US Destroyers Raid Japanese Invasion Fleet – Battle of Balikpapan Documentary

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At 3am on January 24th 1942, four American destroyers launched a surprise raid on a Japanese invasion fleet at Balikpapan, in Borneo. For an hour they rampaged across an unsuspecting fleet of transports, winning the US Navy’s first victory in the pacific war.

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Credits:

Artwork by:
https://twitter.com/ChrisbyFlanker

Lead animation by CKD Productions

Written, Animated, Directed and Produced by:
https://twitter.com/addaway23

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Sources:

Marc Lohnstein, The Netherlands East Indies Campaign 1941-42
Jeffrey R. Cox, Rising Sun, Falling Skies: The Disastrous Java Sea Campaign of World War II
Mark Stille, Java Sea 1942: Japan’s conquest of the Netherlands East Indies

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38 thoughts on “US Destroyers Raid Japanese Invasion Fleet – Battle of Balikpapan Documentary”

  2. One outstanding book about the Asiatic Fleet is 'The Fleet the Gods Forgot'
    And also a book written by a u.s. sailor who was crew aboard the 'John D. Ford' is called 'Another 600'
    Further still an excellent book about a u.s. destroyer that disappeared during the battle of the java sea uss edsall.
    'A Blue Sea of Blood'

    Reply

  6. Speaking of 1st nations to stop the Japanese, do you recon you could do a video on Kokoda and the Aussies input into the war? As an Australian, we so often see the US and the Brits contributions but rarely any from the ANZACs (or other allied troops, Canada, India, the Dutch, etc).

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  8. Fun fact about the Mk.14 torpedo, doctrine was to launch them at a 90 degree angle to the target hull, from subs, not sure about destroyers, but this actually accentuated the torpedo's design flaw. Launching at a 45 degree angle resulted in a higher detonation rate, albeit still not anywhere near consistent.

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  14. I am Japanese. I respect you for your detailed and clear explanations and for being well educated.

    Most Japanese avoid conflict in their daily lives, at work, and in general.

    Japanese people never fight if there is no need to fight.

    This is the same for the Japanese of the previous generation and the Japanese of today.

    I am saddened by the various conflicts in many countries today.

    I hope one day we can see a more peaceful world.

    Reply

  24. Very Brave men and ships, the Germans knew even if out numbered the Royal navy would attack – it struck fear into them.
    I met a German navy vet in Stuttgart a many years ago and we had a beer session – he said " when the alarm sounded British navy attacking" he shook with terror.
    He was an awesome guy and his tales left us very drunk- he became a good friend- but the years took him. My wife is a skilled flouriest – we send a battle ship flower arrangement to his wife for his funeral.
    War sucks big time – Germany has become my place to go.

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  25. The American scholar only captured and explained the Pacific War area, emphasizing that the victory over Japan was in the bypass operation, and during that time seven Asian countries were liberated and independent by the Japanese army and the British Empire was destroyed. He hasn't touched it at all. The United States has not won the war against Japan. Because it was not possible to defeat the purpose of Japan's war. On the contrary, it could not prevent the independence of its own territory, the Philippines.
    This is all the description of the Pacific War in the United States.
    Focusing only on the seemingly winning battle in the Pacific Ocean (actually, the decoy operation set up by the Japanese side), the United States pretends not to look at the eastern continental region of the losing battle. The country that cuts and pastes history does not form a nation. It's just a nation of thugs. For the Japanese side, if it is a decoy depletion operation, it is the usual way of decoy operation to repeatedly put in force, exhaust the US military, and intentionally lose and change.
    The conditions under which the United States can be claimed to be a true victorious nation are as follows.
    1 Preventing all independence of Asia by the Japanese army.
    2 As was the case with Germany, all Japanese troops and Asian independent troops have been expelled from the occupied Asian territories of the Japanese troops, and all colonies have been regained.
    3 Do not use any illegal weapons (nuclear weapons) as was the case with Germany.
    4 As was the case with Germany, conduct a mainland decisive battle using only conventional weapons and occupy the entire mainland of Japan.
    5 The Chiang Kai-shek administration, an American ally, was continued and prevented communism on the Chinese continent.
    6 Realizing Japan's unconditional surrender, not the conditional Potsdam Declaration.
    If all of the above conditions are met, the United States is recognized as a victorious country, but the reality is the opposite, and one of the above conditions is not met. The fact that the United States is a victorious country is a "winning propaganda" peculiar to Americans.
    If the Great East Asian War had been completely won, the Indonesian National Revolution, the Indochina War, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War would not have occurred.
    ミッドウェー海戦後の連合国側の戦略
    　　　　フィリップス・オブライエン
    「1942 年8 月8 日から11 月15 日の間のガダルカナル島
    沿岸部で、アメリカ海軍は、戦時中に失った艦隊空母全体の40%、重巡洋艦の57%、
    軽巡洋艦の67%を失い、さらに特筆すべきは駆逐艦の17%を喪失していたのだ（図
    2 参照）9。この駆逐艦の喪失数は重要である。アメリカ海軍は戦争全期間を通じて
    （太平洋と大西洋両方で）71 隻の駆逐艦を喪失しているが、そのうち 12 隻がガダ
    ルカナル沿岸で失われているということが、戦闘の激しさを物語っている。」
    ＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
    このアメ公アホ学者は太平洋戦域のみを捉えて解説し、対日戦勝利は飛び石作戦にあったと強調するのみで、その間アジア7ヶ国が日本軍によって解放独立させられ大英帝国が崩壊させられたことには一切触れていない。アメ公は対日戦に勝利などしていない。何故なら日本の戦争目的を挫くことは出来なかったからだ。それどころか自国領フィリピンの独立まで防げなかった。
    アメ公の太平洋戦争記述はすべてこれである。
    太平洋での一見勝ち戦（実は日本側が仕掛けた囮作戦）だけを着目して、負け戦の東亜大陸域を見てみない振りをする。歴史を切り貼りするという国は国家としての体をなしていない。ただのチンピラ国家である。切り貼りしないと持たない国家だからだ。日本側にとって囮消耗作戦であれば、逐次投入を繰り返して、米軍を消耗させ、わざと負けて転進するのは消耗作戦の常道である。
    米国が真の戦勝国だと言い張ることが出来る条件とは次の通りである。
    1　日本軍によるアジア独立をすべて阻止していること。
    2　ドイツに対してそうであったように日本軍のアジア占領地域から日本軍とアジア独立軍をすべて駆逐し、植民地をすべて取り返していること。
    3　ドイツに対してそうであったように、一切の非合法兵器（核兵器）を使用していないこと。
    4　ドイツに対してそうであったように、通常兵器のみによる本土決戦を行い、日本本土全域を軍事占領すること。
    5　盟友シナ蒋介石政権が継続され、シナ大陸の共産化を防げたこと。
    6　有条件ポツダム宣言ではなく、日本の無条件降伏を実現していること。
    以上の条件をすべて満たしているなら、アメ公を戦勝国と認めるが、現実は正反対で、上記条件の一つも満たしてはいないのである。アメリカが戦勝国だなどというのはアメ公特有の「勝った振り大洞」である。
    大東亜戦争に完勝していたなら、インドネシア独立戦争、インドシナ戦争、朝鮮戦争、ベトナム戦争が起きるはずはないのである。

    Reply

  26. You said this was the US navy's first victory in the Pacific. Are you kidding me? That is completely false! Coral Sea- Strateg8c victory. Midway- Total victory. Eastern Solomans- Strategic victory. Santa Cruz – Strategic victory. Cape Esperance- Complete victory. 2 nights the sea battle of Guadlecanal- Complete victory. Once I heard that I stopped the video and responded. You lost credibility. No subscription for you!!!

    Reply

  29. My Dad was a Chief Machinist Mate on a Tin Can in the North Atlantic when the war broke out. The Destroyer (Tin Cans) were well aware of the problems of the Mark 14 failure to detonate. According to dad who knew some of the men involved in the raid, they were the most surprised that the torpedoes worked. They thought the whole thing was a suicide mission. Extremely lucky outcome.

    Reply

  35. As a Canadian, I totally agree that like the Russians, the Americans and the British seem to think that only they were involved in important and crucial events in the Second World War. I mean the Russians claim to have won it all by themselves with no help from anyone, truth not being a main ingredient in anything that comes out of their version of military history. Americans and Brits also downplay any contribution by each other and especially by their closest allies. Goes for the First World War as well.

    Reply

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