The Unbelievable Story of USS Edsall (DD-219)

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USS Edsall (DD-219) was never destined to be remembered. Launched on July 29th, 1920, by World War II the aging destroyer was nearing the end of her career. Then on March 1st, 1940 she blundered into the mighty Kido Butai. Hopelessly outmatched by Japanese warships, the Edsall put up an unlikely fight that earned her a place in history books.

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Sources:
A Blue Sea of Blood by Donald M. Kehn
https://www.history.navy.mil/about-us/leadership/director/directors-corner/h-grams/h-gram-067/h-067-1.html
https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/Statements/display-statements/Article/3961527/statement-from-cno-on-discovery-of-the-location-of-the-wreck-of-destroyer-uss-e/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2024/11/11/world-war-ii-edsall-wreck-japanese-found/
https://web.archive.org/web/20061015021239/http://www.bobhenneman.info/bhaoj.htm
https://www.navsource.org/archives/05/219.htm
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/133909747?objectPage=18
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/134067446?objectPage=18

Chapters:
00:00 USS Edsall (DD-219)
3:16 Chapter 1: The Clemson Class
7:42 Chapter 2: One of Many
11:38 Chapter 3: Destroyer Division 57
19:42 Chapter 4: The Dancing Mouse
25:20 Chapter 5: Uncovering the Past

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43 thoughts on “The Unbelievable Story of USS Edsall (DD-219)”

  1. March 1942 to be correct-and absolutely OUTSTANDING that an old 4 piper tincan resolutely pissed off 'ol Nagumo to no end.
    Saw that the Australian Navy had found her-but paid little attention. Shame on me. Have been an avid amateur historian of the absolute shitshow that was the ABDA command & all the horrific losses due to numerous factors. Nice to see that she-as well as numerous others-including the "Galloping Ghost of the Java Coast" hit back as much as that pitifully weak fleet-if one could call it that-as much as they did.
    Rest easy Gentleman-we have the watch.
    NEVER. FORGET.

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  3. The total absurdity of war. Both aggressor and defender loose. Imagine what these humans may have been able to accomplish and enjoy had they lived.
    The elite “smarter than you” morons in control are the ones to blame and are the only ones relegated to the pits of hell

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  9. I love a good underdog story, and damn if this doesn't qualify! Over a thousand shells launched and very few hits is impressive, even more so when you remember that the Edsall was damaged enough to count as "not combat worthy" already AND over 20 years old. Just goes to show that it's not just what you have, it's what you can do with it. And Nix and his crew could do a HELL of a lot.

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  12. How do you find these stories, genuinely curious as to how you find things to research considering how neiche it is, or at least it is whenever I attempt. I’m extremely interested in ships but I’ve always had trouble with research in general and taking notes

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  13. Great video as always. Thx. At 3:40 you mention that the US navy after WW1 started shifting it's attention away from obsolete dreadnoughts/battleships, and more toward submarines and aircraft carriers. Actually, the command level admirals based in Washington prior to WW2, still quite wrongly felt that large gun based capital units were the most important assets in a fleet formation, and we had very few aircraft carriers available at the start of the war. The admiralty felt that submarine design should be focused on developing a 'fleet' submarine that would accompany a battle formation and be responsible for screening duties and reconnaissance, with the attack role being entirely secondary. None of the designs available at the time were ever actually able to fill the roll envisaged because they couldn't keep up with a battle formation moving at full speed. Even so, the captains of those subs were still trained to perform a duty that couldn't really be accomplished. After what was evidenced at Pearl Harbor, all of that changed. The sub captains were issued entirely new directives, and for the first time were sent out alone on patrols to sink targets of opportunity. Additionally, while only one new battleship design came on line during the war, the Iowa class, there were several new designs of subs and carriers developed, and the rest is history.

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  15. Disgraceful example of Japanese `Face` and `Honour` (Yes, I`m a Limey!), more correctly, in Civilised Nations, termed Barbarism – how little has changed in that devious Asiatic Nation`s image of superiority.

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  16. Great video as always. You and my mate Mike Brady from Ocean Liner designs are my favourite channels.

    Now I’m sure you and your team get video suggestions all the time, but I have a subject that I would like to see. Liberty ships don’t seem to get much of a mention in this genre, and given the amount of them that were slapped together in record time to go out and brave the Atlantic and Arctic convoys.

    I have a personal story with a particular Liberty Ship. The SS William H Welch was a EC2-S-C1 class transport ship which went into service in 1943, and was wrecked during a storm. My great uncle, Captain Lee Marshall went down with his ship after it broke into pieces on rocks just off Eilean Furadh Mor, a rocky island located on the West Coast of Scotland at the entrance to Loch Ewe. I believe only 12 survivors of a complement of 76 passengers and crew.

    My great uncle also has an interesting story. He was born Marshall Napoleon Hart (named after the Corsican, a family tradition dating from the early 1800’s till this day), in Melbourne, Australia in 1896. He was born into a family of Jewish cigar merchants/horse owners/bookmakers, and entertainers. In December 1914 the Australian War department received a letter from my Great Grandfather to grant his son permission to fight the Kaiser’s army as he was just shy of 18. He was enlisted in the 3rd Light Horse Regiment, and went to Egypt, where they left their horses and went to Gallipoli. Marshall fought in many battles until he was wounded at the Battle of the Nek on 7th August, 1915. According to his war records he was hit on the head with a grenade.
    After recovering he was sent to the Middle East where he fought in the Palestine and Syria Campaigns.
    He was repatriated to Australia in 1919, where he did a few things here and there. He next pops up in the United States where he had changed his name (for reasons lost to time) and joined the Merchant Navy.
    At the time of his death in February 1944 he was married, had a 2 year old daughter.

    I have a few censored letters from Marshall to my grandmother. He was her favourite brother and she was absolutely devastated at his death. She once recalled watching his ship depart to Egypt in early 1915. She also recalled awaiting his return from war in 1919.

    Anyway there’s a little information about the William H Welch and it’s Captain.
    Thanks to anyone who actually read this.

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  17. Nix and his crew took on the near on impossible and gave them hell. It’s such a shame that relatives never knew the fates of the men on board, but I hope that any living family they have left can be proud and tell the story of the great men they lost. Definitely a story for grandchildren and great grandchildren if there were any. Rest in peace USS Edsall crew.

    Reply

  18. Tin can sailors, on every ocean, with thin armor as, if it was any thicker, they would sink from the weight of their crewmembers' courage and capsize from the marbles rolling every deck from the crew.

    The story of the USS Reuben James DD-245 might be interesting for the group.

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  19. Hell yeah, i love this story. It highlights perfectly the indomitable tenacity of the American spirit. When cornered we don't try to run, we dig in our heels and make a final stand damn be the consequences. God bless all who serve this great nation and there are not enough words to describe how thankful I am for all of your amazing services. And of course many thanks for this video as well. Another masterpiece brilliantly produced and presented.

    Reply

  28. Given the existence of Japanese records of the battle, it is amazing that they never interviewed any of the Japanese sailors. They have interviewed enemy soldiers in many other medal investigations. I wonder why they didn't in this case.

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  29. Thanks for making so good videos of ships with great storys to tell. You getting so uch good foto, video and storys that i really like watching. Have much interess for ships and special ww2 Navy ships. Alot of the battles outside of Norway have been ekstra intress for me. Keep up the good work.

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  30. What an extraordinary testimony. Thank you for your research and the upload

    I also want to say, thank you, that it's you as a live person narrating your productions. I'm so sick of these new AI generated videos which I don't bother listening to anymore. Thanks again!

    Reply

  35. Would not be Suprised if the Edsalls Crew and Captain when realising what they had sailed into thought to themself "So this is How the Glowworm boys felt.

    Glowworms Captain was famously given the Victorian cross posthumously for his and his crews seamanship.
    The person who had been one of the forces behind this was none other than the very man who had been the reason for their passing the captain of Admiral Hipper.

    There was other heroics done during the Invasion of Norway by the Norwegians to Especially.

    The Last Stand of HNoMS Eidsvold (1900) and HNoMS Norge (1901).

    The Battle of Drøbak Sound Where Oscarsborg Fortress (1855) not only Sunk the newest battleship of the German Navy Blücher.
    They also stopped The invasion of oslo giving both the Norwegian King and the Norwegian Government time to relocate and thus also able to respond againt an enemy which army Dwarfed norways populace.

    There are more of these types of Stories from World War 2 and World War 1.
    But i would say nothing feels closer to our reality then the invasion of Norway and Especially The invasion of Finland.

    Sadly The heroics of Many of the smaller nations has been Forgotten and needs to be thaught more in the larger nations history classes.

    Reply

  39. This was an incredibly moving entry into your library. I know very little of boats, ships, and naval history but occasionally watch your channel because of how well researched and presented your videos are. This one felt particularly significant, for some reason. I could almost see it in my head, like a full length movie (minus the Hollywood glamour). Thank you for telling the story.

    Reply

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