U.S.S. OGLALA | ||
CM4/A16-3/(0100) | 10/cam | |
Pearl Harbor, T.H. December 11, 1941 |
From: | The Commanding Officer. | |
To: | Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet. | |
Subject: | Action of December 7, 1941; report on. | |
Reference: | (a) CinCPac disp. 102102 of December 1941. |
Machine gun crews report definite hits on the enemy plane.
There is no record of amount of ammunition expended.
One man was shot through the face. He was in the bake shop at the time.
At about 0800 a bomb from an enemy dive bomber fell between the Oglala and the Helena and exploded outboard in the vicinity of the fireroom.
At about 0630 extensive flooding of the engine room was reported and the ship took a 5° list. Investigation revealed that the ship was dry forward of the fireroom but was flooding rapidly aft. As all power was off the ship, there was no pumping facilities and it was evident that the ship could not be kept afloat much longer. It was decided to tow the ship clear of the Helena in order to secure her to the dock and also clear the battery of the Helena. Two small tugs which were working with the dredge in the channel were hailed by Commander Minecraft, Battle Force, and they assisted in pulling the ship clear. At about 0900, the ship was secured to Ten Ten dock astern of the Helena.
Flooding continued and the port list continued to increase in spite of all possible lines being secured to the dock. About 0930 with a list of approximately 20° the order was given to abandon ship.
At about 1000 or slightly before, the Oglala turned over on her port side. The bridge structure and the main mast were knocked off by striking the dock when the ship turned over. It has not been possible to determine the complete structural damage of the ship.
POLER, Howard A., 393 47 34, Sea1c, USN - shot through the face.
PENNELL, Lowell, 342 31 53, CM3c, USN - shell fragment through fleshy part of right knee. Note: This injury was received while man was assisting on 3" battery of Pennsylvania.
HODNETT, "R" "J", 356 23 91, Sea1c, USN - fragments in right hip.
JOHNSON, J.K., F2c, USN - secured the boiler and fireroom after the first explosion thus preventing possibility of a boiler explosion and reducing the amount of flooding of ship.
ZITO, A., CEM, USN - Promptness in helping getting 3" gun manned and fighting it throughout action. After the Oglala was abandoned, ZITO took two men and manned a drifting motor launch and proceeded to the damaged battleships. There he assisted in rescuing personnel and fighting fires. He remained at this until the following morning, December 8.
The commanding officer arrived at the scene as the ship was turning over.
[signed]
E.P. SPEIGHT.
CC:
U.S.S. OGLALA (CM4) | ||
CM4/A16-3/S81-3/ (0103) |
10/cam | |
Pearl Harbor, T.H. December 31, 1941 |
From: | The Commanding Officer. | |
To: | The Chief of the Bureau of Ships. | |
Via: | Commander Minecraft BATTLE FORCE. | |
Subject: | War Damage Report on Action of December 7, 1941. | |
Reference: | (a) BuShips ltr. C-EF13/A9(374); C-S81-3; C-EN28/As-11 of 28 October, 1941. |
At about 0830 extensive flooding of the engineroom was reported and the ship took a 5° list. Investigation revealed that the ship was dry forward of the fireroom but was flooding rapidly aft. As all power was off the ship, there were no pumping facilities and it was evident that the ship could not be kept afloat much longer.
It was decided to tow the ship clear of the Helena in order to secure her to the dock and also clear the battery of the Helena. Two small tugs were commandeered and they assisted in pulling the ship clear. At about 0900, the ship was secured to Ten Ten Dock astern of the Helena. All possible lines were gotten out to the dock but the list to port continued to increase.
At about 0390, when the list had increased to about 20° and service of the guns could not be continued, the machine guns were removed and the order give to "Abandon Ship". Shortly before 1000 the ship had finally turned over and came to rest on the bottom on her port side in about 6 fathoms of water.
This torpedo explosion centered at the fireroom, lifting up the fireroom floor plates and rupturing the port side. A large inrush of water resulted, and personnel immediately secured the fires, closed watertight doors, and abandoned the fireroom. The noise of the explosion was loud and shock effect serious, such that the circuit breaker of operating generator was thrown out, the port flushing pump in the engineroom was broken loose from its foundations, and men were thrown out of their bunks. No flash, flame, or smoke was noted. A general flexural vibration of the ship was noted. Engineroom also commenced to flood forward on the port side.
[signed]
R.E. KRAUSE.
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