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80-G-30551: Pearl Harbor Attack, 7 December 1941. Vertical aerial view of "Battleship Row", beside Ford Island

<p>80-G-30551: Pearl Harbor Attack, 7 December 1941. Vertical aerial view of &quot;Battleship Row&quot;, beside Ford Island, during the early part of the horizontal bombing attack on the ships moored there. Photographed from a Japanese aircraft. Ships seen are (from left to right): USS Nevada ; USS Arizona with USS Vestal moored outboard; USS Tennessee with USS West Virginia moored outboard; USS Maryland with USS Oklahoma moored outboard; and USS Neosho, only partially visible at the extreme right. A bomb has just hit Arizona near the stern, but she has not yet received the bomb that detonated her forward magazines. West Virginia and Oklahoma are gushing oil from their many torpedo hits and are listing to port. Oklahoma's port deck edge is already under water. Nevada has also been torpedoed. Japanese inscription in lower left states that the photograph has been officially released by the Navy Ministry. Also at NHHC as NH 50472. From the translated Japanese caption, “Alas, the spectacle of the American battleship Fleet in its Dying Gasp. The attack of our assault force was extremely accurate and achieved direct hits with all bombs. The leading ship of the Oklahoma Class is already half sunk. The Maryland type and the Pennsylvania type are blowing up from several direct hits. The ships crumble and their hulls are twisted and keeling over. Crude oil gushes forth fearfully. This view of the wretched enemy’s capital ships which were converted into a sea hell was photographed from directly overhead by the heroes of our calm, valorous attack force.” (9/22/2015).</p>
Caption: Pearl Harbor Attack, 7 December 1941. Vertical aerial view of "Battleship Row", beside Ford Island, during the early part of the horizontal bombing attack on the ships moored there. Photographed from a Japanese aircraft. Ships seen are (from left to right): USS Nevada ; USS Arizona with USS Vestal moored outboard; USS Tennessee with USS West Virginia moored outboard; USS Maryland with USS Oklahoma moored outboard; and USS Neosho, only partially visible at the extreme right. A bomb has just hit Arizona near the stern, but she has not yet received the bomb that detonated her forward magazines. West Virginia and Oklahoma are gushing oil from their many torpedo hits and are listing to port. Oklahoma's port deck edge is already under water. Nevada has also been torpedoed. Japanese inscription in lower left states that the photograph has been officially released by the Navy Ministry. Also at NHHC as NH 50472. From the translated Japanese caption, “Alas, the spectacle of the American battleship Fleet in its Dying Gasp. The attack of our assault force was extremely accurate and achieved direct hits with all bombs. The leading ship of the Oklahoma Class is already half sunk. The Maryland type and the Pennsylvania type are blowing up from several direct hits. The ships crumble and their hulls are twisted and keeling over. Crude oil gushes forth fearfully. This view of the wretched enemy’s capital ships which were converted into a sea hell was photographed from directly overhead by the heroes of our calm, valorous attack force.” Official U.S. Navy photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. (9/22/2015).
Accession #: 80-G-30551
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Topic
  • Theater of Operations--Pacific
  • People-Places-Things--Japanese
  • Boats-Ships--Battleship
Document Type
  • Photograph
Wars & Conflicts
  • World War II 1939-1945
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  • Image (gif, jpg, tiff)
Location of Archival Materials