Case 5: Smaller Ships
Case 5 follows the fortunes of several other ships as the morning of December 7th progressed. A
transcript
of an oral history with Richard L. Stewart of the destroyer
USS Downes
describes how his ship was attacked and exploded while in dry-dock and how he had to leap from the burning ship, falling several stories to the floor of the empty dry-dock breaking his ankles; and how, nevertheless, he spent the rest of the day driving even more badly wounded men to hospitals, despite the pain from his broken bones. Photographs show that the adjacent destroyer
USS Cassin
suffered equally. The case also follows the story of the destroyers
USS Reid
and
USS Helm
, which attempted to attack another Japanese submarine. Also here is the story of the destroyer
USS Phelps
. The case also begins to tell the story of ships that were not at Pearl Harbor during the attack, focusing on the cruisers
USS Indianapolis
and
USS Louisville
, which were at sea that day. Diaries reveal how the men aboard the cruisers learned of the attacks and their feelings upon hearing the news.
Smaller Ships Items
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