Hello, and thank you for listening to the history of World War II podcast, Episode

239, Pearl Harbor, the American perspective, Part 1.

Between 730 and 740 AM, Admiral Husband Kimmel was told of the U.S. destroyer Ward's

activity of clashing with an undesignated submarine, also that the ready duty destroyer

had been dispatched to assist the Ward, but Kimmel, like everyone else, did not know who

they were fighting, if they were fighting at all.

It could have been a mistake, and since shots had been fired, a big mistake.

So he deemed it best to gather more information and hopefully confirmation before more drastic

action was taken.

For in truth, the preceding weeks had seen plenty of such contacts that turned out to be false

alarms.

And though he had not yet shaved or dressed for his upcoming golf game with General Short,

he told his staff he would come straight away to the operation center.

Soon after that, the strafing and bombing started.

At the moment of the overall attack, Oahu had some 40,000 enlisted men.

As their average age was only 19, the vast majority had no combat experience.

Some, when faced with the danger from the skies, folded up and cried.

Others tried to keep their heads and either hid or joined the fight.

But men from both groups died that morning.

It was all a matter of luck.

To the northeast of Ford Island at the Kane-Ohe Bay Naval Air Station along the coast,

VP14 or Patrol Squadron 14, Division Leader Lieutenant Murray Hanson had just launched

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