Pearl Harbor – my history lesson

It took me a while to write this post. Even now, a few months after and trying to recollect my thoughts, I still feel no matter what I would write or how much thought I would put into reflecting my feelings once I set foot on USS Bowfin, I could never accurately describe for you, my reader, the overwhelming atmosphere one gets when walking amidst history. I can only let my pictures speak, lay down for you the historical facts and truly hope they will be inspiring enough to make you want to add Pearl Harbour on your bucket list.

Pearl Harbour is a US navy base in Honolulu, Hawaii. On December 7th, 1941 it was the scene of a devastating surprise attack by Japanese forces. A little before 8 o’clock on that Sunday morning, hundreds of Japanese war planes attacked Pearl Harbour. Bombs and bullets rained onto the vessels moored below and destroyed or damaged around 20 American naval vessels including 8 battleships and over 300 airplanes. More than 2,400 Americans died in the attack including civilians, and another 1,000 people were wounded. The day after the assault, the US declared war on Japan.

Several historical landmarks can be visited inside the museum: WWII Valor In The Pacific national monument, Battleship Missouri Memorial, USS Bowfin Submarine museum and park and Pearl Harbour Aviation museum. I always wanted to set foot on a submarine so I chose to visit only USS Bowfin however the best way to experience Pearl Harbor and not miss a thing is to make a full day of it. There is an incredible amount to see and do and lots of family-friendly places to grab a bite to eat. Be aware that Pearl Harbor is still an active military base therefore, for security reasons, bags are not permitted at any of the Pearl Harbor historic sites. You can either leave your bags in your car or pay as little as $5.00 per bag and have yours safely kept at the baggage storage area.

During WWII, the submarines represented only 2% of the US fleet but they were responsible for the destruction of 30% of the Japanese Navy, including 8 aircraft carriers, 1 battleship and 11 cruisers. During Pacific War, the US Submarine Force sank nearly 1,400 Japanese Navy merchant ships, sending 5.5 million tons to the bottom of the ocean.

Launched one year after the Oahu attack on December 7th, 1941, the submarine USS Bowfin, nicknamed the Pearl Harbor Avenger fulfilled its name and became one of the most decorated submarines of World War II. Like her namesake – a scrappy, mean looking fish with powerful jaws, sharp teeth and a voracious appetite – the USS Bowfin proved a formidable underwater adversary, sinking 44 enemy ships during WWII, that is around 68,000 tons of enemy warships.

The USS Bowfin is not a replica of a WWII submarine — it is the real thing. She has been painstakingly restored to near perfect condition by an avid crew of preservationists and offers her visitors one of the most authentic looks into the life of WWII subs and their crew. The sub was relatively intact when the Navy turned her over to the Pacific Submarine Museum Association in 1979, unlike many of her sister ships which were scrapped or used for target practice by other naval vessels. This means the USS Bowfin still bears most of her original equipment.

The sub was armed with an array of guns and up to 24 torpedoes at one time. Torpedo rooms are everywhere, the crew even slept on their bunks on top of torpedoes!

Touring the submarine takes about 30 minutes and includes a free self-guided audio tour. The audio features candid commentary by members of the USS Bowfin crew. You can hear descriptions of what it was like to live and work under the crowded conditions onboard including how nearly everyone smoked on board, lack of showers for months at a time, along with descriptions of their operations.

Take a close look at this amazing example of compact design and engineering that made it possible to house a crew of 80 men in a full-enclosed metal tube measuring no more than 312 feet (95m) long by 27 feet (8m) wide.

The USS Bowfin completed 9 successful war patrols before eventually arriving at her final, peacetime berth in the waters of Pearl Harbor. Below, the captain’s last note