Climb Mount Niitaka¹

The U.S. Navy battleship USS Maryland (BB-46) alongside the capsized USS Oklahoma (BB-37) at Pearl Harbor. The USS West Virginia (BB-48) is burning in the background.
U.S. Navy photo 80-G-19949

Eighty four years ago, on a peaceful December morning on the island of Oahu, the world changed forever. If you were alive at that time, you remember exactly where you were when the Japanese Empire attacked elements of the United States Armed Forces on a calm Sunday at and near Pearl Harbor.

As today is the 7th of December, and is also a Sunday, I could not, in good conscience, neglect to mention that day and that event.

Nearly all of the men and women who fought that day have passed on, what they went through that day, and in the four years that followed, should never be forgotten. That is our duty.

We must never forget.

Much of what follows is fictional, it is my tribute to those who fought, and those who died, at Pearl Harbor, on the 7th of December, 1941.

A date which will forever live in infamy.

Source

Jack looked up from his place in the formation just as the band struck up the National Anthem. Were those our birds from Enterprise, Lexington, or Saratoga coming in? Maybe it was the Army, sure were a lot of aircraft in the air for a Sunday. Paying no further attention, his eyes watched the Colors go up into the bright Hawaiian sun aboard USS Nevada.

Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Saito Hiroto was focused on staying in formation on his lead. He didn't want to give Lieutenant Commander Watanabe anything to complain about, which the aircraft commander loved to do. His Kankō² was a little heavy with its big Type 91 torpedo slung underneath and the morning air over the mountains was a bit unstable. But there, dead ahead, lay Pearl Harbor. No time to fret now, the attack would be pressed home.

At 0755 hours ...

At the Command Center on Ford Island, Comdr. Logan C. Ramsey looks out a window to see a low-flying plane. A reckless U.S. pilot, he thinks. Then he sees “something black fall out of that plane” and realizes it’s a bomb.

Ramsey runs to a radio room and orders the telegraph operators to send out an uncoded message to every ship and base: AIR RAID ON PEARL HARBOR X THIS IS NOT DRILL

The coordinated attack begins as dive-bombers strike the Army Air Forces’ Wheeler Field, north of Pearl Harbor, and Hickam Field, near Ford Island’s Battleship Row. The Japanese, wanting control of the air, hope to destroy American warplanes on the ground.

Most U.S. planes have been parked wingtip-to-wingtip in neat rows to make it easy to guard them against sabotage. Most are destroyed.

Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class Jack Nowicki staggered momentarily as he ran to his battle station. He was still marveling how quickly the Nevada's band got through the anthem, but the nearby bomb explosion refocused him on the task at hand. They needed to start fighting back.

LCDR Watanabe released the weapon, reminding himself to compliment Saito on his flying, he had never held the aircraft so steady in training. Perhaps the pilot's given name³ was more apt than he originally thought. As the big torpedo fell away, Watanabe could feel the aircraft lift slightly. Smoothly, LT(JG) Saito used the momentum as part of his pull up, easing the stick back to pull the big Nakajima B5N up and over the American battleship they'd dropped on.

Easily clearing the mast head of what he had misidentified as the Nevada (they had actually dropped on Nevada's sister ship, Oklahoma), Saito could hear the chatter of his gunner's (Petty Officer 3rd Class Nakano Kenji) machine gun opening up on targets of opportunity as they overflew their target.

For his part, PO3 Nakano actually saw their bird's torpedo strike the side of the American ship. He had just started to shout "Banzai" when the first .50 caliber rounds struck the aircraft.

BM3 Nowicki saw the tracer rounds from his .50 falling just aft of the Japanese torpedo bomber as it flew over the Oklahoma. Adjusting his fire he had the satisfaction of seeing his rounds intersecting the fuselage of the "Kate." As smoke started to pour from the target, Jack shifted his fire to another enemy aircraft.

LCDR Watanabe Jirou was killed instantly as Jack Nowicki adjusted his aim. The first two rounds went through the Japanese bombardier/navigator's equipment, the third went through him. He never knew what hit him.

PO3 Nakano knew something was wrong when the aircraft commander's blood sprayed back over him. There was a lot of blood. He felt the aircraft shudder then falter as more rounds struck further forward. Realizing that there was nothing he could do, he went back to his duty, firing his machine gun whenever a target presented itself.

LT(JG) Saito felt something tug at his leg as something struck the engine. Smoke started to pour back, making it difficult to see. He looked down to his left, wondering why the throttle was not responding. There was his hand, still on the throttle. He felt sick, his forearm was no longer attached to his body. Why did he feel so sleepy?

Femoral artery severed, Saito died within seconds of being hit. As he sagged forward in his seat, his right hand fell from the control stick, the big Nakajima went into a shallow dive, no one at the controls, the engine faltering. In the chaos of the attack, in the billowing smoke from the dying ships and the devastation on Ford Island, only one man was aware of what was going on inside aircraft number 318, from the carrier Akagi.

Model of the B5N's crew compartment.
Pilot's seat is to the left, the bombardier/navigator's position is in the middle, the gunner's seat is on the right.
Source

PO3 Nakano tried to look forward to see what was wrong with his pilot. There was too much smoke, he couldn't see LT (JG) Saito, he couldn't see LCDR Watanabe either. Neither responded to his shouting over the voice tube between the cockpits. Looking outside, he noticed that they were low, too low, and the aircraft seemed to be in a lazy uncoordinated turn to the left.

The aircraft's left wingtip touched the waters of the Middle Loch at a very shallow angle, but it was enough of an impact to tear off the left wingtip and turn the aircraft violently to the left. Pieces of the Nakajima spun over the water and splashed down as the main body of the fuselage, intact, slid beneath the waves. Carrying its dead crew with it to the bottom of the harbor.

BM3 Nowicki was exhausted, his uniform was filthy, more gray than white. He was taking a breather before the Chief came back to let them know what was next. His ship was aground, who knows if his berthing space was still intact, all he had at the moment were the clothes on his back. Sometime during the attack he'd lost his dixie cup somewhere, Lord knows where. But he was alive and as he looked around the harbor, he realized that there were a lot of guys who weren't.

Dixie Cup

Transcript of Joint Address to Congress Leading to a Declaration of War Against Japan (1941) 

Mr. Vice President, and Mr. Speaker, and Members of the Senate and House of Representatives: 

Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. 

The United States was at peace with that Nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its Government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American Island of Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack. 

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. 

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu. 

Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya. 

Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong. 

Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam. 

Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands. 

Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island. And this morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island. 

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our Nation. 

As Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. 

But always will our whole Nation remember the character of the onslaught against us. 

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us. 

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger. 

With confidence in our armed forces—with the unbounding determination of our people—we will gain the inevitable triumph- so help us God. 

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire. Source

Total number of American military personnel killed: 2,335

• 2,008 Sailors,
• 109 Marines,
• 218 Soldiers, and
• 68 civilians were killed, making the total 2,403 people dead.

1,177 of the dead were from USS Arizona.

Total number of wounded: 1,143

• 710 Sailors,
• 69 Marines,
• 364 Soldiers, and
•  103 Civilians

The Japanese Navy lost 55 men.

The burning wreckage of the U.S. Navy battleship USS Arizona (BB-39) at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
U.S. Navy photo W-PH-24-8975

Never forget.

¹ "Climb Mount Niitaka" (Niitakayama nobore 新高山登れ) = The signal sent by the Japanese government to Admiral Nagumo indicating that the attack on Pearl harbor should proceed.

² Japanese nickname for the Nakajima B5N bomber. From the Japanese 九七式艦上攻撃機) (kyū-nana-shiki kanjō kōgeki-ki) or kankō for short
³ Hiroto - 大翔  - 大 (hiro) meaning "big, great" combined with 翔 (to) meaning "soar, glide.

Though this is a rerun from 2017, it remains one of my favorite posts. It has been slightly updated, especially to include the President's address to the Joint Session of Congress on 8 December 1941. The link to the original post is here.