Strafing off Barber's Point facts for kids

On December 8, 1941, the day after the Attack on Pearl Harbor, something sad and confusing happened near Kalaeloa, Hawaii. Four fishing boats, called sampans, were attacked by planes from the United States Army Air Forces. This attack, where planes shot at the boats with machine guns (called strafing), was a big mistake. Six fishermen died, and seven more were hurt.

What Happened During the Attack?

The four fishing boats, named Kiho Maru, Myojin Maru, Shin-ei Maru, and Sumiyoshi Maru, had left port days before the Pearl Harbor attack. One of the survivors, Seiki Arakaki, was on the Kiho Maru. He said his boat had been at sea since December 4.

A Strange Morning at Sea

On the morning of December 7, 1941, Mr. Arakaki and his crew saw thick smoke rising from Pearl Harbor. They knew something big was happening. That night, the island of Oahu was unusually dark because of a wartime blackout. Later, they learned about the attack on Pearl Harbor from another fishing boat that had a radio.

The Journey Home and the Attack

On December 8, the Kiho Maru and the other three sampans started heading back to their home port at Kewalo Basin. Mr. Arakaki remembered that when they were about two miles from Barber's Point, they saw planes. He said, "There were four or five Army P-40s flying over us… Each picked out a target and attacked."

The Sad Outcome

On the Kiho Maru, Sutematsu Kida, his son Kiichi Kida, and Kiho Uyehara were killed. Only Seiki Arakaki survived, but he was shot in the knee. On the Myojin Maru, Captain Kaichi Okada, Ogawa Mataichi, and Riyozo Okogi died. Only Sannosuke Onishi survived. Five people on the other two sampans were injured, and two were not hurt. A Coast Guard ship arrived and helped tow the damaged boats back to Kewalo Basin.

Who Died in the Attack?

Six fishermen lost their lives in this tragic event:

• Ogawa Mataichi
• Kaichi Okada
• Riyozo Okogi
• Sutematsu Kida
• Kiichi Kida
• Kiho Uyehara

What Happened After the Attack?

The seven injured fishermen were taken to Queens Hospital. They were guarded and questioned. Seiki Arakaki said they were asked if they had helped Japanese submarines or had "enemy bullets."

A Case of Mistaken Identity

At first, some people thought the attack might have been revenge for Pearl Harbor. This was because many people in the fishing industry were of Japanese descent. There were even false reports that the fishing boats had "returned fire." However, it was later understood that the planes had simply made a terrible mistake. They thought the fishing sampans were Japanese navy ships.

The six men who died were officially listed as casualties from the attack on Pearl Harbor. Sadly, about a year later, on December 12, 1942, two more sampans were strafed off the coasts of Kailua and Kohala.