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Electricians Mate 1st Class Stanley A Kalina USN Signed Naval Art
Naval Art  Signatures J to L  Kalina, Stanley A |
[UP] - Janvrin, Sir Hugh Dick - Jewett, Frederick - Jones, N - Jones, Treasure - Joth, Horst Joachim - Kalina, Stanley A - Kidd, H A - Kimbell, George - Koitschka, Siegfried - Korbjuhn, Gerhard - Kretschmer, Otto - Kuhn, Karl - Kuhnt, Heinrich - Kumm, Otto - Land, John - Landfermann, Karl-August - Langdell, Joseph - Lange, Hans-Gunther - Layard, Sir Michael - Leach, Sir Henry - Leahy, Alan - Lewin, Lord - Linton, Ron - Luer, Wilhelm - Lumby, Sir Michael - Lux, Clarence - Lynch, Lyndle |
Electricians Mate 1st Class Stanley A Kalina USN
Born in 1921 in Rockville, Connecticut Stanley ('Steven') Kalina enlisted in the US Navy prior to WW 11. After training in Newport, Rhode Island, Kalina was assigned to the USS Nitro. Following several months on the crew of the Nitro, Kalina was transferred to the USS West Virginia. Kalina was on the bridge of the West Virginia on the fateful morning of December 7, 1941. Upon seeing the oncoming planes and witnessing the attack Kalina's first reaction was that a terrible mistake was happening. After the first wave of Japanese torpedo bombers had scored hits up and down battleship row, Kalina realized what was happening. The West Virginia took several hits and all power was lost to its gun turrets, which made the ship a defenseless target. The West Virginia was attacked by both torpedo and dive bombers, and was also the victim of several strafing attacks by Zero fighters. The attack lasted for about three hours, and with its decks awash, the order was passed to abandon ship. Kalina dove overboard, and had to swim hard to avoid the burning fuel oil from the USS Arizona, which had exploded directly aft of the West Virginia. After thirty minutes in the water Kalina was picked up by a reserve boat from the USS Solace, a hospital ship stationed at Pearl Harbor. The rescue boat took Kalina to Ford Island. There he boarded a whale boat which shuttled fire extinguishers to several burning ships. The rest of the day was spent tending to the casualties and assisting in fighting the fires. Following the attack at Pearl Harbor Kalina served on several other ships including the USS Henderson and the USS Radford. Later in the War Kalina saw action during the Solomon campaign. Naval ships were bombarding Japanese strongholds on Guadacanal, and several surface engagements took place as the Japanese Navy attempted to disrupt the invasion. Kalina was manning a searchlight while at General Quarters one evening when his light illuminated the bow of the USS Helena, which was sinking. Kalina's ship assisted in rescuing many of the Helena's crew. He was discharged from the Navy in September of 1944. Following his discharge Kalina enrolled at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He joined North American Phillips in Seneca Falls, New York, where he met his wife-to-be, Dorothy. The Kalina's have one daughter, Linda, who became an accomplished equestrian showing quarter horses throughout the eastern United States. The Kalinas reside on a small horse farm in Geneva, New York with their granddaughter Carrie.
| Electricians Mate 1st Class Stanley A Kalina USN - Signed Naval Art Naval Crew Signatures |
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Battleship Row by Stan Stokes. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto attended Harvard University where he gained a good understanding of American culture and developed an avid interest in the game of poker. Yamamoto played his cards when he outlined a plan to attack Pearl Harbor in January 1941. In April the Japanese organized a First Air Fleet with Vice Admiral Nagumo as its Commander in Chief. Commander Minoru Genda was appointed air staff officer, and because Nagumo was unfamiliar with air tactics, Genda was given responsibility for planning the attack on Pearl Harbor. Cdr. Genda immediately began perfecting the Pearl Harbor plan, and few details were overlooked. The Imperial Navys First Air Fleet consisted of six carriers. The Akagi, flagship of the strike force, was a converted cruiser which carried 63 aircraft. The Kaga also carried 63 aircraft, and was a converted battleship. The Soryu was the first carrier built from the ground up and was similar to the Hiryu. Each carrier had a compliment of 54 aircraft. With two additional carriers, the Zuikaku and the Shokaku, the fleet had a total of 378 aircraft. Three different types of aircraft were utilized for the attack. Mitsubishi A6M2 Zeros, a highly maneuverable single seat fighter, was responsible for obtaining air control and for strafing aircraft and ground installations. Aichi D3A1 Vals, with two-man crews, were utilized for dive bombing. Nakajima B5N2 Kates were responsible for horizontal bombing and torpedo bombing. The Kate carried a crew of three and had a cruising speed of only 160 MPH. During the first wave of the attack 183 aircraft were deployed. Torpedo aircraft from the Akagi, the Hiryu, and the Kaga targeted battleship row during this first wave. As portrayed in Stan Stokes life-like painting, a Japanese Kate from the Akagi launches its torpedo from very low altitude. Not far in the distance looms the USS West Virginia and Tennessee, virtual sitting ducks. The Japanese had trained carefully, and had modified their Kai Model 2 torpedoes to accommodate the shallow waters of Pearl Harbor. While caught by surprise, the USN was fortunate that its carriers were not in port, and that the Japanese had failed to destroy many of the support and repair facilities. This stroke of good luck permitted the USN to repair many of the ships damaged in the attack quite quickly. The devastating blow Yamamoto had planned for December 7, 1941 backfired by infuriating American public opinion, and eventually lead to Imperial Japans defeat and unconditional surrender. |
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