LIFE photographer Bob Landry is credited for snapping these photos aboard USS Lexington.
Bob arrived at Pearl Harbor aboard USS Henderson AP-1 on the morning of December 1, 1941. USS Lexington was at Pearl that day until the morning of December 5, 1941. Sometime between the time Bob arrived at Pearl on December 1st until he boarded USS Portland on December 5th, he managed to go on board USS Lexington to take these photos.
I'm not positive who the sailors are but I suspect that they are the 6 remaining Patton Brothers that were assigned to USS Nevada. Initially there was 7 Brothers assigned to Nevada but 1 brother was discharged from the Navy in October. Couple of issues with this theory is that Nevada was at sea between Dec 1st until December 5th. Also, Lexington had already left Pearl on Dec.5th about 2hrs before Nevada arrived.
If this is the 6 Patton Brothers, then they must have been left behind when Nevada left Pearl on November 28th.