Pearl Harbor (World War II)

Pearl Harbor as seen from the air in 2000.

Pearl Harbor, located in Honolulu, Hawaii on the island of O'ahu, is a U.S. naval base that, during World War II, was the target of an attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy on December 7, 1941 via submarine and air. The Pearl Harbor commanders, Admiral Husband Kimmel (Navy) and Lieutenant General Walter Short (Army), had no warning of the attack, during which 2,403 Americans were killed and 1,178 wounded in two waves of attck. Eighteen U.S. ships were lost, including five battleships. By contrast, only 55 Japanese airmen and 9 submariners were killed (with 1 captured), with just 29 of the 350 Japanese planes that took part in the raid lost.