Day Visit to Pearl Harbor

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On this day I chose to visit Pearl Harbor, only seeing photos and video of it previously. Much like seeing the Lorraine Motel (http://www.civilrightsmuseum.org/) in Memphis for the first time in person, seeing this historic and still operational military facility in person is a must see if you are on Oahu.

The reality is that there really is too much to see in one day, so if you can only spend on day there, get there early. There is the USS Arizona (BB-39) memorial which should be your first stop, with park rangers directing you to where you see a short video first, before being transported the short distance over to the memorial by boat. There is the USS Missouri (BB-63) memorial on which you can spend a good amount of time touring the Battleship upon which the empire of Japan gave their unconditional surrender on 2 Sep 1945. There is also the Pacific Aviation Museum also on Ford Island. There is also the USS Bowfin (SS-287), a submarine which you can tour, as well as a number of torpedoes and such on display in that area.

While the tour of the USS Arizona memorial is free, the others are not. Each venue (e.g. USS Missouri) is not that expensive, but not that nominal either. I believe the cost for the USS Missouri tour and the Pacific Aviation Museum tour was USD $28 on this day.

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Photos

Then and Now
The past captured in the photo in the foreground, with the USS Arizona memorial and the USS Missouri standing guard beside it.

USS Arizona anchor
Cast in Chester, Pennsylvania in 1911. 19585 pounds, 8.88 metric tons.

Entrance to the USS Arizona Memorial
This is on the East side of the structure that sits directly above the remains of the USS Arizona below. Battleship row, in particular this area, is in the North East corner of Ford Island.

Aft Turret of USS Arizona
Here I am looking North and thus toward Arizona's aft. You can see the bridge to Ford Island in the background.

Memorial Wall
To all those who were on board, or made attempts to rescue those that were, on that fateful day.

Looking South
Looking toward Arizona's bow, with USS Missouri standing guard.

Drops of Oil still making it to the surface every 15 seconds
The Arizona had 1.5 Million gallons of fuel oil on board that day.

USS Missouri (BB-63)
One of the four Iowa class Battleships ever constructed.

Torpedos on Display
These are near the entrance to the USS Bowfin.

Anti-Aircraft Gun
Takes two to aim. Note those seats are made of metal, not made for comfort.

40 MM Quad Gun Assembly
Each gun could fire 120 rounds per minute, and fired a 2 pound projectile. Maximum horizontal range of 33000' and maximum ceiling of 22800'.

Kaiten, WWII Japanese Suicide Torpedo
The name "Kaiten" means "to make a radical reverse in the course of events". The Japanese hoped that this new secret weapon would have just such an effect on the course of the Pacific war in 1944.
Kaiten was basically an enlarged torpedo with a small cockpit, a periscope, and manual controls for steering, speed, and depth. It has a pure oxygen-fed, kerosene-burning 550 horsepower engine and a huge 3,000-pound explosive warhead, which could be detonated on impact or by an electrical switch controlled by the pilot. At top speed, Kaiten would travel 75 feet in just under one second.
Kaiten were transported by submarine to "firing position" (3.5 to 4.5 miles from the target). A telephone line leading into each Kaiten allowed the submarine's captain to provide last minute pre-launch instructions regarding course, depth, and speed to help guide each Kaiten pilot to his target. As the securing cables were released, the telephone line would disconnect, leaving the pilot on his own to start his torpedo's engine and guide it on a collision course with the target.
The upper hatch of a Kaiten was intended to be used as an escape device when the pilot was within 150 yards of the target. It is believed to have never been used as such. In all, 96 Kaiten pilots died (16 in training).
The only Kaiten known to have suck a US Navy ship was piloted by LTJG Sekio Nishna, who hit the fleet oiler USS Mississinewa (AO-59) at Ulithi on 20 Nov 1944. In his craft he carried the ashes of his friend, Lt Hiroshi Kuroki, who had been killed during Kaiten training. Nishna and Kuroki were the two junior officers who invented Kaiten.
One merchant ship, SS Canada Victory, is believed to have been sunk to Kaiten. One other ship, USS Underhill (DE-682), was scuttled after being severely damaged by Kaiten.

USS Missouri (BB-63)
Lets get on board and see what there is to see!