Island Infernos - The US Army in the Pacific in WW2

[@WW2TV]

My friend John is always super to talk to. If you have enjoyed this show, please don't forget to click like, leave a comment for other viewers and if you have not done so already please SUSBSCRIBE so you don't miss our next streams. You can also become a member of this channel and support me financially here kzbin.info/door/UC1nmJGHmiKtlkpA6SJMeA. Links to any books discussed, WW2TV merchandise, our social media pages and other WW2TV shows to watch can all be found in the full KZbin description. Lastly, my own book Angels of Mercy is always available online - more info here www.ddayhistorian.com/angels-of-mercy.html

[@nonamesplease6288]

My great uncle was a catholic US Army chaplain. He was killed by artillery fire on Okinawa while tending to his men and giving the Last Rites to the wounded. He was a popular shepherd and officer to the men he served, and a small park in New York City is named after him. Your book is a testament to US Army men like Father Lynch and the critical role they played and the sacrifices they made in the Pacific.

[@WW2TV]

I will pass that on to John McManus - thank you

[@michaelcullen6375]

God bless him. God bless all the chaplains.

[@marklazaroff7213]

i have especially enjoyed these videos on the US Army in the Pacific. My uncle and Godfather was a SGT in the 186th IR, 41st ID. He suffered from Malaria and was wounded on Biak. He was overseas a long time. He only talked about his war experience in the last 5 years of his life. These videos help me to better understand his service.

[@WW2TV]

Thank you Mark

[@saenole66]

Great presentation on the Army’s role in the Pacific War.

[@JohnGodden-j1m]

It’s interesting to note that Australian contributions to the war effort were often fleetingly made, however from a population of about 7 million at the time, 733,000 signed up, 400,000 served overseas. At the end of the war Australia had one of the largest standing armies amongst allied nations. The Australians were I believe intentionally sidelined towards the end of the Pacific war because of McArthur’s quest for self glory. He had almost certainly, by the nature of his megalomaniac personality left Australia with a great deal of noses out of joint. Australians dislike tall poppies. MacArthur was the tallest. and they should have been given the choice to participate in the final victories - given that they played such a strong role in earlier battles

[@scottgrimwood8868]

John McManus gives an excellent presentation on the US Army in the Pacific in World War 2.

[@CliftonHicksbanjo]

Am 100% buying the third book.

[@Chiller01]

I was in Vietnam for 1 yr mostly 1969 and I can relate to getting sliced up by elephant grass and wounds getting infected or infested. Im thinking New Guinea was way worse. We could get casualties evacuated and to high quality medical care and we were always well supplied but I swear we ate C-rats made for WW2.

[@RandallFlaggNY]

Were ham and mothers your favorite, Chiller?

[@loreleikomm5802]

a thought provoking and fascinating show. Prof McManus is an excellent teacher; I could listen to him and Paul discuss ww2 history all day, every day. Don't miss this smashing good show about the overall Allied strategy in the Pacific Theatre, with a lot of "what if's" added in.

[@georgewnewman3201]

Another great show, Woody. Thanks to you and John for putting the US Army's involvement in the Pacific Theatre of Operation in the spotlight.

[@joeblow9657]

This was an excellent live stream!!

[@philbosworth3789]

Another great presentation by John. The mutual respect between Dr John and Woody enables a whole further level of education for us viewers here on WW2TV. Now I just have to find the 2 episodes from John I haven't watched. Woody, you'll need a whole playlist just for Dr John (and a few other regulars). LOL

[@WW2TV]

I think this is John's 5th show, maybe 6th

[@CliftonHicksbanjo]

My grandfather led a black U.S. Army engineer battalion at Luzon in '45. Always interested to learn more PTO Army history.

[@joeokabayashi8669]

Excellent discussion. These videos are so much better when both participants have good mic systems and their voices are clear and understandable.

[@tbbb2]

Impossible to have John on too much!

[@WW2TV]

Yep, he's always brilliant

[@tylerrose4416]

I am late to this video, but if you have not had the privilege to read or listen to this book. Oh man, this book was absolutely fantastic. Currently on island infernos, and I’m still captivated

[@WW2TV]

Thanks for the nice comment Tyler, and if you haven't already, please make sure you subscribe to WW2TV and perhaps consider becoming a member? kzbin.info/door/UC1nmJGHmiKtlkpA6SJMeAjoin

[@longlat39]

I'm a Vietnam vet, and my ex father in law was a veteran of the New Guinea campaign. I think we had a closer relationship than I had with the ex wife. He told me about coming down with malaria and how his litter was strapped to the underside of the wing of a Piper Cub, and being flown to a field hospital.

[@bigtoe333333]

What an amazing historian John is. And also he is very balanced, and sensitive to the issues of the other allies such as Australia

[@johndeboyace7943]

Having been in Vietnam, I would have like to have been left out. Australians fought in the Dutch East Indies and Bougainville, the country is 1/10th size of the US. The glory is going to the generals and not the individual soldier. There is no glory in death. Finally some respect for the US Army in the Pacific.

[@nuance2317]

Excellent presentation. Appreciate the depth, appreciate hearing about other participants, appreciate the social nuance.

[@Piper44LMF]

Another Great Presentation Paul, Love John's work especially in regards to the Army's role in the PTO

[@MilBard]

Professor McManus did a great stream, kudos. Regards the use of armor in the Pacific which the side bar asked about. The best book on US Army tank battalions in the Pacific that I have found is the following: "Rolling Thunder against the Rising Sun: The Combat History of U.S. Army Tank Battalions in the Pacific in WWII" by Gene Eric Salecker. The story of USMC tanks in WW2 is well told in Kenneth Estes "MARINES UNDER ARMOR: The Marine corps and the Armored Fighting Vehicle, 1916 - 2000." The British Armor story in the CBI is well covered by Bryan Perrett's "TANK TRACKS TO RANGOON: The Story of British Armour in Burma."

[@wcm8909]

Really enjoy John McManus’s books especially Grunts

[@jerrywestington]

My great grandfather was a major in the army in the pacific theatre and as much as I was curious he wanted no part in engaging in war discussion. Wish I knew some more of his history

[@brianschwarz]

Excellent show. Thank you.

[@WW2TV]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@candisully8209]

OUTSTANDING ,GREAT information..WELL DONE

[@WW2TV]

Thank you kindly!

[@misterbaker9728]

Went back to watch this today. Reading the book now. Wow very well done. Please take time and read it. I didn’t know a lot of this.

[@michaelhorning6014]

Speaking as an Army infantry veteran, the chapters on Holland Smith and Rupertus had me boiling with rage. Both men were lucky that dueling was out of fashion.

[@FJAdventurez]

Fantastic show, Paul!

[@WW2TV]

Many thanks!

[@CFarnwide]

Interesting bit about the use of armored Task Groups. Thanks for that!

[@WW2TV]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jonrettich4579]

In 1968 the Japanese released THE EMPEROR AND A GENERAL a basically historically accurate movie dealing with the reactionaries efforts to stop the surrender after the atomic bombs. It shows how important the bombs were in the decision to surrender. Not only would the Soviet Union have seized more but fairly recent finding or translating of Japanese documents disclosed the expectation and willingness of some in power to sacrifice millions of their own people. It is horrifying to be aware how very few it takes to create historical nightmares and how frequently helpless we are to stop them. As ever thank you and your chosen expert for these presentations

[@kevinhymel7236]

John McManus always dresses up for interviews.

[@alanbattenburg3578]

When the marines had to fight during tet in Hue City, in 68 they faced hot weather urban warfare, this was the first time the Marines had been forced to do urban warfare. They used different techniques from Manila because with antitank weapons they could go through walls. They used the same techniques in Fallujah. Urban warfare was not something that either the US Army, Royal Army , Indian Army or the Marines had invested any doctrinal time prior to WW2.

[@Retarmyaviator]

Enjoyed his books, my great uncle served in the 105th Inf Regt. The one thing but bugs me about his books is that the author repeatedly claims the Japanese used smokeless powder and the US did not. The US military switched to smokeless powder in 1892 with the adoption of the Krag rifle. I believe he confuses this aspect with the low flash of 6.5 caliber Japanese weapons compared to the 30 cal weapons used by the US. (ref: Tactical and Technical Trends, No. 47 June 1, 1944)

[@dave3156]

Excellent program on the Pacific. I find that I lost a great deal of respect for MacArthur after his handling of the invasion of the Philippines in 1941. I was surprised to find out we actually out numbered the Japanese invasion force. Anyway, superb stuff that I always find on your channel. Thx

[@theoraclerules5056]

The gargantuan US & Allied logistics operational development in the Pacific & Asian Campaigns of WW2 were reminiscent, directly-consequential & have continuing reverberations of the similar processes that the British Imperial Armies underwent, particularly on the Western Front during WW1! Although, unlike vast distances involved of the US Naval, Army, Marines & Aviation Forces’s, particularly in the Pacific Theatre during WW2, in WW1 however, despite they were then much closer to the main British & to a much lesser extent, French industrial bases, yet also paradoxically, much further from the US & Canadian war-provisioning factories & supplies operations, so in that regard it probably made things somewhat easier to operate & develop, but, nevertheless that must be accurately counterbalanced by the fact that in WW1 in NW Europe (While at the same time including the twin initial & constant Imperial German U-Boat & High Seas Fleet’s threats in the Atlantic, notwithstanding!!), this was also then being performed effectively from scratch for the very first time in recorded history, by discovering through ‘hands-on,’ risk-laden & highly-dangerous trial & error processes, its actual involvement in terms of practical requirements, procedures, materials & machinery necessary, to keep effectively supplying, equipping & provisioning the ever-growing, mass-citizen army(ies) of the then new Industrial Age & their ongoing effects & consequences right up to the present day & still ongoing into the future to date!! See also the link below to Rob Thompson’s previous interesting & illuminating talk or lecture online, on starting up modern-logistics in military operations in WW1 on the “Western Front Association’s Podcast” at kzbin.info/www/bejne/i4qTeX-IestoqMU

[@susanyu6507]

Another great show! I found it interesting John thought that American and Japan might have been able to avoid a war. I wonder what he thought would have happened to China? The rest of Asia? Thanks again.

[@misterbaker9728]

My biggest takeaway is only what if? Could we have sparred China the communists? I think so. Ignore MacArthur go through Formosa and China to get to Japan. Just a thought

[@johngodden4363]

Looking at the reality of the strategic importance of Rabaul and the massive safe harbour of Manus island it is indeed incredulous that even today both the US & Australia haven’t jointly developed decent port facilities there, given that a hundred ships can stop there. Even today China is eyeing off such strategic assets.

[@Doc_Tar]

Knowing what Japan did in China during the war and the slaughtering of Westerners at every chance they had, I have a difficult time with sympathy with Japanese soldiers of WWII. They were brutes and killers and their whole society paid the price for the numerous atrocities they so willingly committed.

[@bookaufman9643]

Sometimes there was just an overload of intelligence. Some of it good some of it not so good but quite often the amount made it hard for people to sort through and find the most beneficial points. Not knowing that the landing vehicles couldn't clear the barrier reef around Tarawa was a huge intelligence fail. The worst part about it was that the information was there but it was lost in the shuffle. A lot of Marines had to die because of that oversight. I had to edit this comment because I accidentally said Rabaul. That was a failure of my own intelligence.

[@scottkrater2131]

The US Navy had better PR people than the Army. Most of the best known photos are of Navy or Marine battles. Even in Pacific, the episode starts with the Marines relieving Army units. And doesn't show the easy time, comparatively speaking the Marines had at the beginning of the battle. The Army couldn't compete with the Flag raising, and the Tarawa movie with endless pictures of jungle fighting.

[@Lance2023]

The difference between Marine and light Infantry tactics as opposed to Army Infantry is rather accurately depicted in the movies Full Metal Jacket and Platoon.

[@JohnGodden-j1m]

Interesting that no US warships have been named after General Douglas McArthur. It seems Americans recognise he was a flawed character

[@redaug4212]

Is it usually conventional for the US Navy to name their ships after Army Generals?

[@longlat39]

Has any historian written about MacArthur's occupation of Japan? I'm curious about his qualities as a civil administrator as compared to his military leadership.

[@WW2TV]

I'm not sure to be honest

[@scottkrater2131]

Mark Felton has some interesting stuff on the occupation of Japan. In my opinion, MacArthur ran Japan like his personal fiefdom and was responsible for allowing Japanese war criminals go unpunished.

[@kirbyculp3449]

I believe that the book is Amercan Ceaser.

[@longlat39]

Thanks ! Xir@@kirbyculp3449

[@meostafford]

Stop interrupting, dang.

[@WW2TV]

Me?

[@MegaBloggs1]

hindsights a wonderful thing but peleliu just doesnt make sense-its in the middle of nowhere-iwo and saipan are obvious targets-these should have been speeded up-balikpapan was pointless aswell

[@briancooper2112]

Japan never paid a full price for what it did.

[@patmcdonald766]

My point on BONG is he knew about jets, but his fellow ARMY Air Pilots DID NOT know about jets. 1945. May GERMANY gave up, and AUGUST 8th Hiroshima. The few TOP Americans knew HH Arnold did and not the rest. TOO Secret. The lead up to build JETS was going to be years not days.

[@patmcdonald766]

who is the white guy wanting money for harris?

[@WW2TV]

What?