pearl harbor, why no usn a/c in the air?

Here is a thread i picked up in a Google search:

http://www.j-aircraft.com/bbs/pearl_config.pl?read=291


Dano

"old hoodoo" wrote in message
...
I have never heard of a single navy aircraft getting airborne at Pearl
Harbor. Was this because all the naval aircraft were based
at a single facility? Has there ever been an accounting of what actually
happened to immobilize the navy air?

The army managed to get up an assortment of fighters for at least a token
defense.


Al

"old hoodoo" wrote in message ...
I have never heard of a single navy aircraft getting airborne at Pearl Harbor. Was this because all the naval aircraft were based
at a single facility? Has there ever been an accounting of what actually happened to immobilize the navy air?

The army managed to get up an assortment of fighters for at least a token defense.


Al


According to Morison, three Kanehoe based PBYs were aloft when the
attack started. One of these, working the Ward datum, sighted a sub
and dropped smoke pots at 0633. He also notes that one "combat plane
available for instant use" on Ford Island was launched "with
difficulty" during the attack and ordered to search a sector between
280 and 330 by Adm Bellinger. Apparently several utility types wre
lauched from Ford during this timeframe as well.
The hapless SBD's from Enterpise were aloft inbound to Ford and found
themselves in the fray as well. They left the boat between 0615 and
0637. Several were shot down by the Japs with the survivors landing at
Ford late in the attack while getting a Blue-on-Blue smackdown to
boot.
More were shot down in later searches by both enemy and friendly fire
that afternoon and evening.
(Later Admiral) Moorer went aloft in one of the 3 surviving PBYs just
after the attack.

poor intelligence from the dem administration

"old hoodoo" wrote in message
...
I have never heard of a single navy aircraft getting airborne at Pearl
Harbor. Was this because all the naval aircraft were based
at a single facility? Has there ever been an accounting of what actually
happened to immobilize the navy air?

The army managed to get up an assortment of fighters for at least a token
defense.


Al

"nice guy" wrote in message
...
poor intelligence from the dem administration


The democratic party was not responsible for intelligence gathering
as I recall, however the base commanders had been sent warnings
that clearly stated that war was imminent. Indeed the message sent
by Admiral Stark to Admiral Kimmel and General Short on
November 27 began

"This dispatch is to be considered a war warning.... Negotiations
with Japan looking toward stabilization of conditions in the Pacific
have ceased and an aggressive move by Japan is expected within
the next few days...Execute appropriate defensive deployment
preparatory to carrying out the tasks assigned in WPL 46 "

Keith

Keith Willshaw wrote:

"nice guy" wrote in message
...

poor intelligence from the dem administration


The democratic party was not responsible for intelligence gathering
as I recall, however the base commanders had been sent warnings
that clearly stated that war was imminent. Indeed the message sent
by Admiral Stark to Admiral Kimmel and General Short on
November 27 began

"This dispatch is to be considered a war warning.... Negotiations
with Japan looking toward stabilization of conditions in the Pacific
have ceased and an aggressive move by Japan is expected within
the next few days...Execute appropriate defensive deployment
preparatory to carrying out the tasks assigned in WPL 46 "

Keith


Ala 911 , Hawaii was not seen as the target. Thats why we deployed
planes to Midway & Wake and was sending reinforcements to the
Phillipines like the PT boats loaded to go to MTB squadron 3. The Intel
was all hot about movements toward Malaya. Thus, the Brits put Force Z
out to Sea from Singapore. Stop trying to refight the battle. We lost,
period end of story!

"Tiger" wrote in message
...
Keith Willshaw wrote:

Ala 911 , Hawaii was not seen as the target. Thats why we deployed planes
to
Midway & Wake and was sending reinforcements to the Phillipines like the
PT boats loaded to go to MTB squadron 3. The Intel was all hot about
movements toward Malaya. Thus, the Brits put Force Z out to Sea
from Singapore. Stop trying to refight the battle.

There's a difference between refighting the battle and
analysing the errors made. Nothing could have prevented
the attack BUT the fleet anchorage could and should have
been better prepared.

We lost, period end of story!

In strategic terms it was at best a pyhrric vicotry for
the IJN

PS please dont post using HTML

Keith

old hoodoo wrote:

I have never heard of a single navy aircraft getting airborne at Pearl Harbor. Was this because all the naval aircraft were based
at a single facility? Has there ever been an accounting of what actually happened to immobilize the navy air?

The army managed to get up an assortment of fighters for at least a token defense.


Al



Most Of the carrier air was at sea on Dec. 7th. And the PBY's and other
assorted planes would not have done much at Ford Island NAS. The AAF
had the duty for air defense. The Marines could have put up a plane
though. :-\ Of course it' s 755 am on a Sunday. Folks are thinking
about morning colors
& church, not flying with guns loaded and gas in the tanks ready to
go......