On December 8, the US formally declared war on Japan. In addition to attacking Pearl Harbor, within 7 hours, the Japanese also launched military strikes on other US bases in Guam and the Philippines. The Arizona and the Utah remain underwater in Pearl Harbor. The USS Arizona, the USS Oklahoma, and the USS Utah could not be salvaged. A total of 21 ships were damaged in the attack, but since the water was so shallow, many of the ships could be repaired, so all but 3 were put back into service. Of the eight US battleships in Pearl Harbor, all of them were damaged and four were sunk. The majority of the fatalities were due to the explosion and sinking of the USS Arizona. The attack lasted less than 2 hours.ĭuring the attack, over 2,300 Americans were killed and over 1,100 were wounded. 353 Japanese airplanes attacked the US ships and that were anchored in Pearl Harbor. On December 7, 1941, at 7:48 am Hawaiian time, the Japanese launched a surprise military strike on Pearl Harbor.
