Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor and other U.S. military installations on the island of Oahu, territory of Hawaii, Sunday, December 7, 1941, plunged the United States into World War II. The Pearl Harbor anchorage of the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet was attacked by two waves of Japanese planes flying from aircraft carriers more than 200 miles north of Hawaii. Eight battleships of the Pacific Fleet, as well as numerous other ships, were sunk or damaged, and 2,403 American lives were lost. Pearl Harbor has become an enduring symbol of American resolve in the wake of the surprise air raid. President Franklin Roosevelt called the date of the Pearl Harbor attack one that would “live in infamy.”

HMS Illustrious and her sisters with armored decks in the British carrier fleet helped them survive furious attacks.

Pearl Harbor

The HMS Illustrious & Other Armored British Carriers Left Their Mark

by Sam McGowan

When one thinks of carrier warfare in World War II, the Japanese and U.S. navies usually come to mind. Read more

Code-named Arcadia, the meeting between Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt established a basis for military cooperation.

Pearl Harbor

Winston Churchill And Franklin Roosevelt’s Arcadia Conference

by Michael D. Hull

Still stunned by the sneak Japanese onslaught on the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, American families tried to summon up their Christmas spirit in December 1941. Read more

General George C. Kenney utilized his gifts of innovation and keen eye for leadership to great success during the Pacific War.

Pearl Harbor

George Kenney’s Air Force During The Pacific War

By Sam McGowan

Although the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was the event that served to galvanize America to fight World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt and his military advisers had pervasively decided that defeating the Japanese would be secondary to destroying the Nazi war machine in Europe. Read more

Sculpin and Squalus, two American submarines shared triumph and tragedy during the Pacific War.

Pearl Harbor

Sculpin and Squalus: Fated Sister Subs During The Pacific War

by Eric Niderost

On September 14, 1938, fleet submarine USS Squalus (SS-192) was launched at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. Read more

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor Aftermath: the Salvage Effort to Keep the Navy Fighting

By Mike McLaughlin

The Pearl Harbor aftermath presented the U.S. Navy with a sobering question: how to recover? More than 2,000 men had died. Read more

Pearl Harbor

The USS Oklahoma Rescue Mission After Attack On Pearl Harbor

by Mike McLaughlin

During the Pearl Harbor attack, both Utah and Oklahoma capsized after suffering multiple torpedo hits. Utah had been converted to a training ship, and to the Japanese pilots, her modified deck resembled that of an aircraft carrier. Read more

The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a Mainstay of U.S. Fighter Squadrons in Europe and the South Pacific.

Pearl Harbor

What Made the Lockheed P-38 Lightning So Special?

By Sam McGowan

Due largely to their use in the postwar U.S. Army Air Forces and present proliferation among the air show community, the North American P-51 Mustang is thought of by many as the most important American fighter of World War II. Read more

The Air Transport Command (ATC) began life ferrying aircraft to Europe during Lend Lease and eventually opened up air routes over most of the globe.

Pearl Harbor

The Air Transport Command: From Lend Lease To The Hump

By Sam McGowan

World War II was responsible for numerous technological advances, not the least of which was the establishment of the largest airline in history. Read more

Two captured Japanese Mitsubishi Zero fighters helped unravel the mystery of the plane’s apparent invincibility.

Pearl Harbor

The Mitsubishi Zero Gave ‘Made in Japan’ New Respect

By Joseph M. Horodyski

The psychological and military shock that the Allies experienced when they first encountered Mitsubishi’s legendary A6M2 Zero fighter plane at the beginning of the Pacific War may be difficult to understand today. Read more

Aboard the USS Franklin, Father O’Callahan provided comfort and courage during her darkest hour.

Pearl Harbor

USS Franklin and Father O’Callahan

By Michael D. Hull

On March 3, 1945, the 27,100-ton aircraft carrier USS Franklin churned out of Pearl Harbor and headed westward for the war zone. Read more

The assassination of Admiral Jean Darlan during Operation Torch in North Africa unraveled a web of intrigue and deception.

Pearl Harbor

Operation Torch and The Assassination of Admiral Jean Darlan

by Peter Kross

Less than a year after the sudden and devastating Japanese attack against the United States at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the American military was about to embark on a large-scale offensive operation against German and Italian forces in North Africa. Read more

Winston Churchill's Britain not only had to fend off the powerful Luftwaffe but also defeat isolationism in America.

Pearl Harbor

Winston Churchill’s Two Battles

by David Alan Johnson

During the summer of 1940, Winston Churchill was fighting a two-front war. The first was against Adolf Hitler and his war machine, particularly his Luftwaffe. Read more

Pearl Harbor

Operation Torch: The Allied Invasion of North Africa

By Roy Morris Jr.

The Allied decision to invade North Africa, codenamed Operation Torch, was reached in the summer of 1942 after lengthy—and sometimes bitter—arguments between interested parties. Read more

The undisputed gem of Battlefield O'ahu is the USS Arizona Memorial, but there are many other sites worth visiting in the same area.

Pearl Harbor

What To See at Battlefield O’ahu & the USS Arizona Memorial

by William E. Welsh

The Japanese torpedo bombers came in dangerously low to launch their torpedoes at the battleships on the east side of Ford Island at 8 AM on the morning of December 7, 1941. Read more

The USS Phoenix taxied many American soldiers in the Pacific Theater before being sunk as the ARA General Belgrano in the Falklands War.

Pearl Harbor

Famous Navy Ships: The USS Phoenix & ARA General Belgrano

By Brad Reynolds

The USS Phoenix fought under two flags during her 44-year career. She gained initial prominence as a United States ship during World War II and concluded her career as an Argentinian combat casualty in the Falklands War of 1982. Read more

As Nurses, Reservists and Corpsmen, those who served in the new female auxiliary units became some of the most important women in World War 2.

Pearl Harbor

Important Women in World War 2: Women’s Auxiliary Units

by Patricia McBride

Until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, America had maintained a popular non-interventionist position with World War 2. Read more

During World War II, the U.S. Government's Armed Services Editions brought much-needed reading material to servicemen around the world.

Pearl Harbor

Books as G.I. Gear: The Story of ‘Armed Services Editions’

The American forces serving in World War II were composed primarily of citizen soldiers—people who had no notion of going to war until Pearl Harbor was attacked. Read more

Pearl Harbor

Military Book Reviews: December 2014

By Christopher Miskimon

One morning in early January 1882, Japan took its first unknowing step toward eventual world war. On that day Mutsuhito, the emperor of Japan, handed a document known as the Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors to Army Minister, Oyama Iwao. Read more

Pearl Harbor

The USS West Virginia & The Attack on Pearl Harbor

by Chris Miskimon

During the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 the primary target was Battleship Row. These capital ships had to suffice since the American carriers were away. Read more