Japanese losses at Pearl Harbor

[Texas Star]

If memory serves, the Japanese lost 48 planes at Pearl Harbor. Does anyone here know how many were shot down by US fighters?

BTW, one P-40 was flown by Lt. George Welch, from the famous grape juice family. I think he got two enemy planes on Dec 7. More later.

Were any P-40E planes there, or just the B and C models?

 

[rwsmith]

I don't know the details.....

.......but I'm glad someone mentioned the "day that would live in infamy".

Now, planes. AA fire took out most Japanese planes.

I got this from a "well known source".

Fifty-five Japanese airmen and nine submariners were killed in the attack, and one was captured. Of Japan's 414 available planes, 29 were lost during the battle (nine in the first attack wave, 20 in the second), with another 74 damaged by antiaircraft fire from the ground.

Our music teacher was at Wheeler field. They piled out of the barracks (was that Schofield?) across a field and into a ditch. He said he could clearly see the pilot of a plane when it banked. I think the barracks were really shot up.

Our former next door neighbors were stationed there, but I don't remember what role they played.

 

[GatorFarmer]

I believe that it is generally accepted that ten of the 29 Japanese planes shot down were knocked out by American planes. Around 14 pilots got airborne, the heroes of the day being Welch and Taylor, both nominated for, though not receiving, the Medal of Honor.

Some of the planes to take off and see combat were P36s. I believe Welch and Taylor had P40Bs.

I believe the P40E was not around until some time in 1942.

 

[walkinghorse]

Did not one of the Japanese planes crash land on another small Hawaiian island, Nihauii (sp) privately owned, and the pilot escaped. He was hidden by several islanders for a while, islanders burned the plane to help hide things, but the authorities caught on and the pilot was killed and maybe one of islanders?
Vaguely remember a TV special about it a few years ago?
Found it https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niihau_incident

 

[cowart]

Vaguely remember a TV special about it a few years ago?

History Detectives: Season 9, Episode 1

 

[Chuck24]

The major loss for the Japanese at PH was WW 2! Just took a little while.

 

[Oscar Zulu]

The Army Air Corp. in the Hawaiian Islands flew P-40Cs and P-36s. I believe Welch and Taylor flew at least their first sorties with just the four wing mounted .30 caliber wing guns of the P-40s loaded, off a small gunnery training strip on the North side of the island. They were strafed on the automobile ride to the field. I think they were initially credited with 8 kills between them, but it was later revised downwards. True heroes, both.
The available, more powerful and 6 .50 caliber armed p-40Es had been sent to the Philippines, which the powers that be assumed would be attacked first. They didn't do much better than the C model, being caught on the ground also.
In the limited number of individual missions flown, both in Hawaii and the Philippines, our P-40s didn't fare to bad. Rugged planes, flown by professional, trained pilots. They did have to throw the "book" out the window early in the first combat to survive. If the available planes in the Hawaiian Islands, including the Wildcats had been airborne and in a position to intercept, I think the battle would have been at worst a draw.

 

[glenncal1]

I posted this before, good short history of the p-40 pilots on that day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=zS8HWFWaqa4

 

[Texas Star]

I posted this before, good short history of the p-40 pilots on that day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=zS8HWFWaqa4

Thanks. I didn't see your earlier post of this. Good account!