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Pearl Harbor
On Sunday, December 7th, 1941 the Japanese launched a surprise attack against the U.S. Forces stationed at Pearl Harbor , Hawaii By planning his attack on a Sunday, the Japanese commander Admiral Nagumo, hoped to catch the entire fleet in port. As luck would have it, the Aircraft Carriers and one of the Battleships were not in port. (The USS Enterprise was returning from Wake Island , where it had just delivered some aircraft. The USS Lexington was ferrying aircraft to Midway, and the USS Saratoga and USS Colorado were undergoing repairs in the United States ..)
In spite of the latest intelligence reports about the missing aircraft carriers (his most important targets), Admiral Nagumo decided to continue the attack with his force of six carriers and 423 aircraft. At a range of 230 miles north of Oahu , he launched the first wave of a two-wave attack. Beginning at 0600 hours his first wave consisted of 183 fighters and torpedo bombers which st ruck at the fleet in Pearl Harbor and the airfields in Hickam, Kaneohe and Ewa. The second strike, launched at 0715 hours, consisted of 167 aircraft, which again struck at the same targets.
At 075 3 hours the first wave consisting of 40 Nakajima B5N2 'Kate' torpedo bombers, 51 Aichi D3A1 'Val' dive bombers, 50 high altitude bombers and 43 Zeros struck airfields and Pearl Harbor Within the next hour, the second wave arrived and continued the attack.
When it was over, the U.S. Losses were:
Casualties
US Army: 218 KIA, 364 WIA.
US Navy: 2,008 KIA, 710 WIA..
US MarineCorp: 109 KIA, 69 WIA.
Civilians: 68 KIA, 35 WIA.
TOTAL: 2,403 KIA, 1,178 WIA.
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Battleships
USS Arizona (BB-39) - total loss when a bomb hit her magazine.
USS Oklahoma (BB-37) - Total loss when she capsized and sunk in the harbor.
USS California (BB-4 4) - Sunk at her berth. Later raised and repaired.
USS West Virginia (BB-48) - Sunk at her berth. Later raised and repaired.
USS Nevada - (BB-36) Beached to prevent sinking. Later repaired.
USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) - Light damage.
USS Maryland (BB-46) - Light damage.
USS Tennessee (BB-43) Light damage.
USS Utah (AG-16) - (former battleship used as a target) - Sunk.
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Cruisers
USS New Orleans (CA-32) - Light Damage..
USS San Francisco (CA-38) - Light Damage.
USS Detroit (CL-8) - Light Damage.
USS Raleigh (CL-7) - Heavily damaged but repaired.
USS Helena (CL-50) - Light Damage.
USS Honolulu (CL-48) - Light Damage..
-------------------------- -- ---------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------
Destroyers
USS Downes (DD-375) - Destroyed. Parts salvaged.
USS Cassin - (DD -3 7 2) Destroyed. Parts salvaged.
USS Shaw (DD-373) - Very heavy damage..
USS Helm (DD-388) - Light Damage.
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Minelayer
USS Ogala (CM-4) - Sunk but later raised and repaired.
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Seaplane Tender
USS Curtiss (AV-4) - Severely damaged but later repaired.
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Repair Ship
USS Vestal (AR-4) - Severely damaged but later repaired.
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Harbor Tug
USS Sotoyomo (YT-9) - Sunk but later raised and repaired.
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Aircraft
188 Aircraft destroyed (92 USN and 92 U.S. Army Air Corps.)
The photographs are genuine and certainly do show the Pearl Harbor attack. However, the claims in the email's description are false. They were not found in one old box brownie camera as stated in the message, nor were they taken by a sailor on the USS QUAPAW. In fact, the images are US Naval archive photographs taken by different people at various locations around Pearl Harbour at the time of the attack. The photographs form part of the historical image collection available on the Naval Historical Center website.
To take all of these photographs, the brownie-wielding sailor would have needed to possess the uncanny ability to take pictures from several vantage points around the harbor at almost the same time. Some earlier versions of the email included high aerial shots of the harbour as well. The aerial shots are omitted in this version, possibly because their inclusion too clearly "gives the game away". The sailor could hardly have been in an aircraft as well as in several locations around the attack zone during one narrow window of time.
Moreover, the USS QUAPAW was not at Pearl Harbour in 1941. In fact, the vessel was not even launched until 1943. Her keel was laid on 28 December 1942, more than a year after the Pearl Harbor attack.
These photographs are indeed spectacular and they form an important part of the historical record. They speak for themselves and there is absolutely no need to falsely embellish them with foolish and fictional stories about their origin.
Originally posted by Gawdzilla
reply to post by letthereaderunderstand
"How does one sneak these numbers past the Pacific Fleet head Quarters of the United States Navy?: "
You use secrecy, of course. The Kido Butai used a route that was barren of other traffic. The Japanese confirmed that they were not spotted on the trip east. I've been studying the attack for over forty years, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask.
You can also visit my site: The Myths of Pearl Harbor
Originally posted by letthereaderunderstand
reply to post by Maxmars
My grandfather was at pearl harbor in the navy when they attacked. He is still baffled to this day as to how it could of happened short of them turning off the radar and flying no patrols in the beginning of a little thing called WW2.
I love him and have never had the heart to discuss it with him, but the fact alone that he still can't understand how it could of happened speaks volumes to me.
Peace