Pearl Harbor Hanger 6 Column 19

 Via Eugene

 

 

Your readers can probably clarify the size of the bullet that made the hole. I have always thought it was 20mm, and I think the only plane with that gun in the attack was the Zero. There were a lot of smaller holes in braces and gussets that went with the scrap, Probably 30 caliber.

The first part of this news film show Hanger 6 burning.  https://youtu.be/A2kSnlS4xX8 From about :50 to 1:50.

 

One of my regrets from this job was pulling door guide tower and destroying the signal light used for communication with ships entering Pearl Harbor. It is to the right of the hanger in the film clip.  It was all brass, with the shutters for signaling. and had about a 16" lens  I was under time pressure to complete the job and just wasn't paying attention to the historical value. Column 19 survived because it was towards the end and the project had settled into a routine. I shipped 800 tons of scrap steel off the island in 3 months using the Navy Ferry. Since then they built a bridge and took the ferry out of service.

~~Eugene

 

 

The bullet above was found on the German U-Boat U-576, which was sunk off the NC coast. Below it is the piece in question.

Wreck of WWII German U-boat found off North Carolina

This is a shot of the column with your piece sitting on the trimmed edge. While this is not the original position, the patina is a match. The arrow is pointing  to the fire station on column 19.

                                                                                  

My Uncle Charlie on the right who was stationed at Pearl Harbor.  Once my Sister Anne mentioned Uncle Charlie and said "Now, Uncle Charlie was a good looking man, um um, a good looking man." :)