What Would the Attack on Pearl Harbor Have Looked Like Without These Aircraft?

During the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese forces bombed and torpedoed the U.S. naval base, causing widespread damage and destruction. For Mess Attendant 3rd Class Neil Daniel Frye, this attack marked the last day of his life. Frye, who served in the racially segregated Messman Branch responsible for serving and feeding military officers, had been aboard the USS West Virginia when the attack began. Two torpedoes and at least seven bombs hit the ship, sinking it. Though some onboard the USS Virginia survived the attack itself, they perished after being trapped below deck. In 2017, efforts were made to identify the remains found on the ship after it was salvaged. Nearly 84 years after the fact, Frye’s remains were tied back to him. In March 2025, the U.S. Navy announced that Frye’s remains would be returned to his home state of North Carolina so he could be buried with full honors at Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery. (Here are 21 facts about Pearl Harbor that most Americans don’t know.)

The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor led to the deaths of many service members, and their stories should be honored and remembered. But what should also be remembered are the service members who, despite the sudden and wrenching conflict, stepped up to make a difference. Some histories state that pilots stepped into action immediately — and the Japanese were surprised by the force of American antiaircraft efforts. 24/7 Wall St. wanted to understand which aircraft played a role in the Battle of Pearl Harbor and the resulting American efforts during World War II. To do so, we sourced insights from Military Factory’s catalog of Pearl Harbor / World War II American aircraft. Military Factory has been a trusted global defense reference for the last 22 years. Aircraft are ordered from the earliest to the latest years they entered service. We also included, from Military Factory, information on the aircraft type, speed, weaponry, and developer.

This previously published article was updated in March 2025 to reflect new acknowledgement of several military men who fought in Pearl Harbor and to honor their legacies.

Pearl Harbor: Timeline

The initial attack on Pearl Harbor took place on December 7, 1941. According to the Imperial War Museums, the attack began at 7:48am and continued throughout several hours.

Pearl Harbor: Key Players

When it comes to nations, there were only two key players in the attack on Pearl Harbor:

• Japan
• The United States

However, tensions had been strained between the two countries based on America’s support — and Japan’s distaste — for China. Japan had declared war on China in 1937, to which the American government responded with sanctions and embargoes.

Tensions steadily grew between the two nations in the years following.

Where is Pearl Harbor?

The U.S. Navy’s base was at Pearl Harbor, located on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. According to History.com, the base was around 2,000 miles away from the U.S. mainland and 4,000 miles away from Japan. Given its location, and what the U.S. saw as European areas more likely for Japan to attack, the Pearl Harbor base was not as well protected or defended — as America believed the threat would not come so close to home.

Attack on Pearl Harbor: An Overview

Despite ongoing negotiations between Japan and the United States, Japanese Prime Minister Tōjō Hideki had had enough — and prepared his nation for war. Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku, the Commander in Chief of Japan’s Combined Fleet, began reading the troops for battle.

On December 7, 1941, over 300 Japanese aircraft attacked Pearl Harbor with one goal in mind: destroying the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet so that Japan could expand its territory without intervention. At the time of the attack, the U.S. had remained a neutral country in World War II.

The attack on Pearl Harbor, according to the U.S. Navy’s Naval History and Heritage Command, “sank five battleships and damaged three; and sank a gunnery training ship and three destroyers, damaged a heavy cruiser, three light cruisers, two destroyers, two seaplane tenders, two repair ships and a destroyer tender.” Two of the affected battleships were the USS Arizona and the USS Oklahoma.

The Aftermath of Pearl Harbor

During the attack on Pearl Harbor, the American military fought back valiantly. Multiple pilots were, surprisingly, able to take off during the attack to shoot down enemy aircraft. Still, thousands of people died in the attack on Pearl Harbor.

America soon declared war on Japan; Germany and Italy then declared war on the United States. During Pearl Harbor, and as America was quickly pulled into World War II, aircraft became an important part of military strategy and allowed the nation to project power. The planes used assisted America in helping Allied nations emerge from the war victorious.

Why We’re Covering This Today

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a defining moment in American history and serves as a powerful reminder of both the devastation of war and the unpredictable consequences of military aggression. When we learn about history like Pearl Harbor, it’s important to gain insights from those who fought for our nation. Unfortunately, our world recently lost a veteran who held the claim as one of the oldest and last U.S. survivors of the sunken USS Oklahoma during the 1941 surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Jessie A. Mahaffey, who was 102 years old, passed away in early March 2025. He had lived through an attack where Japanese torpedo bombers struck the USS Oklahoma with three torpedos in ten minutes. Mahaffey later escaped death again after the USS Northampton sinking during the Battle of Tassafaronga.

Given Mahaffey’s legacy, and the legacy of the many other militarymen who risked their lives during World War II, we need to stay well-versed on the events of the past — and the ways in which the American military stepped forth for national protection. Much like torpedo bombers played a role in Japanese strategy during the attack on Pearl Harbor, military aircraft were also strategically used by the United States to gain an advantage over the enemies. Understanding which aircraft were used and what armament these aircraft has provides deeper insight into this military legacy.

These aircraft made a difference during the Battle of Pearl Harbor:

P-26 Peashooter

• Type: Monoplane fighter
• Manufacturer: Boeing
• Year introduced: 1932
• Top speed: 227 mph
• Armament: .30 caliber machine guns, .50 caliber machine guns, 100 lb conventional drop bombs, 31 lb anti-personnel drop bombs

A-12 (Shrike)

• Type: Single-engine strike aircraft
• Manufacturer: Curtiss
• Year introduced: 1933
• Top speed: 177 mph
• Armament: .30 caliber machine guns, 122 lb bombs, 30 lb fragmentation bombs

DC-2

• Type: Military transport aircraft
• Manufacturer: Douglas
• Year introduced: 1934
• Top speed: 210 mph
• Armament: N/A

S-43 (Baby Clipper)

• Type: Amphibious transport aircraft
• Manufacturer: Sikorsky
• Year introduced: 1935
• Top speed: 190 mph
• Armament: Typically none

PBY Catalina

• Type: Maritime patrol floatplane
• Manufacturer: Consolidated / Boeing
• Year introduced: 1936
• Top speed: 179 mph
• Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, 12.7mm machine guns, torpedos, anti-ship mines, depth charges, maximum bombload of 4,000 lbs

B-18 Bolo

• Type: Medium bomber
• Manufacturer: Douglas
• Year introduced: 1936
• Top speed: 217 mph
• Armament: .30 caliber machine guns, up to 4,500 lbs of conventional drop bombs

J2F Duck

• Type: Navy floatplane utility aircraft
• Manufacturer: Grumman
• Year introduced: 1936
• Top speed: 189 mph
• Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, up to 650 lbs of drop bombs or depth charges

T-6 Texan

• Type: Two-seat advanced trainer aircraft
• Manufacturer: North American
• Year introduced: 1936
• Top speed: 209 mph
• Armament: 7.62mm machine guns

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

• Type: Heavy bomber
• Manufacturer: Boeing / Douglas / Lockheed
• Year introduced: 1937
• Top speed: 287 mph
• Armament: .50 caliber Browning heavy machine guns, maximum internal bombload of 17,600 lbs

Goose (G-21)

• Type: Multirole navy floatplane
• Manufacturer: Grumman
• Year introduced: 1937
• Top speed: 201 mph
• Armament: .30 caliber machine guns, 100 lb drop bombs

Seversky P-35

• Type: Monoplane fighter
• Manufacturer: Seversky
• Year introduced: 1937
• Top speed: 308 mph
• Armament: .30 caliber machine guns, .50 caliber machine guns, 350 lbs of drop bombs

SB2U Vindicator

• Type: Dive bomber aircraft
• Manufacturer: Vought
• Year introduced: 1937
• Top speed: 251 mph
• Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, 12.7mm machine guns, 500 lb drop bombs or 1,000 lb drop bombs

P-36 Hawk (Hawk 75/Mohawk)

• Type: Monoplane fighter
• Manufacturer: Curtiss
• Year introduced: 1938
• Top speed: 322 mph
• Armament: .30 caliber machine guns, .50 caliber machine guns, drop bombs of various weights

SBD Dauntless

• Type: Carrier-borne dive bomber
• Manufacturer: Douglas
• Year introduced: 1938
• Top speed: 255 mph
• Armament: .30 caliber machine guns, .50 caliber machine guns, maximum bombload of 2,250 lbs

Brewster F2A (Buffalo)

• Type: Monoplane fighter
• Manufacturer: Brewster
• Year introduced: 1939
• Top speed: 321 mph
• Armament: .30 caliber machine guns, .50 caliber machine guns

Aichi D3A (Val)

• Type: Carrier-borne bomber / dive bomber
• Manufacturer: Aichi Kokuki
• Year introduced: 1940
• Top speed: 267 mph
• Armament: 7.7mm machine guns, 551 lb bomb under fuselage or 132 lbs bombs under wings

F4F Wildcat

• Type: Monoplane fighter
• Manufacturer: Grumman
• Year introduced: 1940
• Top speed: 332 mph
• Armament: 12.7mm machine guns, various drop bombs

Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen (Zero)

• Type: Carrier-borne naval fighter-bomber
• Manufacturer: Mitsubishi / Nakajima
• Year introduced: 1940
• Top speed: 354 mph
• Armament: 7.7mm machine guns, 20mm cannons, 130 lb drop bombs or 550 lb drop bomb

OS2U Kingfisher

• Type: Shipborne reconnaissance / scout floatplane
• Manufacturer: Vought
• Year introduced: 1940
• Top speed: 164 mph
• Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, 650 lbs of drop bombs

Aichi E13A (Jake)

• Type: Naval reconnaissance floatplane
• Manufacturer: Aichi Kokuki
• Year introduced: 1941
• Top speed: 234 mph
• Armament: 7.7mm machine gun, 20mm cannon, maximum external bomb payload of 551 lbs

P-40 Warhawk

• Type: Single-engine fighter-bomber
• Manufacturer: Curtiss
• Year introduced: 1941
• Top speed: 378 mph
• Armament: .50 caliber Browning heavy machine guns, up to 2,000 lbs of conventional drop bombs

A-20 Havoc / Boston

• Type: Light bomber / night-fighter aircraft
• Manufacturer: Douglas
• Year introduced: 1941
• Top speed: 339 mph
• Armament: .50 caliber machine guns, 20mm cannons, 7.62mm machine guns, up to 4,000 lbs of conventional drop bombs

Nakajima B5N (Kate)

• Type: Carrier-borne torpedo bomber
• Manufacturer: Nakajima
• Year introduced: 1941
• Top speed: 236 mph
• Armament: 7.7mm machine guns, maximum bombload of 1,760 lbs

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