PROCEEDINGS OF ROBERTS COMMISSION Page 615

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The Chairman. In the event of a hostile air attack, the effort would be to sortie the battleships?

Admiral Halsey. A great deal depends, sir. We might have had a very much worse catastrophe here if these vessels has been in the process of sortieing when this happened. For instance, my ship, my task force had planned to be off Pearl about seven o'clock in the morning, and by the grace of God we had bad weather out there that held us up and I could not have gotten in until about four o'clock in the afternoon.

It might have happened that I would be in the middle of the channel when this thing happened, and that would have been very serious, because we would have been sunk, and then we would have something.

Admiral Reeves. What is your flagship, Admiral?

Page 616 CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION PEARL HARBOR ATTACK.

Admiral Halsey. The USS ENTERPRISE.

The Chairman. The USS ENTERPRISE, a carrier.