In most people's minds, the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Pearl Harbor is the famous surprise attack in World War II. To this day, people are still willing to explore the inside story of the "Pearl Harbor attack", but few people know that the Red Navy was also stationed there for a long time in the hottest summer of 1943.

Gorshkov begins his memoirs about the Pacific War with these words, but he does not immediately tell the story of the bloody battle, but writes about Pearl Harbor in heavy strokes.

"The Hawaiian Islands, located in the eastern hinterland of Greater Binh Duong, about 3,800 kilometers off the west coast of the United States, are a group of islands formed by volcanic eruptions of the Pacific Plate's crustal movement. The archipelago consists of 132 large and small islands, forming a chain of islands that stretches for 2,450 kilometers. The eight largest of these islands are concentrated at the southeastern end of the island chain. The largest island is Hawaii Island, which Americans often call the Big Island in order to distinguish it from the entire archipelago. At 4,200 meters above sea level, the extinct volcano of Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii is the highest point in the archipelago and the highest mountain in the ocean. ”

"However, although Hawaii Island is the largest island, it is not the most populous and developed island, on the contrary, Oahu, the third largest island in terms of land area, is home to 90% of Hawaii's population, and Honolulu, the capital of Hawaii, and Pearl Harbor, the only natural harbor, are located on Oahu."

"Speaking of the Hawaiian Islands, we have to mention the colonial history of imperialism. This pearl of the Pacific Ocean was originally not part of the United States, but after the end of the civil war between the indigenous people of the Hawaiian Islands in 1795, all the tribes submitted to a chieftain named Kamekameha, who also founded the unified Hawaiian kingdom in 1810, known as Kamekameha I. ”

"Under the influence of Western missionaries, the Kingdom of Hawaii gradually abolished barbaric hierarchies and human and animal customs. By the time of the succession of Kamekhameha III. The Kingdom of Hawaii had been modernized, and the king himself had converted to Christianity. However, in the colonial era, the weak Hawaiian Kingdom was not destined to survive for long. As more and more colonists came to Hawaii, they brought with them advanced civilizations and technologies, as well as deadly exotic diseases such as smallpox and measles. Even more frightening was the fact that Camekameha III died childless in 1872, triggering a major riot over the succession to the throne. In the end, the Kingdom of Hawaii had to calm the situation with the help of British and American troops. ”

This also meant that Hawaii lost its independence and sovereignty, and Western colonists began to control the fate of the kingdom, they entered the government as ministers, and eroded the independence of the Kingdom of Hawaii through so-called democratic means such as constitution-making and elections. Finally, in 1893, with the 'help' of the U.S. Navy, the monarchy was overthrown and the Republic of Hawaii was established. What is even more ridiculous is that only five years later, Uncle Sam was impatient to annex a country that was not at all theirs - Hawaii was annexed to the United States as an overseas territory. After that, the Americans waited another 61 years to declare Hawaii officially the 50th state of the United States in 1959, and the former independent kingdom was finally reduced to a white star on the Star-Spangled Banner! ”

"Of course. As a soldier, I know very well why the United States is doing this, and the Hawaiian Islands and Pearl Harbor are so important. It is 2,400 nautical miles from San Francisco, 3,840 nautical miles from Tokyo, 5,300 nautical miles from Manila and 5,080 nautical miles from Sydney. This is the hub of the center of the Pacific Ocean, and if you control it, the power of American imperialism will radiate throughout the Pacific Ocean! ”

"That's because Hawaii is so important. For half a century, the Americans have been trying to strengthen the island's defenses. Objectively speaking. Oahu and Pearl Harbor are truly impregnable, and no one can conquer them from the water. Of course, we all know that with the development of technology, it is not enough to focus only on the enemy on the surface, and the Japanese taught the US Navy a lesson with aviation. I could see the scars from the attack from the bridge of the heavy cruiser USS Tallinn, which was still spilling heavy oil. The sea was pitch black, and this old battleship may have been telling its own pain in this way, reminding everyone that it is dangerous to forget about war! ”

However, the Americans' engineering efficiency is very high, a considerable number of damaged warships have been repaired, and various military facilities on the island have also been renovated. More anti-aircraft guns and aircraft are deployed here, and I believe that if the Japanese were smart enough, they would not want to take another adventure! ”

"My first impression of Hawaii was good, even in the midst of the war, it looked very modern and developed, at least much better than the cold Kronstadt. We were given a separate anchorage, and the Americans did as much secrecy as possible, and the docks were full of sailors in khaki uniforms with old-fashioned rifles. Anyone who is close to the shoreline and piers of the Red Navy anchorage for non-work reasons is to be subjected to severe questioning, even if he is an active-duty soldier. ”

"Gendarmes wearing white M1 steel helmets painted with MP are constantly patrolling, and we treat them like we do with the KGB. And the fighters were even more interested in their steel helmets, because the M1 steel helmets of the Americans were just too special. This kind of steel helmet is divided into two layers, the outer helmet is an iron shell, and the inner helmet is varied, there are fiber products and waterproof cardboard shells, of course, there are more paper shells in the early days. ”

"For me, the idea of the Americans is too unique, does the steel helmet need to be made into two layers inside and outside? At least not for the Soviet Red Army. However, I later learned that the reason why Americans are engaged in this kind of catamano helmet is that the lightweight helmet (inner helmet) can replace the standard military hat in daily duties, and it can be used in the garrison or assembly area. When it came time to go into battle, the soldier could quickly fasten his heavy helmet. To be honest, this is really a painful idea, anyway, in addition to making trouble for production, the only use of this design is to let some senior officers wear helmets and pos (in old historical photos, many senior officers of the US military wear M1 heroic photos, in fact, if you look closely, they only wear helmets, which is actually pretending to be forced). ”

"In addition to the M1 steel helmet, what the Americans can surprise us with is the ugly dog-eating pot hat worn by their sailors. To be honest, it's hard for me to imagine why the Americans made their naval demeanor so ugly? Anyway, our lads are very resistant to such ugly hats, and generally remember the military hats of our Red Navy. ”

"Of course, Uncle Sam didn't leave us with all bad impressions. For the luxurious life of the US Navy, the lads are extremely satisfied. Of course, I don't mean to criticize anything, there is nothing worth criticizing, any kind of weapons and equipment needs to be manipulated by people, and the quality of people will determine the effectiveness of these weapons. And people are very vulnerable. The chatter of the commissars is not as effective as a bottle of cold beer or a box of ice cream, and I earnestly hope that the Red Navy's logistical support level will be on par with that of its American counterpart. The Americans did a good job in this regard, and in order to alleviate the mental and physical fatigue of the officers and men of the Navy from the long hours on the cramped and well-organized warships, and to adjust the enormous pressure accumulated during the monotonous and restless voyages and bloody battles, the Americans built a large number of logistical facilities and invested huge sums of money. ”

"The Americans did everything they could to protect us, the foreign guests, and to be honest, the work was not easy to do, because of the need for secrecy. We, the Russians, would do well to stay out of the public eye, or even to have too much contact with real U.S. Navy officers and sailors. And at the time this was impossible. But in order to keep it as secret as possible, the Americans still solved the problem in a way that was deep pockets. ”

"Because it was inconvenient for us to go to Pearl Harbor for rest and recreation, they deliberately opened up leisure and entertainment facilities and venues on the nearby island for the use of Red Navy officers and men. First, they completely transformed the desert island to make it habitable. The island's weeds and bushes and other unsightly trees were completely cut down and sprayed with a large amount of herbicides. The island's low-lying wetlands are also filled with coral sand, and insecticides are regularly sprayed to eliminate the breeding and breeding of mosquitoes, flies and pests. In order to prevent the spread of various tropical diseases. ”

"Secondly, a large number of new leisure and entertainment facilities will be built. These include an air-conditioned 1,200-seat theatre with a stage built of movable prefabricated elements and 7 years long. 5 meters and 12 meters wide, it can be used for both stage plays and movies. The theater was built in just 10 days. The entertainment area also includes a bar that can accommodate 500 people to drink and chat, as well as a clean and tidy restaurant that provides a variety of sumptuous and delicious food to the officers and soldiers. ”

"The barracks dormitory on the island is also quite good. Every camp bed is covered with soft bedding, the nearby shops can buy a variety of goods from the American mainland, and the library can read the latest magazines and books (the Americans have translated them into Russian). Officers and soldiers who like sports also have many options on the island, with tennis, volleyball, basketball and baseball courts. Truth be told, we weren't used to playing baseball, and the empathetic Uncle Sam immediately converted it into a soccer field. ”

"Of course. If you want to rest completely, sunbathing is also a good choice, anyone can take a dip in the sea and then lie on the white sand to enjoy this rare peace, anyway, except for a very small number of medical staff, there are basically no women on the island, and this is the most regrettable place for the boys. ”

"It's also worth mentioning that although we Russians joined the U.S. Navy as volunteers, the Americans didn't see us as real volunteers. They pay every officer and soldier according to the standards of the US Navy, note that it is not rubles, but real dollars. To be honest, even if I am already a rear admiral, I have to admit that the salary of the US Navy is more attractive than that of the Red Navy. ”

"But it also raises a small problem, which is that the political commissar who came to the United States with us believes that these salaries should not be paid, but should be handed over to the state as valuable foreign currency, because the state has already paid every officer and soldier. To tell the truth, the proposal of Comrade Political Commissar made all the comrades not very happy and almost caused infighting. At the critical moment, Comrade Sukhoi consulted Andrei. After Comrade Petrovich, he announced that the state would not collect the money, that the comrades deserved these salaries, and that the state had no reason to occupy them. According to Comrade Sukhoi, Comrade Andrei's exact words were: 'Playing the piano indiscriminately, did the USSR lack such a small amount of money?' The soldiers fought bloodily on the front line, and they deserved to get a little bonus! ’。 To be honest, we generally believe that Comrade Andrei is more reasonable and more loved by his comrades, and we sincerely hope that he will be the core leader of the next term. This makes the big guys, including other comrades in the country, live a lot better. ”

"Moving back to the previous topic. In addition to the variety of entertainment activities on the island, the biggest benefit for us was the ability to distribute cold beers. Alcohol is strictly forbidden on ships, not even beer. And we Russians cannot do without the holy water of alcohol. Although there was a rule that each soldier could only get two bottles a day, the refreshing sensation of cold beer flowing down his throat was enough to relax his nerves and lift his spirits. ”

"Except for beer. The most popular thing on the island is ice cream, as we all know that Americans are very fond of ice cream, generally warships above the cruiser are equipped with ice cream machines, in order to take care of those sailors who serve on destroyers, torpedo boats and submarines, the US Navy even stipulates that ice cream is awarded as a prize to those officers and men who serve on small and medium-sized warships. For example, if a destroyer rescues a pilot who has landed or parachuted out at sea, it can ask the pilot's carrier or wing for ice cream equivalent to the pilot's weight as a reward. ”

"In the hot tropical seas, the effect of cold and sweet ice cream on morale is obvious, just like rewarding us with vodka. If you don't have ice cream, then something is going to be a big problem. It is said that on one occasion the ice cream machine on a large aircraft carrier was completely out of order. As a result, one of the ship's officers wrote in his diary, half-seriously and half-jokingly: 'Without ice cream, the crew will rebel!' ’。 And on the island we all had ice cream to our heart's content, and this led to a rather serious obesity problem, and Comrade Kuznetsov had to order the kitchen to reduce the use of grease and sugar......"

"It is worth mentioning that I later found out that the living conditions of our opponents, the Japanese, on the Pacific Islands, were nothing short of nightmare compared to the superior living conditions of the American army and us after leaving the battlefield. The Japanese do not say that they were on the front line in a difficult and difficult situation. Even in the rear base, its logistical supply is miserable! ”

"For example, Rabaul, the most important base of the Japanese army in the South Pacific, is undersupplied. Malnutrition is often present. Especially in the later period, when the Allies blockaded it, the devils often starved to death. So much so that the Japanese commander could only order his subordinates to fend for themselves, grow grain, fruits and vegetables, and hunt birds, beasts, fish, and shrimp. At one time, the devils could only chew hard and tasteless raw rice to survive. If you let this group of hungry people know that Americans are going to rebel because they don't have ice cream, I don't know what it would be like. ”

"Of course, we are not here to eat, drink, and enjoy the rotten life of capitalism in the United States, we are here to fight. It was a struggle to eliminate the Japanese fascists. It is reassuring to note that the vast majority of our officers and enlisted men have not forgotten this fundamental task. As soon as we arrived at Pearl Harbor, we began our acclimatization. ”

"To be honest, there are a lot of questions. Most of our ships and aircraft were not designed for use in the scorching tropics. For example, the VK-107 engine of the Yak-3K has a lot of power loss in the tropics, and it can only play 80% of the power. This led to a considerable decline in the tactical level of the fighters. ”

"The only thing that makes us feel fortunate is that our opponent is not particularly strong, the Japanese A6M3 is inferior to the Yak-3K in all technical standards, even if it is a circle-and-grappling zero battle, it is not too good, which makes our pilots a lot less stressed."

"In addition to the problems with the engine, another problem that plagues us with the Yak-3K is that it has too little fuel and a limited combat radius. Even shorter legs than the F4F equipped by the Americans, although the disposable drop fuel tank can solve this problem, but before leaving the country, probably out of secrecy, all the Yak-3K drop tanks were confiscated, and we were clearly told that this new type of equipment is not allowed to be used in front of US allies. ”

"Truth be told, it's really fucked up, and all of us unanimously want to greet the female relatives of the head of the Navy Command. Without auxiliary fuel tanks, the combat radius of our fighters will be significantly reduced, and this also means that it will be impossible for our attack aircraft to obtain the full escort of fighters when attacking some long-distance targets! It also means that the radius of air defense of our fleet has been artificially reduced. ”

"Comrades Kuznetsov and Sukhoi fought numerous verbal battles with the fools of the naval command over this issue, but these guys with heads full of shit did not listen to us at all and stubbornly carried out a rigid policy of secrecy. In this regard, I can't help but ask: if the new equipment is not taken out and used, but is locked in the warehouse and moldy, what is the significance of improving combat effectiveness? And why develop these new equipment? ”

"It is said that after setting sail, Comrade Sukhoi made a special report to Comrade Andrei to the relevant departments of the Navy. It seems that Comrade Andrei has directly intervened in this issue, and I hope that Comrade Andrei, who has great powers, will not let us down this time and will re-issue those precious auxiliary fuel tanks to us as soon as possible, because the battle is really getting closer and closer! (To be continued.) )

PS: Bow and thank gi, Prince Chu, xxxxxxjj, Rustic Duanfang, Holding Po Lunzi, Nanyue Manlong, Heba Zixin and Comrade Juventus!