Taffy-3 USN Tin Cans vs. Japanese Battleships

[Ordie]

This is an incredible Davis vs. Goliath naval battle.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8HvhskY_Gk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31ZGBEv_aVM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbIw4CDi0PM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw3hz7t0wPQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y3lyMBI4Qc&feature=related

[SoftLion]

None of the embeds work. And its "David" vs. Goliath.

[Ordie]

Funny it works with me.

Go to youtube and search for Taffy 3

[gaijinsamurai]

Taffy 3= balls of steel.

[RookieCAF]

Those guys must have walked bowlegged.

[boone]

Pure balls and a great tale.

[TheKiwi]

A great piece of heroism in the face of overwhelming odds. The performance of the Taffy-3 escorts is right up at the top of list of how to make the best of bad situation.

The only other WW2 era equivalent I can think of would be the Battle of the Barrents Sea in 1942 where RN destroyers held off the German heavy cruisers Admiral Hipper and Admiral Scheer and the pocket battleship Lutzow.

[Ordie]

The Capt. Evans, a Cherokee/Pawnee, of the USS Johnston once flighted from the Japanese early in the war within the Dutch East Indies.

He vowed never to do the same and kept his promise.

[TR1]

Would have been interesting had Kurita decided to keep the offensive going untill the bitter end.

Great job by the escort ships and carriers.

[wicked_hind]

Captain Evans: the definition of testicular fortitude. Rest in peace, Sir.

[Mastermind]

Again, this brings out the very best of valor, elan, verve, and raw guts that often can only show so vividly on the stage of bloody combat.

It also very clearly demonstrated the severe weaknesses the Japanese navy and commanders displayed practically throughout the Pacific war.

The Japanese overall plan, the experience of all of their battle squadrons, the behavior of their commanders...all lived up to the nature they had shown from the beginning.

[Ordie]

The Japanese Navy unlike the Japanese Army, was never keen on getting into a war. The naval commanders knew they'd only have 6-8 months of superiority.

I'm more pissed off at Adm. Hasley for leaving.

[Chiptox]

I'm more pissed off at Adm. Hasley for leaving.
Taffy-3 shouldn't have been put through that to begin with. The USN intelligence had broken the Japanese codes and knew their plans but Halsey disregarded it and spent the battle chasing Ozawa's feint.

[Mastermind]

The Japanese Navy unlike the Japanese Army, was never keen on getting into a war. The naval commanders knew they'd only have 6-8 months of superiority.

I'm more pissed off at Adm. Hasley for leaving.

Actually, Halsey had an excellent excuse for leaving....we have to remember the contemporary situation. No one really knew for sure that the Japanese were out of pilots and planes for the carriers. Jumping into the area commander's brain for a moment, it seemed the biggest threat to the landing forces was from the Japanese northern carrier group...which, in steaming fast toward Lete, was acting very much like a fleet in full aggression. It would have seemed inconceivable at the time the Japanese were willing to sacrifice an entire carrier group as a mere decoy. This is even more clear when we consider the stunning size and disposition of the American forces. A sacrifice of that size and critical nature to the overall Japanese war effort was just not remotely logical in the minds American commanders.

If Halsey made an error, it was in not playing cautious enough in leaving TF 34 behind to guard against a possible (although remotely possible as was considered at the time) sally of a credible Japanese force from San Bernardino Strait. But, if Kincaid had wanted a "cautious" commander, he would not have assigned Halsey...he would have probably assigned Nimitz.

We have to also consider the Japanese forces having been so seriously handled over the last three days, the American commander, including Kincaid, had every reason to believe all serious threats to the landing force had been essentially negated.

I never like to "Monday morning quarterback" these actions...the minds of the commanders during the clock of the moment in the heat of battle, have got to be considered. After great battles, we armchair types have a perfect appraisal of every motion and disposition of forces. We can pretend to sit int he cammander's chairs and swiftly make decisions without even having to gamble..or consider the odds of that decision working out to the best possible outcome. Commanders of the moment, however, are making huge, life or death, win or lose decisions with some of the spottiest of intel. I just think we must take that into consideration before we criticize them too quickly.

[Prowler129]

monday morning QB of Military Operations, hmmm, yes people make mistakes, but lambasting some one for such things, from the comfort of our easy chairs, well, might as well complain about the Trojans taking in that D*** Horse

[Gus]

don't get me started about the horse!