On December 7, 1941, the Japanese led a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor (Oahu, Hawaii) in one of the most notorious WWII conflicts involving the American military. In no more than 90 minutes, over 2,400 servicemen were killed, one thousand injured, and just under one thousand more were presumed missing following the devastating attack. The events of Pearl Harbor decimated US vessels stationed there and put the US Navy at a distinct disadvantage. According to the National Archives “the United States suffered 3,435 casualties and loss of or severe damage to 188 planes, 8 battleships, 3 light cruisers, and 4 miscellaneous vessels.”
Many New Haveners served at Pearl Harbor on the day of the attack. Perhaps the most widely known was the New Haven Naval Reserve Unit, which had been called to duty in May that year and assigned to the USS Solace, a hospital ship. The USS Solace sailed from Brooklyn, NY in September and arrived at Pearl Harbor on October 27. Anchored at the end of Battleship Row on the morning of the attack, the ship played a major role in rescuing and treating injured persons following the attack.
Following the explosion of the USS Arizona, men aboard the USS Solace sprang into action, coming to the casualties’ aide and rescuing them from the water. “Shortly after Arizona was struck, USS West Virginia (BB-48) started to take heavy damage, forcing Solace to divide her attention between the two battleships. It wasn’t long before men from a third ship, USS Oklahoma (BB-37), required attention” (PearlHarbor.org).
George J. Smith of New Haven, who was stationed at Hickam Field in the Army Air Forces, was killed in the attack. He was one of eighteen Connecticut servicemen who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor. According to one of the sailors, all 57 New Haveners aboard the USS Solace returned home safely.
New Haven’s Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge (known locally as the Q Bridge) is dedicated in memory of the brave New Haven servicemen at Pearl Harbor.
Interested in learning more? Check out this New Haven Register piece on the New Haven Naval Reserve Unit at Pearl Harbor, and visit our Local History room or search our catalog to dig deeper.
Related Reading
The following titles are for adult readers. Click here for titles to read about Pearl Harbor with your little ones.
Gallery
Image List:
- Cover of the New Haven Sunday Register on December 7, 1941 – the day of the attack. Retrieved from our microfilm collection.
- Cover of New Haven Evening Register on December 8, 1941. Retrieved from our microfilm collection.
- New Haven Evening Register coverage – December 8, 1941. Retrieved from our microfilm collection.
- More New Haven Evening Register coverage – December 8, 1941. Retrieved from our microfilm collection.
- Black and white photo of the USS Solace. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2016818473/.
- Image: Crew Aboard Navy Hospital Ship Solace Saved Lives, Cared for Wounded Following Attack on Pearl Harbor. Retrieved from https://health.mil/News/Dvids-Articles/2023/12/05/news459091/.