Aircraft & Weaponry

The Japanese strike package at Pearl Harbor was a marvel of military engineering for its moment: 353 aircraft launched in two waves from six carriers, including Mitsubishi A6M2 "Zero" fighters with twin 20mm cannons that outclassed every Allied fighter at the start of the war, Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers, and the Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers carrying the modified Type 91 aerial torpedoes — fitted with wooden fins specifically engineered to run in Pearl Harbor's shallow 40-foot anchorage. Those torpedoes did most of the damage to Battleship Row. American defenders flew obsolescent P-36 Hawks and a handful of P-40 Warhawks; many of their B-17 Flying Fortresses arrived from California in the middle of the attack, unarmed, low on fuel, and mistaken for hostile aircraft by their own anti-aircraft gunners.

This collection profiles the aircraft, ordnance, and small arms of both sides — from the .50-cal anti-aircraft mounts that shaped America's response in the first chaotic minutes, to the M1 Garand and M1903 Springfield rifles standard issue at the time, to the carrier doctrine and dive-bombing tactics that would dominate the rest of the Pacific War. You'll also find articles on the engineering arms race that produced the Hellcat, the Corsair, and ultimately the B-29.

To see surviving examples of these aircraft up close, tour the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum on Ford Island — home to a flying Zero, restored Wildcats, and the actual control tower from December 7th. The Complete Pearl Harbor Tour Experience pairs the aviation history with the harbor's surface story.

Steel, wood, and aluminum changed hands in 110 minutes. The articles below explain how, and why, that mattered.