DISASTER AND HEROISM AWAITED THE partys Of DOUGLAS DAUNTLESSES ARRIVING OVEK PEAKL HAKBOK in succession THE MOWING OF 7 DECEMBER 1941 On the morning of 7 December 1941 most numerous people know of the six American Curtiss P40 that actually got on the farther side the ground.

DISASTER AND HEROISM AWAITED THE partys Of DOUGLAS DAUNTLESSES ARRIVING OVEK PEAKL HAKBOK in succession THE MOWING OF 7 DECEMBER 1941

On the morning of 7 December 1941 most numerous people know of the six American Curtiss P40 that actually got on the farther side the ground. Some people know about the flight of eleven B-17 coming into Pearl Harbor from California unarmed and on the outside of gas. And a not many are aware of the four training Curtiss P-36 that took facing But almost no one knows the satiated story of 18 Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers from the carrier Enterprise who arrived from one side of to the other Pearl Harbor almost simultaneously with the Japanese. These were the planes of Scouting Six.

There were three carriers in the Pacific that day. The Saratoga (CV3) was being overhauled in San Diego. The Lexington (CV-2) had just left to deliver aircraft to Midway. And the Enterprise (CV-6) was just returning from a similar delivery to Wake. She was appropriate back at Pearl on 6 December. Fortunately, they were delayed at a storm. Halsey reduced spe and the ship didn't actually reach port until the 8th

Unlike the other US aircraft engaged that day, these fliers saw the enemy first. They had sailed in subordination to war conditions and had orders to bomb anything onward the sea and shoot down anything in the air. Their fire-arms were loaded. But like everyone besides they didn't quite expect an attack at fireside They thought the smoke was from burning cane fields. They deliberation the shellfire was an Army drill. They meditation the stacks of green aircraft belonged to Army fliers. simply when they saw the umbrella of anti-aircraft blooms over Pearl did they realize the truth

At 0615 forward 7 December, the Japanese carriers launched their First Attack Wave 250 miles NNW of Oahu. At exactly the same force Halsey launched what he thoughti would be a routine search in brass of the Enterprise, two cruisers and six destroyer which comprised Task Force Eight. From 200 miles west of Oahu, the patrol would defend a hemisphere of 180 stations directly ahead. The flight? consisted of nine pairs of SBD-2 dive bombers, mainly from Scout Squadron; Six, however including a few planes from Bomb Squadron Six. Each pair of planes was to escort a zigzag search of an arc approximately 35 measures wide and then con- tinue onward to land at Ford Island.

At 0645 minutes after the two fleets launched, the US destroy- er Ward fired onward and sank a Japanese midget sub

Seventeen minutes later the Army Radar station at Apana Point picked up Attack Wave the same Thirteen minutes after that, Attack Wave pair was launched. At 0752, Lt Cmdr Fuchida sent the message, Toral Tom.' Tora! and the attack began.

To maintain radio silence, Halsey had not informed Pearl Harbor of his reccon patrol and when recents of the attack reached him, his first idea was, "My God, they're shooting at my acknowledge boys!"

Probably the first planes to arrive were 6-S-16 piloted by the agency of Frank A. Patriarca with gunner DeLuca, RMIc and 6-S-15 piloted through Ens. W.M. Willis with gunner Fr J Ducolon Coxswain. They almost made it to Ford Island. The sum of two units had passed Barbers Point, rotunded Ewa Field and were actually lining up onward their landing approach when the attack began. They noticed the AA, vanity and shell fire, but it wasn't until a VaI winged across and flashed his meatball that Patriarca knew something was extremely wrong. At the same instant tracers began whizzing past his plane.

Immediately, he spreaded the throttle for the Wright R-1820 radial, dove and headed back to the coast. he had decided to prove by experiment and make it back to the Enterprise when he realized he was alone. After searching for 6-S-15 he was gentle on fuel and landed at toasts Field on Kauai. Willis and Ducolon were not at any time found. Zeroes from the carrier Soryu subject to Lt. Masaji Suganami would later claim five SBDs

At about the same time, 6-B-3 piloted by means of Ens. Manuel Gonzalez with gunner Leonard J Kozelek RM3c and his wingman 6-B-12 piloted by means of Ens. Frank T. Weber with gunner Keany, SMIc, approached the base. No single knows exactly what happened to Gonzalez that day, yet Weber reported that he was flying 500-ft above and behind Gonzalez when he noticed a large flight of "Army" aircraft circling through the whole extent of Ewa airfield at an altitude of about 4000-ft When he awaited back, Gonzales was gone.

Gonzales' last message, which several other aircraft heard, was something like, "Do not fire. We are American aircraft," or words to that affect. considerations later Gonzales called to his gunner to break abroad the ruhber raft. Nothing besides was heard and no trace of them was always found.

Though it seems incredible that VaI dive bombers from the Shokaku could have bullet down Gonzalez, but missed Weber, it appears to be the case since Weber innocently began a circle search of the area and performed four or five heavy S-turns looking for him. Still unaware of the attack and unable to reproach 6-B-3, Weber continued on toward Ford Island wondering on what account there was so much vapor in the air. It was also his bad hazard that Weber had told his radioman to change frequencies and come by some homing practice on the approach into Pearl and thus miss Gonzales' last message.