Renamed the original thread from a few weeks ago and added a few images at the bottom of the thread. Thought some of you may enjoy this thread ... With the 71st year of the attack on Pearl Harbor (harbour) coming up in a few weeks, maybe a couple of these images you haven't seen before. Of course many battles, strikes and missions are not represented here so I've tried a modest attempt to put together a reasonable idea of what happened at Pearl Harbor and what it took to get the US Navy to the end of the journey. Sources San Diego Air and Space Museum archives, National Museum of Naval Aviation archives, Library of Congress archives, my personal collection.
The first few images before hostilities began ...
View of the flightline at Naval Air Station NAS Ford Island in Pearl Harbor during late 1938
Pearl Harbor Hawaii showing the battleship West Virginia BB48 making a turn at Hospital Point and the aircraft carrier Langley off to the left.
Aerial view of Naval Base Pearl Harbor Hawaii 13 October 1941
Aerial view of the submarine base and fuel tank storage area at Naval Base Pearl Harbor Hawaii 13 October 1941
Aerial view of US Naval Base Pearl Harbor November 1941
A hangar burns at Naval Air Station NAS Ford Island during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor 7 December 1941
Gunners man a sand bagged position during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
Personnel inspect a damaged hangar at Naval Air Station NAS Ford Island in the aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor December 1941
View of a burning hangar at Naval Air Station (NAS) Ford Island in the aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941.
View of a burned out hangar on Naval Air Station (NAS) Ford Island in the aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, 1941
View of hangars burning and aircraft wreckage on Naval Air Station (NAS) Ford Island in the aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, 1941.
Aerial view of destruction at Naval Air Station (NAS) Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, in the aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Sailors fight a fire on a burning PBY Catalina at Naval Air Station (NAS) Kaneohe, Hawaii, 7 December 1941.
View of the battleship Nevada (BB 36) underway during the Pearl Harbor attack, 7 December 1941.
View of PBY Catalina burning at Naval Air Station (NAS) Kaneohe, Territory of Hawaii, following the Japanese attacks on 7 December 1941.
View of the wreckage of an OS2U Kingfisher on Naval Air Station (NAS) Ford Island following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941.
View of the wreckage of a PBY Catalina of Patrol Squadron (VP) 12 taken at Naval Air Station (NAS) Kaneohe, Hawaii, in the aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
View of the wreckage of a PBY Catalina at Naval Air Station (NAS) Kaneohe during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941.
Cars that were strafed by Japanese aircraft pictured at Naval Air Station (NAS) Kaneohe, Hawaii, in the aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941.
Sailors examine the wreckage of an Aichi D3A dive bomber (codenamed Val) that was salvaged from the site where it crashed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Views of scenes at Naval Air Station (NAS) Kaneohe during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
View of PBY Catalina aircraft at Naval Air Station (NAS) Ford Island next to a hangar under repair taken sometime after the Japanese attack.
View of the salvaging of the capsized battleship Oklahoma (BB 37) during which the ships was rotated to an angle of about 30 degrees, 29 March 1943.
View of U.S. Naval Base Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, just over six months after the Japanese attack.
The Japanese carrier Shokaku pictured under attack by U.S. aircraft during the Battle of Coral Sea 5-8-1942
IJNS Shoho burning during the Battle of Coral Sea after successful attacks by SBD's and TBD Devastator aircraft from the carriers Lexington (CV 2) and Yorktown (CV 5).
This photo shows the front of a TBD-1 in flight over Wake Island.
View of The Bug the OS2U Kingfisher that rescued Captain Eddie Rickenbaker in the Pacific. This aircraft also survived the attack on Pearl Harbor.
View of the Japanese carrier Hiryu burning after being attacked by U.S. Navy aircraft during the Battle of Midway
View of the strike on Rabual taken by Commander Joseph C. Clifton from the cockpit of his F6F-3 Hellcat, 5 November 1943.
Strike photograph showing Japanese ships under attack at Rabaul 11-5-1943
Strike onthe Marshall Islands 1-29-1944
Strike photograph taken by an aircraft of Carrier Air Group (CVG) 2 during a raid against Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands 1944
Strike photograph of raid in Marshall Islands by aircraft off Intrepid (CV 11)
Strike photograph of raid in Marshall Islands by aircraft off Intrepid (CV 11).-1
Strike photograph of raid against Truk by aircraft off Intrepid (CV 11)-1
Strike photograph of raid against Truk by aircraft off Intrepid (CV 11).
Strike photograph of raid against Truk by aircraft off Intrepid (CV 11)-2
Strike photograph of raid against Truk by aircraft off Intrepid (CV 11)-3
Strike photograph of raid against Truk by aircraft off Intrepid (CV 11).
Strike photograph of raid against Truk by aircraft off Intrepid (CV 11) 2-16-1944
SBD-5s of Bombing Squadron Sixteen (VB-16) off USS Lexington (CV-16) fly low over Japanese installations on Param Island, Truk Atoll
Strike photograph probably taken during strikes on the Palau Islands 1944
Strike photograph showing the explosion of a tanker hit by carrier aircraft during a raid on Palau 3-30-1944
Strike against an unknown target 1944
Strike photograph of air raid against Pagan on 24 June 1944.
formation of TBM Avengers from the U.S.S. Hancock, CV-19, Air Group 7 flying support for the invasion of Okinawa
Strike photographs showing ships under attack by planes of Air Group 7 in the harbor at Hong Kong. Dad was involved in some of these missions
Strike photograph taken by planes from Air Group 80 off the carrier Ticonderoga (CV 14) showing smoke over Manila in the Philippines.
A TBF TBM Avenger of Torpedo Squadron (VT) 51, with battle damage visible on its wing, flies over Japanese ships under attack during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
A TBF TBM Avenger flies past the Japanese carrier Zuikaku as she sinks during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
Strike photograph shot during a raid by carrier aircraft against Kure on the island of Honshu in Japan 3-19-1945
Ships of the Fifth Fleet at anchor in Ulithi Atoll.
Carrier aircraft pictured in mass formation over ships of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. USS Wasp (CV 18)
Carrier aircraft pictured in mass formation over ships of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
Formations of U.S. Navy carrier planes roar over USS Missouri (BB 63) anchored in Tokyo Bay for the ceremonies in which the Japanese Empire surrendered to the Allied powers
Photograph taken from USS Missouri (BB 63) showing U.S. Navy carrier planes flying over Tokyo Bay on the day the instrument of surrender was signed,
SB2C-4E of Bombing Squadron 88 (VB-88) in flight over ships of Task Force 58. The mass formation of aircraft might indicate that this photograph was taken on 2 September 1945
TBM-3E Avenger, with Composite Squadron Ten (VC-10), in flight over unidentified CVEs cruising Tokyo Bay after surrender.