The five midget-subs

On the morning of Dec. 7, 1941 the USS Ward (DD-139) under the command of Lieutenant Commander William W. Outerbridge, was cruising in the submarine restriction zone leading into the entrance to Pearl Harbor. The restriction was all submarines must be on the surface while plying this area of the entrance and any detected submerged sub would be fired upon and depth charged. The Ward had a new captain in Lieutenant Commander Outerbridge and he had his first command. The Ward was notified of a submarine periscope being observed by another ship, and upon investigation found a midget-sub attempting to follow another ship through the anti-submarine nets strung across the entrance into Pearl. The sub’s conning tower was exposed and the Ward fired several rounds from a 4 in. gun mount and the gun crew claimed they hit the base of the conning tower dead center. The Ward then ran directly over the area and dropped a pattern of depth changes on the sub, which disappeared. If confirmed the Ward fired the first shot of the Pacific war with Japan. Yet doubt was cast upon the sinking when the area was searched later and on numerous occasions no sub was ever found. Many doubted the report of a green commander, and an eager gun crew. Also on the fateful morning the USS Monaghan (DD-354) was the ready destroyer on stand-by in the harbor. She received a radio call to join the Ward at the entrance as the Ward may have sunk a sub there. As she pulled away from the dock the first wave air attack began and another ship radioed a sub sighting in the harbor. The Monaghan sighted the sub firing one of its two torpedoes at the USS Curtiss (AV-4), the torpedo missed crashing into the docks. The sub turned and fired its second torpedoes at the Monaghan, but missed again.

To continue reading this article, purchase the print edition of The Pittsburg Gazette or go to our online e-edition at: http://www.etypeservices.com/Pittsburg%20GazetteID315/default.aspx