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Pearl Harbor Newspaper thing



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Thu Mar 27, 2008 3:39 am
Kaida_Wynd says...



Attack of Pearl Harbor with new witnesses
More people have come forward to tell of the events during and after the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941.

The attack on Pearl Harbor is one of the biggest and most remembered events in American History. This devastating attack left thousands killed, more injured, and many left with the memory of an attack that could have been prevented, or an attack that could have been prepared for.
The first sign of a possible atttack on Pearl Harbor came at 3:42 a.m. when the USS Condor spotted a submarine periscope. Later in the morning, around 6:10 a.m, the first wave of planes take off from the Japanese carriers, when many of the members of the military in Pearl Harbor were still asleep of just waking up for the day. About 6:45 a.m, the US destroyer Ward attacked a Japanese submarine. This attack officially started the war just outside of Pearl Harbor. Approximately 8 minutes after the attack, the Ward reports the attack on the Japanese submarine to the navy headquarters.
7:02 a.m. On Oahu, the radar station spotted unidentified aircrafts headed towards Hawaii. Several minutes later, at Navy headquarters, the decoding process delays the Ward's message. A few minutes pass, then an officer reports that they are expecting U.S bombers from California, and ignores the radar report of unidentified aircrafts. 7:33 a.m, Washington, D.C. sent a warning message to Honolulu through the civilian telegraph office. The first wave of Japanese planes reach Oahu, and are ordered to attack in this time. It took several minutes after the command before the Japanese planes officially struck.
At 8 a.m, the B-17 bombers from California arrive, unaware of the imminent attack. According to Lieutenant Commander S.G. Fuqua, he had been eating nreakfast when the ship's air raid alarm was made. Most of the men were only just waking up or were still sleeping on the USS Arizona. Corporal B.C. Nightingale was on his way to breakfast and also heard the siren for air raid. He ran outside and saw a bomb strike in the vicinity of the Nevada. He moved towards his battle station, noticing that the anti-aircraft guns were in full use, firing rapidly amidst the chaos. Unfortunately, at approximately ten minutes into the attack, the Arizona exploded and sunk, leaving only a small part of the top afloat.
After the Arizona exploded, the US destroyer Helm fires at a Japanese submarine trying to enter the harbor. On the USS West Virginia, Lieutenant Commander T.T. Beattie had just finished breakfast when, over the loudspeaker, the officer-of-the-deck announced, "Away Fire and Rescue Party." He then continued to say, "Japanese are attacking, all hands General Quarter." Pay Clerk D.L. Westfall, who had been shaving at the time, also heard the warning. He was aboard the USS Oklahoma at the time, and looked at his clock to see that it was just a few minutes before eight at the time of the announcement. He described that the lights were out in the ammunition hall for the most part after two bombs struck nearby; only two panel lights and one battle light were still functional. When he reached the radio equiptment, he noticed they were out of commission. The word got passed around to "abandon ship." Unfortunately, a fule leak had caused several men to pass out, Westfall included. He described the dizziness, the delirium, and even of how some of the men were falling.
8:39 a.m, Japanese midget submarines are sunk in Pearl Harbor. Approximately ten minutes later, the USS Nevada attempts to get out of the harbor unscathed. A few minutes later, the second wave of Japanese planes strike Pearl Harbor. The devastation was obvious in the thousands of fires that littered each deck of each battleship, and the smoke that filled the air for hours after the attack. 9:30 a.m, the U.S. destroyer Shaw exploded. A half hour later, the Japanese planes head back to their carrier. A time after they leave, the wounded fill the hospitals. Thousands are dead, and more are injured by the heart-breaking attack. 1:00 p.m, the Japanese carriers began their voyage home, and the devastation that they left in their wake continued.
December 7, 1941. "A day that will live in infamy."
  








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