How One Bomb Changed The Course Of The Battle Of Midway & Stopped Japan Invading Hawaii

[@PeterOConnell-pq6io]

Even today, distinguishing between the reality of how an accumulation of random events somehow synergized into the instant, near complete destruction of Japan's Midway ambitions remains in the realm of "the stuff you just can't make up".

[@johnschuh8616]

Star Wars stuff, you mean!

[@PeterOConnell-pq6io]

@@johnschuh8616 Unlike Midway, Star Wars, despite its many wonderful qualities, was, in fact, made up.

[@greathornedowl3644]

Love Johnathan Parshall, always entertaining and informative. The What If's are an endless combination

[@tabletop.will.phillips]

I really enjoy this conversational talk show-esque approach. It's a distinctive angle on history content here across KZbin.

[@CorePathway]

Japan “churns out” 14-15 carriers. The US churned out 150. Complete with highly-trained air wings. The lack of a pilot training program was the real stopper for Japan re: carriers.

[@greathornedowl3644]

Japan in a ten-year build created first-class planes and a fleet of aircraft carriers. In 3 years the USA has a greater number of carriers and the Hellcat fighter.

[@julianbrelsford]

The fact that Japan was absolutely, positively incapable of churning out 150 carriers, and their aircraft, AND training competent pilots for the aircraft, AND providing fuel to all of the above... well that was the core of the problem they were finding themselves embroiled in as soon as they found out that the US military wasn't staffed by a bunch of pushovers

[@bryanbest5113]

Not rotating superior crews, mechanics, to train the next generation.

[@wiltonharris7755]

And my question is why are we still talking about this today. The Japanese lost get over it

[@alanstevens1296]

The U.S. could train tens of thousands of naval pilots on Lake Michigan where no enemy could interfere.

[@michaelhollman9470]

The wallpaper. The shirt. Fasten your seatbelts, Jon is in the building!

[@stuckp1stuckp122]

I learn a lot about the factors at work through this what-if analysis

[@sep0319]

Does not matter - they can build as much as they can (like the Germans) they still do not have the fuel to run in. They do not have the ships to move the fuel.

[@terrylawrence7498]

Jon is the man

[@Dartagnan88]

absolutely criminal that this channel doesn't have more subscribers. A few suggestions for upcoming videos: - What if the Wehrmacht would've won Stalingrad and/ or Kursk - What if Japan would've aligned with Germany and attacked the Soviets Union instead of Pearl Harbour, getting access to vital resources via/ from Caucasus and Persia (Assuming closer coordination of the Axis forces and a longterm strategic outlook that intends to knock out the Soviets together, securing the required resources and afterwards focusing on the Anglo-sphere

[@billmmckelvie5188]

Don't forget U.S.S Robin (HMS Victorious loaned to the USN in '43)

[@bobkitchin8346]

The speakers mentioned that if Japan had won the battle of Midway, the impact would have been felt in Moscow as well. I wonder if it's more than a coincidence that Japan planned the Midway/Aleutian battles just a couple of weeks before the Germans launched Operation Blau.

[@jakobming4831]

One thing not discussed is what if Mitch we doesn’t go fly is his air group to the middle of nowhere

[@GaveMeGrace1]

Thank you all.

[@seventhson27]

ONE THING TO CONSIDER is that during this time was the Japanese Internment. Where it was looking like a REAL POSSIBILITY that the U.S. would be invaded, and there were reports in other areas that "local" Japanese had aided invaders.

[@richardseverin1603]

There is no discussion of possibly losing communications with Australia and no Guadalcanal campaign (leaving Japan to complete their airfields on the island) if Midway turned out a disaster for the U.S. How long would it take for the U.S. to recover.

[@timmeinschein]

Please remember the performance issues of the 1940 to 1942 aircraft! Even B-17s would have had issue carrying a heavy bomb load. without fighter escort to attack Midway from the current large airfields Hawaii had at the time!!! Now, I can see Japan trying to build airfields and going "down the line" while the US Army (& Navy) went up and built up the smaller Hawaiian Islands to go "up the line"!! Now for "The Strike South" that started the Solomon Island Chain battles, including the "flanking airfield" on Guadalcanal, just remember the Japanese "knew" that they sunk the Lexington, and a Yorktown carrier at Coral Sea. Followed by sinking two Yorktown carriers at Midway (namely they thought they had sunk all 3 Yorktowns) and with the Saratoga in the shipyards for repairs & both the Ranger and Wasp in the Atlantic..... There's a reasonable excuse for "Victory Disease" occurring and the push towards Australia ......

[@PeteOtton]

Nimitz wished he had as many carriers as the Japanese claimed to have sunk. It seemed to be very difficult to accurately numbers sunk and aircraft shot down.

[@andyd5492]

WHere would the atomic bombs have been delivered from if Tinian hadn't been captured?

[@mgt2010fla]

Please tell us how many IJN aircrews were lost at Midway?

[@dennisweidner288]

You ovremphsize piloy losses. While most of the Hiryu pilots were lost, most of the pilots on the other three carriers were not lost. They were, however, mostly chewed up in the Solomons.

[@TzunSu]

Why is this being reposted again?

[@kenduncan3221]

Extends the wars length by 6 months. The Russians may end up with Hokkaido as well as the Kuriles.

[@howardwhite1507]

You all assume midway folds if the carriers are sunk or driven off.

[@simonkendrick3212]

Who about what if Britain held Singapore and Malaya?

[@warrenklein7817]

Interesting question. My limited knowledge indicates that if troops stayed on Malaya, there was a real possibility to counter-attack the Japanese, who, to my knowledge, hadn't received fresh supplies. Once the British and Commonwealth forces retreated to Singapore and blew the causeway, the Allies were stuck in Singapore with no chance of counter-attack, the civilian population subject to seige, and no water pipeline from Malaya. I recall the Japanese commander acknowledged the supply issue and was considering a pullback for resupply. However, as to how long the stalemate would last is unknown. General Percival was incompetent and should have had a friendly fire incident, just my opinion.

[@ganndeber1621]

The shirt, ohh the humanity

[@briancooper2112]

Jealous?

[@ganndeber1621]

@@briancooper2112 ohh yes

[@Bob.W.]

Don't forget the wallpaper.

[@ganndeber1621]

@@Bob.W. I can't wear the wallpaper

[@Bob.W.]

@ganndeber1621 true, but he's always in that room so we have to compare whichever Hawaiian shirt with it. :)

[@cecilkarney9311]

With all our bombers, how did they let the Kaga go untouched at 10:20 ? Nobody else like Best broke off, all 30 other bombers pounced on the Agaki .

[@MW-eb1qh]

Kaga bore the brunt of being attacked by 28 SBDs. All of VS-6, and all of VB-6 except Best and his two wingmen. Kaga was hit with 5 bombs. Akagi was attacked by Best, Weber, and Kroeger. Best's direct hit in the middle of the flight deck, which exploded in the hanger deck amidst all the fully fueled and armed torpedo bombers, was the single most significant bomb dropped in the entire battle.

[@creigmacc]

Japan was never going to invade Hawaii, they needed resources, not beaches.

[@kurtwpg]

Also, invading Hawaii required amphibious divisions, which they did not have.

[@patricknix5975]

She drank the Kool-aid. Pure and simple.

[@jvcyt298]

Hypotheticals and what ifs have a very small place in historical fact.

[@babboon5764]

A very contemporarily relevant comment 'China is doing now what Imperial Jaan was doing then trying to seize Hegemony of the entire Eastern Pacific *And James trod on the comment* ?! *WHY*

[@fredsanford5954]

So my conspiratorial question: Could it be that Nimitz recognized that his primary CV commander, Halsey, was too aggressive and prone to risk the CVs unacceptably? So Nimitz took a minor case of shingles as an excuse to swap Spruance for Halsey as CTF 16.

[@chardtomp]

It wasn't a minor case of shingles. If they got Halsey into a hospital at all, he was in agony.

[@johnharris6655]

There is no such thing as a minor case of Shingles.

[@JH_789]

How to spot the dude who never had shingles...

[@PeteOtton]

Halsey had himself checked into the hospital, beaching himself. He wasn't someone to go running to the hospital for minor complaints.

[@rsrocket1]

Halsey ran himself into the ground attacking wherever he could. Nimitz knew he had the experience to do this. No way would he deliberately beach Halsey although I’m sure he trusted Halsey’s recommendation to name Spruance as his replacement for the operation.

[@brucehartnell1475]

If the Japanese navy and industrial strength was as good as these Aussies are suggesting, they might have very well invaded Australia in 1942

[@bladerunner1458]

Luck? was someone looking after USA, A decision by one person changed the future

[@allenfitzpatrick8485]

The allies had broken the Japanese codes, they had set an ambush, they knew they were giong to attack midway, roughly when ,and what with. If they had lost at midway it would have been the greatest military disasters in history.

[@calvanoni5443]

It would be great to have a show on the attack of Pearl Harbor, & Japan invading Hawaii at that time.

[@HistoryUndonewithJamesHanson]

Watch this space... 👀

[@ericsahagun5344]

I'm only 6 minutes into this 14-minute video and commercials every 60 seconds or so is really aggravating Then on top of this you got this guy second guessing outcomes whether two or three Japanese flat tops would have been sunk and one or two might have survived What the American admirals would have done had this been the case but either way they would double down No they are not Donald Trump doubling and triple ding down on anything This is the most ridiculous synopsis I have ever heard on the Battle of Midway I'm grateful to almighty God This guy was not the admiral😮 This guy is no Fletcher or Spruance or Nimitz .... In fact I saw this video before without so many interruptions in my reaction to you three guys I remember being just the same Totally disgusted and saying you guys are full of shite!!!

[@MikeFeil-c9z]

Who is this old? Brandy livered UK guy that has no concept of actual history in the Pacific.

[@johnwalter9068]

I will not subscribe, This presenter is prone to elevating a possibility to a probability. The threat to the Solomons and the North Territory is more probable than the invasion of the Hawaiian Islands.

[@mikejones9961]

Mr Egghead forgets the hatred we had for the Japansies

[@yvonnelee3033]

The speakers should work on their English diction and learn how to speak a sentence without using "you know.."

[@JH_789]

You know, look, the thing is, it's interesting, what you have to remember is, you have conversational crutches too. Get over it.

[@valdorhightower]

Seriously, your site accepted a political ad from Donald Trump? That's absolute rubbish. You shouldn't be accepting political ads from any candidate.

[@PuntaPacifica507]

Um…it’s his channel…so

[@blakekeithley3400]

You could also contend that without God’s intervention that we would have lost WW2.

[@wiseguy8828]

You mean Odin and Thor right ?

[@JH_789]

You could also contend that there is zero evidence for god but America had a huge economic and industrial advantage and really couldn't lose against Japan unless we chose to quit.

[@davidely7032]

I'm just glad that Santa didn't side with the Axis. I mean, what would we have been able to do with all that coal in our stockings after the navy switched to oil based fuel? 🙄

[@ajalvarez3111]

@@davidely7032 I don’t know. "Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Panzer and Vixen! On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!”

[@josephfuller9366]

​@@ajalvarez3111 ...Blitzkrieg

[@lawrencemarocco8197]

If not for the heroic efforts of the dockyard workers at Pearl Harbor to get Lexington back in operation, the odds would have been four to two and the outcome might have been different.

[@smartbomb7202]

the americas were very lucky at midway....

[@kurtwpg]

Not really. They had better carriers and an island that made up for being one short, plus knowledge of the enemy plans. They had bad luck locating the enemy fleet until the last minute, and if not for the Flight To Nowhere might have had one more carrier and a bunch more planes at the end.

[@MW-eb1qh]

Luck is a product of design.