Allied Air Dominance in the Pacific: The Battle of the Bismarck Sea March 2 - 3 1943

On the 28th of February 1943, 16 ships departed Rabaul to make the 3 day voyage to the Japanese base at Lae. On board were almost 7,000 Japanese soldiers. By March the 3rd, all that was left were 4 badly damaged destroyers that were running north; the rest of the Japanese ships were sitting on the ocean floor.

A truly decisive moment in the air war, the Battle of the Bismarck Sea would change the course of the New Guinea campaign. In a crushing display of air power by the allies, one of the largest reinforcement convoys the Japanese despatched had been utterly destroyed by the 5th Air Force. From this point on in the war, supplying forward Japanese positions would be a crippling challenge. The Allies had shown that, in the South West Pacific, their dominance of the air mattered more than Japan’s control of the sea.

[michaeliwama]

Grateful to see this comprehensive account of the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. Thank you so much.
My late Dad was a survivor of this battle, and he often talked about his experience of this horrific event. My father served as aide to Hatazo Adachi - General of the Japanese 18th Army and was on board the Tokitsukaze with Adachi on that fateful transport. Dad talked about the unbelievablly deafening roar of bombs scoring hits on the vessel/destroyer, and the columns of black smoke from the Japanese transport billowing up above the Bismarck Sea.
The destroyer sinking, He found himself on a raft with 20+ other men. Subsequent runs by the Allied squadrons returning to the scene to straffe the life boats and men in the water cut his raft to pieces. He recalled being out at sea for 5 days, clinging to a fragment of the raft with other men, taking turns on and off of it. If the survivors didn't succumb to their wounds, the sharks would have a go at them. I remember my Dad telling me that the sharks were more terrifying than the actual bombing they had survived.
A passing Japanese Navy destroyer rescued my Father and 6 other men from that little piece of wreckage. He recalled the remarkable scene as they were being pulled up onto the deck of the destroyer - Japanese sailors beating their Army comrades with their fists and open hands- to keep them alive. My father recounted how so many of the survivors died upon reaching deck of the destroyer. The decks were littered with corpses from the men who seemed to just give up living after reaching refuge on the decks (its hard to imagine but this is one of those things about the realities of war, I suppose).
I think I recall my father telling me that they were taken to Rabaul to regroup before eventually heading to Lae. I believe subsequent transfers of General Adachi and his staff were done with submarines.
Less than 4000 men of the Japanese 18th Army from the original 45, 000 would eventually survive the war and return to Japan. Most of these men perished from starvation and tropical disease, as they took to the jungle to hide and evade the Allied forces (their supply lines had been cut off early in the campaign). My father passed more than a decade ago but more than any other account of his experiences of that horrific War, he regarded the Battle of the Bismarck Sea to be most prominent. There are many photos and videos of my Dad out there. In the pictures of the the surrender of General Hatazo Adachi at the airstrip in Wewak (Kiarivu), my father is seen standing next to him. I should note that I wouldn't be here today to share this, if it wasn't for the mercy of the Australian Army whose field surgeons quickly and mercifully saved my Dad's life when his appendix burst (shortly after the surrender ceremonies).

[dbsmrosario]

This is the most detailed and comprehensive account of the Battle of the Bismarck Sea I have seen on youtube.

[gnolan]

Stunning report. Thank you so much. No loud music, no computer voice, well spoken English easy to understand. What's not to like?

[markswayn]

Yet another highly professional production. The quality of the research, clear presentation and graphics make these productions some of the best documentaries of these campaigns I've seen. Please keep up the great work.

[donwarren]

My dad flew in the Battle of Bismarck Sea. He was a 20 year old tech sgt. B-17 top turret/flight engineer in the 65th squadron of the 43rd heavy out of 7 Mile Airfield (AKA Jackson Field. )

[laurances]

Great Documentary. We in the US do not get a lot of history of our Allies during WW2. I would love to see more on Australian and New Zealand. Thanks again.

[VainerCactus]

That has to be one of the most successful battles of the second world war. Thousands of soldiers, tons of supplies and several hard to replace ships destroyed for a cost of a handful of aircraft and pilots. In terms of cost effectiveness, it has to rank pretty highly.

[cheesenoodles]

This is a great channel. The strategic and tactical descriptions are very well done. The maps, photographs and personal accounts contribute mightily.

[bradywomack]

Really enjoying the in-depth coverage of the New Guinea campaign. This was a major campaign fought in some of the roughest conditions of the entire war This was where we really turned the tide on Japan. Your posts are outstanding and rate right up there with Dan Carlin’s Hard Core History but with pictures.

[HarryP]

All too often Australia is portrayed as very much the junior partner in the Pacific war. It is nice to see just how big and strategically important our contribution was particularly in the early and middle phases of the the conflict.

[MackinOz]

Sensational video. The Beaufighters hitting those Japanese destroyers is some of the best war footage ever filmed. Absolutely excellent presentation. Looking forward to more.

[GM-fhjp]

Excellent episode (as usual). Your presentation and research quality are unsurpassed on YT.
Congrats to all responsible for this content. First class work.

[vigilantobserver]

Outstanding series of videos, concerning the campaigns in Papua-New Guinea! Such fine detail! The South Pacific theater has been neglected by documentary producers. Keep them coming! Thanks Mate!

[hairy-dairyman]

Well this makes my day. Thanks mate. Stuck in a tractor for the next 8 hours this will help

[darrenmonks]

Well done yet again cobber. I'm a 51 year old Australian secondary history teacher (did 4 years infantry reserves back when) and I've 2 huge bookcases full of military history texts.

[guywerry]

I was pleased to hear the skip-bombing history lesson.

My father-in-law (a Canadian) fought with the RAF in the India/Burma theatre, in 1943/44.
They used the skip-bombing but with B-24 Liberators, which were notorious for heavy control effort.
They also flew with a British crew configuration - only pilot, no co-pilot. 50 feet off the deck in a Liberator without a co-pilot would have been just crazy.

We owe these men a tremendous debt.

[glennaisbett]

My father was an Armourer/fitter with 30 Sqd RAAF . He loved the Beaufighter with a passion.
I remember as a young kid watching war films on a Sunday afternoon, he would say that they should make a film about the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. Of course I had no idea as he never talked the battle itself just that it was an amazing and important victory for the Allies. I’m so glad that in recent years books and videos like this are telling the story

[andrewblake]

Well researched, well written and well delivered. great topic thank you.

[megafauna]

For more, I'd recommend everyone read 'Whispering Death' by Mark Johnston. The book title might seem to make it just a eulogy of the Beaufighter, but it's much more. It's a detailed history of RAAF operations throughout the entire S/E Asian and Pacific War, triumphs and failures, warts and all. The book also narrates the toxic relationships among RAAF commanders and the resentment of high handed US and British allies. Excellent video as usual.

[gregeoryrobsonovich]

Your research and presentation is excellent. I thoroughly enjoy this series. My only problem is the speed in which you narrate the videos. No real problem because I watch them again to pick up what I didn't hear the first time or even the second time. Like some of the others that watch these, I really look forward to these.