How Many Ships Were Sunk at Pearl Harbor?
Key takeaway
On December 7, 1941, Japanese aircraft sank or severely damaged 19 U.S. Navy vessels at Pearl Harbor, including all eight battleships moored there that morning. Four battleships — USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, USS California, and USS West Virginia — went to the bottom of the harbor, though only Arizona and Oklahoma were total losses that never returned to active duty. The rest were damaged but eventually repaired and sent back into the Pacific war.
Key takeaways
- Of 8 battleships present, all 8 were damaged and 4 sank; only USS Arizona and USS Oklahoma were permanent losses.
- A total of 19 Navy ships were sunk, beached, or damaged during the attack, alongside roughly 180–200 aircraft destroyed on the ground.
- USS Arizona remains in the harbor today as a war grave, which is why visitors need a timed, reservation-based ticket to see the USS Arizona Memorial.
The Battleships: What Was Sunk vs. Damaged
Battleship Row, along the southeast shore of Ford Island, took the brunt of the attack. All eight battleships stationed there that Sunday morning were hit within the first hour.
- USS Arizona — Struck by an armor-piercing bomb that detonated the forward ammunition magazines; sank in minutes with the loss of 1,177 crew members. Never raised.
- USS Oklahoma — Hit by multiple torpedoes and capsized; 429 crew members died. The wreck was later righted but was too damaged to return to service and was eventually stricken from the Navy registry.
- USS West Virginia — Sank at its mooring after torpedo hits but was raised, repaired, and returned to combat by 1944.
- USS California — Took on water and settled to the harbor floor over two days; later raised, rebuilt, and rejoined the fleet.
- USS Nevada — Damaged by a torpedo and bombs; the crew intentionally beached it to avoid blocking the harbor channel. Repaired and returned to service.
- USS Tennessee, USS Maryland, USS Pennsylvania — All damaged by bombs but remained afloat and were repaired relatively quickly.
So while "four battleships sunk" is the commonly cited figure, only two — Arizona and Oklahoma — were permanent losses. The other six battleships, including two that sank, eventually returned to fight in the Pacific.
Beyond the Battleships: The Full Toll
Battleships get most of the attention, but the attack damaged or destroyed vessels across several classes. According to the National Park Service, which administers the USS Arizona Memorial, the attack struck a total of 19 ships, including cruisers, destroyers, and support vessels in addition to the eight battleships.
Among the non-battleship losses:
- USS Utah, a decommissioned battleship then used as a target ship, capsized after torpedo hits and was never raised. It remains in the harbor near Ford Island.
- USS Oglala, a minelayer, sank after being damaged by a torpedo that passed beneath it and struck the cruiser USS Helena instead.
- Several destroyers, including USS Cassin and USS Downes, were heavily damaged by bomb hits and fires while in dry dock.
Most of the damaged (non-sunk) ships were repaired at Pearl Harbor's own shipyard facilities and returned to duty within months, a turnaround that mattered enormously for the Pacific Fleet's ability to recover.
Why the Numbers Vary Between Sources
Readers researching this topic often find slightly different totals — some sources say 19 ships, others say 21 or reference "12 ships sunk or beached." The discrepancy usually comes down to definitions: whether a source counts only ships sunk outright, includes ships beached to prevent sinking, or folds in vessels damaged but never submerged. The Naval History and Heritage Command catalogs the attack by individual ship action reports, which is why exact phrasing in secondary sources can differ even when the underlying facts match.
For trip planning purposes, the number that matters most to visitors is simpler: two ships, USS Arizona and USS Utah, remain in Pearl Harbor today as sunken war graves, and both are part of what guests see on a harbor tour.
What Visitors See Today
The sunken battleships and the broader attack are the reason Pearl Harbor draws visitors from around the world, and understanding the scale of the losses adds context to standing at the memorial itself. If you want the fuller narrative of how the attack unfolded hour by hour, a detailed account of the events of December 7, 1941 walks through the timeline in sequence.
On a guided tour, visitors typically see:
- The USS Arizona Memorial, built over the sunken hull, accessible only by a timed National Park Service ferry ticket.
- The USS Utah Memorial on Ford Island, a quieter, less-visited site honoring the 58 sailors still entombed there.
- The Battleship Missouri, where Japan's formal surrender was signed in 1945, offering a bookend to the story that began with the sinkings.
Because Arizona's memorial tickets are limited and time-stamped, same-day walk-up access isn't guaranteed, which is one reason many visitors join an organized tour that includes a reserved ticket window rather than arriving independently.
Planning Around the History
Group leaders, teachers, and families often ask how long it takes to absorb all of this on-site. Between the Arizona Memorial, the museums, and Battleship Missouri, a full Pearl Harbor visit typically spans several hours rather than a quick stop, especially if Ford Island sites are included. Pearl Harbor Official structures its bus tours from Waikiki around that reality, building in enough time at each stop so the history doesn't feel rushed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many ships were sunk at Pearl Harbor?
Four battleships sank outright — USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, USS California, and USS West Virginia — and a total of 19 U.S. Navy vessels were sunk, beached, or otherwise damaged during the attack.
Q: Which ships were permanently lost and never returned to service?
Only USS Arizona and USS Oklahoma were total losses. USS California and USS West Virginia were both raised and repaired, and rejoined the Pacific Fleet later in the war.
Q: Why is USS Arizona still in the harbor?
USS Arizona sank so quickly after a magazine explosion that recovery of the hull was never feasible, and it was designated a war grave for the more than 1,000 crew members still aboard; the memorial built above it is now a National Park Service site.
Q: Was USS Utah also sunk at Pearl Harbor?
Yes. USS Utah, then serving as a target and training ship, capsized after torpedo hits and was never raised; it remains near Ford Island as a memorial site with far fewer visitors than the Arizona Memorial.
Q: How many sailors died when the ships were sunk?
More than 2,300 American service members died in the attack overall, with USS Arizona alone accounting for 1,177 of those deaths — roughly half the day's total fatalities.