Japanese Forces traveled in the U.S. naval base of Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941 to launch a surprise attack. U.S. battleships were positioned there and they became the targets for the Japanese fleet. Airstrikes hit all the eight battleships and much more. These battleships had a crucial role inside the major naval battles such as the Fight of Jutland in World War I. They were deemed as the key warships before the onset of World War II. As tensions with Japanese mounted in 1941, the U.S. made the choice to maneuver its Pacific Fleet towards the naval base of Pearl Harbor. The United States thought that the battleships might give a deterrent in the Pacific towards the Japanese since they were one of the primary ships on the fleet. Japanese realized that many of the battleships and aircraft carriers were so close that one surprise air strike can have a great impact and the consolidation of each of the battleships at Pearl Harbor as well as the aircraft carriers actually encouraged Japanese. Here are the top battleships which were under attack by Japanese Forces:
The USS Missouri:
The USS Missouri battleship symbolically guards the Arizona Memorial. What is permanently docked in jewel just up-harbor within Arizona is “Mighty Mo”. The Battleship Missouri fought and survived World War II and the deck of Missouri became the historic site in the official surrender of Japan in 1945. The very first casualty in the conflict was the dreadnought and the USS Missouri that played a part in ending World War II inside the Off-shore rests near the dreadnought. Two miles West in the Honolulu Worldwide Airport terminal is Pearl Harbor having the USS Arizona Memorial.
USS Arizona
Arizona is the most famous one out of all the Pearl Harbor battleships. The ship was hit by a number of bombs at Pearl Harbor and it went lower right after with very little opportunity to reserve it. Thousands of soldiers were killed on this ship during the attack.
USS Oklahoma
Oklahoma was bombarded by the Japanese torpedoes at Pearl Harbor. It was re-sailed in 1943 but went obsolete by 1944 and then in fact decommissioned.
USS California
In 1940 the USS California was deployed by The U.S. Navy at the Pearl Harbor. Torpedo bombers hit the USS California and it gradually began to sink to the foot of the harbor. However, just after the airstrike, the USS California was salvaged and repaired by the U.S. Navy. The USS California was re-joined by 1944 and was ready for the Pacific war, before the fight of Leyte Gulf.
USS Maryland
USS Maryland was also under attack on December 7, 1941. The Maryland was repaired and used in the Pacific War for any more Allied operations in 1943.
USS Nevada
The crew of the battleship beached the ship after taking heavy fire when the Japanese aircraft bombarded the USS Nevada. However, the battleship was repaired and used to combat following an airstrike when in 1943 Nevada was ready for the Attu landings.
USS West Virginia
This battleship sank fairly rapidly and had extensive damage which required extensive repairs to revive. It was ready to make the Fight of Leyte Gulf by 1944.
USS Tennessee
During the Japanese airstrike, the USS Tennessee tried to defend other battleships and soldiers present there but Tennessee was struck by two armor-piercing bombs that destroyed it and it became non-operational. However, the USS Tennessee was again repaired and was ready in combat by 1943.
USS Pennsylvania
It was dry-docked from the harbor itself and few Japanese bombs hit it yet it was repaired for many months and was combat ready finally. Four of the U.S. battleships sank because when the Japanese aircraft bombed at Pearl Harbor, there were people in the battleships. During early 1942, Japan started several advances as they got a small benefit during the Pacific War. However various salvaged and repaired battleships returned for combat in 1943. What limited the actual end result from the Pearl Harbor raid is that all Pearl Harbor’s aircraft carriers were preserved and lots of Japan navy was wiped out by the U.S. Navy.