Pearl Harbor Day

World War II reached the United States on the morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941, with a large surprise attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy. "Like a thunderclap from a clear sky," Japanese carrier-based planes, including torpedo and high-level bombers, supported by fighters, totaling 353 aircraft from six aircraft carriers, struck the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in two waves, along with nearby naval and military airfields and bases. The attackers sank five battleships and damaged three more, sank a gunnery training ship and three destroyers, and damaged a heavy cruiser, three light cruisers, two destroyers, two seaplane tenders, two repair ships, and a destroyer tender. Facilities of the Navy, Army, and Marine Corps experienced varying degrees of damage, while 188 planes from the Navy, Marine Corps, and U.S. Army Air Force were destroyed. Casualties included: killed or missing: Navy, 2,008; Marine Corps, 109; Army, 218; civilian, 68; and…