7 December 1941 (2)

 

Pearl Harbor view from a Japanese fighter

0749 hours – “ToToToToTo” went out to all Japanese pilots (the first 2 letters of ‘Totsugeki!’  CHARGE!), and the torpedo bombers proceeded to sweep Battleship Row.  “Tora! Tora! Tora!” was sent out next.  The code, Tiger! Tiger! Tiger! was sent 5000 miles to the “Akagi” for Admiral Yamamoto to be aware that the Strike Force had indeed caught the US Navy by surprise; the Admiral read the message and then continued his game of Shogi with his staff gunnery officer, Watanabe.

Three civilian planes safely landed back on Oahu after being caught in the maelstrom of tracer bullets.

Shanghai Harbor under attack

1000 hours – In Shanghai, China, Lt Comdr. Columbus Smith was woken up by a call from the HMS “Wake” to make a report on the attack of Pearl Harbor.  He immediately rushed to scuttle his command, but was promptly arrested by Japanese guards.

1130 hours – over Singapore, the 5am streetlights directed the Japanese planes to the city.  The Changi Naval Base, and British ships, “Prince of Wales” and “Repulse” returned antiaircraft fire.

 

USS Cassin & Downs

 

On Formosa, the Japanese planes of the 11th Air Fleet were grounded by fog and were unable make their scheduled attack on Luzon.

1257 hours –  Guam was bombed by the Japanese navy bombers from Saipan.  The Marine barracks were destroyed and the USS “Penguin” was sunk.

 

USS Penquin

 

 

1300 hours –  36 Japanese bombers left Roi in the Marshall Islands and strafed Wake Island.  Lacking radar, the fighter planes recently delivered by the “Enterprise” had only 15 seconds warning; 7 of them were destroyed on the ground.  Twelve Marines and 6 civilians of the Pan Am Hotel were killed.  A Marine survivor said, “The pilots in every one of those planes was grinning wildly.  Every one wiggled his wings to signify Banzai.”

The Pan Am flying boat, “Philippine Clipper”, escaped with 23 bullet holes in her as she carried 70 airline personnel and the             wounded from the island.  Pilot Capt. Hamilton radioed back that an enemy cruiser with destroyers was headed toward Wake.

 

Ford Island Air Station & USS Shaw

1400 hours –  Hong Kong was attacked by 35 enemy bombers.  MGen. C.M. Maltby knew Britain would not defend the possession, but he was ordered to “hold out as long as possible.”

1500 hours –  With the fog lifted on Formosa, Luzon was attacked by 32 Japanese Army bombers and 192 of their Navy’s 11th Air Fleet took off to follow through.

Clark Field, Nov. 1941

1730 hours – a radar operator at Iba Field, Luzon spotted the Japanese squadron approaching and transmitted the data to Clark Field, but the teletype operator was literally out to lunch.  In a series of mistakes,  MacArthur had erred in underrating his enemy.

2200 hours –  Counterattacks at Kota Bharu failed.  This prompted the Australian commander to request permission to evacuate his remaining planes 150 miles south.  Ground personnel and civilians left the town as the surviving Indian troops stayed to make a final stand.

 

Cynthia Olson SS

 

Also on this date, but the hour unknown, the US cargo ship “Cynthia Olson” loaded with lumber for Hawaii was torpedoed by the enemy submarine I-26 and sunk in the Pacific, 1200 miles west of Seattle, with the loss of 35 men.  

 

On that first night, as the world turned into another day, a darkness, never before known, fell over the Pacific culminating 24 hours of unmitigated disaster.  Only the British Prime Minister went to bed content, “So, we have won after all.  Being saturated and satiated with emotion and sensation, I went to bed and slept the sleep of the sound and thankful”_____Winston Churchill

Click on any image to enlarge.

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Political Cartoons of the times_________

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Personal Note……  

It has been a while since I’ve given the veterans and volunteers of Little Rock, Arkansas a renewed Shout Out!!  I sincerely hope you are all enjoying this web site – this includes you too, Tom DeGrom!  I have spies out there and I want to hear that you are all doing well!  

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Farewell Salutes – 

Harry Alsman Sr. – LeClaire, IA; US Navy, Korea

Richard Bolt – Wellington, NZ; RNZ Air Force, Air Marshal, Chief of Defense Staff (Ret.)

James Chase – Chatman, MA; US Army, HQ Company, 11th A/B (Ret. 20 years)

Robert DePledge – Invermere, BC, Can; RC Army

Everett (Pat) Emmick – Loxahatchee, FL; US Army, Vietnam, Bronze Star

Eugene Knobbe – Boynton Beach, FL; US Army, Korea

Andrew Manchester Sr. – No. Branford, CT; US Army Air Corps. WWII, B-17 top turret gunner, 15th & 8th Army, ETO, No. Africa

Leonard Pilarski – Nesconset, NY; US Army Air Corps, WWII, F Co/511th Reg.

Charles Roberts, Jr. – Kansas City, MO; USMC, BrigGeneral, Korea & Vietnam, Purple Heart

Harry Stamos – Hendersonville, NC; US Army, WWII, Signal Corps, ETO

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THANK YOU FOR THE CORRECTION, ALLEN.

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