The USS Arizona Memorial is fully open following the completion of preservation work

The Attack on Pearl Harbor

December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy.
Just before 8 a.m. local time on Sunday, December 7, 1941, 353 Japanese aircraft launched from six carriers struck the U.S. Pacific Fleet at anchor in Pearl Harbor. Within two hours, eight battleships were damaged or destroyed, 188 aircraft lay in ruins, and 2,403 Americans had been killed. The first wave hit at low altitude with torpedo bombers; the second arrived twenty minutes later with high-level bombers and fighters strafing what was left.

The articles in this collection examine the attack from every angle: the diplomatic breakdown that preceded the first wave, the radar warning, the strikes on Battleship Row, and the strategic miscalculations the Japanese command made before, during, and after the raid — including the fateful decision not to launch a third wave against the harbor's fuel tanks and dry-dock facilities. Whether you're researching the chain of events, the human toll, or the immediate aftermath, you'll find primary-source accounts, ship-by-ship damage reports, and historian-led analysis here.

When you're ready to walk the harbor itself, book a guided tour of the USS Arizona Memorial and Battleship Missouri — the two sites that bookend America's entry into and victory in the Pacific War. For visitors short on time, the Pearl Harbor Excursion short tour covers the essentials in a single morning, with round-trip transportation from Waikiki.

The attack reshaped the twentieth century in under 110 minutes, drawing a divided isolationist America into the largest war in human history. The articles below help explain how, and why, those minutes still matter.

The Effects of War: Martial Law in Hawaii

August 18, 2017 ·  
In the immediate aftermath of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, while the rest of the United States was gearing up for the great fight against the Axis Powers, the Hawaiian Islands were still stunned by what had happened in their midst. Though not yet a state, responsibility for Hawaii’s safety […]
Read More

Pearl Harbor: The Third Wave That Never Came

August 17, 2017 ·  
Over the course of two hours, the Imperial Japanese Navy launched two destructive waves of fighters and bombers on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor. The attack caused the deaths of over 2,400 Americans and left an immense amount of damage in its wake; but as devastating as it was at the time, the […]
Read More

More from the Deck Logs of the Pearl Harbor Attack

August 14, 2017 ·  
There’s really only one way to truly get the most information and best understanding of an event, and that’s to have been there, on the inside, as it unfolded. While the attack on Pearl Harbor happened over 75 years ago and most of the men who survived it to tell the story have since passed […]
Read More

The Bell of the USS Vestal

August 14, 2017 ·  
Relics of war pop up in some unexpected places, carried from one end of the world to the other, sometimes by ocean currents or other forces of nature, and sometimes by a relative of a soldier. Pearl Harbor artifacts continue to be found, such as the recent discovery of what one man believed to be […]
Read More

The Phantoms of the Pacific: Kido Butai

August 12, 2017 ·  
It patiently waited, its target only 230 miles away. Waves rocked the ships as their commanders prepared for the inevitable launch that would change the world. The Pacific skies were blue, the first rays of the morning sun shining on the men scrambling across the decks of the massive force. Days prior, the fleet had […]
Read More

How Pearl Harbor Changed the World

August 11, 2017 ·  
Updated on July 29, 2024 After Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939, the United States opted to remain isolated from the conflict in Europe. As the British and French struggled to fight back the Nazi forces, the United States lent support in the form of resources, but decided not to get more involved by sending […]
Read More

Aftermath of Pearl Harbor: The Roberts Commission

August 10, 2017 ·  
What exactly had happened? How did a fleet of over 400 enemy aircraft make its way across the Pacific undetected and into Hawaiian airspace? Why, over the course of two hours, did the Pearl Harbor and surrounding airfields suffer such devastating losses? These were just some of the questions that arose after the attack on […]
Read More

Pearl Harbor: Terms and People to Know

August 09, 2017 ·  
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor remains one of the most important events in American history. The horrific loss of life and the sinking of vital American ships on the morning of December 7, 1941 drew the United States into World War II and eventually made it the world power it is today. Once firmly […]
Read More

Leaders of the US Navy at Pearl Harbor

July 31, 2017 ·  
At the time of the December 7th, 1941 surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, some of America's best military minds were stationed there. Like all the other officers and enlisted men who were enjoying that peaceful Sunday morning, they were unaware of the magnitude of the tragedy that was heading towards them in the early hours of […]
Read More

After Pearl Harbor: American War Production

July 28, 2017 ·  
On December 6th, 1941, life in the United States was just like any other day. People went to work, factories produced whatever products or tools they always had; there wasn’t a lot for the nation to worry about, save for concerns about what was happening in Europe. World War II had been going on since […]
Read More
1 … 8 9 10 11 12 … 21

Find a Tour

Popular

Official Passport to Pearl Harbor

Self-Paced Tour

6-8 hours (approx.)
From $99.99
Popular

The Complete Pearl Harbor Tour from Waikiki

Scheduled Tour

10 hours (approx.)
From $199

Get Your Free Oʻahu Visitor’s Guide

Packed with insider tips, must-see sights, and exclusive discounts. Start planning your Oʻahu vacation now.

pearlharbor.org is a non-government site that provides information and assistance to those interested in visiting Pearl Harbor. It is operated by Mauka Tours, LLC a licensed Tour Agency in Hawaii. 
© 2026 Mauka Tours LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of UsePrivacy Policy