December 7th, 1941…a date which will live in infamy (Part 1)

Hawaiian Islands

It was a sleepy Sunday morning in Hawaii.

USS Ward, USS Crossbill, USS Condor and USS Antares all report Japanese carrier type aircraft overhead.

USS Thresher, a Tambor class electric boat, was returning to Pearl. Her lookouts also spotted Japanese carrier aircraft that looked like they had spotted her. She submerged to try and evade.

USS Ward, a WWI era Wickes class destroyer laid down in 1918, was conducting anti-submarine warfare operations outside the entrance to the harbor. USS Crossbill and USS Condor, coastal minesweepers, were sweeping the approaches to pearl harbor prior to USS Antares, a general stores ship, pulling a 500 long ton barge from Canton via Palmyra, was waiting for a tug to take the barge prior to making her entry into Pearl.

Click for historical note

Historical note: USS Ward opened fire on an unknown submarine that morning. Gun 3 crew claimed to have hit the submarine but no evidence was found to support their claims.

…28 August 2002. Researchers from the University of Hawaii found a Kō-hyōteki kō-gata (translated Midget Submarine Type A) submarine in 1,200ft of water about 3.5miles outside the entrance to Pearl Harbor. Photos of the wreck clearly show a shell hole in the starboard side of the conning tower.

Ward’s Gun 3 crew had been vindicated…

Pictured above is a painting of USS Ward firing on the submarine with USS Antares who was being trailed by the submarine.) Also the Deck gun from the Ward on display at the Capitol grounds in St. Paul Minesota.

Oahu

Observers report object partially submerged in channel at Pearl Harbor. Could be anything but…

Midget submarine detected within harbor at Pearl!

Turns out, the submerged object was a Kō-hyōteki kō-gata class submarine HA-14

Click for historical note

No picture of this submarine was forthcoming. Pictured above is HA-19, a sister to HA-14. HA-19 grounded on the beach at Oahu and was later transported around the country on war bond tours. This particular Submarine (HA-19) is on display at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas (Hometown of Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz.)

The submarine was attempting a torpedo run on USS Tennessee, the lead ship in the Tennessee class battleships.

No American defensive aircraft got off the ground. The only American aircraft that were active at the time were the Catalinas that were out searching for the submarines and such that had been reported around the area. Most everyone else was on a lazy weekend schedule.

Air losses for the Japanese were all due to the anti-aircraft fire that managed get into the action once the attack was already underway.

• – 5 Zeros were reported damaged and 4 reported destroyed.
• – 12 Kates damaged and 5 destroyed.
• – 17 Vals damaged and 3 destroyed.

American aircraft took a pretty good hit. They were, for the most part, damaged or destroyed on the ground. The seaplane ramps at Kaneohe took a beating. Most of the Catalinas were there.

Fighters

• – 6 F4F-3 Wildcat fighters were damaged and 2 were reported destroyed by BuAir.
• – 17 P-36a Mohawk fighters were damaged and 3 were destroyed at Wheeler Army Airfield.
• – 83 P-40B Tomahawk fighters were damaged and 10 destroyed at Hickam Field.

Bombers

• – 12 A-20A Havoc medium bombers were damaged and 4 were destroyed.
• – 28 B-17D Flying Fortress heavy bombers were damaged and 3 were destroyed.
• – 14 B-17E Flying Fortress heavy bombers were damaged and 1 was destroyed.
• – 47 B-18A Bolo medium bombers were damaged and 7 were destroyed.
• – 23 SBD-1 Dauntless dive bombers were damaged and 7 were destroyed.

Float planes

• – 140 PBY-5 Catalina flying boats were damaged and 11 were destroyed.
• – 2 OS2U-3 Kingfisher float planes were destroyed.
• – 3 SOC-1 Seagull floatplanes were destroyed.

Auxiliary

• – 1 C-33 transport plane was damaged and 1 was destroyed.
• – 10 O-47A observation planes were damaged and 2 were destroyed.
• – 1 R3D-2 transport planes was destroyed.

Battleships

• – USS Nevada, the lead ship in the Nevada class battleships, laid down in 1912, took 2 bombs and 3 torpedoes.
• – USS Oklahoma, the second in the Nevada class battleships, too 1 bomb and 3 torpedoes. She took damage to one main gun turret and took some hull damage. Still fighting fires.
• – USS Pennsylvania, the lead ship in the Pennsylvania class super-dreadnought battleships, laid down in 1913, took 10 bomb hits and had heavy fires with damage to her 5″/50 and 5″/25 guns. She is being moved pier side to begin repairs.
• – USS Arizona, the second of two Pennsylvania class super-dreadnought battleships, took 1 bomb and 6 torpedoes and is sunk.
• – USS Tennessee, the lead ship in the Tennessee class dreadnought battleships, laid down in 1917, took 7 bomb hits and 5 torpedoes. Float damage but not many fires. Her Kingfisher float planes will be sent to Hilo or Kona until she is ready to use them again. She, also, is being moved pier side.
• – USS California, the second in the Tennessee class battleships, took 8 bombs and 5 torpedoes. Damage to engines and hull. She is being moved Pier side.
• – USS Maryland, a Colorado class battleship, took 7 bombs and 4 torpedoes. She is being moved pier side to begin repairs.
• – USS West Virginia, another Colorado, was hit twice by bombs and 5 times with torpedoes and is sunk. (Historical note: She was indeed sunk in the attack but was later raised and returned to service. She was, finally, stricken from the naval record and broken up for scrap in 1959.)

Cruisers

• – USS New Orleans, the lead ship in the New Orleans class light cruisers or heavy cruisers (depending on if you take the armor or the guns into account,) was hit by one bomb and 3 torpedoes. She sank (Historical note: She did not take much damage of consequence in the attack. She went on to serve with distinction throughout the war (awarded 17 Battle Stars making her one of the most decorated ships of the war) and was stricken from the record and sold for scrap in 1959.)
• – USS Raleigh, an Omaha class light cruiser, was hit once by bomb and twice with torpedo. On fire, heavy damage.
• – USS Detroit, an Omaha class light cruiser, was hit by 3 bombs and 1 torpedo. heavy fires and heavy damage. She is being moved Pier side to begin repairs.
• – USS Phoenix, a Brooklyn, was hit by one bomb. She is being made a place in the shipyards to get needed repairs done before she heads to the West Coast. She should be out of the yards and headed home in about two weeks.
• – USS Honolulu, a Brooklyn class light cruiser, hit by 1 bomb and 2 torpedoes. On fire, heavy damage.
• – USS St. Louis, another of the Brooklyns, was hit by one bomb and 2 torpedoes. On fire, Heavy damage.
• – USS Helena, another Brooklyn, took one bomb and one torpedo. Damage control has managed to plug her hole and are fighting fires. She will require about two months in the repair yards.

Destroyers

• – USS Schley, a Wickes class destroyer (Bethlehem version,) took one torpedo and was sunk (Historical note: USS Schley was in the shipyard at the time and took bomb damage but could not have been hit by a torpedo. She went on the be converted to a high speed troop transport APD-14, and served with distinction in landing troops across the Pacific from the Solomon Islands to the Philippines.)
• – USS Hull, a Farragut class destroyer, hit by one bomb. Heavy damage and fighting fires.
• – USS Selfridge, a Porter class destroyer laid down in 1933, was hit by one bomb and is fighting fires.
• – USS Shaw, a Mahan class destroyer, laid down in 1934, took a torpedo hit and was sunk (Historical note: USS Shaw was in a floating drydock that day and could not have been hit by a torpedo.)
• – USS Mugford, another Bagley, took one torpedo and is sunk (Historical note: another that was in the yards at the time and would have been a lucky stern shot with a torpedo.)
• – USS Ralph Talbot, a Bagley class destroyer laid down in 1935, took one torpedo and is sunk. (Historical note: She went on to serve well throughout the war (14 Battle Stars) and survived only to participate in the atomic tests at Bikini Atoll. She was sunk in March, 1948.)

Submarines

• – USS Tautog, a Tambor class fleet submarine, was struck by one bomb. Damage was minimal as the bomb hit the edge of the pier.

Others

• – USS Ramapo, a Patoka class fleet oiler, took 1 torpedo and is on fire with heavy damage (Historical note: Ramapo was in the yards. A torpedo would have had to go through San Francisco and New Orleans.)
• – USS Tangier, a Tangier class seaplane tender, took one torpedo.
• – USS Oglala, flagship of the Pacific minelaying fleet, took one torpedo and is fighting fires with heavy damage.
• – USS Gamble, an old Wickes class destroyer converted to minelayer in 1930, was hit by a torpedo and sunk (Historical note: she was moored between USS Ramsay and USS Montgomery. She could have been bombed but not torpedoed. She was lost in 1945. Damaged at Iwo Jima and towed to Guam where she was scuttled.)
• – USS Zane, a Clemson class destroyer converted to a high-speed minesweeper, was hit by one bomb and is fighting fires with heavy damage.
• – USS Perry, another Clemson class destroyer converted to a high-speed minesweeper, was hit by one bomb and is fighting fires (no picture of her as a minesweeper was forthcoming.)
• – PT-30, a 77′ Elco motor torpedo boat, was hit by a bomb and was sunk (Historical note: PT-30 was with Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 2 just being formed around Florida on this date, then sent to the Panama Canal area.)

Casualties amongst base personnel and civilian population around the base was fairly light. Outside of the personnel onboard ships and airwing personnel, only 16 casualties were reported.

• – Repair Shipyard hits 5
• – Airbase hits 36
• – Airbase supply hits 4
• – Runway hits 91

Fighters came through first for sweep and defensive suppression. Wheeler Field got strafed and bombed to try and keep those Tomahawks out of the action.

• – 8 Zeros sweeping at 15000ft
• – 4 Zeros bombing airfields from 100ft with a pair of 60kg bombs each

Battleship row was the primary targets of the air strike. It is believed that the Japanese were hoping to find carriers in port.

• – 20 Vals attacking shipping with 250kg bombs from 2000ft
• – 65 Kates launching 18in Type 91 torpedoes at 200ft
• – 27 Kates bombing port facilities from 9000ft with 2 250kg bombs each
• – 2 Vals bombing port facilities from 2000ft with 250kg bombs
• – 16 Vals dive bombing shipping from 3000ft with 250kg bombs
• – 10 Vals bombing shipping from 1000ft with 250kg bombs

City areas and local infrastructure was targeted with quite a bit of ordinance.

• – 7 Vals attacking city areas from 1000ft with 250kg bombs
• – 18 Kates bombing city areas from 9000ft with 800kg AP bombs
• – 8 Vals bombing city areas from 3000ft with 250kg bombs
• – 12 Vals targeting city areas with 250kg bombs from 2000ft

Airfields got alot of attention. 91 bombs hit runways with another 40 doing damage to maintenance and supply facilities.

• – 7 Vals targeting the airfields with 250kg bombs from 2000ft
• – 13 Vals bombing airfield from 1000ft with 250kg bombs
• – 27 Kates bombing airfields from 9000ft with 250kg bombs
• – 21 Vals bombing airfields from 3000ft with 250kg bombs
• – 7 Vals bombing airfields from 2000ft with 250kg bombs

Reinforcements

Later in the day, a few ships arrived with some maintenance and supply units from CONUS.

• – USS Minneapolis, a New Orleans class cruiser.
• – USS Lamberton and USS Boggs, Wickes class destroyers converted to Dorsey class high speed minesweepers.
• – USS Chandler and USS Hovey, Clemson class destroyers converted to Dorsey class high speed minesweepers.

After-action

Battleships Oklahoma and Nevada are still fighting fires as are the cruiser Raleigh, fleet oiler Ramapo and coastal minesweeper Oglala. Once fires are put out, they can be assigned repair facilities.

Battleships Maryland, California and Tennessee are moved pier side for the start of repairs. Their floatplanes are moved to shore for use in search/patrol operations until their motherships are ready to make the trip to the west coast for full repairs.

Cruiser Detroit joins the battleships pier side. Cruisers San Francisco, St. Louis, Helena, Phoenix and Honolulu are moved to the shipyards to get repairs started. As with the battleships, their floatplanes will be moved to shore for use until their motherships can take them back.

Some of the destroyers need a bit of yard time for upgrades to shipboard systems.

• – USS Hull needs about a week in the repair yards.
• – USS Selfridge needs about two weeks in the yards.
• – USS Cassin, a Mahan class destroyer, needs about a week in the yards.
• – USS Downes, a Mahan class destroyer, needs about a week in the yards (Historical note: both Cassin and Downes were bombed in the yards during the attack. They were both transported to the West coast where all the usable equipment from both ships were installed in new hulls and returned to service.)
• – USS Bagley, a Bagley class destroyer, needs about a week in the yards (Historical note: named for Ens. Worth Bagley, an officer serving during the Spanish–American War, distinguished as the only U.S. naval officer killed in action during that war.)

Seaplane tender Tangier and destroyer minesweepers Zane and Perry only need about two weeks and they will vacate the yards.

Destroyer minelayers were in the yards for overhauls when the attack happened.

• – USS Tracy, a Tracy class high speed minelayer needs about a month in the repair yard (Historical note: LCdr George Richardson Phelan, USNA Class of 1925, took command of USS Tracy Nov. 20th. He went on to organize and head the US Navy’s Technical Intelligence Program and, became Chief of Naval Intelligence in 1946. He retired as Rear Admiral in 1955.)
• – USS Preble, another Tracy class, needs about a month (Historical Note: LCdr Harry Darlington Johnston, USNA Class of 1926, took command of USS Preble in November. Was awarded the Silver Star for actions around the Vella Lavella landing in August of ’43 commanding USS Cony DD-508, later retiring as a Rear Admiral after the war.)
• – USS Pruitt, another Tracy, needs about a month also (Historical Note: LCdr Edwin Warren Herron, USNA Class of 1927, assumed command of USS Pruitt on Dec. 2nd…five days later, this happens. How would you like this your first week on the job?…wow. He went on to retire as a Rear Admiral in 1957.)
• – USS Sicard needs about two months.

One submarine, USS Tautog needs about a week in the yards and she will be good to go.

Then, we can start rotating some of the battlewagons into the yards. I need escorts right now and the battlewagons are going to take a while.

Repairs and cleanup to the runways and facilities are being done with gusto. Everyone seems a little agitated about being caught with their pants down.

Deployments

• – USS Curtiss, the U.S. Navy’s first purpose-built seaplane tender, is loading up and will make her way to Hilo to support floatplanes that will operate out of there…at least until Oahu is put back together.
• – USS Castor, a Castor class general stores ship, is loading up to get supplies over to Lahaina because they will be busy as repairs are being made to Pearl and Hickam.
• – USS Narwhal, a Narwhal class fleet submarine, will be deployed to patrol around Rabaul in New Guinea, then return to Brisbane, Australia.
• – USS Dolphin, lead boat in the Dolphin class of fleet submarines will make her way towards Brisbane by way of the Northern Marshall Islands.
• – USS Cachalot, the lead boat in the Cachalot class fleet submarines, is set to patrol around the Northern area of the Marshall Islands.
• – USS Plunger, northeast of Oahu will move towards where KB was last sighted and patrol until moving on to the southern Marshall Islands.
• – USS Pollack and USS Pompano, east of Oahu will move towards KB’s direct route back to Japan and see what happens. She will later go to patrol around Truk and return to Brisbane.
• – AVD McFarland will head towards Palmyra to provide seaplane support there.

TF 406 was at sea when the attack occurred. It is believed that the Japanese expected Lexington and Enterprise to be at Pearl. They will find a middle spot to maybe launch VMF-211 to Wake. The serviceable aircraft from VMF-211 at Ewa Beach were flown to Enterprise so that, maybe, they can reinforce the main party at Wake…I have a feeling they will need those planes.

• – USS Enterprise, a Yorktown class aircraft carrier.
• – Northampton class cruisers USS Northampton and USS Chester.
• – Pensacola class cruiser USS Salt Lake City.
• – Porter class destroyer USS Balch.
• – Benham class destroyers USS Benham and USS Ellet.
• – Gridley class destroyers USS Gridley, USS Craven, USS Maury and USS McCall.
• – Fanning class destroyers USS Fanning and USS Dunlap.

TF 405 will move to the south a little bit and see where KB goes. If the IJN moves toward Wake, maybe they can slip in behind and hit them by surprise. Even if they joined up with the Enterprise group, 2 carriers against a 10 carrier group is not a pretty proposition.

• – USS Lexington, lead ship of the Lexington class aircraft carriers.
• – Northampton class cruiser USS Chicago.
• – USS Portland, the lead ship in the Portland class cruisers.
• – New Orleans class cruiser USS Astoria.
• – USS Porter, lead ship of the Porter class destroyers.
• – Mahan class destroyers USS Mahan, USS Drayton, USS Lamson and USS Flusser.

• – TF 409, USS Indianapolis, a Portland class heavy cruiser, Chandler class highspeed minesweepers (former Clemson class destroyers) USS Hopkins and USS Southard will rendezvous with Saratoga task force coming from the west coast, and merge.
• – Dorsey class highspeed minesweepers (former Wickes class destroyers) USS Dorsey USS Elliot and Chandler class (former Clemson class destroyer) USS Long will return to Pearl after Kido Butai leaves the area.

• – 3rd Marine Defense Battalion will prepare to move to Canton Island.

• – 11th BG/26th BS and 11th BG/42nd BS, both flying Bolos, will commence ASW patrols as aircraft get repaired. 11th BG/Hq Sqn will withdraw to return in a few months. Pilots will move over to the 26th Squadron.
• – 11th BG, 19th BG, 7th BG and 5th BG will start training for airfield attacks and ASW operations while planes are getting fixed.
• – 15th Pursuit Group and the 18th Pursuit Group will begin combat air patrols as soon as runways can be cleared.
• – 19th Transport Squadron, flying C-33s, will train while the airfields are getting fixed.
• – 58th Bombardment Squadron, flying A-20As, will train for ASW and then fly once the planes and runways are fixed.
• – 86th Observation Squadron, flying O-47As out of Wheeler Airfield, will train for naval search and start flying as planes and runways are repaired.
• – VP-11 will transfer to Canton Island once the planes get fixed. (Historical note: They were in hangars with VP-12 at Kaneohe and took most of the casualties as that was where the armories were.)
• – VP-12 will start naval search as planes are fixed and moved to Lahaina.
• – VP-14 will begin naval searches as planes are repaired.
• – VP-23 will move to Hilo as planes are repaired.
• – VP-24 will train for naval search as the planes are being fixed.
• – VMSB-232, flying SBD-1 Dauntless dive bombers, will train for ASW as the airfields are being repaired, then commence ASW operations.
• VMJ-252 will train for transport duty.
• VMF-211 will repair their remaining Wildcats and see what happens. The serviceable planes were flown out to Enterprise hoping to get them to Wake Island.

Kauai

There is an Infantry battalion stationed here but nothing else. 118th USAAF Base Force is preparing to move over here and build that base up as soon as it looks like Kido Butai has moved away from the area.

Maui

A few of the floatplanes with the shorter legs are moved to Lahaina to do naval search around Oahu until facilities on Oahu are back in working order. Setting the base there to expand airfield facilities and build fortifications.

USS Gudgeon, the last of the Tambor class long-range fleet submarines will patrol around the Marshall Islands (Historical note: Gudgeon was the first submarine to deploy after the Dec. 7th attack and she was the first to score a kill. On Jan. 27th, she located I-73, a Kaidai type cruiser submarine, and fired three torpedoes. Gudgeon thought they had only damaged the enemy submarine but decoded enemy radio intercepts confirmed that the I-73 was sunk. This made the first enemy vessel sunk by a submarine in the war.)

French Frigate Shoal

Midmorning, an SBD-2 Dauntless from the Enterprise group reports submarine near French Frigate Shoal.

Midway

About the time Pearl was being attacked, patrols from the Lexington group spotted 2 ships near Midway headed southwest. Later, a Catalina spotted the two destroyers. Shortly thereafter, the destroyers began bombarding the base on the island.

Four Catalinas were damaged on the ground. The 12.7 cm/50 Type 3 naval guns on the destroyers have a range of 18,400yds and the best any of the shore guns can do is about 16,500yds. Nevertheless to say, the shore guns did not do any damage to the destroyers.

The runways took 18 rounds or so. The airfield facilities took about a dozen and port facilities took about half dozen hits. No casualties were reported.

Base personnel will repair damage done by the destroyers, then expand port facilities and fortifications.

• – USS Trout, a Tambor class fleet submarine, was patrolling to the south but will head to patrol north of Hokkaido, Japan. It is believed that Kido Butai formed up and sailed from around the Kurile Islands. She will return to Dutch Harbor in the Aleutians.
• – USS Argonaut, lead boat of two in the Argonaut class, will move from just south of the island to northeast and begin patrols. Maybe we can catch KB on their trip home. (Historical note: Argonaut and her sister Nautilus remain, to this day, the largest non-nuclear submarines ever build by the United States.)
• – Catalinas of VP-21 will do naval search to the east and see if they can find KB.

Johnston Island

• – Base personnel to expand port facilities and fortifications.
• – A detachment of VP-23 to commence naval search operations to the west.
• – USS Robin to move to Palmyra to await escort duty for cargo task forces.

Marshall Islands

Wake Island

An unescorted flight of 27 G3M2 ‘Nell’ bombers were spotted about 7 minutes out coming from the South at 5000ft. Not enough time to get fighters in the air.

The Nells released two 250kg GP bombs each hitting the runway with 30 of them. The other dozen or so hit a fuel truck and some of the maintenance bays. There were 25 casualties reported with anti-aircraft batteries claiming one hit on the bombers.

Base personnel to build up the fortifications because Wake might just have visitors. It is right in the path from the Japanese home islands and the Marshalls.

• – Marine Wildcats of VMF-211 will ramp up combat air patrols. They only have a half dozen airframes. Pearl has three more that have flown out to USS Enterprise. Let’s see if we can get Enterprise within range to get them some more planes.
• – USS Triton and USS Tambor are in the area. These boats have been given patrol areas around Wake. Let’s see if they can punch holes in some Japanese bottoms.

—————————

—————————