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The Battle off Samar. The US Navy’s “Finest Hour” October 25, 1944


UpperWestside

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IMG_1177.thumb.jpeg.5989da5e9d188949a0126d3f262a5c55.jpeg
 

https://a.co/d/fBWcWW5

The link will take you to the book where you can purchase it.

James Hornfischer features prominently in that episode up above. He lived the last two decades of his life in Austin with his family before cancer took his life at age 56 in 2021. He was a ridiculously talented writer and this is my favorite book that I have ever read. I highly suggest buying a copy of it. I have bought copies for other people because it is such an important work of literature on the Pacific War.

Again remember the sacrifices made that day 80 years ago and try to do something good for a Navy vet today if you are able to.

 

Edited by UpperWestside
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Last Stand of the Tin Can Saillors may be the best WWII books I've ever read.   I knew from reading other books prior that Halsey had fucked up but Hornfischer brought Taffy 3's role (and sacrifice) to the forefront.   It is always a book I recommend for others to read if they are interested in military history.  

For some reason it has really has always stuck with me on how this battle was named.   It's not the Battle of Samar.  It's the Battle off Samar.  It just highlights that this was different.  

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2 hours ago, Macanudo said:

Last Stand of the Tin Can Saillors may be the best WWII books I've ever read.   I knew from reading other books prior that Halsey had fucked up but Hornfischer brought Taffy 3's role (and sacrifice) to the forefront.   It is always a book I recommend for others to read if they are interested in military history.  

For some reason it has really has always stuck with me on how this battle was named.   It's not the Battle of Samar.  It's the Battle off Samar.  It just highlights that this was different.  

Este. Not a lot of books have moved me to tears, but this one did. The aviators firing their personal weapons at the Japanese ships once they ran out of bombs and bullets just gets me every time.
 

It’s a transcendent book. 

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7 hours ago, UpperWestside said:

What I do want to draw attention to is that at the outset of hostilities on December 7th, 1941, the high command of the Japanese forces almost universally believed that America did not have the stomach to take part in a war like this one. They thought the decadent Americans would not be able to engage in the all out warfare required in a fight like this. They did not believe that the national essence of the Americans was on the level of their own.

Thanks a lot Czar Nicholas.

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The Johnston and Samuel B. Roberts are legend. Evans and Copeland are badasses of the highest order. That episode of Dogfights is excellent. Taffy 3, crossing the T, hit the enemy where he can't hit you. Epic naval surface warfare. Maybe the best ever.

Edited by RPM
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1 hour ago, RPM said:

The Johnston and Samuel B. Roberts are legend. Evans and Copeland are badasses of the highest order. That episode of Dogfights is excellent. Taffy 3, crossing the T, hit the enemy where he can't hit you. Epic naval surface warfare. Maybe the best ever.

Quite amazing because the Fletcher class DD and Butler class DE were both designed and launched after it had become clear that ship to ship surface warfare was not really going to be a thing. And both were generally crewed with younger officers and men that were less likely to be trained intensely in ship to ship warfare. 

ETA Evans was pretty long in the tooth to be a CDR and skipper of a DD, so that probably meant he had a leg up on ship to ship combat, as opposed to ASW, escort and AA/radar picket duty work that was their more normal work. 

Edited by TwiceHorn
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6 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Quite amazing because the Fletcher class DD and Butler class DE were both designed and launched after it had become clear that ship to ship surface warfare was not really going to be a thing. And both were generally crewed with younger officers and men that were less likely to be trained intensely in ship to ship warfare. 

I served on a 378 Cutter. Something between Johnston and Sam B. I can't imagine taking on a battleship, much less a motherfucking TASK FORCE wit nothing more than a couple 5 inch and Hail Mary torpedoes. Suicide mission is being kind. Huevos MUY gigante.

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The Fletcher class was at least fast as shit, design speed 38 kt, and pretty maneuverable with 5x5"/38 and a bunch of Bofors and Oerlikon, which were actually pretty good for fucking up crew.

DEs were barely combat vessels.

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