Malcolm Moison US Navy USS Whitney |
As I remember: I was ashore the night before so was sleeping in that morning. I was in the Boat Repair Shop on the aft boat deck. The first thing I heard were bombs being dropped on the airstrip on Ford Island. We were anchored off the end of Ford Island on the Aiea side of the channel. The planes came out of the sun like a swarm of bees. They broke off, as if each one had a target. I saw the Arizona hit. It erupted midship in a big ball of flame and settled down in smoke and flame. All of Battleship Row was burning and smoking. One plane circled, then came in and dropped torpedoes that hit the Utah across the island from the Arizona. The Utah rolled over and sank. The Raleigh took a bomb hit and was taking on water. I mustered with the repair party in the aft mess hall. I was called up to the aft gangway to work on boat engines that were towed to the ship. Our launch crews were returning from 1010 dock when the attack happened and were picking up sailors out of the water who were blown off their ship or were swimming away. Launch crews were bringing survivors to the Whitney. The first wave of planes dropped bombs and torpedoes, then regrouped and came back again from out of the sun. Seems like they all had targets. One plane flew the length of the Whitney about 200 feet off the starboard side. I can still see that pilot grinning. We had three or four destroyers alongside for repairs. They were the only firepower near us. We had 5 inch .50's which couldn't be elevated enough to be of any use. Three or four 3" Anti-aircraft, some BARs (British Automatic Rifle) and Thompson machine guns at various places were our total defense. The destroyers got up steam and left. Sure was lonesome. We were at General Quarters off and on all day not knowing if another attack was coming or not. At dusk that evening, two of our planes came in for a landing at Ford Island. Seems like everyone fired at them. One went down in the field above Aiea. |
Information provided by Lester Ritchie. |
