All Hands Battle Stations .. !!

December 7th 1941 ... 0753 AM,

US Navy sailors, officers, and other servicemen were on their daily ceremony on board of US battleships. They didn't expect and never would've thought that soon their naval base would turn into blazing inferno with enourmous casualties.

It was a surprise attack launched by the IJN with its aircraft attacking US battleships. Actually their primary target was US aircraft carriers but they found out none of anchored carriers present. The IJN carriers were Akagi, Hiryu, Kaga, Shokaku, Soryu, and Zuikaku. They had 441 aircrafts on board --350 took part on Pearl Harbor's attack--, 29 were lost ... 9 on the 1st wave and 20 other on the 2nd wave, another 74 were damaged. The IJN aircrafts involved were A6M Zero, torpedo bomber B5N Kate, and dive bombers D3A Val. The task force was formed of 1st Air Fleet, 17th Destroyer Division, 18th Destroyer Division, 3rd Battleship Division, 8th Cruiser Division, 2nd Submarine Division, 1st Supply Unit, and 2nd Supply Unit. Departed from Hitokappu Bay in Kuril Islands on November 26th 1941 under strict radio silence. This fleet was comannded by Admiral Chuichi Nagumo. The way to use 3 waves of attack was granted by Fleet Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto.

IJN flight leader was lead by Lieutenant-Commander Mitsuo Fuchida, which had tested and compared the new A6M Zero to GBR Spitfire and German Messerschmidt. They departed from IJN carriers at dawn when most US servicemen were still at rest.

Actually, Opana Point Radar --SCR-270 type-- catched up a large number of blips indicating approaching aircrafts. Although the Radarmen reported an incoming aircraft in large numbers they never experienced, the watch officer assumed pending, and scheduled flight of 6 USAAF B-17 Flying Fortress from the way they bound; since the Radarmen only sought first element of the flight. They also managed to shot down US planes in the vicinity and en route to Pearl Harbor. A total of 350 aircrafts flown headed to Pearl. The attack was formed as 2 waves; 1st wave consist of 183 torpedo bombers followed by 170 dive bombers.

The torpedo bombers concentrated on sinking their primary target ... US battleships, and dive bombers on Hickam Field, and Wheeler Field. 2nd wave attack on Bellows Field and Ford Island.

While the US servicemen was still on their ceremony, they saw low-flying aircrafts with a maneuver that attracted Admiral Patrick Bellinger --a commanding Navy air patrol squadron-- after one of them dropped bombs he soon realised they're infiltrated. So he rushed to base and sent message to entire Naval base ... "Air Raid Pearl Harbor. This is not a drill". US military personnels rushed to man their guns and attack incoming enemy aircrafts while air raid siren wailing to warn all of them that Pearl is under attack.

On board of USS Arizona, Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kid, and Captain Franklin Van Valkenburgh as her commander climbed onto bridge and direct fire on her attackers. But alas, both of them were killed when her forward ammunition compartment was exploded causing severe damage. Later she rolled right and sank afterward ... burying hundreds of her crew. Captain Mervyn Bennion, commander of USS West Virginia led his men to fight until he was killed by sharpnel from USS Tennessee fragments which moored alongside caused by IJN bombers. USS California was nearly sunk after took direct hit from 2 torpedoes and her sailors might have kept her float but later ordered to abandon. USS Oklahoma was hit by 4 torpedoes and caused her to capsize. USS Maryland was somewhat lucky, she took hit by 2 40 cm naval gun shell but none of it caused serious damage.

On land, there were 188 aircraft destroyed, 155 of those were attacked on ground. Most of them were parked wingtip to wingtip causing it very difficult to exit.

The attack lasted for 19 minutes, and US casualties were around 2,403 --half of it came from USS Arizona which now lies beneath a floating memorial park-- Her sunk was due to a modified 40 cm naval gun shell dropped from IJN bombers causing her forward ammunition compartment to explode.