The Nakajima B5N carried the torpedoes used against ships at Pearl Harbor.
Known to Allied forces by the reporting name Kate, the B5N was Japan’s principal carrier-based torpedo bomber in 1941. Its three-person crew included a pilot, navigator or observer, and radio operator who also served as a rear gunner. Modified torpedoes allowed the aircraft to attack ships in Pearl Harbor’s relatively shallow water.
B5Ns were also used as level bombers during the raid. This dual role can cause confusion with the Aichi D3A, known as Val, which served primarily as a carrier dive bomber, and the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, which was a fighter.
The B5N was effective but vulnerable. Later in the Pacific War, improved American fighter defenses and shipboard anti-aircraft fire made its low-level torpedo attacks increasingly costly.