by Al Seton
Published November 1979
I happened to have been in Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941. Aboard the light cruiser U.S.S. St. Louis (CL-49). Through the years, I never paid much attention to what people were saying about that Day of Infamy until quite recently when I became spokesman for our ship’s association, trying to save her from a scrap heap in Brazil today.
When the 353 Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor without warning that Sunday morning, few of some one hundred ships in the harbor were less prepared to fire effectively than the U.S.S. St. Louis, the only ship in the Pacific Fleet with the coveted gunnery “E” on every one of her five turrets and four gun mounts.
Berthed in the Navy Yard for “limited availability” near Battleship Row, primary target for the attack, the St. Louis was in no condition to fight back or get underway. Two of her eight boilers were dismantled for cleaning; five others were cold. All of her 5-inch anti-aircraft guns were inoperative with their circuit breakers ashore in the repair shop. Most of her sound-powered battle telephones were deep in the ship’s IC repair shop for routine maintenance. All of her antennae were down. Scaffolding littered her masts and superstructure. Some of her key personnel were ashore on weekend liberty. But ammunition had not yet been off-loaded.
“Within two minutes by the clock,” the ship was shooting and all guns going were in local control within extremely limited firing bearings and making all preparations for getting underway, without any orders passed to do so, her captain, George A. Rood, recalled later.
Before the attack was over the St. Louis was the only major warship to get underway and reach the open sea. In doing so, she became a primary target for attack as she raced down the channel and headed for the open sea to seek out the attacking Japanese fleet, sinking a Japanese submarine in her dash. Of the twenty-nine Japanese planes that failed to return to their carriers that day, the St. Louis claimed six, but was officially credited with three.
The “Fighting St. Louis,” strafed, near missed by bombs and target of a torpedo attack, suffered inconsequential damage. Sailors on the other ships said the “Fighting Lou” was “just lucky” and, loyal to their own ships, dubbed her “The Lucky Lou.”
Upon escaping Pearl Harbor, the St. Louis received a report that an enemy carrier was operating to the south and she immediately headed south, ordering all ships in the vicinity to join to form an attack group to engage the carrier. Complying “promptly and efficiently” were the U.S.S. Montgomery, U.S.S. Phelps and U.S.S. Blue, all of whom had successfully escaped the attack in Pearl Harbor. Thus was formed the first U.S. Navy attack force of World War II to “seek out and destroy the enemy.”
Earlier this year, the U.S.S. St. Louis (CL-49) Association asked one of the ship’s former gunnery officers who was planning a vacation trip to Hawaii to visit Pearl Harbor as a tourist and see what the million and a half visitors annually are being told and shown about this “Day of Infamy.”
Admiral R. H. Lambert, USN (Ret.), looked and listened, high and low, for any mention of St. Louis during the officially guided tour. Not one word was said about her but eventually he came upon a list of ships present in Pearl Harbor on 7 December. Yep, the St. Louis is there. But only that she had been present.
All of the official emphasis is on the battleships and vessels sunk and damaged. And next month, as the nation’s media gives its annual coverage to the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, you can make your own evaluation on who’s minding the store when it comes to our nation’s heritage.
Look and listen for the ships named St. Louis, Montgomery, Phelps and Blue.
The Author
Al Seton, a retired commander, was the youngest man commissioned from the ranks during World War II.
Postscript
The effort to save the U.S.S. St. Louis failed. Although the ship was sold as scrap, she sank en route—and once again escaped an ignominious fate.
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| St. Louis driving to sea, 0910 AM. California sinking and burning off starboard quarter. |
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| This message denotes the first US ship, USS St. Louis (CL49) to clear Pearl Harbor. (National Archives and Records Administration) [Note that this is in answer to question "Is channel clear?" and faint writing at bottom concerning the answer being held until St. Louis had successfully cleared.] |
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| USS St Louis (CL-49) off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, on 4 June 1941. She is wearing Measure 5 (false bow wave) camouflage. |
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| Captain George A. Rood, ship's captain on December 7, 1941. |
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