US Navy Report of Japanese Raid on Pearl Harbor, Enclosure E, USS Montgomery

Editor's Note: The following content is a transcription of a period document or a collection of period statistics. It may be incomplete, inaccurate, or biased. The reader may not wish to take the content as factual.

12 Dec 1941

ww2dbase
DM17/A16-3/(03)U.S.S. Montgomeryjfs
Pearl Harbor, T.H.
December 12, 1941.

From: The Commanding Officer.
To: The Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet.
 
Subject: Japanese Air Raid on Pearl Harbor, T.H., December 7, 1941 - report of.
Reference: (a) CinCPac desptach 102102 of December 10, 1941.

  1. Following is a chronological table of offensive measures taken and damage inflicted upon enemy during raid, December 7, 1941. All times are approximate. Ship was nested with Mine Division TWO in berth D-3.
    0800 Explosions were heard on Ford Island, enemy planes seen flying overhead. Two .50 caliber and three .30 caliber machine guns were manned immediately. Firing commenced on planes leveling off over Middle Loch.
    0805 3"/23 caliber gun was manned and firing was commenced at long range.
    0820 Second wave of attack began with dive bombing, planes leveling off over Middle Loch. Mine Division TWO set up very effective fire with machine guns. Tracer fire was seen to criss-cross into planes. One plane lost a wing and crashed on west bank of Middle Loch as a result of such fire. At this time the 3"/23 caliber gun was firing at short range. One burst shot away tail of one plane, which crashed into West Bank of Middle Loch.
    0840 Third wave of attack began with dive bombing, planes leveling off over Middle Loch as before. Again machine gun fire and 3"/23 caliber fire appeared to be effective. Three more planes crashed in the vicinity of Middle Loch. Whether fire from Mine Division TWO caused such crashes cannot be claimed, but it added the finishing touches. By this time 4"/50 caliber guns were manned and serviced. Full allowance of depth charges (thirty-two) were in racks ready for dropping.
    0845 Ship was ready for getting underway.
    1017 As ordered by the Division Commander, ship got underway and followed Mine Division TWO out of Pearl Harbor, T.H.
    1115 Established anti-submarine patrol in sector one off entrance to Pearl Harbor, T.H.
  2. This vessel sustained no losses nor damages. No single person was distinguished by his conduct, but all hands are to be commended for their coolness during the attack and their speed in making anti-aircraft fire effective.
  3. During attack, civilians reported two Japanese swimming around plane capsized in water near Pearl City dock. Ship's motor whale boat investigated and found one, the pilot, still afloat. He was motioned to get into the boat several times, but refused to obey, instead reached inside his jacket. At this action, CALKINS, D.F., Sea. 1c, USN, shot him. He immediately sank.

[signed]
R.A. GUTHRIE.


Copy to:
Combatfor.
Cominbatfor.
Comindiv TWO.



USS (7417) Montgomery

Pearl Harbor, T.H.,
December 13, 1941.



MEMORANDUM TO COMMANDER MINE DIVISION TWO.

Subject:  War Diary.

1. The following data is submitted:

(a) Sunday, December 7, 1941 (taken up where CinCPac report leftoff:
1514 Dropped 8 depth charges on sound contact 3 miles bearing 250°T from entrance buoys.
1730 Contacted sampan 'Shinyu Maru' #256-FG75 escorted to entrance buoys and ordered the Captain to proceed to Kewalo Basin.
2105 Contacted sampan under command of Coast Guardsman proceeding to Kewalo Basin and reported action on above sampan and requested that a check be made on arrival Kewalo Basin.
(b) Monday, December 8, 1941 (patrolling western sector)
0200 Dropped 3 depth charges on one run and 1 on opposite direction. Lost contact and could not regain after careful searching operations. Depth charges jammed on second approach and only one could be gotten off. Position approximately 5 miles bearing 100°T from Barber's Point Light.
(c) Tuesday, December 9, 1941.
 Continued patrolling Western area. No remarks.
(d) Wednesday, December 10, 1941.
 Continued patrolling Western area. No remarks.
(e) Thursday, December 11, 1941.
 Continued patrolling Western area. No remarks.
(f) Friday, December 12, 1941.
 Continued patrolling Western area.
0749 to 0812 investigated unknown steamer.
It was U.S. Coast Guard Ship Kukui.
1150 Proceeded to rendezvous at point 30 with U.S.S. Regulus.
1440 At rendezvous, reported to ComindivTWO, information CominronTWO. No contact.
1850 Ordered to leave rendezvous and resume patrol. No remarks.
(g) Saturday, December 13, 1941.
 Enroute patrol station.
0350 Commenced patrol approximately on station.
0712 Ordered to port CominronTWO to return to base. Formed anti-submarine screen on port bow of USS Plunger in company with U.S.S. Litchfield and U.S.S. Hopkins and escorted U.S.S. Plunger to entrance buoys.
0907 Received permission to enter Pearl Harbor and proceed to base.

Respectfully,

[signed]
R.A. GUTHRIE,
Lieut-Comdr., U.S. Navy,
Commanding U.S.S. Montgomery.

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Source(s):
United States National Archives, Modern Military Branch

Added By:
C. Peter Chen





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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Anonymous says:
16 May 2009 02:05:37 PM

Thank you for posting these. I'm sure my father-in-law, Richard Allen Guthrie, never expected these to survive and be available for all to read.

Pat Guthrie

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