Harley S. Cadenhead US Navy USS Tucker |
December 6, 1941 Annual military inspection by the Admiral that was Commander of the destroyers. The Tucker was spick and span, all the ammunition in the ready ammunition locker for number 5 gun on the Tucker was sent below to the magazine. Ships alongside the USS Whitney (AD-4), a destroyer tender (a ship tender provides repairs and provisions) or what was known as tender overhauls; Whitney was at berth X8 in Pearl Harbor. The damage resulting to the United States Naval Vessels stationed in Pearl Harbor from the Japanese surprise attack is well known and documented. The USS Tucker (DD-374) Lt. Commander W.R. Terrell Commanding. The Tucker was in berth alongside the destroyer tender USS Whitney (AD-4) at X8 mooring with four other destroyers, USS Conyngham (DD-371), USS Reid (DD-369) and USS Case (DD-370) the Division Commander's ship, also the USS Selfridge (DD-375) "DesRon Four" the Squadron Commanders ship, a 1850 ton destroyer. USS Tucker (DD-374) was built by the Norfolk Navy Yard, Norfolk, VA. Her keel was laid August 15, 1934, launched on February 26, 1936. Tucker's overall length was 341 feet, beam was 35 feet, displacement was 1,500 tons and her speed was 35 knots. Crew in peace times was about 130, a war time crew near 300. The Tucker was lying in a nest of five destroyers alongside the tender USS Whitney (AD-4), undergoing tender overhaul. Our fire director on the Tucker was inoperative as repair procedures were in progress. The director is used to direct and control the 5 gun mounts, the destroyers of this class were quipped with. They also have four torpedo tubes amidships with the torpedoes they contained. The torpedo tube mount could be turned to fire over the port or starboard side. The naval guns were 5 inch 38 caliber dual purpose (air defense or ships defense). This class of destroyers had 2 smoke stacks and were 1,500 tons in size; the crew consisted of about 125 members during peace time. During the actual war time the crew members were increased to some 250 plus members. At the time the Japanese struck the fleet in harbor and other military facilities on land by air attack. The Tucker was not able to get underway as the two fire rooms and engine room had required maintenance, this was being carried out, which effectively disabled the ship. It may be difficult in today's society to imagine the lack of communication capabilities back in the 1030's and 40's. We sailors in the Navy did not have access as is common now. No newspapers or radios, even if we had the money to purchase them, there was not that much in broadcasting. The ships were at sea a great amount of time from the spring of 1940 when the fleet conducted the last peace time fleet maneuvers, terminating with the entire Pacific Fleet staying in Hawaii at Pearl Harbor. There was no such thing as TV's. Even ships news, so prevalent during the later years of the war, only came into being sometime after the initial regrouping of the fleet, and changing of battle group strategy. With the loss of battleships, which had been the base for naval maneuvers, battle strategy was shifting gradually to the air craft carriers. Then the commanders had time to think about crew morale, and that it was best if the crew had some knowledge of world affairs and battle conditions. We actually knew little of world affairs, we were aware of the war taking place in Europe, but the USA had been for years isolated, due to a large degree from the great depression, which of necessity occupied all the people with internal affairs. As members of the military forces, our responses and thoughts were not based on complicated social issues. It seemed to us that Japan was the real enemy, with the attack at Pearl on the US Naval Fleet, the loss of thousands of shipmates as well as naval units and other military establishments. Our actions and duty was clearly to protect our nation at all costs. We had one officer an Ensign on board that was the duty officer December 7, 1941. Most enlisted men were aboard as liberty expired at midnight. A written permission was required for enlisted people to stay ashore overnight; this could be obtained only with an address. From my view this was a defense of the ships by the enlisted people. December 7, 1941 The word was passed over the intercommunication (PA) system to muster on station (meaning we could continue to sleep) the usual Sunday routine. Most of the crew was in the crew's quarters in their racks (as the beds were called) when the Japanese attack came. For myself, we were awakened by the deck watch's messenger coming into the compartment and shouting the japs are attacking! Not the slightest stir, the messenger coming into the compartment and shouting the Japs are attacking! That got our attention! There followed a scurry of sailors as we quickly dressed and went to our battle stations. Mine was in after steering, and that is another story. Not being underway, I went topside to the fantail, when I cam on deck, I saw an airplane going down in smoke and flames over Ford Island, I thought to myself "just like the movies". I said to some crew members that we should strike the awnings, so as to better defend ourselves, the canvas awnings were in the way of our view, for returning fire. If we were hit, they were easily set on fire. (The awnings were used to provide shade over the metal decks and the compartments below, which became very hot from direct sunshine.) As we were striking the awnings something caught the corner of my eye, I looked up just in time to see an object falling, hear an explosion, then feel and see the effects of a greater explosion on board the USS Arizona. She was beginning to burn and there were clouds of smoke. For that matter, there were explosions sounding in all directions one right after the other, black smoke escaping into the sky, oil and debris everywhere. The Japanese planes were first sighted as they began their dives on the battleships, and even before the general alarm could be sounded, one man on our ship had begun firing the after machine guns. Some time later the #4 aft 5inch gun was firing at the enemy, while the engineering gang worked feverishly to reassemble machinery torn down for the tender overhaul. About 0810 some of the guns in the main battery opened up on high flying planes, firing for half an hour. Fifteen minutes after the order to cease fire, another wave of aircraft cam over, followed at 0905 by several dive bombers coming in low from all sides. During this time TUCKER registered hits on three planes, two of which crashed on a hill in flames. The other disappeared over a low ridge, smoking and flaming badly. The last group approached from the north at 0917 and two minutes later the attack was over. The Japanese planes were first sighted as they began their dives on the battleships. Even before the general alarm could be sounded. We had on board Tucker, one man GM2c Walter E. Bowe, he observed the unfolding attack and promptly manned a machine gun on the ship's after superstructure, commencing to fire even before the alarm for general quarters was sounded. It was claimed by many on board, that this was the first return fire at the Japs, and it was by gunners mate Bowe. Discussions whether he or some others were the first to return fire, carried on for years. At the very least his gun was one of the first to return fire at the Japanese aircraft. Shortly after I arrived on deck "fan tail", a Japanese air craft flew by very close to our stern, I could see the 50 caliber machine gun tracer bullets hitting the fuselage and out the other side, but the airplane just kept going, apparently no real damage, had to hit the pilot or engine to be effective. From where we were, we could see Ford Island, the Naval Air Station, flames from aircraft and hangers were leaping skyward accompanied by billows of black smoke. Later in the morning heading out the channel, as we went by Ford Island, it was in shambles and in flames, a PBY on the ramp was heavily damaged and burning, as well as a few other aircraft that we could see. The nearest hanger was, for all practical purposes destroyed by the Japanese attack. In truth the entire battle was like a kaleidoscope to me. As the day before, we had the annual inspection by the Admiral, so all the ammunition had been run below to the magazines. In our attempt to fire #5 of our 5 inch guns, we found that there was no ammunition in the ready ammo boxes. We had to get the bolt cutters from the torpedo shop to cut the locks so the ammunition hoists could operate, so I sent one of the seamen forward to get the bolt cutter. About this time, I was directed to reinstall the blower motor for the #2 fire room forced air intake, this provides air for the boilers and pressure within the fire room as well, and (this pressure helps prevent flashback when the boilers are lit off). With the blower installed the boilers could be lit and steam pressure for the turbines, then the ship could get underway. During the time I was reinstalling the blower a 5" (inch) naval gun #4, on the USS Reid tied up on our starboard side, and commenced firing right over my head. Due to the concussion from this gun firing, all I could do was lean against the bulkhead and cover my ears and head for protection until they stopped. I could make no movement at all, due to the effect of the concussion. After that, as I recall, I was sent down into the #1 fire room to reinstall the fuel oil feed pump so that fuel could be made available to light off the boilers in that fire room. Again this would allow the boilers to be lit and we could make steam in order to get underway. While doing this work, I had a terrible feeling between my shoulder blades, I could just feel a bomb coming through the deck and hitting me directly between the shoulders. It was better on deck where at least you could see and have some idea of what was taking place. We got underway about midmorning, sailing out the channel. To our starboard side was battleship row, the Arizona on the bottom and burning, as we passed, we picked up one sailor from the water covered with oil. It turned out that he was off the Arizona. Another battleship low in the water, I think it was the USS West Virginia as she was moored outside, with the USS Tennessee inside, next, the USS Oklahoma bottom up. On our port side, the Oglala damaged, and some cruisers further inland were on fire, then we could see two destroyers burning. Then another one burning, the Shaw, she was in our division, she was in the floating dry-dock. The battleship USS Pennsylvania was in the same dry dock as Cassin and Downes, They were forward of the Pennsylvania. As we sailed further out the channel, we go by the USS Nevada on our starboard side, she had gotten under way, (hurt badly she was slowly sinking, we find out after) so she was beached, to prevent her from sinking and blocking the channel. Every battleship was damaged, the Oklahoma and Arizona were badly damaged, the others were raised later, and put back to active duty, and it was a while though. On the north side of Ford Island, three cruisers were damaged the USS Detroit, Raleigh and Tangier. At the Naval Station on the port side of the channel exiting Pearl Harbor, four cruisers were also damaged, the USS Helena, New Orleans, San Francisco and St. Louis. Only two cruisers had radar, this was just coming into use, later every vessel had it. We tied up at the ready buoy in the entrance of the channel. The damage to all the ships didn't register with me; the day had been so busy. I had a vague feeling that life had just changed, but without a conscious thought. Sometime later another destroyer came alongside (Many years later I was told it was the Case from our division, also, she was the division leader) and tied up to us, they of the main deck, with life rafts stored on top. At any rate the ship fitter had to do some cutting and welding. I had provided him a drop cord with a 200 watt lamp to see by. Interestingly enough a sailor standing there lit a cigarette, and then found him self talked to strongly by an officer for having a light showing. I remember this incident as there was the cutting torch going, the welding and the 200 watt drop light I had provided for the ship fitter to work by. We sure do strange things under pressure. Late that evening the 2nd scare! Someone fired into the sky, this resulted in the ships as well as the fire arms on the base, all kinds firing into the night sky, it surely lit up the sky, like the 4th of July, of course there was no enemy but I imagine everyone was very nervous. The next morning we went back into the harbor and tied up to a dock, I recall vividly, walking along the dock in the Navy Yard and seeing the two destroyers "Cassin & Downes" in total destruction, then further along I came to the Shaw with all the inside part of her bow gone, just the hull remaining, I asked someone, they told me her forward magazine exploded when she was hit. I have wondered since, about the divisions pay records, the Shaw carried the division pay mater. I do not recall, but I am sure we were paid at the proper time. In mid December of 1941, we were under way (at sea on Christmas day) as we were part of the escort of the battleship, USS Pennsylvania, going back to the states, the original scuttlebutt was Bremerton, but we went to San Francisco so the Pennsy could be made ready for sea duty there. I am not sure of the damage if any, she sustained at Pearl. I do know that the first night at sea, the Pennsy had lights showing, I guessed at the time they didn't learn too fast on a battle wagon, about darken ship. During the stay at Frisco, Tucker went over to the Naval Base where she was outfitted with 22 MM anti Aircraft guns. "Ordinance such as this should have been aboard ships of the fleet long before, along with radar. There were only two cruisers equipped with radar, at this time, there were in Pearl". After stopping over at Frisco, we sailed down to San Diego, then back up to San Pedro, California where we lay off the coast while a convoy was made up, all merchant ships gathered at San Pedro along with other naval vessels, then Tucker, among others escorted them to Pearl. There actually were Japanese submarines around especially near Pearl. On our return to Pearl Harbor I was transferred to the tender USS Whitney, for reassignment. Then I heard they were accepting Volunteers for submarine duty, I went to the Yeoman's office checked on the situation and did just that. Then back to the States to New London, Connecticut for submarine schooling. |
Information provided by Harley S. Cadenhead. |
