Week 310 - Mokusatsu! - WW2 - August 3, 1945

[@WorldWarTwo]

This episode has been dedicated by TimeGhost Army Brigadier Steven Przybylski to all refugees and displaced persons from the war, and to his mother Maria. We’re happy that we could do this for Steven and we’re thankful for his dedication to the TimeGhost Army. If you have someone you'd like to dedicate an episode to, you can do so by joining the TimeGhost Army for one year at the Brigadier tier or by making a one-time contribution.

[@Aabil11]

His last name reminds me of Prez from The Wire

[@lawrenceallen8096]

Great Job, once again, Indy and Crew! I've always read that the target cities for the A-bombs were selected because they had not been previously bombed out and therefore provide data on how and how much destruction the bombs actually cause. Not because an atomic bomb would be more spectacular over them, but for research and development purposes. If the future is atomic warfare, then knowledge of how an A-bomb affects a burned out city isn't particularly useful. As it turns out, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the only 2 test cases for A-bombs over actual, inhabited cities in history. Hopefully. P.S. I believe US and Dutch POWs were killed in the Hiroshima atomic bombing.

[@pnutz_2]

(spoilers) not many episodes to go now...

[@InternetDarkLord]

Question: Have Hiroshima and Nagasaki also been warned by leaflets or otherwise an attack is coming?

[@r13hd22]

This just randomly popped up in my recommendations and I must say, KZbin actually did something I like. This was wonderfully written and...performed. Outstanding work, will be checking out more of your content shortly and hopefully I found another channel to add to my list.

[@ericlefevre7741]

There is way more to the story of the USS Indianapolis than you told. After the sinking the US Navy, in an attempt to protect its reputation from their failure to conduct a timely search, put all the blame on the skipper Charles McVay. He was court-martialed and found guilty. Admiral Nimitz, who was a man of honor, recognized that what had occurred was an atrocious miscarriage of justice, suspended the judgement and returned McVay to active duty at full rank and pay. Some of the survivors were less charitable. For the next 23 years, they would send McVay letters hate mail every Christmas wishing McVay a happy Christmas, because theirs was awful because of their dead relatives. After 23 years of this, McVay would shoot himself while holding the toy sailor he was given as a child that inspired him to join the Navy in the first place. Other survivors remained convinced of their skipper's innocence and sought to clear McVay's name, and many of them settled in South Florida. There, a 12 year old boy named Hunter Scott heard tales from survivors and became determined to set the record straight. As part of a history project for his school, he interviewed survivors, gathered evidence and presented his findings to his school. There, it gained the attention of the local press and interest in the story grew. In 1999, Hunter Scott would give testimony before Congress with his findings. Hunter was assisted by the (at the time) skipper of the submarine USS Indianapolis, who analyzed the attack pattern and determined that evasive maneuvers would not have prevented the sinking. Also at that congressional hearing, was the skipper of the Japanese submarine I-58, Mochitsura Hashimoto. He also thought that the court martial was a travesty and sought to exonerate his old foe. In a feat of reconciliation between two former enemies, Hashimoto's stated that he was not going to miss that shot, testifying at the hearing, "Our peoples have forgiven each other for that terrible war and its consequences. Perhaps it is time your peoples forgave Captain McVay for the humiliation of his unjust conviction." Through the combined efforts of an old enemy, a talented US submarine skipper, and a school boy, a Sense of Congress resolution was passed absolving McVay of all wrongdoing and negligence, and removing the court martial from McVay's record. This was all possible because a local school boy became determined to set things right. It is a hope of mine that some other school child will watch a series like this and become inspired to right some other historical wrong. Cheers to you Time Ghost. EDIT: It was I-58 not I-25.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Those events, as important as they are, are in the future, while we engage in chronological coverage. Perhaps a special can be done later, I'll suggest it. -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@thesmallerhalf1968]

You include a reminder that the grotesque trolling we associate with social media is not new. One of the least admirable traits of human nature.

[@whocares435-z9v]

​@@thesmallerhalf1968I'm not sure if you'd call that trolling. They didn't send the letters just to get him upset for fun, they did it because they sincerely hated him. Otherwise all expressions of hatred conveyed from one person to another are trolling.

[@JimmyMon666]

@@whocares435-z9v Ultimately the Captain is the one responsible for the ship. That's always been the case. He is the one responsible for the lives of all those men. That said, even the Japanese captain said things like zig zagging would have made no difference. There's only so much he could have done. But as I said, even if someone wasn't at their watch station, the captain is ultimately responsible. Other factors were the ship being top heavy due to increased armaments added to the ship throughout the years.

[@johncarlaw8633]

"skipper of the submarine USS Indianapolis," William "Bill" Toti co-hosts a similar history series on YT Unauthorized History of the Pacific War Podcast . Chronological by not week by week, which expands more on individuals and small actions rather than broad strategy and events. It has a priority focus on US personnel for zoom-in, they do not ignore or downplay allied but they are not the intended focus. Other presenter is director of Mississippi Armed Forces Museum.

[@hereLiesThisTroper]

I am not working, not because I'm lazy, but because I remain in a wise and masterly inactivity.

[@Arashmickey]

The rest of the time? Contemptuous silence. My life is Mokusatsu.

[@thitran1362]

Imma try this with my parents, wish me luck :)))

[@ΧΑΡΗΣΚΟΥΡΗΣ-ψ3ν]

All according to keikaku

[@connannbarbarin3033]

​@@thitran1362 if you can manage it you will get isekaid for sure

[@giraffeman326]

We’re witnessing history. The greatest world war 2 documentary ever made is about to conclude.

[@AptWaffleMantis2278]

I personally plan to rewatch this series in time on the starting in 2039 and following along for the 100th anniversary till the end

[@yurinalysis8034]

Last episode would be on Sept 7

[@Arashmickey]

@@AptWaffleMantis2278 That's a brilliant idea. I hope I'll be there with you and many others.

[@henrybostick5167]

100 % accurate assessment of the situation....

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you very much for the comment, we do have plenty more on the way too!

[@SmilingIbis]

The dedication of this episode reminds us that not only is this one massive war, but millions of personal tragedies.

[@NVRAMboi]

The determination and courage of the human spirit can't be completely measured or known. It's not uncommon that we, ourselves, endure and defeat challenges in life .... only to later confess "I don't know how I did that." I don't know the answers either, but I strongly suspect the Divine spark in each of us is mostly responsible.

[@StevenPrzybylski]

It's so true! All different yet all similar and all important to remember.

[@moosemaimer]

Japanese response to surrender demand: _remain in a wise and masterly inactivity_ American response to surrender demand: *NUTS*

[@THEZEKER1964]

My Dad was a Marine sweating it out on Guam. They were slated for the November invasion. He was basically told you're pretty much dead men. His battalion was written off in the plans after D-Day +4 due to expected casualties. But he had hope as they saw all the B-29's taking off day after day on their missions. When they got word of the bomb they figured it was over and it was. I asked if there was a wild party or anything. He said a bit but you were just filled with this immense overwhelming feeling of relief and sadness as you couldn't help but think of all the guys you knew who were killed. He was then sent to China for occupation duty, then a short stint in Japan and home.

[@bobmetcalfe9640]

My father was off the coast of Japan providing anti-air cover for the British Pacific Fleet. He wasn't looking forward to being kamikazed again. They'd been attacked so many times he figured his luck must've run out. He was really relieved when they surrendered. Spent some time guarding a Japanese ammo dump, liberated a POW camp which gave him a visceral hatred of the whole place for the rest of his life, and then was sent on a flag-waving exercise to Australia and New Zealand. Liked NZ so much he eventually migrated there.

[@ZER0ZER0SE7EN]

My Dad was an Army Amphibian Engineer in the Philippines practicing with the landing boats for the invasion of Japan. They were told to expect 70% casualties in the first hour of combat. One evening a bunch of them sat on cut down palm trees and watched a John Wayne war movie projected onto a strung up sheet. They stopped the movie and said a big bomb was dropped on Japan and the War was over. Everybody celebrated and they didn't finish the movie. In September as the first frost arrived they landed on the far north end of Honshu for occupation. Nether side there knew what to expect. In a small town there were only old men since everyone else left for the hills. One of the old men knew some English and gave my father an apple as a peace offering. My dad went to the company cook and returned with some fresh bread. The old Japanese man said by looking at the American soldiers he knew they wouldn't hurt him because they looked like boys who weren't even old enough to shave. He then knew the Japanese government had lied to the people about how barbaric the Americans were. Later my dad was transferred to the Yokohama / Tokyo area and saw the total devastation. He returned to California a year later.

[@robertstanfill2360]

My daddy was an 18 year old seabee on Okinawa. Rebuilt 2 air fields under fire. He said if the bombs hadn't been dropped and peace declared he was in the first wave to rebuild airstrip on Kyushu. So I know he'd be dead in first wave. No marrying mama no me no my brother no 3 granddaughters no 3 great grandsons or 2 great granddaughters. Truman is my hero for his decision. ❤❤❤proud navy man daughter. Henry Eugene Delaney 9/1/26 --3/8/18. Miss you daddy. ❤❤Phoenix and Chewbacca mom

[@NVRAMboi]

@@robertstanfill2360 RIP and "Love ya, Dad."

[@adarkstarz]

I was a Marine sweating it out on Guam 1971-1972. We used to explore the Japanese caves on the island, pretty amazing . My dad was on Okinawa in 1945, an army medic waiting for the invasion

[@gunman47]

A sidenote this week on August 3 1945 is that destroyers USS Conner and USS Charrette will intercept and board the Japanese hospital ship Tachibana Maru in the Banda Sea near the Dutch East Indies. Upon finding mortar shells hidden in boxes marked medical supplies, marines were ordered to board and take control of the Japanese ship.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks for sharing this intriguing detail! The USS Charrette actually went on after the war and was later renamed the Velos.

[@kornaros96]

@@WorldWarTwo later during the colonel's dictatorship, her crew ignored orders and defected to Italy. They returned after the dictatorship fell, and now it is a floating museum alongside the legend that bears the name "Averof"... (Jocke & Par you know what to do)

[@pauleohl]

@@WorldWarTwo You spurred me to read the Wikipedia article on USS Charrette. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Charrette.

[@JarodFarrant]

@@WorldWarTwo in the whole island bombing campaign, how much of missions were made by fire planes like the P 51, the P4 seven, f4 corsiers?

[@Belowbluewaterdiver]

I knew a fellow by the name of Dick Thelen here in Michigan. Thelen was new to the navy and his first duty station was…..the USS Indianapolis. He told me they used to assemble sailors in front of the box welded unto the deck every day only much later finding out that was components for the atomic bomb. He was on deck sleeping when the ship was hit; going into the water with only a pair of underwear Just when he was on the verge of giving up is when they were spotted and eventually rescued. He made it clear to me the sharks generally left the living alone (although he was bitten in the hand) Thelen died in 2021 and as of today just one man of the 317 that survived is still with us. Harold Bray

[@shawnr771]

Thank you for the information.

[@NVRAMboi]

@Belowbluewaterdiver : I've often wondered about the mental strength required of those men in the water from USS Indianapolis. The same with U.S. survivors of The Battle Off Samar. Beyond difficult.

[@ZER0ZER0SE7EN]

@@NVRAMboi Another story of WW2 survival is the 2014 movie "Unbroken". Local hero Louis Zamperini ran in the 1936 Olympics and was in a WW2 aircraft sea crash where they were in lifeboats for a long time.

[@NVRAMboi]

@@ZER0ZER0SE7EN Yes. Thank you for bringing it up. I'm generally aware of the story, but haven't brought myself to read the book or see the movie yet. I need to fix that. Thanks again.

[@Valdagast]

_Japanese submarine slammed two torpedoes into her side, Chief. We was comin’ back from the island of Tinian to Leyte. We’d just delivered the bomb. The Hiroshima bomb. Eleven hundred men went into the water. Vessel went down in 12 minutes._ _Didn’t see the first shark for about a half-hour. Tiger. 13-footer. You know how you know that in the water, Chief? You can tell by lookin’ from the dorsal to the tail. What we didn’t know, was that our bomb mission was so secret, no distress signal had been sent. They didn’t even list us overdue for a week. Very first light, Chief, sharks come cruisin’ by, so we formed ourselves into tight groups. It was sorta like you see in the calendars, you know the infantry squares in the old calendars like the Battle of Waterloo and the idea was the shark come to the nearest man, that man he starts poundin’ and hollerin’ and sometimes that shark he go away… but sometimes he wouldn’t go away._ _Sometimes that shark looks right at ya. Right into your eyes. And the thing about a shark is he’s got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll’s eyes. When he comes at ya, he doesn’t even seem to be livin’… ’til he bites ya, and those black eyes roll over white and then… ah then you hear that terrible high-pitched screamin’. The ocean turns red, and despite all your poundin’ and your hollerin’ those sharks come in and… they rip you to pieces._

[@macmedic892]

Robert Shaw was robbed of his Oscar. I’ve seen Jaws hundreds of times-and that scene many times more-and he never fails to send chills up my spine, as though he truly was there.

[@robertbloch1063]

What US Navy did to McVay was even worse I think.

[@macmedic892]

@@robertbloch1063Undoubtedly. But that quote wasn’t about him, was it?

[@robertbloch1063]

@@macmedic892 In fact it was, even though he was not mentioned directly. McVay was also swimming with those sharks.

[@peterconetta399]

A great book by Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic called "Indianapolis" is all about tragedy of sinking and aftermath. Thanks.

[@30Mauser]

What a beautiful story of resourcefulness and perseverance by those Polish refugees. A reminder as well, with all she accomplished in her life, of what was lost in the countless young lives snuffed out in WW2.

[@ianfraser4591]

Yes true but I have a question? They arrived in Britain penniless but she was able to go to University in Scotland. Bear in mind there was no Free higher Education in those days, so how was this achieved?

[@Earliersphere]

@@ianfraser4591 likely the father joined the polish forces fighting for the allies and mom got a job.

[@StevenPrzybylski]

@@Earliersphere Her mother was in Poland. See episode of October 7, 1944. Yes, her father was still part of the Polish Army and receiving a small salary, as a officer with no troops to command, he and many other Polish officers spent much of the war in Scotland doing not much of anything. There was of course the incredible kindness of the Scottish people that opened their hearts and homes to Maria and many others. She basically supported herself from October 1940 on.

[@StevenPrzybylski]

My mother was forever grateful to her four "Scottish mothers" who took her under their wings during what was a very hard time: Mrs Kennedy of Kelvindale, Mrs. Mabel Mckinlay of Thorncliffe,Victoria Circus, Mrs. Watson, and Mrs. Lewińska, a Polish ex-pat. Without the kindness and support of these women and their families, the 17 year old Maria, alone in a new city, trying to study chemistry and physics in a language she did not know at all, would likely have ended up on a very different path.

[@raybarron316]

“If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.” - Rush

[@alexamerling79]

"Warned but did not heed." Big mistake by Japan.

[@greenkoopa]

It worked for the US before Pearl, I'm not so sure this is the right strategy for this point in the game coach

[@offcy3318]

Pulling out the sabaton quotes

[@grandadmiralzaarin4962]

Nice Sabaton reference

[@bobjoned3398]

The world's opinion of Japan is about to change

[@phytonso9877]

"Don't touch the boats."

[@pax6833]

I feel like these last few weeks of the war have been some of the most important episodes of the series. The period between V-E day and V-J Day may be among the most misunderstood in the war. Thank you Timeghost, for bringing clarity and illumination to the complex peace process unfolding both in Europe and Asia, especially with regards to the mercurial politics of Imperial Japan, which cannot have been easy to untangle. Had Japan imo really been so interested in peace, they could have asked the Allies for clarification on the Potsdam, or possibly even arranged a direct diplomatic meeting on neutral ground. Though, even had the US agreed to not touch the emperor more clearly (which the US government hasn't even firmly decided on yet) it's hard to see the doves being able to overcome the entrenched resistance of the militarists. Instead, they dithered and played for time, rejecting the ultimatum. It's hard to know what they were thinking, maybe feeling like it would be easier to negotiate (or even surrender in some form) after an American invasion? That's all very hypothetical though.

[@danendraabyantara2931]

It's too late, this is what happen when your leader and all of your elements in your goverment still delusional & don't want accept the reality, the way tojo and his ija buddies still indoctrinate japanese peoples til the end of this conflict still amazes me, why ? Give me your answer guys 😅

[@watchm4ker]

They had assumed that the US would not have the stomach to invade. That the losses such a campaign would inflict would be too monstrous for the US government to sell to its population. It's possible they were right in thinking this, but what followed made it meaningless: The Soviet Union *did not give a shit* about their own casualties, they would see an invasion through to the bitter end The US could burn Japan off the map, one bright flash at a time, then stroll in with nothing but ash to oppose them.

[@amogus948]

They were thinking about that. Japan knew that the weakness of the Americans/democracies was the public opinion and that their politicians would have hardly approved an invasion given the prospect of losing so many lives so, according to their logic, - had they approved it then as soon as news of the death toll would have reached the home front then the American civilians would have pressured the politicians for a peace - had they not approved the invasion and chosen to keep going with the blockade and the bombing campaign then that would have required a lot of time and the public opinion would have soon gotten tired (something that was already happening after victory in Europe) and would have eventually asked their politicians to accept a conditional surrender of Japan They were probably not wrong in thinking like that and American public reaction was already partially proving them right, the issue being that Japanese civilains and soldiers were already dying in the thousands each day and the number would have kept increasing exponentially regardless of the decision taken by the Allies Japanese militarists just didn't care at all about it

[@rainkloud]

Seems unconscionable that Indianapolis was sent into submarine infested waters without an escort. Especially given that a DD had been sunk in that area recently. Also, really loved the dedication at the end. To go from penniless to accomplished physicist is nothing short of amazing!

[@etuc123]

Great tribute from Steven, what a fighter Maria was. And thanks for a great episode TG

[@GaryCameron]

I took an X-Ray crystallography course from an elderly woman professor at Carleton. I don't think it was her, but would definitely have been a colleague

[@StevenPrzybylski]

Thank you for your kind words.

[@StevenPrzybylski]

@@GaryCameron Maria never, to my knowledge, taught at Carleton. I don't know who on the Carlton University faculty that might have been.

[@WorldWarTwo]

We are thankful to Steven for sharing her story with us, thanks for watching!

[@GaryCameron]

@@StevenPrzybylski Does the name Donnay ring a bell?

[@jasondouglas6755]

Next week, History will change for ever.

[@robertbloch1063]

Yeah, that happens every week... Since we cannot go back in time, even a sneeze changes history forever...

[@pnutz_2]

spoilers!

[@champagnegascogne9755]

We knew the world would not be the same....

[@champagnegascogne9755]

Few people, laughed... Few people cried, but many were silent.

[@volodyadykun6490]

There were a lot of turns in this war already

[@Cleo-h3x]

Some fishing boat captain named Quint would go about trying to get rid of sharks after surviving the sinking of his ship Indianapolis..

[@p.strobus7569]

A reason for Unconditional Surrender was that Roosevelt did not want another war in twenty years. He saw how the negotiated peace without surrender had failed after the Great War and he was clear that he wanted no ambiguity about national defeat. He even retold the negotiation at Appomattox that had Lee surrendering unconditionally and Grant then making sure that people got to keep their horses in order to farm.

[@poiuyt975]

After all the term "Unconditional Surrender" is just Grant's name, right? U.S. Grant. Or at least that's what I've heard. ;-)

[@johnf7683]

​@@poiuyt975 Grant's real name was Hiram Ulysses Grant. Due to a clerical error at West Point, it was listed as "Ulysses Simpson Grant", which he accepted, and kept. Grant's first big victory in the civil war was capturing Fort Donelson in February, 1862. When Confederate General Simon B. Buckner requested terms for surrender, Grant replied, “No terms except unconditional surrender can be accepted.” After that, because of the "U.S." initials, Grant was nicknamed "Unconditional Surrender Grant".

[@poiuyt975]

@@johnf7683 That's exactly what my joke was referring to.

[@abhinabamazumder3931]

1:57 Ah I see the Japanese have an accurate word for what I do at work all day.

[@oldesertguy9616]

Thank you for the laugh!

[@poiuyt975]

I'll have to remember not to send any email to you. :D

[@alanvonify]

😂

[@ristobenjie]

I have grown accustomed to the voice of Indy Neidell on Saturdays and Spartacus Olsen on Thursdays. As much as I knew about WW2, there was so much more to know. I'll stay connected to the Time Ghost Army. I am grateful.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Indy isn't going anywhere, we have a new series planned for Saturday's after the war. Thanks for being a member!

[@Echo2-2]

That dedication at the end is an incredible story!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks for watching!

[@StevenPrzybylski]

From me as well: thank you for watching.

[@rrice1705]

Not to break the timeline, but sitting here in 2024 and knowing what happens next week, the anticipation is palpable. Thank you much for giving more coverage to the situation in Europe. The war there might be over, but the story goes on.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Only a few weeks remain but still so much to cover, thanks for watching.

[@stefanebert7171]

Just wanna say `Thanks` for your effort you put in the last years. Best from Hamburg

[@WorldWarTwo]

And thanks for being with us!

[@pauldehart744]

I have been watching each of these series of WW1, between the wars, WW2 and now the Korean War and what I like about these is that you cover those little bits that are overlooked but are part of the of what has happened there. I have been reading about WW2 since I was a younger and I learn of something new here each time. You guys are doing a great job of recording of history.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you for the comment Paul!

[@waukivorycopse2402]

I think the words of Quint are quite prophetic in this week, judging by what is to come. Speaking personally while simultaneously speaking universally when he said " You know that's the time I was most frightened, waiting for my turn..."

[@theoldar]

As a history grad student at Penn State I had the privilege of studying under Sergei Utechin. He was a displaced person that was sent as a slave laborer from the Soviet Union to Kiel, Nazi Germany. He was, as he admitted, extremely lucky in that he avoided being repatriated. I will never forget the stories that this kind and thoughtful man related to us his students, in hopes that we would never forget.

[@ThomasSheehan-j1r]

lookin mor'n'more we did.my ma born'22,navy lt,'42,southpac til surrender,two oldest brothers,airborne,1st signed'67,101st,2nd in '69,82nd.i went ballistic missile subs '80.and we was all hippies it seems, in retrospect, including her.glad she missed seeing it gettin elected in nov,'16 by several months.

[@ThomasSheehan-j1r]

i was mi state,mech eng,wayne st,grad school.peace,tater

[@ThomasSheehan-j1r]

ma was army lt,nurse,always think'n navy cuz the pacific,sailors,marines,..her other 4 army sons prolly don't care fer the error.go navy.

[@mayaburak93]

My grandma's cousin narrowly avoided dying in the Holocaust by pretending to be Ukrainian and being sent to Germany for forced labour. After the war, she was repatriated and lived an ordinary life.

[@thomaswilson1312]

That's a wonderful story about Maria and her husband. Beautiful to see that something hopeful came out of the horror of the war.

[@StevenPrzybylski]

Thank you for watching and your kind words. As we said in the memorial: perseverance, kindness and blind luck work together to sometimes yield new and unexpected outcomes.

[@acefox1]

2:54 Answering the Potsdam Declaration with silence reminds me of the wise words of the song “Freewill” by the band Rush. “If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice.”

[@ceberskie119]

I can't help but take note of the painstaking detail going into the segments that refer to japanese-allied relations and the lead up to the upcoming atomic attacks...I lived in Japan for awhile and saw the museum at nagasaki. The revised history of these events on display was...appalling. thank you for thus thorough and unbiased analysis.

[@Accipiter1138]

Indeed, sometimes reading the Japanese descriptions of events in their museums can be....disconcerting. "Never again" is a very important note to strike, but unfortunately it's badly out of tune and often comes across more as, "look at what YOU did to US" and in doing it leaves out a great deal of important context that we need to truly appreciate and understand "never again."

[@NVRAMboi]

Great episode. The TimeGhost testimony/story/tribute demonstrates to me, once again, how our current "Western culture" has changed Post-WW2. When we look around in today's world, we see/hear/read what seems to be constant grumbling/complaining about most anything and everything - while those complaining do nothing to make the world better. Or (to me) worse yet, we can't be bothered to step back from ourselves and assess how historically fortunate we are overall. Today's TimeGhost Memorial Tribute is a remarkable compliment to that family's character and determination in spite of all of the rejection, violence and intolerance they experienced. All while escaping the Nazi (and Soviet) darkness and violence. Honorable and courageous human beings are everywhere among us. It's our duty to find and support one another. Thanks Indy.

[@StevenPrzybylski]

Thank you for watching and your kind words. I knew these stories and a child and young man but did not actually appreciate how brave and determined they were and how incredible their escape from Poland was until quite recently. The honourable and courageous among us often do not stand out.

[@r13hd22]

This just randomly popped up in my recommendations and I must say, KZbin actually did something I like. This was wonderfully written and...performed. Outstanding work, will be checking out more of your content shortly and hopefully I found another channel to add to my list.

[@WorldWarTwo]

We are glad that you like it, Sir! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@tobybartels8426]

This series is almost over, but there's 6 years' worth of it to catch up on, a new series on the Korean War, plus lots of other material on their other channels, so you have a lot to look forward to!

[@r13hd22]

@@WorldWarTwo I checked out 2 more episodes. Bravo, I cannot express how wonderful this is coming off. I subscribed and will be starting the series from Episode 1.

[@TheHeavenlyGoddess]

This can only end in more pain, knowing what comes, brilliant series.

[@davidgrandy4681]

I think that besides the Potsdam proclamation and the German unconditional surrender, the more important contributing fact that forced the German people to accept their loss of WWII was that Germany's cities were visibly destroyed. War damage was everywhere. No matter how any potential German revisionist wanted to paint it, the Germans were beaten. NO battles took place on German soil in WWI so "We were betrayed. We never lost the war." was an easy sell. The fact that Germans were on the verge of starvation, and their Armies were on the run in western Europe in the fall of 1918 was easily forgotten once their bellies were full once again, and as for their armies that "running" took place out of sight in other countries. But NO German could forget the ruined cities for many many years.

[@frankdehaven2572]

Indianapolis overview is excellent. Got the details right on this one.

[@Ravedave5]

Whoever is adding the extra line under the subtitles when theres a quote ln the screen is the GOAT.

[@mdhofstee]

Some fishing boat captain named Quint would go about trying to get rid of sharks after surviving the sinking of his ship Indianapolis.

[@desmondd1984]

Quint: Japanese submarine slammed two torpedoes into our side, Chief. We was comin' back from the island of Tinian to Leyte, just delivered the bomb. The Hiroshima bomb. Eleven hundred men went into the water. Vessel went down in twelve minutes. Didn't see the first shark for about a half an hour. Tiger. Thirteen-footer. You know how you know that when you're in the water, Chief? You tell by lookin' from the dorsal to the tail. What we didn't know... was our bomb mission had been so secret, no distress signal had been sent. Heh. [he pauses and takes a drink] They didn't even list us overdue for a week. Very first light, Chief, sharks come cruisin'. So we formed ourselves into tight groups. Y'know, it's... kinda like ol' squares in a battle like, uh, you see in a calendar, like the Battle of Waterloo, and the idea was, shark comes to the nearest man and that man, he'd start poundin' and hollerin' and screamin', and sometimes the shark'd go away... sometimes he wouldn't go away. Sometimes that shark, he looks right into ya. Right into your eyes. Y'know the thing about a shark, he's got... lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll's eyes. When he comes at ya, doesn't seem to be livin'... until he bites ya. And those black eyes roll over white, and then... oh, then you hear that terrible high-pitch screamin', the ocean turns red, and spite of all the poundin' and the hollerin', they all come in and they... rip you to pieces. [he pauses] Y'know, by the end of that first dawn... lost a hundred men. I dunno how many sharks. Maybe a thousand. I dunno how many men, they averaged six an hour. On Thursday mornin', Chief, I bumped into a friend of mine, Herbie Robinson from Cleveland- baseball player, boatswain's mate. I thought he was asleep, reached over to wake him up... bobbed up and down in the water just like a kinda top. Upended. Well... he'd been bitten in half below the waist. Noon the fifth day, Mr. Hooper, a Lockheed Ventura saw us, he swung in low and he saw us. Young pilot, a lot younger than Mr. Hooper. Anyway, he saw us and come in low and three hours later, a big fat PBY comes down and start to pick us up. Y'know, that was the time I was most frightened, waitin' for my turn. I'll never put on a life jacket again. So, eleven hundred men went into the water, three hundred sixteen men come out, and the sharks took the rest...

[@hansgruber788]

He'll never wear a lifejacket again

[@wanfu5634]

@@desmondd1984 Greatest movie monologue ever.

[@brucetucker4847]

Spoiler: he's gonna need a bigger boat.

[@57WillysCJ]

My mom's cousin was lost when the Indianapolis went down. My father spoke to another crew member who saw him climbing down the side with a bloody leg.

[@brucebryan4081]

My Dad's cousin was on her too. He survived.

[@charlesfaure1189]

Mokusatsu in all its variants is inescapably tinged with contempt. It was essentially a middle finger raised in response to the Potsdam declaration.

[@brucetucker4847]

More like folding your arms and turning your back on the other party. Still an insulting rejection, but a passive insult, not an active one. The main point, though, is that no matter what specific sort of rejection it's framed as, it was a rejection.

[@Ozuitz]

That dedication really got to me. The trials and tribulations of a person, and their triumphs. Thank you for another fantastic episode.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you for watching.

[@StevenPrzybylski]

@@WorldWarTwo Yes, thank you for watching.

[@SteamboatW]

The USS Indianapolis... That's what Quints monologue is about in Jaws.

[@paulabraham2550]

"You would not want to miss that". I think I would - indeed I am eternally grateful that I did!

[@zacharythomasfreeman]

It is sometimes surreal watching this show. I went to high school with Paul Tibbets' grandson, and my grandfather knew him from his time during WW2.

[@ashlati4616]

“Japanese submarine slammed two torpedoes into our side, Chief. We was comin’ back from the island of Tinian to Leyte. Just delivered the bomb. The Hiroshima bomb. Eleven hundred men went into the water. Vessel went down in 12 minutes. “Didn’t see the first shark for about a half an hour. Tiger. 13-footer. You know how you know that when you’re in the water, Chief? You can tell by lookin’ from the dorsal to the tail. What we didn’t know, was that our bomb mission was so secret, no distress signal had been sent. They didn’t even list us overdue for a week. Very first light, Chief, sharks come cruisin’, so we formed ourselves into tight groups. It was kinda like old squares in the battle, like you see on a calendar, like the Battle of Waterloo, and the idea was the shark comes to the nearest man, that man he starts poundin’, hollerin’ and screamin’ and sometimes that shark he go away… sometimes he wouldn’t go away. “Sometimes that shark he looks right into you. Right into your eyes. You know the thing about a shark is he’s got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll’s eyes. When he comes at ya, doesn’t seem to be livin’… until he bites ya, and those black eyes roll over white and then… ah then you hear that terrible high-pitched screamin’. The ocean turns red, in spite of all the poundin’ and the hollerin’ they all come in and… they rip you to pieces. “You know by the end of that first dawn, lost a hundred men. I don’t know how many sharks, maybe a thousand. I do know how many men, they averaged six an hour. On Thursday mornin’, Chief, I bumped into a friend of mine, Herbie Robinson from Cleveland. Baseball player. Boatswain's mate. I thought he was asleep. I reached over to wake him up. He bobbed up and down in the water, he was like a kinda top. Upended. Well, he’d been bitten in half below the waist. “Noon, the fifth day, Mr. Hooper, a Lockheed Ventura saw us, he swung in low and he saw us, a young pilot, lot younger than Mr. Hooper here, anyway he spotted us and three hours later a big ol’ fat PBY come down and started to pick us up. You know that was the time I was most frightened. Waitin’ for my turn. I’ll never put on a lifejacket again. So, eleven hundred men went into the water. 316 men come out, and the sharks took the rest, June the 29th, 1945. “Anyway, we delivered the bomb.”

[@jonbaxter2254]

Haunting speech.

[@robertjarman3703]

Well, you did call for Nikolai Bezarin's Fifth Shark Army back in January, I suppose they have arrived.

[@maciejkamil]

You might try to ignore reality - but reality will not ignore you.

[@Raskolnikov70]

Ayn Rand put it best - "You can choose to ignore reality, but you can not choose to ignore the consequences of ignoring reality."

[@residentgeardo]

Loved the memorial at the end! It shows that by perseverance and often just luck good things can emerge even from the most tragic of situations. Thank you!

[@StevenPrzybylski]

Thank you for the kind words. The escape and the subsequent successes were indeed equal the result of equal measures of perseverance, acts of kindness from strangers and blind luck

[@trescatorce9497]

any of the described translations is a masterpiece in tact and diplomacy. that being said, it's important to read the entire message, unless it was only that word.

[@tomy.1846]

Simply incredible special just aired during the Olympics called "In the company of heroes" on how France remembers and celebrates each D-Day. Look for this segment! Wonderful part on how our veterans have been going back and building relationships with the people in and around Normandy. Beautiful to see, and very well done! Hope others got to see it, I wanted to post about it here!

[@Socrates3001]

I do not think that I ever heard anything about Charles de Gaulle that did not give me the impression he thought the world revolved around him. This video was no exception.

[@knives4cash]

My grandpa gave me a book on the USS Indianapolis when I was a teenager. The vividly described horror remains burned in my brain to this day. Thanks for giving them a shout-out, Time Ghost!

[@elbeto191291]

Holy shit... I just realised this series is probably coming to an end really soon. And boy, what an end it will have. It's crazy to think you guys have pretty much released weekly episodes for six years, even with the COVID pandemic in between. There are no words to thank TG and everyone who worked on the project these last years.

[@Southsideindy]

'Pretty much'? Nay nay, we have released episodes 52 weeks of the year- and never a day late- for nearly six years.

[@gordybing1727]

@@Southsideindy "Done, Done, Done and Done", "The Years with Ross" by James Thurber, about the founding of the New Yorker Magazine, almost exactly 100 years ago.

[@captainnutsack8151]

I'm nervous for the series to be ending, even though we have Korea to watch. This weekly series has been a part of my life for almost 6 years now. It's part of my Saturday morning routine. It's like saying goodbye to a friend 😢 Indy and team, thank you for all the hard work. You guys are the best.

[@ChaptermasterPedroKantor-kv5yw]

I still think they should have continued into the Cold War. It's not like we had a day's worth of peace when Japan surrendered. Colonial wars of independence immediately erupted in Indonesia and Vietnam, India would partition into India and Pakistan and immediately go to war with each other the moment they became independence. We would even get to see Frank Messervy again with his floppy head as he was Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Army. Fighting against a fellow Brit commanding the Indian Army, while both were nominally still under command of Mountbatten as Governor General. Civil War in Greece, war in Palestine, lots of stuff happening. No need to go straight into Korea.

[@MrFetalposition]

After hearing Indy's Swedish pronunciation, I thought"Wow, pretty good!" Then I remembered that he lives there.

[@Icicle_Racing]

I thought he lived in Germany? But I could be wrong.

[@pocketmarcy6990]

@@Icicle_Racinghe lives in Stockholm

[@janfelchner1543]

I see that Indy is always trying to pronounce the non-English names correctly. For instance, in this episode, there is Polish surname pronounced correctly :-)

[@Icicle_Racing]

@@pocketmarcy6990 huh, I didn’t know that. He must travel a lot!

[@Sylvysprit]

@@janfelchner1543 Except for Dutch, he struggles /a lot/ with Dutch names

[@kruzthewolf]

I first learned about this sinking of the USS Indianapolis from a book titled Left For Dead by Pete Nelson. It details the harrowing experience of the survivors as well as one boy’s quest to clear Captain McVay’s name after he was wrongfully court-martialed. While Nimitz remitted his sentence, the shame of the incident (and subsequent court-martial) followed McVay and eventually drove him to take his own life. It’s a good read for anyone looking to learn more about the fate of the USS Indianapolis and her men.

[@robinwhitebeam4386]

I think a TV mini series should be made of the Przybylski family, thank you for sharing.

[@StevenPrzybylski]

Thank you for watching. Sharing my family's stories with the wider world has meant a lot to me. As Spartacus incessantly reminds us, never forget.

[@anthonygray333]

What a great tribute for this episode!

[@WorldWarTwo]

We are very grateful to Steven for trusting us to tell it.

[@StevenPrzybylski]

@@WorldWarTwo And I am equally grateful to Indy, Spartacus, Astrid, and the whole TimeGhost teams for providing me the place to share this incredible story with the world.

[@atariboy9084]

The very first I knew about the U.S.S Indianapolis was from the movie Jaws when I was 5 years old in the 70s and it was got me to learn more about WWII after that scene.

[@srenkoch6127]

'You will not want to miss that one' Actually you definitely want to be missed by that one and by at least 10 miles at that... 😞 I hope it will never be necessary to repeat lighting a second sun above a city Rest in peace all civilians killed in warfare, in WW2 and all other conflicts before and since; you most likely had no saying in the conflict and likely paid the highest price for other peoples mistakes and/or ego. Never forget!

[@maxsmodels]

My paternal grandfather was a German ashkenazi jew from Breslau but had immigrated to the USA in the 1920s. He went to Back to Germany in the mid-1930s (with my American grandmother and and my dad) to help get the rest of the family out as the Nutzi's rose to power. Those that refused to leave later disappeared in the camps. My dad's cousin Peter Frolich, (a Berliner) wrote a book about it called "My German Question". Peter narrowly made it to the United States in 1941, took American citizenship in 1946, and changed his name from Fröhlich (German for "happy") to Gay. He eventually became a professor at Yale and wrote many other books and became a foremost authority on Sigmund Freud. Breslau, as you mentioned is now Wroclaw Poland (pronounced Vroch-lav). I guess I'm both a Polish and German descendant?

[@criso6164]

Great memorial, what a moving story and how successful she became is a great testimony to the family and the trials they had been through.

[@WorldWarTwo]

A big thank you to Steven for sharing it with us and wanting to do the memorial with us.

[@TheLazyNecromancer]

In the movie "The Emperor in August", there's an incredible where dozens of Japanese officers are all tearing apart different English dictionaries , debating the precise implication of the phrase "subject to"

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

Nice introduction...about final weeks of WW2...thanks for sharing

[@WorldWarTwo]

And thanks for watching!

[@blueboats]

"wise and masterly" was excellent to retain consistency of the Japanese government policy of the preceding 5 years

[@TheHypnogog]

So...Indy, you found your rockstar niche. Such a great presentation.

[@huma474]

RIP Seaman Second Class Robert Avery Russell, the grand uncle I never got to know.

[@sailordude2094]

Thanks for all the great WW2 history, I really enjoy the latter war stages and seeing how things fell int place, you educate me greatly! This Japanese reaction feels like me. I dropped out this week, have not read an email all week, lol. I know people are trying to contact me too.

[@ives3572]

"I think that if the atomic bomb did nothing more, it scared the people to the point where they realized that either they must do something about preventing war or there is a chance that there might be a morning when we would not wake up." - Eleanor Roosevelt

[@briancarton1804]

I think man will ultimately destroy humanity and the whole world. Some mad f__cker will push the button and we will all be fried.

[@DouglaszillaAweome]

Wow, just wow. The word 'Mokusatsu' really has all it's phrases and meanings combined albeit slightly different words and the same definitions put together. I have to be honest though, It's one of those 'Make a Decision' scenes the choices are literally in front of us and then look at each other 'Do we make choice A or choice B?' and then say 'Nope. Let's go Choice C.'

[@NigelDeForrest-Pearce-cv6ek]

A Heartwarming Dedication!!!

[@StevenPrzybylski]

Thank you for watching and the kind words.

[@eduardovaldivia1064]

Read on if you want a spoiler!.. ..................................... ...................................... ,...................................... ....................................... Less than one month for the end of WW2!!!!!!! I've been following since 1940 and I have always looked forward to the next episode. I thank this channel for helping me understand ww2 much better than before and helping me question things when before I would just accept something without putting much thought into it.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Glad you learned something with us! We do have plenty more that we want to cover and have a new series planned for after the weekly. Until then though, thanks for watching and see you next week.

[@Blazcowitz1943]

What Indy had to say about the leaflets was pretty interesting, since as far as I know, reading them or being in possession of them was considered a crime that could result in fines or imprisonment. Beginning August 1, B29's begin dropping what were called the "Lemay Leaflets" (named after Curtis Lemay) which warn the Japanese of the impending destruction of their cities. The leaflets contained the following message: "Read this carefully as it may save your life or the life of a relative or a friend. In the next few days, some or all of the cities named on the reverse side will be destroyed by American bombs. These cities contain military installations and workshops or factories, which produce military goods. We are determined to destroy all of the tools of the military clique that they are using to prolong this useless war. Unfortunately, bombs have no eyes. So, in accordance with America's well-known humanitarian policies, the American Air Force, which does not wish to injure innocent people, now gives you warning to evacuate the cities named and save your lives. America is not fighting the Japanese people but is fighting the military clique, which has enslaved the Japanese people. The peace, which America will bring, will free the people from the oppression of the Japanese military clique and mean the emergence of a new and better Japan. You can restore peace by demanding new and better leaders who will end the War. We cannot promise that only these cities will be among those attacked, but some or all of them will be, so heed this warning and evacuate these cities immediately." You could argue at this point it is little more than a hollow gesture, disguising what is basically flaunting might with humanitarianism, but as Indy said, it is more warning than the Japanese government has been giving. Despite being the ones who are dropping the bombs, it seems like the Americans are trying harder to spare the Japanese people unnecessary suffering than their own leaders are.

[@p.strobus7569]

Mass death of civilians is rather the point of being a mass murdering dictatorship so of course the IJA wouldn’t have cared about civilian deaths. In fact, the Togo shogunate was trying to relive the sengoku era where the samurai fought for their daimyo and peasants and craftsmen were, along with merchants, barely tolerated.

[@nickhtk6285]

Thinking back to RAF Bomber Command and its plans to de-house the workers, ultimately affecting production, this certainly appears a valid and perhaps effective tool.

[@Blazcowitz1943]

@@p.strobus7569 Its even more insane when you consider that even after two bombs, there was an attempted coup to keep Japan fighting the war when the Emperor finally told his government to end the war.

[@TheAvalon81]

My grandfather (on my mother's side) was born in 1899 in a small village in West Prussia. He was a young soldier in the First World War and fought in Russia. At 19 he was expelled from his homeland. In 1919 a few politicians decided in a place called Versailles that the country that had belonged to his family for 200 years was now suddenly Polish. The time after that was quite difficult. After a few years, however, he found happiness in life again. He got a good job in a factory in Upper Silesia, got married and had 3 children and finally built a new small house. Everyone knows what then shattered the idyll in 1939. After a while he was also drafted into the Second World War and was probably deployed as a sergeant in the military police and sometimes as an instructor. He probably had a few medals too, but at some point they were no longer important to him. Fortunately, he lived to see the end of the war on the Italian front. He was wounded several times and lost several fingers and toes, but survived the war. Only to then discover that, due to new political decisions, he would lose his homeland for the second time. Schliesen also became Polish. He also lost contact with his family in the chaos after the war. It was only years later that he found out that at least the children had survived and were now living in Hamburg and Switzerland. But they never forgave him for marrying a woman 20 years younger than him after the war at the age of 50. She was a so-called "Trümmerfrau" and he met her as a refugee in Munich. Three more children followed. The youngest of them was my mother. In the end, you can say it's a damn sad story. I don't think anyone deserves to be driven out of their homeland twice, and yet, if it had been less sad, I probably wouldn't have existed. I never met him, cause he died at age of 77 before I was born. I wished i could have spoken to him only one time about his life. You can't help but think about how your own existence was hanging by many threads during all those years.....

[@Victim_of_Korean_drama]

That Treaty of Versailles was an interesting part of history indeed, i heard it once from Austrian when i was in Vienna. Thanks for sharing! 🇯🇵🇮🇩

[@TheAvalon81]

@@Victim_of_Korean_drama Hope you heard the whole story, some Austrians seems to have a strange dialect, they say ;)

[@bdills89]

The Indianapolis is the militarys biggest example of scape goating and negligence

[@Lematth88]

This week in French news. The 2nd , with the end of Postdam Conference, France is called for a reunion in London on the peace treaty with Italy, Romanian, Bulgaria, Hungary and Finland. The French government accepts and regrets to not having be part of the last Conference.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks for sharing!

[@akotada8443]

After reading Sarah Vladic's and Lynn Vincent's book about the USS Indianapolis disaster, I was waiting for this episode. Hearing about it always makes me tear up.

[@VictorZitacuaro-zv4dh]

Ive been to Tinian twice and seen the bomb pits twice. Crazy to see how close we are to the end.

[@Cleverphin]

A riveting episode that brilliantly unpacks the tragic consequences of the term "mokusatsu" and the harrowing story of the USS Indianapolis.

[@GeneralSmitty91]

In only a few days' time, the world will never be the same.

[@robertbloch1063]

World never is the same. This is no news either, already ancient wisdom says that "No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man." Heraclitus.

[@graceneilitz7661]

The first atomic bomb (the gadget) was already set off on July 16th. So, when people say that they visited Japan to see where the first atomic bomb was detonated, they are wrong.

[@kty1245]

It's said that Suzuki (and foreign minister Togo) wanted to mean "no comment" by saying Mokusatsu. But, the words such as "continue fighting til the end" definitely changed the impression.

[@Yuzral]

Although since the only thing the Allies wanted to hear out of Tokyo was "We surrender", it hardly matters.

[@francesconicoletti2547]

If Suzuki is saying nothing because there is nothing in the Allied Declaration about the Emperor perhaps he could have mentioned that to possibly the Russians or another neutral party rather then expecting the allies to read his mind.

[@KKKKKKK777js]

Ultimatums can by definition only be accepted or rejected. And Japan is clearly not accepting.

[@Conman1944]

My grandfather was a survivor of the Indianapolis, I remember him talking about it one time. He said they could hear the sharks thrashing the bodies around at the night. He refused to ever get in pools or baths, he would only take showers. Crazy what so many men went through!

[@jackmoorehead2036]

Today or yesterday 79 years ago my Dad flew the last of his 2 Combat Missions over Japan. He had done 52 over Europe in B 24s, the come back to the States and trained on B 29s. He and his Crew and bomber arrived on Tinian in mid July. They were assigned to a Squadron and never even had time to get their nose art done. He said the other units were rather skeptical of the "Snobs" in the 509th. They didn't associate with any of the other units. After 5 April, dad figured out why.

[@MsZeeZed]

Someone cannot maintain “masterly inactivity” to an ultimatum of destruction.

[@MsZeeZed]

What the Japanese are masterful at, is the wishful thinking that Russia and America won’t massively attack them that summer.

[@jjeherrera]

Great job! I liked the personal story at the end.

[@StevenPrzybylski]

Thank you for watching

[@petestorz172]

The part of Poland that Stalin bit off was basically what the Molotov-Ribbentrop gave Stalin.

[@Victim_of_Korean_drama]

Best history channel so far. I tend to avoid some of your works. Some of them are too much for me because of the horrible stories i heard in my childhood. Thank you so much. 🌄🔴

[@vcv6560]

Well I've never been one to predict the future, but I have the strange feeling this is going to end very badly.

[@Spiz103]

The US Navy would later scapegoat the Captain of the Indianapolis for the loss of the ship. Vitriol from the families of dead crew will later drive him to suicide.

[@naveenraj2008eee]

Hi Indy Interesting week, And more history information, Thanks.

[@DNAlope]

Wow Indy! Your "Przybylski" and "Przybylska" pronunciation was spot on!

[@ferdberffle]

I had a cousin who was on the Indianapolis when it was sunk. He was one of the survivors. When he thought about it, he would break down in tears.

[@hafidcristobal25]

Maria. Legend. Wow. What a wonderful ending to a great episode.

[@StevenPrzybylski]

Thank you for the your kind words.

[@sarah_757]

The failure to court martial the officers who systemically failed USS Indianapolis is infuriating and also exactly what I came to expect during my time (a little pre- and a little post-9/11). FTN.

[@bensouthwell1339]

Always a winner thank you.

[@KMac329]

My friend's father, Paul Burns, a U.S. Army officer, was on Tinian with his brother-in-law, Maj. Charles Sweeney, the pilot of Bock's Car (though his own plane was The Great Artiste), which dropped the bomb on Nagasaki. For some reason, according to my friend, a representative of Neville Chamberlain was there as well. They got drunk and Paul Burns and Chamberlain's rep got into a fight--verbal or physical I don't know. I met, by then, Gen. Sweeney a couple of times. Nagasaki wasn't his favorite mission. His favorite mission was leading the delivery of fighters from the States to Europe via Newfoundland, Greenland, Iceland, and finally Britain.

[@renegadeleader1]

Short of the bomb not going off or getting shot down everything that could go wrong on that mission did so I can't blame him for not remembering that mission fondly. They took off late, nearly missed the rendezvous with escorts and observation planes, the original target Kokura was obscured by clouds and smoke forcing a redirect to Nagasaki, a fuel pump broke, they missed the original aim point for the bomb, and ran out of fuel the moment the wheels touched down back at base. Not the easiest of runs by any means.

[@901Sherman]

13:30 I'm sure the Kwantung Army has absolutely nothing to worry about....

[@1987palerider]

"I'm giving you an all tomato. That means you give me the whole tomato, or else"

[@jamestoy4835]

Yes sir. I do not wish to miss that. The drama of War is overwhelming. Sadly, it may be on our horizon again.

[@theshadowoftruth7561]

I thought I read somewhere that the Indianapolis got off just one SOS which was received by two US Stations but the commanders of both stations ignored it wanting to receive a confirmation signal.

[@ronjohnson6916]

Ooh Indy claims the ability to see the future.