The Attack on Pearl Harbor: Dec. 7, 1941 | Photos
Battle Fleet
The United States Battle Fleet steaming in column off the California coast during the middle or later 1920s. The three leading ships are (in no particular order) Colorado (BB 45), Maryland (BB 46) and West Virginia (BB 48) followed by Tennessee (BB 43) and three older battleships. Photograph taken from California (BB 44). U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photo
Adm. Husband E. Kimmel
Adm. Husband E. Kimmel with staff. Kimmel was promoted over 32 senior officers to be Commander in Chief, Pacific (CINCPAC) in February 1941. He replaced Adm. Joseph O. Richardson, who had argued vehemently against the fleet being relocated to Hawaii from the United States West Coast. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photo
Japanese Carriers
Japanese aircraft, including Aichi D3A1 Vals, warm up on the deck of an unidentified Japanese carrier before launching. The carrier Soryu is in the background. The Japanese carrier fleet for the attack on Pearl Harbor consisted of Akagi, Kaga, Shokaku, Zuikaku, Soryu, and Hiryu. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photo
Kate Takes Off
A Nakajima B5N1 "Kate" torpedo bomber speeds down the flight deck of a Japanese carrier, cheered on by crewmen as it heads for Pearl Harbor. The carrier is either the Shokaku or Zuikaku. National Archives photo
Zero Takes Off
An A6M2 Zero launches from the Japanese carrier Akagi for the Pearl Harbor attack. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photo
The First Shots
Gun crew of the No. 3 gun of the destroyer USS Ward. They fired the first shot of the war for the United States, sinking a Japanese midget submarine outside of the anchorage. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photo
Battleship Row Under Attack
This Japanese photo, captured later in the war, shows Battleship Row under attack by Japanese aircraft. Torpedo tracks head for West Virginia (BB 48) and Oklahoma (BB 37), where a shock wave from a previous hit is visible spreading out over the water. National Archives photo
Vals Off Wing of B-17
B-17s flying into Hawaii were caught in the middle of the attack. Two Japanese Aichi D3A1 "Val" dive-bombers are shown here off the wing of a B-17E as they move off after attacking it. National Archives photo
Wheeler Field Burns
Some Army Air Force P-36 Hawks and P-40 Tomahawks still survive at Wheeler Field as many others burn, parked in ranks to deter sabotage but making easy targets for attacking Japanese aircraft. National Archives photo
Battleship Row from Above
Battleship Row seen from above in another Japanese photo. Nevada (BB 36), at far left, is wreathed in smoke and streaming oil from her torpedo hit. Arizona (BB 39), just to the right of her, has not yet been hit with the armor-piercing bomb that will destroy her, and the old repair ship Vestal (AR 4) is moored outboard. Tennessee (BB 43) is just to the right of Arizona, with West Virginia (BB 48) moored outboard, and Oklahoma (BB 37), to the right of West Virginia, is already listing to port. Inboard of Oklahoma is Maryland (BB 46). National Archives photo
AAF B-17 Tries to Land
An Army Air Forces B-17E Flying Fortress with landing gear lowered tries to find a safe place to land during the attack. In the foreground is the seaplane tender Avocet (AVP 4). National Archives photo
Dive Bomber
A Japanese Aichi D3A1 Val dive bomber, dive brakes and bomb crutch still extended, pulls out of its dive low over Pearl Harbor. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photo
California Settling
USS California, afire and listing from two torpedo hits, settles to the harbor bottom. The guns from her traversed No. 1 turret have been elevated through her awning. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photos
Arizona Blows Up
An armor-piercing bomb detonates the Arizona's forward magazine. National Archives photo
Ford Island Aftermath
A more or less intact PBY Catalina flying boat, and Vought OS2U Kingfisher and Curtiss SOC Seagull floatplanes are isolated from the rest of the wrecked Navy aircraft on Ford Island. Smoke from the battleship Nevada and flames from the exploding destroyer Shaw rise in the background. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photo
B-17s at Hickam Field
One of the 38th Reconnaissance Squadron's B-17Es on the ground at Hickam Field. In the background is a B-17C and a column of smoke coming from the burning Arizona. National Archives photo
Marines Await Attack
Greasy black smoke darkens the sky behind the Marine barracks as Marines await the next attack. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photo
Shaw Explodes
During the second wave of Japanese air attacks, three bombs hit the destroyer Shaw, helpless in drydock, and set her magazines off in a massive explosion. In the foreground is the battleship Nevada, deliberately run aground after her abortive attempt to escape the harbor. National Archives photo
The End of Nevada’s Sortie
USS Nevada (BB 36) beached and burning at 0925 hours after her attempt to exit the harbor. Hit by Japanese bombs and torpedoes, she was beached at Hospital Point to prevent her sinking and blocking the channel. The harbor Tugboat Hoga (YT-146) is alongside Nevada´s port bow, helping to fight fires on the battleship's forecastle. National Archives photo
Destroyed P-40
The remains of a P-40 Tomahawk at Wheeler Field being cannibalized for parts to get other salvageable aircraft into the air. National Archives photo
Arizona Burns
USS Arizona burns, her superstructure leaning over the shattered forward hull, torn open by the explosion of the forward magazine. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photo
The View from Oglala
Battleship Row seen from the capsized USS Oglala. USS Maryland, center right, was protected from Japanese torpedoes by the USS Oklahoma moored outboard. The unfortunate Oklahoma, whose upturned hull lies next to the Maryland, took several torpedoes, and rolled over and sank after only 15 minutes, taking 429 of her crew with her. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photo
USS Northampton Enters Pearl Harbor
USS Northampton (CA 26), part of the Enterprise carrier task force, enters Pearl Harbor after the attack. If the task force hadn't been delayed by rough weather, the Enterprise, one of the Pacific Fleet's few precious carriers, might have been lost along with the battleships. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photo
Arizona’s Remains
There was no question of refloating the shattered Arizona, but some of her equipment was salvaged, and most of the Pacific Fleet's battleships were repaired, refitted, and returned to the fight. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photo
Nevada Sails Again
USS Nevada departing Pearl Harbor after temporary repair of bomb and torpedo damage, possibly taken as the ship was leaving Pearl Harbor for a trial run. On April 22, 1942, she steamed to the Puget Sound Navy Yard for permanent repairs and modernization. National Archives photo
Nemesis Untouched
A Japanese aircraft passes over the submarine base on the way to Battleship Row, burning in the background. The Japanese failed to attack Pearl Harbor's submarine base and fuel storage tanks, an error that would cost them dearly. Submarines sank 60 percent of Japanese merchant ships and 30 percent of the Japanese navy's warships. National Archives photo
- Written by: Chuck Oldham (Editor) on December 7, 2012
- Categories: Conflicts & Operations, Defense-Wide
- Tags: Military History, Naval Aviation, US Military, World War II: 70 Years
- Comments: No Comments
While we have covered the Pearl Harbor attack extensively elsewhere, both in posts for Defense Media Network and in print, we wanted to commemorate this anniversary with a slideshow of photos taken before, during, and after the attack in order to keep alive the memory of a “day which will live in infamy.”
Book Review – The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944-1945
The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944-1945 by Rick Atkinson, is the third volume i...
U.S. Navy Missile Defense: Operation Burnt Frost
The recent situation in Northeast Asia has been extensively covered by Defense Media Network. Over t...
U.S. Navy Missile Defense: Evolution of the Standard Missile
It’s the Missile that Hits the Target The U.S. Navy has a long and largely successful history of ...
The Granville Raid
By the beginning of 1945, the German occupation of the British Channel Islands was well into its fif...
Leave a Comment