Midway Pilots - Prisoners of the Japanese

NOTE: Though I'm British, I use the American pronunciation of 'Lieutenant' in this video due to the nationality of the men involved.
What happened to US Navy aviators shot down during the Battle of Midway? Find out the shocking full story here.
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Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of War Stories with Mark Felton. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. War Stories with Mark Felton does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
Music: "Pursuit" licenced to iMovie by Apple, Inc.

[@Ye4rZero]

Ironic the Imperial Japanese held honour in such high esteem without knowing how to have any of it.

[@edwardhewer8530]

@wargent99 - rubbish.

[@edwardhewer8530]

Australians would do well to learn how well the Australian delegation treated Japan’s proposals at the Treaty of Versailles.

[@MrTheWaterbear]

Japanese honour was based on service to the emperor. This meant that anything done with the blessing of one’s Japanese superiors was honourable. The Japanese didn’t have the chivalric code of the West, and any notion that they did is purely post-war propaganda. Even the samurai had a similar code of honour.

[@MrTheWaterbear]

@wargent99Sorry, but that’s just plain wrong. I was just pointing out how erroneous it is to say that the Japanese held honour in any esteem at all. Because they didn’t give a shit about what we think of as honour. That’s not making an excuse, that’s damning criticism of the awful Japanese military and their war crimes. If you want a longer discussion, my spouse is Korean, and I can tell you a really fucking hilarious weeaboo story about how she came to be a quarter Japanese if you’d like. Although maybe not if you’re triggered by the R word and a lot of profanities aimed at the Japanese military boys who occupied Seoul.

[@edwardhewer8530]

@wargent99 - who is defending them? I am just annoyed the implication put forward by other posters that they were the only ones. Heaps of soldiers were killed in similar circumstances on all sides. We have seen it on video two weeks ago in Nagorno Karabakh. Knowing what we know about the lead up to Nazi Germany, why do morons still think it’s ok to keep rubbing peoples noses in it?

[@markwhitton8785]

My grandfather was an Australian POW in Java, beheaded by Japanese for trying to escape a few times. As you can imagine, my Nanna hated the Japanese to her death, and my Dad and his brother weren't great fans either. I struggle at times myself, just bothers me that these types of events were never addressed as war crimes. You can understand why atomic bombs had to be utilized to get the Japanese to submit, they were so arrogant thry didn't even care about their own people.

[@uffa00001]

@Mark Whitton Japan did not adhere to the Geneva convention on POW, but even if they had done it, I think it is legal now, and it was then, under the Geneva convention to punish a POW, who attempts to escape, for "espionage" which can entail a death penalty.

[@markwhitton8785]

@@uffa00001You've missed the point Neville.

[@johnhardin4358]

I try to think in terms of organized criminals carrying away a largely helpless population. As I look around, I see a lot of people whose only real loyalty is to the winning side. God rules in heaven, money rules on Earth.

[@havennewbowtow8835]

I worked with an old lad in Edinburgh in the 70s, i 17. He was a prisoner of the Japanese from the Hong Kong surrender. He told me loads of stories about his time in their care. Its no surprise to me that many of his generation went to their graves despising their captors. RIP Tam.

[@Brucev7]

@Aaron T Just Read, 'Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption ', then Watch the Movie. Veteran Louis Zamperini, former Olympic track star, who survived a plane crash in the Pacific Theater, spent 47 days drifting on a raft, and then survived more than 2/12 yrs as a POW in 3 Japanese POW camps.

[@timcampbell4338]

At this point I’m convinced there is an office building with somewhere between 10-20 Mark Felton clones putting out all this content,

[@bsolutions525]

@Carlton B those clone troopers go back in time to historic events and then report back to Mark with new material for every video

[@m.w.6526]

He's a MAD LAD, pumping out history like nobodys business! I for one, accept this reality that Dr. Felton is truly an anomaly.

[@God-kt3ec]

Ya

[@roscoewhite3793]

I have an alternative hypothesis; there is an office building housing a supercomputer that has been programmed to compile a full record of modern military history. The one we know as Dr. Mark Felton is actually the computer's protocol droid, who is conversant with over eight million accounts of military actions.

[@comradekenobi6908]

@@roscoewhite3793 SCP-1945 Object class: Safe Name: Mark Felton Productions

[@oceanhome2023]

Let us not forget Ensign Gay who was shot down in the middle of the carriers and survived. Floating in his May West he saw all the carriers get destroyed . He was picked up a couple days later . He had a hell of a story to tell as you can imagine

[@trifidos39]

Incredible sight floating in the water and seeing your enemy carriers going up in 🔥

[@comradekenobi6908]

@@trifidos39 then again he's probably also hoping to not be captured by the Japanese

[@RCAvhstape]

I met him once when I was about 10 years old. He was at an airshow signing his book.

[@brianwong7285]

Out of all the TBD crewmen, Lloyd Childers was the only backseater to survive Midway.

[@AcesWild5049]

The OG "Lone Survivor"

[@at6686]

Not only were many Japanese atrocities during the war never called to account, the Japanese are still largely portrayed in their own country as victims especially due to the atomic bombs. As dr Felton has shown us, even after the first attack the leaders of Japan didn’t care in the least for their own civilian casualties. This is in contrast to the Germans who have been reminded regularly of their crimes during ww2.

[@user-do1kg1py1d]

with can be argued it is over done to such a extent that they do not want to stand for something, dont get me wrong it is good we remember that stuff but if nation does it all time hit will wither and die.. as the current situations sees in western europe

[@MrTheWaterbear]

@@user-do1kg1py1d That is not at all what is currently seen in Western Europe. Don’t know what you’re on about.

[@user-do1kg1py1d]

@@MrTheWaterbear was refering to germans that rember ww2 what they did so throughly and become unhealty as a state/nation and in "smaller" amounts holland does that as well

[@user-do1kg1py1d]

@@MrTheWaterbear the way we treat or own culture and history to say everything sorry about will this generation has the change (just as afther the war) to improve and humanaas it. not blame you ar not in any way shape or form countibale on you grand parents or even there parents wrong doings. today germany has no real confidence in its self (large part of the population). so you (the state) will wither and die becouse they dont defend there culture anymore. that is what i see in western europe. attack on the heratige (yes we did a awfull lot off stuff but in that day and age it was hardly uncommon) you can not compare that to this time. you need to make it debatebale not destroy it becouse if you destroy it you ar doomed to reapeet it. that was my comment about and i find both ways of dealing with realy wrong. but i am also i guy that believes more in dialoog then in subvert things becouse it will destroy trust.

[@MrTheWaterbear]

@@user-do1kg1py1d The way I experienced it, growing up in Northern Europe, was that we criticize the actions of our our nation in earlier times, make an effort to know what went wrong and try our hardest never to become like that again. It’s not about destroying or hating our own cultures, at all. It’s about making sure our politics and culture are friendly and cooperative. Don’t be fascist, don’t be exclusionary, don’t be aggressive, don’t be populist. These are the lessons we keep in mind :) And of course we feel sorry about what happened, even if we’re not the same people living in the same society as when it took place. Obviously we ourselves carry no sin for that. Japan has no hindsight, they don’t feel sorry, and they try their best to hide it because they’re fucked up in some ways.

[@VH_Rules]

The 1976 movie “Midway” with Charlton Heston is still one of my favorites. God Bless all our Vets who have served 🦅🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸

[@Otokichi786]

Try this 1944 tale of "Carrier X": kzbin.info/www/bejne/oafEpXeFa7VlaNU

[@phillipjones3342]

Another great movie

[@vcv6560]

George Gay, Torpedo 8's only survivor was a technical consultant for the '76 film.

[@limeybean3967]

My favorite movie in 5th & 6th grade... "You're getting paid to fly fighter planes not sit in your bunk and cry over your girls picture..you better shape up Tiger..or some hotshot map pilots gonna flame your butt!

[@vcv6560]

@@limeybean3967 don't quite recall Cpt Garth saying 'butt, it's been a long time hasn't it!

[@PennsyPappas]

Hardly ever hear about those executed at sea. Very tragic what happened to those men. Cant imagine the terror that must've gone through their minds in their final moments. Rest In Peace they sure as heck earned it. Edit Thanks for all of the likes. I do appreciate it.

[@211212112]

Especially the brutal way this pilot was killed. Can u imagine being chopped with an ax and it mess u up horribly but not kill you. You have no chance of living but you still grab on and fight for every second of terrible mangled horror and agony that is your existence.

[@PennsyPappas]

@@211212112 its painful to even think of. Whts sd is throughout histoey there are plenty examples of this form of execution going badly and just causing more pain and agony. Its just hard to imagine what it mustve felt like.

[@TakeDeadAim]

My grandfather was in the Pacific as a pilot and they knew full well that if they were captured that they'd likely be tortured and killed. He HATED the Japanese to his death for what they had done to some of our POW's. He forbid anything "Made in Japan" in his house. Trust me, he wasn't the only one of his generation who took that hatred to their grave....

[@curtismes]

my grandfather did too...he was in China...

[@phantomship3935]

anything what it says "Made in Japan" was made by civilians, not soldiers

[@mtsenskmtsensk5113]

@@phantomship3935 In total war, is there a distinction between civilians and armies, and post war is only post (i.e. history) for the next generation, but for the ones that lived through it, the nightmare goes with them to the grave.

[@stevewhite3424]

@@phantomship3935 spoken by someone who wasn't there. Your point is pointless.

[@curtismes]

@@phantomship3935 same civilians that made guns, bombs, ammunition...and oh btw the samurai swords they used to behead millions of chinese "civilians"...once again spoken like a true keyboard warrior that wasnt there.

[@jeanhunter3538]

While the American dive bombers were ultimately the ones to deliver the knock out punch to the Japanese carriers, let us not forget the majority of the crews of the torpedo bombers who gave their lives in attacks which were bound to fail due to their aircraft being obsolete and the armament they used inneffective (mk 14 torpedo). While none of those 42 torpedo bombers shot down scored any hits, they delayed the launching and refitting of the Japanese strike groups and also crucially baited the Japanese interceptors away from the dive bombers right before the deathblow. Of the 42 torpedo bombers shot down, 35 of them were from the carriers, only 6 ever made it back. And only 3 of the 99 crewmen of those 42 planes survived the battle.

[@Chris-Theodore]

It was actually the mk13 torpedo

[@jaystreet46]

The dauntlesses did the entirety of the damage, no?

[@jaystreet46]

@Jeffro 2000 yes, without the torpedo bombers drawing the fighter cover down low the dive bombers would have had a much hellacious time hitting the carriers

[@jeanhunter3538]

@@jaystreet46 Wildcats were the fighters, the dive bombers who are the ones who did the damage were SBD Dauntless'.

[@jaystreet46]

@@jeanhunter3538 ya I know I just got it mixed up for a min. After them were the hellcats. Did we have a replacement for the dauntless? Dive bombers weren’t used for very long comparatively

[@kurumi394]

I swear there could be an entire video covering the war crimes of IJN vessel crews (a few come to mind, Tone, Arashi, Makigumo, etc)

[@meatusbeatus5548]

Even in the SNLF & IJA it was so common place. It seems every enemy that put up enough resistance to inflict even moderate casualties would fall victim to war crimes once surrendered.

[@dr.barrycohn5461]

Absolutely.

[@simonyoung1265]

They used friends of my grandfather's as bayonet practice in PNG

[@TheToolnut]

The armed forces of Imperial Japan were and remain the greatest gang of murderers and rapists that ever besmirched a battle.

[@StuSaville]

Always infuriates me when Weeaboo apologists try to claim that the Imperial Japanese Navy behaved honorably during the war and that it was only the Japanese army that committed atrocities. Australian soldiers learned just how 'honorable' the IJN was after Japanese Marines (Special Naval Landing Forces) humiliated by their defeat at Milne Bay not only tortured to death all of their Australian prisoners but also massacred local villagers.

[@speedzero7478]

Never a good situation when even the Nazis think their ally is too mental (in the case of Imperial Japan). Would rather be dead than taken alive by the Japanese Army back then.

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

Nobody made any such a defense.

[@MrTheWaterbear]

Never heard anyone claim this, but it is important to realize that Japanese service code was very brutal and not at all honourable. The notion that Japan though the Western chivalric code of honour was desirable is massively erroneous. It’s important to call out their atrocities :)

[@curtismes]

@El Guapo mas macho yes we did...but not even close to the scale of what they did...Germany sanctioned it...Japanese military culture caused it...and btw the US tried to stay out of it, and when attacked once again finished it...destroying 2 cultures built on propoganda...does that stick in your craw?

[@curtismes]

@El Guapo mas macho lol not even close bruh...

[@keithhunter3910]

My great uncle was POW from 1942 until Japan surrendered in 1945. His best friend, captured with him, didn't survive the Japanese brutality. He said it was 3 1/2 years of pure hell: beatings, starvation, dysentery, and diseases.

[@stevew6138]

WOW, being a WWII buff for almost 50 years this is the first time I've heard/read the Japanese took US Airmen prisoner during the Midway battle. We all know about the sole survivor ensign Gay, but this is new. Goes to show ya there's always something new to learn. Thanx Mark

[@RW4X4X3006]

Right. Much of this information was withheld from the public for decades, due to the horrific nature of the murders. I think most came to light in the 90's - When the veterans began talking loudly, and much classified information was declassified.

[@steveb6103]

Battle 360 USS Enterprise episode 2 the battle of Midway. It's still on YT.

[@Mis-AdventureCH]

"Flyboys," by Mark Bradley tells a similar tale. It is one of the most powerful and moving histories I have ever read of the pacific campaign. Terribly tragic, it will have you in tears.

[@vcv6560]

I've 'listened' to that myself, enjoyed it as Flags of our Fathers before.

[@kerrymcdonagh1327]

Yes, Flyboys is a very emotional read.

[@Smootus]

Read that book and was shocked that the Japanese were cannibalistic

[@kerrymcdonagh1327]

@@Smootus if you can find it, read " The Bone Man of Kokoda". A lot got eaten up there

[@MelbaOzzie]

@@Smootus You should know that Japanese cannibalism arose out of the effectiveness of the Allied submarine campaign in the Pacific. So many supply ships were sunk that the garrisons on the islands and in New Guinea were obliged to live off the land. Things became so desperate that they ate those they killed. Also, this is the reason for the infamous Burma Railway; since the ships couldn't get through, the Japanese built the railway as their primary supply route.

[@Zyworski]

Mental note: Keep bright yellow raft hidden until enemy destroyers have gone.

[@M167A1]

My dad was in the Pacific and helped repatriate some Japanese pow camp survivors. Wasn't till I was older and a veteran myself I understood just why he disliked all things Japanese so much.

[@johnbeckman492]

Dr. Felton has an excellent, thorough examination of the culture which led Japanese leadership to condone cruelty to POWs and motivated their soldiers to be cruel. Still, I can understand why someone who experienced or witnessed the cruelty could not help but abhor the Japanese. Another tragic result of war.

[@cj.tj.8201]

Dr Felton... You have made my Monday bearable..! Knowledge of how these men spent there last day makes my day seem a breeze.

[@lukeroberts2946]

Wasn't the Coral Sea the first battle where the ships didn't come within sight of each other?

[@warrenrudkin5277]

Yes it was.

[@ChrisLove887]

Ya that’s what I thought. Probably just a mistake.

[@lukeroberts2946]

@@ChrisLove887its bound to happen once or twice with the amount of quality content he puts out

[@joemoma5723]

Kind of insane that it happened more than once

[@edwardhewer8530]

Errr...I think Taranto was except Italian Navy wasn’t able to strike back.

[@washguy5982]

Mark, I have never been more conflicted in my life after watching and listening to your videos and audio blogs on Japanese atrocities, I have traveled in Japan and love the country, culture and people, that said they got off easy for their crimes, I know Gen. MacArthur did the right thing and brought Japan into the community of western nations, the dark part of my heart still wishes vengeance for how they treated our captured military personnel

[@rodbutler8069]

WASH Guy Gen MaCArthur was wise in saving the emperor and using his influence to establish a peaceful occupation by american troops and a new respect for American forces that make Japan a valuable partner today. Brainwashing works whenever people are not told the truth and fed lies to guide them to goals established by their rulers. The Military Industrial Complex in America that finances congress members is doing a similar thing here?

[@CatsMeowPaw]

It really annoys me when people in current 'woke' times say we should let each country be, let them run their own affairs as they see fit, that everyone's government is good, etc. Japan is highly successful and not a threat to its neighbours precisely because the West stepped in and abolished the old systems and implemented a modern democracy. Sometimes change is good and not everything is okay.

[@pac1fic055]

Those who deserve retribution are long dead.

[@johnhardin4358]

Well, you might ask them for the gold they stole.

[@LarryjB53]

@@pac1fic055 But Japanese revisionists live on.

[@icecoffee1361]

Such a sad loss war is war but point blank murder is a total disgrace especially when you’re meant to be at honourable people ty for bringing this to light Dr Felton

[@dr.barrycohn5461]

Remember, the bible doesn't instruct thou should not kill, as that's a mistranslation of the Hebrew. What it does say is thou shall not murder. Japanese were guilty of murder.

[@thomasmusso1147]

Yep .. a Culture so enamoured with, amongst other, their own Sense of Pride and Honour was found, when put to the Test, to be absolutely bereft thereof.

[@thedriszen8350]

No one should in any way take my comment as excusing IJN behavior, but the great Dr. Felton himself made another video trying to explain why Japanese had a completely different concept/application of 'honor' than westerners had. They believed their emperor was God and they were divinely entitled in their actions against the evil barbarian allies. They thought mercy was a weakness and wanted us to fear them. Their beliefs are why they never signed the Geneva Convention, so were not bound to follow its 'rules of war'. Not to excuse them, but it was just a difference in cultures. People think Nazis were cruel, but they had nothing on the Japanese. Also, in both world wars, the west had home campaigns portraying Evil Huns as barbarians, and remember what we did to all Japanese in America, putting civilians in concentration camps. War is seldom honorable, but we all keep doing it over and over.

[@consul6262]

@@thedriszen8350 I take the point your making, but their seem to be devoid of any empathy, even down at an individual level. I have read of many cases, where in battle many combatants, will help and treat the enemy because ones natural instincts prevail. This trait seems to be completely missing in the Japanese. I suppose we cannot understand this from our perspective, how people can act in this way, and even after the war there didn't seem any remorse, and took many victims many decades to get any form of apology.

[@thedriszen8350]

@@consul6262 Most of 'us' didn't get the Japanese because its alien to our beliefs; you're judging it from our perspective... not theirs. The imperial family were considered Gods, and could do no wrong. They felt insulted by our attitudes of them, and being totally shunned by Westerners in world affairs/politics. They considered mercy a weakness, and our fear of their ruthlessness an advantage. That's why they'd commit suicide rather than surrender. Mark Felton explained all this much better than I... go watch his video on this. History is full of cruelty, especially in war. As I said... I certainly don't condone it, I just understand how it happened. Different culture... different mindset... different behavior.

[@markwhitton8785]

@@thedriszen8350 I suspect that the Allied servicemen who suffered horrendously at the hands of the Japanese during WW2, including my grandfather who was beheaded by the Japanese in Java for escaping, might struggle with your level of armchair objectivity. Tojo knew exactly what he was doing, he was ultimately proven to be a coward in Japanese culture because he failed to commit suicide for his "failure", and instead was deservedly executed by the Allies at end of WW2. And the poor Japanese masses had to suffer through Tojo's arrogance with 2 atomic bombs.

[@rg20322]

@@thedriszen8350 Are you seriously trying to defend this based on a belief system? This is about human compassion and the lack of it. You mention Germany and that was simply a system of death that was designed in a way to get rig of people that were different. I agree that the Japanese were more cruel though.

[@warrenrudkin5277]

The Battle of the Coral Sea in May, 1942, was the first naval battle in which the opposing surface ships did not see each other or engage each other.

[@Doonie310]

I need the intro music as my ring tone

[@RCAvhstape]

As an American growing up I had heard that the Japanese treatment of POWs was awful, but when you hear the details like this it's just sickening.

[@charlesdexterward7781]

I've posted Mark's "Japanese Military Brutality Explained" about a dozen times to other (I believe all non-military focused) empty-headed videos discussing "America Bad, Japan Good" for whatever reason. In every case, and I literally mean EVERY case without exception, the channel has deleted my comment rather than engaging or simply allowing it to stand for others to see. Seeing this reaction, I encourage others to do the same.

[@alexdemoya2119]

I was blown up at on a discord server for posting that video. The weebs did not like the truth.

[@mikepjersey]

Welcome to 2020

[@charlesdexterward7781]

Update: Deleted from the (not particularly leftist) World War Two channel within minutes of posting. Disappointed to see that from them. kzbin.info/www/bejne/javPoKCPaax8nZI

[@V0YAG3R]

Charles Dexter Ward A brownshirt with the flag of China as avatar talking about censorship. Hahaha... oh, wow! Tras de ladrón, bufón.

[@raypurchase801]

Well done, sir. You were probably expelled 'cos of waycism n slavery n BLM n sheet. Ironic.

[@TOO_TALL305]

thank you for this video Mr Felton. I read your book Slaughter at Sea and this was one story that truly stuck out with me. I only wonder how many more crimes we do not know about

[@derweibhai]

My grandfather boarded the USS Enterprise in May of 1943 and stayed until the end of the war. He was a tailgunner in a Dauntless. I would have loved to talk more to him in detail about Guido and any other stories he would have had. Heck he may have even taken Bruno's bunk after he died. True hero's all. Just finished the Man in the High Castle series. It gave me chills, we came so close to that reality, one or two things different, and we could have lost.

[@Rustygiz]

Mark Felton, this is by far the best way to deliver history on youtube. I salute you!

[@model-man7802]

Coral Sea a few weeks earlier was the first fight where they didnt see each other.Dad was there on the Yorktown CV5.

[@stormthrush37]

Japan, claiming to be obsessed with "honor," refuses to surrender resulting in untold deaths both civilian and otherwise, uses civilians as bayonet practice, honors its own suicide bombers, tortures and executes enemy attacker for acting suicidal to stop them. Seems legit.

[@loganb7059]

I think part of the problem was that the Japanese military structure and more importantly, their disciplinary structure, could be summed up as “Shit rolls downhill.” Not the primary cause, far from it, but definitely a notable factor. Higher ups abuse their underlings, who in turn abuse their underlings, and so on until you get to some poor prisoner or civilian.

[@fedecano7362]

Brewing a tea listenning to Mark war stories! A good way to start my day

[@dentonator96]

We ended the war the way it needed to be ended.

[@MarzoVarea]

@CHIGGS 58TH "the collective we" as opposed to "the plural we", which you attributed to the original poster by asking him about his own part in that victory. So LOL yourself.

[@javierstaffanell3519]

Actually, I have come to disagree with this conclusion that I too was taught in school and never questioned. You see, the decision to drop the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki seems to have been made by Truman and his close circle. Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945 and the first bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945. That is less than four months. And that happens to be the amount of time that Truman was the president. Historians note that Roosevelt did not include Truman in anything. Not the war planning or much of anything else. So, Truman made his decision to drop the bombs after only 4 months in command. Another important point is that none of the Pacific commanders (Nimitz, Halsey, MacArthur) agreed with using the bomb. It does not appear that they were consulted. By August, the Japanese could not defend themselves, our planes ruled the skies for the most part. We had blockaded them so no food or fuel was going into the main islands. It was over. The Pacific commanders knew this and realized that to bomb the cities (Atomic or otherwise) was to bomb women and children. And there was no honor in that. I now realize that we have been propagandized about the end of the Pacific War. By continuing this lie we only make excuses for Truman who was not a "true man" at all.

[@arnoldmosk494]

Javier Staffanell It saved uncountable American lives , so it was a good thing to do honourable or not !!!

[@javierstaffanell3519]

@@arnoldmosk494 The point is an invasion was not necessary and thus the loss of life could be avoided altogether. I guess Nimitz, MacArthur, and Halsey were a different breed. If you accept my arguments, then the options are to defend Truman or argue for continuing the white washing of history at schools.

[@demef758]

@@javierstaffanell3519 "The point is an invasion was not necessary and thus the loss of life could be avoided altogether." Spoken by someone whose father was spared the "honor" of being killed during the ground invasion of Japan, for which a million purple hearts were stamped out prior to this dreaded event ....

[@johnemerson1363]

O'Flarity's gunner was Bruno Guido (hard G) and the Captain who ordered them thrown into the water was tried, convicted and hanged after the war.

[@Martmns]

Another excellent (as usual!) presentation of an important but little known and virtually forgotten war story! Thank you Dr. Felton!

[@sovietpotato6252]

God I love this guys voice

[@whiteonggoy7009]

Clear and easy to understand

[@Aviationlord7742]

Mark could be my GPS voice and tell me to drive around in circles for hours and I’d do it

[@whiteonggoy7009]

@@Aviationlord7742 better then that women on my GPS that gets me lost...

[@cj.tj.8201]

@@Aviationlord7742 I wish I could like your comment a dozen times...

[@weschaffin]

Mark you continue to amaze us with new content. Great stuff!!!

[@ronnelson7828]

5:07. No American torpedo bombers scored any hits at Midway. All the damage was done by the dive bombers.

[@curtismes]

on another note...the humane treatment of Japanese POWs in the US was one of the things that prompted Naval pilot and leader of the attack on Pearl Harbor Mitsuo Fuchida to investigate American Christianity further and eventually become an evangelical Christian as documented in his biography God's Samurai.

[@cactuslietuva]

Cause Japanese realised how brainwashed they were by their emperor propoganda

[@curtismes]

@@cactuslietuva nope for him it was the miracle of surviving the sinking of his carrier, being shot down, being at Hiroshima a day before the bombings and Nagasaki 2 days after ....he began to hear stories of Christian missionaries traveling to Japan to forgive, and his old friend was taken prisoner and treated well by the US and missionaries...he took 4 or 5 yrs after the war to contemplate these things...and started to become a believer

[@kronk420]

During the "troubles" in Northern Ireland , convicted murderers from either side of the divide would often "find god" as a source of redemption (as faux as it was)., I'm probably too cynical to think that this mans efforts were anything more!

[@curtismes]

@@kronk420 read the book...Gods Samurai...and no it wasnt a prison conversion...he was a national hero...and went on to preach and testify in dozens of countries with US pilots about the forgiveness and redemption of Christ...Billy Graham and the story of Louis Zamperini also coincide...soldiers are not convicts...

[@jameshickok2349]

@@curtismes Was this Japanese guy interviewed on US tv years later?? The story sounds very familiar. The one I'm remembering was during B&W tv maybe early 60's or thereabouts and it was on a talk show maybe Tonight Show or similar type of show. Thanks for mentioning it.

[@kampfgruppepeiper501]

Thank you for bringing these accounts to life and giving the men who went through these things a chance to be remembered. Excellent video Dr. Felton!

[@modelrailwaynoob]

The Japanese talked about honour in WWII but didn't conduct themselves in an honourable way. They got their reward by losing and they realised their emperor was nothing more than a feeble man.

[@DennisBloodnokPhotographyVideo]

When you hear about what happened to the American pilots and then add the experiences of the British soldiers who died whilst building he Burma railway, well you can understand the angry viewpoints expressed by those Americans and British who survived being prisoners of the Japanese. Sadly the world has not learned the lessons of WWII. There are still multiple brutal wars going on around the world right now.

[@TheSolongsidekick]

Hahaha so in your mind the "lesson" of WWII was that war is bad? Crazy that no one realized that before!

[@TheSolongsidekick]

@Wise and Free So in your basic ass mind people have not realized drugs are bad because people keep taking them? People haven't realized getting arrested is bad because they keep doing so? Jesus christ you're simple.

[@TheSolongsidekick]

@Wise and Free Hahaha I'd love to hear how your last statement makes sense in your brain. And your dumb ass clearly has no idea what addiction, temptation, or countless other contributing factor are. Amazing you've made it to adulthood.

[@TheSolongsidekick]

@Wise and Free Yeah, I don't think you know what "angry" means. Especially if you think it means "laughing at people who have the logic and reasoning skills of a rock". I don't believe you; no recovering addict would ever say something as stupid as "people who realize drugs/alcohol are bad just stop doing them". IF THAT WERE THE CASE YOU NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ALCOHOLIC TO BEGIN WITH. Jesus christ, use your brain.

[@Phinehas46]

@@TheSolongsidekick No, Jesus isn't simple!

[@LazyCookPete]

Harrowing! Murdering unarmed prisoners is an act of barbarism and cowardice, no matter what language or culture frames it. Eternal shame on them I say. In stark contrast, your story does great honour to the memory of those brave airmen whose lives were lost at the Battle of Midway.

[@antoinedebiran5011]

like we never hurt unarmed prisoners...fairy tale.

[@meatusbeatus5548]

@@antoinedebiran5011 that was the exception, and condemned when it happened. Unlike the Japanese who not only condoned it but it was the exception when it *didn’t* happen. You know it’s bad when even the Nazi’s thought they were mental.

[@antoinedebiran5011]

So the conclusion is we are good n they are bad. I wud love dat.

[@АмериканецвРоссии-и4б]

@@antoinedebiran5011 While I'd hesitate to proclaim either side as "good" in war, there was a clear moral distinction between the sides.

[@antoinedebiran5011]

but ok i got ur point n guessed from wat u said dat guantanamo is closed and all involved condemned and sentenced.

[@scottanderson9656]

After visiting Nanjing (Nanking) in the early 2000s it's no wonder that the Chinese still despise the Japanese. If the Japanese would ever admit to what they did it would probably go a long way toward healing these wounds. If you want to test you test the strength of your stomach read about what happened in Nanjing and about Unit 731. After you do remember that there has never been a real acknowledgement of what happened much less an apology.

[@ferv1]

I read that there was an exchange of prisoners (only one) between Germany and UK in WWII. Can you tell us about it? Thank you.

[@CA999]

I seen photo graphs of it occurring in Spain. Mostly middle aged soldiers. There are videos of Americans and Germans doing the same thing where they besieged U-Boat bases along the French coastline of the.Atlantic Ocean.

[@CA999]

@Julian Palmer prisoner exchanges.

[@oceanhome2023]

@@CA999 There was some thing like that I think it was close to the Cherbourg area . I saw a short clip of some thing like that only Felton would know about it !

[@benwilson6145]

@Julian Palmer Feel good to be a fascist?

[@benwilson6145]

There was a prison swap through the Red Cross where prisoner who were deemed ill or injured and unlikely to be a combatant were returned home.

[@ghostarmy1106]

Wait the 1st carrier battle where none of the ships of the opposing sides saw each other? Doesnt that title go to the battle of the coral sea???

[@1MahaDas]

The battle of Coral Sea was the first engagement between aircraft carrier to aircraft carrier to take place before the battle of Midway. So Dr. Mark Felton let this one "slip by!" Regardless, Felton's productions are still informative as they always have been!

[@maxsmodels]

I thought Coral Sea was the first battle where the surface combatants never saw each other making it an air vs ship battle.

[@robertross7666]

I often find when I can't fall asleep late at night, I put on the sweet soothing voice of Mark Felton, and I am out by the time the video is half over.

[@Purvis-dw4qf]

Thanks for telling the sad story of some great heroes.

[@Michaelcaba]

Mark: Love your channel, but I think the Battle of the Coral Sea, not Midway, was the first battle in which the ships did not see each other. Just saying.

[@raypurchase801]

Taranto.

[@CA999]

Yeah I wondered about that, particularly after seeing the movie recently.

[@trumpstinyhands]

Which movie mate ?

[@AleRees]

@@trumpstinyhands Midway, from last year.

[@tufftraveller4784]

Not really a film lol

[@trumpstinyhands]

@@AleRees ahh cool, i watched it the other day too, really enjoyed it

[@trumpstinyhands]

@@AleRees i only asked because i thought i was missing out lol

[@UncleBoratagain]

Colossal output of narrative history: very much valued.

[@jjtimmins1203]

The weird thing is, I was in Japan for two years. The people were among the nicest people I've ever met anywhere in the world.

[@ColinH1973]

Unbelievable barbarism. It makes my blood boil even now. Thanks for the feature Dr Mark.

[@buba03]

get the good snacks out. History Class is in session.

[@jamesonnewhouse1298]

U can only eat them if u have enuff to go around lmao

[@levipierson4946]

@@jamesonnewhouse1298 could you picture all of us mark fans in one lecture hall with just one bag or pretzels going around

[@jamesonnewhouse1298]

@@levipierson4946 that would b quite the lecture hall, may have to be lectyre stadium

[@levipierson4946]

@@jamesonnewhouse1298 thats the only way I'd ever pay super bowl prices to get into a stadium!

[@jamesonnewhouse1298]

@@levipierson4946 bro id pay a years salary

[@timmass4635]

Another Fantastic story! Thank you!

[@phrayzar]

There's an amazing story of Stanley "Swede" Vejtasa who defeated 7 x zero's flying his Dauntless dive-bomber in a dogfight. Even though the zero's were faster he gained an advantage by pulling extreme turns that would have broken up the zero's.

[@jameshickok2349]

I still find it amazing that the Wildcat was as successful as it became, thanks to open minded pilots using what little edge they had to it utmost advantage. The Wildcat was awesome 1931 technology but was well behind the curve by 1942. Years ago an old pilot told me to watch Wildcats taking off from carriers. Often the planes would dip or wobble and that's because the pilot was preoccupied turning the gear crank. I don't recall if it was Joe Foss (MoH) or another vet that mentioned it. Foss was from my hometown so I know a fair amount about him. For those who don't know this, the Wildcat's main gear was manually retracted/extended by a crank. The crank was connected to bicycle chains which hoisted the gear up.

[@ivanthemadvandal8435]

@@jameshickok2349 nice try, the Wildcat didnt fly until well after 31

[@jameshickok2349]

@@ivanthemadvandal8435 You missed the point. I referred to the level of tech not the model of plane itself.

[@anthonycilladi3962]

Best videos on KZbin. The goat mark felton does it again

[@thomashartman1998]

Battle of the Coral Sea was the first carrier to carrier battle in history.

[@dustylover100]

Your videos have come a long way since videos like this one. But very educational all the time.

[@milangovedarica6952]

Now this was some true drama and the more realistic picture of what war really looks like. It is a noble thing to help keep the memory of the brave men who died in such remote corners of Pacific without ever making the headlines.

[@memphoonthemississippi642]

Thank you, sir. Yet another magnificent video!

[@robinl4975]

I don’t get it, how is this possible? How are you able to release video after video, and every single one is amazing, interesting and i always learn something new 😃😃

[@FlexBeanbag]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJ7GaoF8m82rbZY

[@oncall21]

Sadly how many never lived to tell their tale? Thanks for sharing Mark.

[@LTPottenger]

Not many since there were hardly any to begin with.

[@josephstevens9888]

I thought the Battle of the Coral Sea (May 4 - 8, 1942) was the first naval engagement in history in which surface ship of both sides never saw one another?

[@blueboats7530]

Yes, Battle of the Coral Sea was the first, and is thoroughly presented in the history, this is a surprising lapse on Felton's part. Added irony is that Coral Sea stopped the Japanese advance toward Australia (for good as it turned out) so an Australian should know.

[@demonprinces17]

Somehow Midway got this

[@LTPottenger]

I think he was talking about coral sea in the beginning but not 100% sure.

[@mcrdl76]

Well done, as per usual Dr. Felton!

[@briannicholas2757]

It is still gauling that the Japanese military was never seriously brought to justice for the war crimes they committed. In the cases recorded here, at least Kharma intervened and showed the same mercy that the Japanese showed to their prisoners.

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

Not true. Many faced trial in the Tokyo War trials.

[@bloodybones63]

@@WALTERBROADDUS Only a few, & then were released early.

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

@@bloodybones63 More than 5,700 lower-ranking personnel were charged with conventional war crimes in separate trials convened by Australia, China, France, the Netherlands Indies, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The charges covered a wide range of crimes including prisoner abuse, rape, sexual slavery, torture, ill-treatment of labourers, execution without trial, and inhumane medical experiments. The trials took place in around fifty locations in Asia and the Pacific. Most trials were completed by 1949, but Australia held some trials in 1951.[17] China held 13 tribunals, resulting in 504 convictions and 149 executions. Of the 5,700 Japanese individuals indicted for Class B war crimes, 984 were sentenced to death; 475 received life sentences; 2,944 were given more limited prison terms; 1,018 were acquitted; and 279 were never brought to trial or not sentenced. The number of death sentences by country is as follows: the Netherlands 236, United Kingdom 223, Australia 153, China 149, United States 140, France 26, and Philippines 17.[18] The Soviet Union and Chinese Communist forces also held trials of Japanese war criminals. The Khabarovsk War Crime Trials held by the Soviets tried and found guilty some members of Japan's bacteriological and chemical warfare unit, also known as Unit 731. However, those who surrendered to the Americans were never brought to trial. As Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, MacArthur gave immunity to Shiro Ishii and all members of the bacteriological research units in exchange for germ warfare data based on human experimentation. On May 6, 1947, he wrote to Washington that "additional data, possibly some statements from Ishii probably can be obtained by informing Japanese involved that information will be retained in intelligence channels and will not be employed as 'War Crimes' evidence."[19] The deal was concluded in 1948.[20]

[@bloodybones63]

@@WALTERBROADDUS Lots of these never were put to death, & most of those imprisoned had their sentences reduced. But thanks for the cut & paste. Good info.

[@ardshielcomplex8917]

One being the Emperor Hirohito, he actively supported the Japanese Army invasion of China well before WW2 broke out; and Generalissimo Hideki Tojos military dominance of government and policies.

[@moonstriders]

I am a simple man. He uploads I click. In between I watch in repeat

[@bjs301]

Another excellent video, even without the video. This is certainly a Midway account that we don't hear about.

[@stevewhite3424]

You think they are not isolationist anymore? Tell you what go look at the stats of refugees taken in by the Japanese and also go check what it takes to immigrate to Japan. I live there for 2 years in the '70s. Japan is one of the most racist countries it was ever my misfortune to experience. Every time you start feeling comfortable in that country and despite its incredible beauty and history you are then reminded by some event that highlights the racists they are. They are not one of the most racially homogeneous countries on the planet by accident, it is precisely how they want it.

[@bjs301]

@@stevewhite3424 You replied to the wrong comment, Bud. All I said was that the video was good.

[@jtoddjb]

another brilliant video. Great job keep it up. You're one of the true highlights of youtube. Thanks

[@Rusty_Gold85]

As it was found later the Mark 13 Torpedo would shear its rear stabilising fin brackets when it hit the water . That made them stear out of alignment or just sink to the bottom .

[@Thor_Odinson]

Too bad they didn't you know.....TEST THE BLOODY THINGS!!!!

[@PUAlum]

Thank you, Mr. Felton. I'm overcome with sorrow hearing these stories of devotion and courage. We need to make more of Memorial Day!! All year round. your videos help so much. It's humbling to think how many "regular guys" gave their all that we might enjoy the freedom we enjoy today.

[@brentgranger7856]

I hate to nitpick, but Bruno Gaido's name is pronounced "Guy-do," not "Jay-do."

[@Ian-iu2tl]

The Battle of the Coral Sea was the first carrier on carrier engagement where the opposing forces did not fire on one another nor sight each other from ship to ship; not The Battle of Midway. This notion of Midway's American success as being "the turning point" is the original rhetoric of the day. It is driven by the profound imbalance of naval powers between the Pacific American Naval force and that of the immense IJN fleet. A true David vs Goliath scenario awarding massive American pride and satisfaction while inflicting immensely deep shame upon the IJN as well as the Japanese people. It revealed cracks in the IJN and combined with the Doolittle Raid a few moths earlier, presented the spectre of an existential threat to Japan. The astounding victory, as devastating to the IJN as it was, did not leave the IJN in a defensive position. The IJN, in fact, retaining a very large and formidable naval force, remained very much in an offensive state for several months to come. The American successes in the Guadalcanal campaign proved to be the real turning point of the Pacific War.

[@sabjiyom2893]

Last time I was this early, Japan was still in isolationism!

[@derekrayment8092]

The best as always, Mark.

[@XxBloggs]

Thanks for remembering these men, Mark. Can I suggest another esoteric subject. Leonard Sifleet, and Australian special forces officer executed in PNG in WW2. Fascinating story.

[@envitech02]

Oh mannnnn... This is so sad. That the IJN was so dishonorable to mistreat and murder their POWs against the Geneva Conventions. Added to the Rape of Nanking, Rape of Hong Kong, "comfort" women, Unit 731, Sook Ching of Malaya, Death Railway, Death March of Bataan, Japan should hang its head in shame for the next 1000 years. Thank you Dr. Felton for your insightful research and compelling storytelling.

[@C63Bez]

Can't believe what that poor bloke must have gone through. Brave man

[@rabbit251]

Felton should really do a story about the Tokyo war crimes trial compared to Germany. In Germany we executed so many Nazis, but almost no one in Japan, even those who we knew were clearly guilty.

[@mktgriffon6293]

Read about MacArthur. Mark wrote about this.

[@bobstreet8840]

Makes me so angry when it is said that the atomic bombs should not have been dropped ...if they saved ONE Allied life then we are justified .

[@QuizmasterLaw]

still justified even if saving 0 allied lives.

[@markwhitton8785]

Agree, its hard to tolerate the ignorance of people flapping their gums on how atomic bombs shouldn't have been dropped. There was even some twat on here that reckoned the Allies didn't actually need to invade Japan to get them to surrender. After Iwo Jima and all of the other many battles with the Japanese where they fought to the absolute bitter end, and where tens of thousands of Allied servicemen died, it was clear General Tojo and his circle of psychopaths were never going to surrender. Tojo was executed for war crimes, a deserving end for that POS.

[@LTPottenger]

Some guy in uniform was mean to another guy so you have to kill women and children. Makes perfect sense.

[@QuizmasterLaw]

@@LTPottenger Oh, you mean "Japan raped and murdered its way through China and Indochina but then decided to level up after it got an oil and steel embargo as a response to that by attacking the US Britain and Netherlands by surprise. ALlow me to ignore hell ships the bataan death march human experimentation and it all adds up tto pottingers human is a horrible virtue signalling ignorant fool. thankfully lies fail.

[@LTPottenger]

US GIs routinely murdered POWs in both theaters so I guess US should be nuked. US also starved millions of POWs to death in concentration camps, then starved millions of civilians to death for years after the war, while even in soviet occupied territory the outcome was much better for the locals.

[@joshmccoy1522]

I just finished "Never Call me a Hero" by Dusty Kleiss. Bruno Gaido, O'Flaherty's gunner, actually shot down an attacking Japanese plane earlier *from a parked Dauntless.* He was quite a gunner.

[@Zyworski]

All they accomplished with their brutal murders was to provide further justification for Hiroshima.

[@randomuser5443]

@Elias Bauer You get no right to complain when the rules fold on you

[@kevindavis5966]

@Elias Bauer You might want to look into civilian deaths committed by the Japanese in China. It may number into the millions.

[@Zyworski]

@Elias Bauer The keeping civilians out of it line was crossed when the Axis blitzed London so what comes around goes around.

[@Zyworski]

@Elias Bauer You plaintiff cries are music to our ears

[@Zyworski]

@@kevindavis5966 And those were murders committed at the individual legal showing that the whole country was engulfed in a vicious suicidal cult that had to be caused at all cost.

[@garymckee8857]

Thanks Mark another piece of history that isn't in common WW2 history books. Excellent narration as always.

[@DoyleHargraves]

American dive bomber and torpedo bomber crews in WW2 were real stalwart guys. It took a lot of balls to pull that off.

[@TheUltimateTroll9]

Apparently the IJN had played war games where there was a junior officer who expected the IJN at Midway and sunk all IJN carriers

[@tyskbulle]

Who else here needs to do a solo salute, when hearing stories like these? If only you could tell them, they would not be forgotten.

[@FrankDad]

Brot89 meh meh, meh meh meh meh meh meh. Meh, meh meh meh meh.

[@tyskbulle]

@@FrankDad Muh.

[@daviddaigrepont9485]

Actually I believe the battle of the Coral Sea, one month prior to Midway, was the first battle in history where the opposing fleets never saw each other.

[@johncoe929]

I thought Coral Sea was the first naval battle where the ships never sighted each other...

[@Warmaker01]

It makes the Firebombings and Atomic Bomb Drops much more easy to justify.

[@TheCskin26]

Can you do a video on the Japanese POW ships carrying allied troops?

[@hanzup4117]

Another exactly video. I enjoy listening to these when I'm at the gym or on a long walk :)

[@bashirmuhammad8181]

So Savage. So merciless. It's only proper that the world doesn't forget imperial Japan. I understand that even at the present day they remain immune to the devastation and murderous deeds of their forbears.

[@tonvanderzalm4612]

Superb 👍 Mark, love this 👍

[@daveweiss3839]

Who woke us up on sunday morning while we slept. All noble samurai woke up their enemy prior to fight. So the Japanese broke their own code of conduct. They got what they wanted. The sleeping giant crushed them. Now they are our best partner in asia do not forget that. Mahalo to our USA vets.

[@davidstewart3337]

Info at 2.15 is wrong, the Battle of the Corral Sea in the Solomans earlier in 1942 was the first battle where opposing force's ships never physically saw one another. That was the first carrier to carrier battle as well.

[@mikewest5529]

You gotta be brave when all those before you don’t come back! Wow It was a amazing if you landed back on that aircraft carrier!!

[@jaybee9269]

“Ensign” in Americanese is usually pronounced “Inn-Sin”. Thanks for the wonderful content.