The Minot Daily News reported the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941, in its next day's publication.
However, the newspaper did not have photos of the attack to publish for about 10 days.
When the newspaper published the first photos of the attack for its readers was on Thursday, Dec. 18.
Article Photos
Eloise Ogden/MDN • These photos of pages of The Minot Daily News show the newspaper’s first photos of the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. The first photos were published in the Thursday, Dec. 18, 1941, newspaper.
Today is the 71st anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It's a date that President Franklin D. Roosevelt said was "a date which will live in infamy." The next day Roosevelt addressed a joint session of Congress and the people of the nation by radio. The Senate responded with a unanimous vote in support of war. The House had one dissenting vote - Montana member Jeanette Rankin. That afternoon, Roosevelt signed the declaration of war.
According to the National Park Service which operates the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, here's some of the details of what took place on the day of the bombing. One hundred thirty vessels of the U.S. Pacific Fleet were in the harbor at the time:
- The first wave of Japanese aircraft arrived over their target areas shortly before 7:55 a.m.
- At about 8:10 a.m., the USS Arizona exploded, having been hit by a 1,760-pound armor-piercing bomb that slammed through her deck and ignited her forward ammunition magazine. In less than 9 minutes, the Arizona sank with its 1,177 crewmembers.
- The USS Oklahoma, hit by several torpedoes, rolled completely over, trapping more than 400 men inside.
- The California and West Virginia sank at their moorings, while the Utah, converted to a training ship, capsized with more than 50 of her crew.
- The Maryland, Pennsylvania and Tennessee, all suffered significant damage.
- The Nevada attempted to run out to sea but took several hits and had to be beached to avoid sinking and blocking the harbor entrance.
While the attack on Pearl Harbor intensified, other military installations on Oahu were hit. Hickam, Wheeler and Bellows airfield, Ewa Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay Naval Air Station and Schofield Barracks suffered various degrees of damage.
Hundreds of planes were destroyed on the ground and hundreds of men killed or wounded.
After about 5 minutes, American anti-aircraft fire began to register hits, although many of the shells that had been improperly fired fell on Honolulu, where residents assumed them to be Japanese bombs.
After a lull at about 8:40 a.m., the second wave of attacking planes focused on continuing the destruction inside the harbor, destroying the USS Shaw, Sotoyomo, a dry dock, and heavily damaging the Nevada, forcing her aground. They also attacked Hickam and Kaneohe airfields, causing heavy loss of life and reducing American ability to retaliate.
Army Air Corps pilots managed to take off in a few fighters and may have shot down 12 enemy planes.
At 10 a.m., the second wave withdrew to the north, and the attack was over. The Japanese lost a total of 29 planes and five midget submarines, one of which was captured when it ran aground off Bellows Field.
Although the U.S. Pacific Fleet was shattered, its aircraft carriers (not in port at the time of the attack), were still afloat and Pearl Harbor was surprisingly intact. The shipyards, fuel storage areas and submarine base suffered no more than slight damage.
Reports said at least 12 men from North Dakota went down with the Arizona that day and Richard Hauff, of Kulm, was the only North Dakotan who survived.
He was in the "belly" of the ship, according to the City of Kulm website. Hauff was honored by Gov. William Guy on the 25th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. He was the state president of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association at the time. Hauff died Aug. 9, 1989.