Statement of Ensign Anthony R. Schubert:
From: USS Arizona Action Report - 13 December 1941

At about 0755 Sunday, December 7, I was shaving in the wardroom head of the U.S.S. Arizona. I heard the air raid siren sound over the announcing system for about one second's duration, followed by the Passed word, "Air Raid". At the same time I could hear scattered gunfire. I went to the my room and looked out the port, where I saw several low-winged monoplanes at low altitude flying away from the line of moored battleships, apparently having finished a bombing or torpedo attack. I then heard the general alarm sound and the word passed for general quarters, and put on a pair of dungarees and slippers to go to my general quarters station, secondary Conn.

There were during this time one or more explosions which filled the air with fumes and vented out the port. The worst explosion filled the inboard end of the room with flame and left a residue of orange smoke which continued to vent out the port. By this time the ship was down by the bow and sinking so rapidly that the lines from the ship to the after key were snapping. I took a breath of air from out the port and went into the passageway, aft and up through a stores hatch which had been blown open.

Lt. Comdr. Fuqua was directing operations on the quarter deck. I assisted in opening the hatches and in getting the wounded, chiefly burn cases, into the launches sent from the U.S.S. Solace. The ship was still sinking rapidly and oil was burning on the water and spreading aft. Because of the damage received there was no pressure on the firemain with which to fight the fire. I left the ship in the gig and returned in a motor boat with which we make two trips to the Ford Island landing removing men from the ship. We picked up Ensign Lennig, U.S.N.R. from the water, and I had the boat crew leave me off at the U.S.S. Solace to have a cut on head and burns on my hand and arm dressed.

Printer Friendly Version (Opens in New Window)

Return to Survivor Stories Index