USS Widgeon (AM-22) - Widgeon Under Attack at Pearl Harbor

Widgeon Under Attack At Pearl Harbor

On 7 December 1941, the submarine rescue vessel lay alongside a berth at the submarine base at Pearl Harbor, when Japanese aircraft swept over the Pacific Fleet's base. When the raid was over later that morning, the Pacific Fleet's battleships ceased to exist as a potential retaliatory force to threaten Japan's massive "southern operation" in the Far East.

Despite keeping up a steady defensive fire with rifles and machine guns during the attack, Widgeon's crewmen did not claim to have downed any of the attackers. Then, soon after the enemy planes disappeared, smoke still boiled into the Pacific skies as Widgeon got underway from her berth at the submarine base and set her course for Ford Island to begin salvage operations on the overturned Oklahoma. When she reached "Battleship Row", she found that burning oil spewing from the shattered tanks on Arizona was threatening the ships nested immediately ahead, Tennessee and the torpedoed West Virginia. Accordingly, under orders from the Commander, Battle Force, Widgeon assisted Tern and Garbage Lighter YG-17 in fighting the fires.

Widgeon subsequently took part in salvaging Nevada, California, and Oklahoma. Her work on Nevada earned the ship a commendation from Commander, Battle Force, and her divers conducted many a foray into the darkened and treacherous interiors of the sunken battleships. When this work was well in hand and her service in that capacity was no longer required, Widgeon returned to her duties with the submarines of the Pacific Fleet. She towed targets for gunnery exercises and served as a target during torpedo-firing drills. She also recovered practice torpedoes at the conclusion of the day's training activities.