Monday 20 April 2009

Pearl Harbor

thanks to xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxpw.

These  photos are absolutely incredible....


































Pea
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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..
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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.)