The surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, remains one of the most key moments in modern history. While the human toll and the geopolitical shift toward World War II dominate the narrative, the material loss—specifically how many ships were sunk in the Pearl Harbor attack—provides a tangible measure of the devastation inflicted on the U.Now, s. Which means pacific Fleet. The answer is nuanced: five battleships and three other major vessels were sunk outright, but the broader tally includes over a dozen ships sunk, beached, or heavily damaged, many of which were remarkably returned to service Not complicated — just consistent..
The Primary Targets: Battleship Row
The core of the Japanese strategy focused on Battleship Row, where eight of the Pacific Fleet’s nine battleships were moored. The attackers utilized specially modified Type 91 aerial torpedoes and Type 99 armor-piercing bombs to neutralize these capital ships. Of the eight present, four were sunk in the shallow waters of the harbor, and a fifth capsized.
USS Arizona (BB-39): The Ultimate Symbol
The Arizona suffered the most catastrophic loss. At 08:06, a 1,760-pound armor-piercing bomb penetrated the forward deck near Turret II, igniting the forward magazines. The resulting explosion tore the ship apart, killing 1,177 officers and crew—nearly half the total fatalities of the attack. The Arizona settled into the mud with her superstructure largely destroyed. Unlike many of her sisters, she was never raised. Today, the wreck remains a war grave and the site of the USS Arizona Memorial Easy to understand, harder to ignore..
USS Oklahoma (BB-37): The Capsizing Tragedy
Moored outboard of the Maryland, the Oklahoma took at least five, possibly up to nine, torpedo hits on her port side within the first ten minutes. Without watertight integrity prepared for battle, she capsized rapidly, trapping hundreds of men inside the hull. 429 crew members perished. The ship was eventually righted and refloated in 1943 through a massive salvage operation, but she was deemed too damaged to modernize and was decommissioned. She sank while under tow to a scrapyard in 1947.
USS West Virginia (BB-48): The "Wee Vee" Returns
The West Virginia absorbed at least seven torpedoes and two bombs. Counter-flooding efforts by her crew prevented her from capsizing like the Oklahoma, allowing her to settle upright on the harbor bottom. 106 men died. Her salvage was one of the most complex operations of the war; she was refloated in May 1942, extensively modernized at Puget Sound Navy Yard, and returned to the fleet in 1944, serving with distinction in the Philippines, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa And that's really what it comes down to..
USS California (BB-44): The Flagship’s Fate
As the flagship of the Battle Force, the California was a prime target. She took two torpedoes and one bomb hit, compounded by open watertight doors for an inspection. She settled slowly into the mud over three days. 100 crew members were lost. Refloated in March 1942, she underwent complete reconstruction and rejoined the fight in 1944, participating in the Mariana Islands campaign and the Battle of Surigao Strait.
USS Nevada (BB-36): The Only Battleship to Get Underway
The Nevada was the only battleship to attempt an escape. She took one torpedo hit early on but managed to get underway. As she steamed toward the channel, she became a magnet for the second wave of dive bombers, taking five to six bomb hits. To avoid blocking the narrow harbor entrance, her captain beached her at Hospital Point. 60 crew died. She was refloated in February 1942, repaired, modernized, and served in both the Atlantic (D-Day) and Pacific theaters Small thing, real impact..
The Survivors on Battleship Row
Three battleships escaped sinking:
- USS Pennsylvania (BB-38): In dry dock (Dry Dock No. 1), she suffered only minor bomb damage.
- USS Maryland (BB-46): Protected inboard by the Oklahoma, she took two bomb hits but remained afloat and operational.
- USS Tennessee (BB-43): Also inboard (protected by the West Virginia), she took two bomb hits and was scorched by oil fires from the Arizona, but her hull remained intact.
Beyond the Battleships: Other Vessels Sunk
While the battleships garnered the headlines, the attack targeted cruisers, destroyers, and auxiliary vessels with equal ferocity. Three additional major ships were sunk during the raid Took long enough..
USS Utah (AG-16): The Forgotten Target
The Utah, a former battleship converted to a target ship (mobile bombing target), was moored on the opposite side of Ford Island. Because she resembled a carrier deck from the air, torpedo bombers attacked her aggressively. She took two torpedoes and capsized rapidly. 58 men died. Like the Arizona, the Utah was never fully salvaged; her hull remains visible near Ford Island, a designated war grave.
USS Raleigh (CL-7): The Lucky Light Cruiser
The Raleigh was hit by a torpedo that flooded her engine room and a bomb that passed through the ship without exploding. She keeled over perilously but was kept upright by her mooring wires. Though heavily damaged and technically "sunk" on the bottom, she was salvaged quickly and returned to service by February 1942 Worth knowing..
USS Helena (CL-50): Mistaken Identity
Moored at the 1010 Dock—normally reserved for the carrier Enterprise—the Helena was struck by a single torpedo. The blast opened her engineering spaces to the sea. She settled on the bottom but did not capsize. 20 crew were lost. She was repaired and fought at Guadalcanal and Kula Gulf before being sunk in 1943.
USS Oglala (CM-4): The Minelayer that Capsized
The Oglala, a minelayer moored outboard of the Helena, was not hit directly. Still, the torpedo that struck the Helena passed under the Oglala and exploded against the dock. The concussion cracked the Oglala’s hull and ruptured fuel tanks. She capsized two hours later, blocking the channel. She was salvaged, converted to an internal combustion engine repair ship, and served throughout the Pacific Not complicated — just consistent. Still holds up..
Destroyers in Dry Dock: Cassin and Downes
The destroyers USS Cassin (DD-372) and USS Downes (DD-375) were in Dry Dock No. 1 with the Pennsylvania. An incendiary bomb hit the Downes, igniting fuel fires that spread to the Cassin. The intense heat warped hulls, exploded ammunition, and caused the Cassin to slip off her blocks onto the Downes. Both were declared constructive total losses (sunk/wrecked). That said, their machinery and main batteries were salvaged and installed in new hulls at Mare Island, allowing them to "return" as new ships bearing the same names Small thing, real impact..
Auxiliary Vessels
- USS Curtiss (AV-4): Seaplane tender damaged by a crashing dive bomber and a bomb;
