(Prange, 201) More than 350 Japanese bombers, torpedo aircraft, and fighter planes were engaged in the attack.(Farago, 124) Navy and Army forces were just as surprised as everyone else on the day of the attack. They could not believe what was happening to them and to all of the civilians around at the time. Everyone wished it had never happened but on the other hand we came back and showed that the United States was not a country to mess with.(Farago, 215).
More than seventy-five warships( including battleships, cruisers, destroyers, submarines, and auxiliaries) were based at this " Gibraltar of the Pacific."(Prange, 125) All United States aircraft carriers were elsewhere. Observing radio silence, the Japanese had reached a launching point at 6 AM , December 7. At 7:50 AM, the first wave of Japanese planes struck Pearl Harbor, bombarding airfields and battleships moored at the concrete quays. The United States totally taken off guard had to defend themselves in pajamas and night wear. They used anti- aircraft guns in an attempt to stop and hold off the Japanese from their attack.(Farago, 320) They were trying to do everything in their power to soften the blow of the attack. Soon after a second wave followed. All of these attacks on Pearl Harbor finally ended a little before ten o"clock. The overall results were devastating; eighteen battleships were hit and more than 200 aircraft were either destroyed or damaged.(Farago, 262) One battleship, the Arizona, was totally lost in the attack and the West Virginia and California were sunk. The Nevada was also heavily damaged.(Farago, 375).
Overall in the attack on Pearl Harbor there were two thousand four hundred (2,400) Americans that were killed, one thousand three hundred(1,300) wounded, and one thousand(1,000) missing.(Us Marines at Pearl Harbor, 3) Japanese losses were fewer than one hundred casualties, twenty nine planes, and five midget submarines.
