The Shocking Sinking of Japanese Cruiser Mikuma

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Mikuma (三隈, Mikuma) was a heavy cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The second vessel in the four-ship Mogami class,[3] she was laid down in 1931 and commissioned in 1935. During World War II she participated in the Battle of Sunda Strait in February 1942 and the Battle of Midway in June 1942, and was sunk the last day of the latter engagement, on 6 June.
The ship was named after the Mikuma river in Oita prefecture, Japan.
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[@HiddenHistoryYT]

Check out War Thunder and use my link for a free large bonus back with boosters, vehicles, and more: playwt.link/hiddenhistory War Thunder is a highly detailed vehicle combat game containing over 2,500 playable tanks, aircraft, and ships spanning over 100 years of development. Immerse yourself completely in dynamic battles with an unparalleled combination of realism and approachability.

[@BP-1988]

My father was one of the USS Hornet's SBD pilots in VS-8 who was part of the attack on the IJN Mikuma and the Mogami. He was credited with hitting one of these cruisers with his bomb, but they weren't exactly sure exactly which one he hit. For his actions at the Battle of Midway he was awarded his first Distinguished Flying Cross.

[@randolphgrohnke3471]

My father also flew SBD’s among other naval aircraft during World War II in the south Pacific. These men were the finest America has ever produced. Sure miss my DAD. And I can tell you’re proud of your DAD.

[@BP-1988]

@@randolphgrohnke3471 I think of my Dad everyday. What squadron was your father in?

[@brianbroadus6857]

Wow. That's remarkable. The Hornet's squadrons didn't contribute to the main battle (maybe because they'd been consigned to limited duty while the Hornet participated in the Doolittle Raid and didn't get experience.)

[@richardkeilig4062]

The pilots dispayed great courage.

[@BP-1988]

​@@brianbroadus6857 Hornet was the newest US carrier and its air groups were also new and inexperienced. At Midway most had not seen combat before. My father's first combat mission was on the "Flight to Nowhere" led by Air Group Commander (ACG) Stanhope Ring. Before launching, my father had witnessed an exchange between Ring and Torpedo Squadron 8's (VT-8) Commander John Waldron. Ring, Waldron and the rest of Hornet's squadron commanders were in the pilots' ready room discussing where the Japanese carriers would be found. (It was really more of an argument.) About 20-30 minutes after launch my father's rear gunner saw Waldron's torpedo squadron break away from the rest of Hornet's planes. He asked my father, "Where are they going?" and my father replied "Don't know and we are staying in formation." It turned out that Waldron was right while Ring and the rest of the commanders were wrong as to where the Japanese carriers were. If you know the story of Torpedo 8, Waldron and the rest of his torpedo crews (except Ensign Gay) paid for his accurate assesment with their lives. My father as well as others held a very low opinion of ACG Ring which started when Hornet was on its shake down cruise and he got lost during a training flight. Gus Widhelm had to take over and get the "lost" squadron back to the Hornet. Also, during Hornet's attack on the Mikuma and Mogami, my father said that Ring had "accidentally" released his bomb prematurely and had never engaged in a dive bombing attack on the Japanese cruisers. Later in the war in 1945, my father crossed paths with Ring at the Naval Ordnance Test Station (NOTS) in Inyokern, California. (My father was doing test work of the Tiny Tim and Holy Moses rockets before they were deployed to the fleet.) He saw Ring wearing the Navy Cross and was livid when he was told that Ring was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions at Midway. He put Hornet's failure during the first day of battle at Midway directly on Ring.

[@tonystone1016]

Ships of the day had pretty crazy camouflage paint schemes. Does anyone have info/opinions on how succesful they were?

[@BobSmith-dk8nw]

One bit of confusion about this - was the belief that one of the American Dive Bomber pilots had crashed his aircraft into Mikuma on purpose. There were two things that caused this mistake. 1) The Dive Bomber had been shot down - and crashed into the water NEAR the Cruiser but not on it. 2) One of Mikuma's own scout aircraft - from the launch platform right next to the stern guns - was blown onto the roof of the next to last stern turret. This all led to people looking at the photograph of Mikiuma, seeing the wrecked aircraft on one of her turrets and believing it was the lost American Dive Bomber. .

[@chrisstrawn4108]

The aircraft wreckage is from a tube and canvas airframe and both Fleming's Vindicator and Mikuma's scout aircraft used this construction. My grandfather flew TBDs and Gold starred, Dad flew A-4s and F-4s with two VN cruises. Dad and I have debated for *decades* about Fleming's demise and that Mikuma wreckage. Of course Dad insists it must be from Fleming's Vindicator.

[@BP-1988]

You maybe referring to one of Hornet's dive bombers flown by a young ensign named Don Griswold. During the attack on the June 6th on the Japanese cruisers, he was flying in the number 3 position with Gus Widhelm and my father. When my father pushed over in his SBD, he looked across at Griswold and watched his 1000 pounder drift away. He had inadvertently "pickled" his bomb away in his nervousness. Back on board the Hornet, my father mentioned the premature release of Griswold's bomb to him so it would not happen the next time. Griswold broke into tears. He was almost sorry he had said anything about it. During the second attack which my father was not on, apparently Griswold never pulled out of his dive and did not return. My father had wondered that if he were so intent on making up for the premature release at altitude in the morning flight, that he tried too hard on the second attack and paid for it with his life.

[@chrissycarr1618]

Interesting warship story. Thanks for sharing it.

[@johnhallett5846]

and this is how hard it is to sink a good sized ship with just bombs. Imagine trying to sink a battleship. That is why the idea that Spruance should have tried to pursue the Japanese fleet as it fled is so idiotic. With two virtually immobile or slow moving ships and no fighter cover, they still only sank one of them. Without torpedo planes and also working torpedoes, there was nothing more that could have been done. All the carriers were destroyed by basically being burned down to the waterline due to all the aviation fuel and munitions on the carriers.

[@HiddenHistoryYT]

Great points. Appreciate you watching & have a great week :)

[@orwellboy1958]

Good to see you now have a sponsor. Another great production, thank you.

[@pelonehedd7631]

When You say that the triple 155 mm guns were reassigned to Yamato You should also make it clear that the Triple 18” main battery guns shown in the photo are not the 155 mm guns that became secondary battery guns on the Yamato. Just to make it clear to those of lesser knowledge about the subject.

[@iamrichrocker]

good to see your channel is worthy of being sponsored..much deserved..keep up the great content and research...

[@markpaul-ym5wg]

More please.Thanks HIDDEN HISTORY.I have watched your subs rise like the changing tide.Its well overdue.

[@markjohnson8963]

The thing that this story brings out is that in 1942 the accuracy (poor training) of our dive bombers remained alot to desire. And then in fairness how hard it is to hit any moving ship. How many ships were actually hitt by B17s !

[@HiddenHistoryYT]

Appreciate you watching & have a great week :)

[@lewismartinez5130]

at Midway, zero, if I recall correctly. High level bombing just wasn't good for sinking ships. Not sure if they ever later did low level B 17 raids or if that was a B-25/B-26 thing.

[@oldcremona]

It’s interesting the the submarine Trout rescued 2 survivors from a raft days after the battle. There were also survivors from the Hiryu taken prisoner. I’ve always wondered what happened to those men. Presumably they returned to Japan after the war. They were the lucky ones, although I’m sure they didn’t feel that way at the time!

[@FrancisSullivan-j7t]

I LOATHE the Japanese, but I must say their warships,are Sleek,Elegant,Almost like Sports cars!

[@HiddenHistoryYT]

Appreciate you watching & have a great rest of your week :)

[@BP-1988]

Hopefully you've read my posts about my father and his role as an SBD pilot at Midway. After the war, as a husband and father, he was one of the most tolerant people I've ever know - except when it came to the Japanese. As a world traveler he never wanted to visit Japan. He would only buy American cars. But one memory I have of him was when I bought my first new car which a Datsun 280Z. He looked a me as said "What did you do that for? Those guys tried to kill me!"

[@Joe-u9l]

These ships for all their flaws proved to be tough and capable of withstanding massive battle damage. The Japanese cruisers were all beautiful ships up until Tone was launched.

[@HiddenHistoryYT]

Appreciate you watching & have a great week :)

[@MGB-learning]

Great video

[@Otokichi786]

4:22 War Thumper ad ends.

[@thatguy990]

👍👍

[@RUHappyATM]

What is the logic of sacrificing experienced crews in a sinking ship? Dumb culture.

[@chrisstrawn4108]

So true-- Tamon Yamaguchi's decision to go down with Hiryu is the perfect example of this. One of the rising stars in the IJN who would have been a massive asset after the later death of Yamamoto basically kills himself because of the extreme degree of fatalism and twisted sense of duty that pervaded the Japanese services.

[@johnhallett5846]

@@chrisstrawn4108 The warped nature that the Bushido code had become pretty much left them no *HONORABLE * by that belief alternative

[@MinhNguyen-cn8kx]

Fantastico Mikuma.... Respect from Vietnam. Allahu akhbar.

[@jasonsmith1143]

where do these # come ????

[@thomaslinton5765]

"Hidden"?

[@shaner9155]

Her 🎀 huh?

[@mikearakelian6368]

Don't like adds

[@richardkeilig4062]

Horrible war.

[@HiddenHistoryYT]

Appreciate you watching & have a great week :)

[@brucelytle1144]

Are there nice wars?

[@JamesMurphy-tr7iq]

Why not have someone reading this rather than a computer

[@MGB-learning]

Great video