Salvage at Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor left the Pacific Fleet in a state of chaos and impotence. Japan's goal had been achieved: The U.S. Navy was unable to oppose the Japanese invasion of Southwest Asia, the Philippines and islands of the South Pacific.

Twenty-one ships of the Pacific Fleet had been sunk or damaged. Of that number, eight battleships were casualties, five sunk and three damaged. The main battle line of the fleet was out of action.

Divers emerge from the sunken wreck of USS Arizona, May 25, 1943. U.S. Naval Historical Center photo NH64303.

Of growing concern was the location and intention of the Japanese navy. Fleet commanders at Pearl Harbor ordered their officers to assemble a priority list of ships that could be put back into service. This could then allow the fleet the opportunity to prepare for battle and form strategies.

Fortunately, the fleet had sunk in shallow water, a circumstance that made salvage operations feasible. On December 14, 1941, Commander James Steele began to direct salvage operations. On January 9, 1942 he was relieved by Captain Wallin, who formed a salvage organization consisting of Navy officers and civilian contractors, such as Mr. Matthew Dillingham, Pacific Bridge Company and Morrison-Knudson.

Divers standing in front of a decompression chamber, while they were working to salvage ships at Pearl Harbor.
U.S. Naval Historical Center photo NH63921.

The civilian groups provided Wallin with the necessary tools and expertise to get the job done. In particular, the Pacific Bridge Co. recommended the use of underwater concrete to seal the holes of the ships in lieu of building sheet-steel cofferdams.

As salvage began, Wallin's first priority was the recovery of antiaircraft guns and directors from the stricken ships. This armament and equipment were then used to bolster the island's defenses as well as being provided to other ships. With the priorities for salvage set, work schedules around the clock were set in motion for the ships' crews and the Navy shipyard workers.

As he wrote about the salvage operation, there was "a dire shortage of pumping equipment, lumber and other materials. . . . However, the spirit of the times was to do the best with what we had."

The hazards for such an operation were high. Poisonous gas and unexploded ordnance were ever-present dangers that could result in fire, explosion and death. Hydrogen sulfide, a poisonous and highly flammable gas, was a particular problem, reportedly causing at least one fatal explosion. Sticking to a priority list, Captain Wallin began work on the less damaged ships so they could return to service as soon as possible.

By late 1944, Captain Wallin and his salvage teams had completed their task. The greatest maritime salvage operation the world had ever witnessed was history. Eighteen of twenty-one vessels had been returned to service. Supposedly insurmountable obstacles had been overcome by courage and skillful engineering. Lack of materials, fire and gas hazards, removal of explosives, extensive diving in hazardous waters and the removal of bodies were but a few of the major problems facing the salvage workers. In a cooperative effort, the civilian companies and the military authorities had achieved what others had deemed impossible. Overshadowed often by the disastrous day of infamy, it is a small footnote of history yet to be fully explored.