PEARL HARBOR REFLECTIONS - DECEMBER 7,1941
Ralph Jeffers, ADC, USN (Ret.)
On Sunday morning, 7 December 1941, the Japanese navy without warning attacked by air the U.S. Pacific Fleet lying at anchor in Pearl Harbor, the U.S. navy base near Honolulu, Hawaii. Within two hours, every capital ship of the fleet was either sunk or severely damaged. Over 2400 lives were lost in the attack. Serving aboard the USS Curtiss, a navy seaplane tender located in the harbor near “battleship row”, were two young sailors, Ralph Jeffers and Thomas Mahoney, who witnessed an event that day that not only changed their lives but that of every American. Both recorded their memories in diaries and they are being published for the first time on this web site for everyone to read. Ralph is currently the president of the NJ Pearl Harbor Survivor’s Association and Tom is president of the Monmouth Chapter of the Association, Monmouth County, NJ. After the attack which brought the United States into World War II, both men served valiantly the duration of the war in the U.S. Navy.
Ralph Jeffers in 1952, just after returning to
the U.S. from Naval Mission duty in Chile
The day broke with the usual quiet Sunday morning in the harbor at Pearl Harbor. The assembled fleet looked majestic, as always - Battleships tied up along the quays - Cruisers and Destroyers tied to their buoys or moored along side their support ships. Nothing in the harbor was moving except probably a small boat scurrying between ships, or going to and coming from Fleet Landing. I had been on deck rather early to take in some fresh air before going down below to have breakfast. The time was about 7:30. The mess compartment on our ship, the U.S.S. Curtiss, was very spacious. On both sides of the compartment were large hatches that were opened for ventilation. These hatches are normally used for loading and unloading various ship's stores, (food, munitions etc.).
I was enjoying my breakfast and gabbing with several shipmates when suddenly explosions were Looking out through the starboard open hatch from as we were sitting we saw the Fleet Target ship, the U.S.S. Utah, capsizing on its port side. At that instant, over the loud speaker, came those dreaded words: "Attention, Attention, this is no drill, All hands to battle stations". This ominous call was repeated time and time again as we hastily made our way from the messing compartment to our battle stations. The time was 7:55 when the Curtiss and its crew went to General Quarters under enemy attack. I climbed over bunks to get to an open hatch in order to make time to get to my battle station. By this time the harbor was alive with bursting shells and machine gun fire, with ships aflame and smoke rising everywhere. Planes overhead were clearly not ours, but Japanese, with the distinctive Rising Sun emblem. As I ran aft to the ship’s fantail I expected to find the usual gun crew, but only three of us were there instead of the 7 or 8 regularly assigned to the machine guns. I immediately went below to the Chief’s quarters to turn on the water required for cooling the guns. As I did so, I yelled to some Chiefs who were still in their bunks that we were under attack by the Japanese. Back up on deck again the other two men were getting the ammunition into the guns. The three of us then began firing.
The following action was witnessed by our gun crew from back on the fantail of our ship. I felt the three of us had a ring side seat witnessing the havoc that was happening all around our ship and the fleet assembled in the harbor.
The Japanese had already bombed the seaplane hangars at Ford Island. Many ships in the dry dock and in the channel had also been hit. Within minutes a submarine periscope was sighted on the starboard side of the ship. The Curtiss opened fire with main guns and machine guns. The Curtiss ceased firing when the U.S.S. Monaghan steamed alongside the submarine dropping depth charges. The submarine, while sinking, fired a torpedo at the Curtiss, missing it and the torpedo ran up into the Pearl City channel. During this period the Curtiss was being attacked by enemy planes and our ship responded with its anti-aircraft guns. A Japanese dive bomber was hit while making a diving pass at the ship's starboard side. The aircraft burst into flames and crashed in the No. 1 crane on the ships starboard side where it burned completely. The blast and heat effects put the ship's No. 3 main gun out of commission and the crew of No. 3 gun was forced to abandon the gun temporarily.
Sometime after 9:00 AM, a enemy plane came in low over the bow of the Curtiss passing from starboard to port. This plane was hit by our forward gun crews. It crashed immediately. Shortly after, another enemy plane made a steep diving attack on the starboard side, releasing a bomb. The bomb hit in the vicinity of the same crane that was damaged previously, exploding below decks. The attacking plane was hit and crashed about a 1,000 yards on the port side. The bomb hit setting the hangar, main deck aft, and the No.4 ammunition handling room on fire. This fire put No.4 gun out of action, consequently causing many casualties. At this time all preparations were made for abandoning ship or for running aground. Three enemy planes again attacked the ship dropping one bomb to starboard, and the other two near the stern where my battle station was located. Luckily, none of these bombs struck the ship or caused any apparent damage.
The after engine room reported out of action at around 9:30 AM, due to smoke and a ruptured steam fine. All fires were reported under control. However, all fires were not extinquished until late that afternoon.
That evening, after the holocaust of December 7, 1941, the Curtiss counted 79 causalties, including 21 dead. After making emergency repairs, the Curtiss sailed for San Diego. Unfortunately, I was put ashore due to my aviation rating. I was assigned to a PBY Squadron at Ford Island, until I could once again rejoin the Curtiss after major repairs were completed in the states.
In all, the Curtiss earned seven battle stars, commencing from Pearl Harbor until the end of the war. The ship continued to serve the navy and our nation until she was placed out of commission. It was put in reserve on the 24th of September 1957.
In retrospect to the events leading up to Pearl Harbor, I believe it was inevitable that our nation would be drawn into the conflict raging in Europe. Many months prior to Pearl Harbor, as the Curtiss made port in the islands of the Pacific, we were in the state of readiness for any eventuality that coutd happen at any time. The authorities in office in Washington, D.C. were well aware of the conditions prevailing in the Pacific.
My feelings about Japan have not changed over the years, nor have I mellowed about the Japanese. I still think of the Bataan Death March, where over 10,000 prisoners of war lost their lives to a cruel and vicious enemy. I also believe that the Atom bombs that were dropped on Japan was the correct decision by President Harry Truman. By doing so, it saved countless lives and ended, thankfully, World War Two.
