Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and other military bases on Oahu lasted two hours. Twenty-one ships were heavily damaged, and 320 aircraft were damaged or destroyed. In all, about 2,390 people were killed and about 1,178 were wounded.



The Jap's Assault:
183 aircraft of the first attack wave were launched from the six Imperial Japanese Navy carriers; Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, Hiru, Zuikaku and Shokaku, 230 miles North of O'ahu at 6:00 A.M. - They were ordered to attack at 0750 A.M. by Lt. Commander Mitsuo Fuchida.


At approximately 7:15 A.M. the second wave of aircraft was launched and 170 more aircraft were on their way to Pearl Harbor.





The Arizona
The USS Arizona was hit during the first wave of Japanese attackers, scored by high altitude bombers. A direct hit on the Arizona's boat deck between the No. 4 and No. 6 guns tore open the Arizona like a can, another went into the No. 4 turret. The resulting fires could not be fought because there was no water pressure. (As the Arizona settled on the bottom, she ruptured an underground water pipe.) She was hit forward by another high altitude bomb at approximately 8:10 A.M., near the No. 2 turret. It ignited the forward magazines, a gigantic explosion occurred, sealing the doom of over 1,000 crewmen.

The force of the Arizona explosion blew Commander Cassin Young, Captain of the repair ship Vestal (AR-4), (which had been moored portside to the Arizona) off the Vestal and into the oily and flaming waters of Pearl Harbor. He swam back to his ship.

The Arizona's Captain, Franklin Van Valkenburg as well as Rear Admiral Isaac Kidd, Commander of Battleship Divison One were among the 1,177 killed.
It took nine minutes to sink.





Original Speach

Thanks for the post and reminder!!!

Link to some pictures of Pearl Harbor from a government website. They remind me why my parents and grandparents can remember where they were that day. Kind of like I remember 9/11.

http://www.nps.gov/usar/photos1/indexa.htm

Damn Norty! We're impressed!

Thanks Nort, I was wondering if this day would be remembered. Nice info you have there, thanks. I bet the radio man who said there was no need to worry rolls in his grave every 12/7. We sure got our just reward though and I don't mean the A-Bomb. We had a very successful air raid on Japan which showed them they missed our Carriers and that their attack was devastating but not debilitating. May our hero's rest in Peace.

i know a survivor,not many around, reminds me off the price of freedom.

My Father was a Pearl Harbor Survivor.

http://www.usspennsylvania.com/Alber...ree/index.html

I thank them all.

It was a bad time, hope we can all hang with the bad time going on now.

damn I live in Vestal NY and hever heard of the Ship called Vestal