Pearl Harbor ! On Sunday, December 7th, 1941 the Japanese launched a surprise attack against the U.S. Forces stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. By planning his attack on a Sunday, the Japanese commander Admiral Nagumo, hoped to catch the entire fleet in port. As luck would have it, the Aircraft Carriers and one of the Battleships were not in port. (The USS Enterprise was returning from Wake Island, where it had just delivered some aircraft. The USS Lexington was ferrying aircraft to Midway, and the USS Saratoga and USS Colorado were undergoing repairs in the United States.) In spite of the latest intelligence reports about the missing
aircraft carriers (his most important
targets), Admiral Nagumo decided to continue the attack with his force
of six carriers and
423 aircraft. At a range of 230 miles north of Oahu, he launched the first
wave of a two-wave attack. Beginning at 0600 hours his first wave consisted
of 183 fighters and torpedo bombers which struck at the fleet in Pearl
Harbor and the airfields in Hickam, Kaneohe and Ewa. The second strike,
launched at 0715 hours, consisted of 167 aircraft, which again struck
at the same targets. At 0753 hours the first wave consisting of 40 Nakajima
B5N2 "Kate" torpedo bombers, 51 Aichi D3A1 "Val" dive
bombers, 50 high altitude bombers and 43 Zeros struck airfields and Pearl
Harbor. Within the next hour, the second wave arrived and continued the
attack. When it was over, the U.S. losses were: Casualties USA: 218 KIA,
364 WIA. USN: 2,008 KIA, 710 WIA. USMC: 109 KIA, 69 WIA. Civilians: 68
KIA, 35 WIA. TOTAL: 2,403 KIA, 1,178 WIA. Battleships USS Arizona (BB-39)
- total loss when a bomb hit her magazine. USS Oklahoma (BB-37) - Total
loss when she capsized and sunk in the harbor. USS California (BB-44)
- Sunk at her berth. Later raised and repaired. USS West Virginia (BB-48)
- Sunk at her berth. Later raised and repaired. USS Nevada - (BB-36) Beached
to prevent sinking. Later repaired. USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) - Light damage.
USS Maryland (BB-46) - Light damage. USS Tennessee (BB-43) Light damage.
USS U tah (AG-16) - (former battleship used as a target) - Sunk. Cruisers
USS New Orleans (CA-32) - Light Damage.. USS San Francisco (CA38) - Light
Damage. USS Detroit (CL-8) - Light Damage. USS Raleigh (CL-7) - Heavily
damaged but repaired. USS Helena (CL-50) - Light Damage. USS Honolulu
(CL-48) - Light Damage.. Destroyers USS Downes (DD-375) - Destroyed. Parts
salvaged. USS Cassin - (DD-372) Destroyed. Parts salvaged. USS Shaw (DD-373)
- Very heavy damage. USS Helm (DD-388) - Light Damage. Minelayer USS Ogala
(CM-4) - Sunk but later raised and repaired. Seaplane Tender USS Curtiss
(AV-4) - Severely damaged but later repaired. Repair Ship USS Vestal (AR-4)
- Severely damaged but later repaired. Harbor Tug USS Sotoyomo (YT-9)
- Sunk but later raised and repaired. Aircraft
188 Aircraft destroyed (92 USN and 92 U.S. Army Air Corps.)
