LT CDR LINDLEY WINSER'S EYEWITNESS REPORT

[Lt. Cdr Winser was our ship's Communications Officer and was aboard at the time of the attack; this eyewitness report was passed along by Mr. Greg Winser, his son]

The account of Lt. Cdr. Lindley Winser, Communications Officer aboard the USS Utah, December 7, 1941.

I was in my bunk on the port side of the ship abreast #2 barbette, main  deck aboard the Utah on Sunday morning Dec. 7, trying to decide whether to get up, when a slight tremor shook the ship. The effect was similar to a light     earthquake shock and I attributed it to that cause, as I did a second similarlight vibration a few seconds later. This was almost immediately followed by the noise and concussion of a heavy hit on the Utah. By this time I had reached my port for a quick look across the channel toward Pearl City. One Japanese plane was close aboard in a zoom after completing its attack, and it was being followed in by another in level flight not over 50 feet above the water. I did not observe what was dropped by either plane. The type of approach seemed designed for torpedo attack but my impression was that the planes seemed too small and fast for that duty. The first heavy explosion noted above is the only one I have any distinct recollection of. Its impact did not seem much greater than that of some of the high altitude dummy bombs which hit us during recent practice, but the accompanying noise and splintering of material was very pronounced. From my own knowledge I still could not say definitely whether this hit was a torpedo or a bomb at or just below the water line.

I took time only to slip a white uniform coat and trousers on over pajamas – no cap or shoes – before leaving the cabin. There was already a slight list to port as I went out.

The word “air raid” was passed closely coincident to the first heavy explosion, but the general alarm did not sound at any time.

I made my way to the starboard passage through the passage in front of the guest head, and aft to the starboard aircastle. The entire space there and in front of the ship’s service store was crowded with people, quite quiet and orderly, but in doubt as to just which way to go. The first word was to stay below decks, as the planes were machine gunning exposed personnel, but the list rapidly increased making it evident the ship could not last long, so that the next word was “all hands abandon ship.” Lt. Little was seen working his way through the men, attempting to get the passage cleared.

The gear stowed in the air castle now began shifting to port and I saw that there would be no chance of doing any good by continuing to work my way out aft, so I turned back, intending to find a life jacket. None were left in the first two rooms entered on the starboard side and I decided not to try going back to my own room, as the list was so great now that I saw I should probably not be able to get back across slippery footing without sufficient hand holds. Lt. Cdr. Michael passed me going forward toward his cabin on the starboard side as I came out of the Chief Engineer’s cabin after looking for a life jacket, and I did not see him again.

After abandoning the idea of returning to my cabin I swarmed up the ladder from the starboard wardroom passage into the Captain’s country and then aft into his cabin. His outside door was closed, possibly jammed, but people were crawling out through the large ports to the boat deck on the starboard side. I went out through the after side port and gave the chief engineer a hand where he was having some difficulty coming through the forward port.

The Utah was well on her side, and we all worked our way up to her side plating, where it was possible to stand. Apparently everyone else in the vicinity went aft or directly to the water’s edge toward Ford Island. I worked my way forward standing erect on the ship’s side and following the curve of the hull to stay on a level surface, and watched the boars loading and people swimming toward Ford Island. I was about opposite the Wardroom, and had decided against the Ford Island direction as the Jap planes were giving it a lot of dive bombing attention, and I hoped to be able to remain on the hull until things quieted down, but the slippery bottom of the ship took charge as she continued to roll and I skidded off into the water on the Pearl City side. There was a space almost clear of timbers afloat, but large ones were constantly shooting up from below the surface, mingled with air bursts as the roll of the ship dislodged them, and for a few moments it seemed impossible to keep clear of them and avoid being crushed. My luck held however, and I managed to swim out to where the edge of the quietly floating timbers began, and hoist myself aboard, to recuperate and decide on the next move. The Gig, with two men aboard was seen cruising outside the timber area, and one other man sitting on a timber on the outer edge. As we drifted down, open water developed and I was able to swim out toward the Gig. The surface was thickly covered by fuel oil and added to the difficulty of making headway, but I finally reached the Gig and was hauled aboard by the coxswain, Attaway, and a man named Stallings. We then picked up the man on the timbers, Jack Durham, and cruised about for some time looking for others to be picked up. No one else was seen on this side of the ship, in the water or on the timbers, so we made our way to the Pearl City landing and tied up. On the way those of us who had been in the oil and water scrubbed off what we could, and outfitted in old dungaree trousers, skivvy shirts and sneakers found in the boar. I removed the shoulder marks from my uniform, as being the only thing approaching identification I had, and they stand as the one item (except a ring) of personal belongings which I retain from all I had aboard the Utah.

Groups of enlisted men and officers from ships in the stream, and the Naval Air Station, kept coming to the landing. Some ships' boats were running, but none from the air station so I loaded the Gig and made two trips across to Ford Island also landing two men aboard a destroyer as she headed out.

Early in the second phase of the attack, around 9 o’clock a Japanese dive-bomber was seen to be hit in the right wing & set on fire. It zoomed up, went out of control and dived almost vertically, hitting the Curtis squarely on the after deck. The ship, from midships aft burst into flame, but her crew did a grand job of fire fighting and got it under control and practically out in about an hour.

A little later on another dive-bomber released at the Wright, berthed next to the Curtis, and missed. The bomb had barely been released when antiaircraft fire scored a direct hit on the plane, knocking it to pieces in mid air.

Returning from a trip to Ford Island two heavy blasts below water were observed in the West channel. The cause was not identified at the time, but subsequent discussion with other observers ties this in with the depth charge attack on a Japanese submarine.

These three instances were the only ones noted of successes scored against the Japanese. Observation was of course limited to the area between Ford Island and Pearl City. At no time was a man seen being wounded, killed or in any imminent peril. No machine gunning of personnel by Japanese planes was observed, although correlation of others’ experiences indicates this did occur close to me or where I was at a slightly different time.

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