atlantic and Pacific

[@MichaelGarcia-ic6tz]

Drach, you're the best! Excellent breakdown of the Battle of Savo Island (I). Looking forward to the next installments. A great book that covers the Guadalcanal navel engagements is " Neptune's Inferno" by James D. Hornfischer, as you've noted.

[@mr.s2005]

Marines CO: We are invading Florida Marines: Wait, what.

[@MikeJones-qn1gz]

Marines “woooot I’ll get my swim trunks”

[@Admiral_Ellis]

"We're finally going to take down Florida Man."

[@VainerCactus0]

@@Admiral_Ellis You're gonna need an entire division for that.

[@rcgunner7086]

My barber growing up was a crewman on one of the little destroyer transports (WWI era four piper) in this fleet. He saw the battle and everyone was sure that the cruisers stomped the Japanese. He said that the next morning with the fleet high-tailing it out was a stunner to him and his crewmates. His ship spent the next few months supporting actions in the Solomons. Quite a ride he had!

[@michelangelobuonarroti4958]

Coming from Montemayor, so I have high expectations... He didn't disappoint. Quite the opposite in fact

[@seanmac1793]

Welcome to the cult

[@michelangelobuonarroti4958]

@@seanmac1793 I've been following him for a while now just to clarify. I think it's about a year by now. But you see Montemayor did an Animated Battle map for Savo Island and narrated the battle too that's what I ment.

[@seanmac1793]

@@michelangelobuonarroti4958 ahhhh okay

[@oneofspades]

Montemayor's Midway was one of the best.

[@michelangelobuonarroti4958]

@@oneofspades oh hell yeah. If not _the_ best. Have you seen parts 2 and 3 yet?

[@johnbantle7004]

The allies paid in blood for not being better prepared. These lessons were learned the hard way. Read “Neptune’s Inferno” to have your hair stand up on end before leaving you sad for the good men lost. Good job Drach.

[@hwclor7094]

Drachinifel, to add insult to injury, The Chicago had her radar first installed during a refit, on September of 1940. ( Photos avail of the radar in Sept. 1940,at Mare Island, , and In Sydney Harbor March 1941)

[@964cuplove]

Im coming back here after listening to the unofficial history podcast. Your video does sooo much better in a) using some maps b) giving an intro into the general situation at the outset - grat work, fantastic video !!!

[@David-il9xw]

Overconfidence of the USN, as a problem, was also shared by the RAF squadrons who later fought against the Japanese. They, too, believed their aircraft and tactics, having been honed in Europe against the Luftwaffe, were vastly superior. They suffered a similar end.

[@francoistombe]

Japanese navy also had its victory disease. Re-adjusted at Midway.

[@michalsoukup1021]

Arguably their tactics were superior, but their planes most definitely were not, and they had no early warning at far east.

[@jasonirwin4631]

@@michalsoukup1021 the RAF pilots did have a tactics problem. Many of the RAF veterans of European theater tried to turn fight zeros. You can turn fight a ME-109 or a FW-190 but as US pilots learned early in the war turn fighting a zero was a bad idea and that boom and zoom tactics are better or trying to use tricks like the thatch weave. US pilots tried to warn RAF pilots but were blown off.

[@jasonirwin4631]

@@michalsoukup1021 the RAF pilots did have a tactics problem. Many of the RAF veterans of European theater tried to turn fight zeros. You can turn fight a ME-109 or a FW-190 but as US pilots learned early in the war turn fighting a zero was a bad idea and that boom and zoom tactics are better or trying to use tricks like the thatch weave. US pilots tried to warn RAF pilots but were blown off.

[@jasonirwin4631]

@@michalsoukup1021 the RAF pilots did have a tactics problem. Many of the RAF veterans of European theater tried to turn fight zeros. You can turn fight a ME-109 or a FW-190 but as US pilots learned early in the war turn fighting a zero was a bad idea and that boom and zoom tactics are better or trying to use tricks like the thatch weave. US pilots tried to warn RAF pilots but were blown off.

[@jmrico1979]

Thoroughly enjoyable. I like this format. Just hard facts, and good narration. No comic voice over impersonations and no sound of the "typewriter from hell". Just one man's opinion. As always, thank you for your content.

[@samb3706]

A most excellent, accurate, and concise analysis of one of the most devastating naval battles of WW II. Not a pretty picture, but an indicator of many lessons learned. Thanks much, Drachinifel!

[@stefanfichtenhuegel5370]

Anyone remember Microprose TaskForce1942. It Was the starting battle of the campaign. I've rehearsed this battle in the sim dozen of times from allied and japanese side. And yes pushing for the Transports with the cruisers was a garant for winning the campaign for Japan. S! To Drac for adding his spice to the tale, making it so entertaining.

[@kakwa]

That feeling when, you hope and comment a couple of time for a video subject, and Drachinifel delivers just a few weeks after

[@L0stEngineer]

The dry wit and charm you add to this amazing story would make Hornfischer proud. Keep up the amazing work!

[@teebar8476]

I am thoroughly enjoying this playlist. Please continue and consider assembling more.

[@domhardiman6437]

Excellent! Thank you for making these videos Drach.

[@1Izaak]

More like this, please. I get that they take a long time to read, research, write and record, but they really are wounders.

[@Memphismastermind]

Who'd they wound?

[@vespelian5769]

I really enjoy this material and as I've just this minute read an article on the Japanese submarine campaign at Guadalcanal, this one couldn't be better timed. Excellent content as ever.

[@bigsarge2085]

Informative AND entertaining! Looking forward to the rest of this series, keep up the good work.

[@paststeve1]

Excellent and interesting video, as usual. Thanks Drach! Keep 'em coming!

[@christopherridle7670]

I have the book "Neptune's Inferno." I need to crack the cover.

[@observationsfromthebunker9639]

You must do so! It's not as detail-oriented as some other histories of the Solomons, but the narrative is excellent, and it handles matters of integrating men, machines, and material very well.

[@mycroft0078]

Agreed. Excellent book.

[@69Applekrate]

it is good but, there are many others of value as well. some extremely detailed

[@yes_head]

Great book, and it points a pretty damning finger at Vice Adm Ghormley, the Southern Pacific Theatre commander, for representing the timid attitude toward the whole Guadalcanal naval operation. Hence his replacement soon after with Halsey.

[@TheBassplayinggoalie]

It’s a very well written book.

[@bluemarlin8138]

Ooh, a Guadalcanal series? Sign me up! Can’t wait to see how you take captain Gatch over the coals! (deservedly)

[@bluemarlin8115]

@TheSlot1942 From what I can gather, that feud was mostly a result of captain Gatch taking credit for USS Washington's handiwork after the battle. (Apparently he frequently inflated his performance in after-action reports.) Gatch was said to be a brave man and well-liked by his crew, but I can't fathom how someone that incompetent and inexperienced was given command of the Navy's newest battleship. His decision to come right of the burning destroyers instead of following Washington to the left deserved a court martial all by itself!

[@InchonDM]

@@bluemarlin8115 The impression that I got was that Gatch didn't have much of a choice in the matter thanks to South Dakota's extremely untimely total power failure.

[@bkjeong4302]

@@bluemarlin8115 This wasn’t the first time SoDak stole credit or overclaimed. Her AA performance at Santa Cruz was a lie as well.

[@Olliemets]

Just getting around to this one. Thanks for this riveting detailing of the disaster at Savo Island. It's complicated and tough to track in a book. But your detailed walkthrough with accompanying Graphics and photos really tells a compelling story. Thanks again for all of your work towards the preservation of History.

[@mpersad]

Outstanding! Really good narrative of this initial engagement and the first outcomes.

[@Daniel.Anugerah]

like MacArthur, Drach has returned

[@dougerrohmer]

Except that Drach's return is a good thing...

[@Superuser009]

Hopefully with drier feet.

[@arihyvarinen9924]

Ok this was good vid with easy to understand presentation, cant wait for the next.

[@Boatswain_Tam]

Excellent vid and looking forward to more. I also watched your panel discussion on WoWs channel with Jingles on this battle. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[@GrumpyGrobbyGamer]

Wonderful video full of important information. Thanks Drach, I look forward to the rest of this topic

[@paulsakz1532]

OH MAN!!! I've been waiting for this since the robot voices! :D THX DRACH! Also BTW: If you are further interested in this battle the content creator MONTEMAYOR has some excellent videos that cover these engagements as well with some very nice graphics too!

[@ThrowawayModeller]

You see, Mikawa was able to gather enough medals to upgrade his Yuubari to be able to carry Kouhyoutekis which made 5-1.. I mean the battle of Savo Island much easier

[@owo5869]

Kantai Collection Yubari is the best girl ever

[@chrisscott6254]

Ah yes Another man of the cult of the ship girl gamer cult

[@zuikakuzk0229]

Would have been funnier if they were Daihatsu Landing Craft with some troops.

[@mastermariner7813]

Outstanding video. Total ineptness of the US Navy surface fleet in the early war. Thankfully they turned it around quickly. Looking forward to the series. Well done, Sir!

[@thomasbernecky2078]

Good work on this, well done & thanks Drach. I look forward to the next installments since reading James Hornfischer's books.

[@schlirf]

Constantly amazed about how few Americans know about Guadalcanal or Savo island battles nowadays. Its scary.

[@lars7935]

Knowing about battles isn't really all that important. Knowing why war happened, the politics of it and the broad strokes of the war (and knowledge of ALL significant war crimes, not just the ones of the loosing side) is much more important.

[@petersouthernboy6327]

I disagree with that. Any American with any interest in history is going to know about Guadalcanal

[@lars7935]

@@petersouthernboy6327 I'm just saying that learning this in school is much less important than learning the reasons for war and it's politics.

[@petersouthernboy6327]

Lars - my comment was directed at the OP. But “teaching” politics is in itself usually a very biased political exercise.

[@jlvfr]

Blame the History Channel. The few times they show this area is presenting the heroic marines standing, or heroic Henderson Field, or the 2 BBs blowing up a single BC...

[@williamlydon2554]

A heavy cruiser gave all her might As star shells lit up black night Her crew well drilled never would falter Even when enemy shells, tossed up water Blow after blow, and still she fought Until at last, she was caught In searing beams, that drew rapid fire Men fell to her decks as the toll grew higher. Torpedoes tore, her sides asunder Quickly, she began to go under Down she went with 370 men August 9th, was to be there end. And no more, was the Quincy.

[@donmarlon5924]

Excellent analysis. Thanks so much for posting this.

[@johnreilly6630]

Neptune's Inferno was two books ago for me, this is the most excited I've been about any of your videos.

[@alviecrumpton5216]

OMG your videos are so good!! You need your own show on the History Channel...oh wait, if you do that, within about a week you'll be hunting aliens and chasing ghosts..scratch that. You have earned a new Patreon subscriber. Well done!!!

[@GM-fh5jp]

Nice one Drach...a worthy subject for a series and probably the most interesting warfare location of the Pacific War. The air battles over the Solomons and then up the Slot were epic. Looking forward to your assessments and commentary as this famous campaign unfolds.

[@ericweis9771]

Thanks for the great presentation. I look forward to the next episode. Cheers!

[@christophermancini7380]

The Solomons naval campaign always reminded me of the Royal Navy's fight in the Mediterranean, especially during the Battle for Crete. Although the Italian Navy turned out to be nowhere near of the threat of the IJN, the German Lüftwaffe (particularly Fliegerkorps X) with some help from the Italians, managed to make the Eastern Mediterranean a living hell for RN surface units, with cruisers being lost at an alarming rate, as had been the case for the US Navy in the Solomons. It's fortunate that the US Navy wasn't facing Stukas and JU-88s in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons or at Santa Cruz, as no way could Enterprise or Saratoga have survived multiple hits from 1,000 kg bombs without armored flight decks. I'm very much looking forward to this series, as for over a year and a half, the surface and air engagements in the Solomons were unequalled in their ferocity before the learned skill and material might of the US Navy turned the tide.

[@Eboreg2]

17:15 - To be fair, Radar Warning Receivers were being developed at the time and the Japanese did manage to field one on the Jintsu at the Battle of Kolombangara but I personally believe that that is something you don't act on without any sort of evidence.

[@RodneyGraves]

A point, to be sure. Early surface search radars had huge problems with returns from both the seas and especially land clutter, with heavy forest/jungle posing particular challenges. We have retained the lesson though and now test such systems far more rigorously and in more real life conditions.

[@arsarma1808]

Ironically, a response on such a system might've deterred the cautious Mikawa, given that it would signify a large, alert, and radar-baring ship.

[@lamwen03]

@@arsarma1808 "Yes, we're here. Yes, we're watching you".

[@Johnnycdrums]

Rodney Graves ; Tuning makes a huge difference.

[@danielolson2857]

This is awesome as usual Drac! Keep it up and keep them coming please!

[@Conn30Mtenor]

Guadalcanal is unfortunately only remembered as a battle involving the USMC but more sailors died there than marines. Terrific video, Drach. Looking forward to Cape Esperence and Santa Cruz.

[@andrewmontgomery5621]

The first ever crushing defeat for the US Navy since their victory at Midway. I heard that several Australian ships took part such as the HMAS Canberra and HMAS Hobart

[@ph89787]

Fun fact. Hobart had served alongside Yorktown at the Battle of the Coral Sea.

[@petersouthernboy6327]

Yes it was. But the Yanks stayed on the island, killed 24,000 Japanese, the Japanese withdrew in early 1943, and the Americans completed the conquest of the Solomons.

[@alt7488]

@@petersouthernboy6327 the fact the battle of buna was going on at the same time making the base at Rabaul at risk probably helped that decision

[@RodneyGraves]

@@petersouthernboy6327 the USN suffered the majority of the casualties (especially the fatalities) of the Guadalcanal Campaign.

[@petersouthernboy6327]

Rodney Graves - 👍

[@ReclinedPhysicist]

You would think the investigation would also recommend installing captains that trusted radar.

[@GrumpyGrobbyGamer]

Fantastic video! Well delivered with some witty one liners thrown in for historical accuracy! Perception check indeed!!!

[@nnoddy8161]

Drach, worth noting that Victor Crutchley 'VC' - very few Admirals, if any, can claim that merit!!!

[@Howlrunner82]

And if you were really unlucky that night you would see the ghost of an old russian ship and hear "Do you see torpedo boats?" calls before it vanishes into the darkness again 👻

[@owenstockwood5040]

10:46 They may have done some good, as those were Mk10 torpedoes, which were at least somewhat more reliable than the Mk14 used by the fleet boats.

[@scottfabel7492]

Wonderful presentation. Thanks Drach!

[@alexkalish8288]

Best summary of the battle I have ever experienced. I've heard stories from men who saw the battle from shore. Great job -

[@jasondouglas6755]

The US invasion of Flordia inorder to stop all the beach parties

[@spoddie]

I think the author misunderstands the design philosophy of US torpedos. They were in fact kinetic weapons much like modern anti armour sabot rounds. (joke)

[@americankid7782]

I mean, what are they going to do? Explode?

[@thomaskositzki9424]

YES the Guadalcanal Campaing by Drachinifel! The most intense and interesting Naval Campaign (IMHO) narrated by the best YT naval historiographer around (fact)!

[@maximilliancunningham6091]

consistently excellent, and authoritive analysis. thank you Drac.

[@Bobisan1]

Ah yes, the good old "Bagely torpedoed Canberra" theory. Nevermind that for Bagely did -not- fire a torpedo salvo until the Japanese had already finished and were moving north. At the only moment she could have fired the torpedoes claimed to have hit Canberra (by a single source, an Australian sailor on Canberra) as she swung about on Canberras starboard, her torpedo tubes were not yet trained into position nor armed. No torpedoes were fired by Bagely until when she loosed four at the sterns of the departing Japanese ships from her port tubes after Canberra had already been riddled and was effectively adrift behind her. The likelihood of two of her four Mark 15 torpedoes having somehow managed to not only strike Canberra in her position, let alone detonate, are so absurdly astronomical that I don't know why it continues to be brought up.

[@Bobisan1]

"At about 0146, the CANBERRA lighted a spread of torpedoes approaching her. These had been fired at about 0144 by the AOBA. The Executive Officer, CANBERRA reported that the CANBERRA had been hit between the boiler rooms by one or two torpedoes. This report has been found to be incorrect by the conclusions of an inquiry subsequently held at Sidney by the Royal Australian Navy. That Board found: "That after very careful examination of the survivors, the Board of Enquiry.....came to the conclusion that this was improbable (that there were any torpedo hits). No fuel oil whatsoever was seen around the ship after the action, nor had any survivors experienced the shock of an underwater explosion. It was assumed that the list which gradually increased from five degrees to thirty degrees in about five hours, was caused by a shell going right through the ship and penetrating the starboard side under water."

[@sugarnads]

He did NOT state it as a fact. Relisten. Maybe he is too subtle.

[@comeatmebro3229]

Nobody can be sure if Bagley did hit Canberra with friendly fire however there is the possibility, if Bagley was in her proper position her torpedo spread would have come close to the Canberra but it is unlikely that they would have hit her however there has been a lot of suggestion from people onboard both Canberra and Bagley that Bagley was aft of her proper position and that would have put Canberra in the area of her torpedo spread. another oddity is that Bagleys sonar officer confirmed two torpedo hits yet we know that no Japanese ship recieved torpedo hits from the Allies so what did Bagleys torpedo's hit? it is possible that it was the Canberra. Some survivors from the Canberra believe they got hit by both sides. the man who fired the torpedo's on Bagley said in an interview "the officer on the bridge said he heard two explosions and Ryan (i could be getting names wrong as it was a verbal interview) who was on sonar he recorded two hits, it hit something" he then says he couldnt say but it might be possible that one of them hit the Canberra. so when we put some things together IT IS possible that the Bagley hit the Canberra, if she was out of position like some say she was the spread would have put Canberra in her torpedo's path and the fact that Bagley claimed two of her torpedoes hit and some survivors from Canberra believe they got hit twice on that side of the ship it cant all just be coincidence especially when we then put in that no Japanese ship was hit by Bagleys torpedoes. Bagleys torpedoes hit something the only question is what? if it was friendly fire and if it was covered up (these are ifs) it still would have been the right decision as Allied morale at that point in the war was low and if the Navy then come out and said there was a friendly fire incident it could have made morale even lower. the real tragedy in the case of the sinking of HMAS Canberra was not during the battle itself but after when she was given orders to be scuttled if she couldn't be under her own steam by the withdrawal time however the USS Astoria a ship that was in worse shape then the Canberra was given no such order, the decision to try to save one ship over the other was a terrible one especially when you consider the damages, the Canberra would have been saved however the Astoria could not have been so the Allies lost two ships when they should have only lost one. There are questions on why the Astoria got preferential treatment over the Canberra but these can also be controversial (the US prioritizing there own ships over there Allies ships for example) and it is believed that the decision to name a US ship after the Canberra was made as a sort of "apology" for the mistake in allowing Canberra to be sunk.

[@kemarisite]

Note also that while the Hobart would have been useful, since it had AP rounds and 6" guns, the San Juan was an Atlanta class cruiser, and that design was never shown to be a good choice in a surface action against heavy cruisers. There was no AP round for the 5"/38, and while there was a "special common" projectile with some ability to penetrate armor, especially at close range, it's not clear that it had been introduced by mid-1942 or that San Juan carried any.

[@MrTScolaro]

Although San Juan had the most advanced radar of any of the ships in the area.

[@Attlanttizz]

Drach when you start sipping your first tea in the afternoon... Glorious!

[@AtomicBabel]

So excited! A series on the Guadalcanal Campaign. This year, Nov 13 also falls on a Friday, just as in 42, when USN cruisers and destroyers got into melee range with Hiei and Kirishima