DOCSLIB.ORG

A Short Story of the Attack (Pearl Harbor)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Short Story of the Attack (Pearl Harbor) A Short Story of the Attack (Pearl Harbor) James W. Dittoe, U.S.N. (Ret) Copyright 2013 - J. Michael Dittoe - All Rights Reserved Contents Pearl Harbor Notebook Photo of James W. Dittoe in 1941 Pearl Harbor Survivors Association Prayer Speeches given by James W. Dittoe TWX Message following loss of U.S.S. Lexington (2nd ship sunk that he was on) Obituary I have decided to write this short story, because someday I may want to look back and remember what happened December 7, the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. I was getting ready to go on liberty in Honolulu on Sunday morning, when all of a sudden fire and rescue sounded. Not having any fire and rescue station on the West Virginia, I casually took my time going to quarters. About thirty seconds later G. Q. sounded and at the same time, a torpedo hit somewhere on the port side of the ship. I, as well as every other man aboard was on his way to his battle station, on the double. Before I reached my battle station (which incidentally was a machine gun) another torpedo hit on Copyright 2013 - J. Michael Dittoe - All Rights Reserved on the port side, before any gun on the West Va returned fire. By this time the ship was listing quite a bit to port. On arriving at my battle station, I found there was no gun or ammunition present. I hastily left and went to the machine gun armory, hoping to get gun and ammunition on my station, so I could fire back at the enemy. The Japanese torpedo planes were coming in so close before launching their torpedoes, that it seemed possible to throw stones and hit them. It sure made one feel helpless, not to have something to fight back with. All in all, I would venture to say that there were seventy planes in the air that were enemy. There were torpedo and bombers attacking all vital points of Pearl Harbor, Army and Marine bases exactly at the same time. It appeared to me, as a well planned blitzkrieg. I know for a fact that the West Virginia received four torpedoes on the port side, and I've been told there were six. I know for certain there were four. We also received two bombs. One going through number three turret, exploding the gasoline in the plane on the catapult, and starting a large fire in the after part of the ship. All hands that were not engaged on some guns, immediately began breaking out fire hoses for the purpose of trying to put the fire out. After connecting the hoses, it was discovered that there were no pressure on the water main, so it was useless to try any more. The Copyright 2013 - J. Michael Dittoe - All Rights Reserved other bomb hit in the foremast, causing the most damage, as far as bombs are concerned. It came through the navigation bridge, through the signal bridge, through the life jacket lockers and finally exploding in the galley. It ignited the gases in the galley, and caused the largest fire aboard. It was not put out until the following afternoon. In the meantime, the five inch anti-aircraft guns on the starboard side had commenced firing. The port side was listed so bad, that it was impossible to point and train the guns. There were approximately thirty rounds of five inch ammunition on top side. One of the broadside battery officers tried to take an ammunition train below to get some ammunition, but already the water and oil was up to the main deck, so that idea had to be dropped. When all the rounds had been suspended on the battery, there was nothing left to do, but abandon ship. Of the two machine guns that were mounted in the forward group, only one of these would fire. While two of the men worked desperately to get the faulty gun in firing condition, the other machine gun was blazing away. The good gun fired about one hundred and fifty rounds, before the Officer in charge ordered them to leave. The Captain had already ordered abandon ship twice, but these group of men stubbornly disobeyed and continued to fight back at Copyright 2013 - J. Michael Dittoe - All Rights Reserved the enemy forces. By this time, the ship had settled straight down, instead of turning over. It was only because of the quick thinking of one of our Officers that she didn't roll over. He , regardless of his own safety, went below and cut in the counter balancing valve, flooding the starboard side, thereby, making it possible for the ship to settle properly. Most of the men had either gone to Ford island on the Tennessee by this time. I went to Ford island because that was the first thing that entered my mind. Incidentally, our Captain was hit by shrapnel in his stomach and died late that night. I made Ford island before the Japs started strafing swimmers. While either swimming or in lift boats, the Japs were strafing everything in their path. There are a group of trees on Ford island that received some bitter punishment from Japanese machine gun fire. The pilots of the Jap planes knew or either guessed that a lot of sailors were among the trees, so they let them have it. There was a house afire as I hit the island, and assisted putting it out. Of the seventy Japanese planes in the attack, forty were shot down in the three hour attack,. The U. S. Army claims twenty of these, leaving twenty as the Navy's score. The damage was high throughout the harbor in my estimation, but it always could have been worse. The Oklahoma received four torpedoes and turned upside down in about thirteen minutes. I have no knowledge as to whether Copyright 2013 - J. Michael Dittoe - All Rights Reserved she got any of her battery's in operation or not. Casualties were very high aboard her. While I was on watch the following day (on the Tennessee), they were removing men alive from the double bottoms. It was more than a miracle they remained alive. The Arizona also had many casualties. from the reports I have gathered to date, one-hundred and sixty men are accounted for, out of a complement of twelve to fifteen hundred men. She was struck by a bomb which went down her stack and exploded the boilers. She burned until the afternoon of the following day. Beside the bomb in the stack, she received a bomb between her forward turrets, which exploded both forward magazines. The only return fire she had was machine gun fire, and a few rounds of five inch. There is one person off the Arizona that alone, fired several rounds of five inch. He would train then load, and then wait until a plane came within his train, and then would point it and fire. I think he showed bravery beyond words. I have talked to one of the men that was in the main top on the machine guns, and he was certain that one of their guns accounted for at least one plane. The Maryland received but one torpedo only, thanks to the Oklahoma, which was tied outboard of her. She received several bombs, which apparently caused little damage. Work was started immediately on her, and a crash mat was put over the torpedo Copyright 2013 - J. Michael Dittoe - All Rights Reserved hole and she was moved to Berth 17 for further repairs. The California received two torpedoes. One forward and one aft. The ship sank down by the head and down by the stern, causing the ship to buckle amidships, finally settling straight down a couple days later. Her casualty list isn't so terribly high. The Pennsylvania was in dry dock, and was fortunate enough to receive only two bombs, causing no serious damage. Incidentally, one of her five inch guns fired so many rounds, that when it cooled off, the muzzle just warped all out of shape. One of the West Virginia's five inch guns replaced it. The Nevada also received her quota of torpedoes and bombs. She attempted to get underway, and did in seven minutes. She didn't get far, since it would have been very nice for the Japs if she was sunk in the middle of the channel causing the rest of the fleet to be blocked in the harbor. Her crew realized this and saw that they were being attacked fiercely. The men fought bitterly against large odds. The Nevada was a main objective now. A quartermaster saw it was impossible to make the open sea, so with the aid of two tugs, the battleship was beached. It was quick thinking on the part of the quartermaster. By beaching the ship, he kept the channel open for the rest of the fleet. In the mean time, she was hit by a bomb somewhere unknown to me, and a Copyright 2013 - J. Michael Dittoe - All Rights Reserved terrible fire was raging. The fire was very hot on some of the men firing the A. A. battery, but regardless of their own safety, they continued fighting the Japanese. The Utah, (which hasn't a gun aboard) received more torpedoes than any one ship in the harbor. She was tied up at F-10, and it is everyone's opinion that the enemy thought she was an aircraft carrier. She received eleven torpedoes and turned upside down in from seven to ten minutes.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Dread Taboo, Human Sacrifice, and Pearl Harbor
    The Dread Taboo, Human Sacrifice, and Pearl Harbor RDKHennan The word taboo, or tabu, is well known to everyone, but it is especially interesting that it is one of but two or possibly three words from the Polynesian language to have been adopted by the English-speaking world. While the original meaning of the taboo was "Sacred" or "Set apart," usage has given it a decidedly secular meaning, and it has become a part of everyday speech all over the world. In the Hawaiian lan­ guage the word is "kapu," and in Honolulu we often see a sign on a newly planted lawn or in a park that reads, not, "Keep off the Grass," but, "Kapu." And to understand the history and character of the Hawaiian people, and be able to interpret many things in our modern life in these islands, one must have some knowledge of the story of the taboo in Hawaii. ANTOINETTE WITHINGTON, "The Dread Taboo," in Hawaiian Tapestry Captain Cook's arrival in the Hawaiian Islands signaled more than just the arrival of western geographical and scientific order; it was the arrival of British social and political order, of British law and order as well. From Cook onward, westerners coming to the islands used their own social­ civil codes as a basis to judge, interpret, describe, and almost uniformly condemn Hawaiian social and civil codes. With this condemnation, west­ erners justified the imposition of their own order on the Hawaiians, lead­ ing to a justification of colonialism and the loss of land and power for the indigenous peoples.
    [Show full text]
  • Standard Usii.7A
    UU..SS.. HHiissttoorryy:: 11886655 ttoo tthhee PPrreesseenntt SSttuuddyy GGuuiiddee -- UUSS22..77 -- WWoorrlldd WWaarr IIII HISTORY AND SOCIAL SCIENCE STANDARDS OF LEARNING CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK -- 2015 STANDARDS Reformatted version created by SOLpass - www.SOLpass.org STANDARD USII..7A The student will demonstrate knowledge of the major causes and effects of American involvement in World War II by a) identifying the causes and events that led to American involvement in the war, including the attack on Pearl Harbor. Political and economic conditions in Europe following World War I led to the rise of fascism and to World War II. The rise of fascism threatened peace in Europe and Asia. As conflict grew in Europe and Asia, American foreign policy evolved from neutrality to direct involvement. Causes of World War II • Political instability and economic devastation in Europe resulting from World War I: – Worldwide depression – High war debt owed by Germany – High inflation Gradual change in American policy from neutrality to – Massive unemployment direct involvement • Political instability marked by the: • Isolationism (Great Depression, legacy of World War I) Rise of Fascism: • Economic and military aid to Allies (Lend-Lease program) – Fascism is political philosophy • Direct involvement in the war in which total power is given to a dictator; War in the Pacific – individual freedoms are denied • Rising tension developed between the United States and and nationalism and, often, Japan because of Japanese aggression in East Asia and racism are emphasized. the Pacific region.. – Fascist dictators included Adolf Hitler (Germany), Benito • On December 7, Mussolini (Italy), and Hideki Tojo (Japan). 1941, Japan – These dictators led the countries that became known as attacked the United the Axis Powers.
    [Show full text]
  • Three Views of the Attack on Pearl Harbor: Navy, Civilian, and Resident Perspectives
    MARJORIE KELLY Three Views of the Attack on Pearl Harbor: Navy, Civilian, and Resident Perspectives POPULAR UNDERSTANDING of the attack on Pearl Harbor will undoubtedly be colored by the release of the $135 million epic Pearl Harbor, the fifth most expensive film in movie history. Described as "an adventure/romance in which everything blows up at the end," Disney's Touchstone Pictures recreated the December 7, 1941 Japa- nese attack on the U.S. Navy as its visual climax with an impressive array of special effects. During the film's production, Honolulu Star- Bulletin journalist Burl Burlingame was already at work enumerating the movie's technological inaccuracies and shortcomings.1 In a sec- ond article which focused on the film's portrayal of race, Burlingame noted that originally the producers, executives, and director of Pearl Harbor said they would spare no expense in accurately portraying the attack—even obtaining the approval of veterans groups. During the filming, however, producer Jerry Bruckheimer "waffled mightily on the subject of accuracy," recharacterizing his project as "gee-whiz-it's- just-entertainment."2 With the film's release on Memorial Day of 2001, a new generation's perception of the attack will likely forever be influenced by the images and impressions engendered by the film. Also influential, however, have been the two films used to orient the more than one million visitors a year to the USS Arizona Memo- rial, administered by the National Park Service (NPS) on the Pearl Marjorie Kelly is a cultural anthropologist whose research specialty is the representation of culture in museum and tourist settings.
    [Show full text]
  • First Hand Accounts of December 7, 1941 in Pearl Harbor
    First Hand Accounts of December 7, 1941 in Pearl Harbor William Brown East Carolina University Faculty Mentor: Wade Dudley East Carolina University ABSTRACT This project involves researching and writing a narrative combining the first-hand accounts of sail- ors in the United States Navy at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941. The goal of the project is to gather the personal accounts provided in oral histories and to synthesize those into a narrative describing the emotions of that morning. This has been accomplished by examining the oral histories provided by five men who graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1941 and survived the Japanese attack. A sixth account is provided by Lt. Alexander B. Coxe, Jr., who was the executive officer aboard the U.S.S Breese. Each individual perspective provides a different angle to the horror that surrounded Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The research highlights the raw emotions as the Japanese planes flew above and the destruction and death surrounding these men. n the morning of December 7, by documenting their memory of the at- O 1941, the naval and aerial forces of tack. Each of these men graduated from the Japanese Empire secretly attacked the the United States Naval Academy in 1941 United States Navy at the naval base of with the newly bestowed rank of Ensign, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. For over two hours, except for Lt. Coxe. These men would two waves consisting of over three hundred begin their naval careers with the defin- Japanese aircraft destroyed the Pacific Fleet ing moment of Pearl Harbor.
    [Show full text]
  • The USS Arizona Memorial
    National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places U.S. Department of the Interior Remembering Pearl Harbor: The USS Arizona Memorial Remembering Pearl Harbor: The USS Arizona Memorial (National Park Service Photo by Jayme Pastoric) Today the battle-scarred, submerged remains of the battleship USS Arizona rest on the silt of Pearl Harbor, just as they settled on December 7, 1941. The ship was one of many casualties from the deadly attack by the Japanese on a quiet Sunday that President Franklin Roosevelt called "a date which will live in infamy." The Arizona's burning bridge and listing mast and superstructure were photographed in the aftermath of the Japanese attack, and news of her sinking was emblazoned on the front page of newspapers across the land. The photograph symbolized the destruction of the United States Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor and the start of a war that was to take many thousands of American lives. Indelibly impressed into the national memory, the image could be recalled by most Americans when they heard the battle cry, "Remember Pearl Harbor." More than a million people visit the USS Arizona Memorial each year. They file quietly through the building and toss flower wreaths and leis into the water. They watch the iridescent slick of oil that still leaks, a drop at a time, from ruptured bunkers after more than 50 years at the bottom of the sea, and they read the names of the dead carved in marble on the Memorial's walls. National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places U.S. Department of the Interior Remembering Pearl Harbor: The USS Arizona Memorial Document Contents National Curriculum Standards About This Lesson Getting Started: Inquiry Question Setting the Stage: Historical Context Locating the Site: Map 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Legacy of the Pacific War: 75 Years Later August 2020
    LEGACY OF THE PACIFIC WAR: 75 YEARS LATER August 2020 World War II in the Pacific and the Impact on the U.S. Navy By Rear Admiral Samuel J. Cox, U.S. Navy (Retired) uring World War II, the U.S. Navy fought the Pacific. World War II also saw significant social in every ocean of the world, but it was change within the U.S. Navy that carried forward the war in the Pacific against the Empire into the Navy of today. of Japan that would have the greatest impact on As it was at the end of World War II, the premier Dshaping the future of the U.S. Navy. The impact was type of ship in the U.S. Navy today is the aircraft so profound, that in many ways the U.S. Navy of carrier, protected by cruiser and destroyer escorts, today has more in common with the Navy in 1945 with the primary weapon system being the aircraft than the Navy at the end of World War II had with embarked on the carrier. (Command of the sea first the Navy in December 1941. With the exception and foremost requires command of the air over the of strategic ballistic missile submarines, virtually Asia sea, otherwise ships are very vulnerable to aircraft, every type of ship and command organization today Program as they were during World War II.) The carriers and is descended from those that were invented or escorts of today are bigger, more technologically matured in the crucible of World War II combat in sophisticated, and more capable than those of World Asia Program War II, although there are fewer of them.
    [Show full text]
  • U.S. Coast Guard at Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941
    U.S. COAST GUARD UNITS IN HAWAII December 7, 1941 Coast Guard vessels in service in Hawaii were the 327-foot cutter Taney, the 190-foot buoy tender Kukui, two 125- foot patrol craft: Reliance and Tiger, two 78-foot patrol boats and several smaller craft. At the time of the attack, Taney was tied up at Pier Six in Honolulu Harbor, Reliance and the unarmed Kukui both lay at Pier Four and Tiger was on patrol along the western shore of Oahu. All were performing the normal duties for a peacetime Sunday. USCGC Taney (WPG-37); Commanding Officer: Commander Louis B. Olson, USCG. Taney was homeported in Honolulu; 327-foot Secretary Class cutter; Commissioned in 1936; Armament: two 5-inch/51; four 3-inch/ 50s and .50 caliber machine guns. The 327-foot cutter Taney began working out of Honolulu in as soon as she was commissioned. On the morning of 7 December 1941, she was tied up at pier six in Honolulu Harbor six miles away from the naval anchorage. After the first Japanese craft appeared over the island, Taney's crew went to general quarters and made preparations to get underway. While observing the attack over Pearl Harbor, Taney received no orders to move and did not participate in the initial attack by the Japanese. Just after 09:00, when the second wave of planes began their attack on the naval anchorage, Taney fired on high altitude enemy aircraft with her 3-inch guns and .50 caliber machine guns. The extreme range of the planes limited the effect of the fire and the guns were secured after twenty minutes.
    [Show full text]
  • Consequences of the Attack on Pearl Harbor from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia Jump to Navigationjump to Search
    Consequences of the attack on Pearl Harbor From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigationJump to search Hideki Tojo, Japanese Prime Minister at the time of the attack Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor took place on December 7, 1941. The U.S. military suffered 18 ships damaged or sunk, and 2,400 people were killed. Its most significant consequence was the entrance of the United States into World War II. The US had previously been neutral but subsequently entered the Pacific War, the Battle of the Atlantic and the European theatre of war. Following the attack, the US interned 120,000 Japanese Americans, 11,000 German Americans, and 3,000 Italian Americans. Contents 1American public opinion prior to the attack 2American response 3Japanese views 4Germany and Italy declare war 5British reaction 6Canadian response 7Investigations and blame 8Rise of anti-Japanese sentiment and historical significance 9Perception of the attack today o 9.1Revisionism controversies 10Analysis o 10.1Tactical implications . 10.1.1Battleships . 10.1.2Carriers . 10.1.3Shore installations . 10.1.4Charts o 10.2Strategic implications 11See also 12Notes 13External links American public opinion prior to the attack[edit] From the outbreak of World War II on September 1, 1939 to December 8, 1941, the United States was officially neutral, as it was bound by the Neutrality Acts not to get involved in the conflicts raging in Europe and Asia. Prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, public opinion in the United States had not been unanimous. When polled in January
    [Show full text]
  • What Led to the Attack on Pearl Harbor? in December 1940, President Roosevelt Wanted the U.S
    world war with the U.S. fighting on foreign soil. Several bills were Name passed in Congress that prohibited the United States from helping countries that were being invaded. These bills became known as the Neutrality Acts. Senator Burton Wheeler of Montana led the fight in Congress to keep the U.S. out of any new wars. What Led to the Attack on Pearl Harbor? In December 1940, President Roosevelt wanted the U.S. to loan By Cindy Grigg ships, planes, and weapons to Britain. He thought the U.S. should help Britain so it could keep on fighting off the German assault. In Caption: A Japanese propaganda poster return, Britain would lease some British territory to the U.S. The from 1940 for the Tripartite Pact. The Lend-Lease Plan got congressional approval in early 1941. The U.S. Japanese symbols say: "Good friends in three was also building up its military so that it could protect itself. Most countries". Japan, Italy, and Germany were Americans at that time were still not ready to enter another war to known in World War II as the Axis Powers. stop Germany and Japan. In the 1930s, a military group came into Peace talks between Japanese and U.S. ambassadors were meant power in Japan. The new leaders of Japan to keep both countries out of war. However, Japan would not stop dreamed of ruling Asia just as the Nazis its aggressions in Asia. The U.S. stopped exporting oil, gas, iron, dreamed of ruling Europe. Japan needed more steel, and rubber to Japan.
    [Show full text]
  • Additional Historic Information the Doolittle Raid (Hornet CV-8) Compiled and Written by Museum Historian Bob Fish
    USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum Additional Historic Information The Doolittle Raid (Hornet CV-8) Compiled and Written by Museum Historian Bob Fish AMERICA STRIKES BACK The Doolittle Raid of April 18, 1942 was the first U.S. air raid to strike the Japanese home islands during WWII. The mission is notable in that it was the only operation in which U.S. Army Air Forces bombers were launched from an aircraft carrier into combat. The raid demonstrated how vulnerable the Japanese home islands were to air attack just four months after their surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. While the damage inflicted was slight, the raid significantly boosted American morale while setting in motion a chain of Japanese military events that were disastrous for their long-term war effort. Planning & Preparation Immediately after the Pearl Harbor attack, President Roosevelt tasked senior U.S. military commanders with finding a suitable response to assuage the public outrage. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a difficult assignment. The Army Air Forces had no bases in Asia close enough to allow their bombers to attack Japan. At the same time, the Navy had no airplanes with the range and munitions capacity to do meaningful damage without risking the few ships left in the Pacific Fleet. In early January of 1942, Captain Francis Low1, a submariner on CNO Admiral Ernest King’s staff, visited Norfolk, VA to review the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, USS Hornet CV-8. During this visit, he realized that Army medium-range bombers might be successfully launched from an aircraft carrier.
    [Show full text]
  • World War II in Alaska
    World War II in Alaska Front Cover: Canadian and American troops make an amphibious landing on the Aleutian island of Kiska, August 15, 1943. (Archives and Manuscripts Department, University of Alaska Anchorage) Rear Cover: Russian pilots participating in the Lend-Lease Program inspect an American fighter at Ladd Field near Fairbanks, circa 1944. (Alaska Historical Library, Juneau, Alaska) Publication funded by Alaska Support Office National Park Service 2000 U.S. Department of the Interior Anchorage, Alaska A Resource Guide for Teachers and Students Introduction This resource guide is designed to aid students and teachers in researching Alaska’s World War II history. Alaska’s role as battlefield, lend-lease transfer station, and North Pacific stronghold was often overlooked by historians in the post-war decades, but in recent years awareness has been growing of Alaska’s wartime past. This renewed interest generates exciting educational opportunities for students and teachers researching this chapter in the history of our state. Few people know that the only World War II battle fought on U.S. soil took place in Alaska or that Japanese forces occupied two Aleutian Islands for more than a year. Still fewer know of the Russian pilots who trained in Fairbanks, the workers who risked their lives building the Alaska Highway, or the Alaska Scouts who patrolled the Bering Sea coast. The lives of Alaskans were forever changed by the experience of war, and the history of that dramatic era is still being written. This resource guide begins with a map of important World War II sites and a summary of Alaska’s World War II experience.
    [Show full text]
  • Pearl Harbor Revisited: U.S
    United States Cryptologic History Cryptologic States United United States Cryptologic History Pearl Harbor Revisited: U.S. Navy Communications Intelligence 1924–1941 Pearl Harbor Revisited Harbor Pearl 2013 Series IV: World War II | Volume 6 n57370 Center for Cryptologic History This publication presents a historical perspective for informational and educational purposes, is the result of independent research, and does not necessarily reflect a position of NSA/CSS or any other U.S. government entity. This publication is distributed free by the National Security Agency. If you would like additional copies, please submit your request to: Center for Cryptologic History National Security Agency 9800 Savage Road, Suite 6886 Fort George G. Meade, MD 20755 Frederick D. Parker retired from NSA in 1984 after thirty-two years of service. Following his retirement, he worked as a reemployed annuitant and volunteer in the Center for Cryptologic His- tory. Mr. Parker served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1943 to 1945 and from 1950 to 1952. He holds a B.S. from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. Cover: First Army photo of the bombing of Hawaii, 7 December 1941; the battleship USS Arizona in background is on fire and sinking. Signal Corps photo taken from Aeia Heights. Pearl Harbor Revisited: U.S. Navy Communications Intelligence 1924–1941 Frederick D. Parker Series IV: World War II | Volume 6 Third edition 2013 Contents Foreword ...................................................................... 5 Introduction .................................................................
    [Show full text]