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.

What Happened to the Japanese Fighters Who Were Shot Down?

February 07, 2017 ·

The attack on Pearl Harbor ended with much heavier losses sustained by the Americans than the Japanese, but the raiding party of 353 fighters still lost men and equipment. By the time the Japanese finished their raid—leaving behind pillars of smoke and raging fires—29 fighters had been lost and around 65 pilots were killed. While […]

How Weather Affected Pearl Harbor

January 29, 2017 ·

You might think you know everything there is to know about the history-changing attack on Pearl Harbor, but there are still some elements that get lost amid the retellings, exhibits, and memorials. Though it may not seem like a vital piece of the puzzle that led to the destruction at Oahu’s military harbor, weather played […]

Japan’s Initiative: What if the Attack on Pearl Harbor Never Happened?

January 21, 2017 ·

We know that on December 7th, 1941, Japanese bombers launched an attack on Pearl Harbor, officially drawing the United States into World War II. After the attack, American forces battled in the Pacific and European fronts, lending aid to Allied soldiers at Normandy and other notable battles while fending off Japan’s forces on the other […]

The Newspaper Ad Warning

January 14, 2017 ·

One very important thing when learning about history is ensuring that what you’re reading is accurate. As you dig through countless articles and blogs retelling the events of calamities like the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, you may come across mentions of a newspaper ad that allegedly served as a forewarning of […]

Laid to Rest: Burials After the Battle

January 13, 2017 ·

The battle is long over, succeeded by 75 years of American history, but there are still soldiers who were killed in the thick of the Japanese attack that were somehow never given the proper burial they deserve. Sailors like Walter Henry Sollie, a crewman on the USS Oklahoma, never made it out of the battle […]

More Facts About Pearl Harbor You May Not Know

January 12, 2017 · Chris

You’ve read the history books, toured the memorials, and even listened to stories from surviving veterans, but there is still so much more to the attack on Pearl Harbor that you may not know. It’s a much talked about event, one of the worst attacks on American soil by a foreign power, and with that […]

History of the Harbor

December 14, 2016 ·

History of the Harbor Do an online search for Pearl Harbor and you'll find countless results pointing towards one devastating day in the history of the harbor. On December 7th, 1941, with the rest of the world already locked in battle, the United States was forced into the fray when Japanese bombers flew in and […]

The Underwater Attack That Could Have Crippled the Entire US Navy

December 09, 2016 ·

75 years ago, life in the islands of Hawaii was changed forever. After decades of change, with the decline in numbers of the Native Hawaiian population and loss of the monarchy, becoming first a Republic and then an American territory, the people of the islands were hit with an even bigger blow when Japanese forces launched the […]

Battle of Iwo Jima

November 25, 2016 ·

Pearl Harbor was the start of the Battle of the Pacific and the beginning of the United States' involvement in World War II. Prior to the attack Pearl Harbor, the US had taken a stance of isolationism. Between the Great Depression and vivid memories of World War I, public opinion was decidedly against entering the […]

Notable Letters From Pearl Harbor

November 24, 2016 ·

“If I live thru it, I’ll be glad not to have missed it.” These are the words Mrs Jane Colestock, wife of Lieutenant Edward Colestock, wrote just days after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Along with many others, Jane had family and friends overseas while she was in the midst of the […]

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The Attack on Pearl Harbor

What Happened to the Japanese Fighters Who Were Shot Down?

How Weather Affected Pearl Harbor

Japan’s Initiative: What if the Attack on Pearl Harbor Never Happened?

The Newspaper Ad Warning

Laid to Rest: Burials After the Battle

More Facts About Pearl Harbor You May Not Know

History of the Harbor

The Underwater Attack That Could Have Crippled the Entire US Navy

Battle of Iwo Jima

Notable Letters From Pearl Harbor

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