The Salvage of Pearl Harbor Pt 3 - The First and the Last

Today we look at the salvage efforts on the USS Shaw, first vessel salvaged from the remains of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the work on the last two vessels under the teams care, the Utah and Oklahoma
Sources:
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00C0JIXJO
www.history.navy.mil/our-coll...
www.amazon.co.uk/Pearl-Harbor-Fleet-Salvage-Appraisal/dp/0898755654
www.amazon.co.uk/Descent-into-Darkness-Harbour-Divers/dp/0891417451
Videos - US National Archives / US Department of Defense
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[@Drachinifel]

Pinned post for Q&A :)

[@wilmo456]

I'm transcribing WWI Sailor's Records for the NA and most of the Sailor's postings were on Shore Bases for training: HMS Victory I - III, HMS Excellent, HMS Vivid I - III and so on. Did these stations train the sailors in specific roles and tasks? I remember reading somewhere that HMS Excellent was a gunnery school of sorts.

[@Thirdbase9]

How is armor attached to ships?

[@bigblue6917]

I came across a KZbin video several months ago which was made by one of the officers who worked on righting the Oklahoma. He was serving on the ship when the attack happened and he mentions the fact that on the Saturday the captain had ordered all portholes and bulkhead doors opened ready to work on her on the Monday. So when she was hit the ship had no way of controlling, let alone, stopping the flooding. I found it an excellent video and well worth watching.

[@officeran9581]

What would happen if USS Kentucky in her BBG conversion(the one with the 16 Polaris nuclear ballistic missile) were to suddenly appear in Pearl Harbor after the attack, with no crew abroad. Could the us navy figure how to the operate the missiles; if so how fast would ww2 end, if not what would they use the useless missile battleship now for.

[@AndrewBaker-ym3mk]

Floating Dry-Docks, where and how were they used by European navies?

[@Para_Pilot]

IJN: "Sinks" Her USS Shaw: "I didn't hear no bell."

[@Chrischi3TutorialLPs]

USS Shaw: Im gonna pretend like i didnt see that.

[@sse_weston4138]

Shaw also got a personal taste of "revenge" when she, along with Charles Ausburne, Braine, and Russell, chased down the Matsu class destroyer Hinoke and sank it. Although, recognition as deserved, Hinoke stood and fought when it was realized she couldn't run

[@dcbadger2]

Official Records: USS Shaw: Lost USS Shaw: ...and I took that personally.

[@USSAnimeNCC-]

Shaw "Tis it a flesh wound"

[@cheswick617]

@@dcbadger2 official records, USS Shaw: lost...USS Shaw...hold my Beer!

[@robspecht9550]

Stephen Louis Lemeister, my Grandmothers Brother. Served aboard the USS Arizona, died Dec. 7th, 1941.

[@hazchemel]

Amen.

[@obelic71]

Forever resting in peace on the USS Arizona with his fellow fallen shipmates.

[@clintdavis9511]

My great uncle was shot down in a P51 Mustang. Lt. Robert Dossiet

[@obelic71]

@@clintdavis9511 The airmen who fought in the European theater had the highest chance to get killed of all branches. (aprox. 300.000 airmen in Europe got killed in WW2 ) Those who fell on sea, land and in the air shall never be forgotten

[@samrodian919]

RIP All

[@joelgenung2571]

Thank you for this OUTSTANDING 3-part story! I was a sailor in the U.S. Navy from 1965 until 1969 and have always been fascinated with the events of December 7, 1941. While stationed at the Norfolk operating base in Virginia, I had access to a wealth of historical information about the actual attack but little to nothing existed on the salvage operation. In fact even in the late 1960's. much of the information that existed was still highly classified. This is borne out by so many of the pictures you're now able to show in your series, where classified markings are plainly visible thereon. Suffice to say, Pearl Harbor was still a huge embarrassment and a black eye to the Navy and even while I was a sailor, virtually nothing was available that showed either actual damage or salvage operations. This is a welcome addition to the historical record and is greatly appreciated.

[@micnorton9487]

.. you got that right, the Pearl harbor attack was what "forced" Wall Street to keep a permanent military industrial complex of the highest capability,, "forced" the transmogrification of the Wall Street based OSS into the washington-based CIA,, "forced" the United States military into a permanent state of emergency,, and turned the ivy league crew in Washington and New York into the most evil empire in history...

[@BDLBM]

Honestly, who amongst us doesn't love a story about a brave destroyer that absolutely refuses to sink despite the universe throwing pretty much everything at it?

[@austinstack2944]

.....

[@chief7174]

My romantic thought is , she is supported by the souls lost at Pearl and refused to go quietly in the night. Of course, that is my retired Navy guy mindset. And yes, I know this is 2+ years old.

[@Maddog3060]

USS Shaw would have the Terminator 2 main theme as her song. "I'll be back."

[@johnemerson1363]

There was a destroyer in the Atlantic during WWII that kind of had a similar experience to Shaw. A German U boat blew the bow of this tin can off with a torpedo. Strangely enough, water tight integrity aft of the bride remained intact and the ship literally back to a repair facility where a new bow was welded on, everything hooked up and properly repaired she returned to combat. Many years later scuba divers found the original bow on the bottom and the ships number was seen on the bow. It took a while to figure out why the bow was on the bottom but the ship was scrapped many years later.

[@Warlock337]

@@johnemerson1363 I've been trying to find the name of that deep sea detective episode where the divers found it. I think it's a deep sea detective episode at least.

[@scooterdescooter4018]

"Payback"- Slayer.

[@Big_E_Soul_Fragment]

"having failed to either sink or arouse the wrath of an offended sea god that possessed a sense of aesthetics.." Absolutely beautiful line USS Shaw guide, when?

[@riderstrano783]

Agreed, we need a full 5 minute guide!

[@gigaflynn_]

yup!

[@JeremyJensen_FiveKids]

Don't forget to talk about how one of the largest explosions of the attack was from the USS Shaw's magazine. US battleships: "Wow. Look how big our explosions are." USS Shaw: "Hold my beer..."

[@scottgiles7546]

@@riderstrano783 "Agreed, we need a full 5 minute guide!" "5 minute"........... Right! So about 22 minutes then?

[@delurkor]

Add my vote to a USS Shaw Five Minute Guide (more or less). Thank you for a very good over view series. As a traction freak, glad to hear you mention the source of the motors for the righting of the Oklahoma.

[@danirizary6926]

My wife's grandfather and his best buddy were divers on the salvage/rescue at Pearl harbor (Cooper and Newton), they were the first hardhat divers to put boots on the Arizona (always arguing which of them was THE first). Many things they told of have been officially denied until recent years (Japanese midget subs, etc). Most chilling was them saying how at first they were issued hammers to find those trapped, then later being ordered to leave the hammers ashore, because they could not save the trapped sailors. Your 3 part series really did them justice. You handled this tastefully and honored their memory.

[@johnemerson1363]

That's got to hurt! Tapping the hull, getting an answer and finding that there is NO way to get to them. Gut wrenching!!!

[@micnorton9487]

​​​@@johnemerson1363Yeah and it's still very rarely being admitted to, that the brass had to detail marines, some of them just standing stations on parts of the wrecked ship where the tapping was coming from,, because it was almost impossible to stop the men from forming crews to just go in there and do anything to try and rescue them.... There were repeated requests from many Benzedrine- hopped up Chiefs and their associates, claiming that they could do the job and with divers all ready with racks of tools some of them that they made up themselves... And the brass would say, that's a very interesting recommendation chief, commendable very commendable, I'll take it under advisement, request denied, get back to your ASSIGNED duties...

[@DG-jq7il]

Thank you for this series, my grandfather was a diver on the salvage team, and he had lost 4 brothers on December 7th, 2 at Pearl and and 2 in the Philippines.

[@jamessimms415]

😔

[@philipschneider6396]

Our nation is continually in debt to those families whose family members gave their lives for our nation and then serve to recover the bodies of the family members for later burial. I'm astonished how much we give to remain free.

[@markdragan9136]

My grandfather was also a salvage diver who worked in Pearl Harbor right after the attacks!

[@jmullner76]

This series has shown me more footage from the aftermath of Pearl Harbor than I have ever seen. Thanks for making these and showing what the salvage crews had to go through. They deserve far more credit and acknowledgement than they ever got. I don't think they were ignored, but more taken for granted.

[@tomlienert882]

That’s about par for salvage personnel. In fact, documentaries like this are the most that salvage crews expect, other than decorations for a job well-done. The only salvage crewman that I’m aware of who’s received widespread notoriety is the late Master Chief Diver Carl Bradshear, subject of the biopic “Men of Honor”.

[@cherylannesmith8610]

Well well done. A piece of history largely left uncovered but thankfully by your efforts not forgotten I often wondered what went on on the following days week and months Dear Navy :could you please clean this mess up and be quick about it as we are are now at war . Results - 3 ships back in the fight plus various other successes .

[@arrrgee]

IJN: Bombs USS SHAW, Now stand aside worthy adversary! USS SHAW: Tis but a scratch! IJN: A Scratch! Your Bows off! USS SHAW: No it isn't!

[@arctictiger8690]

IJN: Well what's that, then? USS Shaw: I've had worse. IJN: You liar!

[@LetsTalkAboutPrepping]

Its but a flesh wound

[@Nerezza1]

😂

[@ewhartiii]

Unlike the Black Knight, the Shaw wouldn't say "Call it a draw", but more likely say "I win!"

[@colbeausabre8842]

"“I am sore wounded but not slain I will lay me down and bleed a while And then rise up to fight again”" - John Dryden

[@hatchcrazy]

This whole series is an amazing watch but somehow what really got me was Drach describing at the end how the damage control & repair lessons learned from the salvage meant the difference between sinking and limping home for many later ships. The contrast between the image of a sunburnt crew sailing into Pearl with funny bar stories about patching their ship with palm fronds and that of a handful of grim-faced surviving officers writing hundreds of tragic letters is inexpressible.

[@brarx0166]

The USS Minneapolis was one of the ships that patched itself with trees after having its bow blown off in the Battle of Tassafaronga. The ship sailed back to Pearl Harbor and was repaired then sent back into action.

[@Tom_The_Cat]

Something similar happened to New Orleans during the same battle, where she ran into a torpedo Minneapolis was avoiding. She sailed stern first from Tulagi to Australia, to replace a broken screw and fit on a false bow. Then she sailed to Puget Sound, backwards the whole way, to return in August 1943

[@CB-vt3mx]

We often place a premium on the various adventures of our war fighters, but not so often on the quiet professionalism and courage of our support personnel and efforts. Thanks for telling the story of the recovery.

[@bushranger51]

That is so true, we often place high esteem for the heroes of wars, but always forget the unsung heroes of the rear echelon, those who strive to keep the forward troops and ships fighting and re-supplied. The recovery of Pearl Harbor was really never given much coverage, but this three part series has opened my eyes as to the true nature of the spirit of America, not the political spirit but the spirit of the people, and the will to make things right.

[@jimbochungus]

Spoken like a true POG

[@DarkFire515]

To all the un-sung heroes of Pearl Harbour, may their efforts be remembered.

[@USSAnimeNCC-]

Someone should have made a movie out of them but no

[@noahw7013]

@@USSAnimeNCC- Pearl Harbor is a movie just not a very good one

[@bobrew461]

@@USSAnimeNCC- kzbin.info/www/bejne/aILakoGeltF6mbM

[@jimreilly917]

@@noahw7013 See the 70s movie TORA TORA TORA. It was made consulting both PH Survivors and IJN crews. Excellent historical account. Any history movie including the word Disney you should run from like your hair is on 🔥.

[@jreg2007]

I'm afraid all their sacrifice right now counts for nothing the way the Democratic party is behaving.

[@radickd2]

Close to the 75th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, I had the distinct pleasure of being seated next to a Naval Radioman on a flight to Orlando, FL. He had survived the attack below decks on one of the ships in the harbor that did not sink. The ship in front of his and the ship behind his did sink, but praise God his did not. He was close to 100 years old at the time and told me how he continued to do his job below decks while all hell broke loose outside. He had gone on to have a family including many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I must say, it was one of the most memorable business trips of my life. I have also served 21.5 years in the USAF and I am proud of serving our country, but the tales that this gentleman told me left me awe-inspired and grateful for the men and women of that generation. These videos certainly served to raise the awareness of the many acts of bravery and heroism undertaken by mere mortals forced into unbelievable situation and how well they excelled to do the seemingly impossible under very difficult circumstances. Thank you to all the men and women who played a role in these operations! We will never be able to tell how much of a difference you made in our modern world, but no doubt it was significant.

[@rickstandal626]

My Uncle (Ted Olson) spent the entire war as a Navy diver working on body retrieval and salvage at Pearl Harbor. Along with several dozen others they spent months under water.

[@guyshaw5533]

I was thinking as i watched, being one of the divers was surely the toughest and most dangerous job in the whole place, BIG respect to your uncle!

[@DutchBlackMantha]

15:14 "[...] the screws were taken off the ship". It took me a second to remember the naval definition of a screw, so my first thought was "that sounds unhelpful".

[@billrich9722]

Lol

[@Dr_V]

Propellers were (and still are) prime salvage parts, as the raw material is quite expansive and time consuming to produce. At the time this was especially important as shipbuilding got into overdrive and I doubt there were enough stocks of high quality bronze readily available.

[@MrNicoJac]

@@Dr_V Why did they use bronze for the propellor? I assume that cavitation would've worn down steel too much, or something like that? Still, if you can make hardened steel armor for the hull, that seems like a good material to make a propellor from too (at least for a novice like me).

[@stamasd8500]

@@MrNicoJac One of the reasons is to keep fouling by marine life as low as possible. One of the last places where you want barnacles and other crap growing on the ship is the propeller. The copper in the form of bronze is quite effective at keeping the fouling low to non-existing.

[@77thTrombone]

Noob! (That's ok; we've all been there.)

[@wordsmithgmxch]

I know I sound like a broken record, Uncle Drach, but once again, many thanks for telling this very important story so well and making it available to such a wide audience!

[@73Trident]

Ditto great job Drach.

[@robertf3479]

I'll happily second that.

[@rcknross]

we can not forget history, otherwise the same monsters will come to power, like the demon conn rats

[@Eixam80]

As a modern day MBA Project Manager I am still amazed how this all was accomplished so “fast” and so far away from Mainland America. This would totally make a great case study to learn from and use even in almost 70 years later. Thank you for also sharing your source material!

[@sundiver137]

In situations like this, when given the "faster, better, cheaper-pick two" scenario cheaper loses.

[@johnshepherd8687]

"The Navy diver is not a fighting man, he is a salvage expert. If it is lost underwater, he finds it. If it's sunk, he brings it up. If it's in the way, he moves it. If he is lucky, he will die young 200' beneath the waves, for that is the closest he'll ever get to being a hero."

[@PanzerWeeb3305]

Great movie, great cast.

[@billbrolin1246]

Men of Honor, great movie, and a fitting tribute to true men of honor.

[@Fabbesson]

USS Shaw: "Not to worry, we're still sailing half a ship"

[@Captain_Seafort]

Typical destroyer - treating the bow as somewhere between "nice to have" and "optional extra"

[@kentvesser9484]

Ship's mascot should have been a black knight missing his arms and legs with the motto "It's just a flesh wound."

[@gluesniffingdude]

Another happy mooring.

[@wierdalien1]

@@gluesniffingdude hello there.

[@gluesniffingdude]

@@wierdalien1 Admiral Nimitz. You are a bold one.

[@unknown-ql1fk]

Who are the 2 people to thumbs down this? This channel should be manditory viewing for every student of history

[@christopherconard2831]

It should be seen as a point of pride. It means you've gotten big enough to attract professional trolls.

[@TheAsh274]

The two remaining Imperial Japanese sailors that have been hiding out on obscure islands since 1945, not aware that the war's been over for 75 years

[@athopi]

More likely, low level ccp wumao tasked with denigrating anything that shows the US or its people in a good light.

[@richardcutts196]

Perhaps the now 22 down votes were people who wanted more on Arizona. I was very happy with the series, and that is the only thing I would want. Of course there are some people who will never be happy no matter what you do.

[@GARDENER42]

It's up to 19 now. Perhaps they ran out of windows in need of licking. ;-)

[@tbamagic]

Excellent series! My Dad- Charles K. Anderson- was a USN medical corpsman stationed at the Dispensary (Building 72, I believe...which is still there, preserved) on Ford Island in 12/7/41 directly next to the USS California. He witnessed and, of course, participated in the entire event first hand. He also received personal hand-signed commendation letters from Nimitz and Forrestal for a rescue of crewman from a PBY seaplane which crashed near Ford island after the attack. I have those letters in original copy. Dad later sailed on the tanker Neosho (which was docked on Battleship Row that day) , a 175' PC boat, and a rocket-launching assault craft in the South Pacific war. He survived and rarely spoke about the war.

[@krmould]

Drachinfel, this has been an OUTSTANDING series. This is the sort of high quality historical documentary that used to be produced by public agencies, unfortunately not so much anymore. We are very fortunate to have dedicated KZbinrs like yourself to step into the breech. This is an amazing tale of hard work and heroism that is badly overlooked in many of the documentaries that focus on the more glamorous combat feats of the Pacific campaign. Thank you so much for your work. It has been one of my favourite historical documentaries of the last year.

[@DMStraylight]

As much as everyone talks about the Arizona memorial, I've always preferred the Utah's. It's on the quiet side of Ford, away from all the bustle of the main modern dockyards and the crowds of Arizona and Missouri, a simple pier over the water, looking out at Utah's hulk and Pearl City beyond it. It's small; there's no tourist center, no big parking lot, not even a bathroom... just a quiet shore on a quiet part of the island, an invitation to somber contemplation of the bones of the ship and her crew. I don't think a lot of people even know it exists, but it's one of my favorite places on Oahu.

[@zanaduz2018]

It doesn't hurt that Utah is also in an otherwise-still-DoD-owned portion of the harbor; access to Utah is mostly down to those who either work on-base or servicemembers.

[@MunDane68]

I mentioned to one of the guides when my family went to the Arizona Memorial that I had family members that died on the Utah AND worked on the salvage. They asked the names, and I guess verified it because we went in a van over to see it before we left.

[@Smitttyyy]

That was very poetic. Thank you for this comment

[@albertoswald8461]

The only reason that I got to the Utah memorial in 1996 was that I still had my inactive reserve Navy ID card. Still have the pictures!!

[@mikew3443]

They now have a bus tour to the Utah, Oklahoma Memorial,and some barracks. One bus (30 people) three times a week. Usually booked within 5 min. of opening two weeks in advance. It is an escorted tour because you are on a military base. Shame they can't do more. I missed getting reservations BUT NOTE: You can now walk to the Oklahoma Memorial from the Battleship Missouri, which they don't mention in the information about Pearl Harbor. So I did get to see the stunning "Lining The Rails" Oklahoma Memorial honoring the 429 lives lost.

[@joshthomas-moore2656]

USS Shaw "Is that all you got, this was but a scratch?"

[@theleva7]

"A scratch? You've got a third of a ship blown off!"

[@joshthomas-moore2656]

@@theleva7 "But a fleash wound."

[@scottgiles7546]

Wouldn't this exchange be better for the "HMS Black Knight"? (A Python Class ship)

[@colormedubious4747]

@@theleva7 "No I don't!"

[@joshthomas-moore2656]

@@scottgiles7546 Well when we get to it we'll use it again. Also Python is for all.

[@jimtalbott9535]

I've always found the "durability" of pre-solid-state electronics. My high-school electronics teacher was an ex-Navy (Korean war) technician, and a Radio technician after his Service - he told me once of his first job-assignments at a Radio station- he was taken down to a basement room which housed the steam boiler and two large racks of transmission gear - one primary, and one duplicate backup. They were both heavily covered with dust and gunk, and his job was to clean them. He disconnected them from power, grabbed the steam water nozzle, and blasted them down - several others around thought he was nuts, and assured him he'd be fired. He let them dry, and they worked just fine afterward. Nothing but glass, metal, and rubber, really.

[@LightshipministriesOrg]

Thank you for making these videos, I was stationed there over 40 years ago, and had drinks with sailors and soldiers who were there that day on the 40th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor. Afterward, I worked for a Maritime Museum that formally had dedications to the veteran's remembrance, complete with the floating of reeves. Yet I never knew about the years of work done in the aftermath of the attack, nor the gruesome task of recovery! These documentaries have given me new respect for the lives sacrificed and lost, of the wrecks, I once gazed upon! I would never have had an idea about the monumental efforts made for the cause of freedom, and am ashamed of “how little” has been passed down in our history of this legacy and sacrifice. May God bless you, sir; for bringing this to light! RTD, USA Retired.

[@dirtcop11]

The fact that a number of these ships were sunk in the harbor rather than out to sea helped them return to service and exact revenge at Surigao Strait.

[@DK-gy7ll]

It's kinda like when your car fails to start in your garage. A helluva lot easier to diagnose and fix than on some remote stretch of I-65 at night in the pouring rain.

[@amerigo88]

USS Oklahoma being righted reminds me of the recovery specialists in my maintenance platoon who would similarly bring armored fighting vehicles upright with their M-88A1. However, the scale is incredible compared to righting a 70 ton M-1 tank.

[@jduff59]

The photo of the Iowa class next to the Oklahoma is amazing. I had never realised just how much bigger the new Battlewagons were - I've seen the New Jersey up close and it's a beautiful ship. As a kid, I used to make the models and draw them in my school notebook....next time I get back to Philly, I'll take that tour of her (the New Jersey) as she's sitting in the Delaware River as a museum.

[@onlythewise1]

cool my dad was first 88 on the Iowa bb61, i was thinking of making a show of his fight ,since he fought almost in pearl Habor fight three hours late to it, maybe i can send pictures of his stuff to you

[@hanzzel6086]

Time stamp?

[@Military-Museum-LP]

I had the honor of meeting a Arizona survivor hoping to hear some history of the December 7th but he would only stare into the empty horizon When I asked him. He would only talk about shore visits. Much later in my life I was lucky to visit the Arizona Memorial and as I was reading the list of sailors that have later returned to their ship after their passing in read the name of the gentleman I met that he was now with his shipmates. I was so emotional I had so set down for I don’t remember how long. I couldn’t stop crying and started a chain reaction. I could feel the sorrow and pain of those men and families. I’ve never had this happen before or after. The day is coming these men who gave their lives will be forgotten just as civil war soldiers and WW1. I can only hope I’m wrong!

[@johnemerson1363]

In 1960 I had a history teacher in high school. Miss Hoffman was a lady about 40 years old and she became my mentor for a time. I asked her why she never married because she was a beautiful lady. She told me she was engaged to an Ensign aboard the USS Arizona and he is still aboard. The Memorial was under construction at the time and she promised to visit one day. I don't know if she ever did. I hope she did because her only love's name is on that wall.

[@micnorton9487]

​@@johnemerson1363Damn... She probably made a promise to the guy, and, well, you know.... She must have never told a lie in her life, commendable, sad as hell but very commendable...

[@micnorton9487]

Yeah he may not remember,, planes started buzzing around, bombs started falling, went to his station, got blown off the ship and probably doesn't remember anything after that... Thank God,, I don't know if I'd want to remember swimming through burning oil and seeing the dead remains of my shipmates floating in the water around me either,, or the screams of the Burn victims in the triage units and the hospitals... At least he's here...OR maybe he had Liberty that weekend, and was watching the attack from somewhere near diamond Head or something, and just has this horrible survivor guilt that he should have been on his ship, and probably 80%+ of his shipmates are gone... POINT is I don't think I'd EVER ask a vet, army Navy airforce or marines, what was it like?,, unless they started talking about it first...

[@johnemerson1363]

@@micnorton9487 When she told me that story, we were alone in the classroom. To this day, I don't think she made it up. I have met a few others that never remarried when their husbands were killed in action. They just didn't want to.

[@micnorton9487]

@@johnemerson1363 ..I didn't think she made it up,, I was serious,, she probably promised her boyfriend that there would never be anyone else but him, and she kept her promise... And I was serious,, she probably was an extraordinarily honest person, I never met her but that's just how it sounds to me... This anecdote actually makes me feel better about the whole goddamn human race to begin with,, PEOPLE EXIST who actually live up to the ideal...

[@wingshad0w00982]

Having read descent into darkness myself, there was a period I couldn’t look at the spine of the book, and turned it around for a bit. Fascinating read though. If terrifying, depressing and also amazing.

[@olsurferguy1]

I too, read it a number of years ago. I don’t know how they faced the danger and horrors day in and day out.

[@Warhorse500]

Outstanding video! I would note for the record that OKLAHOMA never made it back to service. Per the Wikipedia entry (I know, not the best source but it's what I've got), she languished at Pearl for few years, ultimately being sold for scrap in 1946. Whilst being towed back across the Pacific in 1947. she broke her tow in a heavy storm and sank. I don't know if anybody has ever gone to look for the wreck; it wouldn't look like much these days. I was in Pearl Harbor myself from 2005-07; worked for one of the "alphabet agencies" there at the Navy base. I went to see the memorials for both ARIZONA and UTAH. I cannot help but think of the terrible cost in human lives from that day. ARIZONA herself seems to be "weeping" for her lost sailors; the fuel bunkers even now, 79 years later, are still leaking fuel. National Park Service and Navy divers have kept the wreck under continual watch over the decades. The general consensus is that while it would be a well-intentioned move to try and drain her bunkers somehow, the effort and the methodology required to accomplish such a feat could destabilize the wreck. As ARIZONA sits now, what is left of her is barely held up by inertia; predictions are that the hull has been steadily "pancaking" down onto itself over the years, due to a combination of the battle damage and heavy corrosion. UTAH was actually a mistake on the IJN's part. She was misidentified as a battleship by the Japanese, and in fairness to them, she actually HAD been. But in the years leading up to Dec. 7th, she had been converted into an aerial gunnery training ship (hence the change in classification from BB to AG). Nevertheless, she was hit as hard as the vessels on Battleship Row. Like ARIZONA, there's not much left; ashes to ashes, rust to rust. There's a modest memorial built on its own pier on the opposite side of Ford Island from ARIZONA. Worth the trip, should any of you decide to make it.

[@johncunningham6928]

In 'Day of Infamy' Walter Lord suggests that the 'six-by-twelve-inch timbers' covering the Utah's deck may have fooled the Japanese attack force into thinking that she was a carrier...

[@marckyle5895]

@@johncunningham6928 That the Utah and Raleigh were berthed where the Carriers normally berthed was probably more of a factor. The pilots were briefed to torpedo a ship at a particular berth, otherwise you would have had 40 Kates all dodging each other down Southeast Loch whilst trying to claim 'torping a battleship' bragging rights.

[@chrisvickers7928]

For all of those divers and other workers who died in the recovery efforts, you were heroes who deserved more credit than you received.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

U.S.S. Shaw: "The reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated, and I think I'll join in for the whole game if you don't mind." - This series is very interesting and educational. So much attention is paid to the warfighting, but none of it would have been possible without the massive efforts of ship builders, fitters and repair crews.

[@travelinben1966]

I saw a long video of the salvage efforts after Pearl Harbor.I was amazed,and in awe, of the herculean efforts that went into raising,and getting many back in service.God bless the engineers,sailors,and all who were involved in the recovery efforts.Rest the souls of all our service men and women from the greatest generation.Thank you.♥️🇺🇲🙏

[@pscwplb]

I just want to say that the color footage of the recovery efforts has been a real treat.

[@tomsemmens6275]

Looking at the effort expended on jobs like the USS Oklahoma whilst fighting a two front war and supplying the USSR and UK with massive amounts of military aid underlines how powerful the USA was compared to everyone else in 1943-44.

[@Vilamus]

It does. It also demonstrates what a country can do with it's war economy that isn't getting constantly bombed as well.

[@olliefoxx7165]

@@Vilamus That's true. We didn't have to worry about our country getting bombed and our mainland being attacked. We also had to project force to fight in Africa, Europe, Asia, the Atlantic and the Pacific. We had the longest supply lines in the war and had to fight the Japanese on the world's largest battlefield called the Pacific ocean with 25% of our output. 75% went to beating Germany.

[@Lukos0036]

You'll have a hard time getting Russians to admit it though.

[@lukefreeman828]

@@Lukos0036 judging by the number of Axis personnel the Russians killed and the number of Russians killed by the Axis, I’d say the US, UK and the rest of the allies had an absolute picnic by comparison.

[@Lukos0036]

@@lukefreeman828 Yeah that happens when your leader is a "Hitler with a bigger moustache" clone that gives zero fucks about how many people it takes to retake a city. Especially poorly equipped untrained conscripts.

[@Perktube1]

You've raised my awareness of something I didn't know about ww2. Surely you and Mark Felton deserve to have some wings in libraries named after you.

[@felixcat9318]

I couldn't agree more! These two are outstanding and merit greater recognition for their superb output.

[@micnorton9487]

Perk,, give it time,, qualified internet content creators are going to be the new celebrities with professionals like Drachinifel and history buffs getting the glory, and only fans creators getting the money lol... Simon and his many channels are good but their quality is suffering lately due to sheer volume,, a lot of stuff is just hitting his uploads without really checking the history or the details...

[@philard]

If you could do an episode on USS Shaw's many brushes with death that would be great.

[@michaels.5878]

Should have been a museum ship.

[@LeonheartDelta]

@@michaels.5878 Along with the Nevada.

[@hillyseattlenarrowstreets6087]

"No Kai Oi" (We're the Best) and "We Keep Them Fit to Fight" are the Mission Statement seen on the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard Logo. WW2 & Vietnam War repair work were our glory days - turnaround on ship repairs were quick. Nuclear subs have too many requirements that make things a lot harder. The best Middle Class job on Oahu is a Shipyard job - it's insulated from the Tourist economy and you're essential. Uncle Sammy has deep pockets. Only flaw is you're Ground Zero for a Missle Strike.

[@JohnYossarian]

It's eerie seeing the shipyard lose something like a thousand years of labor experience every year as the boomer classes retire, when the other shipyards seem to have a more even distribution of worker ages.

[@ElementttH2H]

Meh, better some hazard than none and be bored as all hell, least you got some fun during work, unlike some jobs... lol

[@spyone4828]

My father used to say, of where I grew up in Connecticut, that we were just far enough away from major targets that in the event of nuclear war we'd die from the radiation. Slowly (By which he meant over a few days). When I moved to Hampton Roads I mentioned to him that, on the plus side here we'd be inside the crater.

[@ElementttH2H]

@@spyone4828 Hahahaha the lovely dark humor

[@stevelongazel6236]

I have never commented on any video and I have watched a many but this was an excellent series very informative and enlightening too the resilience of all Americans when they’re put to the test and their backs are against the wall. This is a true testament of the American fighting spirit!!!

[@jasonmickey1613]

Great series! My grandfather was a gunnery officer on the USS West Virginia. He was initially involved in the salvage operation, but was transferred to the Vincennes. Survived that sinking and went to Espiritu Santo for some time before being reassigned to the West Virginia. So kind of a full circle. Found this series very interesting - as are all of the videos you do. Thanks Drach.

[@Peter_Morris]

Thanks so much for doing these videos. Like a lot of American school children, I read that some of the ships were salvaged and returned to service. But that brief statement really doesn’t convey the enormity of the effort and the intensity of the work. I really appreciate what you’ve brought to light here. It’s been extremely interesting. I do wonder what the Japanese reaction was to seeing ships they thought they’d destroyed. It must’ve been disheartening.

[@ifga16]

FYI, the Iowa class moored to the Oklahoma is Wisconsin BB-64.

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

What are you talking about?

[@michaelreedx6823]

@@WALTERBROADDUS 27:03 is what is being referenced

[@tommyburke5049]

massive size difference.

[@MrTherende]

@@michaelreedx6823 27:02, significant difference in hull size!

[@norshstephens2395]

@@WALTERBROADDUS. He’s talking about the overhead view of the USS Wisconsin sitting next to the USS Oklahoma. Towards the end of the video.

[@MyBlueZed]

In his novel The Winds of War, Herman Wouk had several paragraphs about the salvage operation in the days after the attack. This series has provided a wonderful perspective of what actually was required and the enormous effort. Thank you for posting. 👍🏻❤️🇦🇺

[@paxamericania5923]

"With USS Mississippi tagging along for the ride." That is the best line

[@michaelsmith2723]

Ordnance.

[@peris_arts_film9699]

As painful as this event was for the US Navy it was perhaps their greatest teacher. RIP to our lost sailors resting in Pearl

[@sadwingsraging3044]

A magnificent job Drach on this series and if I ever get the chance I will buy you enough beer to refloat a Battleship for telling this tale.

[@grahamr4916]

It’s always so compelling how the USS West Virginia was able to come back from the dead to keep on fighting. It’s almost a metaphor for the allies in general; badly beaten and near death, we came together to overcome the odds.

[@CocoaBeachLiving]

It blows my mind when I think about what it took by all involved to do what they did. Absolutely incredible. Thanks again for doing this. I've learned more about the post attack recovery efforts than I ever imagined.

[@mechengineer4894]

At the exact moment the first piece of Japanese ordinance was dropped on Pearl Harbor, they hastened the birth of the greatest military machine the world will ever see.

[@simonwaldock9689]

And the fates of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were sealed.

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

Indeed. The wiser Japanese foresaw this and knew they'd be getting in above their heads.

[@fredlavenuta5857]

Talk about unintended consequences.

[@obelic71]

The famous quote of Yamamoto of the IJN says it all. "i fear we just have awakend a sleeping giant"

[@spyone4828]

@@obelic71 Yes, Yamamoto called it. The plan had been to declare war, then smack the US hard in hope of persuading the US to accept peace with a small loss of territory (the Philippines, mostly). And I can kinda see that happening. With most of the Pacific Fleet in repairs, fighting a two-front war looks less pleasant than it normally does. Germany was the big problem, and we didn't really care that much about the Pacific to begin with. When he learned the order of events got messed up, he realized that what they'd really done was piss us off. Japan knew, and perhaps Yamamoto knew better than most, that Japan couldn't win a war against the US in the long-term. The plan was to convince the US that in the short-term there were bigger fish to fry, and to use that time to build Japan into a force that COULD win a war against the US. Instead, they convinced us that we had two fish of equal size that both needed frying, so we needed a bigger pan.

[@deaks25]

Is the USS Shaw a distant relative of HMS Eskimo; world: "Your front end has been completely blown off, you're a destroyer, you sink now." Eskimo and Shaw: "So? Don't need it." Choses life. As requested; glass raised to those miracle workers who let the ships and their crews pay the IJN back for Pearl Harbour.

[@williamgordon5708]

USS New Orleans, USS Shaw, HMS Eskimo, IJN Amatsukaze The four headless sisters.

[@S0RGEx]

HMS Javelin as well. Poor girl lost both her bow and stern and was basically half a ship.

[@steweygrrr]

@@williamgordon5708 Don't forget HMS Nubian and HMS Zulu who collectively went on to form HMS Zubian.

[@nicholasconder4703]

Should also add USS Pittsburg to the list, although this was more a self-inflicted wound.

[@grizzlygrizzle]

On the subject of bow-less ships maneuvering to safety, I recommend the movie "The Finest Hours," the story of what has remained "the most daring small-boat rescue in U.S. Coast Guard history." It occurred in 1950, and involved a civilian cargo ship, a re-purposed Liberty Ship. Some of these ships, due to a change in building methods, developed a bad habit of breaking in two in heavy storms. The "safety" that the aft part of the ship got to was merely temporary, but it bought enough time for the aforementioned daring rescue. -- I have always found true stories of this sort especially gripping when made into realistic movies. "Apollo 13" and "Band of Brothers" are examples. "The Perfect Storm" is sort of in this category, but was a huge disappointment after having read the book, which was night-and-day, immensely better than the movie.

[@BOBXFILES2374a]

The engineering work to raise the Oklahoma is pretty much jaw-dropping. "Let's rig cables from the land, and pull her over!" "Super easy, barely an inconvenience!"

[@kentcourtney5535]

My grandfather, Lieutenant Donald E. Billington was on board the USS Pennsylvania during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Salvage operations did begin while bombs and bullets for flying. The first part was to save people as they were floating in the water swimming away from the wrecks. My grandfather had vivid memories of the cries of the men surrounded by flaming oil.

[@davidelliott5843]

From my days in heavy engineering on some large repair projects, I have an inkling of the tremendous amount of work and engineering nouse needed to salvage those ships. What they did in the time available was just stunning. They should have been officially recognised.

[@mvfc7637]

What amazes me are those large towers welded onto the side of the Battleship’s so as they can be used for leverage, I would never have even considered such a thing, those Engineers were extremely intelligent.

[@seanarano4754]

Im just surprised at the salvagability of some of these ships

[@DwarfKing-nz4bb]

The USA designed the ships after the Titanic incident which made better metallurgy and learned more overtime with watertight holds

[@jasonbrannock1698]

So where the Japanese. They really didn't understand what they'd started. J

[@starrionx1]

I think they also repaired some ships that would otherwise have been a CTL because they were peal harbor survivors.

[@USSAnimeNCC-]

You were surprise but the Japanese had a shock

[@lynchkid003]

The US Navy engineering section is of the motto: "Give us enough time and beer, and we can fix anything*"

[@kaneo1]

This and the logistics series is a good description of how relatively few military personnel actually go into combat. Like: the spear point goes into the enemy! What about the spear shaft to deliver the point, or the person to thrust the spear, or the person making the spear, or the people training and maintaining THOSE people. Many noncombatants never get the recognition they deserve.

[@kpdubbs7117]

Thanks, Drach. This was just a superb series. I have seen countless series, specials, videos, etc on "history" but never have I seen anyone cover this kind of topic. Like you said towards the end - I wonder just how many lives were saved with the new damage prevention/damage control knowledge that was gained from this operation. The guy who throws himself on the grenade gets the Medal of Honor, but these people, whether they knew it or not while they were hauling out rotted corpses and breathing toxic fumes, were easily saving thousands of their fellows by war's end.

[@michaelblaszkiewicz7283]

I heard a terrible story from a veteran whom worked to salvage Oklahoma. A diver , after a long shift, was walking on the capsized hull. The divers air hose became wrapped around his foot and he fell off. Hanging upside down, the water in his boots filled his dive helmet and the poor man drowned before help could reach him.

[@rogerwilco2]

Yes, it is still an extremely dangerous job, and was a lot more dangerous back then.

[@rogerwilco2]

This series is probably your best work yet. And that's saying somewhat, given the quality of your other work. Very well done, both in narration and in the visual material you found and present.

[@YURIKAVLAKOV1]

And now we NEED an episode with the ship sailing backwards :)

[@leobaker8762]

Thanks! Early in 1942 my dad arrived at pearl from Bremerton as part of the ship fitter shop. These video's gave me a look at. What he witnessed and was part of

[@phantomaviator1318]

Japan: *attacks Pearl Harbor and sinks the West Virginia* "WE'VE SUNK THEIR PACIFIC FLEET! AND WEST VIRGINIA!" West Virginia: *gets raised and repaired* *BFG Division starts playing* Japan: "why do i hear boss music"

[@TBone-bz9mp]

IJN at Surigao Strait: I feel like I'm forgetting something... Distantly; 'Almost Heaven...'

[@goldenhide]

RIP AND TEAR

[@erichvonmanstein6876]

What is this supposed to be some joke or meme or something? It just sounds incredibly stupid to me but to each thy own🤷

[@phantomaviator1318]

@@erichvonmanstein6876 clearly you've never studied history

[@erichvonmanstein6876]

@@phantomaviator1318 but again, to each thy own kid

[@MichaelGarcia-ic6tz]

Absolutely outstanding! There has been little if any attention paid to these brave men and their remarkable efforts! Thanks, Drach!

[@hoosierplowboy5299]

An excellent testament to the thousands of salvage workers who tirelessly toiled to get these ships, and many others, back in action...well done, gentlemen!!!

[@jliller]

The part of the salvage operation that amazed me the most was the whole process of winching the Oklahoma back upright.

[@leandro9311]

Can you imagine celebrating the sinking of the largest and most powerfull American warships (except carriers) and 2 or so years later coming face to face during a battle with an enemy you thought you had destroyed ?? Its like in the movies where the bad guys kills someone and that someone is presumed dead by everyone just to come back later to kill every single bad guy

[@TwigstarA]

You’d say it was lazy story writing if it happened in a film! Far from that here

[@jaidenwashington6856]

I read somewhere that every Japanese ship that took part in the Pearl Harbor attack was sunk during the war. So yeah that's pretty accurate.

[@leandro9311]

@@jaidenwashington6856 Yamamoto also died

[@jaidenwashington6856]

@@leandro9311 Yeah I forgot about that. His plane was shot down during the appropriately named Operation Vengeance.

[@brucetucker4847]

@@leandro9311 So did Nagumo, by his own hand rather than surrender at the end of the Battle of Saipan.

[@aegiskilometer]

IJN: Noo! You can’t just turn our expertise in sinking ships into making sure your ships don’t sink! USN: Haha, salvage into damage control go brr.

[@MasterofBlitz]

USN: Thank you IJN for helping us with our bad damage control. We’re sure to return the favor by helping you reduce your military spending by sinking your entire navy. No need to thank us. IJN: You can’t do that to us!!!

[@jliller]

I wonder if the IJN's notoriously poor damage control caused Yamamato, et al to underestimate the USN's capabilities in that field?

[@aegiskilometer]

@@jliller Drachinifiel discussed before on the damage control capabilities of the US and IJN when talking about the IJN Carrier Taihou. The IJN were confident in their abilities of damage control because of their high specialization damage control teams. In their eyes their damage control would have been superb, despite having such a glaring weakness such as lack of redundancy, and probably did have some effect on their perception on how well the US could save their own ships. Ultimately it probably didn’t help that doctrine combined with societal expectations acted as a limiting if not detrimental factor to IJN damage control like Drachinifiel said.

[@u2mister17]

Thanks for this series. My Father was the original crew on the Minneapolis CA 36 1934. Was discharged in 1940 re-entered Navy 1942 served until VJ day. He was on Guam when it ended. I wish I had asked more questions but as with others he didn't talk about the war much. My Father did relate some crazy, scary and heroic stories to me. He passed when I was 18, 1973.

[@gregtag874]

Drach: Thank you for this impressive piece of scholarship. Thank you for telling the story of the Salvage Unit. No, I would not want to go down into a sunken ship.

[@salfox1820]

this series is one of my favorites Drachinifel. Nice work.

[@stanstenson8168]

I was thinking the same thing. This could be his best work to date.

[@leftnoname]

What was accomplished during salvage operation in Pearl Harbour is borderline unbelievable. West Virginia was basically one huge hole with a piece of hull here and there. And they still got it out.

[@ELCADAROSA]

From a retired US Navy sailor ... outstanding series, Drachinifel! Thank you for your time and efforts on all these videos.

[@andrewl5127]

Its very humbling to remember that when Drach says "calculated" there were no computers or calculators.

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

Yep, pencil, paper, slide rule, logarithm tables, and continental scale determination.

[@bigbully1277]

@@Kevin-mx1vi and a little bit of luck.

[@MrNicoJac]

There were computers and calculators! They just were completely analog, needing no electricity at all. It's astonishing what they could do with a shit load of rotor wheels 😉

[@numbnutz9398]

I had a math teacher who said he could figure out math problems with a slide rule faster than we could type it into our calculators. We called BS and then he proceeded to do just that. Pretty cool! I think he was trying to get us into using them but I still don't know how because, you know, calculators😀

[@spyone4828]

As Feynman says when talking about Los Alamos, "computer" was a job, not a machine. About slide rules: when I took chemistry in high school (c.1985), the teacher had a giant slide rule about the chalkboard. It had been for teaching the class how to use slide rules, and had never been taken down. One day we had gotten ahead of the lesson plan so we had essentially a "free day", and the teacher asked what we wanted to learn about. One of the questions was what that thing was, and he quickly explained, then rummaged about in a desk drawer and found a bunch of the slide rules they used to pass out for tests and stuff, and he taught us how to use them. They all had the school initials crudely engraved on them, but he said it had been years since they'd been used and we could keep them if we wanted.

[@henryschmitt7577]

Still amazing how they rolled the Oklahoma upright. Still impressive 1940’s engineering.

[@baronvonjo1929]

@Harold Jaussi Except they had to change it up cause they couldn't put cranes kn land as she listed towards land. Plus she was bigger.

[@dillonnoble222]

And it was trolley power who would of thought that out of all the mighty engines to grace the earth it's the slow and steady trolley motor that could flip a battleship

[@wheels-n-tires1846]

Right??? Its really easier to put in perspective once you look at and analyze a 40s, or even a 50s car. Incredibly crude by almost any standards!!! It makes the things built for/during the war, and their accomplishments, VERY respectable!!!

[@tonyvancampen-noaafederal2640]

The legacy of the Pearl Harbor Salvage team continues to the present day with Cole, Fitzgerald, and McCain the most recent ships to be designed and salvaged with that knowledge.

[@glenchapman3899]

Absolutely correct. All this work was as much about gaining experience at saving ships as to adding fighting resources. And the lessons they could learn from the battle damage would be invaluable for designs in the future

[@tonyvancampen-noaafederal2640]

@@glenchapman3899 Don't know if my 'Avatar' shows well here, but it is the Crest of USS Cole (DDG-67) I have the honor of being one of the Commissioning crew, and the somewhat more dubious privilege of surviving the 12 October 2000 bombing.

[@Paladin1873]

Truly a group of unsung heroes, these salvage men.

[@astrobiologist7]

You don't even think about how important these unsung war heroes were. Truly amazing individuals that must be acknowledged as this video series has done.

[@jamesb4789]

An excellent series by Drach once again. Thank you. One of he great ironies of Pearl Harbor was the Oklahoma was scheduled to sail for the west coast for decommissioning on January 6th, 1942. Crew and some of the materials on board were already being transferred.

[@gilleastland3806]

Love to know your source for the decommissioning comment. It makes no sense. If the Navy was going to decommission any battleships, they would have started with the Arkansas (BB33) which was the oldest battleship in the fleet. New York (BB 34) and Texas (BB35) were on the East Coast and I know the Texas was specially in Maine, escorting convoys going to England. The Washington Naval Conference (1922) saved all those ships from being scrapped in the 20's. on Dec.6 1941,given the war in Europe and what was generally agreed that Japan was up to no good, there is no way we were going scrape any current Battleship. I appreciate your comments if you ever get to see this post. We of course agree on your comments by Drach.

[@pauloakwood9208]

Respect and honor to all those who worked to salvage and relaunch the fleet. And gratitude to you Drachinifel for telling their story.

[@jacobszymczak9323]

Its amazing how many WWI, interwar, and WWII era ships can suffer a full magazine detonation, flow off a significant portion of the ship, and still stay afloat, be patched and sailed back to a port to get fully restored. I doubt modern ships could do the same. Incredibly impressive engineering

[@markdavis2475]

I've got a copy of the paper written by Captain Whitaker about the salvage of the Oklahoma. Amazing work! They did a lot of testing using scale models etc.

[@scottdavis3553]

Great work on the salvage and recovery at Pearl. This request is personal in nature and if you are able to highlight this ship and its classmates contribution to both theaters in WWII, it would mean a great deal to myself and my mother. My grandfather was a gunner on the Attack Cargo Ship USS Stokes AKA -68 which was part of multiple campaigns including D-Day. My grandfather spent the war on two ships in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters and earned five battle stars in the process. These ships seem forgotten to most and the importance of the multi-task ability they had let them be critical but silent players in events that shaped our world in less glamorous or obvious ways than the hulking battleships or the often seen Higgins boats. I am in my early 50's and want to be able to show my mother that the world knows what her now deceased Father, his ship, shipmates and other ships of their kind did to stop darkness from falling over the free world. Thanks and keep up the good work. Scott

[@jlvfr]

Battleships: "We are the toughest ships ever!" Destroyers everywhere: "Hold my beer/rum/coccoa"

[@theokamis5865]

USS Johnston: salutes USS Shaw in Valhalla...

[@philgiglio7922]

@@theokamis5865...DD 661 still floats...forget the hit she took.

[@kaneo1]

"You may be tough, but we're too stuborn to quit!"

[@ladyzapzap9514]

HMS Glowworm, though British, joins the company

[@dalekundtz760]

Thank you for educating an old man today who in past years did not understand how devastating the raid on Pearl Harbor had been. My grade school and high school history books were age appropriate, but failed to make me understand at the time. May all the men and women who died that day and after as a result of injuries sustained rest in peace.

[@danieltonnessen656]

Thank you salvage crews 🇺🇲👍

[@nicholasconder4703]

Something tat was missed during the discussion of the Oklahoma is that she sank under tow to the US in 1947. Guess she was like HMS Warspite, giving the proverbial middle finger to the breakers. Unlike Warspite, she almost took one of the tugs with her.

[@markprange4386]

USS Oklahoma's aft fire-director stanchion was found in the mud decades later. It now lies in the grass in Oklahoma.

[@davidmicheletti6292]

My uncle was on the stern of the Arizona when it was hit during the attack. He survived the war uninjured.

[@kiereluurs1243]

I was drawn by the image of Oklahoma attached to winches. Incredible operation. Again: never heard of all this before, very interesting.

[@squangan]

I wish my father was still here to have watched this series with me, he would have been as fascinated by the videos as I am. In 1992 I met members of the Pearl Harbour survivors group who were doing a road trip to Alaska commemorating the 50th anniversary of the construction of the Alcan highway. Meeting and talking to those gentlemen in person will always be one of the greatest honours of my life.

[@vonkergan7004]

These salvage men are brave and honored.

[@raydunakin]

Excellent series, very interesting and well done! It's amazing how much damage some of these ships had and yet were still salvageable and returned to operation.

[@CavZippo]

Only because they were in a shallow harbor. If they'd been sunk in 200'? Write offs.

[@haraldpettersen3649]

raydunakin - Equipment and boats were built to last

[@atpyro7920]

I absolutely want to visit Pearl Harbor. The monumental task of salvaging all of those ships is something that can’t really be understated.

[@eltxbox2496]

If Hercules himself had met the salvage crews of Peral Harbor he'd bow his head and ask if he could ever hope to lift as much in his entire existence.

[@VassilliHD]

Thank you Drach. This has been one of my favorite series that you have put out. I'm looking forward to more of your work!

[@pocanthutrex3356]

The Greatest Generation had a job and just went ahead and did it. And without computers...astounding. An excellent series that highlights a largely overlooked operation. Very entertaining. Keep 'em coming. Thanks.

[@navy57]

O U T S T A N D I N G !!! This was a little known but extremely important aspect of WWII in the Pacific. The magnitude and urgency of the Pearl Harbor salvage effort was unprecedented. The process started almost during the Japanese attack and continued throughout the war.. BRAVO ZULU to ALL HANDS .