List of United States Navy ships present at Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941 facts for kids
1:USS California 2:USS Maryland 3:USS Oklahoma 4:USS Tennessee
5:USS West Virginia 6:USS Arizona 7:USS Nevada 8:USS Pennsylvania 9:Ford Island NAS 10:Hickam field
Ignored:
A:Oil storage tanks B:CINCPAC headquarters building C:Submarine base D:Navy Yard
On December 7, 1941, a surprise attack happened at Pearl Harbor, a big U.S. Navy base in Hawaii. Japanese planes attacked many American ships, starting World War II for the United States. This list tells you about the U.S. Navy ships that were there that day and what happened to them.
The ships included powerful warships and support vessels. Some were part of the Pacific Fleet, while others belonged to the local defense forces.
Contents
Battleships: The Main Targets
Battleships were the largest and strongest ships in the Navy. They were the main targets during the attack.
USS Arizona (BB-39)
The USS Arizona was hit badly and sank quickly. It was a total loss and was never brought back up. Today, it remains at the bottom of Pearl Harbor as a memorial to those who lost their lives.
USS Oklahoma (BB-37)
The USS Oklahoma also sank during the attack. It was later pulled up, but it was too damaged to be used again and was eventually taken apart for scrap metal.
USS West Virginia (BB-48)
The USS West Virginia sank but was later pulled up from the water. It was rebuilt and returned to service in July 1944, ready to fight again.
USS California (BB-44)
The USS California sank during the attack. Like the West Virginia, it was later floated, rebuilt, and returned to duty in January 1944.
USS Nevada (BB-36)
The USS Nevada was seriously damaged and had to be beached (driven onto the shore) to prevent it from sinking in deeper water. It was later salvaged, repaired, and put back into service.
USS Pennsylvania (BB-38)
The USS Pennsylvania was in a drydock (a special area where ships can be repaired out of the water) during the attack. It received some damage to its guns but was repaired and continued its service.
USS Tennessee (BB-43)
The USS Tennessee had only minor damage. It was quickly repaired and was ready for action again by February 1942.
USS Maryland (BB-46)
The USS Maryland was damaged by two bombs but was repaired by February 1942. It was able to return to duty soon after the attack.
Other Important Warships
Besides battleships, many other types of warships were at Pearl Harbor, including cruisers, destroyers, and submarines.
Cruisers
Cruisers are smaller than battleships but are still powerful.
- New Orleans: Had minor damage and was repaired.
- San Francisco: Was undamaged during the attack.
- Raleigh: Was damaged by a torpedo but was repaired.
- Detroit: Was undamaged.
- Phoenix: Was undamaged.
- Honolulu: Had minor damage from a bomb that exploded nearby.
- St. Louis: Received only minor bullet hits.
- Helena: Was seriously damaged but was repaired by mid-1942.
Destroyers
Destroyers are fast, smaller warships used for many tasks, like protecting bigger ships. Many destroyers were present, and most were undamaged.
- Shaw: Was heavily damaged when its bow (front part) was blown off in a floating drydock. It was later repaired and returned to service.
- Cassin and Downes: Were heavily damaged in drydock. They were considered lost but were rebuilt using new parts.
- Hull: Had very minor damage from a bomb that exploded nearby.
- Cummings: Received minor damage from bomb fragments.
- Helm: Had minor damage from two bombs that exploded nearby.
- Henley: Had minor damage from strafing (machine gun fire from planes).
- Aylwin: Had minor damage to its propeller.
- Dobbin: Had minor damage.
- Most other destroyers, like the Allen, Schley, Chew, Ward, and many others, were undamaged.
Submarines
Submarines are ships that can travel underwater.
- Narwhal, Dolphin, Cachalot, and Tautog: All these submarines were undamaged during the attack.
Support Ships and Auxiliaries
Many other ships were at Pearl Harbor to support the fleet, including tenders (repair ships), oilers (fuel ships), and minesweepers.
USS Utah (AG-16)
The USS Utah was an old battleship that had been converted into a target ship for training. It was sunk during the attack and became a total loss. It is now a war grave memorial.
USS Oglala (CM-4)
The USS Oglala was a minelayer (a ship that lays naval mines). It sank but was later salvaged, upgraded, and returned to service in 1944.
USS Vestal (AR-4)
The USS Vestal was a repair ship. It was damaged by two bombs and was next to the Arizona when it exploded. The Vestal was able to repair itself and other ships at Pearl Harbor.
USS Curtiss (AV-4)
The USS Curtiss was a seaplane tender (a ship that supports seaplanes). It suffered bomb damage but was repaired and returned to Pearl Harbor quickly.
Other Support Ships
Many other support ships were present, and most were undamaged. These included:
- Minesweepers like Turkey and Bobolink.
- Tugs like Hoga, which helped fight fires and rescue sailors.
- Hospital ships like Solace, which cared for the wounded.
- Various other auxiliary ships that provided fuel, supplies, and other services to the fleet.
See also
