Monday 19th April 2010

We went to Pearl Harbour today, which was very ineresting.


We all know the story I guess(we've all seen the movie!!!) so here are some photos:

USS Bowfin - submarine

 

USS Bowfin kill list (over 9 patrolls during WWII)

torpedo tubes

I wouldn't want to be in a hurry trying to race though these tiny hatches

The gun on the conning tower

USS Missouri through binoculars on Bowfin's conning tower

The Missouri was the site of Japan’s unconditional surrender to the Allied Forces on Sept. 2, 1945, ending World War II

USS Arizona memorial

This memorial is built over the remains of the USS Arizona, which sank at her berth when bombed by the Japanese. Of the 1,400 crew members on board 1,177 were killed - over half of the casualties suffered by the entire fleet in the Peal Harbour attack.

Memorial wall

(compete with a Kruger and a Watson!)

Remains of USS Arizona's aft gun turret foundation.

Her sister ship - the USS Missouri - is in the background

Remains of USS Arizona's forward gun turret foundation.

Pacific Aviation Museum - Aeronca 65TC Defender

This was being flown by a civillian at the time of the attack.

He found himself caught up in the Japanese planes as they were flying in to bomb the harbour.

Pacific Aviation Museum - Curtiss P-40E Warhawk with B-25B Mitchell Medium Bomber behind.

 Broom handles were painted black and added at the tail gunner position on the bomber in the hope that the Japanese would think they were real guns!

Pacific Aviation Museum - F4F-3 Wildcat

Pacific Aviation Museum - Stearman N2S-3

This plane was flown by George Bush. At age 18, he became the Navy's youngest pilot when he received his Naval Aviator wings and naval commission.

Love him (??) or hate him, that's quite an effort!

Stu with missiles

Submarine escape pod

This pod held 2 operators and 8 others

And I thought getting in to our life raft would suck...

 When it was used there were 32 people on the sub. Who drew the short straw and had to wait for the second (or third!!) trip??!!

Japanese suicide torpedo

A driver sat in this and controlled the torpedo ensuring accuracy.

There was a hatch intended to be used for escape when the torpedo got within 150 feet of the target... ummmm...yeah...

There is no record of any pilot attempting to escape (as if he would have time!!), so the escape hatch was dropped from later productions so that, once inside, the pilot could not let himself out.

Again - short straw??

I should have known not to get excited when the snack bar advertised a garden salad for $3.00...

Lettuce anyone??