Pearl Harbor's Missing Aircraft - 7 Dec 1941

[JeffK]

And my answer was that US Armed Forces used every resource available to find these people.

I used the PNG efforts as an example.

PS The conflict in PNG was the same one as Pearl Harbor, you know, WW2

[vzlion]

Regarding aircraft losses, IIRC one of the PH investigation reports had an appendix with a complete list of all US aircraft lost during the PH attack. Sorry I don't remember which one.
Another point I was stationed at Kaneohe 1964-65 when there was still a lot of PH survivors around and there were still bullet marks in some of the supply department buildings. I was told by several of the local civilians that all the Japanese aircraft were gathered up and dumped in a crater at Kaneohe. I assume this was after they were exploited by the intel people. Don't kinow if it's true, but that is what I was told.

Walt

[JeffK]

Juha,

My understanding from "Bloody Shambles" is that the Japanese records where just that, a shambles. In addition to overclaiming they also didnt record their own losses accurately.

A number of the Australian claims are verified as the aircraft crashed on the land, harder to confirm are those which were claimed over the sea.

What numbers do you have for Japanese losses, from memory (I'll find the book again) the Australian (& British) claims were not all that many.

[Alex Smart]

Hello David,

Any idea as to the serial numbers of the 39 P36A's ?

Alex

[David_Aiken]

Hi Alex,
I am quite interested in learning the serial numbers. When ever anyone has access to such aircraft cards...please tell me, too!Thank you for bringing up this ommission in my records!Cheers,David

[Brian]

Hi guys

Fascinating stuff here! Can anyone advise me of the identities of the eight civil singe-engine aircraft airborne at the commencement of the Japanese attack, details of those shot down (by whom/what) and the fates of the people on board?

Cheers
Brian

[David_Aiken]

Hi Brian,
The list of over 70 (Seventy) US aircraft airborne DURING the Pearl Harbor Attack is on pages 97-98 in Stan Cohen's EAST WIND RAIN (Missoula, MT: Pictorial Histories Pub, 1991, retitled ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR, 2000 and later editions).

This list gives the pilot, unit, type plane, comments...including whether KIA, MIA, or flight data.

My current list is currently just over 80 aircraft...

This book was a team effort of the Pearl Harbor History Associates.
Cheers,
David Aiken, a Director: Pearl Harbor History Associates, Inc. http://www.pearlharbor-history.org/ The largest WWII web site on the blue marble.

[Brian]

Hi David

I have a copy of '7 December 1941: The Air Force Story' and don't really wish to purchase another similar book just to obtain a few names and other similar details. Are you not able or willing to advise me? I do hope so.

Thanks in advance.

Cheers
Brian

[David_Aiken]

Gomen nasai Brian,
There are books which I recommend and there are those I don't. Same said for "Pearl Harbor" books.

Having proofread the Leatrice Arakaki/John Kuborn volume about the USAAF history...I can say that the Stan Cohen book is truely different. The Stan Cohen book is a pictorial history...and as I have a LARGE "Pearl Harbor" library in many languages...it is the largest "pictorial" of the attack in any language. Hopefully my various essays and lists (like the "airborne during" list) in Stan Cohen's work helped.

Another work which I helped REVISE is Carl Smith's PEARL HARBOR 1941 (Oxford, Eng: Osprey; 1999, revised 2001). Again, I hope that my additions help with a tactical understanding of the complex battle.
Cheers,
David Aiken, Dai toa senso kokan senshi: Shinjuwan Sakusen sensei

[Brian]

Thanks for your reply David, but I am no wiser!

Keep up the good work.

Brian