Let us not forget that it is the 65th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor today, an event that no doubt changed the course of WW2, bringing in the American industrial machine, manpower and muscle. Would ourselves and the Soviets have coped alone, who knows, possibly the Soviets would have succeeded but that would have made the map of Europe look interesting.
I see that Tora Tora Tora is being shown on TV on saturday, I’ll endevour to watch the vital last half hour as I’m preparing to move house.
I haven’t worked out the time difference between us and Hawaii, 12 hours?
If so spare a thought for those for those brave people, from both sides, who fought that vital battle 65 years ago, while you have your tea tonight.
By: CSheppardholedi - 13th December 2006 at 14:53
There are fewer and fewer Vets that meet at the memorial services these days. The Pearl Vets are dwindling at a fast rate. We had memorial services locally since we have a couple VA hospitals in the area and lots of retired vets in the area.
Weather or not the US fleet would have bloodied the Japanese Fleets nose or had even more horrendous losses is still in debate.
The aircraft at Pearl WERE mostly obsolete, many of the ships were vets of WW I. I saw a report by one of the war college think tanks that said if the US fleet had sailed, our losses would have been 3 to 4 times as high and the losses to the Japanese fleet…negligible!
Chris
Images and Illustrations at
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By: Don Chan - 13th December 2006 at 13:16
USS Arizona
I was able to pass through Pearl earlier this year. Very moving, with the oil still seeping from the ‘Arizona’.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/06/AR2006120601916.html
“One Last Mission for Ship Sunk in Pearl Harbor Attack
Scientists in Md. Hope Arizona Stability Study Might Aid Others”
Thursday, December 7, 2006; Page A03
By Michael E. Ruane
Washington Post Staff Writer
For 65 years, the wreck of the USS Arizona has been leaking oil from its grave at the bottom of Pearl Harbor, staining the water, visitors often say, as if it were the ship’s blood.
By: Moggy C - 7th December 2006 at 14:58
I’d like to get mixed up between those two Kates….;)
Mmmmmmm.
I like your style.
Moggy
By: DazDaMan - 7th December 2006 at 14:54
I’d like to get mixed up between those two Kates….;)
Anyway, back on topic!
By: Moggy C - 7th December 2006 at 14:54
Well they both ended up with sinking ships one way or the other. 😀
Moggy
By: paulmcmillan - 7th December 2006 at 14:39
Moggy I think you have your Kates mixed up and I do not mean the Nakajima B5N types…
Kate Beckinsale
By: Moggy C - 7th December 2006 at 14:35
Kate Winslet?
Moggy
By: Pete Truman - 7th December 2006 at 14:12
Nice one Mk12, I always thought it was Ben Afflick, how many Japanese a/c were brought down that day in air combat, couldn’t have been too many and the odds must have been daunting for the pilots that managed to get in the air.
I often wonder what might have happened had the Japanese carrier fleet been detected and dealt with by a combination of US naval power and aircraft, it would surely have curtailed any thoughts of attacking Singapore, Hong Kong etc.
Were any British personel, in what ever role, involved at Pearl.
By: DazDaMan - 7th December 2006 at 13:16
I completely forgot about what today was, too.
I’ll watch Tora! tonight….
By: Mark12 - 7th December 2006 at 12:50
Ken Taylor, who managed to get airborne and bring down two of the Japanese raiders, passed away just a couple of weeks ago on the 25 November.
I was able to pass through Pearl earlier this year. Very moving, with the oil still seeping from the ‘Arizona’.
Mark
By: Moggy C - 7th December 2006 at 12:45
Hawaii is GMT – 10 hours.
The start of the attack was at 7.53 am, so 17.53 this afternoon marks the actual moment.
Good post. I’d missed the significance of the date.
Moggy
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December 7, 2006 at 10:23 am