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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060
Online Library of Selected Images:
-- EVENTS -- World War II in the Pacific --
Pearl Harbor Raid, 7 December 1941 --
"Battleship Row" during the Pearl Harbor Attack
Before dawn on 7 December 1941, the American strategic center
of gravity in the Pacific reposed in the seven battleships then
moored along "Battleship Row", the six pairs of interrupted
quays located along Ford Island's eastern side. Quay F-2, the
southernmost, which usually hosted an aircraft carrier, was empty.
Northeastward, Battle Force flagship California
was next, moored at F-3. Then came two pairs, moored side by side:
Maryland
with Oklahoma
outboard, and Tennessee
with West Virginia
outboard. Astern of Tennessee lay Arizona,
which had the repair ship Vestal
alongside. Last in line was USS Nevada,
by herself at quay F-8. These seven battleships, ranging in age
from eighteen to twenty-five years, represented all but two of
those available to the Pacific Fleet. The Fleet flagship, Pennsylvania,
was also in Pearl Harbor, drydocked at the nearby Navy Yard. The
ninth, USS Colorado,
was undergoing overhaul on the west coast.
Together, these ships were one short of equalling Japan's active
battlefleet. Clearly a worrisome threat to Japanese plans for
Pacific Ocean dominance, they were the Japanese raiders' priority
target. Twenty-four of the forty Japanese torpedo planes were
assigned to attack "Battleship Row", and five more diverted
to that side of Ford Island when they found no battleships in
their intended target areas. Of these planes' twenty-nine Type
91 aerial torpedoes (each with a warhead of some 450 pounds of
high explosive), up to twenty-one found their targets: two hit
California, one exploded against Nevada and as many
as nine each struck Oklahoma and West Virginia.
The latter two ships sank within minutes of receiving this torpedo
damage.
Horizontal bombers, armed with heavy armor-piercing bombs,
arrived just as the last torpedo planes finished their attacks,
and other horizontal and dive bombers came in later. Together,
these planes scored many hits or damaging near-misses on the "Battleship
Row" ships: two on California, Maryland and
Tennessee; a few on West Virginia. Most spectacular
of the bombers' victims was Arizona, which was struck many
times. One bomb penetrated to the vicinity of her forward magazines,
which detonated with a massive blast, immediately sinking the
ship. Nevada, which got underway during the latter part
of the attack, attracted many dive bombers, was hit repeatedly
as she steamed slowly between Ford Island and the Navy Yard, and,
sinking and ablaze, had to be run ashore.
The Japanese had thus put out of action all seven battleships
present on "Battleship Row". Two, Maryland and
Tennessee, were repaired in a matter of weeks, as was the
Pennsylvania. However, three were under repair for a year
or more. Oklahoma and Arizona would never return
to service. Even with the addition of three more battleships brought
around from the Atlantic, the Japanese battleline was assured
of absolute superiority in the critical months to come.
This page features aerial views of the 7 December 1941 Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor's "Battleship Row", and provide
links to other views of that area during and shortly after the
attack.
For further views of "Battleship Row" during and
soon after the Japanese attack, see:
"Battleship Row" during
the Pearl Harbor Attack -- Surface Views;
USS Nevada during the Pearl
Harbor Attack;
USS Arizona during the Pearl
Harbor Attack;
USS Vestal during the Pearl
Harbor Attack;
USS West Virginia and USS
Tennessee during the Pearl Harbor Attack;
USS Oklahoma and USS Maryland
during the Pearl Harbor Attack;
USS California during the Pearl
Harbor Attack.
For additional pictorial coverage of the Japanese attack
on Pearl Harbor, see:
The Pearl Harbor Raid, 7 December
1941 -- Overview and Special Image Selection.
Click on the small photograph to prompt
a larger view of the same image.
Photo #: NH 50931
Pearl Harbor Attack, 7 December 1941
Torpedo planes attack "Battleship Row" at about 0800
on 7 December, seen from a Japanese aircraft. Ships are, from
lower left to right: Nevada (BB-36) with flag raised at
stern; Arizona (BB-39) with Vestal (AR-4) outboard;
Tennessee (BB-43) with West Virginia (BB-48) outboard;
Maryland (BB-46) with Oklahoma (BB-37) outboard;
Neosho (AO-23) and California (BB-44).
West Virginia, Oklahoma and California have
been torpedoed, as marked by ripples and spreading oil, and the
first two are listing to port. Torpedo drop splashes and running
tracks are visible at left and center.
White smoke in the distance is from Hickam Field. Grey smoke
in the center middle distance is from the torpedoed USS Helena
(CL-50), at the Navy Yard's 1010 dock.
Japanese writing in lower right states that the image was reproduced
by authorization of the Navy Ministry.
U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.
Online Image: 144KB; 740 x 545 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 50472
Pearl Harbor Attack, 7 December 1941
Vertical aerial view of "Battleship Row", beside Ford
Island, during the early part of the horizontal bombing attack
on the ships moored there. Photographed from a Japanese aircraft.
Ships seen are (from left to right): USS Nevada ; USS
Arizona with USS Vestal moored outboard; USS Tennessee
with USS West Virginia moored outboard; USS Maryland
with USS Oklahoma moored outboard; and USS Neosho,
only partially visible at the extreme right.
A bomb has just hit Arizona near the stern, but she has
not yet received the bomb that detonated her forward magazines.
West Virginia and Oklahoma are gushing oil from
their many torpedo hits and are listing to port. Oklahoma's
port deck edge is already under water. Nevada has also
been torpedoed.
Japanese inscription in lower left states that the photograph
has been officially released by the Navy Ministry.
Donation of Theodore Hutton, 21 September 1942.
U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.
Online Image: 144KB; 740 x 545 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 50932
Pearl Harbor Attack, 7 December 1941
Vertical aerial view of "Battleship Row", beside Ford
Island, soon after USS Arizona was hit by bombs and her
forward magazines exploded. Photographed from a Japanese aircraft.
Ships seen are (from left to right): USS Nevada; USS Arizona
(burning intensely) with USS Vestal moored outboard; USS
Tennessee with USS West Virginia moored outboard;
and USS Maryland with USS Oklahoma capsized alongside.
Smoke from bomb hits on Vestal and West Virginia
is also visible.
Japanese inscription in lower left states that the photograph
has been reproduced under Navy Ministry authorization.
U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.
Online Image: 98KB; 740 x 540 pixels |
 |
For further views of "Battleship Row" during and
soon after the Japanese attack, see:
"Battleship Row" during
the Pearl Harbor Attack -- Surface Views;
USS Nevada during the Pearl
Harbor Attack;
USS Arizona during the Pearl
Harbor Attack;
USS Vestal during the Pearl
Harbor Attack;
USS West Virginia and USS
Tennessee during the Pearl Harbor Attack;
USS Oklahoma and USS Maryland
during the Pearl Harbor Attack;
USS California during the Pearl
Harbor Attack.
For additional pictorial coverage of the Japanese attack
on Pearl Harbor, see:
The Pearl Harbor Raid, 7 December
1941 -- Overview and Special Image Selection.
NOTES:
To the best of our knowledge, the pictures referenced here
are all in the Public Domain, and can therefore be freely downloaded
and used for any purpose.
Some images linked from this page may bear obsolete credit lines
citing the organization name: "Naval Historical Center".
Effective 1 December 2008 the name should be cited as: "Naval
History and Heritage Command".
Return to Naval History and Heritage Command home page.
Page made 19 October 2000
Coding updated 17 April 2009