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.

Pearl Harbor Survivor Alvin Mays Dies at 96

October 12, 2018 ·  
More than 76 years ago, the United States suffered the loss of more than 2,400 lives on the devastating morning of December 7, 1941. From the Pearl Harbor attack there emerged people who would go on to become pillars of their communities and well-known figures. One such man was Alvin Mays. For many years, the […]
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The Nelsons of USS Arizona

September 27, 2018 ·  
The December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor was an effort by Imperial Japan to destroy—or at the very least seriously disable—the US Navy's Pacific Fleet. Battleships serving out of Pearl Harbor were primary targets, including the USS Arizona (BB-39). The mighty vessel was hit by four bombs, the last of which ignited her forward […]
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The Fate of the Captured Midget Submarine HA. 19

September 07, 2018 ·  
In the early morning hours of December 7, 1941, before the Imperial Japanese Navy’s warplanes reached Pearl Harbor, another group of vessels was moving toward the Oahu naval base. One of these was the ill-fated HA. 19, a Type A Ko-hyoteki-class midget submarine. Piloted by a crew of two, Ensign Kazuo Sakamaki and Chief Warrant Officer […]
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Francis Flaherty: Hero of USS Oklahoma

September 03, 2018 ·  
On December 14, 1941, seven days after the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, John Flaherty received a box of Christmas presents from his brother in Hawaii. At about the same time, US Navy officials were confirming that Francis Flaherty, an officer aboard USS Oklahoma (BB-37), had been killed in the attack. This was an […]
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Ships of Pearl Harbor: USS Rigel

August 27, 2018 ·  
Originally built as a civilian cargo ship, USS Rigel (AD-13/ARb-1/AR-11) was commissioned into the US Navy on February 24, 1922 as an Altair-class destroyer tender named for the brightest star in the Orion constellation. After refitting and shakedown, Rigel was assigned to San Diego, which would remain her home port until 1941. In April of 1941, USS Rigel […]
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Harry Simoneaux, Pearl Harbor, and the War in the Pacific

August 17, 2018 ·  
To be in charge of damage control during the attack on Pearl Harbor would guarantee witnessing the horrifying scene up close. Harry Simoneaux, a damage control officer aboard the destroyer tender USS Whitney (AD-4), was right in the thick of the attack that morning as he and his fellow crewmen were preparing to attend church […]
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Ships of Pearl Harbor: USS San Francisco

August 15, 2018 ·  
USS San Francisco (CA-38), a New Orleans-class cruiser, was laid down in September of 1931 and commissioned into the US Navy on February 10, 1934. Captain Royal E. Ingersoll served as the first commander of the new vessel, and saw her through multiple military exercises and Fleet Problems. On September 14th, 1939, soon after the outbreak […]
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USS West Virginia Survivor Archie Kelley Turns 100

August 09, 2018 · Jason Alghussein
When Archie Kelley turned 100 years old, it was a milestone that many others wished to celebrate with him. Kelley’s 100th birthday wasn’t just any centennial celebration. This was the milestone event for a survivor of the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. More than 76 years ago, men like Kelley found themselves in the […]
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USS Oklahoma Sailor George C. Ford Identified

August 06, 2018 ·  
The weight of the Pearl Harbor attack is still heavy for some families, such as the relatives of Fireman 2nd Class George C. Ford. Although the attack unfolded more than 76 years ago, some families were never able to have the closure that comes with burying their loved ones killed on the morning of December […]
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Learning Pearl Harbor: What Is a Dry Dock?

August 03, 2018 ·  
As you explore the fascinating history of the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, specifically the December 7, 1941 Japanese attack that forced the Americans into World War II, you’re bound to come across terms that aren’t commonplace in everyday vocabulary. At least not outside of a naval setting. The exhibits and memorials at the […]
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