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Commander Mine Division One, Report for Pearl Harbor Attack

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A16-3/(0307)	UNITED STATES PACIFIC FLEET MINECRAFT, BATTLE FORCE MINE DIVISION ONE U.S.S. PRUITT, Flagship	JFC:les
		Pearl Harbor, T.H., December 10, 1941.

From:	Commander Mine Division ONE.
To:	Commander Minecraft, Battle Force.
Subject:	Japanese Air Attack, December 7, 1941.

1. There follows a summary of the activities of Mine Division ONE during the subject air attack. This division was undergoing schedule overhaul and was moored in the repair basin, Navy Yard, Pearl Harbor. Guns and ammunition had been removed. The crews, except for the watch on board, were living at the Navy Yard Receiving Barracks because living conditions aboard ship were unsatisfactory due to yard work.
   
2. At about 0753 Japanese planes were seen to attack the battleships. Men were sent to adjacent ships (New Orleans, San Francisco, and Cummings) to assist in manning their A.A. armament and in handling ammunition. Meanwhile, the Receiving Barracks, Pearl Harbor, had sent some of our men to other ships in the yard or harbor to assist in fighting fires or handling ammunition. These men reported to the Pennsylvania, California and Whitney and also to some places in the yard. Miners Mates were sent to West Loch.
   
3. Caliber .50 and .30 A.A. machine guns were reassembled and remounted and ammunition was obtained from the New Orleans, San Francisco and Marine Barracks. Ammunition was available in sufficient time to permit use of these A.A. machine guns against the Japanese planes making the later attacks.
   
4. The Commanding Officers, U.S.S. Tracy and Pruitt have reported the following men missing. They are believed to have been killed in the U.S.S. Pennsylvania while handling ammunition.

   NAME	SHIP	NUMBER	RATE
   BIRD, John A.	Tracy	376 10 51	Sea1c
   PENCE, John W.	Tracy	321 30 25	RM3c
   ZACEK, Laddie J.	Tracy	368 50 90	F2c
   KEITH, George R.	Pruitt	381 34 02	RM3c

   
   
5. No ships of this division suffered damage; fragments from a bomb that fell between stern of Cummings and Rigel caused slight damage to Tracy's gig.
   
6. The conduct of all officers and enlisted men was excellent throughout.

[signed]
J.F. CROWE, jr

Source: Enclosure (E) to CINCPAC action report Serial 0479 of 15 February 1942, World War II action reports, the Modern Military Branch, National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740.

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09/03/2003