Warspite
Full Member
Sky of blue/And sea of green
Posts: 230
|
Post by Warspite on Apr 2, 2021 6:34:43 GMT -6
|
|
|
|
Post by oldpop2000 on Apr 2, 2021 7:22:19 GMT -6
I think this belongs in the general history area, mate. Interesting piece though. |
|
Warspite
Full Member
Sky of blue/And sea of green
Posts: 230
|
Post by Warspite on Apr 2, 2021 16:11:42 GMT -6
I genuinely didn't know this forum even existed.
|
|
Warspite
Full Member
Sky of blue/And sea of green
Posts: 230
|
Post by Warspite on Apr 3, 2021 0:16:42 GMT -6
And havin' had a look around it's sure good to see oldpop is a stalwart here.
|
|
|
|
Post by oldpop2000 on Apr 3, 2021 7:25:24 GMT -6
And havin' had a look around it's sure good to see oldpop is a stalwart here. Thanks for the complement. I am retired and have all day to catch things like this. Just trying to help the team in a little way. The action in Samar also cost the US the Hoel along with the Gambier Bay. Both tin cans protected and sacrificed themselves to save the Jeep carriers and protect the landing areas. They surprised the Japanese completely. The movement of Kurita's force off of Samar was designed to attack and destroy the transports to interrupt and stop the invasion. But the transports were almost empty by the time he would have arrived and the surface force protecting those ships were old ships. His mission was a suicide mission and it was going to be almost worthless. He could not stop the invasion now, and the US carrier forces were headed in behind him so he would have probably been destroyed anyway. Kurita decided the mission was a failure and the loss of lives was not necessary. So, he turned around headed home. |
|
|
|
Post by talbot797 on Apr 6, 2021 3:48:48 GMT -6
I hadn't read about USS Johnston until seeing the BBC article, it's a pretty emotional story. Huge admiration for the servicemen involved in that action.
|
|
|
|
Post by oldpop2000 on Apr 6, 2021 7:15:27 GMT -6
I have always found it interesting that a Japanese admiral, thought more of his men than the the success or failure of the operation. He knew that if he continued, his fleet was doomed and that the mission was still a failure. So, he made the decision to save his men's lives, rather than waste them on a failed mission. Kurita had taken a severe beating the day before from Halsey and he actually had a complete lack of vital information as to what he was facing. Spotter planes from Yamato never returned, so this added to the confusion. He had also received a message of a task force moving down off of Samar. He knew that the southern force had been destroyed and he had already lost Musashi. He also knew his ships were low on fuel and that Halsey was behind him. So, he turned around and left.
|
|
