THE SHIPS AT PEARL
By Charles Apple
The Spokesman-Review
Japan attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 79 years ago today. Several of the ships damaged or sunk that morning returned to service, thanks to heroic efforts by officers, sailors and repair contractors.
BATTLESHIPS
The primary targets for Japanese pilots on Dec. 7, 1941, were aircraft carriers and battleships. Fortunately, the carriers homeported at Pearl Harbor were out to sea that day:
◼ The Lexington departed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 5 to deliver a fighter plane squadron to Midway Island.
◼ The Enterprise had delivered a similar squadron to Wake Island. It had been expected back at Pearl the night of the 6th but was delayed by bad weather.
The battleships weren’t quite so lucky. Eight battleships and one former battleship-turned-target vessel received much of the wrath of the Japanese Navy.
ARIZONA BB-39
ENTERED SERVICE 1916
DAMAGE Sank when a bomb hit the powder magazine.
KILLED 1,177
AFTER A total loss, the ship now serves as a submerged memorial to the losses at Pearl Harbor.
CALIFORNIA BB-44
ENTERED SERVICE 1921
DAMAGE Struck by two bombs and sank.
KILLED 105
AFTER Refloated in March 1942 and rebuilt at Puget Sound. Returned to service in May 1944.
MARYLAND BB-46
ENTERED SERVICE 1921
DAMAGE Hit by two bombs. Assisted other ships.
KILLED 4
AFTER Repaired at Puget Sound and returned to service by February 1942. Fought at Leyte and Okinawa.
NEVADA BB-36
ENTERED SERVICE 1916
DAMAGE Intentionally beached after taking multiple hits.
KILLED 57
AFTER Refloated in February. After light repairs, participated in capture of Attu Island in May 1942.
OKLAHOMA BB-37
ENTERED SERVICE 1916
DAMAGE Took five torpedoes. Rolled over and sank.
KILLED 429
AFTER Was declared a total loss. Salvage began in March 1943. Sold for scrap in 1947 but sank again.
PENNSYLVANIA BB-38
ENTERED SERVICE 1916
DAMAGE Was in drydock. Moderately damaged.
KILLED 24
AFTER Repaired in San Francisco. Returned to service by March 1942. Fought in the Aleutians, Guam, Leyte and Wake.
TENNESSEE BB-43
ENTERED SERVICE 1920
DAMAGE Struck by two bombs and damaged by the explosion of the nearby Arizona.
KILLED 5
AFTER Returned to service in February 1942.
UTAH BB-31, converted to target ship AG-16 in 1931
ENTERED SERVICE 1911
DAMAGE Rolled over and sank after a torpedo strike.
KILLED 58
AFTER The Navy declared the ship a total loss. It still sits on the bottom of the harbor with bodies still trapped inside.
WEST VIRGINIA BB-48
ENTERED SERVICE 1923
DAMAGE Took six torpedo hits and sank on an even keel.
KILLED 106
AFTER Refloated, towed to Puget Sound and rebuilt. Participated in the battles of Leyte, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
CRUISERS
Two heavy cruisers and six light cruisers were at Pearl Harbor during the attack. Three were damaged.
HELENA CL-50
ENTERED SERVICE 1939
DAMAGE Hit by a torpedo.
KILLED 34
AFTER Returned to service in 1942, fighting at Guadalcanal. Was sunk off New Georgia in July 1943.
RALEIGH CL-7
ENTERED SERVICE 1924
DAMAGE Hit by a torpedo and nearly capsized.
KILLED 0
AFTER Repaired at Mare Island and returned to service in July 1942. Served escort duty in the Aleutians.
CURTISS AV-4 Seaplane tender
ENTERED SERVICE 1940
DAMAGE Hit by two crashing planes.
KILLED 21
AFTER Repaired in San Diego. Returned to Pearl Harbor in January. Fought in Okinawa and along the West Coast.
DESTROYERS
Of the 30 destroyers in the harbor that day, three took heavy damage.
In addition, one minesweeper, one repair ship, a seaplane tender, a harbor tug and a floating drydock were damaged. All were put back into service by August 1942.
CASSIN DD-372
ENTERED SERVICE 1936
DAMAGE Was hit in drydock and considered a total loss.
KILLED 0
AFTER Rebuilt at Mare Island and returned to service in February 1944. Fought at Guam and Iwo Jima.
DOWNES DD-375
ENTERED SERVICE 1936
DAMAGE Was in drydock with Cassin. Also declared a total loss.
KILLED 12
AFTER Rebuilt at Mare Island and returned to service in November 1943. Served in the Marianas and Guam.
SHAW DD-373
ENTERED SERVICE 1936
DAMAGE Hit three times before powder magazine exploded.
KILLED 24
AFTER Rebuilt in San Francisco and returned to service in August 1943. Served at Guadalcanal and the Marianas.