The USS Arizona, sunk in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, now serves as a memorial.
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on the morning of December 7, 1941 brought the United States into World War II. Most of the ships in America's Pacific Fleet were either sunk or badly damaged. More than 100 American vessels and more than 40 Japanese craft were present in or near Pearl Harbor that morning.
American Battleships
The main force of the air attack struck the seven American battleships moored in Battleship Row. Four were sunk, and the rest badly damaged. Like other battleships of the US Navy during this period, these powerful surface-attack vessels were named after states. The Arizona, Oklahoma, California and West Virginia were lost, while the Maryland, Tennessee and Nevada escaped with less damage. An eighth battleship, Pennsylvania, was in dry dock during the attack. It was damaged by enemy fire, but not destroyed.
American Aircraft Carriers
The Japanese had hoped to sink American aircraft carriers at Pearl Harbor, but all three carriers were at sea. One of them, the Saratoga, had recently completed an overhaul and was taking on new aircraft in San Diego. Lexington, similarly named for a Revolutionary War battle, was transporting planes to Midway Island, while Enterprise was returning from taking aircraft to Wake Island.
Other American Vessels
Dozens of other American vessels were stationed in and around Pearl Harbor. The former battleship Utah, which had been turned into a training vessel, and the Oglala, a minelayer, were sunk. American vessels generally followed naming patterns similar to the battleships. Cruisers were named after cities or regions. The New Orleans and San Francisco were among the heavy cruisers at Pearl Harbor. Destroyers were named after past officers. A large number of these smaller vessels were present at Pearl Harbor, including the Dewey and the Farragut.
Japanese Vessels
Vice Adm. Chuichi Nagumo commanded the Japanese attack against Pearl Harbor. The main force was led by the aircraft carriers Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, Hiryu, Zuikaku and Shokaku. The names of some carriers represented the connection between them. Zuikaku ("Fortunate Crane") and Shokaku ("Flying Crane") were sister ships. Hiryu ("Flying Dragon") and Soryu ("Blue Dragon") were of the same class. Kaga was named after a region in Japan, while Akagi means "Red Castle."
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