USS Ward - Guide 267

[@Drachinifel]

Pinned post for Q&A :)

[@seegurke93]

What exactly was the paintjob of war on dec 7th? Asking for a model project

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

5 min guide to X Craft submarines? 🤔 Pretty please, with sugar on top. 🍩

[@Jman7133]

You've already discussed the engagement between Indefatigable, Amazon, and Droits de l'Homme, remarking how the weather was the key factor in Pellew deciding to engage a ship of the line with two frigates. Are there other battles you can think of which were primarily fought or who's outcome may have been much different if the weather had been significantly changed on the day of the engagement? Off my head, Samar comes to mind.

[@andrewreynolds9371]

I will be honest and admit I don't remember, but have you ever done a detailed look at the carrier training program on Lake Michigan? Might be a good subject for one of your "Rum Ration" videos.

[@denniswhite166]

Please do USS Myles C. Fox DD-829

[@roum22]

It's well worth reading the Wikipedia page on the Ward, the crew were reservists of limited training and experience, who performed amazingly well considering. The gun that fired the historical shot is on display at St Paul Minnesota.

[@johnbeauvais3159]

That’s always blown my mind because the hole is dead center of the sail so a peacetime reserve gun crew managed to put a shot exactly where they needed from dead cold in like what 2 minutes? Outstanding work

[@ChillGamerLad]

yea i live like 30 minutes from it never been to it, but i wanna go

[@unclefester6501]

Wikipedia is not a reliable source.

[@ChillGamerLad]

@@unclefester6501 you're sounding like a teacher now

[@RCAvhstape]

Reservists often get as much practical training as regulars, since most of the time as a regular is spent doing routine maintenance and scrubbing toilets and the like anyway. Also, a reservist's job is harder because he generally has a "real" life outside the military, a real job that pays his bills and rent, and has to take time out of that to do his reserve duty. I didn't get that until I went from active duty to reserve and found out what a handful life can be with all that going on.

[@VosperCDN]

Interesting turn of fate that the officer that was with the ship at the start of it's war was there to send it to it's final resting place at the end of it's war.

[@tcofield1967]

That had to be hard for him to do. It would be like pulling the plug on a loved one.

[@kevinbendall9119]

@@tcofield1967 Man, you got that right. I found the hull of USS Bainbridge, CGN - 25 sitting with 6 LA class submarine hulls tied to her, waiting for scrapping at Bremerton while visiting my Brother -in-law. Sat there and cried.

[@BobSmith-dk8nw]

And - 3 years to the day later. .

[@-Castial-]

Its quite really sad

[@marckyle5895]

What's amazing about those three years, the Ward lost not _one_ sailor in action according to the author of 'The USS Ward'.. Even her sinking was lucky, all the crew lived.

[@MrDoctorCrow]

For those unaware, the No. 3 gun that sunk the midget sub was preserved and is on display at the Minnesota state capital grounds in St. Paul.

[@tinafoster8665]

IT IS I live in Minnesota n have seen it, I wonder what admiral a Minnesota politician had to blow to get that LOL

[@MrTexasDan]

At least it will be until the woke trucks show up in the middle of the night and remove it.

[@Skyne_E_Vader]

I sat in seat the other day. I wish the train and elevation controls still worked.

[@MrTexasDan]

@@mbryson2899 That would be the same truck that showed up at NY Museum of Natural History a few nights ago and collected the statue of Teddy Roosevelt.

[@MrTexasDan]

@@mbryson2899 Is racist the statue type or manufacturer, or do you believe that the statue is sentient in some way?

[@Rammstein0963.]

As I recall, most people in the navy doubted that USS Ward sank anything that day, it was only decades later that an expedition finally found the midget submarine they sunk, finally vindicating the crew who all swore to their dying days that they HAD sunk something.

[@moosifer3321]

YES! Drach (Unusually) FAILED to mention that pertinant fact, the FIRST US `kill` in WWII, and BEFORE war was declared - Bravo USS Ward. One wonders how Pearl HarboUr would have turned out had her warning been heeded.

[@Rammstein0963.]

As I recall, they did a wargame once on that very theory, it was even filmed for a documentary on Pearl Harbor, with modern naval officers playing both sides....and, well...it wasn't good. Basically they determined the most likely result of the USN sallying out to meet a Japanese fleet that they knew was coming, would have done nothing more than give the Japanese the "decisive battle" they had planned their entire navy around, only now our battleships and carriers would be lost in water so deep that recovery would be impossible.

[@markbrandt3728]

@@Rammstein0963. Yes, I saw that documentary. The documentary seemed to start with a conclusion “it would be bad” and then tried to find reasons why the conclusion might have occurred. The US battleships that were sunk did not have their watertight doors closed nor their anti aircraft gun crews on alert; most of the crews had to literally break into the magazines to get more ammunition after they had fired off the ready use ammunition that was near the guns. The US Navy estimated that at least 4 torpedo hits would have been required to sink a prepared battleship. Since the Japanese attacked with about 30 B5Ns actually carrying torpedos, and since, if the Pacific fleet had left harbor, the ships would have been maneuvering, how many hits would the Japanese been able to score per ship? Moreover, if the ships had remained in harbor, the anti aircraft firestorm that would have hit the incoming Japanese would have dwarfed anything that was actually observed at Pearl Harbor, because for the first wave, the ships were not properly manned, and for the second wave many of the ships were either damaged or on fire, or were finding it difficult to see anything because of the smoke. No one can tell what would have happened, but the run up to the November, 1942 Naval Battle of Guadalcanal might be an analog: the Japanese launched several air strikes (obviously with fewer aircraft than at Pearl Harbor, but also with far fewer targets) and took heavy losses while only inflicting minor damage on the US ships. Alan Zimm in “Attack on Pearl Harbor” estimated that, if the US fleet had recognized the meaning of the few hours warning presented by the Ward report, the Japanese might have lost 50 to 75% of the attacking aircraft, with the US fleet suffering far smaller losses.

[@Rammstein0963.]

Good points, but the problem is two fold. In 1941 we'd yet to build up a core of skilled AA crews or even effective weapons for them to use in large enough numbers. Secondly, was the infamous Type 93, the "long lance", as drach himself has pointed out iirc, we knew nothing about the torpedo, and in fact thought it equivalent to our own Mk. XIV, when in reality it had a longer range and larger (initially at least) warhead, that estimate about four torpedoes was based on that erroneous assessment as I recall. Now I think about it, I can't remember if Yamato and or Musashi we're in the battle fleet at the time (I'll go back and check) but if they were, no Colorado or New Mexico is going to stop that kind of force. But I will say, it wouldn't have mattered in the end, as if I recall, Drachinifel did an alternate history video on what would happen if Pearl Harbor HAD succeeded, and his conclusion if memory serves, was either Japanese defeat (albeit taking 2-3 more years while we rebuilt our fleet in the relative safety of the continental US, or Japan suing for peace under terms beneficial to them. Anyway, sorry for the long rambling response, it's nice to find someone you can have a civil historical discussion with. 🙂🤚

[@markbrandt3728]

@@Rammstein0963. In order for Type 93 to be effective, the fleets would have had to come into contact. The documentary you referred to had the US ships leave harbor, and be attacked by carrier aircraft. While the Japanese aerial torpedoes were effective, they were not Type 93s, and not nearly as likely to cause great damage to battleships. Yamato was not yet in commission (commissioned 12/16/1941), and Musashi was not commissioned until the second half of 1942. But in any case, the Japanese were not interested in a surface action with a battleship fleet. Again, the documentary was stating that the US fleet would have suffered more greatly if attacked by carrier aircraft while prepared and maneuvering at sea than when surprised stationary in port. (Also, for what it is worth, neither New Mexico nor Colorado was at Pearl on December 7.) My opinion is that the documentary authors were . . . incorrect. The Japanese task force at Pearl Harbor included 6 aircraft carriers, 2 Kongo class battlecruisers, 2 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser, and 9 destroyers. They were all faster than the US battleships, and were not going to fight a surface action against 7 standard battleships, 8 cruisers, and 30 destroyers. So the real issue is: what would have happened if the air units in Hawaii were on alert, instead of lined up neatly when the Japanese airstrike arrived? The Japanese would have been attacking a base possessing 390 aircraft of various types, while attacking with 353. Historically, the returning Japanese pilots were impressed with the massive antiaircraft fire opposition they encountered. If the USN had headed the few hours of warning, the level of resistance would have been far beyond what happened historically. Losing only 50% of the attacking aircraft would have been a disaster for Japan. And I suspect that this would have been an underestimation of the actual losses. And the losses the USN would have suffered would have been lower. Historically, the US crushed the Japanese military, and no change in events at Pearl Harbor was going to matter significantly -- other than, possibly, if all of the US Pacific fleet carriers had been in port and destroyed on 12/7, and probably not even then -- but the US would have suffered fewer casualties and would have had an easier time mounting a counter offensive if the USN had listened to the captain of USS Ward.

[@vintagethrifter2114]

Another first, the USS Ward was named after James Harmon Ward. He was the first U.S. Navy officer killed in the American Civil War.

[@ericdeer5887]

James Harmon Ward was a graduate of my alma mater, Norwich University, then known as the American Literary Scientific and Military Academy, America’s first private military school. The school would lay the foundation for several other similar institutions such as VMI and the Citadel and is recognized as the birthplace of ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corp)

[@tinafoster8665]

That's an eerie coincidence

[@dougerrohmer]

Oh, I thought it was named after a still unborn KZbinr called Ward Carroll. My mistake.

[@davidharner5865]

Which American Civil War?

[@marckyle5895]

@@tinafoster8665 Ward protected _his_ ship?

[@andrewreynolds9371]

She fired the first shot of the Pacific War, and when her time came, she went down swinging. Not a bad epitaph.

[@therealanyaku]

3 Bettys were surely worth more to the Japanese war effort than sinking an American ww1 escort hull.

[@josephstevens9888]

Absolutely!

[@petesheppard1709]

Good on her skipper for going to a war mentality so quickly. A lot of leaders weren't able to make the shift and much damage was done. Also, if I understand the video correctly, WARD was a lucky ship in the best sense; despite active war service and being sunk in combat, she didn't lose a man.

[@moosifer3321]

That ship did so much, she deserves to be promoted into the RN -I`m sure OUR CINCPAC would have taken heed and Arizona could now be Razor Blades, not a War Grave. Yeah, thanks for the scrappy sisters - Cambletown, double Honda Point with ATTITUDE!

[@l.garcia3525]

Amen to that, Another Destroyer fired the First Shots of the Vietnam War. In 1964 the USS Maddox Fired the 1st shots of the Vietnam War when She was attacked by North Vietnam Gun boats. Capt. Radioed COM7thFLT - "Vessel is being attacked by gun boats, I am Returning Fire" the rest is History.

[@kemarisite]

Contrast Outerbridge and Ward's response with the "fatal lethargy of mind" that existed 8 months later off Guadalcanal. Or, as richard Frank put it in Tower of Skulls: "Elderly Ward, its reservist crew and its neophyte skipper, thus concluded the only near flawless American performance of the day."

[@parrot849]

I could be wrong, but I’d bet the senior officers in charge of the USN cruisers on station around Savo Island that awful night the IJN “kicked in the front door” and handed everyone a serious ass whoop’n were regular navy lifers and not those “lowly reservists” that were the previous butt of all the “Old Salts” jokes and distain. Since the inception of the U.S. Armed Forces Reserve System, and National Guard; some of the best warriors have come to the fore when called up to do their part.

[@Paladin1873]

Much like 911 where the only effective response to the terrorist attacks was conducted by an ad hoc unorganized militia formed about United Airlines Flight 93.

[@FLJBeliever1776]

@@Paladin1873 - In defense of that, no one of a sane mind would be prepared for such a thing. After all, it was unthinkable. But SOME precautions should have existed long before, those that did were only part time jobs understaffed, and how do you reclaim a plane from a kamikaze group of hijackers in mid-flight? Not like the USAF actually has a converted F-117A Nighthawk equipped for such a thing on hand.

[@pickleman40]

@@FLJBeliever1776 sorry but it really was not that unthinkable. Islamic groups had threatened USA for support of Israel for decades, and it was the second time world trade was attacked. What was unthinkable was that scrambled jets followed protocols from the cold war and headed straight towards the Atlantic despite it being over for a decade. The only thing that was impossible to imagine was how unbelievably incompetent the government was that day

[@RZ350NC]

My dad's ship, the USS Antares AKS-3, is mentioned here. The auxiliary ships rarely get any mentions.

[@sillyone52062]

USS Antares was the ship that the midget submarine was trying to follow through the submarine net.

[@khaelamensha3624]

Yes but you are on Drach's Channel, no one is forgotten here ! ;)

[@chuckoffcampus9738]

USS Antares later shows up in the 24th century on Star Trek.

[@Maddog3060]

Well to be fair, the more interesting bits of history usually involve fighting, and auxiliaries ain't supposed to go anywhere near a fight. Mind you, no one thinks that what they and their crews do is unimportant, merely not as attentiin-grabbing. Still, much respect to the crew who keep the front liners in fighting shape.

[@RZ350NC]

@@Maddog3060 My dad said they went from Pearl to the front, Pearl to the front, Pearl to the front... He talked about the time a Japanese torpedo went under the keel. Another time a Kamikaze sank the destroyer next to them. The Pacific War was, at times, a crazy, unorganized fight. I'm glad he survived!

[@Paludion]

3:50 Second officer : "- Good to see you sir, but I have to ask... What the hell are you wearing ?" Captain : "- It's my sub kicking outfit, lieutenant !"

[@nukclear2741]

I got that reference.

[@tcpratt1660]

HMCS Oakville approves of that outfit!

[@mattblom3990]

The commander was in a combination of pyjama trousers, kimono, life jacket, and helmet? Ah, the American version of HMS New Zealand's mystical armour scheme.

[@gmanbo]

Some chap is going to read this and on a new ward try it out. Some traditions started this way.

[@SirLoinTheBeefy]

Look up the U.S.S. Cod. Skipper woke up when the sub went to general quarters and rushed to the con to take over. only problem was he slept in his birthday suit.

[@mattblom3990]

@@SirLoinTheBeefy LMAO

[@merafirewing6591]

@@SirLoinTheBeefy LMFAO

[@themanformerlyknownascomme777]

I love the irony of the Kimono, the Kimono is a traditional Japanese garment

[@sb859]

LT Outerbridge took command of the ship on 5 Dec, set sail on 6 Dec, and was in combat on 7 Dec. Thus...always be prepared when given the responsibility to do so.

[@Big_E_Soul_Fragment]

3:50 when the armor set doesn't match but the stats are lit

[@Maddog3060]

Glamour is endgame content after all.

[@dikkekater]

I love that this fact was worthy enough to be written down and remembered 80 years later

[@danagiles5100]

Think that Jap sub is what got lit...but what do I know...🤣🤣🤣

[@tommysager138]

I have the Revell brand model of the USS Ward. Good to know more about its history (other than it fired the first U.S. shots of WW2, even before the first attacks on Pearl Harbor). On an ironic note, I also had a model of the USS Forrestal (a ship I served on) but the model kit was missing the signal bridge, the part of the ship I served on.

[@mikepette4422]

I had the HMS Campbeltown which was also a Clemson class and it was always my favorite ship in my whole collection simply because it was the oldest boat I had. They really did look out dated competed to everything else I had put together so I think if any boat can hang in there that long into WW2 and still be useful it's an amazing feat

[@matthewrobinson4323]

Hey Flags, that's "her" and "she", NOT "its" and "it"! You're welcome. Wheels. 😄

[@TheDkeeler]

This model kit of the USS Ward was last released in 1987 I see on Scalemates. Wouldn't it be lovely if Revell released it, or even better some model company release a high quality kit of her.

[@markmaki4460]

@@matthewrobinson4323 In today's world, we must first ask the ship what pronoun it prefers XD.

[@matthewrobinson4323]

@@markmaki4460 I was in the Pre-Elmo Navy. I served '64-'68. Noah was still a midshipman when I was rated QM 3.

[@mark_wotney9972]

Years ago, I met a sailor who was on Ward on Dec. 7, 1941. He was very proud of Ward’s victory. Served throughout the war and was one of the last Pearl Harbor survivors.

[@HM2SGT]

3:07 would’ve been a good opportunity to mention Ward’s crew were reservists

[@Maddog3060]

USS Ward: "We sunk a Japanese sub!" Pearl Harbor: "Yeah yeah, that's nice, now stop interrupting my tan."

[@nicholasconder4703]

Since the sun was only just rising, it was probably more like, "Not now, I need more beauty sleep."

[@matthewrobinson4323]

How heartbreaking it must have been for the Ward's old skipper to give the order to sink his first command.

[@comentedonakeyboard]

Luckyly she missed the Destroyer "Meeting" at Honda Point.

[@mikepette4422]

I think anyone and everyone that missed that meeting was fortunate

[@stanstenson8168]

@@mikepette4422 Agreed. What a mess.

[@moosifer3321]

And `too good` to be foisted on the RN!!!!!!

[@gmanbo]

She went down with her boots on. Did her duty and kept her crew safe. Ward a good ship by all accounts.

[@nonna_sof5889]

4:09 can we all just take a moment to appreciate that shot. That sail is tiny, a little shorter than a person, and they hit it nearly dead center.

[@unclestone8406]

That, and with a 3-inch gun with no dedicated fire control systems beyond steely eyes and steady hands. I'm pretty sure Admiral Lee would approve of Ward's marksmanship had he survived long enough to look into her record.

[@colbeausabre8842]

@@unclestone8406 Not a 3 incher, Ward still had her original 4/50 inchers at that time

[@unclestone8406]

@@colbeausabre8842 My mind crosswired the Cannon- class' 3-inch guns instead of the Clemson standard, apologies.

[@deguello66]

Lt. CMDR Outerbridge was said to be bawling for 2 hours after commanding his Ward be sunk by his own guns. I don't blame him at all for such emotions!

[@unclestone8406]

I can only imagine it'd be like having to demolish your childhood home.

[@michaelt.5672]

Perfectly appropriate.

[@glyantz]

Don't leave it to strangers. Not sure how it got dusty in here all of a sudden.

[@marckyle5895]

@@glyantz You stay there with them. Don't leave them to die alone. Whether it be a pet, sibling, parent, spouse or ship, you be there.

[@Skyne_E_Vader]

I live in Mn and visit the gun that fired the first shell of WW2 (for the US) off the USS Ward. They took it off in the retrofit and was found after the war and brought here. It's a truly historic piece that is not given as much attention as it should.

[@MrArtbv]

"A gallant ship" .. Truly in the finest tradition

[@thomasegan8016]

The deck gun of the USS Ward, used to sink the Japanese midget sub, was removed and used for a war bond tour of the US and now resides on the grounds of Minnesota's state capitol in St.Paul, MN., just a few blocks from my home.

[@moosifer3321]

A lucky coincidence since it took DECADES for the ship and crew to get any credit - pity they weren`t believed in the first place - had Pearl been on full alert Arizona could now be Razor Blades not a War Grave.

[@mulletoutdooradventures6286]

The ward was one of the 1st model ships I made with my father as a kid. I do a ton of fishing off NJ USA. Idk how many ships from the war are exactly on the bottom from ww2 but I know we fished allot that were. Idk why but since I was like 4 I loved navy ships. I've had 4 family members in the US navy. 1 was in subs during Korea and his son was in subs till he passed suddenly a few years ago. I got to visit many navy yards up and down the east coast and live next to Philadelphia navy yard now. I hate seeing this ships falling apart. I was exploring around the uss jfk in my boat a few months ago and I never realized how big a carrier was. It's a shame they are scrapping it.

[@wolfbyte3171]

In December of 2017, as part of his wreck-finding extravaganza, Paul Allen and his research ship the Petrel found Ward's remains at a depth of 209 meters (686 feet). Unfortunately, she doesn't appear to be in very good condition. Still, she lives on in several forms.

[@mikeholton9876]

i was curious if she had been located or not, thanks. saved me some digging!

[@fortusvictus8297]

That uniform for the commanding officer sounds just perfect for a reservist crewed vessel. I enjoyed my time as a reservist infinitely more than my time active. And when we deployed, our units regularly outperformed active units on mission, something about the chemistry just works out like that.

[@Shadooe]

3:50 Second officer : "- Good to see you sir, but I have to ask... What the hell are you wearing ?" Captain : "- Well lieutenant, I was reading about HMS New Zealand and her Capt wore... "

[@raigarmullerson4838]

Love the vids and cheers from Estonia

[@TomLuTon]

It's like one of those badly written prophecies in mythology "His ship will fire the first shots in a great war, and then he will fire the shots that sink that ship"

[@admiraltiberius1989]

What a fascinating little ship.

[@OmegaTou]

I got a book about the USS Ward at an air show back in the early 90's and got it signed by some of the WW2 crew! Still have the book. Cool history.

[@jpkoch427]

I wonder if we were at the same airshow. I am thinking it was at flying Cloud in Eden Prairie

[@OmegaTou]

@@jpkoch427 That's the one! Crazy coincidences.

[@riderstrano783]

3:52 that really caught me off guard

[@mikepette4422]

I wonder what Outerbridge felt as he saw his old boat go down. Maybe pride that she fought so well or was it just sadness

[@BELCAN57]

Better to go down fighting than be scrapped.

[@petesheppard1709]

@@BELCAN57 With all her crew getting off.

[@gmanbo]

Pride of course. And a little melancholy.

[@robertf3479]

Probably a combination of both. I another, more senior officer once wrote in his memoirs "There is no ship as special as your first command." I believe that Ward was Outerbridge's first command, he and his crew did very well indeed. When the midget sub they had engaged was finally located and surveyed it was found that the #3 gun had put its round right through the "10 ring" (bullseye,) a "thru and thru" shot that, while it didn't explode inside the sub probably killed the two man crew instantly. 👍 The sub still has BOTH of its torpedoes aboard, clearly visible in their bow tubes.

[@markcantemail8018]

Mikepette The other question is what He was wearing at the Time .

[@RexsHangar]

3:50 gives me HMS New Zealand vibes from the Battle of Jutland

[@danhuhti8268]

A great book on the ward is legacy of a pearl harbor survivor: Will Lehner remembers. Will was on the Ward from pearl harbor till she was sunk.

[@ronalddeblois4775]

Amazing coincidence, today on Abandoned Places, Mare Island Naval Base was reviewed and the Ward was discussed. A notification later and Drach is talking about the Ward. A good naval day today!

[@janwitts2688]

Only 1 man injured... that was very lucky...

[@ihaveabigboom9884]

Much respect you tough little ship. Some names will live forever - yours is one.

[@sg_dan]

"Great migration through the Panama Canal" makes it sound like an wildlife documetary lol

[@Nexusgamer8472]

And here we see the american destroyer in it's natural habitat

[@michaelripperger5674]

I can hear the Mutual of Omaha ad right now

[@jimwind7589]

@@michaelripperger5674 I think you just dated yourself. I forgot all about that show till you mentioned it

[@cellbuilder2]

I consider the race of the USS Oregon to be like the migration of peregrine falcons. They travel great journeys alone, and sometimes through dangerous weather.

[@merafirewing6591]

@@cellbuilder2 And do they ever go out to spread all that explosive freedom all-round?

[@mastermariner7813]

I find it interesting that Wm Outerbridge was still only Lt Cmder 3 years after Pearl Harbor. Would have thought he would have been at least Commander. He did retire as Rear Admiral.

[@moosifer3321]

Possibly `cos the Brass Hats realised that Outerbridge`s warning, even if false, WOULD have saved lives, if acted upon - e.g. put some fighters in the air, alert all ships.

[@BobSmith-dk8nw]

There's no telling. Promotion paths can be really twisted and confused. .

[@nicholasconder4703]

Probably because he was a reservist at the time, not a regular sailor. There was then, and still is, a tendency for the regular officers in most, if not all, branches of the armed forces to discriminate against reservists.

[@BobSmith-dk8nw]

@@nicholasconder4703 That would have something to do with it during non-war times ... but ... yeah even during a war - it certainly could be a factor. .

[@colbeausabre8842]

@@nicholasconder4703 Let me point out that the biggest ship's reservists commanded in World War Twice were ancient DD's and roughly equal sized DE's

[@jacobmoriancumer7588]

3:46 I literally spit my drink upon hearing that description.

[@brittgardner2923]

The sentence beginning around 3:38 is a novel unto itself, and is deserving of a big budget Hollywood film.

[@bigblue6917]

Talk about going full circle. The man who commanded the first ship to sink a Japanese vessel had to sink that very ship himself.

[@mattwoodard2535]

Must have really hurt to have to do that. sm

[@mchebornek]

Nice job USS Ward.

[@Tdelliex]

I imagine outerbridge made an interesting remark as the ward sank, I have to wonder if he was wearing his iconic outfit.

[@robbabcock_]

An eventful career!

[@christophermiller833]

I don't think the picture you used of the damaged sub conning tower, is of the sub that the Ward engaged. The actual sub was found in 2002 by HURL, with a shell hole below the base of the conning tower. It is still in the location outside Pearl harbor where it was found, and is considered and maintained as a war grave.

[@Drachinifel]

Correct, it's a mini-sub from Pearl, not Ward's victim, but it's also a public domain photo, which the underwater ones (as far as I can tell) aren't.

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

@@Drachinifel Will you be doing any videos on the Sub attack at Pearl? 🤔

[@mikepette4422]

@@Drachinifel good enough we get the idea of the kind of damage anyway.

[@delurkor]

@@Drachinifel I believe that sub was sunk by USS Monssen DD436, as she was exiting the harbor. Hit it with gun fire, rammed and depth charged. The sub was raised(hence the picture), and I think was used as fill for a dock, but I am not certain about the last.

[@delurkor]

@@WALTERBROADDUS Oh, Oh, rabbit hole: the mini-sub attack on battleship row photograph. Sure to kick off a calm and learned KZbin discussion. 🤣

[@Iamthelolrus]

Does anyone else see those old mothball fleet pics and think the ships look like little war gaming ships, still on the sprue?

[@Minimouse580]

Drachinifel, You made my Day. Said a German in the Philippines. Thanks.

[@huntera123]

Fascinating. Thank you.

[@Ashfielder]

Must be quite sad watching your old ship go down three years after its historic role at Pearl.

[@BobSmith-dk8nw]

It's always hard seeing a ship you served on (even for a short period of time) going to the breakers. You remember it as a living city afloat with purpose and commitment. .

[@stevendowns4378]

Another high quality video, Drach!! Just arrived in the UK where I'll apparently be here for at the most 3 years. Would love to see what I can find!

[@gwtpictgwtpict4214]

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard for a start, that gives you the Mary Rose, HMS Victory, HMS Warrior and the monitor M33. You'll also find the Royal Marines museum a short walk from there and Southsea Castle, an artillery fort built by Henry VIII. You'll also be close to the submarine museum in Gosport where you can take a wander around HMS Alliance of WWII vintage. Head up to Portsdown Hill and you'll find Fort Nelson, built in the Victorian era to defend Portsmouth, it's now the home of the Royal Armouries artillery collection. There is also the D-Day Story, complete with LCT 7074 in Southsea. Basically enough military history to get lost in for a good long while :-)

[@moosifer3321]

Get travelling, there`s LOADS to see (sea?) - Greenwich, Chatham, Portsmouth, Bristol amongst many others. Welcome to the home of THE Royal Navy! PS. Don`t forget the Merchies - Cutty Sark is a MUST (My fave)!

[@MakeMeThinkAgain]

THANK YOU for mentioning that she was build at Mare Island.

[@bigsarge2085]

I enjoy and learn from these histories!

[@agesflow6815]

Thank you, Drachinifel.

[@janerkenbrack3373]

My Uncle was a Chief Machinist Mate on the USS Reid (DD-369) for 12 years, ending with her sinking by kamikaze in 1944. It would be cool if you highlighted this ship.

[@Zeppflyer]

The father of a coworker of mine was in one of the gun crews on the Ward on 12/7. He loves to tell about it, especially since he went on to join the Navy as well, working his way up to RO on a carrier.

[@geordiedog1749]

I read recently that by this stage of the Pacific war the Japanese had found standard tactics to have become suicidal so, instead, took up suicidal tactics. This actually proved less costly and more effective. I don’t know if that’s true or not but I think it’s worth exploring.

[@Eleolius]

Audacity has a chance of out performing convention... but it also has diminishing returns.

[@geordiedog1749]

@@Eleolius That’s true. But then if losses were heavy anyway the same would be true if convention? Hmmmmmm…..

[@zhoufang996]

I think that's hard to quantify. In the end, can we really say it's less costly if it's just prolonging a clearly unwinnable war, while the people slowly starve?

[@lawrencewestby9229]

When one considers the skill level required to successfully perform an aerial torpedo, dive bombing, or level bombing attack on a moving naval target and add to that the lack of pilots with such skills, the chances of pilots surviving such attacks were extremely low, even if they somehow managed to actually deliver their ordinance on target. Given the extremely high odds of losing the aircraft and crew and the complementary extreme low odds of successfully striking a target during a conventional attack it does seem logical (in a brutal sort of way) that the switch to suicidal attacks be made as that style of attack had a higher chance of striking the targets.

[@geordiedog1749]

@@lawrencewestby9229 Yes. Good point. Doesn’t take quite as much to train a body to ram his plane into a big old ship. They say landing is the hardest part of learning to fly and they can skip that bit.

[@gorter23]

have you ever done a special about a seaplane tender?

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

Not yet...

[@mxaxai9266]

A long and eventful career for a Wickes-class DD. The attack on the midget sub shows that the outbreak of war wasn't that big of a surprise to the US. Sure, they didn't expect the attack on Pearl Harbor to be so quick and large, but you don't go sub hunting in peacetime.

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

Hmmmm.... The crew of the USS Ruben James might disagree?

[@boobah5643]

@@WALTERBROADDUS _Reuben James_ was just as much out there looking for a fight as _Ward._ No declaration of war, but she was out there to shoot and be shot at.

[@johnshepherd8687]

The intelligence available to US Commanders in late November/early December indicated war was imminent and put forces on alert, however no one thought Pearl Harbor was a target for an air attack. A submarine attack was well within Japanese capabilities and Kimmel acted accordingly.

[@coltinyancey6420]

@@WALTERBROADDUS you are trying to start arguments arent you...

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

@@coltinyancey6420 How so?

[@Dermochelys12]

Suggestion: Could you do a 5 minute video on the USS Salisbury Sound (AV-13), a ship my father served on for his 2 years in the US Navy (1960-1962). If there's not enough material on just the "Sally Sound", perhaps a video on the Curritruck class as a whole? They filled an interesting niche I don't think most people know about.

[@victorboucher675]

Jolly good old man.

[@mbryson2899]

That was beautifully done. Thank you, Uncle Drach.

[@christosvoskresye]

3:50 That would be a great costume for Mardi Gras.

[@kevinpresley3136]

Another great video.Despite her age U.S.S.Ward gave her life protecting others and defending U.S. interests.I always believed U.S. ships should receive the C.M.O.H. .

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

Well they do have the presidential unit citation

[@robertf3479]

The comparable unit award for a ship would be The Presidential Unit Commendation.

[@Ricky40369]

I was hoping that someday, somebody would do a video on this subject. I should have known that you, being you, would be the one to do it. Thank you.

[@LostShipMate]

3:50 I wish there was a picture of this man in all his glory.

[@crapphone7744]

This quick build is a great example of why union labor with apprenticeship programs is a really, really good idea when you build complex systems and sometimes need them in a big hurry.

[@robertfrost1683]

Good close by Outerbridge at the end.

[@workingguy-OU812]

Love a story of a ship that remained, despite being outclassed, and being useful ... and (sadly) expendable for the Betty bombers to hit vs. newer DD's. That one of its old captains tried to help her - what a story!

[@KillBones]

A guide on the submarine Casabianca would be amazing

[@ditzydoo4378]

I can only imagine how heartbroken Lieutenant Commander Alter Bridge was at having to sink his first command. One never looks at another like their first love...

[@stevefreeland9255]

What a valiant good ship.

[@charlesstrunk3413]

Would like to request a video of the Mahan class destroyer be considered. My Dad was one of the survivor of the USS Preston sinking at Guadalcanal.

[@clearview5281]

Drachinifel , I lost track of the Aircraft Carrier Bonaventure. Last I heard it left Canada for S. America in around 1965.

[@tomfowler2091]

Excellent video, thank you for sharing this.

[@lloydknighten5071]

Drach, I have a model kit for U.S.S. WARD by Revell. Thanks for uploading this history not her. Yesterday was my birthday: and this was a nice gift. Mucho gracias.

[@FLJBeliever1776]

Fun Fact if anyone is curious, but Ward was found in Ormoc Bay. She's in close enough to land that she's safe from illegal salvaging for the time being. It would be hard to steal her and the other wrecks before the Philippines Navy and Marines showed up and arrested everyone. As well as every beach and dock covered by Police. So, for now, they are safe and sound from harm.

[@shanemcdowall]

USS Arizona is not the only ship still in Pearl Harbour. The USS Utah is still there. Fun fact, a teenage John Dillinger served on the Utah. He jumped ship and was still listed as a deserter when he was gunned down in Chicago, 1934.

[@lawrencelewis2592]

It's a shame that there are no 4-pipers preserved as museum ships today.

[@roscoewhite3793]

As far as I can tell, the oldest destroyer preserved is ORP Błyskawica, and she was launched in 1936. Battleships, cruisers, a torpedo boat (Drazki) and a monitor (HMS M33) from the Great War and before have survived to this day, but not one of the hundreds of destroyers...

[@moosifer3321]

Go to St Nazaire, there must be SOME shrapnel left from HMS Cambletown!!

[@lawrencelewis2592]

@@moosifer3321 You're right- hadn't thought of that. Go by the dockyard and look for random bits of metal.

[@martinmdl6879]

Another geat historical review.

[@timengineman2nd714]

Please do one on the USS Aaron Ward, DN\M-34! Include "before and after" pictures!!!

[@JackOQuin]

My uncle, Lt (jg) William E. Glassell, served aboard USS O'Brien (DD-725) under Commander Outerbridge throughout her WW-II commission. The captain was by all accounts a remarkable officer. Uncle Billy pronounced the ship's name to rhyme with Ryan.

[@patttrick]

3.29 lovely dazzel scheme

[@tommonk7651]

Though I didn't know it at the time, Outerbridge retired years later to a small south Georgia town when I was 15 miles away teaching history. After Pearl Harbor, Outerbridge went on to be involved in the Normandy invasion in a support role on a different ship before returning to the Pacific theater where, ironically, as described in the video, he was forced to sink his first command.

[@MAGEs-of-Anarchy]

3:50 is the funniest part of the video, and one of the oddest officers uniforms I’ve heard of.

[@TheSopke]

To echo was has been said here: On December 7th the Ward was manned by reservist from Minnesota. The gunner who took the shot has always said he put a shell through the conning tower of the sub but that was not confirmed until the sub was located. The gun sits on the state capital grounds in St Paul , Minnesota.

[@paulbade3566]

My uncle (Julius J. T. Bachmann) was gunnery officer on the Ward when she was sunk. He put his prior experience as a swimming pool lifeguard to good use that day, and was awarded a medal (Bronze Star?) for rescuing a number of his shipmates. He mentioned reading the ship's log entries for 7 Dec. 1941.

[@crazywarriorscatfan9061]

Good ship

[@geraldgray4449]

On December 7th 1941, USS Ward was manned mostly by naval reservists for Minnesota. Therefore, one the guns that was removed for the APD conversion was sent to Minnesota where it is now on display on the south end of the state capitol lawn in Saint Paul near the Veterans Administration building. Web search USS Ward gun to see photos.

[@steinystien1989]

My Great Grandpa was on the ship at Pearl Harbor and like many say you can see one of her guns and a plaque with her crew at the capital in St. Paul

[@vet6822]

So sad no 4 pipers have survived for the public to see.

[@dougp6664]

Ship suggestion : CGC Taney

[@ianbell5611]

Thanks another informative video. May I request the Royal Naval requisition, conversion and deployment of Trawlers during WW2 for use as minesweepers, including equipment generally fitted types of trawlers (was there a type flavoured by the RN for conversion?). I believe Great Yarmouth played a roll in barracking crews? My Tom Bell served as Petty Officer stoker on a converted trawler, his brother Joe Bell as an able seaman stoker on the Warspite up until its refit in the USA. Thank You. Cheers Ian

[@BigMikeOregon]

Drachinifel: How about a video comparing PT boats and German E-boats? The hull shape of the E-boats was supposedly pretty special. How did the performance and armament compare?

[@stretch3281]

Looks like she had some rad paint jobs in her time. Heaven for modlers.

[@davepratt9909]

I don't know which ending for these videos I find sader: "and sent for scrapping in " or "and she sunk"

[@SteamCrane]

She still exists!