
ATTACK FORCE - VAdm Naguma Carriers Akagi Kaga Soryu Hiryu Zuikaku Shokaku SUPPORT FORCE - VAdm Mikawa Battleships Hiei Kirisima Heavy Cruisers Tone Chikuma SCOUTING FORCE - RAdm Omori Light Cruiser - flagship of destroyer flotilla Abukuma CL Destroyers Tanikaze Hamakaze Urakaze Kasumi Arare Kagero Shiranuhi Akigumo Isokaze or Asakaze ? Midway Attack Ushio Akebono or Sazanami ? SUPPLY FORCE. Tankers Kyokuto - flagship Kyokuyo or Akebono ? Kenyo Kokuyo Shinkoku Toho Toei Nippon SUBMARINE FORCE Three fleet reconnaissance: I-19, I-21, I-23. These travel with the strike fleet and are the only ones the public seems to know about and considers part of the attack. There were many more. Five attack submarines with five midget submarines strapped aboard: I-16 with A, I-18 w/E, I-20 w/D, I-22 w/B, I-24 w/C. The five midget subs, each capable of penetrating Pearl Harbor and each firing two torpedoes: Ha. A, B, C, D, E. Twenty other subs were stationed in Hawaiian waters. Squadron 1: I-9, I-15, I-17, I-25. Squadron 2: I-1, I-2, I-3, I-4, I-5, I-6, I-7. Squadron 3: I-8, I-68, I-69, I-70, I-71, I-72, I-73, I-74, I-75. Two others were sent to the West Coast: I-10 and I-26.
5Jun42 CV Kaga CarDiv 1 PH Midway
4Jun42 CV Soryu CarDiv 2 PH, WI Midway
4Jun42 CV Hiryu CarDiv 2 PH, WI Midway
4Jun42 CV Shokaku CarDiv 5 PH CoralS 19Jun44 Cavalla (SS-244) CV Zuikaku CarDiv 5 PH 25Oct44 planes Essex, Lexington
13Nov42 BB Kirishima 32, 000T Guadalcanal
14Nov42
CA Chikuma 12, 500T PH, WI 25Oct44 CV planes
The thirty or so ships of is on a separate page.
Chronology Leading up to the Attack
Spring 1940. War Games: For twenty years the goal of the annual IJN fleet exercise had been to defeat the American fleet in the Marshalls as it rushed to rescue the Philippines per US warplan "Orange". The place of air power in the fleet gradually increased. With the movement of the US Pacific fleet to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in May 1940, the possibility of moving the Japanese attack line east presented itself.
Special armor piercing bombs and shallow running torpedoes required to attack the US fleet at anchor are developed and tested. Fleet units move to Tankan Bay, Kurile Islands, north of Japan, in radio silence.17Nov41. Five submarines carrying midgets head for Pearl Harbor.
26Nov41. The Attack Force sorties from Tankan Bay, east into North Pacific. Fleet turns southeast.
02Dec41. Cabinet sends message, "Climb Mount Niitaka!", proceed with attack.
07Dec41 . 02:25 Minsub from I-16 passes net into Pearl Harbor channel, minisub from I-22 follows.
07Dec41 . 06:00 First air attack wave launched consisting of: 51 Val dive bombers, 49 Kate horizontal bombers, 40 Kate torpedo bombers, and 43 Zero fighters.
07Dec41 . 07:00 Second attack wave launched consisting of: 78 Val dive bombers, 54 Kate bombers, and 35 Zero fighters.
07Dec41 . 07:55 First attack begins. Fighters and some bombers attack air fields to suppress air defenses. Torpedo planes and the rest of the bombers attack "Battleship Row".
07Dec41 . 08:00 Minisub from I-16 attacks West Virginia and Oklahoma with 1000# warhead torpedoes.
07Dec41 . 08:25 Lull as first wave withdrawals.
07Dec41 . 08:35 Minisub from I-22 fires torpedoes, miss. Sunk 8:44.
07Dec41 . 08:40 Second attack wave arrives.
07Dec41 . 10:00 Last plane leaves. "Remember Pearl Harbor".
.
Damaged
Maryland (BB-46), Tennessee (BB-43), Pennsylvania (BB-38);
Raleigh (CL-7), Honolulu (CL-48), Helena (CL-50);
Shaw (DD-373);
Curtiss (AV-4), Vestal (AR-4), Sotoyomo (YT-9) - harbor tug.
Destroyed
2, 403 lives: Navy, 2, 008; Marine Corps, 109; Army, 218; Civilian, 68.
219 airplanes:
07Dec41 . 13:00 Mission accomplished, Japanese fleet decides no third strike, turns north.
1941.
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