How many U.S. battleships were damaged or sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor?

Eight U.S. battleships were damaged or sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

The battleships were the core of the U.S. Pacific Fleet’s presence at Hawaii, and Japanese planners made them major targets. The eight affected ships were USS Arizona, California, Maryland, Nevada, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and West Virginia. USS Arizona and USS Oklahoma were total losses, while the other damaged ships were eventually repaired or returned to service, with the exception of varying degrees of wartime reuse and reconstruction.

The attack occurred while many ships were moored near Ford Island in an area later known as Battleship Row. Bombs, torpedoes, fires, and explosions caused extensive casualties and structural damage. Some ships were raised or repaired, allowing them to participate in later Pacific operations.

The number eight counts the battleships present and affected, not every vessel in Pearl Harbor. Several cruisers, destroyers, auxiliary ships, and the harbor facilities also suffered damage. The fleet’s battleship losses were dramatic, but aircraft carriers were not in port during the attack.