USS WARD NH-50261 Mare Island 1918
At 0637 on 7 December 1941, the Wickes-class flush-decker, USS Ward (Destroyer No. 139), was detailed to Pearl Harbor’s Inshore Patrol Command and was on picket duty off the anti-submarine nets at the entrance to the huge Pacific Fleet naval base.
“Captain come on the bridge” rang out from the Officer of the Deck. A conning tower with a periscope of a submarine was visible, trailing close behind a ship heading into the harbor entrance. It is now believed that sub was HA-18 (I-20 tou), a Japanese Type A midget.
Three minutes later, Ward’s attack started, and, jumping from 5 to 25 knots by 0645 her No. 1. and No. 3 4″/50 guns were ringing out.
As noted from her action report:
The shot from No. 3 gun fired at a range of 560 yards [a typo, it should have read 50-60 yards] or less struck the submarine at the waterline which was the junction of the hull and coning tower. Damage was seen by several members of the crew. This was a square positive hit. There was no evidence of ricochet. The submarine was seen to heel over to starboard. The projectile was not seen to explode outside the hull of the submarine. There was no splash of any size that might results from an explosion or ricochet.
Immediately after being hit the submarine appeared to slow and sink.
USS Ward, The First Shot, by Tom Freeman
Ward dutifully called in the engagement but the alarm, on a sleepy Sunday morning, never made it to the rest of the base in time enough to do anything and, at 0755, the first wave of Japanese carrier aircraft flew over Diamond Head and began the attack on Battleship Row and other targets.
Afterward, looking for silver linings in the dark clouds of the attack, Ward and her No. 3 gun and its nine-member crew became heroes for sending the sub– only confirmed in 1992— to the bottom.
A Shot for Posterity The USS Ward’s number three gun and its crew-cited for firing the first shot the day of Japan’s raid on Hawaii. Crew members, all recently mobilized were members of the Minnesota Naval Reservists are R.H. Knapp – BM2c – Gun Captain, C.W. Fenton – Sea1c – Pointer, R.B. Nolde – Sea1c – Trainer, A.A. De Demagall – Sea1c – No. 1 Loader, D.W. Gruening – Sea1c – No. 2 Loader, J.A. Paick – Sea1c – No. 3 Loader, H.P. Flanagan – Sea1c – No. 4 Loader, E.J. Bakret – GM3c – Gunners Mate, K.C.J. Lasch – Cox – Sightsetter. (quoted from the original 1942-vintage caption) This gun is a 4/50 type, mounted atop the ship’s midships deckhouse, starboard side. NH 97446
Removed from Ward, the No. 3 gun survived when the tin can was sunk via kamikaze on 7 December 1944 (notice the date?).
Still owned by the Navy, since 1956, the gun and a plaque detailing the event associated with it have been on exhibit on the State Capitol grounds at St. Paul, Minnesota, in a salute to the home state of the gun crew.
Now, plans are afoot to relocate the historic gun from the Capitol Mall, where it has been exposed to the weather, to an indoor display at the new Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum, outside the state’s National Guard base at Camp Ripley.
The public comment period has begun for the USS Ward Gun removal application. Interested persons may comment on whether conditions have been met for the Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board to consider the application to remove the USS Ward Gun from the Capitol Mall. All comments must be received by 4:30pm on January 7, 2025. You can voice your opinion by email, phone, or mail.
- Email: Tina.Chimuzu@state.mn.us
- Phone: 651-757-1508 (leave message if no answer)
- Mail:
Attn: Tina Chimuzu, CAAPB Planner-Fellow
Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board
Freeman Building
625 Robert Street North
Saint Paul, MN 551555
CAAPB will also be holding a public hearing to gather questions and feedback regarding the removal of the USS Ward Gun. The meeting will be held in room 116c of the Administration Building at 3:30 pm on Thursday, December 19, 2024. There will also be an option to attend virtually here. Check back regularly for updates!
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