On this visit to Honolulu, O’ahu, Hawaii, we enjoyed two separate historical tours at Pearl Harbor, the site of the surprise military attack by the Japanese Imperial Empire (by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service) on the American Naval base and shipyard at Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Hawaii.
This blog post highlights our visit to the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, a relatively new addition on Ford Island to the remembrances of the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. For historical notes about the attack [“December 7, 1941: “The Date Which Will Live in Infamy’” – United States of America President Franklin Delano Roosevelt”.], please see our notes at the end of our previous blog post, https://richedwardsimagery.wordpress.com/2024/12/15/battleship-missouri-memorial-pearl-harbor-honolulu-oahu-hawaii-united-states-of-america/
The Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum is a non-profit founded in 1999 to develop an aviation museum in Hawaii. Part of Senator Daniel Inouye’s vision for a rebirth of Ford Island (Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, O’ahu, Hawaii, U.S.A.), the museum hosts a variety of aviation exhibits with a majority relating directly to the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and World War II.
“The Dawn of War: 7:15 a.m. Sunday, December 7, 1941, approximately 200 miles north of O’ahu. Air crews aboard the Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier Hiryu prepare to launch a second wave of planes to attack the U. S. Pacific Fleet and airbases on O’ahu. One hour earlier the first wave had departed the Japanese aircraft carriers, destined to reach Pearl Harbor just before 8:00 a.m. Their bombs and torpedoes would declare Japan’s new war against the United States.” – signage at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
Pictured in photograph #1 are the remains of the Japanese “Zero” fighter launched on December 7, 1941, from the Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryu piloted by Airman First Class Shigenori Nishikaichi, who crash landed on the island of Ni’ihau after the second wave of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The plane is displayed as it was after the crash. The model of the aircraft carrier is the Hiryu, with its flight deck loaded with “Zeroes”.
The Mitsubishi A6M2 “Zero” fighter was designated a Model 21, type Zero carrier-based fighter. The Japanese built almost 11,000 zero fighters over the course of the war. The planes had a crew of one and were first flown in a combat mission by the Japanese in August 1940 in China. The maximum speed was 335 mph at 16,000 feet elevation. The range was 1,675 nautical miles.
“The Doolittle Raid – A Daring Blow to Japan’s Heart: After the Pearl Harbor attack, America and her Allies continued to suffer frustrating defeats against Japan in the Pacific. A secret plan to bomb the Japanese capital (of Tokyo) using land-based U.S. Army B-25 bombers launched from a Navy aircraft carrier was developed to boost American morale and shake Japanese confidence.
“Lieutenant Colonel ‘Jimmy’ Doolittle trained volunteer army aircrews to fly off the ship, find their targets, and then continue on to friendly bases in China. With the “Raiders“ on board and their 16 B-25s tied to her flight deck, aircraft carrier USS Hornet and her task force left San Francisco for Japan on April 4, 1942…
“On April 18, 1942, while still 200 miles from the planned launching point, the American fleet’s approach was radioed by a Japanese trawler before it could be sunk. Despite fuel concerns over the added distance, Doolittle lead the Raiders in an immediate takeoff. All 16 bombers individually flew on to strike at their targets in Tokyo and surrounding cities.
“Undamaged by the Japanese defenses, but low on fuel, one B-25 successfully diverted to Vladivostok, Russia, while four ditched near the Japanese-held Chinese coast. Eleven were abandoned from the air further inland. Three flyers were killed outright, eight were captured by the Japanese, of which three were executed and one died in captivity. The remaining 64 Raiders were helped to safety by the Chinese.
“For his role, Jimmy Doolittle was promoted to Brigadier General and received the Medal of Honor. The Raiders each received the Distinguished Flying Cross.” — signage at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
“Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum makes its home in two historic seaplane hangars and the control tower on Ford Island that survived the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. The museum showcases the vital role aviation played in America’s role and eventual victory during WWII along with its continuing importance. Hangar 37 features a 12-minute film dedicated to the Pearl Harbor attack along with authentic aircraft from that day plus fascinating exhibits. At each of end of Hangar 37 (the first section of the museum, having opened on December 7, 2006), the doors’ blue glass windows are still riddled with bullet holes from the attack. The hangar houses many modern jets and historic aircraft. Visitors can experience the Museum’s Combat Flight Simulators.” — www.pearlharboroahu.com
“Celtrac Tractor, Robinson Family, Ni’ihau: A 1924 report by Brigadier General Billy Mitchell predicted that the Japanese would attack Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, by air on a Sunday morning. This amazing prophecy also suggested that the privately owned island of Ni’ihau might be used as an advanced airbase for the attack.
“Also sharing Mitchell’s view was Major General Gerald C. Brant, who was stationed in Hawaii in the early 1930s. He secretly convinced Ni’ihau s owner, Aylmer Robinson, to furrow the island and destroy its potential as an airfield.
“In 1933, using mules, plowing began on Ni’ihau. In 1937 this small tractor (pictured), built by the Cleveland Tractor Company, was purchased to expedite the furrowing. The entire covert project was financed and carried out by the Robinsons and finished just months before the actual Pearl Harbor attack. They had criss-crossed the island with over 5,000 miles of furrows. The tractor continued to be used as a farm implement on the island until around 1957.
“As a private citizen, Elmer Robinson‘s foresight and actions in eliminating Ni’ihau’s use by the Japanese as a foreign operating base were remarkable. Though the island was not used in the Pearl Harbor attack as Mitchell had predicted, the furrows frustrated the one Japanese plane that force-landed there.“ — signage at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
The Dauntless’ history as a WWII combat aircraft lent itself to the historic Battle of the Coral Sea. Later, it served as a trainer for pilot carrier landings at the Lake Michigan Carrier Qualification Training Unit in Michigan, where Lt. John Henry flew this plane.
“Air Raid, on Pearl Harbor – this is no drill” were the first words broadcast from Ford Island as the Japanese surprise air raid on Pearl Harbor began on December 7, 1941. The center of the island remains the location of the Naval Base’s and the airfield’s control tower.
“Like many structures on Ford Island, Building S84 was still new at the time of the attack, with only 80% of the aircraft control tower complete. Because the upper control tower was not complete, the aerological tower on top of Building S84 was temporarily used as a control tower to direct aircraft. The Operations Building S-84 was strafed during the attack while controllers continued to guide U.S. aircraft in and out of the Ford Island airstrip. Construction scaffolding surrounded the tall water tank and low-flying attackers (reported as low as 40 feet) were forced to veer away from the looming structure. Operators on the lower control deck guided the USS Enterprise BD Dauntless scout planes as they arrived in the middle of the attack. When the smoke cleared Ford Island, the partially built Ford Island Operations Building (S-84) and its control tower were still standing tall, an iconic symbol of America’s strength, sacrifice, and resilience. On May 1, 1942, five months after the attack, the upper control tower was finished.” — www.pearlharboraviationmuseum.org/news/blog-archives/history-of-ford-island-control-tower/
The Douglas C-47 is a military transport aircraft developed by Douglas Aircraft Company (founded in 1921 by Donald Douglas Sr., and merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967) from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. “Approximately 100 countries’ armed forces have operated the C-47 with over 60 variants of the aircraft produced. As with the civilian DC-3, the C-47 remains in service in the present day, over 80 years after the type’s introduction.
“The C-47 differed from the civilian DC-3 by way of numerous modifications, including being fitted with a cargo door, hoist attachment and strengthened floor – along with a shortened tail cone for glider-towing shackles, and an astrodome in the cabin roof.
“During World War II, the armed forces of many countries used the C-47 and modified DC-3s for the transport of troops, cargo, and wounded. The U.S. naval designation was R4D. More than 10,000 aircraft were produced in Long Beach and Santa Monica, California, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Between March 1943 and August 1945, the Oklahoma City plant produced 5,354 C-47s.” — Wikipedia
Legal Notices: All photographs copyright © 2024 by Richard C. Edwards. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Permission to link to this blog post is granted for educational and non-commercial purposes only.
Where in the world is Riccardo? 