How History Unfolds on Paper: Important Americana from the Eric C. Caren Collection, Part X

"Pearl Harbor is being bombed...this is no drill"

Hawaii, ca. 1941-1942. Manuscript journal in ink, comprising 24 pages (entries dated December 7, 1941-January 5, 1942), written within blank journal (The National Daily Journal for 1942, No. 5197, New York, etc.: National Blank Book Company). Square 8vo. Original three-quarter burgundy cloth over black pebbled cloth-covered boards, stamped in gilt, gilt on front board "National / 1942 / Excelsior", gilt on spine, "1942 / 5197"; green-stained edges; printed calendar on paste-downs; running printed headlines (Thursday, January 1, 1942-Thursday, December 31, 1942, etc.).

This vivid manuscript journal chronicles the experiences of an unidentified U.S. Navy sailor serving in the Pacific Fleet around Honolulu during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Likely a communications or radio specialist, the author served in Cruiser Division 4 of the Scouting Fleet under Vice Admiral John H. Newton.

As the author recounts, on the morning of December 7, 1941, he received the urgent radiogram: "Pearl Harbor is being bombed x this is no drill." As the watch supervisor, he expressed disbelief at the possibility of such an attack until subsequent messages confirmed the reports. With his family residing near Hickam Field, just blocks from the harbor, he wrote of being "worried sick" for their safety. At the time of the attack, his vessel was part of Task Force 12, led by the USS Lexington, then transporting Marine aircraft to Midway and positioned about 700 miles northeast of Honolulu.

The fleet was soon recalled to search for Japanese forces, rendezvousing with the USS Indianapolis and Enterprise.
The author describes an atmosphere of confusion and anxiety in the immediate aftermath of the attack, and speculates on the scale of the destruction, describes the mechanics of the attack, and references the Roberts Commission (appointed December 18, 1941). He notes the use of torpedo planes and midget submarines by the Japanese, praises the resilience of U.S. sailors who kept firing even while their ships sank, and graphically describes the deaths of men burning alive while trying to swim to safety. Subsequent entries cover the U.S. declarations of war against Japan and Germany, as well as the fleet's pursuit of enemy vessels.

By December 13, the author's ship returned to Pearl Harbor. He relates climbing a machine gun platform to witness the devastation firsthand, describing beached fighter planes, burning wreckage, and the demolished hangar at Ford Island. His account details the catastrophic damage to the American fleet at the harbor: the Nevada run aground, the California flooded to the main deck, the West Virginia with a mangled superstructure, and the Oklahoma capsized. He reserves his most harrowing description for the USS Arizona, noting that its forward magazine exploded after a torpedo hit, causing a fire that raged for three days. He estimates that of the 1,600 men aboard, only a few survived, as most had no chance to escape.

The remainder of the month's entries document the sailor's birthday on December 17, an aborted mission to raid Jaluit to relieve pressure on Wake Island, Christmas Day, and the ongoing hunt for Japanese vessels and aircraft. Upon later returning to Pearl Harbor, he learned that his family had been safely evacuated to San Francisco. The journal concludes with notes on Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher assuming command of his fleet, and short entries from January 1–5 describing patrol duties around Oahu.

As the United States military restricted American servicemen from keeping personal diaries, this account was likely made at a later date than those recorded (perhaps later in 1942), either from memory, or from contemporary notes or other sources.