1942 Q & A show with Jon Parshall

[@steveperry3486]

Jon is simply the best! His presentations are so consistently outstanding! He brings great understanding as well as energy and humor to his discussions.

[@timbrown1481]

Jon, I never get tired of listening to talk about the entire war theater, both Allied and Axis. So many moving parts. Amazing repertoire of knowledge you draw from.

[@theodoresmith5272]

Hey woody, remember me? I brought up a lot of stuff John does about the British in the comment about Montgomery on the question last week. Any comment?

[@buonafortuna8928]

Brilliant, could have been a Christmas special. Jon always delivers but you did a fantastic job keeping an eye on the side bar, marshaling the questions, steering the conversation, asking your own questions , not to blow too much smoke ... Great job

[@WW2TV]

It was especially hard at the rate the questions came in. Plus I tried to connect themes and thoughts

[@buonafortuna8928]

@@WW2TV I can only imagine and the questions were so varied: Coastguard, Spitfires to Malta, Torch, Guadacanal failing. Great job

[@jimaltergott9326]

A great day in the history of "WW2TV"! Thoroughly enjoyed this! Jon Parshall is the E. F. Hutton of historians: when he speaks I listen! Totally look forward to his book and a return appearance for this subject on "WW2TV". Be seeing you

[@highdesertarizona]

Spambled eggs: Cut Spam into 1/4’’ cubes and lightly fry with some diced onions. Then scramble them in with well aireted eggs. Sprinkle some shredded cheese on near the end of cooking and enjoy.🍴

[@morganhale3434]

An excellent show and Jon, his shirt, any wallpaper didn’t let us down. Please more shows like this one in the future if at all possible.

[@TheBurr75]

It was very good...

[@garyaugust1953]

Wow, what a fantastic evening we just had. Jon is so knowledgeable, his delivery frank and refreshing. The total consequence of all events in this turmultuors year, with hindsight, will always be open to discussion and debate. I don't believe there are many out there that can rise to that expectation than Jon.

[@Canopus44]

Another great show. Always love it when Jon is on. Interesting fact: 2 of the Treasury Class Coast Guard cutters that Jon mentioned are still afloat and museums. USCGC Taney is in Baltimore (last ship afloat that was in Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941), and USCGC Ingham is in Key West, Florida. Been on the Taney, definitely worth a visit.

[@astraltraveler2725]

Jon Parshall is awesome!!

[@davidlavigne207]

As I have read "Shattered Sword" I am eager to read "1942 Crux of War" especially after this tremendous discussion. Thank you both Jon and Woody for the graciousness in handling the many questions put forth, as well as the numerous comments that must have ben a distraction at times from the sidebar. This has been a singularly successful episode of WW2TV. Thank you both once again from all of us, if I may humbly speak for many.

[@abrahamoyevaar2226]

As Salaam Jon and Woody. No joke this one was special, I feel like Elmer Fudd hunting rabbits; so many topics covered it makes one want to check out your past presentations Woody. Thanks again to Jon regarding this amazing presentation and kind words, and thank you so much for providing a platform of cerebral massage. Peace and blessings to you both and all members and subscribers .

[@dommy1971ify]

I can listen to Jon talk all day. Great show! Thanks.

[@jefsantamonica641]

Jon is just so good. Aarrrghhhh... I didn't know this was on with him at all. I wanted to ask about Station Hypo and the Redmond Bros. Thanks for this Paul!

[@michael_nelson]

Easily one of the best. Thanks Jon & Woody! We need a second show.

[@michaellovell2356]

Just purchased shattered sword. Looking forward to an interesting read. When 1942 comes out I'm anticipating that also

[@MsZeeZed]

It’s often glossed over, but in moving their steel production back to the Urals in a hurry, the Soviets wrecked or lost much of their high temperature gauges. The first steel they started casting for the reassembled factories to work with was made by guessing and was not great at all. Given the tank losses the Soviet’s suffered in 1941 its no surprise they needed to patch in their T-34 fleet with Lend-Lease Valentines and Matildas, as the numerous T-26 were sitting ducks to German guns if they weren’t moving, while the British tanks were good enough to survive within the fortifications built-up around Moscow.

[@dave3156]

Any program with Jon on is a must see!!! Missed you today on UHPW by the way. Need to find out how you made the change from IT to history sometime, since IT was my thing also. Great show!! Thanks Jon glad you had the correct shirt on today. Thanks Woody--outstanding!

[@73Trident]

Great episode Paul and Jon. You two made two hours of history seem very short and incredibly long at the very same moment. That is hard to do. I always learn something I didn't know and that's what makes this so great. Thanks guys.

[@billwang4181]

On morale cracking. I once asked my mother if people she knew every thought we could lose. Her answer was, "No." She worked for a newspaper, so was as well or better informed than most people. Whether this was American overconfidence or being sheltered from the worst news, I don't know.

[@robertoneill2502]

Really looked forward to this, Woody. You did a great job managing a wide-ranging discussion. And Jon's ease jumping between these wide-ranging questions is beyond brilliant.

[@matthewnewton8812]

As the great Richard Feynman used to say, the Manhattan project was really an engineering challenge, more than a physics challenge. The physics had already been mostly worked out before the project began, and Einstein could go to FDR and plausibly tell him that a bomb was indeed possible, and we’d better get to work on it. That being said, I don’t think you can argue that the ostracizing and exile of German Jewish physicists by the Nazis during the War wasn’t a huge detriment to all their science- nuclear and otherwise.

[@Dunshaggin]

I'm quite partial to John Parshall

[@theflaver]

Excellent programs! Thank you!

[@jeffreybaker4399]

Great conversation between two very knowledgeable men who speak the common language of the British and American people...Monty Python. Thank you.

[@patricknix5975]

Paul and Jon, great stuff. I have done something that I rarely do and that is to go back and re-listen to parts that are so interesting to me. Love it!

[@gordonbutler5142]

Great stuff! Jon is a phenomenal guest on any show!

[@tonyvart7068]

Probably one of the best shows ever on WW2TV......and that's saying something. Thanks to you both!!

[@jaydee3993]

A very informative and entertaining two hours. Thanks guys!!

[@timbrown1481]

Love the shirt Jon. You should develop a line of them. Enjoying your talks as always. Shattered Sword is a great book. I read it years ago. Rock on!

[@IRatherbeTrashthanADemocrat]

Remember Wake Island! Today (Dec 11 1941) was the first attempt by the Japanese to take Wake Island, but were fought off by the US Marines.

[@johanneduardschnorr3733]

Excretatious!! Love it!!!!

[@NetTopsey]

Great listening to you and Jon Parshall chat and answer questions. I had to watch the last 20 minutes as a recording. As I'm sure Jon knows, shovelling snowy driveways wait for no one!

[@blankcanvas7187]

MacArthur recognized his Medal of Honor for what it was. He never wore the medal or the ribbon.

[@iant2215]

Great show, well worth watching, quality WW2 discussion.

[@robertcushing635]

Jon wears the same wallpaper on this podcast too! Outstanding!!

[@LeonardCooperman]

Love this, thanks Paul!!

[@gw2058]

Great show, you were both excellent.

[@patrickwilliams6567]

Wonderful time to be a retired history buff. Great host, great guest and great questions from the faithful. Looking forward to Jon’s book.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Outstanding episode. 👊🏻

[@WW2TV]

Cheers JD

[@Nyllsor]

Thx for the tip JD :)

[@cameronsimpson-ld8nk]

Brilliant Woody and Jon. What a marathon presentation that was packed with great detail. So much to think about

[@patrickschellen737]

Thanks Jon & Woody, this was absolutely brilliant!

[@maxcaravan7584]

There is much in this presentation - I have to watch it again. Such knowledge!

[@colinellis5243]

Jon P and Woody on 1942........brilliant simply brilliant!

[@livingadreamlife1428]

Enjoyed the discussion!

[@KrisV385]

Woody thanks for this Jon is so good and you always nail the Q&A!

[@larrytestmi5976]

Woody and Jon, I am enjoying this beyond measure, Thank you. and Merry Christmas.

[@philmcraig]

The Anglo-French war of 41-42 (and of course July 1940 in North Africa) is on my long list of books to write. Excellent episode chaps! 😊🇬🇧🇺🇸

[@jacksprat9172]

A very rapid two hours, excellent as always. Thank you both and a lot of great questions.

[@PaulScott_]

Missed a few minutes of it but thoroughly enjoyable and very very informative! Glad you "broke your duck" lol with this one Paul and plan it again with other guests!

[@WW2TV]

Ha ha

[@rwspop]

Absolutely brilliant! Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[@scottjohnson136]

Well done!

[@sparkey6746]

Great presentation, thank you.

[@TheBurr75]

2hrs of Jon and woody yes please...

[@JohnGrist-ec1zv]

I’m glad that Admiral Fletcher is beginning to get some respect. And Jocko Clark was a big time self promoter who tended to ignore the strategic view and narrowly focus on the tactical aspects of carrier warfare.

[@exharkhun5605]

This was unbelievably fantastic, thank you both so much! ❤ I know you get tons of questions about inviting guests, but seeing how Jon reacted to seeing Sal Mercogliano in the chat... Jon and Sal together would be kinda nice wouldn't you think? 😁

[@WW2TV]

They would indeed be good together

[@martinjohnson5498]

35:25 Cannot cite a source but I have read that some years after the war, Khrushchev said that the USSR would have gone down in late 1942 or early 1943, but for Lend Lease Spam.

[@nickdanger3802]

Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev wrote in his autobiography, “Without Spam, we wouldn’t have been able to feed our army.”

[@johnlucas8479]

A very interesting Q&A discussion, well done Jon and Woody

[@ethanstewart2327]

Great episode

[@MegaBloggs1]

I agree Macarthur was useless in 42 luzon(more hard fighting in Malaya(a much distorted in terms of understanding campaign)) and in 42 in new guinea

[@kennethdeanmiller7324]

Yeah, I like & appreciate what was said about the war in Africa. Cuz I had never really thought very highly of Monty's role in the war.

[@timbrown1481]

@ 43:48 “Tracks of Land”😂😂😂. Subtle words to Monty Python fans!!

[@MaroNavy]

Great episode!!

[@crobert79]

Great show!

[@philmcraig]

Our old friend Col Bonner Fellers deserves a (dishonourable?) mention in a 42 show!?

[@nickdanger3802]

British Security Failures The Venlo incident A covert operation carried out by the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) on 9 November 1939, which resulted in the capture of two British Secret Intelligence Service agents five metres (16 ft) from the German border, on the outskirts of the Dutch city of Venlo. B-Dienst When war came in 1939, B-Dienst specialists had broken enough British naval codes that the Germans knew the positions of all British warships. In 1940 fleet carrier HMS Glorious was sunk by battleship despite warnings from Bletchley Park. B-Dienst could regularly read the Broadcast to Allied Merchant Ships (BAMS) code, which proved valuable for U-boat warfare in the early phases of the Battle of the Atlantic. In February 1942, B-Dienst broke the code used for communication with many of the Atlantic convoys. SS Automedon German auxiliary cruiser Atlantis captured and scuttled Automedon in 1940 in the Indian Ocean. She was carrying 16 bags of top-secret documents addressed to the British Far East Command which were given to Japan. HMS Graph A German Type VIIC U-boat the Royal Navy captured in August 1941. Her capture was reported by the British press. In February 1942 the Kreigsmarine changed to the four-rotor enigma blinding Britain to most traffic for the rest of the year. Inability to read German traffic contributed to the disaster of convoy PQ17. Elyesa Bazna In 1943, Bazna was hired as a valet by Hughe Knatchbull-Hugessen, the British ambassador in Ankara, Turkey. He photographed British documents in Knatchbull-Hugessen's possession, and sold them to the Germans through their attaché Ludwig Carl Moyzisch in what became known as the Cicero affair. Englandspiel (England Game) A successful counterintelligence operation of the Abwehr from 1942 to 1944. German forces captured resistance agents operating in the Netherlands and used the agents to dupe the Special Operations Executive (SOE), into continuing to infiltrate agents, weapons and funds into the Netherlands despite the captured agents leaving security checks out of every message they sent. William Forbes-Sempill, 19th Lord Sempill It was not until the release of intelligence records by the Public Record Office in 1998 and 2002 that Sempill's activities as a spy for Japan became common knowledge.

[@kemarisite]

41:36 "Fermi and his crew", and Chicago Pile-1. As a health physicist, I immediately recognized when Jon was getting into. However, it was fission rather than fusion (which still hasnt been sustained).

[@jonparshall]

I totally mouth-punted that, lol. Yeah, I noticed that afterwards and was like, "Hurpty Durp!"

[@kemarisite]

@jonparshall still, it's great to listen to you in just about any context. Looking forward to the 1942 book. I've been enthralled with that year in the Pacific just because it's still on a small enough and close enough scale to be grasped.

[@TheBrad574]

40:37 The exception is US 30th ID. After Normandy, they didn't want more medium and heavy bomber close support in their area.

[@MegaBloggs1]

Auckinleck had already started much of the changes in the 8th army

[@timbrown1481]

“Buzz Killington”😂

[@billyshakespeare17]

Outstanding show. Was it feasible to invade Northern Europe in 42 as Marshall desired? Seems foolhardy.

[@WW2TV]

In a word - NO. Certainly I don't believe it was possible. Now, maybe 1943 was possible

[@billyshakespeare17]

@@WW2TV We are on the same page. I realize historians are not fond of "What Ifs'. BUT, what if Marshall had tried to invade in 42? I suggest it would have been Dieppe 2.0, times 1000.

[@WW2TV]

Agreed

[@PMMagro]

Interesting!

[@markcharlebois7129]

When did the Soviets try to reach out for a seperate peace in 1943?

[@WW2TV]

Not sure, will have to look that up

[@MsZeeZed]

Coastal Command didn’t help themselves much by pulling their contribution to Operation Millennium (May 1942), leaving Harris to scrabble around for half-trained crews to make his 1,000 headline. In reality Bomber Command would have got by with 700 bombers for really big raids as they did later on, but he needed that memorable headline, as he’d been brought in to fix a disaster and only just worked up the Lancaster, with his specific requirements, into service. You’re right to say he was looking for a headline to win a debate, but Millennium scared the hell out Joseph Goebbels as well and his diaries tell you exactly how concerned Nazi command was that the Ruhr campaign might break Germany industry. What Coastal Command got in return for their ‘help’ was the 1942 USAAF B-17 raids on the French Ports with German Submarine Pens that have rightly been described as bloody useless. These Pens were too well fortified and it took Barnes-Wallis’ Tall Boys bombs much later in the war to penetrate them.

[@stephenyoung3721]

Jon did you actually use Red Green to describe coalition warfare? If women can’t find you handsome at least they can find you handy.

[@axz1001]

What was the effect of Balao class bilge pumps on 1942?

[@Michaelcaba]

Different day, same shirt!

[@mikebanaszak8635]

Brilliant! Why not focus Pacific efforts on supplying China? With a 4M man Chinese army, what if they had shermans / trucks / artillery / food. The threat of being occupied by Chinese would have been a visceral fear in Japan. In 1942 we were limited but in a position to do whatever we wanted on small islands leading to China.

[@timbrown1481]

@ 1:04:10 Knuckle buster or duster? Did I hear that right? What does that mean?

[@WW2TV]

Knuckle duster? I thought that was a universal expression. Brass knuckles?

[@timbrown1481]

@ not familiar with that. Woody, thanks for the info.

[@lisakurkowski9131]

❤

[@therectorkid9708]

The M-3's on Luzon had no HE shells

[@dermotrooney9584]

Dudes, 45 is where it's at. 😊

[@coachhannah2403]

Torch was the Allied's Poland.

[@MegaBloggs1]

great morning from oz great discusion i learnt a few things but disagree about the eto bombing campaign-8th airforce stopped by luftwaffe after 2nd scheinfurt-120 bombers lost-there is now discussion about longer range thunderbolts being avaliable.I reckon the campaign by bomber command was hurting the nazis in 43

[@WW2TV]

But we were talking 42 not 43. But beyond that it's fine to not agree on everything, that would be boring

[@nickdanger3802]

"it is now known that on the day after the American attack of the 14th October, Göring summoned a meeting. the gross Reichmarschall appeared to be shaken and doubtless under the influence of the first reports of damage then streaming in, issued immediate orders that he plans for dispersal of the ball-bearing industry, drawn up months before but never put into effect, should be carried out immediately. All stocks of bearings were to be pooled and a Doctor Kessler, in his capacity as special commissioner, was given plenary powers to control the industry. manufacturers making use of ball-bearings were urged to do without them wherever possible. They responded with true German efficiency and those making airframes duly succeeded in removing four fifths of the bearings from their product. The pooling of the resources and the energetic action of Kessler prevented any critical shortage in the German aircraft industry and therefore to a great extent undid the effect of the American attack." page 26 Royal Air Force 1939-1945 Vol III

[@nickdanger3802]

"As the Luftwaffe encountered more Allied heavy bomber raids, it became apparent that great increases in defensive fighter firepower were needed, especially against the even more heavily armed American bombers. This dynamic led to the development of ever more heavily armed sub-types of fighters, including some Focke-Wulf 190s with six 20 mm cannon, the most ever mounted in a German single-engine fighter (Dill 2015, 50-4). This sub-type entered service concurrently with the most powerful weapon used by German fighters during the war, the 210 mm rocket mortar, which was used in significant numbers from July 1943 onwards both on the Western Front and in the Mediterranean, but not in the East (Forsyth 2016b, 53-7). The ultimate result of these developments, focused on the needs of defence against strategic bombing, was that the aircraft types retained on the Eastern front were ever more poorly armed in comparison to those in the West. Just 15% of Luftwaffe aircraft guns were allocated to the East by January 1944 (Table 4), a much lower proportion that the 34% of combat aircraft allocated to this theatre (Table 2). While the desperate German attempts to develop technology to confront Allied pressure have been noted in the literature (van Creveld 2011, 116-7), as has the German tendency to use older aircraft in the East (O’Brien 2015: 65, 291). What has not been sufficiently emphasised is that these aircraft possessed considerably less firepower, on average, as demonstrated here." page 15 How were German air force resources distributed between different fronts in the years 1941 to 1943 and what are the implications of this case study for understanding the political economy of the period? Author: Dan Zamansky

[@nickdanger3802]

UK/US Bomber Offensive and Pointblank Directive Issued jointly by Churchill and FDR in June 1943, the directive tasked RAF Bomber Command and 8th AF (and later 15th AF Italy) with reducing the Luftwaffe to the point it would not be a significant factor for Overlord. "Redrafted by the Air Ministry, the directive tasked the 8th US Army Air Force with attacking the aviation industry; RAF Bomber Command would work towards 'the general disorganisation of German industry', as before." BBC Berlin Air Offensive 18 November 1943 to 24 March 1944

[@MegaBloggs1]

If the artic convoys are critical in 42(and i agree)why didnt the nazis bomb the railway from murmansk effective

[@aegirkarl1411]

Spitfires at Singapore?

[@WW2TV]

We talked about Spitfires at Malta, as that was a possibility, but they could never have got them to Singapore in time. That was months earlier

[@aegirkarl1411]

Singapore was indeed a speculative question awakened by your critical attitude to how late Malta received Spitfires. The critical point might be, when did the British airforce deem the Germans bogged down enough in the Soviet Union to reallocate their best fighters to other fronts and the time it took to implement such a decision? With more and better air-cover Prince of Wales, Repulse and Singapore might have been saved for the time being. This Q and A was not only informative but also thought provoking.

[@pitthistoryguy1301]

Thanks for your 👎 on "God" (as I have cynically called MacArthur since youth), who is buried in his museum and former City Hall in Norfolk, Virginia, a 10 minute drive from my childhood home.

[@MegaBloggs1]

Fletcher better than mischer AND SPRAUNCE.He got Coral sea RIGHT-even the decision to remove the carriers from Guadalcanal on day 2 was correct in retrospect

[@perryke1648]

Did the a Japanese know about the the US’ two ocean navy legislation?

[@gordonbickel7182]

JAPANESE wanted the Air craft carrier at Peal Harbor more then the Battle ships. The carrier was out resupply the outer ring of defense. A Strom and refueling slow the task Force down . If not the carrier would of been on the bottom of the harbor.not the Battle ships.

[@logicsconscience]

Fission pile, not fusion pile. Sorry Jon.

[@WW2TV]

One verbal slip up in 2 hours, how shocking

[@logicsconscience]

@WW2TV Hi Paul, That's why I said sorry at the end of my comment. I understand we all make little slips and I enjoy Jon's analysis very much. But we all need to be big enough to accept a minor correction for accuracy. Cheers, Ricardo from Australia

[@MegaBloggs1]

How important were the priests at 2nd alamein.Grant not good in desert-way too high-great in burma

[@logicsconscience]

MacArthur was incompetent in ww2. Failing to protect the planes on the Philippines after being instructed was unconscionable. His deriding the Australians on Papua New Guinea was also a disgrace. Australians won the first land battle in the Pacific at Milne Bay. The Australians also won the third land battle on the Kokoda Track (Trail). MacArthur rubbished the troops for looking dirty. He had no concept of what they had been through.

[@MegaBloggs1]

Monty NO Auckinleck battle at alamein much more important-suez weird-not being used except for perpertuating the myth of a two ocean RN in 40-42

[@frederickwiddowson]

I'm just amazed. I've learned so much I had no idea of in this presentation. You guys are great!

[@mikael5938]

why not talk eastern front? geemany had 2 divs in nortafrica and 130 in east

[@WW2TV]

We did talk about the Eastern Front