Three days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, their submarines were still on station searching for
targets, especially a U. S. carrier group reported to be en route from Hawaii to the mainland. This report was
half true, there was a carrier group in the waters, but it was not heading to the U.S.A., it was looking for the
Japanese.

USS Enterprise CV-6 had been returning from Wake Island the day the Japanese attacked, aircraft from VB-6 and VS-6 had flown off the Enterprise earlier that morning to fly a scouting mission and then land at Ford Island. These aircraft found themselves right in the middle of the attack when they neared Pearl Harbor being shot at not only by the Japanese, but by the men on the ground as well. In the panic that ensued gunners on the ground shot at anything that was in the air without regard to the insignia on the wing. More than one of the Enterprise's six Dauntless SBD's shot down that day fell to U.S. gunners.

One of the planes shot down by the Japanese was 6-S-4 piloted by Lieutenant Clarence E. Dickinson Jr., USN, his radioman/gunner was Radioman 1st Class William C. Miller, USN. As they approached Pearl Harbor they could see the smoke from the attack and were then jumped by several Japanese fighters. His plane shot up and on fire he ordered Miller to bail out of the plane, sadly Miller had been killed by enemy bullets. Dickinson got out of the plane and landed safely.

Aircraft 6-S-2 piloted by Ensign Perry L. Teaff, USN and his passenger Lt. Commander Bromfield Nichol, USN were shot at by the Japanese and then, while landing at Ford Island by the U.S. Navy. Their plane was damaged by both, but the damage did not seem to be serious so he took off to search for the Japanese. However during the flight the aircraft's engine began to overheat and he began to have hydraulic problems which forced him to to return to Ford Island.

The Japanese had tried to kill both men on Dec. 7, 1941, but failed. Perhaps they should have tried harder, for on Dec. 10, 1941 they would take a measure of revenge against the Japanese Empire.

During a search 200 miles northeast of Pearl Harbor three Japanese submarines were located on the surface. They are not traveling together, but are found in separate location. One of these is the I-70. Ens. Teaff attacked the boat, damaging her so badly she could not submerge, but she was still afloat. Shortly after his attack, Lt. Dickinson finished the job and sent the I-70 to the bottom. The I-70 became the first Japanese warship sunk in the war by U. S. forces.

(Note: the USS Ward DD-139 sank a Japanese midget submarine attempting to enter Pearl Harbor the morning of Dec. 7 so one could argue this was the first Japanese warship sunk, however it could also be argued that since the attack against Pearl Harbor had not yet taken place technically the Pacific War had not yet started.)

The pilots the Japanese failed to kill returned to sink their submarine, and like the first U.S. merchant ship sunk in the Pacific War by the Japanese, the Cynthia Olson, the I-70 went down with her entire crew.