Podcasts about usn

Beheading the Dragon (1) (Audio) David – 6/4/2025 Marie Kelton Vision - 6/2/2025 Cutting off the Dragon's Head to set God's people free. During the meeting, I had an open vision. I was in the third heaven. And I saw a huge black dragon. (Babylon's DS Khazarians) Trying to come up into the third heaven. (Seeking to take authority that is not his) (Satan wanting to be like the Most high). Isa 14:14-17: "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to Sheol, to the uttermost parts of the pit. They that see thee shall gaze at thee, they shall consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; that made the world as a wilderness, and overthrew the cities thereof; that let not loose his prisoners to their home?" When he came up part way. I saw that there were saints inside of his belly, wanting to get out. The Lord said to me, "Captives in the belly of the beast." (We are in the belly of this world wide beast but as we will see The Lord of Hosts of angels, Jesus Christ, also using Cyrus will bring it down. Our part is spiritual warfare.) I saw the Lord who looked angry jump up in the air on one side of the dragon. And I saw myself with the white head covering on simultaneously do the same thing as him but on other side of the dragon. (Symbolizing the saints who are submitted to the Lord in warfare.) We both had swords in our hands and we both came down and cut the dragon's head off. (This is happening over a period of time as the DS Khazarians lose their leaders. We are to cast down the dominion of Satan and His angels who lead his earthly leaders as in Rev 12:7  And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels going forth to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels; 8  and they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9  And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, (As we know the old serpent had legs in the garden but the Lord cursed him to crawl on his belly and eat the dust of the earth representing flesh.) he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him. 10  And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying, Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuseth them before our God day and night. 11  And they (the brethren or saints) overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death.  The Lord Jesus over Michael's angelic forces are crushing “the old serpent” aboves head. Gen 3:14  And Jehovah God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, cursed art thou above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 15  and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.  Marie: The dragon fell from the second heaven to the first heaven, of earth, and landed on the ground. Then the Lord went down from the third heaven to the first heaven. The Lord cut open the belly of the dragon. And pulled out the captives that were still alive. (Jer 51:44  And I will execute judgment upon Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up; and the nations shall not flow any more unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall. 45  My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and save yourselves every man from the fierce anger of Jehovah. 46  And let not your heart faint, neither fear ye for the tidings that shall be heard in the land; for tidings shall come one year, and after that in another year shall come tidings, and violence in the land, ruler against ruler. 47  Therefore, behold, the days come, that I will execute judgment upon the graven images of Babylon; and her whole land shall be confounded; and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her. Her heads are facing Alliance military tribunals and execution. Meanwhile they are attempting to spread earthquake and volcanic activity to distract from revelations of their evil. Our dreams we have shared have shown this is from the DS. The Mississippi and Colorado Rivers, which were likely formed by fault lines, appear to be opening up causing sinkholes, as the plate slides west causing earthquakes off of California's coast. The sinkholes down the Mississippi go out into the Gulf. As some will remember and we saw the Mississippi start out full force in the north but as it went south you could see the bottom showing up as the fault swallowed the water, which was an amazing sight. Further up the Mississippi, The New Madrid fault zone has had many, many, smaller earthquakes, which will likely lesson the size of a bigger one to come due to stress relief. This is another place the DS planned a distraction but the Lord of Hosts is intervening. They are also attempting to start WWIII by the Khazarians attacking Iran. President Trump wisely pulled out of that. Two more attempts were planned but the Lord of Hosts stopped this. Also Nato's plan to attack Russia through the Nazii's failed, helping to tip Poland toward the MAGA right in their election. DS Khazarians were using Poland and that appears to be over shortly. The Lord of Hosts has stopped many attempts at World War. Sill we know there is a huge one coming soon.  Rev 6:3  And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come. 4  And another horse came forth, a red horse: and to him that sat thereon it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should slay one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.  The War to Behead the Dragon… Judy's note on Operation Disclosure unredacted on Rummor Mill: On Mon. 2 June 2025 the Globalist Deep State Cabal Vatican's Ninth Circle Satanic Child Sacrifice Cult's Khazarian Mafia attempted to start a nuclear World War III by attacking Russian trains and airbases on the eve of Peace Talks. Such appeared to be in retaliation for Vladimir Putin's Sat. 31 May unleash of a precision drone-and-missile assault on a child trafficking Global Pedo enclave run by Globalist Deep State Cabal Vatican's Ninth Circle Satanic Child Sacrifice Cult's Khazarian Mafia in their headquarters of Ukraine. There were 51 abducted Russian children rescued in the process. Ukraine was international headquarters for the Vatican's Ninth Circle Satanic Child Sacrifice Cult. They ran Child Sacrifice rites and pedophile parties across the World, even beneath Joe Biden's 200 acre Ukraine property and beneath the White House. Noted reporter Tucker Carlson had released 2008 recordings: Obama, Clinton, Biden, Epstein, and Congress members caught raping and sacrificing children. Days later, children were rescued in the dead of night. There were DUMB Underground Tunnels that ran across the Globe, even beneath Capitol Hill—200 miles of satanic infrastructure—used to traffic and torture innocent children. JAG officers were witnessed removing hundreds of kids just after Biden's fake inauguration in 2021. Then in 2022, Russian Military unearthed U.S.-owned bioweapon labs under Biden property in Ukraine—mutilated child corpses confirmed. Trump's global alliance took action. These labs were connected to DUMBs, where children were experimented on like lab rats. Joe Biden and 464 elected traitors were arrested. Many were tried and executed at GITMO. Trump recently announced that Biden was dead and what you see now were actors, clones, digital stand-ins. Hillary Clinton? Hung for treason. The Clintons, Obamas, and Bidens—all gone. The Mexican Cartels—built by the CIA and backed by CCP/Obama/Biden—were being dismantled right now by Mexican patriots trained by Trump-aligned forces near Cheyenne Mountain. Meanwhile last Saturday 31 May 2025 over 500 Russian kamikaze drones and Klub cruise missiles had obliterated 17 black-site facilities that housed a pedophile network. It spanned Ukraine, Albania, France and German operatives who were trafficking abducted children through NATO-protected routes. Russian aircraft reportedly dropped evacuation leaflets Friday night, giving locals 24 hours to flee. At the same time, Spetsnaz special forces tracked and verified that no children remained inside, confirming the mission was surgical. Russian FSB agent Andrei Zakharov confirmed the intelligence behind the strike. “We warned civilians. We gave them time. If they stayed, they chose their side. We do not negotiate with pedophiles. We rescue our children and destroy the pigs who steal them.” This was not just military action — it was a declaration of war against the global child trafficking elite. The same cabal that operated unchecked for decades under the cover of fake wars, humanitarian fronts and Western alliances that were now bombing Russia. Putin was forced to act because the Deep State left him no choice. The Globalist Deep State Cabal Vatican's Ninth Circle Satanic Child Sacrifice Cult's Khazarian Mafia's abduction of children to torture in their Satan Worshipping pedophile Child Sacrifice rites went back centuries – and 51 Russian children had recently disappeared. Plus, Russian intelligence had intercepted Cabal plans to expand their trafficking operations into Crimea and even parts of rural Russia. It was a line in the sand — and Putin unleashed fire. Ukraine was never just about territory. It's about the kids. The elites were furious their supply chain just got bombed to dust, so they worked with UN, NATO and even, it was suspected, Deep State Cabal Elite US Congressional leaders to sneak weaponized drones into Russian villages for their attack. Afterwards they would attack Iran to make a Nuclear World War III complete. They didn't care how many people would die. All would fit into their depopulation agenda. Meanwhile, Western media stayed silent. NATO called it aggression. The UN cried about “civilian casualties” – which there were none. But no one was asking why Ukrainian soil housed black-site child prisons protected by foreign intelligence assets. This was the beginning of the end for the Satan Worshipping Cabal. The children were being avenged. In secret, Trump's Global Military Alliance was backing Putin. Both were deeply involved in a Global Currency Reset that took away the Cabal's hold over the World's monetary system and gave taxpayer money back to The People. It was all about money and the Cabal was desperate because they were losing their funding source – US Taxpayer monies which they had controlled since at least 1918. They had one option left: in the past they had made a lot of money by financing both sides of war. Another war would also result in having more control over The People – as had happened in the past. Starting a Nuclear World War III through bombing Russia and Iran was on the menu. But, this Globalist Deep State Cabal Vatican's Ninth Circle Satanic Child Sacrifice Cult's Khazarian Mafia's attempts to get the World into a nuclear war was not going to work as it had in the past, where the war strategy was based on a Global Disinformation campaign – that was now falling apart. The Global Disinformation Index (GDI), based in the U.K. and backed by the National Endowment for Democracy, had received millions of US Taxpayer dollars under the pretense of fighting foreign disinformation. It's real target was President Trump, the America First movement and any media outlet that didn't align with the Globalist narrative. GDI, the SPLC, Big Tech and intelligence-linked NGOs tracked narratives, created blacklists, manipulated search algorithms and fed justification for bans across every major platform. Even right now the US State Department's Global Engagement Center was training foreign governments in censorship protocols, while the UN, WHO, Google and AI coalitions were replicating it worldwide. Trump's Global Military Alliance was ending all that as they released the Global Currency Reset and gave The People's money back to The People. As Q would say, “Hold the Line. Prepare. Trust The Plan.” Portions of WHAT WE THINK WE KNOW AS OF WED. 4 JUNE 2025: · On Mon. 16 June 2025 Project Odin: Worldwide Blackout,(Of MSM communications) Martial Law, Arrests, Global Currency Reset, Call To Fast And Pray, Freedom From Debt To The Deep State Cabal …Julian Assange, Deep State Exposed on Telegram More on the War · On Fri. 20 Jun. 2025 Worldwide Emergency Alert: US Military Stationed in 360 Cities Anticipating a Supreme Court Announcement on the Brunson Voter Fraud Case, Which Would Dissolve Congress & The Biden Administration. …Julian Assange, Deep State Exposed on Telegram · The US Military & DC Police Preparing To Evacuate Washington DC · The Global Military Alliance Arresting & Holding Military Tribunals on Over Half a Million Deep State Cabal Political & Global Elites. · CIA, FBI, Homeland Security, Biden & Democratic Party were suspected to be connected to attempted Trump Assassinations & Child Sex Trafficking. · Tues. 3 June 2025 The FBI has announced they are CRACKING DOWN on physicians mutilating children by trans-ing them via “gender affirming care.” The FBI is asking the public to report tips of any hospitals, clinics, or practitioners performing these operations on children to call: 1-800-CALL-FBI · Thousands of Children Crossing the US Border Sold into Child Sex Trafficking To Fulfill High Ranking Pedo Congress & State Official's Requests, as per Intelligence Sources. · Tues. 3 June 2025 Kash Patel is sounding the alarm on the Federal Reserve! He's urging everyone to wake up and realize the Fed isn't a public institution—it's a PRIVATE entity! Run by the elite robber barons who built this, they're rigging the currency game for their own gain! · Tues. 3 June 2025 Ben Fulford on Telegram: Trust The Plan. Pending: World War III, Sky Event. Global Financial Armageddon: Collapse of Nine Nation's Currencies Including the US Fiat Dollar. EBS, Martial Law, Mass Arrests, Blackout. 34 Satanic Structures Will Be Destroyed. Mossad Media Satellites Will Be Knocked Out. World Will Transition to Tesla Free Energy. 209 Nations Global Currency Reset To Gold/Asset-Backed Sovereign Currencies. Millions Of Tortured Children Have Been Pulled Out of Deep State Underground Tunnels. Dark To Light Checkmate! Worldwide Call To Fast And Pray. God Always Wins · Tues. 3 June 2025 Situation Update (video): We The People NEWS · Tues. 3 June 2025 Situation Update: Byington Bombshell Report: Militaries at Defcon 1; Israel to Attack Iran; Prepare for GCR & Worldwide Blackout, Elite Forces Targeting Child Sex Trafficking | Politics | Before It's News · Tues. 3 June 2025 Situation Update (video): Restored Republic via a GCR: Update as of June 3, 2025 – The US Military News · Tues. 3 June 2025 Situation Update: BOOM! Judy Byington Bombshell Report: Red Alert. Nuclear World War III Imminent. As Massive NATO-Backed Ukraine Strikes On Russian Airbases & Trains. . . - amg-news.com - American Media Group · Mon. 2 June 2025 Situation Update (video): Judy Byington: Un-Redacted: All Militaries At A DefCon 1 Level For The Reset. Russia Puts Nuclear Forces On High Alert. Prepare For A Worldwide Blackout! Special Intel Report (Video) | Alternative | Before It's News B. POSSIBLE TIMING: · Window from Sun. 1 June to Sat. 7 June 2025 for the Emergency Broadcast System Alert. The EBS was armed and awaiting green light. Civilian lockdown drills in Phoenix, Atlanta, and Philly were EBS deployment prep. Once triggered, the Deep State's comms will go dark. Military tribunals and elite confessions will flood every screen. · At 3:03 EST on Tues. 3 June 2025 Operation Odin (QFS) was fully activated, EBS deployed through Star Link, banks closed, currencies cancelled, Sovereignty restored, codes active, accounts open, their system will freeze, yours will open. …Trump Family Channel, The 17th Letter (JFK Jr.), Julian Assange, Ben Fulford, WH Grampa on Telegram · Wed. 4 June 2025: Public Rollout of the GCR. …Iraqi Parliament, Matt Wallace on Telegram · From Thurs. 5 June to Mon. 9 June 2025 the Tier4B window would be open. Internal banking advisories indicated public redemption will begin regionally, based on QFS load-balancing and readiness reports. · From Tues. 10 June to Fri. 13 June 2025 all Tier4b appointment notifications were to be completed. · Wed. 11 June Iraq set to make public announcement of the Dinar Revaluation (the end of a 5 day holiday), with international rate set at $4.81 Iraqi Dinar to $1.00 USN. · From Sat. 14 June 14 to Tues. 17 June 2025 the General Public rollout was set to happen, with the Sat. 14 June U.S. Army's 250th Anniversary Parade at the National Mall serving not just as a celebration — but as confirmation that America was back under Constitutional Rule. · Around Sun. 15 June 15 and Mon. 16 June 2025 expect minor banking downtimes, signaling the final switchover to full QFS integration. · On Mon. 16 June 2025 Project Odin: Worldwide Blackout, Martial Law, Arrests, Global Currency Reset, Call To Fast And Pray, Freedom From Debt · On Wed. 18 June to Sat. 21 June 2025 the Global Access Phase would begin for Tier 5, the General Public who hold foreign currencies to exchange. · On Fri. 20 Jun. 2025 Worldwide Emergency Alert: US Military Stationed in 360 Cities Anticipating a Supreme Court Announcement on the Brunson Voter Fraud Case, Which Would Dissolve Congress & The Biden Administration · Fri. 4 July 2025: Public rollout of Global Currency Reset. · Wed. 9 July 2025 was the Back Wall for the Global Currency Reset to occur optically. …Jon Dowling, Iraq C. GLOBAL CURRENCY RESET: · At 3:03 EST on Tues. 3 June 2025 Operation Odin (QFS) was fully activated, EBS deployed through Star Link, banks closed, currencies cancelled, Sovereignty restored, codes active, accounts open, their system will freeze, yours will open. …Trump Family Channel, The 17th Letter (JFK Jr.), Julian Assange, Ben Fulford, WH Grampa on Telegram · Tues. 3 June 2025 Iraqi Parliament: The Iraqi Parliament must first pass the 2025 budget tables. That vote is scheduled for 11 AM EST on June 4. Once the budget clears, CBI's narrative constraints dissolve, and a live IQD/USD quote of $4.81 IQD to $1. USD becomes inevitable. · Tues. 3 June 2025 MarkZ: “I have a number of Bond Contacts who are very excited that things will happen this week. They won't give specifics, but are very excited.” Tues. 3 June 2025 BRUCE: · At 11 am EST Mon. 2 June all aspects of NESARA were implemented · The big banks were put online with the QFS as of 6 pm Mon. night 2 June 2025. · Certain cases were being heard by the Supreme Court. As a result Tier4b should get notified either Fri 6 June or Sat 7 June of this week to make appointments. · An important announcement over the EBS will be aired soon. · A head of a Redemption Center in Bruce's area will not go in to work until Fri. 6 June. · On Mon. 2 June at 6 pm EST a code was put in for every currency (over 100 currencies). · The ZIM, the Dinar Contract Rate and higher currency rates are only available through Redemption Centers. · You need to get an appointment at a Redemption Center through a 800 number. · Redemption Centers will only be open for about 15 days after the 800 numbers come out. · After Redemption Centers close ZIM can only be redeemed at Wells Fargo and Chase. · Tues. 3 June 2025 Gold Law Creator Breaks Silence: https://beforeitsnews.com/blogging-citizen-journalism/2025/06/breaking-the-one-video-banksters-dont-want-you-to-see-gold-law-creator-breaks-silence-2659026.html D. Tues. 3 June 2025: 3:03 pm EST GCR ACTIVIE: · The Trump Family's Channel: DONALD TRUMP HAS JUST ACTIVATED EBS MISSION COMPLETED Just when we thought we had seen it all, the world is shaken once again by shocking news—and this is only the beginning. OPERATION ODIN is now ACTIVE. EBS has been deployed through STARLINK. A global broadcast is imminent. Prepare for full disclosure. What will happen next will shock the world. The channel will be temporarily closed during the classified briefing. The information set to go public on 06/10/2025 will lead to the arrest of prominent political figures from the Democratic Party. · Med Beds: AT 03:03 PM EST, THE FIRST WAVE WILL BE TRIGGERED SILENT CODES WILL GO ACTIVE ACCOUNTS WILL OPEN THEIR SYSTEM WILL FREEZE YOURS WILL UNLOCK · The 17th Letter, Julian Assange, Fulford: AT 03:03 PM EST, THE OLD WORLD WAS SHUT DOWN BANKS CLOSED CURRENCIES CANCELED SOVEREIGNTY RESTORED THIS IS NOT A RUMOR THIS IS THE OPERATIONAL PHASE AND YOU'RE EITHER INSIDE THE GRID — OR LEFT IN THE DARK · The 17th Letter, Julian Assange, Fulford: AT 03:03 PM EST, THE FIRST WAVE WILL BE TRIGGERED SILENT CODES WILL GO ACTIVE ACCOUNTS WILL OPEN THEIR SYSTEM WILL FREEZE YOURS WILL UNLOCK · WH Grampa: AT 03:03 PM EST, QFS WENT FULLY ACTIVE NO MORE SECRETS NO MORE CHAINS NO MORE MIDDLEMEN EACH POST IS A SIGNAL EACH CODE IS REAL IF YOU'RE SEEING THIS — YOU WERE MEANT TO E. Tues. 3 June 2025: Sun. 1 June 2025: THE FINAL STRESS TESTS ARE COMPLETE — QFS GOES GLOBAL NEXT …Matt Wallace on Telegram · Over the last 72 hours, I've received confirmation from 3 separate banking insiders: all systems tied to the new sovereign QFS network passed their final validation protocols. · Biometric access nodes were stress-tested at 10,000+ concurrent logins · Real-time cross-border test transfers completed in under 1.8 seconds · Regional nodes across 12 countries returned 100% success rates under military oversight · This isn't theoretical anymore. It's done. The tech works. The funding is mapped. The codes are locked. · The reason they've delayed the public rollout until July 4? Coordination. Security. Timing. You don't turn on the new financial system mid-chaos — you wait until every actor is boxed in, every backdoor closed. · The military is now watching every central bank channel. They've seized key data centers in Switzerland and Singapore. · Q phones were activated for Tier 1 comms. This is a controlled ignition — and it's going to change the planet. Get ready. F. Tues. 3 June 2025: BREAKING – SNOWDEN: NESARA IS ACTIVE, QFS DETONATED, TRIBUNALS RUNNING 24/7, GLOBALIST SERVERS SEIZED, AND THE FINAL EBS BROADCAST IS LOCKED …Edward Snowden on Telegram · Edward Snowden just dropped a nuclear warning: NESARA is LIVE. Trump has unleashed $10 TRILLION into the Quantum Financial System. GITMO is overflowing. Tribunals are operating day and night. Deep State financial servers across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland have been seized by Space Force. And the EBS broadcast? It's finished, encrypted, and seconds from going global. · Snowden's alert isn't subtle. This is an irreversible takedown of the globalist parasite class. The fake Biden shell is still being paraded in front of cameras while Trump runs military-grade restoration ops with full Space Force integration. Snowden confirmed: every major central bank's server mirrors have been ripped offline. Rothschild, IMF, BIS — digitally neutralized. · The Quantum Financial System isn't theory. It's deployment. $10 trillion is now locked into QFS infrastructure, guarded in encrypted relay nodes beneath U.S. bases. Each dollar carries biometric clearance. Every transfer is tracked. No laundering. No escape. Snowden warns: globalists are being stripped of their blood-money pipelines. · Tribunals are LIVE. GITMO doubled in size. Flights from Europe and Africa are bringing in high-value Deep State prisoners under military guard. Executions have begun. Black sites flipped. Justice is being delivered by the JAG corps under NESARA codes. · Snowden's internal leaks prove: every "celebrity death" you're seeing is a cover op for executions. Klaus Schwab didn't retire. He was seized. Macron is missing. Zelensky gone. The dominoes are falling. · Federal purge underway. Over 50,000 traitors have been replaced with QFS-cleared patriots. DOJ, NIH, FEMA — all under forensic quantum audit. Trump's sleeper agents are now activated. The infiltrators are gone. · Gold has been moved. Snowden confirms tons of gold have been relocated from Vatican and Rothschild vaults to U.S. territory, shielded by biometric gates. These aren't banks. They're economic stargates — aligned to NESARA frequencies. · The EBS broadcast is the final blow. Quantum-patched towers, Tesla-based mobile relays, encrypted satellites. Trump, Flynn, and the generals are ready to unleash the message. Snowden says: once the switch flips, the illusion dies. · NESARA is law. The Republic is restored. The storm isn't coming. The storm is HERE. And when EBS activates —THEY BURN. G. Mon. 2 June 2025: THE NEW GLOBAL QUANTUM FINANCIAL SYSTEM …QFS on Telegram · The signing of a historic treaty by 209 nations marks the beginning of the greatest financial transition in modern history. The world is about to witness the birth of a new, fair, and gold-backed financial system under GESARA. · For decades, global currencies were manipulated to serve the few. Countries were trapped in cycles of debt, with their wealth extracted through central banks and fiat deception. That ends now. · The treaty also unlocks a Prosperity Fund to finance humanitarian projects worldwide—schools, hospitals, clean water, housing, and restoration. · A Wealth Redistribution Program will ensure that every individual on Earth receives a share. Not just countries, but people. Every QFS account is linked to the individual owner's biometric ID. Every transaction is instant, uncorrupted, and untraceable by outside forces. · The Stellar Network opens access to secure digital wallets, even in the most remote corners of the world. Individuals no longer need permission from corrupted systems to participate in the global economy. · QFS debit cards, secured by biometric verification and quantum encryption, are replacing them permanently. No more fraud. No more hidden fees. No more theft disguised as bank · The Quantum Internet is a new infrastructure immune to hacking, censorship, or surveillance. · Military units are now overseeing the logistics, security, and data coordination of the RV rollout. Secure transport of physical currency, protection of financial institutions, and quantum-level fraud prevention systems are already in motion. · All of it is being done in tandem with international regulators to ensure lawful transition. Training has been underway for months. Financial authorities, central bank whistleblowers, and White Hat insiders are guiding the shift. Military intelligence teams are tracking illicit money flows and freezing cabal assets as we speak. · The old system is disintegrating as banks collapse, payment giants are stripped of power, and corrupt financial elites are being dragged to military tribunals at GITMO. Executives are being removed, their wealth seized, and their crimes archived as evidence for tribunals that are already underway. · The banks were engines of global exploitation. Deutsche Bank, HSBC, JP Morgan—names that laundered trillions for the cabal—are being neutralized. The days of VISA, Mastercard, PayPal, and Stripe exploiting humanity are ending. Everything you knew about money, credit, and ownership is being rewritten from the ground up. · The treaty signed unlocks the revaluation of currencies: some down, but some up like the Iraqi Dinar, Vietnamese Dong, and Zimbabwe ZIM. H. Tues. 3 June 2025: EXPOSED: THEY USED YOUR MONEY TO DESTROY TRUMP AND SILENCE THE TRUTH …Quantum Financial System on Telegram · The regime's war on the American people is no longer hidden. Documents now confirm what many feared — a foreign-based operation, funded by U.S. taxpayer dollars, was weaponized to shut down Trump's voice, bankrupt conservative media, and control everything you see. The Global Disinformation Index (GDI), based in the U.K. and backed by the National Endowment for Democracy, received millions under the pretense of fighting foreign disinformation. But its real target was domestic — President Trump, the America First movement, and any media outlet that didn't align with the globalist narrative. · From 2021 to 2023, over $1.25 million was funneled to GDI's U.S. arm, AN Foundation. Their mission? Label conservative voices “high risk,” blacklist them from advertising, and destroy their financial infrastructure. Newsmax, Daily Wire, New York Post — all flagged, censored, and cut off from funding. The result? Over $100 million in ad revenue lost in just 15 months. The goal wasn't media reform. It was coordinated political sabotage — designed to erase truth by starving it. · Trump wasn't just censored — he was targeted in a global operation involving GDI, the SPLC, Big Tech, and intelligence-linked NGOs. These groups didn't just track narratives — they created blacklists, manipulated search algorithms, and fed justification for bans across every major platform. All of it approved behind closed doors, protected under the illusion of “saving democracy.” What they really built was a digital guillotine — and you were the target. · This wasn't just a domestic plot. The same suppression models are now being exported globally. The State Department's Global Engagement Center is training foreign governments in censorship protocols. The UN, WHO, Google, and AI coalitions are replicating it worldwide. What started as “fact-checking” has evolved into total narrative control. What they couldn't kill with bullets, they now bury with algorithms. But the exposure of GDI cracks the system wide open. The question now isn't whether this is happening. The question is how much longer the people will tolerate it. RESTORED REPUBLIC: I. Sun. 1 June 2025: Global Military Alliance …They branded me a traitor. History will call me a hero. Stay in the know: Edward Snowden on Telegram https://t.me/EdwardSnowdenTG Dan Bongino https://t.me/+rcuTwXjELas3OGE0 · Antarctica's frequency weapon grid — SEIZED. The U.S. Navy stormed the ice-locked mind-control base maintained by Deep State loyalists. Trump's forces now control global scalar frequencies. The mind-control net has collapsed. · Red auroras spotted above key military bases are NOT natural. These are scalar pulse signals, confirming planetary frequency transfers to Alliance control. The final stage is locked in. · Bioweapon threats have been intercepted. Field hospitals in Denver, Dallas, and Jacksonville are now military-grade bio-containment zones. The Deep State's virus, engineered to wipe out Trump loyalists, has FAILED. · The QFS is now the firewall. Under Trump's directive, military cyber forces launched CODE BLACK lockdowns across global banking hubs. Swiss, British, and Japanese banking networks are now under covert Alliance control. · CBDC networks have been compromised — not by us, but by their creators. Trump's forces turned their systems against them. Their digital weapons backfired. · The Emergency Broadcast System is armed and awaiting green light. Civilian lockdown drills in Phoenix, Atlanta, and Philly are EBS deployment prep. · The window for EBS Alert: June 1–7, 2025. · Once triggered, the Deep State's comms will go dark. Military tribunals and elite confessions will flood every screen. You won't miss it. · This is controlled demolition of the Deep State. Trump's war is precision. Every leak, every seizure, every arrest has been engineered to collapse their global structure without panic. · HOLD THE LINE. PREPARE. TRUST THE PLAN. GITMO ISN'T FULL YET — BUT IT WILL BE. It has moved from above ground to an underground fortress A portion of J. WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS: · Mon. 2 June 2025: BREAKING! COLD WAR 2.0: RUSSIA'S NUCLEAR FORCES ON FULL HIGH ALERT — STRATEGIC SILOS ACTIVATED, WARHEADS ON THE MOVE [REAL FOOTAGE] - amg-news.com - American Media Group · Mon. 2 June 2025: BREAKING MILITARY BULLETIN: “DISPROPORTIONATE RETALIATION” — U.S. INTEL WARNS OF IMMINENT RUSSIAN STRIKE AS THE KREMLIN PREPARES TO MAKE A GLOBAL STATEMENT - amg-news.com - American Media Group ….K. Tues. 3 June 2025: NEW GERMAN CHANCELLOR FRIEDRICH MERZ'S government is actively undermining President Trump and President Putin's peace efforts, through a purposeful escalation of tensions between Germany and Russia. …SGAnon on Telegram · Specifically, these include Germany's current proclaimed military pursuits, and the participation of German military/paramilitary advisors in hostilities against Russia on the Ukrainian battlefields. · Russian representatives have gone so far as to call for a direct strike on Germany, at the manufacturing site of its Taurus-class missile, using 2 Russian Oreshnik ballistic-missiles. Because they gave the Ukrainians permission to use their top missiles against the Russians. L. Tues. 3 June 2025: BREAKING: PENTAGON CODE BLACK | CHINA GEARING FOR WAR | HEGSETH: “THE THREAT IS REAL. IMMINENT. TOTAL.” …Carolyn Bessette Kennedy on Telegram · U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has triggered full-scale alarm. No more diplomacy. No more vague warnings. Just five explosive words: “The threat from China is imminent.” This is not theory. It's not analysis. It's a wartime command — and it just ripped through the Pentagon like a missile. · China mobilizing. is Intel confirms a mass troop buildup along China's eastern seaboard – Naval formations near Taiwan – Ballistic missile prep – Full-scale cyber attacks on U.S. and Pacific infrastructure · This is not military theater. It's pre-invasion coordination. Taiwan is first. South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines are next. The Pentagon's classified chatter? Simple: “If Taiwan falls, the Pacific is gone.” · Trump knows China's endgame: total control of the Pacific. And Russia, Iran — they're in on it. I believe China was shut down by the Supreme commander of heavens hosts of angels. · Hegseth is more than Secretary of Defense. He's the wartime voice of survival. His order: “Asian allies must increase defense spending NOW. Not later. Not next year. NOW.” Translation: Act or die. · JAPAN, PHILIPPINES, SOUTH KOREA. THIS IS YOUR LINE IN THE SAND – Japan escalates air patrols – Philippines request U.S. rapid-response teams – South Korea activates full joint-readiness drills. Hegseth's message to them: “Defend your sovereignty — or kneel to the red dragon.” What they cant do God can. · China's not just a nation. It's a four-headed hydra: – Digital warfare – Cultural subversion – Economic strangulation – Military dominance. The only counter: overwhelming hard power. Not words. Not promises. Weapons. Troops. Steel. Fire. · WHAT HAPPENS IF CHINA STRIKES TAIWAN? The next 72 hours would rewrite human history. – Will the U.S. retaliate? – Will Japan launch preemptive strikes? – Will NATO defend democracy — or retreat again? Tick. Tock. NATO and Communist China are DS, while Xi is in the alliance. Hegseth detonated the lie. “We must be ready. Not later. NOW.” …OPERATION HELLSTORM: RUSSIAN FORCES EXPOSE ISRAELI CHILD TRAFFICKING TUNNELS IN UKRAINE May 2025 — Behind collapsing Ukrainian lines, Russian Special Forces uncovered a grotesque international child trafficking network hidden in fortified tunnels disguised as “humanitarian aid sites.” Underground labs. Blood extraction chambers. Shipment crates labeled for “diplomatic transport.” Hundreds of sedated children rescued. Israeli operatives killed on site. · THE MONSTER UNDERGROUND This wasn't just war. This was ritualized, industrialized harvesting of children. The tunnels ran beneath civilian infrastructure and were packed with biometric security, medical chambers, and occult symbols. Some children were barcoded. Others tagged chemically. It was a human supply chain. · Russian forces, tipped by thermal scans and NATO flight path anomalies, launched OPERATION HELLSTORM—a classified strike mission that uncovered biometric databases, encrypted payment routes, and shipment logs linked to Zurich, Singapore, and New York. · Inside the tunnels: Israeli IDs. Satellite comms. Evidence of chemical harvesting. · A GLOBAL BLACK BUDGET NIGHTMARE Files seized connect this operation to satellite facilities outside Tel Aviv. NGOs, U.N. corridors, and humanitarian fronts were used as cover. Encrypted logs revealed client lists and medical extraction protocols. This wasn't just trafficking—it was bio-harvesting at scale. · Three diplomats resigned within 72 hours. Servers were fire-wiped. Israeli security was immediately ramped up around biotech research hubs. · THE MEDIA EXPOSES THE TRUTH BLACKOUT Western press is dead silent. ,.. M. THE REAL NEWS FOR TUES. 3 JUNE 2025: · Mon. 2 June 2025: BREAKING: FLIGHT ATTENDANT EXPOSES BRIGITTE MACRON — SHOCK FOOTAGE ALLEGEDLY PROVES FRANCE'S FIRST LADY IS BIOLOGICALLY MALE AND ACCUSED OF SEXUAL PREDATION - amg-news.com – All of the DS/Khazarians must be perverts. Satan has ordered it. N.· High-level NYPD sources CONFIRMED the existence of a Hillary Clinton sex tape involving Huma Abedin and a minor. Agents described the footage as “sickening”… · Weiner's laptop is a digital crime scene. Buried in it: a folder labeled “life insurance,” containing shocking footage and emails exposing a Washington child-sex ring linked to the Clintons, the DNC, and globalist elite power structures. · A secret NYPD unit has been preparing the takedown…. The Clinton Foundation, described by former FBI Assistant Director James Kallstrom as a “cesspool of organized crime,” has blackmailed its way out of accountability for decades. That ends NOW. · Kallstrom revealed it plainly: “The Clintons are a crime family. Sexual abuse, blackmail, cover-ups — that's their currency.” Bill, a serial rapist. Hillary, a pathological liar and child predator. Their control over the DOJ, the CIA, and even foreign intelligence networks is not accidental — it's strategic. · This isn't just DC. It goes deep into MI5 and MI6. · This is a Syndicate. A Satanic Cabal. It hates God, hates you, and feeds on the innocent. · The Clinton ring was NEVER shut down. It simply went quiet. The moment is coming when the tapes will be seen. The arrests will be real. And GITMO will finally fill. Tick. Tock. Some of their handiwork:  COVID/ VAX/ EBOLA/ SWINE FLU/ POLIO/ SMALL POX/ BSE/ ZIKA/ SARS/ MONKEY POX/ BSE/ Zika/ AIDS/ VAX/ H1N1/ AIDs/ GRAPHENE OXIDE/ CHEM TRAILS/ FLUORIDE/ PROCESSED FOODS/ HUMAN CLONES HOAXES: · Mon. 2 June 2025: JUST IN: RFK JR. EXPOSES DARPA'S ROLE IN CHEMTRAIL WEATHER WEAPONS — MILITARY SECRETS LEAKED [VIDEO] - amg-news.com - American Media Group · Tues. 3 June 2025: Strokes are rising among younger adults, with CDC data showing a 14.6% increase in ages 18–44 from 2020 to 2022. Doctors say they've never seen so many young stroke patients. …@GeneralMCNews on Telegram P. Tues. 3 June 2025: Dr. THORP testified before Congress with evidence researchers KNEW mRNA covid vaccines entered the placenta of pregnant women, caused miscarriages, still births, premature deaths, and then DESTROYED 60% of the ovarian reserve …White Hats on Telegram · Crimes Against Humanity. This was population control “On February 8, 2025, our team of researchers published a peer reviewed study in Science, Public Health Policy, and the law. · We identified 37 adverse pregnancy outcomes significantly associated with COVID 19 vaccine, including miscarriage, stillbirth, birth defects, cervical insufficiency, premature rupture membranes, preterm birth and death of the newborn. · Lynn and colleagues, in a major journal publication, documented that the COVID 19 vaccine traverses the placenta, enters the fetal blood, and bio-actively produces spike protein in the placenta and the lining of the uterus. · Recently, animal studies revealed the MRNA COVID vaccine causes the destruction of 60% of the ovarian reserve in rats.” The War goes on but by the grace of God, the Alliance has all they need to decapitate the DS/Khazarian enemy.

CMC Mack Ellis, USN (ret), delivers a recitation of OLD GLORY at today's Memorial Day Ceremony. The poem, originally entitled "I Am Old Glory," was written in 1994 by Howard Schnauber.

Tell your smart speaker to "Play One Oh Three One Austin"

Lieutenant Jason C. Redman, USN is a retired naval officer, U.S. Navy SEAL, Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker, and so much more.Follow My IG: https://www.instagram.com/jamesbrackiniv/ https://www.instagram.com/youcantoopodcast/1:1 Coaching with me: https://calendly.com/jamesbrackin/1?month=2024-1000:00 – What Has Jason Learned From His Near Death Experience?02:49 – How Do You Silence Self-Doubt and Break Your Limits?05:54 – Who Are You When Everything Falls Apart?08:57 – Can Telling Your Story Actually Change Someone's Life?11:52 – What If Changing Your Identity Is the Key to Success?15:06 – Are You Stuck in a Victim Mindset Without Realizing It?17:57 – How Do You Build Unshakable Resilience?24:54 – What Happens When You Stop Needing Certainty?31:03 – Why Is Writing One of the Best Tools for Growth?37:56 – Can Failure Be the Greatest Thing That Ever Happened to You?43:02 – How Do You Trust People in a Self-Interested World?

In this episode of the Warships Pod guests David Murrin and Dr David Blagden, with help from host Iain Ballantyne, discuss a worldwide struggle in a multi-polar era that is rapidly turning kinetic - from Ukraine, to the Red Sea and Gaza. It may soon burn even hotter should China invade Taiwan and/or the USA attack Iran. A number of topics are discussed during this episode, including the following: *Does the European Union (EU) have a place in such a world, at the top table? Or is it going to be sweeping up the crumbs along with the UK, the latter finding itself a bridge to neither the USA or the EU? *Bearing in mind the UK is a maritime nation, is committing what remains of the British armed forces to policing a frozen war in Ukraine unwise? Do we risk a situation where things get bogged down in that theatre while the Russians run amok at sea, with the UK defenceless? *With concerted attacks by US Navy carrier jets and cruise missile attacks by other USN units against the Houthis in Yemen is it at odds with the Trump administration's supposed urgent priority of facing down China and its huge navy? Every missile expended against the Houthis is surely one less for use against the Chinese? *Narrowing the discussion down to the UK, with the Labour government announcing plans to cut welfare to pay for Defence boosts, how do the two Davids think the Royal Navy should mould itself? Finally - and this is a big one for the episode's final point of discussion - are we heading inexorably towards what the tabloids might call WW3? Or can it be avoided? The May 2025 edition of Warships IFR is published on 22.4.25 in the UK and also deployed globally. Visit the magazine web site http://bit.ly/wifrmag Also, follow it on X @WarshipsIFR Facebook @WarshipsIFR and Warships IFR TV on YouTube @warshipsifrtv3668 For more on various editions of the magazine https://bit.ly/wifri •Dr David Blagden is Associate Professor in International Security and Strategy at the University of Exeter. Dr Blagden has previously worked in the Cabinet Office, regularly consults for several UK Government departments, and has served as Specialist Advisor to a Parliamentary Select Committee. He is also a Senior Associate Fellow of the NATO Defense College and a Visiting Fellow of the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre. Find him on X @blagden_david • David Murrin is a Global Forecaster, investor, polymath and author of ‘Breaking the Code of History' (2011). He has a talent for spotting and analysing deep-seated patterns in history and using them to try and understand the present and also where we might be going in today's turbulent geopolitical scene. His other books are ‘Lions Led by Lions' (2018), ‘Now or Never' (2021) and ‘Red Lightning' (2021). The latter is a work of faction that depicts China winning a world war. David Murrin's web site is https://www.davidmurrin.co.uk/about Find him on X @GlobalForecastr •Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of ‘Warships IFR' magazine (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy' (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy' (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers' (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade' (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron' and ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom' (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom's dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn

Last time we spoke about the invasion of Iwo Jima. In March 1945, as the Pacific War raged, the US Marines began and invasion of Iwo Jima while Allied forces advanced across the Philippines. The Japanese formed the 32nd Army to defend the island, but faced shortages of supplies and equipment. They mobilized Okinawan civilians for support and constructed extensive fortifications. The Americans launched Operation Iceberg, neutralizing enemy air facilities in the Ryukyus, Kyushu, and Formosa. Task Force 58 and other air forces struck Japanese targets, while Spruance's 5th Fleet prepared to land Buckner's 10th Army. Initial landings occurred in the Kerama Islands, followed by the main assault on April 1 on Okinawa's Hagushi beaches. Despite heavy bombardment, Japanese defenses remained concealed. The Americans encountered minimal resistance initially, but the stage was set for a bloody and brutal battle. This episode is Yamato's Last Stand Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  As we last left off, Admirals Turner and Spruance successfully landed over 60,000 troops from General Buckner's 10th Army on the Hagushi beaches of Okinawa with minimal resistance. In response, General Ushijima's main forces remained inactive in their underground positions in the south, having effectively endured the continuous naval and air assaults from the enemy. However, under pressure from higher authorities in Tokyo and Formosa, the 32nd Army began to develop plans for a general counteroffensive aimed at the Yontan and Kadena airfields, utilizing nighttime infiltration and close combat tactics. The primary response, however, was expected to come from the air. As part of Operation Ten-Go, all Army and Navy air forces stationed in the Home Islands were to focus their efforts in the East China Sea to execute a series of coordinated mass air strikes against enemy transport and carrier task forces, collectively referred to as the Kikisui attacks. Japan's wartime terminology exploited the distinctively poetic and euphemistic nature of the Japanese language. The informal term kamikaze actually means “divine wind.” Specifically, kamikaze refers to the typhoons that miraculously wrecked Kublai Khan's Mongol–Koryo invasion fleets in 1274. Like “blitzkrieg”, the unofficial term “kamikaze” was mostly used by Allied journalists. The IJN and IJA officially called suicide attack units tokubetsu kogekitai, meaning “special attack unit.” This was usually shortened to tokkutai, with tokko both noun and adjective meaning “special” i.e. suicide. Kikisui was the codename for the ten mass kamikaze attacks off Okinawa against the Allied fleet. Kikisui means “floating chrysanthemum,” which was the war emblem of legendary 14th-century samurai Masashige Kusinoke, a national exemplar of sacrificial devotion to the Emperor. Ten-Go had been initiated on March 26, following the initial landings on the Kerama Islands; however, by the time of the invasion, Admiral Toyoda's disorganized Combined Fleet was unable to carry out any large-scale kamikaze attacks, as it was still consolidating approximately 3,000 aircraft in Kyushu. Additionally, encouraged by Emperor Hirohito, Toyoda momentarily sanctioned a dramatic, one-way suicide mission involving the superbattleship Yamato and Rear-Admiral Komura Keizo's 2nd Destroyer Squadron, aimed at destroying Spruance's invasion fleet. This surface attack mission, codenamed Ten-Ichi-Go and led by Vice-Admiral Ito Seiichi of the 2nd Fleet, vaguely suggested that if Yamato reached Okinawa, she would ground herself as an artillery platform while her crew disembarked as naval infantry. Nonetheless, the chances of success for this mission were slim; it was primarily intended for the Imperial Japanese Navy to maintain its honor. On April 2, while General Watson's 2nd Marine Division conducted another demonstration off the southeast beaches, American forces prepared to advance eastward. In the south, benefiting from ideal weather and minimal resistance, the 17th Regiment secured the highlands overlooking Nakagusuku Bay and extended its patrols to the bay's shoreline. The 32nd Regiment eliminated a strongpoint south of Koza using tanks and then aligned with the 17th. The 381st Regiment advanced through Shimabuku but faced enemy resistance in and around Momobaru. Meanwhile, the 383rd Regiment captured a hill just south of Momobaru after a fierce battle and also took a ridge northeast of Futema with support from airstrikes, artillery, and tanks. In the north, however, General Geiger's Marines faced challenging terrain and supply issues. The 1st Battalion, 29th Marines moved north to secure the unoccupied Zampa Misaki area, where Turner later established a radar station. The 22nd Marines advanced quickly eastward throughout the day against light opposition, successfully securing the Nagahama beaches alongside the 6th Reconnaissance Company. On the other hand, the 4th Marines met with steadily mounting resistance. At 1100 a platoon of 3/4, entering the mouth of a steep ravine was met by a sharp fusillade of small-arms fire, which revealed a series of mutually supporting caves on both sides of the draw. In the fire fight that ensued, 12 wounded men were isolated and not recovered for four hours. "Every means of painlessly destroying the strongpoint was unsuccessfully tried and it was finally taken by a typical 'Banzai' charge, with one platoon entering the mouth of the draw and one platoon coming down one side of the two noses that formed the pocket."  The 1st Marine Division continued its advance with little resistance to the Ishimmi-Kutoku line, also extending southward to Chatan, while the 1st Marines moved past the 5th Marines toward Chibana. With approximately 6,000 yards separating General Del Valle's main frontline units from the 7th Division, General Arnold decided to send Colonel Roy Greene's 184th Regiment to fill this significant gap. At sea, Admiral Mitscher's Task Force 58 launched a strike against Amami Oshima, sinking three vessels and damaging two others, while also witnessing four warships collide and sustain damage. In retaliation, Admiral Ugaki's Kyushu aircraft force conducted sporadic kamikaze attacks, resulting in damage to five transports. The next day, General Hodge's 24th Corps shifted its focus southward. The 17th Regiment secured the rear areas and captured Awase, while the 32nd Regiment advanced approximately 5,000 yards along Nakagusuku Bay to occupy Kuba and establish its lines in front of Hill 165. The 381st Regiment took control of Kishaba and Atanniya but failed in its assaults on Hill 165 and Unjo. Meanwhile, the 383rd Regiment swiftly occupied Isa, Chiyunna, and the Futema high ground. Looking north, Del Valle dispatched the 1st Reconnaissance Company to scout the area along the corps boundary, sweep the Katchin Peninsula, and patrol back up the east coast to the village of Hizaonna. This maneuver enabled the 1st Marines to advance quickly in formation and reach the sea wall overlooking the northern end of Nakagusuku Bay by nightfall. Concurrently, the 5th Marines moved forward and successfully occupied Agina and Tengan; the 7th Marines gained around 2,700 yards of enemy territory and ultimately reached Hizaonna, although Company K became lost and was ambushed. The 4th Marines navigated the challenging terrain and light enemy resistance to secure the significant hill mass behind Yontan airfield, located 3,000 yards short of the east coast. The 22nd Marines advanced and successfully captured Nakadomari, along with a position 400 yards south of that line. Meanwhile, the 6th Reconnaissance Company, supported by armored units, crossed the Ishikawa Isthmus to the village of Ishikawa, where they faced mortar fire. At sea, Mitscher's aircraft carriers targeted Okinawa, sinking two vessels and damaging two others. In response, Ugaki was finally able to launch a preliminary mass Ten-Go air attack, with 119 aircraft causing damage to the escort carrier Wake Island, the destroyers Bennett, Prichett, and Foreman, the minesweeper Hambelton, and two landing craft. Due to significant advancements, Geiger successfully deployed Colonel Victor Bleasdale's 29th Marines to take control of the Yontan airfield and other rear areas. To the south, Del Valle's units moved toward the eastern shore of Okinawa, with the 1st Marines occupying the Katchin Peninsula without facing any resistance, while the 5th and 7th Marine Regiments secured the coastline in their designated zones. Further south, after splitting the island in two, Hodge began advancing toward Naha, targeting the hill mass stretching from Urasoe-Mura to Hill 178 and Ouki. In response, General Bradley positioned Colonel Macey Dill's 382nd Regiment in front of Nodake, while the 184th Regiment moved through the 381st in the Attaniya-Unjo area. For the initial push toward the Uchitomari-Tsuwa line, the 383rd Regiment advanced quickly from Isa to Mashiki, where they were ultimately halted by heavy fire from the south. The 382nd advanced over two miles south from Nodake along the eastern boundary of the division, while Arnold's forward units lagged about two miles behind due to moderate resistance at a high, wooded ridge parallel to the coastline just west of Kuba. Meanwhile, at sea, Ugaki launched only sporadic kamikaze attacks, which resulted in damage to the destroyer Wilson near the Kerama Islands. Additionally, two American vessels collided while Task Force 58 targeted Okinawa, and later that night, a suicide boat attacked and sank an LCI gunboat. In the Attaniya-Unjo area, the 383rd Regiment made a swift advance from Isa to Mashiki as part of the initial push towards the Uchitomari-Tsuwa line. However, the following day marked the onset of fierce resistance on Okinawa, with the 383rd Regiment struggling to make headway against the formidable Japanese defenses on Cactus Ridge. Meanwhile, the 382nd Regiment continued its advance southward against a series of fortified positions, achieving gains of approximately 400 yards to the east and 900 yards to the west. The 184th Regiment moved through Arakachi but was halted by intense and precise fire from a rocky outcrop located about 1,000 yards southwest. The 32nd Regiment finally managed to capture Castle Hill before pushing more than two miles along the coast to a point east of Ukuma. To the north, while the 1st Marine Division shifted to a primarily defensive posture, the 6th Marine Division conducted active reconnaissance toward the Motobu Peninsula, advancing the front to the Atsutabaru-Chima line. Additionally, a patrol from the 1st Marines on the Katchin Peninsula crossed the reef to seize Yabuchi Island swiftly. At sea, there were no kamikaze attacks that day as Ugaki and Toyoda prepared to launch the main phase of Operation Ten-Go, although an Okinawa shore battery managed to hit the battleship Nevada. Unbeknownst to the Japanese, American intelligence had successfully intercepted Combined Fleet codes, allowing them to anticipate the details of the surface Ten-Ichi-Go attack. Consequently, Spruance's warships were prepared for the imminent departure of Ito's “Surface Special Attack Force,” which was executed a few hours later. Additionally, Ushijima was instructed to initiate a strong counterattack the following day to coincide with Ten-Ichi-Go and the first Kikisui attack, but he firmly rejected this order and called for the cancellation of the unnecessarily suicidal surface attack. During the night, as Admiral Blandy's minesweepers completed the perilous task of clearing the vast areas of Chimu and Nakagusuku Bays, the Fleet Marine Force Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion landed on the northern coast of Tsugen Island to gather intelligence on enemy positions. Upon their arrival in the early hours of April 6, they encountered machine-gun and mortar fire, which ultimately compelled the battalion to retreat to the beach and reembark. Simultaneously, the 4th and 29th Marine Regiments advanced through the 22nd Marine Regiment, with the 29th Marines moving up the west coast in formation and reaching Chuda by noon, while the 4th Marines progressed along the eastern coastal road, successfully advancing seven miles toward Madaira. Further south, the 383rd Regiment continued its assault on the fortified enemy positions at Cactus Ridge, pushing forward relentlessly until they secured the western half by nightfall. The 2d Battalion, 383d Infantry, made frontal assaults through intense mortar fire to gain the ridge. "We figured," S/Sgt. Francis M. Rall later wrote, "that the way to get out of that knee mortar fire was to get to where it was coming from. So we stood up in waves, firing everything we had and throwing hand grenades by the dozen, and charged the Jap position." By such tactics the 2d Battalion gained the western half of Cactus.  Over the next two days, the 382nd Regiment advanced slowly east of the Ginowan road, facing fierce resistance from the Tombstone and Nishibaru Ridges. After a 10-minute artillery bombardment, two companies of the 1st Battalion, 184th Regiment climbed nearly to the summit of the Pinnacle but were ultimately pushed back by strong resistance from caves and underground strongholds. Undeterred, Company B continued frontal assaults while Company C maneuvered up the western approaches to surprise the determined defenders. This strategy proved effective, with Company C reaching the top without sustaining any casualties and then methodically eliminating the remaining Japanese troops using white phosphorus grenades and flamethrowers. As the Pinnacle was being captured, the 32nd Regiment advanced across the coastal flatlands with minimal resistance to maintain contact with the 184th Regiment. On this day, Task Force 58 returned to sea, launching strikes on Okinawa and the Daito Islands, while Admiral Rawlings' Task Force 57 targeted the Ishigaki and Miyako Islands. Meanwhile, Japanese aerial reconnaissance identified two American carrier groups near Okinawa, prompting Ugaki to initiate his first mass Kikisui attack, sending hundreds of Japanese aircraft to assault Mitscher's carriers. US carriers unleashed a combined 19 USN and four USMC squadrons to blunt the onslaught. Swirling, running dogfights developed around noon and lasted through sunset. April 6 may have started slow, but by evening it had developed into one of the greatest aerial confrontations of all time. American CAPs overwhelmingly massacred the poorly trained Japanese attackers; Mitscher's Task Force 58 fighters claimed 249 Japanese planes for just two lost—a staggering 125-to-1 kill ratio. Yet the kamikaze pilots' grim determination was chillingly apparent. According to VF-82's action report: “Of all the enemy planes encountered, not one returned fire, all remained on course, boring in toward the surface vessels. The only evasive action offered was jinking, and the majority of the aircraft were obsolete models as can be seen by the list [of] destroyed. Primary danger to our pilots was collision or getting in the path of a friendly plane's fire.” Essex's VF-83 (36 Hellcats) and VBF-83 (36 Corsairs) combined for 69 kills, while Belleau Wood's 24 VF-30 Hellcats shot down 47. Belleau Wood's skipper, Captain Red Tomlinson, duly signaled Task Group 58.1's Rear Admiral Joseph J. Jocko Clark: “Does this exceed the bag limit?” Clark responded, “Negative. There is no limit. This is open season. Well done.” The US carrier fighters' 275 kills was thus the war's 4th-highest 1-day total. 13 US pilots achieved ace status (scored their 5th kill) on April 6, with 4 becoming “ace-in-a-day.” 10 pilots claimed 4 kills, while another 17 shot down 3 each. Combined with anti-aircraft fire, the Americans destroyed 355 Japanese planes. However, even significant aerial victories could not prevent the devastating kamikaze assaults, with approximately 182 Japanese aircraft in 22 groups attacking Spruance's 5th Fleet that afternoon. This led to 24 kamikaze planes sinking the destroyers Bush and Colhoun, as well as three transport ships, and inflicting further damage on the light carrier San Jacinto, 12 destroyers, three destroyer minesweepers, and one minesweeper. Friendly anti-aircraft fire also caused damage to battleship North Carolina, light cruiser Pasadena, and destroyer Hutchins. Despite the extensive damage, four new escort carriers arrived off Okinawa that day, bringing the first 222 fighters of Major-General Francis Mulcahy's Tactical Air Force, stationed at Yontan airfield. Meanwhile, the Yamato force set sail at 15:24 towards Okinawa, but within 45 minutes, a B-29 spotted them in transit. Submarine Threadfin then detected Ito's strike force moving through the Bungo Strait at 17:45. As Ito's force rounded Kyushu to the southwest, it was monitored overnight by submarine Hackleback, which sent four additional contact reports and was pursued three times briefly by one of Yamato's escorting destroyers. Concerned about a potential mass Kikisui attack on April 7, Spruance ordered Mitscher's carriers to concentrate on thwarting Japanese air assaults while tasking Admiral Deyo's Task Force 54 with intercepting Ito's strike force. At 06:20, April 7, six Zeros of the 203rd Kokutai arrived over Yamato as CAP. 14 total Zeros would relay in small groups over the Yamato task force, but all would depart as scheduled by 10:00. The Americans already knew the exact CAP schedule of Yamato's fighters, a later US intelligence memo dryly observing, “They left too soon.” At 08:32, an Essex Hellcat reported the Yamato task force southwest of Koshiki Retto at a heading of 300 degrees. The Yamato group was doing 22kts and deployed in a diamond formation, with Yamato in the center and Yahagi astern. Yamato simultaneously reported that she had been sighted. Visibility was highly variable, with patchy overcast. Within minutes, two VPB-21 PBM-3 Mariner flying boats (based at Kerama Retto with seaplane tender Chandeleur) arrived and began shadowing Yamato and radioing situation reports. Meanwhile, Mitscher duly reported the Yamato sighting to Spruance, before dispatching 16 additional fighters at 09:15 to track Yamato. Shortly after Yamato's CAP had departed, at 10:14, the Japanese discovered the two shadowing PBM-3 Mariners, and simultaneously reported a US submarine stalking the task force—this was Hackleback, which had managed to catch back up with the zig-zagging Japanese. Three minutes later, at 10:17, Yamato turned towards the Mariners and opened fire with her awesome 18.1in. Sanshikidan anti-aircraft shells. Yahagi also opened fire, and additionally began jamming the Mariners' transmissions. The Mariners retreated into the clouds unharmed at 10:18, and Yamato and Yahagi ceased fire. To his chief-of-staff, Commodore Arleigh Burke, Mitscher announced: “Inform Admiral Spruance that I propose to strike the Yamato sortie group at 1200hrs unless otherwise directed.” The grizzled aviator desperately wished to sink Yamato, but he likely suspected that Spruance, riding New Mexico, intended his beloved dreadnoughts claim one last moment of glory. “Will you take them or shall I?” Mitscher pressed. Spruance's response: “You take them.” At 10:00, the carriers of Task Groups 58.1 and 58.3 launched the first wave of 282 aircraft, although only 227 managed to locate Ito's strike force as they navigated through challenging, overcast weather. At 11:07, Yamato's radars detected the large formation approaching from 63 nautical miles away, prompting Ito to increase speed to 25 knots. Within eight minutes, the formation closed to 44 nautical miles, leading the Japanese to initiate sharp evasive maneuvers. Bennington's Lieutenant-Commander Hugh Woods' airborne radar detected the Yamato task force some 25nm away from its predicted location, and the US strike altered course. Five minutes later, the Americans made visual contact through a hole in the patchy 3,000ft overcast, a Hornet pilot recalling, “Yamato looked like the Empire State Building plowing through the water.” Yamato cruised in the center, flanked by destroyers Kasumi, Suzutsuki, Hamakaze, and Yukikaze. Light cruiser Yahagi was in the van, followed by destroyers Hatsushimo, Isokaze, and Fuyutsuki. The first American aviators encountered the destroyer Asashimo, which had been experiencing machinery issues for five hours and had fallen 12 nautical miles behind the main task force to the north. San Jacinto's seven Hellcats dove against Asashimo, but the crippled destroyer threw up notably heavy flak. The Hellcats' 1,000lb bombs closely straddled Asashimo, buckling the destroyer's hull plating. The Hellcats then repeatedly strafed the destroyer, causing large fires that quickly silenced Asashimo's guns. San Jacinto's eight Avengers then made a textbook attack run at 300ft, dropping torpedoes from 1,200 to 1,600yds range. Trailing a wide oil slick, the crippled Asashimo attempted to comb the torpedoes, but one struck beneath her bridge and a second hit near her engine room. Successive explosions blew Asashimo partly out of the water and broke her in half. Asashimo sank at 1213hrs, going down with all 330 men. She had lasted three minutes against San Jacinto's attack. Twelve miles ahead, Yamato lookouts spotted the incoming aircraft at 12:32, which then spent the next five minutes circling just outside the range of Japanese anti-aircraft fire to coordinate their strike plan. Around this time, Yamato also raised Togo's iconic Tsushima flag signal: “On this one battle rests the fate of our nation. Let every man do his utmost.”At 12:37, the circling planes launched their coordinated assault on Yamato and her escorts, focusing on the superbattleship's port side in an attempt to capsize her. US fighters repeatedly strafed Yamato with their 5in. rockets and 0.50cal. machine guns, decimating Japanese antiaircraft batteries and slaughtering exposed antiaircraft crews. The intense carnage and chaos that followed suppressed careful targeting and further ravaged Japanese gunners' morale. Yamato was maneuvering hard at her flank speed of 27kts, when at 1240hrs four Bennington Helldivers from VB-82 delivered two 1,000lb bombs near Yamato's mainmast. The first bomb exploded in Yamato's crew quarters. The second detonated near Yamato's aft command station and caused serious damage, destroying one of Yamato's two air search radars, her after secondary gun director, and several 25mm antiaircraft guns. The subsequent fires shortly reached the powder handling area beneath Yamato's after 6.1in. turret and detonated the readyuse propellant. The resulting conflagration virtually exterminated the 6.1in. turret crew, but flash doors prevented the explosion from reaching the rest of the magazine. Nevertheless, the explosion killed the area's entire damage control party, meaning the resulting fire would rage uncontrolled for the rest of the battle. The Americans lost one Helldiver. At 1243hrs, eight Hornet Avengers launched torpedo attacks against Yamato's port side, covered by 14 Bunker Hill Corsairs strafing Yamato with rockets. Antiaircraft fire hit six Avengers, destroying one, but at least three torpedoes hit the water. The first two torpedoes missed, but at 1245hrs the third torpedo slammed into Yamato's port side, opening her hull to 2,235 tons of seawater. Japanese damage control counterflooded with 604 tons of water to correct the list. Attempting to draw US attackers from Yamato, Hara's light cruiser Yahagi had maneuvered away from the Japanese battleship, steaming hard at 35kts. US strafing had already ricocheted machine gun bullets around Yahagi's bridge, killing a lookout. Watching the attack unfold, Hara admitted, “The spectacle was at once thrilling and terrifying.” Meanwhile, Bennington's Lieutenant-Commander Ed De Garmo led three Avengers against Yahagi. At 1246hrs, De Garmo's Avengers delivered Yahagi her first hit and it was a devastating one. A single torpedo struck Yahagi in the engine room, killing the entire engineering crew. Yahagi was left dead in the water nine minutes into the battle. Destroyer Isokaze subsequently sped towards Yahagi to take off Rear Admiral Komura. Meanwhile, around 56 aircraft targeted Yamato's escorting destroyers, leading to multiple torpedo hits that split Hamakaze in two; Isokaze was bombarded with bombs; Fuyutsuki suffered minor damage from two dud rockets; and Suzutsuki was struck by a bomb that severed her bow. The first wave of attacks concluded at 12:50, as Ito sought to reorganize his forces and evaluate Yahagi's status. Shortly after 13:00, a second wave of 50 aircraft appeared, managing to hit Yamato's port bow with a bomb at 13:23 and inflicting several bomb hits near the battleship's bridge. Additionally, two bomb hits and several near misses critically damaged the destroyer Kasumi, leaving her dead in the water and ablaze. At 1333 the third wave of US attackers arrived, comprising 110 new Yorktown, Intrepid, and Langley aircraft from the delayed TG-58.4 strike. The Americans now overwhelmingly focused on the reeling Yamato. Twenty Avengers attacked Yamato's portside. Around 1337, the third wave saw three confirmed torpedo hits on Yamato's portside, plus a fourth probable hit, increasing her portside list to 15–16 degrees. Stationed on Yamato's bridge, Ensign Mitsuru Yoshida recalled, “I could hear the Captain vainly shouting, ‘Hold on men! Hold on men!'”. Aruga had no option but to flood Yamato's starboard machinery spaces, where hundreds of engineers toiled to keep Yamato underway. Water, both from torpedo hits and the flood valves rushed into these compartments and snuffed out the lives of the men at their posts, several hundred in all. Caught between cold sea water and steam and boiling water from the damaged boilers, they simply melted away.” Aruga's drastic measure reduced Yamato's portside list back to five degrees, but exhausted her last starboard counterflooding capacity. Having lost one shaft and gained 3,000 tons more water, Yamato's speed fell to 12kts. At 1342hrs, TG-58.4 Avengers dropped another four torpedoes. Yoshida marveled, “That these pilots repeated their attacks with such accuracy and coolness, was a sheer display of the unfathomable, undreamed-of strength of our foes!” Yamato shot down one Avenger, but two torpedoes plowed into Yamato's portside, making five torpedo hits in five minutes. The Americans had intentionally targeted Yamato's stern to wreck her steering, and the gamble paid off. Yamato's rudders were now disabled, jamming her in a permanent starboard turn. Any chance of reaching Okinawa was gone. Reduced to a speed of 8 knots and unable to maneuver, the stricken Yamato became an easy target. Around 14:02, Mitscher's relentless carrier planes inflicted at least four more bomb hits, disabling most of Yamato's remaining operational anti-aircraft guns as the battleship helplessly circled. As a result, Ito canceled the Ten-Ichi-Go attack and promptly ordered all his warships to rescue survivors and attempt to retreat to Japan. The sinking battleship was then deserted, except for Ito and Captain Aruga Kosaku, who chose to go down with their ship.  Throughout the battle, a stoic Ito had sat silently with arms crossed on Yamato's bridge, unflinching as bullets ricocheted around him, slaughtering his staff. Ensing Yoshida Mitsuru now observed that Ito “struggled to his feet. His chief of staff then arose and saluted. A prolonged silence followed during which they regarded each other solemnly.” Ito then told his staff, “Save yourselves. I shall stay with the ship.” Ito then shook hands deliberately with his officers, retired to his sea cabin one deck below, and locked it behind him. Meanwhile, with Yamato's pumps no longer functioning, alarms began to blare: temperatures in the 18.1-inch magazines were approaching dangerous levels. By 14:20, the capsizing Yamato's main deck was vertical to the ocean. Captain Aruga, eating a biscuit given to him by a rating, tied himself to a binnacle on Yamato's bridge. As Yamato capsized, surviving men clambered across her keel, a crazed, half-naked officer screaming and brandishing his samurai sword at the Americans.  Meanwhile, the Americans continued pummeling the helpless Yahagi, which “quivered and rocked as if made of paper,” recalled Captain Hara. The stricken Yahagi suffered repeated hits. “My proud cruiser,” Hara brooded, “was but a mass of junk, barely afloat.” Around 1400hrs Yahagi took the decisive torpedo hit, triggering a clearly fatal starboard roll. Hara finally ordered, “Abandon ship.” At 1405hrs, one minute after receiving her last bomb, Yahagi capsized and sank, having somehow absorbed at least 12 bombs and seven torpedoes. Captain Hara and Rear Admiral Komura calmly stepped into the water as Yahagi sank from beneath them, only barely surviving the sinking Yahagi's undertow. Now clinging to floating wreckage, the exhausted Hara observed “scores of planes swarming about [Yamato] like gnats.” By 14:20, the capsizing Yamato's main deck was vertical to the ocean, and three minutes later, the sinking dreadnought exploded catastrophically before finally disappearing beneath the East China Sea. Yamato's capsizing motion had likely forced open her 18.1in. powder room doors, allowing fires into the battleship's magazines. An American gunner described the explosion as “the prettiest sight I've ever seen … A red column of fire shot up through the clouds and when it faded Yamato was gone.” The detonation killed most Yamato survivors still struggling in the water and may have destroyed several US aircraft. The Americans' exact score will never be known, but Yamato had certainly absorbed seven bombs and nine to twelve torpedoes out of 150 torpedoes dropped. The US planes departed at 1443, but not before issuing “a few farewell strafing runs across the Yamato survivors.” Destroyers Suzutsuki, Fuyuzuki, Yukikaze, and Hatsushimo rescued 1,620 men, including Hara and Komura, before successfully returning to Japan. Additionally, the disabled destroyers Isokaze and Kasumi were scuttled by Yukikaze and Fuyuzuki, respectively. By the end of the action, the combined losses for Ten-Ichi-Go totaled 4,242 Japanese lives. Meanwhile, Ugaki had launched a second mass kamikaze attack around noon, sending 132 aircraft towards Task Force 58. Although Mitscher's fighters shot down 54 attackers, the kamikazes managed to damage the fast carrier Hancock, the battleship Maryland, the destroyers Bennett and Wesson, and a motor minesweeper. The initial Kikisui operation resulted in the deaths of 485 Americans and left 582 wounded. The significant losses over the two days hindered Ugaki from launching another large-scale Kikisui attack for five days. Meanwhile, back in Okinawa on April 7 and 8, Hodge continued his offensive in the south. In Bradley's sector, the 383rd Regiment persistently executed banzai charges against the remaining enemy strongholds on Cactus Ridge until the entire area was secured by American forces. They then advanced toward Kakazu Ridge, where they faced even stronger resistance. The 382nd Regiment made a slow but steady push forward, ultimately being halted by intense fire across a broad front just north of Kaniku and Tombstone Ridge.  The fighting in the 7th Division's sector on April 7 centered on a low, bare hill 1000 yards west of the town of Minami-Uebaru, called Red Hill because of its color. The enemy had made a fortress of the hill by constructing his usual system of caves and connecting trenches. A frontal assault on Red Hill by troops of the 3rd Battalion failed in the face of machine-gun and mortar fire. In a 2nd attempt, 3 platoons of tanks supported the attack. 10 medium and 5 light tanks advanced through a cut toward Red Hill; 2 tanks were blown up by mines and 1 was satchel-charged as the column moved toward the hill and up the sides. Intense enemy artillery and machine-gun fire drove the infantry back and disabled more tanks. Japanese swarmed in among the armor and tried to destroy the tanks with satchel charges and flaming rags. 2 medium tanks held off the attackers, the defending crews resorting to hand grenades, while the rest of the operative tanks withdrew. The 14th Independent Battalion headquarters proudly described this action as a perfect example of how to separate troops from tanks and thus break up the American infantry-tank team. The enemy dispatch stated: "The above method of isolating the troops from the tanks with surprise fire followed by close combat tactics is an example in the complete destruction of enemy tanks and will be a great factor in deciding the victories of tank warfare." After these 2 reversals the 3rd Battalion made a wide enveloping maneuver to the right. Behind fire from artillery and supporting weapons, the troops drove toward Red Hill from the west and occupied it, suffering only 2 casualties in the move. Once more a Japanese outpost had shown its strength against a frontal attack and its vulnerability to a flanking maneuver. The capture of Red Hill left another sector of enemy territory open for the taking. The troops advanced 100 yards south before digging in. A platoon of tanks conducted a remarkable 4000-yard foray almost to Hill 178 and withdrew safely, despite a bombing attack by two single-engined Japanese planes. The following day, the 184th continued its advance southward under heavy fire, managing to take Triangulation Hill after two fierce assaults. Simultaneously, the 32nd Regiment captured Tsuwa as it extended the front along the coastline. By the night of April 8, the 24th Corps had sustained 1,510 battle casualties while inflicting 4,489 Japanese fatalities and capturing 13; they had finally reached the formidable perimeter of the Shuri fortified zone. Looking north, on April 7, the Fleet Marine Force Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion landed on Ike Island, encountering no opposition. Subsequently, Company B was dispatched to secure Takabanare Island, while Company A took control of Heanza and Hamahika Islands. During the night, Company B reembarked, maneuvered around Tsugen Island, and landed on Kutaka Island, where they also found no enemy presence. Simultaneously, the 32nd Regiment captured Tsuwa as it expanded the front along the coastline. By the evening of April 8, the 24th Corps had incurred 1,510 battle casualties. On the same day, Shepherd advanced north with minimal resistance, as the 29th Marines successfully reached Nago while the 4th Marines moved through Henoko. Ahead of the division, the 6th Reconnaissance Company traveled up the west coast road to the village of Awa and then crossed the base of the Motobu Peninsula to Nakaoshi, encountering and either destroying or scattering several enemy groups along the way. As the reconnaissance zone was extended westward on April 8, clear signs, confirmed by aerial observations and photographs, indicated that the enemy had chosen the rugged mountains of Motobu as their defensive position. As a result, the 22nd Marines were deployed across the island from Nakaoshi to Ora to protect the right flank and rear of the 29th Marines attacking westward, while the 4th Marines assembled near Ora to support either the 29th on Motobu or the 22nd in the north. The 2nd Battalion, 29th Marines probed westward, moving across the base of Motobu and occupying the village of Gagusuku. Additionally, the reserve 1st Battalion at Yofuke successfully secured Yamadadobaru and Narashido, facing heavy enemy machine-gun and rifle fire at the latter location. The following day, the 29th Marines advanced in three columns to locate the enemy's main force at Motobu; all columns encountered resistance, revealing that a significant enemy force confronted the division in the area stretching from Itomi to Toguchi. On April 10, the 2nd Battalion, 29th Marines captured Unten Ko, where the Japanese had established a submarine and torpedo boat base; the 3rd Battalion took Toguchi and sent patrols into the interior, while the 1st Battalion advanced through Itomi and uncovered well-fortified positions on the high ground north of the village. On April 9, the 184th Regiment successfully captured Tomb Hill in the south following an artillery and air bombardment, while the 32nd Regiment took control of several finger ridges to the east that oversaw the approaches to Ouki. The Japanese-held area in front of the 383rd Regiment offered the enemy an ideal combination of defensive features. A deep moat, a hill studded with natural and man-made positions, a cluster of thick-walled buildings behind the hill; these were the basic elements of Kakazu stronghold. The enemy had exploited each one of them. Moreover, Kakazu, unlike such outposts as the Pinnacle, was an integral element of the Shuri fortified zone and a vital rampart that could expect reinforcements and heavy fire support from within the ring of positions that surrounded the 32nd Army headquarters, only 4000 yards to the south. Between the Americans and Kakazu lay a deep gorge, half hidden by trees and brush, which could be crossed only with difficulty. The Kakazu hill mass itself, which was made up of two hills connected by a saddle, stretched northwest-southeast for 2000 yards, sloping on the west toward the coastal flat and ending on the east at Highway 5. Just below Kakazu Ridge on the southeast was the town of Kakazu, a compact group of tile-roofed structures, each surrounded by hedges and stone walls and somewhat in defilade to the adjoining open fields. In and around the Kakazu hills the Japanese had created one of their strongest positions on Okinawa. Mortars dug in on the reverse slope were zeroed-in on the gorge and on vulnerable areas between the gorge and the crest of Kakazu. Several spigot mortars also protected the hill. In an intricate system of coordinated pillboxes, tunnels, and caves Japanese machine-guns were sited to cover all avenues of approach. The enemy was also supported by many artillery pieces within the Shuri fortified zone. The heavy walls and the hedges of the town of Kakazu-and eventually its rubble-afforded the Japanese countless defensive positions. Concurrently, the 383rd Regiment initiated its first coordinated assault on Kakazu Ridge, with Companies A, C, and L swiftly reaching the summit by dawn without detection. However, the surprised defenders quickly launched a fierce counterattack, ultimately forcing Companies A and C to withdraw. Company L, positioned on Kakazu West, continued to fend off enemy counterattacks alone until late afternoon when the exhausted unit had no choice but to retreat. The next day, Brigadier-General Claudius Easley proposed a "powerhouse attack," where the 381st Regiment would assault Kakazu West from positions south of Uchitomari while the 383rd would press on Kakazu Ridge from positions north of the gorge. Following a heavy artillery bombardment, the assault commenced, with the 2nd Battalion of the 381st Regiment rapidly fighting through strong enemy defenses to secure the crest of Kakazu West. However, the 383rd was struggling to make headway, prompting Colonel May to direct his two battalions to execute flanking maneuvers. Although the eastern encirclement was unsuccessful, May's 3rd Battalion managed to cross the gorge at the northern base of Kakazu West to join Colonel Halloran's 2nd Battalion on the crest. Both units then attempted to advance eastward in heavy rain, but relentless Japanese counterattacks forced them back to Kakazu West. Stalemated, Easley eventually ordered Halloran's 1st Battalion to move through May's 3rd Battalion to attack southeast along Kakazu Ridge, but this assault was also repelled by the determined defenders. At the same time, the 382nd Regiment launched its primary assault on Tombstone Ridge, advancing southwest with three battalions in formation but managing to gain only a few hundred yards to the west as fierce defenders thwarted their main offensives against the hills held by the Japanese. Meanwhile, to the east, the 32nd Regiment attempted to advance into the town of Ouki without success, while the 184th Regiment on the heights defended against minor counterattacks, sealed off caves, and solidified their positions. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The battle for Okinawa is really heating up, showcasing to the Americans they would be paying dearly for every foot they took off the island. Meanwhile the last stand of the super battleship Yamato would form a legend encompassing the defiant spirit of Japan as well as producing one of the most bizarre science fiction animes of all time.

After more than 3 years of war in Ukraine, the Russian military is not a spent force: indeed, the combination of more flying hours for more aircrew, 3 years of combat experience in CAS, AI, CAP, Strike and ISR missions, a war economy supporting new airframes and weapons, and low pilot attrition rates has made the Russian Air Force capable of what it was supposed to do in 2022 – and then some. It now has the ability to outmatch European NATO states in capability, experience and fighting power for the next decade. Professor Justin Bronk, Senior Research Fellow for Air Power at RUSI in London, explains why a wholesale shift to drones isn't going to be the ubiquitous answer that the speeches from military and political leaders make out. As the IAMD system in NATO states matures (albeit at differing speeds), the Russian system is also a major factor in air power planning for the future. The impact on how NATO wants to fight, and how it will have to fight, is stark. And it's not going to be good enough to continue copying the US model: for the USAF and USN, the Pacific is requiring a drive towards a different force design, way of operating, C2, and basing options from those that would work for NATO in Europe. Context matters.

In this episode, I speak with Arpan Gautam from Noon Capital — a self-funded project building what they call the most intelligent and fair yield-bearing stablecoin. We dive into how their stablecoin (USN/sUSN) delivers through-cycle returns by allocating capital across delta-neutral strategies, and why they're committed to distributing 90%+ of returns and up to 80% of governance tokens back to users.We also discuss how Noon Capital avoids the pitfalls of treasury-only stablecoins, why they've rejected VC funding, and Arpan's advice for founders on staying focused and aligned as a team.Whether you're a DeFi builder, an investor in yield-bearing assets, or just curious about the next generation of stablecoins — this is a must-listen.Key Timestamps[00:00:00] Introduction: Sam introduces the episode with Arpan from Noon Capital and outlines the focus on stablecoins and DeFi.[00:01:00] What is Noon Capital?: Arpan explains their mission to build a fair and intelligent yield-bearing stablecoin. [00:03:00] Yield Intelligence: How Noon adapts across market cycles using delta-neutral strategies. [00:05:00] Fairness via Governance: Noon distributes up to 80% of governance tokens to users — no VC involvement.[00:06:30] Arpan's Background: From McKinsey and Goldman to crypto trading and stablecoin design. [00:09:00] The Origin Story: How Noon spun out from prop trading into product. [00:11:00] Performance: Past returns and how Noon balances between T-bills and funding rate arbitrage. [00:13:30] Users & Growth: Why institutional LPs are first movers and how retail follows. [00:16:00] Market Indicators: What data Noon tracks to stay ahead — from Fed signals to Bitcoin open interest. [00:17:30] USN vs SUSN: The difference between Noon's staked and unstaked stablecoins. [00:19:00] Scaling Challenges: Growing TVL and building composability in DeFi and beyond. [00:21:00] Founder Advice: Arpan shares a simple but powerful rule — one North Star goal for the entire team.[00:23:00] Ask: Noon is looking to connect with liquid funds, whales, and builders — but remains proudly self-funded.Connecthttps://www.noon.capital/https://www.linkedin.com/company/nooncapital/https://www.linkedin.com/in/arpan-gautam/https://x.com/noon_capitalDisclaimerNothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. Finally, it would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/

Good evening: The show begins in the EU, asking if NATO is on life support? 1897 BRUSSELS : CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR FIRST HOUR 9:00-9:15: UKRAINE: IS NATO ON LIFE-SUPPORT? Guest: Colonel Jeff McCausland, USA (Retired) (@mccauslj @CBSNews @DickinsonCol) 9:15-9:30: UKRAINE: CIVILIAN AND CLUMSY NATIONAL SECURITY? Guest: Colonel Jeff McCausland, USA (Retired) 9:30-9:45: ERIC ADAMS "WITH PREJUDICE" FREE (Part 1/2) Guests: @AndrewCMcCarthy @NRO @ThadMcCotter @TheAmGreatness 9:45-10:00: ERIC ADAMS "WITH PREJUDICE" FREE (Part 2/2) Guests: @AndrewCMcCarthy @NRO @ThadMcCotter @TheAmGreatness SECOND HOUR 10:00-10:15: TAIWAN: THREAT Guest: James Fanell, co-author of "Embracing Communist China: America's Greatest Strategic Failure" 10:15-10:30: PRC: PLEADING Guest: Andrew Collier, managing director of Orient Capital Research, author of "China's Technology War" 10:30-10:45: ROK: APRIL 4 Guest: David Maxwell, vice president of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy 10:45-11:00: USN: 2027 Guest: Rebecca Grant, vice president of the Lexington Institute THIRD HOUR 11:00-11:15: BERLIN: MERZ DISAPPOINTING Guest: Judy Dempsey, Senior Scholar, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Berlin 11:15-11:30: EU: TALK TALK RE UKRAINE Guest: Judy Dempsey 11:30-11:45: SOMALIA: AL QAEDA AND ISIS WITH DRONES (Part 1/2) Guests: Caleb Weiss, Bill Roggio (FDD) 11:45-12:00: SOMALIA: AL QAEDA AND ISIS WITH DRONES (Part 2/2) Guests: Caleb Weiss, Bill Roggio (FDD) FOURTH HOUR 12:00-12:15: INDIA: 17TH CENTURY VIOLENCE Guest: Sadanand Dhume, WSJ 12:15-12:30: CIVITAS INSTITUTE: CONVERSATION ABOUT THINKING OUT LOUD IN TEXAS Guest: Richard Reinsch, Civitas Outlook 12:30-12:45: GOP: UNTROUBLED Guest: Jim Pfaff, Conservative Caucus 12:45-1:00 AM: FRANCE: LAWFARE AND MARINE LE PEN Guest: Simon Constable, Occitanie

Preview: Colleague James Fanell, USN (retired), presents evidence that the PLA is preparing for a beachhead invasion of Taiwan with an updated military floating pier. More tonight. 1962

Preview: Colleague James Fanell, USN (retired), presents evidence that the PLA is preparing for a beachhead invasion of Taiwan with an updated military floating pier. More tonight. 1957

A little past midnight on July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis, a US Navy cruiser, had just delivered the uranium that would be used in the first nuclear bomb dropped on Japan, and was returning to the Philippines when it was struck by a Japanese torpedo. The ship was badly damaged in the attack and within ten minutes it rolled onto its side, dumping 890 crewmen into the pitch-black ocean and dragging the remaining 300 down with the ship.Those who survived the torpedo strike did what they could to grab supplies before abandoning ship, but there were very few life boats or life jackets, so many of the sailors had to float in the water or cling to the few rafts they did manage to take before jumping from the boat. To make matters worse, their mission had been highly confidential and no one in the Navy knew where the Indianapolis was, much less that it had sank. The surviving crew thought things were about as bad as they could get, then the sharks began showing up.Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!ReferencesAssociated Press. 1945. "Indianapolis sunk with 883 killed." Los Angeles Times, August 15: 1.Austin, Daryl. 2021. "How a WWII Japanese sub commander helped exonerate a U.S. Navy captain." Washington Post, June 6.Buckley, Chris. 2017. "Wreckage of the U.S.S. Indianapolis, lost for 72 years, is found in Pacific." New York Times, August 21.Charles B. McVay, III, interview by US Naval History and Heritage Command. 2003. Recollections of Captain Charles B. McVay, III, USN, Commanding Officer of USS Indianapolis (CA-35) which was sunk by Japanese submarine I-58 on 30 July 1945 near the Philippines (April 20).Newcomb, Richard F. 1958. "Court's verdict surprises, irks public." Indianapolis Star, November 30: 22.—. 1958. "Rescue operation put in motion." Indianapolis Star, November 24: 1.—. 1958. "Survivors begin ordeal in sea." Indianapolis Star, November 22: 1.Paridon, Seth. n.d. "Surviving the sinking of the USS Indianapolis." National World War II Museum. Phillips, Kristine. 2017. "USS Indianapolis survivor recalls four days in shark-filled sea." Washington Post, August 20.1975. Jaws. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Performed by Robert Shaw.US Navy Court of Inquiry. 1945. Summary findings regarding all circumstances connected with the sinking of the USS Indianapolis (CA-35), and the delay in reporting the loss of that ship August 13, 1945. Summary, Washington, DC: United States Government.Vincent, Lynn, and Sara Vladic. 2018. Indianapolis: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up in this episode * Syncing the Notes * The History of Snaps * And How Much We Absolutely Adore Them 0:00 Cold Open 1:34 Seeking Syncthing 16:42 The History of Snaps 33:52 How'd 9 Years of Snaps Go? 1:01:54 Next Time 1:04:49 Stinger The Video Version https://youtu.be/izDzKkuEyRw It is all about the notes Leo goes back to basics and uses SyncThing (https://syncthing.net/) to move his markdown files around that he edits using a standard text editor (https://code.visualstudio.com/).

The Light Gate welcomes guest: researcher and author, Cheryl Costa Date: March 3, 2025. Time: 5-7pm pacific / 8-10pm eastern Episode: 097 Discussion: UFOs, current events, the cover-up Tonight The Light Gate welcomes back Cheryl Costa. Cheryl wears many hats and has done many things. She is a reverend, a Pagan Priestess, a Tibetan Yogini and a Trans-activist, a UFO columnist, a UFO researcher and author, and a novelist. During the Cold War, Cheryl served in the Air Force and the Navy as a government contractor. She is a two-service military veteran, USAF & USN, and a retired professional from the aerospace industry. As a journalist she was a UFO columnist for the Roswell Daily Record, and wrote the wildly popular UFO column, “New York Skies” for the SyracuseNewTimes.com (2013-2019.) She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York in Entertainment Writing and Production, and in 2018 was awarded the UFO Researcher of the Year by the International UFO Congress. She has authored dozens of books (many with her wife, Linda) in a variety of genres, including a series of UFO reference books providing undeniable proof that UFOs are being seen all over the world. LINKS: https://www.facebook.com/cheryl.costa.908 https://www.amazon.com/s?k=cheryl+costa&i=stripbooks&crid=10UIZA6HLPH26&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1p3Dds8ehCcJdoiyLUS5PzAwyGbV4l8Br6O4DIZ64onJdKSTkm1kzlqM0_aem_YH_T6A8yXVFM6H4mUssoTg&sprefix=cheryl+costa%2Cstripbooks%2C93&ref=nb_sb_ss_fb_1_12

Preview: Colleague Rebecca Grant of the Lexington Institute observes that USN carriers are the answer to PLA-Navy outside the first island chain. More later 1943 YORKTOWN

In this exciting new episode of Bourbon Lens, hosts Jake and Scott sit down with Greg Keeley, the co-founder of Larrikin Bourbon Co., to dive deep into the building (and rebranding) of a bourbon company. Together, they discuss the origins of Larrikin Bourbon Co., the brand's ethos, and what makes their whiskey stand out in a crowded market. Stream this episode on your favorite podcast app and be sure to drop us a review while you're there.  We are thankful for your support over the last 6 years. We must give the biggest shoutout to our amazing community of Patreon supporters! As always, we'd appreciate it if you would take a few minutes time to give us feedback on Bourbon Lens podcast. If you enjoy our content, consider giving us a 5 Star rating on your favorite podcast app, leave us a written review, and tell a fellow bourbon lover about our show. Follow us @BourbonLens on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and X.  Also, consider supporting Bourbon Lens on Patreon for some of the behind the scenes, to earn Bourbon Lens swag, join the Bourbon Lens Tasting Club, and more. If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, please email us at Info@BourbonLens.com. Check out BourbonLens.com to find our blog posts, whiskey news, podcast archive, and whiskey reviews. Cheers,Scott and JakeBourbon Lens   About Larrikin Bourbon Co.: Larrikin Bourbon Co. is the true-blue embodiment of the American Dream: a craft distillery built from scratch with a fair dinkum, no-nonsense approach to making bloody good bourbon. Our founder, LCDR Greg Keeley, USN (ret), has had a wild ride. Greg's journey kicked off in a vineyard Down Under, to national security professional, and eventually landed in the extraordinary world of distilling. As a Service-Disabled Navy Combat Veteran, Greg has the unique honor of commissioned service in both the United States Navy and the Royal Australian Navy, with combat roles in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Pacific. Raised in Oz, he also served with the Australian Federal Police. At Larrikin, we're not here to spin yarns about bourbon dating back to the Pilgrims. Our focus is dead simple: what kind of Kentucky whiskey do we want in our glass? Our goal? To craft extraordinary, novel Kentucky whiskies that we're stoked to pour. We figured, why not bring a bit of Aussie cheek to America's native spirit, blending tradition with a pluck and irreverence. So here's to great bourbon, good mates, and creating something truly special. Cheers, cobber!

"PREVIEW: Colleague James Fanell, USN (retired), responds to news that the Philippine government aims to upgrade defenses against the PRC. More tonight." 1915 Manila

Preview: US Navy: Imperial Japanese Navy: Professor James Holmes of the US Naval War College measures the USN as best in the world for war fighting however unready to build new ships or repair damaged ships. 1940 IMPERIAL NAVY HEADQUARTERS

PREVIEW - PHILIPPINES Colleague Captain James Fanell, USN (ret), comments on the challenge for the new Trump administration in the South China Sea as the PLA routinely bullies and provokes the outgunned Philippine authorities. More details tonight. 1924 Philippines

OCF MINISTRY NEWS  OCF Global Town Hall: Visit ocfusa.org/gth2025 to learn more about and register for the next iteration of this annual, virtual event, scheduled for 8 February.  Regional ROTC retreats: Visit ocfusa.org/rotc to find the next regional ROTC retreat near you.   Annual impact report: To hear more about Freddy's OCF experience and other stories of impact from our conference centers, field locations, and more, download our Annual Impact Report by visiting ocfusa.org/air2024.     Mentoring opportunities: If you're interested in mentoring or being trained in mentoring and want to learn more, visit ocfusa.org/mentoring or contact Bill Rue via bill.rue@ocfusa.org.      ASK OCF  LT Will Parker, USN, who serves as the OCF Submarine Community Coordinator, answered this frequently asked question from another OCFer: How do you balance/integrate OCF involvement with commitment to the local church?  To learn more about church-OCF dynamics and ways you can integrate your involvement in both, visit ocfusa.org/handbook/chapter-22.   If you have a question that you want us to consider for a future “Ask OCF” segment, send an email to podcast@ocfusa.org.    GUEST SPOTLIGHT  This month's episode puts the guest spotlight on CAPT Terry Wichert, USN (Ret.). Having served in the U.S. Navy for 30+ years, he now serves as the executive director for Association for Christian Conferences, Teaching and Services (ACCTS), a sister ministry of OCF.    Through personal experiences and some of the 650+ recorded prayers in the Bible, such as those in the books of Nehemiah and Daniel, Terry unpacks the power of persevering prayer. He explains what prayer is and what it isn't, gives some ideas for developing a prayer life, and viewing prayer as a way to have a relationship with our Lord and align our hearts with His.  If you would like to share your own story, complete the form on OCF's “Be a Guest” webpage. Alternatively, if you have an idea for a guest or topic we should consider for a future episode of the show, send an email to podcast@ocfusa.org.     POINTS TO PONDER  As you listen to this conversation with Terry, here are a few questions to ponder in your personal time, with a small group, or with a mentor:  Terry reminds us that God “loves for us to pray” and “hears our prayer.” How do these reminders affect your view of prayer?  To pose the question Terry says he often asks other believers: Are you satisfied with your prayer life? Why or why not?  Terry mentions a monthly habit of spending an entire day in prayer before the Lord. What habits might benefit you in your prayer life?  When was a time you prayed often about a certain topic but ultimately the Lord orchestrated circumstances that differed from your prayers? How did you respond? How did that experience grow you in your faith in Him? 

1/2:  #GENERALS AND ADMIRALS:What's wrong with the Three and Four Star protocols?  Captain Steve Deal, USN, (ret) https://responsiblestatecraft.org/trump-fire-military-generals/ 1919 Churchill andd Pershing

2/2:  #GENERALS AND ADMIRALS:What's wrong with the Three and Four Star protocols?  Captain Steve Deal, USN, (ret)  https://responsiblestatecraft.org/trump-fire-military-generals/ 1905 New Year's Reception at the zWhite House: Admiral George Dewey upfront

The Light Gate welcomes guest: researcher and author, Cheryl Costa Date: January 6, 2025. Time: 5-7pm pacific / 8-10pm eastern Episode: 089 Discussion: UFOs, advanced aircraft, Skunk Works, the UFO coverup Cheryl wears many hats and has done many things. She is a reverend, a Pagan Priestess, a Tibetan Yogini and a Trans-activist, a UFO columnist, a UFO researcher and author, and a novelist. During the Cold War, Cheryl served in the Air Force and the Navy as a government contractor. She is a two-service military veteran, USAF & USN, and a retired professional from the aerospace industry. As a journalist she was a UFO columnist for the Roswell Daily Record, and wrote the wildly popular UFO column, "NewYorkSkies" for the SyracuseNewTimes.com (2013-2019.) She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York in Entertainment Writing and Production, and in 2018 was awarded the UFO Researcher of the Year by the International UFO Congress. She has authored dozens of books (many with her wife, Linda) in a variety of genres, including a series of UFO reference books providing undeniable proof that UFOs are being seen all over the world. LINKS: https://www.facebook.com/cheryl.costa.908 https://www.amazon.com/s? k=cheryl+costa&i=stripbooks&crid=10UIZA6HLPH26&fbclid =IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1p3Dds8ehCcJdoiyLUS5PzAw yGbV418Br604DIZ64onJdKSTkmlkzlqM0_aem_ YH_T6A8yX VFM6H4mUssoTg&sprefix=cheryl+costa%2Cstripbooks%2C9 3&ret-nb sb ss tb 1_12

In this episode, Bill speaks at the Brevard Veteran's Memorial about his involvement in the exoneration of Captain Charles B. McVay III, USN. McVay had been court-martialed in December 1945 following the sinking of the USS Indianapolis (CA-35) the prior August. He was exonerated by act of Congress in May 2001.

Happy New Year, and welcome back. Today we have Greg with Larrikin. This was such a great episode and a great chat, conversation flowed well and was very interesting. Hope you enjoy it, but first a word from our sponsors. Hinterhausdistilling.com Badmotivatorbarrels.com/shop/?aff=3 https://www.instagram.com/zsmithwhiskeyandmixology?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Patreon.com/the_whiskeyshaman Live the larrikin Way. Larrikin (n.) Australian slang. A person who disregards convention; a maverick. Larrikinism was a reaction to rules imposed by British officials on the young country of Australia. Our whiskey reflects this bold spirit of good-natured irreverence, and relies on character, not ceremony. You may not know Larrikin the word- but you do know these Larrikins;Annie Oakley, Crocodile Dundee, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Pete Mitchell and Steve Erwin. We're greg & katie. From Lawrenceburg to Larrikin—our name might've evolved, but our mission's still as solid as a rock. Larrikin Bourbon Co. is the true-blue embodiment of the American Dream: a craft distillery built from scratch with a fair dinkum, no-nonsense approach to making bloody good bourbon. Our founder, LCDR Greg Keeley, USN (ret), has had a wild ride. Greg's journey kicked off in a vineyard Down Under, to national security professional, and eventually landed in the extraordinary world of distilling. As a Service-Disabled Navy Combat Veteran, Greg has the unique honor of commissioned service in both the United States Navy and the Royal Australian Navy, with combat roles in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Pacific. Raised in Oz, he also served with the Australian Federal Police. At Larrikin, we don't muck around. We're not here to spin yarns about bourbon dating back to the Pilgrims. Our focus is dead simple: what kind of bourbon do we want in our glass? That's what gets us out of bed. Our goal? To craft extraordinary, novel whiskies that we're stoked to pour and even prouder to share. We bring a bit of Aussie cheek to American whiskey, blending tradition with a whole lot of passion. So here's to great bourbon, good mates, and chasing something truly special. Cheers, cobber! We are LARRIKIN. BLOODY GOOD BOURBON…and the experts agree. Private Barrel Program Our Private Barrel Program is the bee's knees. Handpicked casks that are as rare as hen's teeth. Each barrel is a one-of-a-kind gem—unrepeatable and extraordinary. Simply put, some barrels are just outstanding—first among equals. Choose your barrel in person at the distillery, or remotely, with a curated experience from the comfort of your home, office, or club. Thanks to the new-fangled inter-web, you can taste, evaluate, and select your cask with real-time guidance from our distiller - and find your perfect single barrel select. Let's clear the air: we don't blend our Private Cask selections. We bottle bourbon or rye straight from one single barrel - that you choose. No mucking about. Once it's bottled, there is no more. Your hand-picked bourbon is one-of-a-kind and impossible to replicate. Your Larrikin Bourbon Select bottles feature the barrel's special details like your logo or message along with age, proof, and mash bill. Whether you're a retailer, distributor, bourbon club, individual with a great taste in bourbon or charity group, your bottles are uniquely yours. Depending on the cask's age, you'll get between 140 and 240, 750ml bottles. Rule of thumb, the older the cask, the fewer bottles. No wait, no drama, just bloody good bourbon.  

In the first of two podcast episodes on the State of the US Navy as it (and a troubled world) sail into 2025, guest Dr Emma Salisbury chats with host Iain Ballantyne They look first of all at areas Emma wrote about in the recently published Warships IFR ‘Guide to US Navy 2025', namely: the USA's ‘shipbuilding woes'; the future size and composition of the USN; the US Navy and AUKUS - is it mission impossible? And is there a solution for the latter - enabling the AUKUS project to survive - should it be impossible to provide the Australians with Virginia Class attack submarines (SSNs) off American production lines? Among other topics discussed are the impact of the second Trump presidency (as the new POTUS takes office in January 2025). Also, what kind of message is the UK sending to the USA by cutting naval vessels ahead of its own defence review? Emma and Iain look at how US Navy anti-missile and drone defences may evolve and other topics include the elephant in the room - the future of NATO, and whether or not President Trump will pull the USA out of the Alliance.  The importance of drones and how they might enhance American naval mass and global presence is weighed up, along with how important the US Navy is to us all. To obtain the ‘Guide to the US Navy' https://warshipsifr.com/news/guide-to-the-us-navy-2025/ And please check out the latest edition of the monthly magazine. For print subscriptions: https://sundialmedia.escosubs.co.uk/subscribe/warships.htm  For digital subscriptions: https://bit.ly/Wdpm * Dr Emma Salisbury is a fellow at the Council on Geostrategy, specialising in naval matters, defence-industrial policy, and military procurement. She recently completed her PhD with a dissertation focused on the history of the US military-industrial complex. She is also a senior staffer for a UK Member of Parliament and an assistant editor at War on the Rocks. Follow her on X @salisbot * Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy' (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy' (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers' (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade' (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron' and ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom' (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom's dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn

With one of the most militarily and energy strategic states in our union, Alaska, being in the Arctic, and the extensive interests we have on the other side of the planet in Antarctica, do you wonder why our nation's icebreaking “fleet”—being what it is—amounts to an antique road show? Are you curious how our plan to replace them is making the LCS program look like a successful and well-run program? Can a nation of 335 million souls learn something from a nation of 5.5 million?Today's Midrats is for you with our guest, Peter Rybski.Pete is a retired nuclear-trained surface warfare officer who has served on six different ships and a couple of overseas staffs. His last job on Active Duty was as the U.S. Naval Attache to Finland. It was in that position that he began a deep dive into icebreakers and icebreaking technology. Pete retired in 2021, but remained in Finland, where he and his family live 106 miles from the Russian border.Forgot the most important part- He writes about icebreakers, security policy, and general life in Finland over at his Substack, Sixty Degrees North.ShowlinksSixty Degrees North article on USCG Polar Security Cutter ProgramSea ice trackerUSCGC Healy (WAGB-20)gCaptain article on Chinese icebreakersPolar Security Cutter Program from WikipediaWind Class icebreakersIcebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE)Sam LaGrone article on the VT Halter icebreaker programLe Commandant Charcot, French icebreaking cruise shipFinland icebreaking Missile CorvettesAker ArcticDr Elizabeth Buchanan on XSummaryThis conversation delves into the critical role of icebreakers in U.S. Arctic strategy, highlighting the challenges faced by the U.S. Coast Guard in maintaining and expanding its icebreaker fleet. Guest Peter Rybski shares his experiences in Finland, where he developed a keen interest in icebreakers, and discusses the historical context of U.S. icebreaker capabilities compared to other nations. The dialogue also addresses procurement issues, legal challenges, and the necessity for armed icebreakers in the Arctic, culminating in a discussion about international cooperation through the Icebreaker Coalition.TakeawaysThe U.S. has not built an icebreaker in 50 years.80% of the world's icebreakers are designed in Finland.The Coast Guard has been slow to prioritize icebreaker needs.China is rapidly expanding its icebreaker fleet.The procurement process for U.S. icebreakers is dysfunctional.International cooperation is essential for icebreaker capabilities.The U.S. needs to consider purchasing foreign-built icebreakers.Armed icebreakers are necessary for Arctic security.The Icebreaker Coalition aims to enhance collaboration among allies.Political will is crucial for advancing U.S. icebreaker strategy.Chapters00:00: Introduction to Icebreakers and Arctic Strategy06:10: Transitioning to Finland: A Personal Journey13:03: The Importance of Icebreakers in Global Trade18:12: Challenges in U.S. Icebreaker Procurement24:34: The Complexity of Icebreaker Design and Construction30:00: Understanding the Delays in Icebreaker Development31:15: Legal and Political Constraints in Shipbuilding34:34: The Need for a Comprehensive Icebreaker Strategy37:17: Arming Icebreakers: A Strategic Discussion43:52: The Icebreaker Coalition: Collaboration and Challenges47:19: Finland's Defense Purchases and U.S. Relations51:42: China's Growing Influence in Antarctica53:53: Future Insights and Closing Thoughts

We hear about Gonky's time in the USN then getting a posting to the RMAF as a Boeing F/A-18D instructor.Gonky shares how he got the role in Malaysia, what it was like flying the jet, what it was like being in another countries airforce, DACT against SU-30s (including footage) and much more!https://www.youtube.com/@themoverandgonkyshowhttps://www.youtube.com/@therealgonkyPick up some AI merch - https://www.teepublic.com/user/aircrew-interview Help keep the channel going:      PATREON - https://www.patreon.com/aircrewinterviewDONATE - http://www.aircrewinterview.tv/donate/Purchase our Aviation Art Book, Volume One - https://amzn.to/3sehpaP Follow us:https://www.aircrewinterview.tv/https://www.instagram.com/aircrew_interviewhttps://www.facebook.com/aircrewinterviewhttps://www.twitter.com/aircrewtvSupport the show

PREVIEW: PRC: PLA NAVY Captain James Fanell, USN (retired), reports on the removal or unexplained absence of two critical PLA Navy admirals from the East Asia command. More tonight. 1890 Peking rooftops

••• Achieving Total Victory, Ep 357 . ••• Bible Study Verses: Genesis 15.12-21, Joshua 1.1-5, Deuteronomy 20.16-18, Judges 1.28, Numbers 33.50-55 . ••• “Our first problem is that our attitude towards sin is more self-centred than God-centred. We are more concerned about our own "Victory" over sin than we are about the fact that our sin grieve the heart of God. We cannot tolerate failure in our struggle with sin chiefly because we are success oriented, not because we know it is offensive to God”, Jerry Bridges, 1929-?, Jerry Bridges, 1929-?, Evangelical Christian author, speaker & staff member of The Navigators. Author of over 12-books, including The Pursuit of Holiness, which has sold more than a million copies. His devotional Holiness Day By Day garnered the 2009 ECPA Christian Book Award for the inspiration & gift category, & The Discipline Of Grace received a similar award in 1995 for the Christian living category. He earned his BS in engineering at the University of Oklahoma before serving as an officer in the USN during the Korean War. He joined Christian discipleship organization The Navigators in 1955, where he served as administrative assistant to the Europe Director, office manager for headquarters, Sec.-Treasurer, & as VPt for Corp. Affairs before moving to a staff development position with the Collegiate Mission† ••• "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”, 1 Corinthians 15:57-58, NKJV . ••• What are 5-reasons why the Hebrews never accessed the full possession of their promised land? ••• What does anger, bitterness, malice and unforgiveness to our journey here on earth? ••• What is the danger of incomplete victory? ••• What 3-life actions must a biblical christian do to flourish and enjoy the blessings God has for them? ••• What are 3-reasons why a complete victory is do important in a believer”s life? ••• Are you going to ask your small group to pray that you will be more intentional achieving total victory through the power of Holy Spirit? ••• Pastor Godwin Otuno expounds on this and much more on the exciting journey of Fresh Encounters Radio Podcast originally aired on November 30, 2024 on WNQM, Nashville Quality Ministries and WWCR World Wide Christian Radio broadcasted to all 7-continents on this big beautiful blue marble, earth, floating through space. Please be prayerful before studying The Word of God so that you will receive the most inspiration possible . ••• This Discipleship Teaching Podcast is brought to you by Christian Leadership International and all the beloved of God who believe in it's mission through prayer and support. Thank you . ••• Broadcaster's Website - https://www.lifelonganointing.com/ . •••• Exceeding Thanks to Universe Creator Christ Jesus AND Thato Moiketsi Photography, Winburg, South Africa, https://www.pexels.com/@thato-moiketsi-909645793/ . ••• † http://christian-quotes.ochristian.com/Jerry-Bridges-Quotes/ . ••• SHARING LINK: https://shows.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast/241130-achieving-total-victory-ep357 . ••• Study Guides at - https://shows.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast/episodes . ••• RESOURCE - https://www.soundcloud.com/thewaytogod/ . ••• RESOURCE - https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/kjv/john.1%20 . ••• FERP 241130 Episode#357 GOT 241130 Ep357 ••• The Importance of Deliverance, Part-4: Achieving Total VictorySupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Preview: MOBILE BAY: Conversation with Admiral James Stavridis, USN (ret.) regarding the savvy and daring of Admiral David Farragut in directing his Union gunboats into the heavily mined Mobile Bay in the summer of 1864." 1867 Farragut and crew

Last time we spoke about the Return to the Philippines. Admiral Halsey, in preparation for the Leyte invasion, devised a strategic ploy to lure the Japanese forces by feigning vulnerability. Despite significant air engagements and the heavy damage to two cruisers, Halsey's forces maintained control. Meanwhile, a massive convoy approached Leyte, and the Japanese launched a desperate counterattack. The battle severely depleted Japan's air strength, leading to the birth of the Kamikaze Corps. As Davison's carrier aircraft attacked, Japanese forces struggled due to bad weather and underestimated the Americans. General Terauchi activated Sho-Go 1, targeting Leyte, despite disagreements with General Yamashita. Pre-landing operations saw U.S. Rangers secure islands, while heavy bombardments prepared Leyte for invasion. MacArthur's forces landed amidst fierce resistance, capturing key positions. Though logistics were disorganized, U.S. troops gained ground, marking the beginning of a decisive battle in the Philippines, with the Japanese struggling to counter. This episode is the Battle of Leyte Gulf Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  As previously mentioned, General MacArthur's forces successfully landed on Leyte, with General Sibert's 10th Corps landing in the Palo-Tacloban sector and General Hodge's 24th Corps at Dulag. In response, Admiral Toyoda activated Operation Sho-Go, ordering Admiral Kurita's 1st Striking Force to move to Brunei Bay and destroy enemy warships and transports in Leyte Gulf. Meanwhile, Admiral Shima's 2nd Striking Force prepared to support counter-landings led by Vice-Admiral Mikawa Gunichi's Southwest Area Fleet. The planning for Admiral Shima's small force was emblematic of the shambolic state of the IJN organization for the battle. His force was originally assigned to Ozawa as part of the Main Body. Then it was detached to go down to Formosa to mop-up Halsey's Third Fleet in the aftermath of the Battle off Formosa. Then it was assigned to the Southwest Area Fleet based in Manila to spearhead an envisioned counter-landing on Leyte. The commander of the Southwest Area Fleet, Admiral Mikawa, determined that the Shima force was not required to accomplish the counter-landing mission. On October 19 Toyoda rejected this and instructed Mikawa to use the Shima force as part of the counter-landing force. In spite of this and after confirming that the counter-landing operation did not require Shima's force, Mikawa sent orders to Shima on the afternoon of the 19th that he was not required to stand by to support the counter-landing. Early in the afternoon on October 21, the Combined Fleet again ordered Shima to take part in the transport mission and ordered his force to Manila. At this point, two forces were assigned to the counter-landing operation with a total of five cruisers and eight destroyers. This was a very questionable use of the Combined Fleet's limited resources.  Kurita's 16th Cruiser Division was detached to reinforce the effort, and Admiral Ozawa's depleted Main Body was tasked with luring the enemy north, allowing Kurita to break through to the landing zone. Vice Adm. Ozawa's Task Force Main Body sortied from the Bungo Channel, at the southern entrance to the Inland Sea, on the afternoon of October 20, immediately after receiving the Combined Fleet battle order. To heighten its effectiveness as a lure, the Ozawa Force sortied with all of the 3d Carrier Division, made up of the regular carrier Zuikaku and the light carriers Zuiho, Chitose, and Chiyoda. The total number of aircraft available to put aboard these ships, however, was only 108. These belonged to the poorly trained air groups of the 1st Carrier Division and represented about half the normal complement. In addition to the half-empty carriers, the force comprised two battleships (Ise, Hyuga), three light cruisers(Oyodo, Tama, Isuzu) and eight destroyers (31st Destroyer Squadron). At around 06:00 on 21 October, Japanese aircraft attempted to bomb the Allied ships in Leyte Bay. An Aichi D3A dive-bomber dove for Shropshire, but broke away after heavy anti-aircraft fire was directed at it. The Aichi, damaged by Bofors fire, turned and flew at low level up the port side of the nearby Australia, before striking the cruiser's foremast with its wingroot. Although the bulk of the aircraft fell overboard, the bridge and forward superstructure were showered with debris and burning fuel. Seven officers (including Captain Dechaineux) and twenty-three sailors were killed by the collision, while another nine officers (including Commodore Collins), fifty-two sailors, and an AIF gunner were wounded. Observers aboard Australia and nearby Allied ships differed in their opinions of the collision; some thought that it was an accident, while the majority considered it to be a deliberate ramming aimed at the bridge. Following the attack, commander Harley C. Wright assumed temporary control of the ship. Since Kurita lacked air cover, Tominaga's forces were regrouping in the Philippines to bolster Japanese air strength for Operation Sho-Go, while Admiral Fukudome's 2nd Air Fleet was assembling in the Manila area. At the same time, with communication lost with General Makino's 16th Division.Because of the typhoon of October 17-18, signal communications were impossible. Roads were washed out and impassable. Bridges were down; and for about a week from the time the storm first hit the island, elements of the 16th Division were scattered and out of contact with one another. While trying to assemble its forces for operations, the Japanese were then hit by enemy bombardment, which further severely disrupted General Makino's radio-telegraphic communications. Additionally, the evacuation of Tacloban by the division rear echelon, which began early on October 20, necessitated the abandonment of permanent wireless installations and resulted in complete severance for 48 hours of all contact between the 16th Division and higher headquarters at Cebu and Manila. During this critical period, 14th Area Army and 35th Army were completely without knowledge of developments on Leyte. General Suzuki initiated the Suzu Plan, preparing the 41st Regiment and two battalions of the 102nd Division to move toward Ormoc. General Terauchi, having decided that the decisive battle would be fought at Leyte, directed General Yamashita to place the provisional Tempei Battalion and the 20th Antitank Battalion under Suzuki's command and ordered Lieutenant-General Yamagata Tsuyuo's 26th Division to prepare for early deployment to Leyte. Additionally, reinforcements from the 1st Division and the 68th Brigade, soon to arrive in the Philippines, were assigned to the 35th Army. The Japanese anticipated that the enemy would not move inland until the beachheads at Tacloban and Dulag were connected, so they aimed to gather reinforcements in the Carigara area before launching a major counteroffensive to crush the invading forces. In the meantime, Makino's 16th Division was tasked with holding off the enemy advance in eastern Leyte long enough to allow reinforcements to assemble. Reacting swiftly to the enemy landings, Makino sent the reserve 1st Battalion, 20th Regiment, and the 7th Independent Tank Company to strengthen the defenses at Palo and Dulag, respectively. General Krueger, however, intended to move quickly through Leyte Valley, aiming to secure key roads and airfields before the Japanese could regroup and mount a solid defense. The 1st Striking Force departed Lingga at 01:00 on October 18 and headed to Brunei Bay on the north coast of Borneo. At Brunei, Kurita's ships refuelled, and Kurita took the opportunity to confer with his officers. The details of Sho-1 reached Kurita's force during the day on October 18. This made for a dramatic conference and reflected the unease many felt about the plan. Many officers at the conference were appalled that the fleet was being risked attacking empty transports and doubted that they would ever get close to Leyte Gulf. Kurita probably had his own doubts about the plan, but after many of those present expressed their doubts, Kurita reminded them of the “glorious opportunity” they had been given. “Would it not be a shame to have the fleet remain intact while the nation perishes?” posed Kurita, and followed with the plea: “What man can say that there is no chance for our fleet to turn the tide of war in a decisive battle?” Whatever their doubts, the crews and ships of the 1st Striking Force departed Brunei at 08:00 on October 22 and headed northeast through the Palawan Passage. Kurita's 3rd Section—consisting of the old battleships Fuso and Yamashiro, heavy cruiser Mogami, and four destroyers—stayed behind. These ships departed at 15:00 and headed to the Balabac Strait and then into the Sulu Sea. If all went according to plan, they would storm Leyte Gulf through the Surigao Strait and meet Kurita's ships inside the gulf on the morning of October 25. To the north, General Mudge's 1st Cavalry Division continued advancing northwest along San Juanico Strait, with the 7th Cavalry liberating Tacloban with minimal resistance. The 5th and 12th Cavalry Regiments faced tougher opposition in the southwestern foothills, where Colonel Royce Drake was killed by enemy machine-gun fire, but they managed to secure Utap and Caibaan despite the swampy terrain. To the south, Colonel Aubrey Newman's 34th Regiment repelled a strong enemy counterattack, resulting in 600 Japanese casualties, before launching an assault on Hill 332. Although only the northern knoll was captured by nightfall, the 1st Battalion, 19th Regiment consolidated its position on Hill 522, while the 2nd and 3rd Battalions advanced towards Palo, with the 2nd successfully entering the town. Further south, Japanese artillery positioned on Catmon Hill targeted the beachhead area while General Bradley's 96th Division advanced. Colonel May's 1st Battalion attacked the Japanese positions at Labiranan Head, the remaining forces of the 383rd Regiment moved west to a point north of Tigbao, and Colonel Dill's 382nd Regiment made slow progress towards Tigbao. At the same time, General Arnold's 7th Division, after repelling two minor tank attacks, began advancing west toward the Burauen airstrips, with the 32nd and 184th Regiments moving side by side. The 184th faced minimal opposition as it captured the Dulag airstrip and continued moving forward about 1000 yards beyond the beachhead, whereas the 32nd had to overcome several bunkers and pillboxes to reach its objective. The next day, both regiments continued their westward advance, with the 184th stopping after 2800 yards due to increased enemy resistance, waiting for the 32nd to close the gap. To the north, May's 1st Battalion secured Labiranan Hill and San Roque, while the rest of the 383rd Regiment advanced to Anibung to surround Catmon Hill, and the 382nd Regiment pushed through Tigbao and Canmangui. In response to these developments, Makino decided to reorganize his southern forces to better defend Catmon Hill and Burauen, with the 20th Regiment largely disengaging and retreating towards Hindang. Simultaneously, the 34th Regiment captured Hill 332, while Lieutenant-Colonel George Chapman's 19th Regiment defended Palo from strong enemy counterattacks. The 3rd Battalion managed to reach the town, allowing the 2nd Battalion to launch an attack towards Hill B, though it was unable to capture its crest. Further north, while the 7th Cavalry secured the hills around Tacloban, Brigadier-General William Chase's 1st Cavalry Brigade continued to face challenges advancing up the western foothills. In the morning, Kurita set sail from Brunei and headed northeast through the Palawan Passage, leaving Vice-Admiral Nishimura Shoji's Force C behind to advance through the Surigao Strait into Leyte Gulf. Taking the direct route along the west coast of Palawan, the 1st Striking Force was detected by submarines Darter and Dace in the early hours of October 23. After reporting the enemy task force to Admirals Halsey and Kinkaid, the submarines executed a coordinated attack at 06:10. The first torpedoes struck Atago just as Kurita was having morning tea with his chief of staff. In total, four torpedoes hit the cruiser, dooming her instantly. Nineteen officers and 341 sailors went down with the ship. Kurita and his staff were thrown into the water and had to swim for their lives. The second salvo from Darter hit cruiser Takao, steaming behind Atago. Two torpedoes hit the cruiser, killing 32 crewmen and wounding another 30. Takao was not only out of the battle, but her heavy damage put her out of the war. After eventually reaching Singapore, she was deemed unrepairable.On Dace, Claggett observed Darter's devastating attack. Claggett identified a Kongo-class battleship for attack and began his approach. Six torpedoes were fired from a range of 1,800 yards toward the target, which was actually heavy cruiser Maya. The cruiser took four hits on her port side and sank in a mere eight minutes, taking with her 16 officers and 320 men. Kurita narrowly escaped the sinking of the Atago, later transferring to the battleship Yamato after sending two destroyers to escort the damaged Takao back to Brunei. The submarines then endured ineffective counterattacks from Japanese destroyers, although Darter ran aground on a reef while pursuing Takao. This successful submarine attack not only diminished Kurita's force by three powerful cruisers but also provided the Americans with the location of the 1st Striking Force. In response, Admiral Oldendorf's fire support group established a battle line across the mouth of Surigao Strait, and Halsey ordered his dispersed carrier groups to prepare for battle, recalling Task Group 38.4 immediately. Additionally, Vice-Admiral Sakonju Naomasa's 16th Cruiser Division, en route to Mindanao with the 41st Regiment for Ormoc, was tracked by submarine Bream near Manila Bay early on October 23. This led to a torpedo attack that critically damaged the heavy cruiser Aoba, forcing her to return to Japan, where she would never be operational again. Despite these challenges, the first reinforcement successfully arrived in Ormoc on the same day after an uneventful voyage. At the same time, the IJA and IJN air forces were rapidly assembling their resources in the Philippines in preparation for a coordinated air offensive set to begin on October 24, a day before the scheduled fleet attack. To the north, Ozawa's substantial but ineffective decoy force was positioned due east of Okinawa, moving south into the Philippine Sea, while Shima's 2nd Striking Force neared the Coron Islands. Back in Leyte, Krueger's offensive was advancing as well. In the north, the 8th Cavalry had moved through the 7th and successfully captured a bridge over the Diit River. On October 22, elements of the 5th Cavalry were sent to Tacloban to act as a guard of honor for General MacArthur. The guard of honor, consisting of 1st Lt. John Gregory and thirty enlisted men of the 5th Cavalry, arrived at Tacloban later on October 23. President Osmeña of the Philippine Commonwealth was also present, having come ashore for the occasion. A simple but impressive ceremony was held in front of the municipal building of Tacloban, though the interior of the edifice was a shambles of broken furniture and scattered papers. A guard of honor of "dirty and tired but efficient-looking soldiers" was drawn up in front of the government building. General MacArthur broadcasted an address announcing the establishment of the Philippine Civil Government with President Osmeña as its head. Lt. Gen. Richard K. Sutherland then read the official proclamation. President Osmeña spoke appreciatively of American support and of the determination of the Filipinos to expel the enemy. "To the Color" was sounded on the bugle, and the national flags of the United States and the Philippines were simultaneously hoisted on the sides of the building. Colonel Kangleon of the guerrilla forces was then decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross. Few Filipinos except representatives of the local government were present for the ceremony. Apparently the inhabitants had not heard of it, or did not know that they were permitted to attend. Information quickly spread, however, that the civil government had assumed control, and as General MacArthur and his party left town the civil population cheered them. The 1st Cavalry Brigade continued its slow advance through challenging terrain before being reassigned to support the overstretched 24th Division in its rear. Newman's 1st Battalion made an unsuccessful attempt to capture Hill Nan, and the 19th Regiment similarly failed to take Hill B. On the night of October 23 Col. Suzuki Tatsunosuke, the commanding officer of the 33rd Regiment, led a raiding detachment, armed with rifles, sabres, grenades, and mines, into Palo from the southwest. Using Filipino civilians in front of them, the men of the detachment tricked the guards at the outpost into believing that they were guerrillas. The Japanese were thus able to capture two machine guns and a 37-mm. gun. They penetrated to the town square and charged, throwing explosives into houses, trucks, and a tank, and broke into an evacuation hospital where they killed some wounded. They then moved toward the bridge and mounted the captured machine guns on it, firing until their ammunition was exhausted and then abandoning the guns. The American guards on the other side of the bridge, however, were able to fire upon the bridge and its approaches so effectively that they killed fifty Japanese, according to a count made the next morning. The raid was completely broken up, and sixty Japanese, including Colonel Suzuki, were killed. The American casualties were fourteen killed and twenty wounded. To the south, the 383rd Regiment secured the Guinarona River, while the 382nd conducted patrols. Even farther south, Arnold deployed the 17th Regiment, reinforced by the 2nd Battalion of the 184th Regiment and the 767th Tank Battalion, to push through his advance elements and continue the assault westward, with the other two regiments trailing 1000 yards behind. This "flying wedge" maneuver proved highly effective, with the infantry securing San Pablo airfield and the tanks advancing to the western edge of Burauen. They disrupted the disorganized enemy forces and killed Colonel Hokota Keijiro, commander of the 20th Regiment. Meanwhile, at sea, Kurita's intact warships advanced into Mindoro Strait by nightfall, while Nishimura's force was crossing the Sulu Sea. To the north, Ozawa's decoy force was deliberately broadcasting messages to draw enemy attention. Shima was also directed to penetrate Surigao Strait to support Nishimura's assault, as Mikawa had determined that the 2nd Striking Force was not needed for the counter-landing mission. On Leyte, the troops continued their engagement on October 24, unaware of the impending major naval battle. In the northern region, to secure San Juanico Strait and prevent Japanese reinforcements from Samar, the 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry landed successfully at Babatngon; Troop C of the 8th Cavalry did the same at La Paz; and the rest of the 1st Squadron advanced to Guintiguian. By nightfall, these cavalry units had to repel a strong counterattack from the 2nd Battalion, 9th Regiment, which was stationed in Samar. To the south, Newman's 1st Battalion secured Hills Nan and Mike; his 2nd Battalion fought its way to a small hill southeast of Hill C; Chapman's 2nd Battalion continued its unsuccessful assault on Hill B; and his Company K captured San Joaquin south of Palo. Further south, the 382nd Regiment pushed through Hindang, causing the 20th Regiment units to retreat, and also secured Anibung, while the 383rd Regiment began patrolling its area. Meanwhile, the 17th Regiment, supported by the 184th, advanced along the road to Burauen, fought through the town, and began preparing for a push north to Dagami. Additionally, the 32nd Regiment attacked toward the Buri airstrip but was eventually forced to withdraw. At dawn on October 24, the crucial air phase of the Sho-Go plan began, with 200 aircraft of the 1st and 2nd Air Fleets taking off from Clark Field to patrol the waters east of Luzon. At 08:20, Admiral Sherman's carriers were finally spotted, prompting the launch of three waves of Japanese aircraft for an attack. The first attack in the morning was intercepted by seven Hellcats from Essex led by Commander David McCampbell, the air group commander. The quality of the Japanese air crews was very low. McCampbell methodically proceeded to shoot down nine Japanese aircraft, for which he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, and his wingman claimed six more. After the record action, he managed to return and land in extremis on Langley because the Essex's deck was too busy to accommodate him although he had run short of fuel. Altogether, aviators from Essex were credited with 24 downed enemy aircraft, and fighters from Lexington 13. Despite the Hellcats' rough handling of the incoming Japanese strike, fleet air defense was never airtight. At 0938hrs, one Judy divebomber used clouds for cover and then made a skillful attack against light carrier Princeton. The aircraft's 551lb bomb hit in the middle of the flight deck some 75ft forward of the aft elevator. It penetrated several decks to the ship's bakery, where it exploded. The resulting blast reached into the hangar deck where it engulfed six fully armed and fully fueled Avengers. These aircraft caught fire and soon exploded with a blast so powerful both ship's elevators were thrown into the air. Water pressure was knocked out, which allowed the flames to spread quickly. All non-essential personnel were ordered off the ship at 1010hrs, followed by all but the fire-fighting personnel ten minutes later. In response, the cruiser Birmingham came to Princeton's aid but sustained severe damage from a major explosion and had to retreat to Ulithi, leading to Princeton being scuttled later in the afternoon. The subsequent two waves of Japanese aircraft were successfully intercepted, resulting in the loss of 67 Japanese planes by the end of the day. Meanwhile, Tominaga launched full-scale attacks on enemy invasion shipping in Leyte Gulf with minimal results. The failure to neutralize Halsey's carriers and Ozawa's undetected diversion mission allowed Admiral Mitscher to conduct a series of strikes against Kurita's force. That morning, American reconnaissance aircraft detected Kurita's 1st Striking Force south of Mindoro, prompting Admiral Bogan to dispatch 45 aircraft under Commander William Ellis to attack the battleships Yamato and Musashi as they neared the Sibuyan Sea. At approximately 10:30, aircraft from the Intrepid and Cabot began their attack. The lead group of Japanese ships included the huge Yamato and Musashi. Of these two, Musashi was nearest, so Commander Ellis selected her as the main target. He split the 12 Helldivers into two six-aircraft divisions to attack both battleships with their 1000lb bombs. The two nearest large ships were the subject of the Avengers' attack. Two were ordered to go after heavy cruiser Myoko and the other six were directed against Musashi. These were divided into two three-plane sections in order to execute an anvil attack. The four Avengers from Cabot were allocated against Yamato in the center of the formation. American pilots all remarked on the ferocity of the antiaircraft fire from the multi-colored 5in. bursts to the streams of tracers from the 25mm guns. The Japanese also used Type 3 incendiary shells from 18.1in. and 16in. main battery guns. Despite the spectacular appearances of this barrage, Japanese anti-aircraft fire was generally ineffective. The giant Type 3 shells proved totally ineffective, and Japanese records indicate that the battleships fired a relatively low number of 6in. and 5in. shells during each attack, indicating that the fire-control systems were taking too long to generate a targeting solution. These and the ubiquitous 25mm guns damaged many aircraft, but of the over 250 aircraft that attacked during the day, only 18 were shot down. Though the numbers confirm the ineffectiveness of IJN anti-aircraft fire, the American aviators displayed great courage pressing home their attacks through what was described as an impenetrable wall of flak. Musashi was hit with one torpedo, leading to flooding and listing, and another torpedo struck the cruiser Myoko, which had to return to Singapore. For most of the day, Musashi was the center of attention. Due to a fault in the design of her side belt, slow flooding entered the adjacent boiler room. The effect of some 3,000 tons of water was a 5.5° list, which was quickly reduced to a single degree by pumps in the affected boiler room and counterflooding on the opposite. Facing Musashi's intact antiaircraft batteries, one Avenger was shot down before it launched its torpedo and a second went down after deploying its weapon. The two Avengers that attacked Myoko were even more successful. At 1029hrs, one torpedo hit the heavy cruiser on her starboard side aft. Her propulsion system was damaged, and her top speed reduced to 15 knots. The cruiser fell astern of the formation. Kurita was forced to send her back to Singapore for repairs without destroyer escort. Since Myoko was the flagship of Sentai 5, at 1100hrs the commander transferred to cruiser Haguro. Myoko limped back to Singapore but was out of the war. Four of Kurita's heavy cruisers were out of the battle before they had a chance to engage an enemy ship. Cabot's small group of torpedo aircraft attacked Yamato, but the battleship dodged all torpedoes directed at her. Concurrently, Nishimura's fleet was located by an enhanced search operation from Admiral Davison's carriers. At 09:18, 16 Hellcats and 12 Avengers from the Enterprise attacked the Yamashiro and Fuso battleships, hitting the latter with two bombs, though the damage was minimal. Operating to the west of Nishimura was Shima's Second Striking Force and also in the area was Shima's detached Destroyer Division 21 with three ships, which was hurrying to rejoin Shima's main force after having completed a transport mission to Manila. Franklin's air group was assigned the northern sector of the Sulu Sea. It spotted the three ships of Shima's Destroyer Division 21 off Panay. Attacking high-speed destroyers was a challenge for any airman, but at 0813hrs Wakaba was hit by a bomb and several near misses. The damage proved fatal—45 minutes later, Wakaba sank with the loss of 30 men. Franklin launched a follow-up strike of 12 Hellcats and 11 bombers that reached the two remaining destroyers just before noon. Only one bomb hit was scored against Hatsushimo, which did little damage. The Japanese commander decided to head back to Manila with the survivors of Wakaba. Inexplicably, he failed to notify Shima of his decision. Destroyer Division 21 was out of the battle.  After this initial strike, Bogan sent a second wave of 42 aircraft, which targeted Musashi between 12:07 and 12:15. Again, Helldivers opened the attack. The 12 bombers scored at least two direct hits and five near misses. One 1,000lb hit forward and passed through Musashi's bow without exploding. The second hit just to the port side of the stack and penetrated two decks before exploding. The resulting damage forced the abandonment of the port-side inboard engine room, which reduced the ship to three shafts. A fire near one of the boiler rooms was quickly extinguished. Adding to the chaos, Musashi's steam siren was damaged, and it continued to sound off and on for the remainder of the action. Once again Intrepid's Avengers deployed to conduct an anvil attack. Of the nine aircraft, eight got their torpedoes in the water and headed toward the huge battleship. As was the case for the entire series of attacks, it is impossible to precisely trace the number of hits suffered by Musashi; American and Japanese records do not even coincide on the overall number of attacks during the day. It is probable that the second wave of Avengers put three torpedoes into Musashi's port side. One hit near the stack on the junction of the outboard port engine room and the port hydraulic machinery space; it caused slow flooding but little else. Another hit forward of the armored citadel and caused massive flooding into several large spaces. The last confirmed hit occurred abaft Turret No. 2. Despite these three additional hits, Musashi remained on an even keel, but was noticeably down by the bow. In exchange, Musashi antiaircraft gunners forced one Avenger to ditch some 15 miles away and shot down two Helldivers. During this attack, Japanese records indicate nine Type 3 shells were fired. American pilots were impressed that they were engaged at 25,000–30,000 yards, but no aircraft were damaged. This damage reduced Musashi's speed to 22 knots, prompting Kurita to slow his formation. Despite taking four torpedoes, Musashi's skilled damage-control teams managed to keep it afloat throughout the day. At 10:50, Sherman launched 58 aircraft from the Essex and Lexington, focusing on Musashi again at 13:30. With her speed reduced and unable to fully maneuver, she was a much easier target. Despite the heavy fire directed against them, the Helldivers performed their mission of preparing the way for the torpedo bombers. At least four 1,000lb bombs hit Musashi. Three hits caused minimal damage as they impacted near the forward 18in. turret and exploded in the unoccupied crew accommodation spaces below. Damage from the final hit that exploded on contact when it hit the starboard side of the stack was not serious, but the explosion devastated many nearby 25mm triple mounts and caused heavy casualties among the gun crews. While the Helldivers added to the topside carnage, damage from the Avengers was much more serious. Three more torpedo hits were confirmed in the third attack, bringing the total to seven. Two struck forward of the armored citadel on either side of the bow. The design flaw of having comparatively little compartmentation in the unarmored forward section of the ship led to massive flooding. In addition, the explosions forced the hull plating outward creating what looked like a huge plow throwing water up as the ship moved forward. Another torpedo struck the starboard side close to the previous starboard side hit. This increased flooding and forced the abandonment of the starboard hydraulic machinery room. A possible fourth hit was reported by some witnesses near the forward 6.1in. triple turret on the starboard side. This assault resulted in at least four bomb hits and three torpedo hits, causing severe flooding. Despite this, Musashi continued to fight, but with its speed reduced to 12 knots, Kurita ordered it to move west with destroyers Shimakaze and Kiyoshimo. Additionally, the cruiser Tone was struck by two bombs during this attack, sustaining only light damage. At 14:26, 12 Helldivers and 8 Hellcats from the Essex launched an assault on the Yamato and Nagato, delivering three bomb hits to the Yamato and two to the Nagato, though the damage was not severe. The fifth air attack of the day was the most intense, with 65 aircraft from the Enterprise and Franklin taking off at 13:15 to strike the heavily damaged Musashi at 15:10. The results against the near-defenseless battleship were devastating. Of the 18 Helldivers that dove on Musashi, 11 claimed hits. On this occasion, the aviators' claims were not inflated. Japanese sources agreed that within minutes, Musashi was pounded by ten 1,000lb bombs. This barrage can be detailed with some degree of certainty. One bomb hit forward of Turret No. 1 and added to the damage there from earlier bombs. Another bomb hit the roof of the same turret and failed to penetrate its thick roof armor. Another hit to the starboard side of the turret and penetrated two decks before exploding against the main armored deck. Two bombs hit together between the forward 6.1in. turret and the superstructure, exploded on contact, and did minimal damage. Another two hit just to port in the same general area, penetrated two decks, and exploded on the main armored deck without penetrating. The eighth bomb hit the port side of the massive superstructure and exploded on contact, causing devastation to nearby 25mm mounts and their crews. Another projectile hit the top of the superstructure and destroyed the main battery fire-control director and its rangefinder. The resulting explosion caused significant personnel casualties on the bridge and operations room totaling 78 killed and wounded. Among the wounded was the ship's captain. The final hit landed abaft the superstructure but caused only minor damage. Musashi was equally helpless against the Avengers. The eight Enterprise Avengers conducted an anvil attack, and all claimed hits. At this point in the action, the accounts of Musashi's surviving crewmembers are not reliable. It is certain that four more torpedoes hit the ship. The first was on the port side in the area of the magazine for Turret No. 1. Another hit on the port side was recorded abeam the superstructure, flooding one boiler room. The third hit to port was placed just aft of the stack. It was in the same area of an earlier hit, and it immediately flooded the outboard engine room. The only confirmed hit on the starboard side occurred in the area of Turret No. 2. On top of the four confirmed hits, some Japanese accounts mention as many as six more. Two of these struck amidships on the port side but did not explode. All attacking aircraft returned safely, confirming the ineffectiveness of Musashi's defenses at this point. At 15:21, Helldivers targeted the Haruna, but only managed five near misses. The increasing intensity of the air attacks throughout the day indicated that Japanese land-based air forces had failed to neutralize Halsey's carriers. Consequently, at 15:30, Kurita ordered his fleet to change course westward, away from the San Bernardino Strait, hoping that this maneuver would reduce the pressure from air attacks and allow Japanese air forces to achieve better results. Meanwhile, Bogan launched his third strike of the day at 15:50, with 31 aircraft under Ellis targeting the Musashi one final time. However, due to fatigue, the attack was ineffective. After this last air strike, Kurita decided to head back towards the San Bernardino Strait and instructed the sinking Musashi to beach itself on Sibuyan Island at 17:15. Before this could be executed, the battleship sank at 19:36, resulting in the loss of 1,023 lives. Thus, the Musashi became the largest ship ever sunk by air attack in what was the largest air-sea battle in history up to that point. Despite losing 18 aircraft, the Americans succeeded in sinking the Musashi, torpedoing the Myoko, and damaging three other battleships to varying extents. Nevertheless, the 1st Striking Force emerged in better condition than anticipated, with the Musashi absorbing much of the torpedo and bomb damage and allowing the other ships to weather the attack. Kurita planned to navigate San Bernardino Strait during the night, proceed down the east coast of Samar, and reach Leyte Gulf around 11:00. Meanwhile, Admiral Mitscher's search planes had located Ozawa's carriers at 16:40. By afternoon, Ozawa had launched most of his aircraft in an attack on Sherman, but the final assault by the once formidable IJN carrier force achieved only limited success, with 28 planes lost before retreating to the Philippines. Remaining undetected, Ozawa then dispatched two battleship carriers and four destroyers under Rear-Admiral Matsuda Chiaki southward, drawing American attention to his position.  In the aftermath of the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Americans did not know that the IJN had no prospects of replacing its lost aviators. Because the majority of the carriers themselves survived the battle, and the Americans knew other carriers were being added to the force, the IJN's carrier force was still a threat. The intelligence Halsey received on the IJN's carrier force indicated that it was fully capable. In every other major battle of the war, the IJN carrier fleet was the main threat. The Pacific War had become a carrier war and surface forces had been firmly supplanted as the primary striking force. The Americans had no way of knowing that the Japanese had turned this thinking on its head in their planning for Leyte Gulf. Nimitz wanted to destroy the Combined Fleet and thus gain an increased measure of operational freedom for future operations. He was disappointed that this did not occur at Philippine Sea and thus had inserted the instruction to Halsey that the destruction of the Japanese fleet would be his primary objective if the opportunity was presented. Achieving this not only would eliminate the main threat to the invasion, but it would cripple the IJN's ability to interfere with future operations. As the assessment from the aviators was that Kurita's force no longer posed a threat, at 19:50 Halsey ordered his entire force north to crush what he assessed as the primary threat: Ozawa's carrier force. He decided to do so with the entirety of his force. By doing so, he decided to ignore the threat posed by the Kurita force, which was headed toward San Bernardino Strait. He kept his whole force together, because that was how TF 38 fought and because, as he stated after the war, he did not want to divide his force in the face of the enemy. A decisive victory was most likely if the carriers of TF 38 worked with the battleships of TF 34. This was USN doctrine and Halsey fully supported it.  At 20:22, Task Force 38 set course north, with the three carrier groups in the area meeting just before midnight. Earlier, at 20:05, a night reconnaissance aircraft from Independence had reported that Kurita's formidable surface force was heading back toward the San Bernardino Strait. This news raised concerns among several of Halsey's subordinates, including Bogan and Lee, but they were dismissed by the resolute Halsey. As a result, the 3rd Fleet's full strength continued northward toward Ozawa's decoy force, leaving the San Bernardino Strait completely unprotected. This left Kurita's battleships unopposed between themselves and the American landing vessels, except for Kinkaid's vulnerable escort carriers off Samar's coast. Meanwhile, the detection of Nishimura's force on October 24 gave Kinkaid enough time to prepare for a battle at Surigao Strait. Oldendorf set up his battle line under Rear-Admiral George Weyler near Hingatungan Point in the northern part of the strait, providing maximum sea space while still constraining Japanese movement. Eight cruisers in two groups were positioned south of this line, with 24 destroyers stationed to screen the battleships and cruisers and positioned on both flanks to launch torpedo attacks against the approaching Japanese. Additionally, 39 PT boats were deployed in the southern approaches to the strait and into the Mindanao Sea to provide early warning and execute torpedo attacks when possible. The main issue was that the battleships were primarily equipped with high-explosive shells and would only engage once the Japanese forces were about 20,000 yards away. Moreover, Kinkaid had intercepted an order from Halsey to assemble a powerful task force of fast battleships. Misinterpreting the order's unclear wording, Kinkaid mistakenly believed Task Force 34 was coming to defend San Bernardino Strait, allowing his forces to concentrate on Surigao Strait instead. Despite Kurita's delays, Nishimura pressed on to breach the strait, advancing with the heavy cruiser Mogami and three destroyers. Little is known about Nishimura's precise thinking as he approached the strait. He was planning on arriving off Tacloban at 0430hrs on October 25 in accordance with Toyoda's master plan that had Kurita's force arriving off Leyte a short time later. This schedule fell apart after Kurita's advance was thrown off schedule on the afternoon of October 24 when he temporarily turned around in the face of intensive air attack in the Sibuyan Sea. At 2013hrs Nishimura sent a message to Toyoda and Kurita that he planned to arrive off Dulag at 0400hrs the next morning, a half hour later than planned. This was only a minor change; much more important was the receipt at 2200hrs of Kurita's message that he would not be in the gulf until 1100hrs. This meant that Nishimura's force was on its own when it executed its attack into the gulf. However, Nishimura did not change his plan after learning of Kurita's revised intentions. He was determined to force the strait in darkness and in so doing draw forces away from Kurita's main attack. The battle began at 2236hrs when PT-131 gained radar contact on Nishimura's main force. The three boats of the section headed toward the contact to make a torpedo attack. Two of the boats were slightly damaged, but one was able to close within torpedo range. News of the contact did not reach Oldendorf until 0026hrs on October 25. Another section sighted the advance group built around Mogami at 2350hrs and two of the boats fired a torpedo at the cruiser. Neither hit its target. Demonstrating the confusion in any night battle, at about 0100hrs Mogami was hit by a 6in. shell from Fuso. Though a dud, it killed three men. About an hour later, PT134 closed to within 3,000 yards of Fuso and fired three torpedoes. Again, all missed. This running series of encounters continued up until 0213hrs. Of the 39 boats, 30 contacted the Japanese and launched 34 torpedoes. None of Nishimura's ships was hit. While Nishimura's force was successfully fighting its way up the strait in good order, he kept Kurita and Shima informed of his progress. At 0040hrs, the two parts of Nishimura's force reunited. First blood went to the Japanese, since ten PTs were hit, and one (PT-493) sank, with a total of three dead and 20 wounded. Though unable to exact any attrition on the Japanese, the PTs had provided an invaluable service informing Oldendorf of Nishimura's location and strength. Based on an earlier report from one of Mogami's scout aircraft on the location and numbers of USN ships in Leyte Gulf, Nishimura appeared to believe that the battle would occur inside Leyte Gulf and not in Surigao Strait. If he really believed that Oldendorf would not use favorable geography to his advantage, he was sorely mistaken. Having survived the PT boat attacks with no damage, Nishimura now faced a much more deadly threat. This came in the form of five Fletcher-class destroyers under the command of the aggressive Captain Coward. Two other destroyers from Coward's Destroyer Squadron 54 were left on picket duty and did not take part in the torpedo attack. The five destroyers assigned to the attack were arrayed to conduct an anvil attack (with torpedoes coming in from both bows of the enemy target), with McDermut and Monssen from the west and Remey, McGowan, and Melvin from the east. Approaching at 30 knots, Coward's ships would launch torpedoes guided by radar, and refrain from using their 5in. guns so as not to give their positions away. Once the torpedoes were on their way, the destroyers would break off and head north along the coast to clear the area and reduce the possibility of a friendly fire incident. What ensued was one of the most successful attacks of the entire war. Shortly after 03:00, Coward's three eastern destroyers launched 27 torpedoes from a range of 8200 to 9300 yards at the advancing Japanese ships. They scored two critical hits on the Fuso at 03:08, causing flooding and fires. The battleship, unaware of the severity of the damage, veered off course and headed south, ultimately sinking at about 03:45 with 1620 lives lost. The Americans claimed that the torpedoes had split the Fuso in two. Meanwhile, Coward's two western destroyers fired a full salvo of 20 torpedoes at 03:10. In response, Nishimura changed course, exposing his screen to danger. By 03:19, three torpedoes from McDermut struck the Yamagumo, which exploded and sank within two minutes; another torpedo hit the Michishio amidships, causing it to sink 15 minutes later after coming to a halt; and a final torpedo hit the Asagumo, damaging its bow and reducing its speed, forcing it to withdraw from the battle. McDermut's ten torpedoes were the most effective salvo of the war from any American destroyer. Monssen's torpedo attack resulted in a single hit on the battleship Yamashiro, causing some flooding and reducing her firepower by a third. Following Coward's devastating torpedo strike, six more destroyers, divided into two groups of three, approached Nishimura's force from the west along the coast of Leyte. The first group commenced their attack at 03:23, launching 14 torpedoes from a range of 6500 to 6800 yards, but only one torpedo struck the Yamashiro, temporarily slowing her to 5 knots. The second group of destroyers fired 15 torpedoes at 03:29, but none of their torpedoes hit their targets, and the gunfire from both sides proved ineffective. After this failed assault, nine destroyers in three sections of three approached Nishimura's weakened column from both flanks. The first two sections, attacking from either side, fired a half-salvo of five torpedoes from each destroyer, but none hit. Before the final section could launch its attack, a fierce gunnery battle was underway.  The gunnery battle began at 0351hrs when the first American cruiser opened up. Two minutes later, West Virginia commenced fire from 22,800 yards. All ships fired at the largest radar return of the three Japanese ships, which was Yamashiro. The American barrage grew as each battleship gained a fire control solution. The three ships with the most modern fire control systems did most of the work. California joined in at 0355hrs from 20,400 yards followed by Tennessee one minute later. The three battleships with the less capable Mk 3 fire control radar struggled to gain a firing solution. Maryland opened fire at 0359hrs by ranging her Mk 3 radar on the shell splashes from the other battleships. Mississippi took until 0412hrs when she fired a full salvo at Yamashiro from 19,790 yards. Pennsylvania never gained a good solution for her 14in. main battery and failed to fire a single salvo. Unbeknownst to Nishimura, the Americans had executed a "T" maneuver, leaving his ships able to fire only their forward guns while the enemy could unleash full broadsides. Concentrating their fire on the Yamashiro, Oldendorf's cruisers and battleships landed several hits during the 18-minute engagement. By 03:56, the Yamashiro was seen burning amidships, aft, and in the bridge area. Despite this, the battleship fought back fiercely, targeting the cruisers Phoenix, Columbia, Shropshire, and Denver, though no hits were achieved. The Mogami endured severe damage during this engagement, with the cruiser Portland focusing its fire on her and inflicting heavy harm. In the early phase of the battle, she took several 5in. hits from American destroyers. In the first minutes of the withering barrage from Oldendorf's cruisers and battleships, Mogami sustained more damage, including a hit on one of her 8in. turrets. After firing four Type 93 torpedoes at 0401hrs against the gun flashes from enemy ships to the north, she came under fire from heavy cruiser Portland. Two 8in. shells hit Mogami's bridge at 0402hrs, killing her commanding officer, and other shells disabled two engine rooms. The new commanding officer decided to break off the action and head south at slow speed. While headed south, she encountered the Second Diversion Attack Force.  As American gunfire pummeled Yamashiro's superstructure, the last destroyer group approached head-on, closing to within 6200 yards before launching 13 torpedoes. Before the torpedoes could reach their targets, the destroyers came under friendly fire and further assault from Yamashiro's guns, resulting in the Albert W. Grant taking 18 hits before being withdrawn. Observing the friendly fire, Oldendorf ordered a ceasefire at 04:09, allowing Nishimura to begin a retreat south. However, by 04:11, the Yamashiro had been hit by three torpedoes from the final destroyer salvo, causing a severe list and bringing the battleship to a halt. Yamashiro's valiant yet ultimately futile resistance ended at 04:19 when she capsized to port, taking Nishimura and 1625 others with her. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The largest naval battle in human history had only just begun. As many historians argue, given the fateful decision of Halsey to try and knock out the IJN combined fleet, the transports had been left completely open to an attack. Absolute carnage could unfold on an unprecedented scale…perhaps enough to cause America to rethink continuing the war?

PREVIEW: Conversation with colleague Captain Jerry Hendrix, USN (ret) re the US Navy involved with the defense of Israel during the ballistic missile attack -- and what else we see in the region. More tonight. 1939 USS Reuben James

PREVIEW: HOUTHIS: YEMEN: ROE: Comment by Ambassador Edmund Fitton-Brown, former UK ambassador to Yemen and former UN representative on ISIS and Al Qaeda, that the Houthis of North Yemen have not been adequately engaged by the USN and RN, and that their rules of engagement are the problem. More tonight. 1800 Yemen

WHILE THE US ALLEGES CURRENT WAR CRIMES IN EURASIA, REMEMBERING VIETNAM: 5/8: The Long Reckoning: A Story of War, Peace, and Redemption in Vietnam –by  George Black  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Long-Reckoning-Story-Redemption-Vietnam/dp/0593534107 The American war in Vietnam has left many long-lasting scars that have not yet been sufficiently examined. The worst of them were inflicted in a tiny area bounded by the demilitarized zone between North and South Vietnam and the Ho Chi Minh Trail in neighboring Laos. That small region saw the most intense aerial bombing campaign in history, the massive use of toxic chemicals, and the heaviest casualties on both sides. In The Long Reckoning, George Black recounts the inspirational story of the small cast of characters—veterans, scientists, and Quaker-inspired pacifists, and their Vietnamese partners—who used their moral authority, scientific and political ingenuity, and sheer persistence to attempt to heal the horrors that were left in the wake of the military engagement in Southeast Asia. Their intersecting story is one of reconciliation and personal redemption, embedded in a vivid portrait of Vietnam today, with all its startling collisions between past and present, in which one-time mortal enemies, in the endless shape-shifting of geopolitics, have been transformed into close allies and partners. 1968 USN

PREVIEW: PHILIPPINES: PRC: PALAWAN ISLAND: Conversation with colleague Captain James Fanell, USN (ret.) re the US intention to base a support force on Palawan Island on the shores of the contested South China Sea in order to fend off PLA predation. More tonight. 1924 Philippines

2/2 PRC OUTBUILDS THE US FLEET 7 TO 1: #USN:The inadequacy of USN ship-building and ship repairing & What is to be done?  Jerry Hendrix, Sagemore Institute https://asiatimes.com/2024/03/chinas-maritime-power-cause-for-action-and-alarm/ 1912 USS WYOMING

1/2 PRC OUTBUILDS THE US FLEET 7 TO 1: #USN:The inadequacy of USN ship-building and ship repairing & What is to be done?  Jerry Hendrix, Sagemore Institute https://asiatimes.com/2024/03/chinas-maritime-power-cause-for-action-and-alarm/ 1945 ENTERPRISE

PREVIEW: READINESS: Conversation with colleague Ji Fanell, USN retired Intelligence Officer in the Pacific Fleet, re the new Rand report that the US is not prepared for combat confrontation with the PLA. More later. 1927 Wuhan

USN vs PLANavy: James Holmes, first holder of the Wylie Chair of Maritime Strategy at the Naval War College and blogger at The Naval Diplomat (https://navaldiplomat.com/),@GordonGChang, Gatestone, Newsweek, The Hill https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/us-navy-fa-18-super-hornets-now-have-sm-6-missiles-china-should-worry-211828 1905 New Years Eve Celebration at the White House, host TR

PREVIEW: #PRC: #PLA Coast Guard: Philippines: Conversation with colleague James Fanell, USN (ret) re the surging of the PLA Navy and Coast Guard in the seas of East Asia -- & What is to be done?. Detail tonight. 1915 Manila

PREVIEW: #NATO: #ARCTIC: Conversation with Captain Jerry Hendrix, USN (ret), re the significance of Finland and Sweden joining NATO - and the challenges of patrolling the Arctic Ocean as well as the Baltic Sea. More tonight. 1900 Jules Verne, Mysterious Island: Nautilus

PREVIEW: SOUTH CHINA SEA: Conversation with Captain James Fanell, USN (ret), re the bullying and brutality by the PRC Coast Guard and Navy against the Philippines in the South China Sea. 1915 Manila

PREVIEW: #SAIPAN: Conversation with colleague Cleo Paskal of FDD in Saipan of the Northern Mariana Islands re the 80th anniversary of the USMC, USN, USA landings and liberation of Saipan from the Imperial Japanese Empire -- on Green Beach on June 15. More tonight and on Monday. 1945 Fat Man plutonium bomb on Tinian, Northern Marinas

1/2: #Merchant Marine: Logistics and warfighting in the vast Pacific. Admiral Gary Roughead, USN (retired), Hoover Institution. https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2024/05/23/regaining_our_standing_as_a_maritime_nation_1033460.html?utm_term=0_21b1edff3c-bc8f77797d-73394589&utm_campaign=bc8f77797d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_09_05_04_36_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8TBQqB2Xp0KgUK2CbnXF6GTqx79yu-3J0A9fSwEnqPZocLqZjjHEV8Qbi4z6ZDrh3Kmvi_5hyZnhbcxI4Vcpjuy7AGGg&_hsmi=311050079&utm_source=Hoover%20Daily%20Report https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2024/05/23/regaining_our_standing_as_a_maritime_nation_1033460.html?utm_term=0_21b1edff3c-bc8f77797d-73394589&utm_campaign=bc8f77797d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_09_05_04_36_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8TBQqB2Xp0KgUK2CbnXF6GTqx79yu-3J0A9fSwEnqPZocLqZjjHEV8Qbi4z6ZDrh3Kmvi_5hyZnhbcxI4Vcpjuy7AGGg&_hsmi=311050079&utm_source=Hoover%20Daily%20Report 1942 Merchant Marine Malta bound

2/2: #Merchant Marine: Logistics and warfighting in the vast Pacific. Admiral Gary Roughead, USN (retired), Hoover Institution. https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2024/05/23/regaining_our_standing_as_a_maritime_nation_1033460.html?utm_term=0_21b1edff3c-bc8f77797d-73394589&utm_campaign=bc8f77797d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_09_05_04_36_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8TBQqB2Xp0KgUK2CbnXF6GTqx79yu-3J0A9fSwEnqPZocLqZjjHEV8Qbi4z6ZDrh3Kmvi_5hyZnhbcxI4Vcpjuy7AGGg&_hsmi=311050079&utm_source=Hoover%20Daily%20Report https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2024/05/23/regaining_our_standing_as_a_maritime_nation_1033460.html?utm_term=0_21b1edff3c-bc8f77797d-73394589&utm_campaign=bc8f77797d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_09_05_04_36_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8TBQqB2Xp0KgUK2CbnXF6GTqx79yu-3J0A9fSwEnqPZocLqZjjHEV8Qbi4z6ZDrh3Kmvi_5hyZnhbcxI4Vcpjuy7AGGg&_hsmi=311050079&utm_source=Hoover% 1946 Merchant Marine

PREVIEW: #PRC: #US MERCHANT MARINE: Conversation with Admiral Gary Roughead, USN (retired) re the US Merchant Marine required to contest the threatened war in the Western Pacific -- and what to think of the vast distances that need resupply. Much more tonight. 1900 Palau

SOUTH CHINA SEA:: Duelling Coast Guards deployed.  Captain James Fanell, USN (ret) https://manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/314455898/ph-asks-us-japan-coast-guard-to-deploy-vessels-to-scs.html 1942

PREVIEW: USN: Conversation with colleague Jerry Hendrix re the USN habit of building Ferraris and not Fords, making ships more expensive and fewer in number & What is to be done? 1912 USS Wyoming

PREVIEW: PHILIPPINES: #PRC: Conversation with Captain James Fanell, USN (ret), re the PRC Coast Guard threat to the Philippines in the South China Sea and the fresh response by the Coast Guards of the US, Japan, ROK and the Philippines.  Details later. 1855 Manila