Anthony M. "Tony" Nady US Navy USS Nevada |
On December 7, I was aboard the USS Nevada attached to the auxiliary machinery unit of the engineering department assigned to the air compressor gang. I was sleeping below decks in the main air compressor room because it was cooler while in Hawaii. The first time I noticed something different was the load noise like an explosion. Jack Carver, whose station was in the aft HP air compressor room, came down and yelled, "The Japs are attacking us!" I immediately left to go to my battle station, which was in the forward air compressor room, located forward of #1 turret on the fifth deck. When I arrived I started the HP air compressor, which supplied air to the anti-aircraft guns. About 15 minutes later, a Japanese aerial torpedo hit the ship below the water line, between #1 and #2 main battery gun turrets. I also felt bombs hitting the ship with force enough to knock me to the deck. About 10:30 a.m., I lost air that I was pumping causing the pressure to fall from 3000 pounds to zero pounds, leading me to believe that the lines had been broken due to bomb damage up above. I then called main control. They said to close off the banks and pump them back up to 3000 pounds and to let them know when this was accomplished. After I returned the call to control, they said to open up the valve to the battery again I suppose to try to find the leak or damage. About that time, W.W. Derby, who was attached to a repair party above me on the third deck, and another sailor, came down to my space to draw out two boxes of small arms ammunition. As Derby was leaving, I casually mentioned to him to not forget us down here. There were three other men in the space with me attached to damage control. About 12:30 p.m., Derby again opened the hatch above and yelled, "Tony, you better come up here because the water is up to the combing of the hatch!" I again called the main engineering control and advised them of the water. They ordered me and the damage control men to secure everything off and abandon our station. When we climbed up the ladder to the third deck, I was shocked to see the height of the water, which was 18 inches above the deck and up to my knees. I credit Derby and his actions for saving our lives. The remainder of the night, I took turns on watch operating the aft air compressor that kept supplying air to the anti-aircraft guns. |
Information provided by Lester Ritchie. |
