Remembering Pearl Harbor DayAboard the USS Phoenix
On December 7, 1941, I was standing on the quarter deck of the USS Phoenix, a light cruiser. It was moored at Pearl Harbor, behind Battleship Row. Along with several other sailors, waiting for a motor launch to take us to the USS Arizona for a Protestant Church service. As we stood there, we noticed a huge number of planes coming in. Our first impression was that they were our own planes, on maneuvers. As they got closer, we could see the rising sun on the side of the planes, and knew it was the Japanese attacking us.
When we realized this, we started running towards our battle stations. At that time, the call came over the loudspeaker on the ship, telling us "all hands man your battle stations, this is no drill." My battle station was alternate gunner and boater on a 50 caliber machine gun, along with a gunner's mate, who had trained me, and he did all the firing during the attack.
We went through the attack without getting a scratch on our ship. As we were leaving the harbor after that attack, we passed right by the burning Arizona, and other battleships on our way out. Along with us were two other cruisers, our cruiser the USS Phoenix, the USS St. Louis, and the USS Detroit, along with about 5 destroyers. We went to the south, looking for the enemy, and they were actually up north. Perhaps we were lucky, because we wouldn't have been much of a match for the Japanese fleet.
My ship, the USS Phoenix, went through, in addition to Pearl Harbor, 25 major engagements, ending with the battles that almost put the Japanese navy out of the business. --
Charles F. May, United States Navy, USS
Phoenix
