PEARL HARBOR - American Legion 2

 

  Because American military leaders were not expecting an attack so close to home, the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii was relatively undefended. Almost the entire Pacific Fleet was moored around Ford Island in the harbor, and hundreds of airplanes were squeezed onto adjacent airfields.

   To the Japanese, Pearl Harbor was an irresistibly easy target for a devastating surprise attack by Japanese forces on December 7, 1941. Just before 8 a.m. on that Sunday morning, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes descended on the base. After just two hours of

bombing, 21 ships had either been sunk or damaged, and more than 188 U.S. aircraft destroyed. A total of 2,335 servicemen were killed and 1,143 were wounded. Sixty-eight civilians were also killed and 35 were wounded. Nearly half of the servicemen that were killed were on board the Arizona when it exploded.

   The day after the assault, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan.

   After the Pearl Harbor attack, and for the first time during years of discussion and debate, the American people were united in their determination to go to war.

   The Japanese had wanted to goad the United States into an agreement to lift the economic sanctions against them; instead, they had pushed their adversary into a global conflict that ultimately resulted in Japan’s first occupation by a foreign power.

USS Arizona (BB-39) Pennsylvania-Class Battleship

   Built for and by the United States Navy in the mid-1910s. Named in honor of the 48th state's recent admission into the union, the ship was the second and last of the Pennsylvania class of "super-dreadnought" battleships. Although commissioned in 1916, the ship remained stateside during World War I. Shortly after the end of the war, Arizona was one of a number of American ships that briefly escorted President Woodrow Wilson to the Paris Peace Conference. The ship was sent to Turkey in 1919 at the beginning of the Greco-Turkish War to represent American interests for several months.

Several years later, she was transferred to the Pacific Fleet and remained there for the rest of her career.

   Hit by four armor-piercing bombs, exploded in the first few minutes of the attack. One bomb penetrated the armored deck near the ammunition magazines in the forward section of the ship, causing a massive explosion and killing 1,177 of the sailors and Marines on board. Irreparably damaged, the Arizona still lies at the bottom of Pearl Harbor.

USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii.

   Marks the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors and Marines killed on the Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor

USS Tennessee (BB-43) Tennessee-Class Battleship

   The lead ship of her class of battleship, was the third ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 16th US state. Sent to the Pacific in 1940 along with the other battleships, as part of President Roosevelt’s plan to deter Japanese expansion.

   Moored next to the USS West Virginia, the Tennessee. Hit by two bombs; 5 dead during the Pearl Harbor attack. Repaired and modernized, returned to service February 1942.

  She participated in shore bombardments at the Aleutian Islands, Tarawa, the Marshall Islands, the Marianas, the Philippines, Iwo Jima, Okinawa among others. She was also involved in the Battle of Surigao Strait, the final battleship vs. battleship conflict in world naval history.

USS Nevada (BB-36) Nevada-Class Battleship

   The second United States Navy ship to be named after the 36th state, was the lead ship of the two Nevada-class battleships. Launched in 1914, Nevada was a leap forward in dreadnought technology; four of her new

features would be included on almost every subsequent US battleship: triple gun turrets, oil in place of coal for fuel, geared steam turbines for greater

range, and the "all or nothing" armor principle. These features made Nevada, alongside its sister ship Oklahoma, the first US Navy "standard-type" battleships.

  Moored behind the Arizona on December 7, 1941. The only battleship to get underway that morning. Though she was run aground off Hospital Point to avoid blocking the channel, the effort to escape boosted morale among service members that day. Hit by six bombs, one torpedo, beached; 60 dead. Returned to service October 1942.

   After many missions in the Pacific, Nevada was sent to Europe. On June 6, 1944, she served as the flagship for the D-Day invasion. The USS Nevada was the only ship present at both Pearl Harbor and Normandy.

USS California (BB-44) Tennessee-Class Battleship

   One of two Tennessee-class battleships completed shortly after World War I, was the fifth ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 31st state. She was the last American battleship built on the West Coast, and the only one of the dreadnought type.

She served in the Pacific her entire career, and for twenty years was the flagship of the Pacific Fleet. She was sunk by two bombs, two torpedoes in the attack on Pearl Harbor at her moorings in Battleship Row. 100 dead. Salvaged, reconstructed and returned to service January 1944. She served again for the remainder of World War II before being decommissioned in 1947 and scrapped in July 1959.

USS Oklahoma (BB-37) Nevada-Class Battleship

  Built by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation for the United States Navy in 1910, notable for being the first American class of oil-burning dreadnoughts.

  Commissioned in 1916, Oklahoma served in World War I as a part of Battleship Division 6, protecting Allied convoys on their way across the Atlantic. After the war, she served in both the United States Battle Fleet and Scouting Fleet. Oklahoma was modernized between 1927 and 1929. In 1936, she rescued American citizens and refugees from the Spanish Civil War. On returning to the West Coast in August of the same year, Oklahoma spent the rest of her service in the Pacific.

  On 7 December 1941, Oklahoma's port (left) side was hit by eight torpedoes at the very start of the attack. In less than twelve minutes, she rolled over until her masts touched the bottom, trapping hundreds of men inside and under the water. Four hundred twenty-nine crew members died. Of those trapped inside, only 32 were rescued. Survivors jumped off the ship 50 feet (15 m) into burning hot water or crawled across mooring lines that connected Oklahoma and Maryland. Some sailors inside escaped when rescuers drilled holes and opened hatches to rescue them.

   In 1943, Oklahoma was righted and salvaged. Unlike most of the other battleships that were recovered following Pearl Harbor, Oklahoma was too damaged to return to duty. Her wreck was eventually stripped of her remaining armament and superstructure before being sold for scrap in 1946. The hulk sank in a storm in 1947, while being towed from Oahu, Hawaii, to a breakers yard in San Francisco Bay.

USS Maryland (BB-46) Colorado-Class Battleship

   Also known as "Old Mary" or "Fighting Mary" to her crewmates. She was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the seventh state. She was commissioned in 1921, and serving as the flagship of the fleet, cruised to Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil.

   In 1940, the Maryland was moved to Pearl Harbor with the rest of the fleet. Moored at Battleship Row next to the Oklahoma on the morning of December 7, 1941. The Maryland was only slightly damaged by two bombs during the attack and lost four crewmembers (including floatplane pilot shot down).

   In June 1942, she became the first ship damaged at Pearl Harbor to return to duty seeing service in the Pacific War, first supporting the rest of the fleet at the Battle of Midway, and then patrolling the Fiji Islands to guard against Japanese incursion. Next, she went on the offensive, commencing shore bombardments in the Battle of Tarawa and later in the Battle of Kwajalein. During the Battle of Saipan she took torpedo damage to her bow necessitating repairs and refits. She then participated in the Battle of Leyte Gulf where she was hit by a kamikaze. She took another kamikaze hit at the Battle of Okinawa, and was under repair at the end of World War II.

   After service in Operation Magic Carpet, she was decommissioned in 1947, and sold for scrap in 1959. She received seven battle stars for World War II service.

USS West Virginia (BB-48) Colorado-Class Battleship

  The second United States Navy ship named in honor of the country's 35th state. She was laid down on 12 April 1920, at Newport News, Virginia, launched on 19 November 1921, and commissioned on 1 December 1923. She was sponsored by Alice Wright Mann, daughter of noted West Virginian T. Mann, and her first captain was Thomas J. Senn. After her shakedown and crew training were finished, she was overhauled at Hampton Roads, and later ran aground in Lynnhaven Channel.

  Following repairs, she participated in exercises and engineering and gunnery courses, winning four medals in the latter. She took part in training and tactical development operations until 1939, and was sent to Pearl Harbor in 1940.

   Sunk by six torpedoes and two bombs during the attack on Pearl Harbor, 106 dead. On 17 May 1942, she was salvaged from the seabed by draining the water from her hull.

   After repairs in Pearl Harbor, sailed to the Puget Sound Navy Yard receiving extensive refit, including the replacement of her 5-inch (127 mm)/25 caliber anti-aircraft guns and single-purpose 5-inch/51 caliber guns with dual-purpose 5-inch/38 caliber anti-aircraft guns. She left Puget Sound, returning to service July 1944, sailing for Leyte Gulf.

   She bombarded Leyte in November 1944, becoming part of a successful American plan to destroy the portion of the Japanese fleet trying to sail through the Surigao Strait, and later attacked Iwo Jima and Okinawa. At the end of the Pacific War she entered Tokyo Bay, for the Japanese surrender, and became part of Operation Magic Carpet, making three runs to Hawaii to transport veterans home. She was deactivated on 9 January 1947, and laid up at Bremerton, Washington, until sold for scrap on 24 August 1959.

USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) Pennsylvania-Class Battleship

   The lead ship of the Pennsylvania class of United States Navy super-dreadnought battleships. The third Navy ship named for the state of

Pennsylvania. She was laid down on 27 October 1913, by the Newport

News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Newport News, Virginia.

She was launched on 16 March 1915, sponsored by Elizabeth Kolb of

Philadelphia, and commissioned on 12 June 1916, with Captain Henry B. Wilson in command. Attached to the Atlantic Fleet. In 1922, assigned to the Pacific Fleet for fleet tactics and battle practice.

   In drydock with Cassin and Downes undergoing repairs on December 7, 1941. One of the first ships to open fire on the Japanese planes. Pennsylvania was hit by one bomb, badly strafed and debris from Cassin.  31 service members aboard were killed. Repaired in March 1942 and sent back into service in the Pacific.

Battleship USS Utah (AG-16) Florida-Class Battleship. Ex-battleship (target/AA training ship)

   The second and final member of the Florida class of dreadnought battleships. The first ship of the United States Navy named after the state of Utah, she had one sister ship, Florida. Utah was built by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, laid down in March 1909 and launched in December of that year. She was completed in August 1911 and boasted a main battery of ten 12-inch guns in five twin gun turrets.

   Served in WWI and throughout the 1920s. In 1931, Utah was demilitarized and converted into a target ship and equipped with anti-aircraft guns for gunnery training.

   On December 7, 1941, moored on the other side of Ford Island and hit by torpedoes at the start of the attack, quickly rolled over and sank. Sixty-four of Utah's crew died. The ship was never salvaged and remains where it sank in Pearl Harbor.

Cruisers

• USS  Helena: hit by one torpedo; returned to service January 1942. 20 dead.

•USS  Raleigh: hit by one torpedo; returned to service February 1942.

•USS  Honolulu: Near miss, light damage; remained in service.

Destroyers

•USS  Cassin: in drydock with Downes and Pennsylvania, hit by one bomb, burned; returned to service February 1944.

•USS  Downes: in drydock with Cassin and Pennsylvania, caught fire from Cassin, burned; returned to service November 1943.

•USS  Helm: underway to West Loch, damaged by two near-miss bombs;[116] continued patrol; dry-docked 15 January 1942 and sailed 20 January 1942.

•USS  Shaw: hit by three bombs; returned to service June 1942.

Auxiliaries

•USS  Oglala (minelayer): Damaged by torpedo hit on Helena, capsized; returned to service (as engine-repair ship) February 1944.

•USS  Vestal (repair ship): hit by two bombs, blast and fire from Arizona, beached; returned to service by August 1942.

•USS  Curtiss (seaplane tender): hit by one bomb, one crashed Japanese aircraft; returned to service January 1942. 19 dead.

•USS  Sotoyomo (harbor tug): damaged by explosion and fires in Shaw; sunk; returned to service August 1942.

• YFD-2 (yard floating dock): damaged by 250 kg bombs; sunk; returned to service 25 January 1942 servicing Shaw.