[Willie Green]

“It’s the shot that started World War II between the Americans and the Japanese,” said John Wiltshire, associate director of the Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory, which found the sub.

What's this? A prelude to revisionist claims that Japan then attacked Pearl Harbor in retaliation?

[Fzob]

BTTT

[VaBthang4]

???

What's up with that title?

[Kenton]

THE SUB was sunk by a Navy destroyer on Dec. 7, 1941. Two Japanese crewmen are believed still inside the submarine.

Better toss in a frag grenade before they send anybody inside, just in case. Those little bastards never give up!

[dead]

Yes we shot first.

We shot a hostile submarine that was in our waters seeking to sink our ships.

[pabianice]

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER

805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD

WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

USS Ward, Report of Pearl Harbor Attack

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DD139/A16-3(7--)/

U.S.S. Ward Pearl Harbor, T.H.

December 13, 1941.

From: Commanding Officer.

To: The Commandant, Fourteenth Naval District.

(1) Commander Destroyer Division EIGHTY.

(2) Commander Inshore Patrol.

Subject: Sinking of a Japanese Submarine by U.S.S. Ward.

While patrolling Pearl Harbor Entrance on Sunday, December 7, 1941, the U.S.S. Ward attacked an unidentified submarine in the Restricted Area off the Harbor.

The facts are as follows:

At 0637 the Officer-of-the-Deck said, "Captain come on the bridge". A conning tower with periscope of submarine was visible. She was apparently headed for Pearl Harbor trailing the U.S.S. Antares. The Antares was standing toward the channel entrance towing a lighter. At 0640 the attack was started. The Ward bore down on the submarine while accelerating from 5 to 25 knots. At 0645 the Ward opened fire with No. 1 and 3 guns and began dropping depth charges. One shot was fired from each gun. The shot from No. 1 gun missed, passing directly over the conning tower. The shot from No. 3 gun fired at a range of 560 yards or less struck the submarine at the waterline which was the junction of the hull and coning tower. Damage was seen by several members of the crew. This was a square positive hit. There was no evidence of ricochet. The submarine was seen to heel over to starboard. The projectile was not seen to explode outside the hull of the submarine. There was no splash of any size that might results from an explosion or ricochet. Immediately after being hit the submarine appeared to slow and sink. She ran into our depth charge barrage and appeared to be directly over an exploding charge. The depth charges were set for 100 feet.

The submarine sank in 1200 feet of water and could not be located with supersonic detector. There was a large amount of oil on the surface where the depth charges exploded. The attack was made at 0645 which was before Pearl Harbor was bombed by Japanese planes.

A dispatch by voice transmission was sent to Commandant, Fourteenth Naval District at 0645 which stated:

"We have attacked, fired upon, and dropped depth charges on a submarine operating in defensive sea areas."

The performance of duty by the officers and men during this attack was in accordance with the traditions of this service.

Pertinent Information

Appearance of submarine: Cylindrical tube about 80 feet long with small oval shaped conning tower. It had no deck. It was painted dark green and was covered with moss indicating that it had been at sea for a considerable period.

Behavior during attack: In spite of the five minute run from the time of sighting and time of attack, the submarine apparently did not see or detect the Ward. It was making from 8 to 10 knots and was apparently bent on following the Antares into port. Exact distances are not known but at the time of the first shot the range was not more than 100 yards and for the second shot the range was 50 yards or less. The submarine passed very close to our stern.

[signed]

W.W. OUTERBRIDGE --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[dfwgator]

Yep, and the Poles started WWII when they attacked the radio station at Gleiwitz.

[Inyokern]

The submarine incident has long beern known and was included in the movie "Tora Tora Tora," but the idea that the US "fired the first shot at Pearl Harbor" is just stupid.

[pabianice]

[ex-snook]

"“It’s the shot that started World War II between the Americans and the Japanese,” "

What a crock. If it wasn't there, there would have been no shot. What did Roosevelt know and when did he know it?

[DoughtyOne]

That title implies agression on the part of the United States. It is offensive and evidence of an insensitive organization unworthy of having their thoughts desiminated.

An enemy sub in our waters, a fleet of aircraft carriers in the Hawaiian Island vicinity, hundreds of planes in route to Pearl Harbor, and the Associated Press says we fired the first shot.

If every Japanese plane was shot down before it dropped it's load over Pearl Harbor, would that make us the agressor nation?

The Associated press is full of poop!

[LibWhacker]

Another report said we sunk that sub one hour before the attack on Pearl Harbor. And I kinda doubt that. But in any event, by that time, Jap planes were already airborne and headed for Pearl Harbor.

[Non-Sequitur]

Here is a bit of fun trivia for you. The USS Ward (DD-139), Lt. W.W. Outerbridge USN, commanding, is credited with firing the first shot of the war. After Pearl Harbor the Ward went on to play a part in several campaigns in the Pacific. She was converted to a fast transport ship (APD) and as such was involved in the landings in the Phillippeans. In early December 1944 the USS Ward was attacked and damaged by a kamikaze attack. USS O'Brien (DD-725) was ordered alongside to render assistance. The salvage attempt failed and the commanding officer of the USS O'Brien was ordered to sink the Ward with gunfire. The commaning officer of the O'Brien? None other than Commander W.W. Outerbridge, USN. True story.

[erikm88]

I'm sure this Japanese midget sub had time stamps, and documentation that showed we sunk it before the attack ensued, and this is the evidence that clearly shows we "fired the first shot.." right???

This coming from the University of Hawaii, is about as credible as Global Warming sceintists...

--erik

[skeeter]

Interesting. Locating this sub lays to rest the last mystery of 12/7/41.

I mean besides whether FDR knew in advance... and we'll never know about that.

[George W. Bush]

Please revise your headline to:

Warmongering Madman FDR Provoked
War With Peace-loving Japan

Seems fair to me.

[Jeff Head]

This is not new. We have known this from the start. They just found the thing (midget sub).

That sub was attempting to get into the harbor and add to the carnage that its animal brothers in the air were about to inflict.

Any unknown/hostile sub trying to enter that harbor HAD to be treated in this way ... and it was ... and it would have been had those aircraft not been about to attack as well.

The hostile intent and attempts were initiated by the Japanese in a surprise assault on Pearl Harbor. This sub was just a part of that. I'm gald in that case we got the first shots off and sunk the bastards.

[Semper Paratus]

My wife's grandfather was on Admiral Kimmel's staff and said the Navy knew the Japs were deploying these subs near Pearl and were looking for them a month prior to Dec. 7.

[bruin66]

Researchers said Wednesday they found a Japanese midget submarine sunk ...

How insensitive! Shouldn't that be "dimensionally challenged"? You're welcome...

[joyful1]

Someone's got too mucy time on their hands. My garage needs cleaning, need a job??