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.

Ships of Pearl Harbor: USS Dobbin

July 03, 2018 ·  
On May 5th, 1921, a new destroyer tender was launched. Commissioned into the US Navy in July of 1924, USS Dobbin (AD-3) was named for former Secretary of the Navy James Cochrane Dobbin. USS Dobbin spent much of her early years sailing between the United States, Guantanamo Bay, and eventually San Diego via the Panama Canal to […]
Read More

Pearl Harbor Ships on the Morning of the Attack

June 29, 2018 · Jason Alghussein
There were 130 vessels of the US Navy's Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor on December 7th 1941, the day of the Japanese surprise attack. Ninety-six of the Pearl Harbor ships were warships. Eight of these were battleships, seven of which were lined up along Battleship Row, making them easy targets for the attackers. Pearl Harbor […]
Read More

Pearl Harbor and the Visiting Football Teams

June 26, 2018 ·  
The political climate between the United States and Japan was tense when a group of college athletes from two football teams set out from California to Hawaii in November 1941, but there was no indication of the horrors they would be forced to live through shortly after they arrived. Twenty-five players from San Jose State […]
Read More

Four Iconic Pearl Harbor Moments

June 19, 2018 ·  
Visiting Pearl Harbor is the best way of remembering those who gave their lives during the tragic events of December 7th, 1941. Spending time at the USS Arizona and Oklahoma Memorials, the Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park, Battleship Missouri, and the Pacific Aviation Museum provides an educational journey back in time. There is much to […]
Read More

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

June 15, 2018 ·  
In 2015, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) began work on a program that aims to return home hundreds of soldiers and sailors killed during battle whose remains were unable to be identified when they died. One of the biggest challenges being targeted by the agency was the sinking of the USS Oklahoma (BB-37) during […]
Read More

Lou Radil, Pearl Harbor Survivor, Passes Away at 98

June 13, 2018 ·  
Ludwig “Lou” Radil served for six years as a yeoman in the United States Navy. During his time as a sailor, he was present for the tragic events of December 7th, 1941 and, after Japan surrendered and the war ended, he also witnessed the first post-World War II nuclear tests that were carried out in […]
Read More

Lewis LaGesse: Pearl Harbor Ghost

June 11, 2018 ·  
“They thought I was a ghost.” Not many people can make that statement with a straight face. World War II veteran Lewis  LaGesse was one man who definitely could, after being reported dead in the bombing of Pearl Harbor. On December 7th, 1941, Lewis LaGesse, then 19 years old, was serving aboard the USS West […]
Read More

The Hospital Ship USS Solace

June 08, 2018 ·  
For 14 years, the SS Iroquois sailed the world’s waters as a passenger ship. It was a relatively quiet and calm life, save for the possibility of the occasional seasick passenger or inclement weather. No one could have foreseen the changes she would undergo after the United States Navy acquired her in July of 1940, […]
Read More

The Heroic Nurses of Pearl Harbor

June 07, 2018 ·  
Amid the devastation at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the lives of countless men were saved by the brave actions of women. At the time, women weren't allowed to serve in combat roles, but their presence was vital nonetheless. These were the nurses of Pearl Harbor. During the course of the attack and its […]
Read More

The Ships of Pearl Harbor: USS Downes

June 04, 2018 ·  
Unlike many United States Navy ships that served during World War II, USS Downes (DD-375) had a relatively short life. Launched on April 22, 1936, the Mahan-class destroyer—named for US Naval officer John Downes—was commissioned on January 15, 1937. Once commissioned, she sailed for San Diego from her shipyard in Norfolk and participated in multiple exercises […]
Read More
1 … 4 5 6 7 8 … 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