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USS California Crew Scrambles to Defend Ship After Pearl Harbor Attack

At 8:05 a.m. on Dec. 7, 1941, two Japanese aerial torpedoes struck the battleship USS California, tearing a 40-foot hole in its hull, during a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 


USS California
Commissioned: 1921
Place Built: Vallejo, Calif.
Early Cruises: Operated in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in the 1920s and 1930s.
Decommissioned: 1947
Legacy: The battleship’s bell is on display at California State Capitol Park, Sacramento, Calif. The Virginia-class submarine USS California, commissioned in 2011, is in active service.

The crew immediately sprang into action, suppressing fires, operating antiaircraft guns and rescuing those below deck. 

A ship sinks with smoke billowing from it.
Sinking Ship
The Battleship USS California, left, sinks after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Dec. 7, 1941.
Credit: Navy
VIRIN: 411207-O-D0439-003A

Four Medals of Honor were awarded to crew members for their acts of valor. 

Navy Ensign Herbert C. Jones rescued a sailor from inside the smoke-filled ship. He then led an anti-aircraft battery, firing on Japanese planes. 

When a mechanical hoist used to load ammunition to the gun battery was damaged, he led a group of men to manually haul rounds, each weighing 50 pounds, up to the gun from the magazine three decks down. 

Jones refused to be evacuated from below deck as he continued to move ammunition; he died in the smoke, fire and explosions that followed. 

The destroyer escort USS Herbert C. Jones was launched in 1943 in his honor. 

A sailor poses for a photo in uniform.
Profile of a Hero
Jackson C. Pharris poses for a photo some time prior to Dec. 1941. Navy Lt. Jackson C. Pharris was killed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Dec. 7, 1941. He fought valiantly and received the Medal of Honor posthumously.
Credit: Navy
VIRIN: 400710-O-D0439-0001

Navy Lt. Jackson C. Pharris was in charge of ordnance repair below deck when the first Japanese torpedo struck almost directly under his station. 

Pharris was stunned and severely injured by the concussion, which hurled him to the overhead and back to the deck. Quickly recovering, he set up a hand-supply ammunition train for the antiaircraft guns. 

After another torpedo hit the vessel, Pharris was again temporarily knocked unconscious. When he came to, he continued his efforts and took ammunition above to the gunners. 

He also entered flooded compartments, dragging unconscious shipmates to safety who were gradually being submerged in oil and saving many lives in the process. 

In 1972, the destroyer escort USS Pharris was named in his honor.

Like Pharris, Navy Warrant Officer 1 Thomas J. Reeves, chief radioman, assisted in the ammunition line until he was overcome by smoke and fire and died. 

A man in suit and bow tie poses for a photo.
Heroic Pose
Thomas J. Reeves poses for a photo some time prior to Dec. 1941. Navy Chief Reeves was killed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Dec. 7, 1941. He fought valiantly and received the Medal of Honor posthumously.
Credit: Navy
VIRIN: 400710-O-D0439-002
A ship sails the sea.
California's Stern
A stern view shows the battleship USS California at sea.
Credit: Navy
VIRIN: 240710-O-D0439-003

In 1943, the destroyer escort USS Reeves was named in his honor. 

Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Robert R. Scott refused to leave his post, operating the air compressor below deck, which helped to enable the ship’s guns. He died at his post. 

In 1943, the destroyer escort USS Scott was named for him. 

A man poses for a photo.
Honor Pose
Robert R. Scott poses for a photo some time prior to Dec. 1941. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Scott was killed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Dec. 7, 1941. He fought valiantly and received the Medal of Honor posthumously.
Credit: Navy
VIRIN: 400710-O-D0439-003

During the attacks, 104 crew members were killed, and the ship sustained heavy damage. 

On Oct. 10, 1942, the California was refloated and left Pearl Harbor for the Puget Sound Navy Yard in Bremerton, Washington, to undergo further repairs and extensive modernization, including a new superstructure and updated gun batteries, improved fire control systems, anti-torpedo hull "bulges," and armor deck plating.  

The battleship subsequently participated in the battles of Saipan, Guam, Tinian, Surigao Strait, Lingayen Gulf and Okinawa.  

The battleship was sold to Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation in Pennsylvania for scrap in 1959. 

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