Posted on 04/27/2021 10:58:11 AM PDT by srmanuel
If you a fan of WW II history, specifically Naval History in the Pacific, you might recognize the name of the USS Johnston, a Fletcher Class Destroyer led by Commander Ernest Evans who turned and charged directly toward a superior Japanese Naval force led by the Battleship Yamato...Admiral Halsey had pulled his task force away to chase Japanese Aircraft Carriers leaving the Macarthur's flank exposed...the Johnston put up one helluva fight and saved countless American ships and lives..... Here's a CBS Morning Show story about the Johnston as well...
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
I’m glad you mentioned “Last Stand”. Its author, James Hornfischer, is meticulous as he is engaging. It’s part of what amounts to a fantastic WWII naval trilogy: “Last Stand”, as you mentioned, plus “Neptune’s Inferno” and “The Fleet at High Tide”.
Hornfischer says he is currently writing a magnum opus on the cold war. He’s really got his work cut out for him on that one, but I can hardly wait to read it.
The fact that there is no U.S. Navy ship named for Commander Evans is a damn disgrace.
... for battles at sea are more severe than those on land; for at sea there is no opportunity for retreat or flight, but men must sell themselves dearly and fight hard, and await what must befall, and each and every man must look to his own courage and prowess..." --Froissant
Yes. I have all three of those books. I’ve them all at least twice. Phenomenal reads.
Another great read on the Pacific War is “With The Old Breed” by Sledge. Couldn’t put it down.
If I remember correctly the last anybody saw of Captain Evans was him wounded at the rear conning station (the ship from forward superstructure forward was ablaze. He had just ordered abandoned ship and the sinking Johnston still having steam he turned her once more toward the enemy fleet.
I thought “The Pacific” was better done than “Band of Brothers”.
Okay I'm intrigued. Are you referring to the book "The Defenders of Taffy 3" by Byron Como? I want to read more about this historic battle!
It certainly had top notch battle scenes.
The Statist Generation—who gave us the New and Fair Deals, the “Modern Republicanism” that embraced both, the New Frontier and the Great Society.
Why there was never a movie made of this battle is beyond me!
Forget about it now. Hollywood is so arrogant in its rabid ignorance that they haven’t made a sublime movie in years.
They would make Halsey a cross dresser and would have gay relationships throughout the fleet. Oh yes, and the crew would be having emotional conflicts over how reluctant they were to kill those poor Japanese sailors.
Taffy 3 was the battle group callsign. The book is Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors. Magnificent book. Should be required reading at every level of education.
Really just my knowledge of the battle from my Plebe year History of Seapower course and textbook, written by Prof. E. B. Potter and Admiral Nimitz. For obvious reasons, a lot of emphasis on WWII in the Pacific.
I was recently watching an old war movie that featured the Johnston as one of the ships...
I cant remember the name...
they fought and died for what we are facing now? I’m glad they aren’t here to see it.
Imagine if Halsey never got suckered away. Kurita’s Center Force would have ran head on into Halsey and his Iowa Class battle group. Tens of thousands on both sides would have perished in that behemoth of a battle.
“...Kerry would have jumped ship and would still be swimming.”
He wouldn’t be the one doing the swimming. He would have found a woman to swim and hold him up.
Unlike today we had no satellite system for ships/fleets to avoid/track typhoons...and tracking typhoons back then was a matter of guess work...the fleet also managed to avoid a dozen other typhoons during the same period.
If Hollywood made that movie now I can only imagine what it would be like. Just imagine :
Capt. Johnson would be a female lesbian
The Japanese would Christian conservative white men who do not believe in global warming.
The First Lt. Would also be the Capt.’s lover and would man all the guns and fire all the torpedo’s while all the white men crew cower in the corners of the ship. Her only help comes from a black homosexual transvestite and is a martial arts expert.
The USS Johnson would slowly sink with the setting sun. The lovers hand in hand going down with (or on) the ship. The entire Japanese, sorry, the White Christian Males fleet is totally in flames in the background. What is left of the cowardly crew are standing with the Capt. and her mate in total awe and reverence of her skill and . . whatever
I would not want this group to make that picture.
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