PEARL HARBOR ATTACK

DEC. 7, 1941
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 Lexingtonwas 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 a 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, Kaneoheand 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 (Killed In Action), 364 WIA. (Wounded In Action).__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 Utah (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-37 2) - 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).