Ask Dan: The Pearl harbor Historian
Posted by Dan Martinez on April 20, 2007 at 12:33am
Keith, the best resource for the Arizona and its fuel tonnage ammunition stores, etc. can be found in Paul Stillwell’s book published by the Naval Institute titled “Battleship Arizona”. If you have further questions, Paul’s phone number is listed in the Annapolis, MD area and he’s very amenable to questions.
Yes, the records of the ship, I believe, go up to November. They are available from the National Archives and they deal with a number of the daily details of the ship. Also, records that contain the personnel aboard the ship can also be found there. The National Archives is very user-friendly online and I suggest you begin your search there.
If you’re referring to the movie “Pearl Harbor”, it is true. If you’re talking about real history, well, the dynamics of people are no different today than they were in 1941. So what’s going on with your friends and their relationships? Well then, you have your answer.
You need to understand that ships are renamed when new ones are built. I would strongly advise that you go to the Navy Historical Center’s website where they contain an archive call ship’s history and that will answer your question regarding these ships.
At Pearl Harbor, there were no organized Kamikaze attacks. The use of Japanese aircraft on suicide missions occurred late in the war in the year 1944. If you google “kamikaze”, it will give you the background on this history.
Thank you for the reminder of my age. However, I wasn’t born yet! But my family was at Pearl Harbor and my mother was a young girl who was age 10. The day that I remember was the day that President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.
Ask Dan: The Pearl Harbor Historian
Posted by Dan Martinez on April 20, 2007 at 12:16am
Had the American fleet sailed out to meet the Japanese, in my opinion, it would have been a greater disaster than what happened at Pearl Harbor. The Japanese had superior forces both in ships and aircraft. Not only that, their pilots were far more experienced at that time. We only had two carriers in the vicinity of Oahu and eight battleships that comprised the main battle line of the Pacific Fleet. The possibility for a greater disaster was in the fact that these ships would be in deep water and with the proficiency of the Japanese with their torpedoes, we could have lost 90% of those ships with literally thousands of men taken to a watery grave. At least at Pearl Harbor, most of the ships were recoverable because they sank in shallow water. That would have not been the case had the Pacific Fleet sallied out to meet the Japanese.
Ask Dan: The Pearl Harbor Historian
Posted by Dan Martinez on April 19, 2007 at 11:42pm
Your question is a good one and deserves more detail that I can type here. However, there is a wonderful book titled “At Dawn We Slept” by Gordon Prange. If you read part one titled “Prelude”, it will give you the background and insight to what motivated the Japanese to go to war with the United States. It is so critical that Americans understand this because it not only brings us back to 1941 and what happened, but provides you an opportunity to see how relative it is to what is happening now.
Ask Dan: The Pearl Harbor Historian
Posted by Dan Martinez on April 19, 2007 at 11:36pm
Your question is a little broad. Obviously, a fuel source for the ship and sustenance for the crew. You might want to read a book that will describe a battleship sailor’s life was like. It was published by the Naval Institute and it’s titled “Battleship Sailor”. That should give you a fuller view of life and what it is important on a ship.
Ask Dan: The Pearl Harbor Historian
Posted by Dan Martinez on April 19, 2007 at 11:31pm
Ask Dan: The Pearl Harbor Historian
Posted by Dan Martinez on March 27, 2007 at 9:56pm
Posted by Dan Martinez on April 20, 2007 at 12:33am
Keith asks:
Keith,
Greetings. As a student of Pearl Harbor, I have never been able to find consistent information on the amount of fuel and ordinance within the USS Arizona at the time of her demise. Common argument reflects 500 tons of ordinance under turrets 1 and 2. Any insight on this?
Keith, the best resource for the Arizona and its fuel tonnage ammunition stores, etc. can be found in Paul Stillwell’s book published by the Naval Institute titled “Battleship Arizona”. If you have further questions, Paul’s phone number is listed in the Annapolis, MD area and he’s very amenable to questions.
Daniel Martinez
Keith asks:
Keith,
Another confusing record statement dictates fuel measured in 'tonage' or tons. Is there a common reference of tons=gallons? Last, was any part of the ships log recovered?
Yes, the records of the ship, I believe, go up to November. They are available from the National Archives and they deal with a number of the daily details of the ship. Also, records that contain the personnel aboard the ship can also be found there. The National Archives is very user-friendly online and I suggest you begin your search there.
All the best,
Daniel Martinez
Historian
National Park service
USS Arizona Memorial
Mayra asks:
Mayra:
Is it true that two friends got in love with a nurse?
If you’re referring to the movie “Pearl Harbor”, it is true. If you’re talking about real history, well, the dynamics of people are no different today than they were in 1941. So what’s going on with your friends and their relationships? Well then, you have your answer.
All the best,
Daniel Martinez
Historian
National Park service
USS Arizona Memorial
Josh asks:
Josh:
you said that the uss hovey was steaming in the company of the uss chandler and the uss minneapolis on december 7th 1941. The uss minneapolis was decommisioned on march 15th 1921. I am just confused, was the uss minneapolis decommisioned or was it there with the uss hunley and the uss chandler?????
You need to understand that ships are renamed when new ones are built. I would strongly advise that you go to the Navy Historical Center’s website where they contain an archive call ship’s history and that will answer your question regarding these ships.
All the best,
Daniel Martinez
Historian
National Park service
USS Arizona Memorial
Dede asks:
Dede,
about how many Kamikazis died?????????
At Pearl Harbor, there were no organized Kamikaze attacks. The use of Japanese aircraft on suicide missions occurred late in the war in the year 1944. If you google “kamikaze”, it will give you the background on this history.
All the best,
Daniel Martinez
Historian
National Park service
USS Arizona Memorial
Kiersten asks:
Kiersten:
How old were you when Pearl Harbor was bombed?
Thank you for the reminder of my age. However, I wasn’t born yet! But my family was at Pearl Harbor and my mother was a young girl who was age 10. The day that I remember was the day that President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.
All the best,
Daniel Martinez
Historian
National Park service
USS Arizona Memorial
Posted by Dan Martinez on April 20, 2007 at 12:16am
Steven asks:
Steven:
In your opinion, would the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor have been worse if the US had more notice of the attack and brought in more aircraft carriers and ships? Of course, there is the potential for the reinforcements to hold off the Japanese, but they could have also been destroyed, further crippling the American fleet.
Had the American fleet sailed out to meet the Japanese, in my opinion, it would have been a greater disaster than what happened at Pearl Harbor. The Japanese had superior forces both in ships and aircraft. Not only that, their pilots were far more experienced at that time. We only had two carriers in the vicinity of Oahu and eight battleships that comprised the main battle line of the Pacific Fleet. The possibility for a greater disaster was in the fact that these ships would be in deep water and with the proficiency of the Japanese with their torpedoes, we could have lost 90% of those ships with literally thousands of men taken to a watery grave. At least at Pearl Harbor, most of the ships were recoverable because they sank in shallow water. That would have not been the case had the Pacific Fleet sallied out to meet the Japanese.
All the best,
Daniel Martinez
Historian
National Park service
USS Arizona Memorial
Posted by Dan Martinez on April 19, 2007 at 11:42pm
Veronica asks:
Veronica
I recently watched the "Pearl Habor" movie and I fell in-love with it. History has always fascinated me! I knew the "jist" of what had happened. But my question is...Why? Why did Japan want to do that out of the nowhere, were they trying to gain control over us, the US? My grandfather and great uncles are no longer alive for me to ask and my aunt wasn't old enough to know, I think. Thank you for your time. Maybe one day I'll get to visit there.
Your question is a good one and deserves more detail that I can type here. However, there is a wonderful book titled “At Dawn We Slept” by Gordon Prange. If you read part one titled “Prelude”, it will give you the background and insight to what motivated the Japanese to go to war with the United States. It is so critical that Americans understand this because it not only brings us back to 1941 and what happened, but provides you an opportunity to see how relative it is to what is happening now.
All the best,
Daniel Martinez
Historian
National Park service
USS Arizona Memorial
Posted by Dan Martinez on April 19, 2007 at 11:36pm
Jacqlyn asks
Dear Jacqlyn, Im doing History Day for my High School and I wanted to know what you think should be the most important thing I should have on my ship.
Your question is a little broad. Obviously, a fuel source for the ship and sustenance for the crew. You might want to read a book that will describe a battleship sailor’s life was like. It was published by the Naval Institute and it’s titled “Battleship Sailor”. That should give you a fuller view of life and what it is important on a ship.
All the best,
Daniel Martinez
Historian
National Park service
USS Arizona Memorial
Posted by Dan Martinez on April 19, 2007 at 11:31pm
Steven asks
Steven,
The current scholarship on the midget submarine is being discussed in Naval History Magazine. It is my belief that a website is available to look at current and past issues so if you want to follow this story, there have been, I believe, three articles over the past ten years discussing that. Also, Discovery Channel did a program for Unsolved History which I hosted titled: The Myths of Pearl Harbor. You can get that off Discover Channel’s website as well.
Several years ago photographic analysis of the famous photo taken by a Japanese aircraft of the torpedo attack on battleship row suggested that one of the Japanese minisubs was visible and may possibly have launched its two torpedos successfully. Anything new in regards this theory?
All the best,
Dan
Posted by Dan Martinez on March 27, 2007 at 9:56pm
Frank asks:
Thank you for your question. The raid on naval station at Pearl Harbor
began at 7:55 a.m. The best guess was that the ship went to general
quarters by 7:57 a.m. By 7:58 a.m., guns were being manned and perhaps the
first shots from the Arizona were being fired by then. The ship itself
only lived 11 minutes. At 8:06 a.m. the ship exploded as a result of a
direct hit in her starboard magazines just between gun turrets 1 and 2.
The ship burned out of control for nearly 2 1/2 days and even after 65
years, she still leaks oil.
How long were the men of the Arizona able to shoot back before the ship blew up?
All the best,
Daniel Martinez
Historian
USS Arizona Memorial/National Park Service
Ed asks:
Thank you for your question, but it is much too detailed for this historian
to answer. In particular, your questions about which frequency was used.
You may want to contact the Westinghouse Museum near the
Baltimore-Washington Airport. They have a number of artifacts and details
regarding early radar. I can't answer your question regarding the
equipment.
I am interested in the radio and radar in use at Pearl Harbor on 7 Dec 1941. Was the transmitter which sent the news of the attack to USA a Hallicrafters HT-4 militarized to be the BC-610? Was it part of a system such as SCR-299? I have a BC-610. What receiver was used? What operating frequency? Was the MPG-1 radar set used to observe the attack planes coming? What frequency?
The radar used in Hawaii was mobile. It's model was an SCR-270B developed by Westinghouse Corporation and brought into production of August of 1940. Nearly 100 sets were manufactured before December 7, 1941. On that morning, six of these units were positioned around the coast of Oahu.
The first detection was at 7:02 a.m. from the unit positioned at Opana Point near Kahuku. If you'd like to read more about this incident, I would recommend Day of Infamy by Walter Lord and At Dawn We Slept by Donald Goldstein.
All the best,
Daniel Martinez
Historian
USS Arizona Memorial/National Park Service
AnnaMarie asks:
The dock you mentioned is the famous 1010 Dock. The only ships that were
moored along 1010 Dock that morning were the USS Cachalot, USS Oglala and
the USS Helena. There is no listing in my records or the official records
of a USS Hovey. Regrettably, that ship was not present at Pearl Harbor
during the attack. She was at the time steaming in the company of the USS
Chandler and the USS Minneapolis 20 miles off Pearl Harbor. The
minesweeper USS Hovey took up patrol and convoy duty around Pearl Harbor
until May 20, 1941 when she escorted a 20-ship convoy to San Francisco
arriving on May 31, 1941. She returned to Pearl Harbor in mid-June of
1942.
My husband is now deceased but he always spoke of being tied up at 10.10dock behind the Oglala before the attach. He was a 1st class boilertender and says he was able to get up enough steam to get out of the harbor before the attach. He says he circled a ship outside the harbor during the attach and returned to help bury the dead after the attach but the USSHovey is never mentioned as being one of the destroyers in the attach. Could you tell me why? He joined in 1940 and was stationed in there on the USS Hovey.
All the best,
Daniel Martinez
Historian
USS Arizona Memorial/National Park Service
Dave asks:
Part of the challenge we face here at the USS Arizona Memorial Visitor
Center is making visitors aware of the history of that day and its
importance to the nation. To face that challenge, we now have numerous
interpretive wayside exhibits, descriptive museum objects and an
introductory film that is shown to all visitors before they go to the
Memorial. It certainly sets the stage for those who do not know much about
the history and in a scant 23 minutes, they come to appreciate not only
what happened but the meaning and purpose of the USS Arizona Memorial. Two
years ago we added an audio tour that is narrated by Ernest Borgnine and
supplemented by Pearl Harbor survivors' remembrances. It provides an
audio documentation of the museum, the wayside exhibits along the shoreline
and on the boats both to and from the Memorial and on the Memorial itself.
This interpretive program highlights our collections and exhibits and
provides the visitor with an in-depth insight into the Pearl Harbor attack.
Firstly, What an honor to email you. You seem so passionate about the history and importance of Pearl Harbor. I am saddened to hear that most americans do not know the significance of Dec 7th. Which leads me to my question. How disheartening/disappointing is it to you that most americans do not know/remember what Dec 7th means and how important it is to our history? Do it inspire you to do all you can to remind people? I put a sign up at my cubicle reminding my coworkers about the anniversary of Dec 7th. I hear the usual, "Thats right!" I forgot what today was..."
I think what I am most gratified by was the proclamation by President Clinton to make December 7th a National Day of Remembrance. Now it is placed on all calendars as a reminder of that tragic day and the sacrifices Americans made.
All the best,
Daniel Martinez
Historian
USS Arizona Memorial/National Park Service
Fabian asks:
The Japanese employed four types of aircraft in the Pearl Harbor attack.
The first to be launched were scout planes. These scout planes were
launched from the heavy cruisers Chikuma and Tone at 5:30 a.m. The
aircraft were:
What kind of aircraft did the Japanese use?
- Aichi 13A1 Jake float planes. The mission of these aircraft was to scout the U.S. Navy at Pearl Harbor and at Lahaina Roads, Maui.
- Mitsubishi A6M2 model 21 Zero-Zero fighter plane.
- Aichi D3A1 Val dive bomber.
- Nakajima B5N2 Kate high-level bomber/torpedo bomber.
All the best,
Daniel Martinez
Historian
USS Arizona Memorial/National Park Service
Bill asks:
You are correct. Numerous workers both military and civilian were
recruited to assist on the salvage at Pearl Harbor, now considered the
greatest maritime salvage operation in world history. These workers came
from all over the United States, but primarily from ports up and down the
West Coast. Keep in mind these men worked to salvage and raise 21 vessels
sunk or damaged during the attack. Many of them were battleships. You
should be very proud of your father. The unsung heroes were those
military/civilians who helped in the war effort on the homefront across the
United States.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor did the Navy solicit and receive help from West Coast Naval Bases for recovery efforts? The reason I ask is that my father was stationed at Mare Island CA when Pearl was attacked and he spoke of having to help recover bodies from the water of Pearl but his official records do not indicate he was there.
All the best,
Daniel Martinez
Historian
USS Arizona Memorial/National Park Service
Han asks:
The attack on Pearl Harbor changed everything for the United States. The
country was politically divided over isolationism (to stay out of the war)
and interventionism (to get into the war). The Japanese attack ended that.
An angered nation joined as one leaving politics behind and moving the
country to avenge Pearl Harbor and defeat Japan. Days later, Hitler
declared war on the United States. At that point, the United States was
now entered fully into WWII. The surprise attack by the Japanese was a
lesson of history that America will never forget.What was the significance of battle in Pearl harbor and how did this war give influence to America or motivate U.S.A's decision to join the war in the Pacifics and European nations.
All the best,
Daniel Martinez
Historian
USS Arizona Memorial/National Park Service
Steve asks:
Actually, according to the physical and eyewitness evidence, the Arizona's
bow rose out of the water as a result of the internal explosion of the
forward magazines. Today, there is clear evidence of a fracture line
running completely around the ship. It's located in between gun turrets 1
& 2. Also, the explosion tore away three decks of the ship and dropped gun
turret number 1 down 23 feet from its original mounting.
When the Arizona rose up toward the middle, at that time, what blew up?
All the best,
Daniel Martinez
Historian
USS Arizona Memorial/National Park Service
