During the attack there were about 40 explosions in the city of Honolulu — all, except one, the result of U.S. antiaircraft fire. These explosions did about 500,000 dollars’ worth of damage.
What were the Japanese losses? Tokyo sources agree that the Striking Force lost only 29 planes — nine fighters, 15 dive-bombers, and five torpedo planes. In addition, the Advance Expeditionary Force lost one large submarine and all five midgets. Personnel lost: 55 airmen, nine crewmen on the midget subs, plus an unknown number on the large submarine.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
“UNIFORMS MEANT NOTHING,” RECALLS Chief Albert Molter, reflecting on Pearl Harbor. Others agree that it was a day when rank was forgotten, when all that counted was the good idea, when people wanted only to pitch in together.
They have shown the same spirit in contributing to this book. Admirals, sailors, generals, privates, ordinary civilians —some 577 participants — have unselfishly joined forces to help me piece together this picture of that famous Sunday.
Some of these people are still in Oahu, and sitting down with them on that balmy, tranquil island conveys best of all what a shock the attack must have been. You feel it when Brigadier General Kendall Fielder painstakingly reviews that last peacetime evening with General Short … when James B. Mann describes seeing the first planes in the early sunlight above Haleiwa … when Webley Edwards explains how he desperately tried to make his radio audience believe the news … when Tadao Fuchikami tells of his motorcycle ride with the famous message from General Marshall to General Short.
As they tell stories, nothing seems to be too much trouble. Vivid impressions still linger — Richard Kimball delving into old registration books at the Halekulani Hotel; George Walters rooting through his papers on Drydock No. 1; Dr. Robert Faus wading through dusty files on the emergency ambulance service. And there was the evening Master Sergeant Robert McMurtrie dug out the letter which explained better than a dozen investigations how little grasp anyone had of radar at the time. Six weeks before Pearl Harbor, McMurtrie (then a private) had been shifted from radar work to KP, and he joyfully wrote home, “In the kitchen you can take pride in what you’re doing.”
Sometimes nothing short of a personally conducted tour would explain a point, and I want to thank Master Sergeant Francis Clossen for showing me around Wheeler; Technical Sergeant Billy Kerslake for guiding me through Kaneohe; Mrs. Anne Powlison for a tour of the Kailua area; Colonel Robert G. Fergusson for going over the old Coast Artillery setup; and Mrs. Paul Young for re-enacting her harrowing morning in the family laundry at Wahiawa. The Army, Navy, and Air Force public information offices, of course, paved the way at Pearl, Hickam, Schofield, and Fort Shatter; and though I must have stretched their patience to the breaking point, I never found any limit to their help.
Many of the participants are now far from Hawaii, but they were no less willing to take time out and talk about Pearl Harbor —sometimes under circumstances that must have been trying, to say the least. Lieutenant General Truman Landon was on the verge of leaving for Latin America, but he seemed to have all the time in the world as he recalled the B-17 flight from California. Rear Admiral William Burford was cornered on the golf course near San Diego, but was as amiable as if he had just broken par, while he described how the Monaghan rammed the midget sub. And I’ll never know what lunch plans Admiral Halsey sacrificed to sit with me instead, relating the story of the Enterprise planes.
Some of these people gradually evolved into my “experts” on certain localities … and found themselves more ruthlessly imposed upon than ever. These unsung heroes included Commander Victor Delano on Battleship Row … Edmond Jacoby on Ford Island … Master Sergeant John Sherwood on Hickam … Master Sergeant Francis Clossen on Wheeler … Chief Walter Simmons on Kaneohe … Chief Charles Leahey on Pearl Harbor.
Others I depended on greatly for their specialized knowledge on certain points: Vice Admiral Walter Anderson for background on fleet organization; Dr. John Moorhead for the medical side of the story; Admiral Charles M. Cooke for incidents on the flooding of Drydock No. 1; Admiral Claude Bloch for information on the midget submarine penetration of the harbor. I especially appreciate the time Joseph Lockard and Joseph McDonald spent, helping on the riddle of the Opana radar contact.
Often eyewitnesses not only gave me their time but lent me personal papers to fill out the story. Among them: Lieutenant Colonel George Bicknell, Brigadier General Kendall Fielder, Rear Admiral William Furlong, Rear Admiral Peyton Harrison, Rear Admiral S. S. Isquith, and Captain William Outerbridge. Invaluable diaries were contributed by Commander J. G. Daniels, Thomas Lombardi, and Henry Sachs. Mrs. Hubert K. Reese also made available the diary of her gallant son Lieutenant Hubert K. Reese, Jr., who was lost on convoy duty in 1943.
Most of the Japanese participants were later killed in the war, but fifteen were located and contributed firsthand accounts. Their task was not easy, but they tackled it with vigor and frankness, and the result is a vital part of the story. I am extremely grateful to Takahisa Amagai, Dr. Sukao Ebina, Dr. Tadataka Endo, Shigeru Fujii, Mochitsura Hashimoto, Toshio Hashimoto, Lieutenant Colonel Masanobu Ibusuki, Kazuyoshi Kochi, Vice Admiral Ryunosuke Kusaka, Kazuo Sakamaki, Yoshio Shiga, Shin-Ichi Shimizu, Suguru Suzuki, Yoshibuni Tanbo, and Hoichiro Tsukamoto.
Where eyewitnesses were not available, and in some cases to supplement their accounts, I have relied on a mountain of written material. The 40 volumes of the U.S. Congressional investigation are full of nuggets. The War Records Depositor) of the University of Hawaii has much data, including a priceless collection of schoolchildren’s themes. The Honolulu Harbor Master’s records have essential facts on wind, weather, and shipping. The Honolulu Board of Water Supply has the best information on damage to the city.
The Honolulu papers had lively coverage, and I’m indebted to Editors Ray Coll of the Advertiser and Riley Allen of the Star-Bulletin for letting me rummage through their files. Special thanks go to Managing Editor Thurston Twigg-Smith of the Advertiser for digging out material on Niihau.
Numerous books contain valuable information on the attack. The Rising Sun in the Pacific by Samuel E. Morison (Little, Brown, 1948) and Battle Report: Pearl Harbor to Coral Sea by Walter Karig and Welbourne Kelley (Farrar & Rinehart, 1944) have detailed overall accounts. Blake Clark’s Remember Pearl Harbor (Harper, 1942) preserves many colorful incidents. The civilian side is thoroughly covered by Gwenfread Allen’s Hawaii’s War Years (University of Hawaii Press, 1945). On the question of responsibility, Admiral Kimmel’s Story by the Admiral himself (Henry Regnery, 1955), The Final Secret of Pearl Harbor by Rear Admiral Robert A. Theobald (Devin-Adair, 1954), and Walter Millis’ fascinating This Is Pearl (William Morrow, 1947) should all be read by anyone trying to understand this knotty problem. Lieutenant Clarence Dickinson’s Flying Guns (Scribner’s, 1942) and Eugene Burns’ Then There Was One (Harcourt, Brace, 1944) both touch on the story of the Enterprise planes.
Various aspects of the Japanese side are covered in Midway by Mitsuo Fuchida (U.S. Naval Institute, 1955); Sunk by Mochitsura Hashimoto (Cassell & Company, 1954); Attacked Pearl Harbor by Kazuo Sakamaki (Association Press, 1949); Zero! by Masatake Okumiya and Jira Horikoshi with Martin Caidin (Dutton, 1956).
Additional information can be found in many magazine articles that have been written on the subject. To name a few of the best: Robert Ward’s account of Japanese planning in the December, 1951, issue of the United States Naval Institute Proceedings; Captain Fuchida’s own story of leading the air attack in the September, 1952, issue of the same magazine; Barry Fox’s touching reminiscences of a housewife’s feelings in the January, 1943, issue of Harper’s.
A more personal kind of help has come from every side. Vice Admiral John F. Shafroth graciously arranged off-the-record interviews with various key figures. Richard MacMillan and Adney Smith gave indispensable guidance in Honolulu. Captain Ralph Parker generously shared his deep understanding of Navy life. Eugene Burns, Russell Starr, and Captain
Joe Taussig offered invaluable leads. Lieutenant (j.g.) Herbert E. Hetu and Chief William J. Miller proved that they could locate anybody who had ever been in the Navy. Lieutenant Commander Herb Gimpel worked miracles in getting pictures on a moment’s notice. Rear Admiral and Mrs. Hall Mayfield helped in more ways than I could ever list.
In pulling the story together, Life magazine supplied wonderful research assistance, and in this connection I am especially indebted to Charles Osborne of the Life staff. Roger Pineau, Malcolm Boyd, and Harold Daw contributed other valuable research. Miss Florence Cassedy joined that brave band of typists who have faced my handwriting, and my mother performed as valiantly as ever on the index.
But all these contributions, great as they are, would not be enough without the 464 eyewitness accounts written especially for my use by the people listed on the following pages. These are the heart of the matter, for while no one person is necessarily infallible, the consensus of several hundred is very likely to approach the truth. Like the Armed Services and the individuals mentioned in this Acknowledgment section, these people share no responsibility for my thoughts and conclusions, no blame for my errors or inadequacies, but all the credit for whatever new understanding may emerge from this story of December 7, 1941.
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS
EACH NAME IS FOLLOWED by the vantage point from which the account was written. Where supplied, the present rank of those still on active duty is also included.
Charles H. Abrams, Pearl Harbor
Edwin W. Adams, Wheeler Field
Carp. Harry R. Adams, Vestal
FPC Wayne Lax Adams, Vestal
Donald B. Addington, Phoenix
CPO Enrique S. M. Aflague, Minneapolis
E. H. Akins, Wheeler
Donald B. Alexander, Kaneohe NAS
Bruce G. Allen, B-17 flight
Frank Allo, Hickam Field
Walter C. Anderson, Nevada
V. Adm. Walter S. Anderson, USN (Ret.), Maryland
Carroll T. Andrews, Wheeler
John V. Armstrong, Oklahoma
Terrance J. Armstrong, Oklahoma
Thomas E. Armstrong, Oklahoma
Kenneth Atwell, Hickam
Marlin G. Ayotte, Pearl Harbor
Charles O. Backstrom, Hickam
M/Sgt. John W. Baker, Tripler
General Hospital
Woodrow Baily, Tennessee
Robert W. Ballou, Kaneohe NAS
QMC Willard A. Beal, Oklahoma
Cdr. John R. Beardall, Raleigh
Earnest T. Bedell, Shaw
Mrs. Monica Conter Benning,
Michigan hosp.
Robert S. Benton, West Virginia
Charles E. Bergdoll, B-17 flight
Joseph Berry, Helena
S 1/c Ben Bill, Navy housing
HMC V. G. Biskup, Naval Hosp.
H. E. Blagg, Maryland
Maj. Gen. Gordon A. Blake, USAF, Hickam
QMC John D. Blanken, San Francisco
Stanley J. Blazenski, Naval Mobile Hosp. No. 2
Alec C. Boatman, Tennessee
Erwin J. Bohenstiel, Ford Island
Charles M. Bohnstadt, Sacramento
Nicholas T. Bongo, Hickam
P. E. Bos, Ford Island
C. E. Boudreau, Navy Receiving Station
S. F. Bowen, Tennessee
Maj. Samuel Bradlyn, USAF, Hickam
Clarence Bruhl, Submarine Base
Albert E. Brawley, B-17 flight
Samuel Lester Brayfield, New Orleans
Brainard J. Brewer, construction work near Schofield
Chester L. Brighton, Helena
Donald W. Brown, West Virginia
E. F. Brown, Pearl Harbor
K. R. Brown, Tucker
W. M. Brown, PT boats
Norman C. Brunelle, Pearl Harbor
Wilfred J. Brunet, Honolulu
Lester T. Buckley, Schofield
Mrs. Mary Buethe, Navy housing
R. Adm. J.W. Bunkley, USN (Ret.), California
R. Adm. William P. Burford, USN (Ret.), Monaghan
Joseph John Burke, Patterson
J. P. Burkholder, Tennessee
Martin T. Burns, Phoenix
J.W. Burton, Ford Island
Max E. Butterfield, Hickam
PNC Edward P. Campbell, Tennessee
Mrs. Lorraine Campbell, Navy housing
CWO W. M. Canavan, St. Louis
Chief Gunner Ralph A. Carl, Jr.,
Tennessee
Kenneth D. Carlson, Selfridge
Brig. Gen. Richard H. Carmichael, USAF, B-17 flight
Richard M. Carse, Schofield
Peter A. Chang, Submarine Base
S. B. Chatfield, Wright
Donald C. Christensen, Phoenix
George A. Cichon, California
Erwin F. Cihak, B-17 flight
Fred R. Claesson, Ft. Kamehameha
Henry B. Clark, Jr., Cockatoo
Peter M. Clause, Schofield
M/Sgt. William M. Cleveland, Hickam
E. J. Clifton, Sumner
Chandler Cobb, Pearl Harbor
Leslie Coe, Nevada
Charles Coleman, St. Louis
TEC Durrell E. Conner, California
Charles R. Cunningham, Jarvis
Carl E. Currey, Maryland
A. J. Corizzo, Bagley
Mrs. Aletha Cote, Hickam housing
Felder Crawford, Maryland
Edward G. Creighton, Monaghan
Capt. Mark Creighton, USAF, Hickam
John Crockett, Navy Yard
George V. Cruise, Helena
Carlos J. Cunningham, Ford Island
PNC L. L. Curry, Jr., Oklahoma
Mrs. Iva Daniels, Navy housing
Cdr. J. G. Daniels, Enterprise flight
Henry R. Danner, Drydock No. 1
Sydney A. Davis, Hickam
William H. Deas, Castor
Cdr. Victor Delano, West Virginia
W. E. Dellegar, Oglala
George E. Denning, Schofield
Thomas A. Denton, 1010 dock
Fred L. Dickey, Wheeler
Cdr. Cleo J. Dobson, Enterprise flight
James W. Dollar, Phoenix
Ambrose A. Domagall, Ward
Thomas J. Donahue, Monaghan
George A. Dorfmeister, Detroit
Raeburn D. Drenner, Wheeler
Ivan C. DuBois, Hickam
James Duncan, civilian plane
Y. Dupre, Dobbin
Mrs. Rhea Dupre, Navy housing
M/Sgt. J. H. Dykema, Hickam
Albert A. Dysert, Helena
Douglas A. Eaker, Submarine Base
Mrs. F. M. Earle, Navy First Aid Sta.
R. Adm. A. R. Early, USN (Ret.), Pearl
Harbor
Mrs. E. M. Eaton, Navy housing
Charles P. Eckhert, Hickam
AD1 George W. Edmondson, Ford Island
Leonard T. Egan, Wheeler
Wilfred Eller, Naval Mobile Hosp. Unit
Fred R. Elliott, West Virginia
BTC H. E. Emory, California
Walter F. England, Oiler Y.O. 44
ENI Charles W. Etter, Blue
G. Taylor Evans, Jr., California
Mrs. Florence E. Fahrner, Hickam housing
Maurice Featherman, West Virginia
MMC William R. Felsing, Pennsylvania Ernest L. Finney, Nevada
Mrs. Joseph G. Fischer, Navy housing
John P. Fisher, Ft. Shafter
Joseph W. Fleck, New Orleans
Don Flickinger, Wheeler
Charles A. Flood, Helena
Brig. Gen. William J. Flood, USAF (Ret), Wheeler
Charles L. Flynn, Pruitt
Jack F. Foeppel, Raleigh
Mrs. Claire Fonderhide, Hickam housing
James L. Forbis, Arizona
Frank G. Forgione, Oglala
Cdr. Howell M. Forgy, USN (Ret.), New Orleans
Roy Foster, Schofield
C
dr. Vance Fowler, West Virginia
W. R. Frazee, Argonne
Dr. Arthur F. Fritchen, Naval Hosp.
Arthur W. Fusco, Wheeler
John M. Gallagher, Solace
Capt. Wilmer E. Gallaher, Enterprise flight Mrs. Joseph Callaway, Navy housing
RMC R. L. Gamble, Tennessee
LeRoy V. Gammon, Ft. Shafter
Mrs. Jeanne D. Gardiner, Makalapa housing
Carey L. Garnett, Nevada
BM1 Thomas Garzione, Vestal
L. George Geiger, Hickam
Antonio Gentile, Jr., Hickam
M/Sgt. J. D. Gentry, Pennsylvania
Alvin Gerth, Pennsylvania
Fiore Gigliotti, St. Louis
Roy W. Gillette, Ft. Shafter
Mrs. Alice N. Gillis, Honolulu
David Wynne Gilmartin, Utah
ATC Frederick W. Glaeser, Ford Island
John M. Gobidas, Rigel, Oklahoma rescue
Daucy B. Goza, Ford Island
John D. Grabanski, California
Cdr. Leon Grabowski, Naval Hosp.
C. A. Grana, California
Capt. Lawrence C. Grannis, USN (Ret.), Antares
Tony J. Gregory, Schofield
MUC C. S. Griffin, Nevada
Edward J. Gronkowski, Hickam
A. M. Gustchen, Honolulu
Glenn W. Haag, Argonne
Robert Paul Hagen, PT boats
Ralph B. Haines, motor launch
George H. Haitle, Maryland
Francis L. Haley, Nevada
Joe Hallet, Tautog
Maj. Robert W. Halliday, Hickam
George W. Halterman, Hickam
LCDR Frank S. Handler, Helm
Joseph Patrick Hanley, Rigel
G. S. Hardon, Monaghan
Verdet Windford Harpin, New Orleans
Joseph C. Harsch, Waikiki
C. J. Harrold, Honolulu, Ft. Shafter
Fred C. Hart, Submarine Base
Alfred B. Hauft, Ft. Shafter
CMC Gilbert J. Hawkins, Sacramento
Harry Haws, Montgomery
Dr. Will Hayes, Waikiki, Hickam, Pearl Harbor
Mrs. Maurine K. Hayter, Alewa Heights
Maj. Gen. Leonard D. Heaton, Schofield hosp.
BMC K. V. Hendon, Nevada
John E. Henry, Hickam