The World War II Collection

  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