How the US Navy Shot Down 350 Planes in a Day - The Marianas Turkey Shoot

[@TJ3]

Own a piece of history today! Get 15% off 1945: End of the War with code "TJ3" at HistoricAutographCompany.com!

[@justinharvey1355]

Any possibility you can make a vid on French Normandie Nieman fighter regiment -which served on the Eastern Front during WWII?

[@JamesRowell-fj7uq]

How about doing a video on major general Ross E Rowell USMC retired MOH WINNER and one of the fathers of Air to ground support

[@steveperreira5850]

I answered three out of four correctly. Missed the first one on the name of the mission given by the Japanese.

[@steveshoemaker6347]

Sorry i am a day late my friend and thanks for the excellent video..... Old F-4 Shoe🇺🇸

[@ScotttheCyborg]

Actually, WW2 ended in 1989 with the reunification of Germany. The fighting may have ended in 1945, but the actual ending, when the conditions of the armistice were fulfilled, did not happen until 1989. My younger brother was stationed in Berlin in 1984-85 and has his WW2 Occupation medal, issued to him by the US Army, which makes him a WW2 veteran. Gotta love politics. Remember, the Korean Conflict is still ongoing, because the armistice has not been fulfilled, and there's actual shooting involved there. Lost a high school friend there in 1984.

[@Jonnythemick]

My grandfather was a fighter pilot who fought in this very battle. John Albert Banks.

[@elsenored562]

Thanks for your grandfather's service. My grandfather co-founded the company (Grumman) that made the Hellcat.

[@v1rus815]

@@elsenored562 damn that is impressive

[@daveoscroonintunes3509]

That's crazy and you get to watch this virtual recreation. Pretty nuts to think about.

[@jukkatakamaa7274]

....dude...even you rock for that.

[@luigivincenz3843]

a family member of mine married a Filipina lady. She says her great grandfather actually witnessed the Battle of Leyte Gulf when he was a kid. The villagers along the shores came out because it was so loud even at a distance. They hated the japanese so much for all the crap they endured during the occupation.

[@brucevetter8511]

It's astounding to me how CGI can make understanding history so exciting and useful. The people able to accomplish this magic need to know how much their work is appreciated. US Navy Submarine veteran, 1962-1966 USS Sailfish, SS572

[@stischer47]

Thanks for your service.

[@bryancousineau4053]

You completely missed the most successful aviator in that battle. While Vraciu shot down 6 Japanese planes in the battle, Commander David McCampbell, flying from USN Essex, shot down 9!! that day, and his wingman shot down 5 more. McCampbell was the ace of aces in the U.S. Navy and yet virtually everyone misses his accomplishments. He won every medal including the Medal of Honour. Nobody else in U.S. aviation has ever equalled his 9 victories in one flight.His airplane was called Minsi ll, in honour of his wife.

[@lancejohnson1406]

No. His 9 kill day was at Leyte Gulf. But he did score 7 during the Turkey Shoot in two sorties. Mc Campbell was apparently the most successful of the day, but 9 kills....NO. Not until October...And by then he was flying MINSI III that was his mount for 23.5 credited victories.

[@bryancousineau4053]

@@lancejohnson1406 You are correct - my bad (senior moment!). It was October 24, 1944 at Leyte Gulf and McCambell and his wingman, Roy Rushing shot down 15 planes. McCambell got 9, and Rushing got 6. The flights of Japanese planes they found and attacked had missed finding the American ships and had turned back to their carriers. The Japanese fliers were mostly green and without combat experience. McCampbell and Rushing were able to attack from the rear, break off and then attack again without any Japanese fliers turning to fight. When he tried to return to Essex, he couldn't land as they were launching planes, and he was forced to land on USS Langley. Of the 2,400 rounds of ammunition he had carried, there were only 6 remaining in one gun, caused by a feed stoppage.

[@sandracarpenter4990]

Thanks for this information my father served on the Essex always on the lookout for information

[@seanbigay1042]

I suspect Alex Vraciu got picked because he was just so damn happy in that picture.

[@Not_A_Cat]

​@@lancejohnson1406that is an epic story, where might one find details?

[@johnmcelhaney1484]

My dad has two letters of accommodations one from Admiral Halsey and another from admiral Nimitz . Held them both in my hands along with hearing so many stories of the seven invasions he was involved in out in the pacific . Love this history of the greatest generation

[@PoochAndBoo]

I assume you mean letters of commendation.

[@geod3589]

My dad told me of the great turkey shoot, he witnessed a lot of it from his ship.

[@davidlewis5742]

Wouldn't a letter of accommodations be a billeting order! No disrespect to your father. 🙂

[@PoochAndBoo]

Hate to call B.S on this one, but gonna have to. A letter from Halsey AND Nimitz, the commander of the Pacific Fleet. What did he do, sink the Yamato by himself? @@davidlewis5742

[@marksroberts4880]

Really? An argument over grammar? What aircraft did you fly into battle against the enemy?@@davidlewis5742

[@TD402dd]

We've been told the P-40 was not a good plane, but with professional pilots they dominated the Japanese Oscars. The reason our young pilots did badly was because they had insufficient training. The turkey shoot is the best example of veteran pilots with superior aircraft. It was a slaughter of the Japanese fighters.

[@geeeeeee3]

The zero is a created myth. American pilots were climbing into just uncrated P40s with ZERO time i them and knocking the war criminals out of the air.

[@cbwelch4]

The P40 was actually quite maneuverable rolling better and turning tighter than the P51. Had it received more upgrades in particular a two stage supercharger it would have been outstanding as confirmed by testing on the P40Q. The Hellcat was our best WW2 fighter. Unmatched in air superiority.

[@tyroneshoelaces8867]

The P40 was an excellent low altitude fighter. The flying tigers used superior tactics at medium altitude to great effect. At high altitude, the plane was sluggish and completely outclassed by the Zero and Oscar.

[@philipbahr7410]

Capt. Wild Bill Kelso flew a P40

[@papalegba6796]

Same goes for the Japanese but in reverse. They started the war with superbly trained pilots but ended it with raw recruits.

[@johnweems5096]

6:50 they understate this , the hellcat WAS specifically designed to defeat the zero, in the Aleutian campaign a zero had been shot in the oil pan and landed softly on the snow. It was repaired an used to learn how best to defeat the zero . Huge part of the naval air campaign.

[@selewachm]

My Father served in this theater during WWII as a plane captain on a support carrier. I think he served on a couple but not sure. He did serve on the Independece which I think was involved with this. He passed before the internet got to where it is now but I wish I could ask him so many questions. Fun fact, he loved listening to the "Victory at Sea" albums.

[@eleitzsummicron]

:-) I used to love watching Victory at Sea, have seen the entire series, and many episodes twice

[@larrybruns5051]

I also was a plane captain. I salute your father. We were called shit shirts because of our brown turtlenecks we wore. I know you know we all had a color on the flight deck and plane captains wore brown. Just thought you should know in case you didn’t. If dad didn’t tell you, it was a pretty good job. And all of us thought we could fly a plane if need be.

[@t.j.payeur5331]

My father was a glider pilot. 5 invasions. Sicily, Normandy, Southern France, and two flights during Market-Garden.

[@commonsensegunlaw]

Just listened to Clash of Carriers, detailed book on this battle, very well done. Hellcat was spawned from Wildcat pilots brought to Grumman to tell them what was needed. Hellcat tried to keep Zeros above 200 kts airspeed, as their elevators became really hard to move, and ailerons also. They also used boom and zoom, as the Hellcat had superb altitude rate of climb, and the use of Radar gave them far better warning to have fighter cap in place to defend.

[@boydgrandy5769]

Design work on the F6F was formally begun in June, 1940, when the initial contract for a flying prototype was awarded to Grumman. Butch O'Hare did tour Grumman's plant in 1942, and apparently convinced Grumman to use the 2000 Hp Pratt and Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine, along with changes to the cockpit to improve pilot vision. O'Hare's input was in April, '42, a full month before Midway. It took one more full year of design work and development before the F6F-3 Hellcat was ready to deploy to the fleet, but it was worth the wait. The main advantage of the Hellcat over the Zero was the ability to remain nimble at high speed and it had power enough to outclimb the Zero. Above 200Kts, the Zero famously turned into a brick, as the aileron and elevator controls were unassisted and could not be moved by the pilot at speeds that the Hellcat had no problems maneuvering at.

[@tombates9276]

​@@boydgrandy5769i

[@ms.annthrope415]

When i was in elementary school, i would go to the library with my dad, and would borrow every book I could find on the Pacific Naval War. Read all about Guadacanal, Iwo Jima, Saipan, Battle of Coral Sea, the Marianas Turkey Shoot. I'm now 63 and so glad i read as much as i did at a young age.

[@ph89787]

Another fact was that the Battle of the Philippine Sea was the last time SBD Dauntless were used from US Fleet Carriers. Operated by VB-10 from Enterprise and VB-16 from Lexington along with a 5-plane section of VB-1 on Yorktown

[@TJ3]

Cool!!

[@markgazelka8493]

What an outstanding documentary!👍💪👌👏

[@jerrydonquixote5927]

I feel sorry for the aviators fighting in those planes they were Brave and outmatched.

[@wayneyadams]

6:10 We also had the advantage of an industrial complex that could manufacture war material at a rate that Japan could never match, not to mention a vastly larger population from which to draw for replacements. It was a David and Goliath situation with David having no slingshot with which to slay Goliath. The Japanese never had a chance to win, and Admiral Yamamoto knew it when he made his statement about waking a sleeping giant.

[@Krogtheclown]

Yamamoto new that he had about one year of Victories before it all went bad unfortunately he didn't even get that long they should have never started the war thinking the Americans would capitulate and sign a peace treaty huge mistake the Americans were in it till it was over.

[@marksroberts4880]

The Japanese were starved for oil due to the due to the U.S. embargo. They believed that the U.S. was soft and weak, and did not have the will to fight (a cultural misunderstanding), and they had about a 3 week supply of fuel oil for their ships to start a 2 week attack. They believed that a decisive blow would so demoralize the U.S. that we would simply capitulate to their 'superior' strength. The reason for the attack was to put the U.S. down to allow unfettered access to Malaysian oil production. Those Japanese officers who had come to the U.S. for their education, including Yamamoto, were not so sure about U.S. weakness, but their voices were not acknowledged by the militarist government, and they were bound by honor to follow the orders given in the name of the Emperor. The Industrial Complex was occupied at the time with making consumer goods, which the Japanese saw as an indication of how soft we were and who never suspected that we could so rapidly convert to producing war materiel, in massive quantities.

[@wayneyadams]

@@Krogtheclown Given the Administration and the namby-pamby people we have today, I wonder if we pose the same threat today. The old adage about carrying a big stick is true and we should never forget it.

[@angeloftheabyss5265]

Tell that to taffy 3. GFY

[@wayneyadams]

@@angeloftheabyss5265 Your comment makes no sense, which is what i would expect from a Gen-Z baby siting in his mommy's dark basement. By the way, GFY!

[@SmedleyDouwright]

"The Operations Room" channel covers this too, but under the more formal name "Battle of the Philippine Sea". It covers the battle at a higher level. It is more fleet vs fleet than plane vs plane.

[@mothmagic1]

I've always known it as the Marianas Turkey Shoot.

[@wayneyadams]

20:11 Dick Bong was in the U.S. Army Air Force, not the U.S. Navy and he flew the iconic and deadly twin engine P-38.

[@scorpion19142001]

I was looking for the correct statement. As I knew already what the correct statement was.

[@jameshendrixmizfit7364]

Love the video. Aces David McCampbel was a part of this. F6F Hellcat became known as the zero killer.

[@drlong08]

I continue to be impressed by the digital reconstructions and modeling. Being someone that ate up the old History Channel "Dogfight" series, I can say this video does justice to those early series. Thank you, Sir!!

[@shadetreemech290]

As I understand it, The AA ammunition (designated "VT" for variable time) was also of the new proximity fuse type that automatically detonated close to the incoming aircraft and that made a big difference in.

[@COACHWARBLE]

FM-2 Wildcat was the most under rated fighter in WW2. It was the fighter plane on the 90 Jeep carriers built by Kaiser ship yards.

[@TheWindriver10]

WILDCAT WIMP......UNDERPOWERED, HEAVY, COULD'NT TURN, FLYING COFFIN....IF WE DID'NT COME UP WITH THE HELLCAT WE WOULD HAVE LOST.......I'M THINKING

[@williamwiese9963]

Ive heard a bunch of war stories aboutthe Philippine seas,. grandfather was in the Battle of Leytte Gulf, the amount of crap these kids had to go through was absolutely nuts. He was aboard USS Birmingham escort cruiser (Cleveland class) they helped the CV USS Princeton (CV) put out fires after a Divebomber put one throut the flight deck.

[@philchurch1115]

My grandfather was in the Navy on a DD USS Fargut and he was in every major battle in the pacific ..boy did he have true story's to tell..

[@garycamara9955]

Faragut?

[@lon2515]

I've studied ww 2 for forty years.I know everything about this battle.The American total losses were about 150.We only sank one carrier with all our airpower.Spruance made the mistake of chaining his fleet around the Marinaras to be found and attacked by a farther reaching Japanese air fleet.The decision turned out to be a good idea because the Japanese really couldn't penetrate our C.A.P.Good job on making this excellent video.

[@sandym8787]

I have my Uncle's trunk and diary and Purple Heart . He was shooting down zeros before he was shot down over Guam on June 12th 1944. Has not been recovered to this day . Always will be young and handsome and I like to think he is my guardian angel above ...

[@wmffmw]

Yes, My father flight tested Grumman Aircraft. We had pictures of him flying the prototype F6F Hell Cat with TEST on the side, it was essentially his aircraft at that point. That and we had a model used for wind tunnel testing.

[@wbrunelle1]

As mentioned, the Japanese lost two aircraft carriers to US submarines during this First Battle of the Philippine Sea. Not only significant losses in themselves but eliminating landing platforms for some of the Japanese aircraft that had survived and were returning. USS ALBACORE (SS218) sank the carrier TAIHO on 18 June 1944 and the next day USS CAVALLA (SS244) bagged the IJN carrier SHOKAKU. Tragically, ALBACORE did not survive the war, but CAVALLA served until 1968. I had the honor to serve in CAVALLA in 1963-1964. Video and simulation top notch except for one minor error. Japanese carriers had their islands on the port side rather than the starboard side. The rotation of their aircraft engines and thus the torque forces were the opposite of our planes. Sorry, there's always a "spoil sport" for every otherwise excellent video!

[@erictaylor5462]

16:05 Sadly, his sacrifice was for naught. The other torpedo struck the ship causing a major aviation fuel spill. The damage wasn't that bad, the ship continues along just fine until some time later. The crew had done well to avoid sparks setting off the fuel fumes rather than venting the fumes overboard they were vented into the ship. From there it was only a matter of time. Eventually the fumes found a spark and tuned the ship into a massive bomb.

[@boydgrandy5769]

That depends on one's point of view. From my point of view, as well as from my late father's and his contemporaries who actually fought the Japanese, there was no sadness in the burning and sinking of a Japanese aircraft carrier in the Battle of The Philippine Sea. Anyone who had actual contact with Japanese naval or army forces in WWII in the Pacific hated them for the atrocities that they routinely committed against civilians and POWs. So there's that.

[@markforster6457]

That Japanese ship was the aircraft carrier Taiho.

[@erictaylor5462]

@@markforster6457 I thought it was she ship Ka-boom.

[@afreightdogslife]

​@@erictaylor5462🤣🤣🤣👌🏻

[@seanbigay1042]

@@erictaylor5462 Yeah, rub it in, why don'tcha? ):D

[@Tigger_34]

The Hellcat and Corsair are my absolute favorite prop fighters!!

[@drewber565]

Alex Vraciu was the first Naval Aviator to shoot down a Japanese Zero, while flying the Hellcat. This is seen in a History Channel episode of Dogfights. It's worth a search.

[@JavierBrent]

LINK PLEASE. MY OLD CFI TOLD ME VRACIU FOUGHT JAPS ON A DIVE BOMBER BEFORE. BUT HE CANNOT FIND THAT HISTORY CHANNEL VIDEO NOW.

[@francescofissore161]

... actually, Vraciu shot down his Zero (in his first combat) on October 10th 1943. The very first Zero victim of a Hellcat had been destroyed five weeks earlier - on September 6th, by J.E. Warren of Squadron VF-33.

[@DCG550]

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Duncan_(pilot)

[@Cuccos19]

Another Pacific story suggestion for your collection: Charles Lindbergh and his 'secret' missions at the Pacific. Including the training of the Lightning pilots how to manage the fuel system to get the most range out of their aircraft, his combat record, etc.

[@johnritchie4801]

Read the trilogy of Books by Ian w Toll, Pacific Crucible 1941-42, Conquering Tide 42-44 and Twilight of the Gods 44-45. Lindbergs story is discussed at length in I think Conquering tide. Absolutely fascinating stuff

[@linguinatorschwartz9309]

Yes, the story of Lindy flying with the 475th Fighter Group is fascinating. He taught them to increase the prop pitch, bring the RPM down from 2,200 to 1,600, increase the manifold pressure (the throttle setting), and lean the mixture way out to lean-of-peak. They say that Lindbergh was notorious for leaning the mixture out to within a gnat's eyelash of detonation, making his spark plugs burn white. By following Lindy's fuel economy regimen, the P-38 pilots were able to almost double the 38's range, which was critical in the vastness of the Pacific Theater. Lindbergh was something of a genius.

[@SamGlasser]

It gave the P38 pilots the reach they needed to get Yamamoto.

[@roddecker1900]

I read 38' s from Alaska over ship yards northern Japan were the ones with the long reach " the war in alaska"

[@thenaturalmidsouth9536]

​@@johnritchie4801Ian Toll's books are fabulous reads, well-written, and researched.

[@robertbrode3210]

Well done! Outstanding presentation. Detailed without being boring, great animation that flowed well with the narrative, historically accurate, good facts and figures, amazing overall!

[@TJ3]

Thank you!

[@markforster6457]

Next, I would like to hear about when USN aircraft were launched to attack late in the day. Most, if not all, of the survivors returned after sundown. Admiral Mischer, who had ordered the attack, ordered the ships to turn on their lights.

[@CarlosClarivan]

80 planes ditched in ocean, but mostly of naval aviators rescued. All pilots know the risk to run out of fuel and ditch in the dark ocean even if they survive the battle. Brave men

[@benscoles5085]

That is a GREAT VID, it is on YT and I will never forget the piolet, ''Flash Gordon'' telling the story, he got all choked up telling the part of when they were returning , they were lost, and the Navy ships lit up so they could tell where to fly back to the carriers.

[@JAlucard77]

This is a AWESOME STORY, I LOVE TO SEE DIFFERENT CONTENT CREATORS TAKE ON THIS SUBJECT.

[@geeeeeee3]

So much for the "invincible" Zero.

[@jimreilly917]

The Zero was a formidable fighter…in 1930s China against almost no air resistance, and what the Chinese had early on was WWI era biplanes and later P40s. Unlike Japan, US AirPower consistently advanced after Pearl Harbor. Also unlike Japanese, American pilots were well trained by combat experienced pilots throughout the war. The Zeroes, and their pilots, stagnated throughout the war. They did well against China due to lack of any opposition. Once up against well trained US pilots flying state of the art planes….you get things like the Marianas Turkey Shoot.

[@thenaturalmidsouth9536]

It was the best carrier based plane at the start of the war, but once our pilots understood its weaknesses, even the Wildcats found success against it using proper tactics.

[@semperaugustus661]

The battle was over before it started. The US had basically the entire Japanese battle plan after the Koga papers were discovered. Those same papers also showed troop concentration in Minandao so it allowed MacArthur to switch the invasion site to Leyte and move the invasion timeline up three months because he was able to attack an area he knew would have fewer troops.

[@BrucePerkins-mc3hp]

The Axis didn't believe or wanted to, that we could convert to a wartime Economy as fast as we did. They also Didn't have any idea of the industrial Might we could bring to bear. And it was relatively easy considering that our industrial capacity wasn't under Constant aerial attack, unlike other Allies. And we were the only country that could conduct a two theater war.

[@PoIiteCat]

Tbf Americans on the western front was clean up duty basically

[@NeroontheGoon]

I own three samurai swords from generals who surrendered to my grandfather during the Philippine Campaign. We also have the flag with the terms of surrender drawn in Kanji on the flag. Two of the swords are considered Japanese national treasure, they will never get them back!

[@PatrickMJr]

I call bs, Generally the generals committed seppoku

[@NeroontheGoon]

@@PatrickMJr Many Japanese were captured in the Philippines along with their intact command structure. If you would take the time to look up Colonel George Barnett I think you’ll find his battle account intact and can be acquired through a FOIA request to the Pentagon or to the Library of Congress. You may read the book concerning the actions of the Filipino Scouts and their never ending harassment of the Japanese titled the Conquest of the Philippines. It is an account of the American troops who were not captured by the Japanese when Corregidor fell and how they were ordered to disperse and join up with national forces opposing the Japanese. My grandfather was a mining engineer on Luzon at one of the worlds largest tin mines, was commissioned there as a Colonel, and his first order received over the company teletype was to make access to the tin deposits impossible for the Japanese. This immediately flipped the Japanese high command out as tin is a necessary strategic mineral in the production of mechanical bearings for engines. That earned him an instant 25,000 peso bounty on his head which continued to grow until the end of the war. My grandfather fought with the Filipino Scouts until the war was over, remaining in theater for the duration of the war.

[@The1trueJester]

Another absolute banger from the GOAT. Thank you for the amazing content tj, stay awesome!

[@TJ3]

Thank you!!

[@DellSchanze]

You should show the actual tactics used by the fighters and how they defeated more maneuverable planes. Show strengths and weaknesses and how the skilled pilots kept things in their favor.

[@sandrog.gaudio1837]

Amazing work, as always!

[@TJ3]

Glad you like it!

[@antoniocarrascosa6060]

Magníficos gráficos y descripción de la batalla, enhorabuena desde España

[@moonshineofthemoon8054]

Aw lets gooo! Love the Pacific War stories TJ!

[@Orca4135]

Amazing video as always, thanks TJ!

[@skykeg4978]

TJ, I don’t know if you venture outside of WWII subjects but my suggestion for your next topic after this outstanding presentation would be Operation Bolo led by Col. Robin Olds in the Vietnam War.

[@TJ3]

It is very high on my list! :) coming soon

[@stevec3526]

The Japanese pilots were not given parachutes. The American pilots were given parachutes.

[@oxnard5927]

They believed using one was a sign of cowardice and a dishonoring of the family

[@LeslieDevoe]

My father was a Naval Aviator, I have known who Alexander Vraciu was since kindergarten.

[@mikaelbiilmann6826]

WW2 and the Japanese are filled with the term: A final decisive battle... and they lost them all. You don't win a war by dying for your country... you make the other side die for their country... (Patton I think..)

[@Gunner192]

I dont know if Patton really said it. But George C. Scott said it in the movie he portrayed Patton.

[@jguenther3049]

@@Gunner192 I heard the quote in ROTC, 1955. "Patton" was released in 1970.

[@LanceStoddard]

Radar and Combat Information Centers. Everybody was vectored to just the right place at the right time.

[@johnschofield9496]

Well done ! I feel that I have good, basic knowledge of this battle, but you showed me that my knowledge was indeed that, basic ! I got one question right ! Thank you for an interesting and informative video ! Keep up the good work !

[@TJ3]

Thanks for watching :)

[@jerrydonquixote5927]

Good documentary, I missed every damn one of the questions! but I can't get enough of these documenries, and I appreciate this generation so much!!!

[@chrisnizer5702]

Combat air patrols prior to the Saipan landings had taken a heavy toll on the land based planes. Far fewer were airworthy when the time came to have the effect the IJN were counting on. The pilots that did survive and make it back to their bases gave the impression that they had sunk numerous carriers and other capital ships when in fact they hadn't.

[@stevevaughn2040]

When I got out of Navy I was talking to the only retired WW2 Navy fighter aviator I could speak with. I knew some retired admirals but chatting wasn't in the cards. This aviator was toward end of war, he flew Corsair, he never saw a single Japanese plane. He fired only only ship he saw but spent most time flying around and maybe doing runs on remaining forces on islands. The Japanese had guts but were decimated.

[@Knights_of_Zurg]

It really helps when you get a look at the opponent's playbook.

[@jguenther3049]

I'm curious how that briefcase made it all the way to the beach.

[@georgegreenfield6732]

My Father was in the Pacific Theater during WW2. He gave me a bracelet made from a Japanese Zero that was shot down during the Battle of Saipan. He told me of the Mariana Turkey Shoot. He was stationed on a Submarine Tender. I miss him dearly. The Greatest Generation of Americans are nearly all gone ! RIP Daddy !

[@thedayofthetanks]

Love the vids TJ3!!!!

[@TJ3]

Thank you!

[@Rikki0]

Have you ever held a physical piece of WWII history in your hands? Why yes, I have. In WWII there were only two Medals of Honor awarded to fighter pilots in the ETO. One to Don Howard and the other to Raymond Knight. A few years ago I worked with and became good friends with Lt. Knight's nephew, Claude. Claude had a lot of his uncle's memorabilia in his office and we spent a lot of time talking about his uncle, because of my love of WWII aviation. One day he invited me to his office and handed me a small flat wooden box and bade me open it. He said he borrowed it from his aunt (Lt. Knight's widow. He was killed in his MoH mission) to show me. Inside I found Lt. Knight's MoH. He told me to take it out and hold it. I was scared I'd damage it, but a chance like that is once in a lifetime and I didn't pass it up. So yes, I have. I've since visited his grave in Houston, and seen some of his letters, at Claude's home. It gives you a strange feeling of pride and patriotism. Thanks, Claude for the opportunity.

[@jimc6687]

Excellent historical summary and graphics as usual, TJ!! Jim C.

[@elliottw1]

@TJ3 History your graphics are awesome. Well done mate.

[@01ZO6TT]

Another great video TJ!! I’ve known about the Turkey Shoot for a long time but, not in this much detail. I didn’t do well on my test because of it either. Lol. Keep up the great work!

[@DC-gy1zw]

like the test part.

[@adirondacker007]

Great video! In a few hours, I will be at The American Heritage Museum in Hudson, Massachusetts, where I volunteer as a docent. Our Hellcat is one my favorite exhibits to discuss with guests. Most people are astounded at the size of this aircraft. Have a great day!

[@richardpcrowe]

Well done video... During the shooting of a Navy film on the history of the aircraft carrier, I had the privilege of meeting Alexander Vraciu as well as Eugene Valencia and John "Jimmy" Thatch - the originator of the Thatch Weave.

[@KeshHarp]

Beautiful graphics - great job on this video!

[@tomsherwood4650]

I tend to shy away from flightsim/CGI imagery stuff but this was well done and complemented the story. I guess it is getting better all the time. Some scenes are breathtakingly convincing.

[@TJ3]

Thank you!

[@Spitfiresammons]

Great video TJ3 could you do the history of George Beurling the top Canadian ace and the top Allied ace of aces during the siege of Malta.

[@brianwilliams307]

Take a look at the P-51, in the pacific, called The Flying Undertaker. I believe the pilot shot down 7 Japanese aircraft in one mission.

[@TempusFugit1159]

That was Capt. Bill Shomo. His wing-man, Lt. Liscomb, "only" got 3.

[@Digmen1]

This is a great video. I like your voice and the quizzes!

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

Great video, TJ...👍

[@abbiebeast]

Perfecting the proximity fuse of AAA was a secret to the success of this battle

[@spikemcnock8310]

Excellent video yet again. Top man

[@gfourmacman]

I don't enjoy quizzes while watching videos, as interesting as it may seem.

[@RogueAce93]

Great overview of the Turkey Shoot, TJ!! There were some details from the battle I didn’t even know about! Managed to get all but one of the questions right! If you’re gonna keep going with the Air War over the Pacific, could you do a follow up over Leyte Gulf where Cmdr. David McCampbell flew his Medal of Honor-worthy sortie?! Thanks!

[@my-yt-inputs2580]

Good info. I would like to point out that the whole battle known as the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot was a 2 day battle with something like 450 Japanese losses.

[@markforster6457]

20:05 - Vraicu scored those six kills in a Hellcat with a bad engine. Those six kills brought his total to 19 kills.

[@DarkLord89213]

that was a fun video to make glad i was part of it

[@TJ3]

Thanks!!

[@DeMan59]

It wasn’t really a turkey shoot. I mean the Japanese were fighting back. But they were inexperienced pilots. The battle of Midway eliminated a lot of Japan's best pilots.

[@michaelfenning4717]

My grandfather, Carl Allen Brown Jr. was an Ace in A Day during this battle. He flew in the VF-27 on the USS Princeton.

[@animalanimal7939]

Kid Rock be layin’ down the real deal man. History facts

[@richardvirchow3390]

Excellent story telling and graphics. This is the second of your videos I’ve watched tonight. I’ll be looking forward to more. Well done!!

[@HornetCinematics]

Great video!

[@TJ3]

Thanks Hornet!

[@slavicsoup7762]

where do you find primary sources of this event?

[@leesherman100]

Excellent story and sim vid. Five *****

[@joesantamaria5874]

I have a photograph of me sitting on Little Boy at the IWM London. They made more than one, and obviously the one I saw was not loaded with Uranium!

[@dadandkids5028]

Wing tips don't emit smoke when a piston plane is hit.

[@gregarioussolitudinist5695]

James 'Red' Shirley was credited with 13.5 kills, though you never see mention of him without a lot of digging.

[@chuchulainn9275]

One of the Japanese carriers sunk was the Shōkaku which was one of the carriers that participated in the Pearl Harbor attack.

[@lil2nerdy645]

Hellcat is such an ironic name in that it was one of the absolute Godsends of the war.

[@aleccrombie7923]

If this was a movie you would scoff at a figure of 350 planes shot down in one day! They must have fallen like hail.

[@capybarainspace5825]

I only missed one of them and it was the one about how many Japanese went back to base

[@Parocha]

Same here

[@ashdobbs]

cool it with the quizzes, TJ3

[@RobertHollander]

The transport plane was a Kawanishi H8K2. The video of it flying into the typhoon and ditching was really convincing. What application did you use to generate that?

[@scorpion19142001]

Basically this "AI" got it screwed up.

[@alejandrovargas7592]

I'm a very graphically oriented person. These realistic visuals help me immerse myself in the story !! Thanks

[@wandrinyew]

The US had a habit of rotating their experienced pilots back stateside to train the next crop. The Japanese (and Germans) did not. Also, by the time of the turkey shoot, the Zero was outdated... fast, yes, manuverable, yes, but lightly armored and without self-sealing fuel tanks. The US was constantly improving their fighter aircraft: the Navy's F6F Hellcat and F4U Corsair, and the Army's P-38 Lightning.

[@markrowland1366]

I picked up a foot of D day beech barbed wire. It was not what farmers use. Far more barbs per yard. Thirty years on and rust was destroying it and the twenty Mulberry harbour segments, massive concrete forms that protected the men bringing men and supplies to shore.

[@tonygarcia0072]

The attack by the lone Japanese fighter on the American fleet was not only futile, it was stupid; it alerted the Americans to the fact that they had been spotted, and also that they were within range of the Japanese, throwing a possible surprise attack out of the window...

[@PoIiteCat]

“Look at this idiot throwing his life out” - some American dude not knowing that’s what the japs plans were

[@timbarnett3898]

My cousin gave me couple drill bits that he used in building X-15. I thought that was cool of him! He even knew where they were used on drilled rivot holes, around conopy an air intake.

[@icosthop9998]

TY I have *Subscribed* 👍

[@mrmike1884]

The Sleeping Giant was Mad as Hell.

[@caesarillion]

I'm studying to learn the home base, land or sea, of all the airplanes shot down by the USS Indianapolis, my father's ship. Thanks for the great show. Thailand Paul Venne.

[@denvan3143]

The mistake, the commander of the aircraft carrier Hiryu was to stray too close to the American aircraft carriers when he should’ve stayed beyond their range; the Japanese didn’t repeat that mistake in the battle of the Philippine sea and stayed away by 100 miles. But at that range, American radar had plenty of time to detect incoming planes and have their own fighters in position to take them out.

[@williammiller1732]

My father fought the battle of leyte gulf and phillipene seas on a destroyer he said it was a turkey shoot for sure in the mairannas fought all the way to final day

[@SGTGHOST143]

Always looks so good. Ngl makes me curious of your setup lol. The Hellcat shots were amazing to look at and see

[@edvoon]

No mention of the first use of the VT proximity fuse in the anti aircraft batteries which made them much more lethal. To shoot down all but 10 of the 30-odd remaining bombers was no easy feat.