Japan's Pearl Harbor Offensive Against America's Merchant Marine, December 1941

[@danwiggins5580]

Sal, I really enjoyed this episode and it piques my curiosity to read more about the Merchant Marine aspects of WWII. Like most, I've read about the major battles and stories of the Pacific theater (USS Indianapolis, Hornfischer's books, etc.), but looking forward to expanding the scope. God bless the greatest generation.

[@leonardgordon1748]

Thank you for sharing this part of WW2 that gets overlooked in most history of that period. This country owes a lot to those brave merchant mariners who delivered all those supplies to the war effort.

[@nazmountaingirl]

Studying history has a clarifying effect on what's happening today; at least for me. Thank you

[@williamlloyd3769]

Remember learning about Japanese submarine shelling Goleta oil field, west of Santa Barbara during the early phases of WWII while on summer job in the area. Amazing to learn about these little known aspects of the war. Thank you for the video.

[@tomst9417]

Excellent presentation, Sal, of some of the less well known aspects of the initial Japanese attack on December 7,1941 and into the early months of the US WWII involvement. If I recall correctly, the US merchant marine suffered the highest rate of casulties of all the US services in WWII.

[@justinhaase8825]

Great grandfather and his father were merchant marines…but as a history buff this is an interesting look into the reality beyond my teaching of and visit to Pearl Harbor.

[@roberttagg67]

Great Sal, as expected, you are terrific on this WWII history stuff! Great to raise people's knowledge about the history of Matson in defending Hawaii and the Pacific during the war. I would love to hear your retelling of more of this forgotten story of the US Merchant Marine sailors (like my Father) during the war, and also the story of the rebuilding on the Pacific naval fleet, starting with the absolutely incredible efforts of salvaging and restoring many of the ships that were sunk and damage during the Perl Harbor attack.

[@davidgellatly1975]

During the first year of World War II the Japanese submarine fleet dramatically outperformed the US submarine fleet, especially when acting in a "fleet' function, i.e. attacking the US fleet, as opposed to merchant ships. In 1942, Japanese submarines sank two (of the six) US fleet carriers - the Yorktown and Wasp, and twice torpedoed the USS Saratoga, keeping it out of all four major carrier battles. They also torpedoed and sank the USS Juneau, an AA cruiser and several destroyers, as well as torpedoing the USS North Carolina and keeping it out of the later naval battles of Guadalcanal. During this same period, US submarines sank one major Japanese surface unit - the older IJN heavy cruiser KAKO which was sunk by an obsolete S boat, not one of the modern fleet boats. A major problem for US submarines, and destroyers, was the utter unreliability of US torpedoes during the first 15-18 months of the War. It it estimated that the reliability rate of all three types of US torpedoes (Marks 3, 14 and 15) was probably no more than 10%.

[@Jalu3]

An often underappreciated aspect of World War 2. A war which logistics played an overwhelming part towards allied victory, which the USMM did a big part of that heavy lifting!

[@jakerindosh9104]

This was a great video which I will watch many times to get everything I can out of it.

[@fizzys26]

Fantastic look into the historic importance of our merchant marines!

[@shooter575]

Great info on a subject that gets very little attention. I hope you do more historical vids on the Merchant Marine in the WW2. Thank you.

[@firerose7936]

Fascinating. Thank you.

[@frosty3693]

Excellent! Stories not normally heard, if at all.

[@1dartow]

Outstanding....

[@backyardflipper1208]

Very good video. Loved the history lesson

[@davegiannotti758]

Very Informative thank you for remembering

[@wgowshipping]

My pleasure

[@howardnielsen6220]

Thank You

[@delendaestcarthago564]

Another excellent video. You forgot the shelling that caused a Ferris wheel to roll into the Pacific…

[@wgowshipping]

1941 reference!!!

[@isaaccowan5316]

Well done, one question I have about this is the southern route to Australia (maybe the circle route to the south) and its lack of use nowadays by the merchant marine.

[@dickdaley9059]

The Japanese military richly earned their reputation for savagery and evil actions during the occupation of China. How widely known this fact was in 1941 just prior to the Pearl Harbor attack may not have been shared with the US maritime crews in the Pacific. In retrospect, intentionally grounding a merchant ship surrounded by the Japanese military was a very risky decision. Attempting to disable his ship and present safe escape for his crew, the Captain’s best intentions could very well have resulted in all meeting their death by Japanese warriors under orders of General Tojo to spare no lives of the enemy. Can you imagine the repercussions if the US population had discovered the brutal execution of innocent merchant seamen rather than being taken alive as prisoners of war? 🇺🇸⚓️

[@talbotlindstrom6452]

Remember that because of the picket ships in the Pacific as well as breaking the Japanese code, DC was warned 6 months in advance. "None Dare Call It Treason".

[@fag311061]

From the beginning till 1944, west coast convoys where organized by the Naval Districts. Westbound convoys to Hawaii and South Pacific where organized by the 12th ND at San Francisco and started there. Later on, the San Pedro section (mostly tankers, joined at sea). The Designation for this westbound convoys, was only a number, i.e. 2099. Have no 100% proof, but it seems, that the first digit stands for the ND and the next three numbers are ascending for each convoy. On the other side, eastbound convoy hav numbers like 4133. The 4 stands for the 14th ND (Hawaii) and the rest works the same way, like on the west coast. But to make confusion greater, there a sub-versions, of this and I still try to figure it out. In 1944 Convoy and shipping came under CinPac control. But overall, it was total different to the U.S.10th Fleet system, on the East Coast.

[@wgowshipping]

Frank, you are exactly correct on the numbering with the first one being the last digit of the naval district, and the next three the convoy number. These convoys between Hawaii and West Coast included a cruiser and destroyers due to the presence of auxiliary cruisers and fears of follow up raids. I am posting a video of my talk at a recent American Merchant Marine Vets conference on the first 6 months of the war.

[@youreckonso]

continuing animosity between China and Japan to this day. How did Japan an enemy of the USA then get to the point where they are a great ally today? Good story, thanks Sal!

[@frosty3693]

Yep, China and Japan have been fighting for a thousand years, or more. The US tries to make freinds and, arguably, not be a conquer unless to eliminate a threat, usually the governments not the people.

[@talbotlindstrom6452]

And where was Chief of Staff Marshall on 7 Dec, given the 6 months advance notice. Some folks have met him in Va.

[@johnbrossack3791]

Well done. Armies require 'bullets and beans' to be effective and those are supplied by the logistics folks, mostly the merchant marine. In more current times, one of the keys to success of the first Gulf War was the well coordinated logistics support of the operation. Again, relying on the merchant marine.

[@SupremeCannon1965]

In a total war, every part of the functioning of an economy and society is a target. Supply chains, those enormous conveyor belts we all rely on in war and peace, are as vital and necessary as the sharp pieces that do the actual fighting. And they require huge amounts of personnel and resources to build and maintain too. The American response was absolutely titanic. I don't know if anybody in the world expected it including America herself.

[@khr1705]

Sal! There's a lot of recent earthquake activity around Cascadia / west coast in general, up to Vancouver. It's already overdue for major outbreak, as pointed out by The Earth Master here on YT - kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2WriWeprMStbc0 If Cascadia and/or San Andreas fault breaks out that'd be devastating for all the ships and ports.. especially at this time and with all the supply chain issues going on already.

[@leb409]

All Good Americans should "thank" the US Merchant Marine" for the roll they played, in World War II , without the MM. we would not be enjoying the "freedom we now have" the US could have never " won the war without the support of the MM. And to make it worse the US Seamen was always treated like crap. I'm a retired Seaman 1952-`997.

[@geoffw3736]

Is our merchant shipping under attack right now?

[@johnlshilling1446]

I'm 65+. So, what I'm about to bring up happened in the late 60s or early 70s. 🤔 (fuzzy memory) One of my teachers told the class that Japan would have easily won the Pacific War if not for their "Honor" (A concept that hindsight tells me is pure fantasy, given the atrocities they committed against the civilian populations in -any- all of the lands they conquered) Supposedly, Japan's "Honor" didn't allow for them to attack civilian/ merchant shipping. Supposedly.., only war vessels were legitimate targets. "A Warrior only fought other Warriors" To a young man with little knowledge, or interest in anything other than girls and cars, I believed this assessment.., because.., "my teacher said so".... Is there anything that would lend any truth to this belief? It sounds more like Japan was simply incompetent in it's assessments of priorities, not giving much thought to the importance of the Merchant Marines, and underestimating the importance of shipping --- until it was too late. And! Thanks for your service. My father was a merchant marine before enlisting to fight in the Korean War (conflict) I chose the USAF, Vietnam.., so I've got a dog in the fight. I'm curious.

[@wgowshipping]

The focus for the IJN submarines was predominately warships. They followed the same doctrine as the US Navy, until the attack and then shifted to unrestricted submarine warfare. The Japanese did attack commercial shipping, but as part of a military plan to isolate an area or in support of the fleet. So for a few weeks after Pearl Harbor, the Japanese operated off the West Coast trying to catch ships heading between there and Hawaii.

[@kp6215]

What is the Patreon page would gladly support because 👍 college class for continuation of my 50 years of History self education after 4 years college in California state colleges. I always watch every video 💕

[@wgowshipping]

Thanks for that! www.patreon.com/wgowshipping