Japanese carriers at Pearl Harbor

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.

Carriers 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 CV Akagi CarDiv 1 PH Midway
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 Battleships BB Hiei 32, 000T Guadalcanal
13Nov42 BB Kirishima 32, 000T Guadalcanal
14Nov42 Cruisers CA Tone 11, 200T PH, WI Kure, 27Jul45
CA Chikuma 12, 500T PH, WI 25Oct44 CV planes Destroyers Class CL Abukuma, Flag 5, 760T PH 24Oct44 PT-137, B-24s DD Akigumo PH 11Nov44 Redfin (SS-272) DD Urakaze Kagero PH 21Nov44 by Sealion II DD Isokaze Kagero PH 7Apr45 w/Yamoto DD Tanikaze Kagero PH 9June44 Harder (SS-257) DD Hamakaze Kagero PH 7Apr45 w/Yamoto DD Kagero Kagero PH 8May43 USMC aircraft DD Shiranuhi Kagero PH Surigao, 27Oct44 CVE planes DD Arare Asashio PH 5July42 Growler (SS-215) DD Kasumi Asashio PH Surigao 7Apr45 w/Yamoto DD Asakaze or PH? 23Aug44 Haddo (SS-255) Midway Attack DD Ushio Fubuki MI Surigao Surrendered DD Akebono either MI? 13Nov44 CV planes DD Sazanami or MI? 14Jan44 Albacore (SS-218) Tankers Kyokuto 21Sep44 CV planes Kenyo 14Jan44 Guardfish (SS-217) Kokuyo 14Jan44 Sand Lance (SS-381) Shinkoku 17Feb44 CV planes Toho 29Mar43 Gudgeon (SS-211) Toei 18Jan43? Nippon 14Jan44 Scamp (SS-277) Akebono 30Mar44 CV planes Kyokuyo 13Nov43? Red indicates date sunk.
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".

Sunk
.

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.