Color Photos of World War II Part 16: Pearl Harbor

On this page, we have color photos of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. All of these photos are from original photographs. Some (not all) have been colorized. The rule followed is that any colorized photograph must be taken from an original photo and must attempt to accurately reflect reality.

You may find more color photos of World War II on page 1 and page 2 and page 3 and page 4 and page 5 and page 6 and page 7 and page 8 and page 9 and page 10 and page 11 and page 12 and page 13 and page 14 and page 15 and page 16 of this series.

The Japanese Launch the Attack on Pearl Harbor

The Japanese main carrier strike force, Kido Butai, sailed from Japan in late November. In early December, the final signal to launch the strike as planned was received by the fleet. The ships sailed to within about 225 miles of Oahu and then launched their planes exactly as planned without being observed by anyone.

IJN aircraft carrier "Akagi" the flagship of the strike force that attacked Pearl Harbor, in April 1942.

“Imperial Japanese Navy Submarine Ha201. There were many Japanese submarines in the water off Pearl Harbor. The US Navy found one just before the attack and sank it.

The Japanese fleet first launched two floatplanes for reconnaissance purposes and to make pinpoint the location of the United States fleet. They remained unobserved even though they flew within five miles of Pearl Harbor itself.

The Attack on Pearl Harbor in Color

The Japanese attack consisted of two waves. The first wave made its attack at 07:55 on 7 December 1941, local time. The first message of the attack was received in Washington, D.C. about five minutes later.

The Aftermath of the Attack on Pearl Harbor

The Pearl Harbor Attack only lasted for an hour or two as Admiral Nagumo, the Japanese commander, considered the risk of additional strikes too great. However, Pearl Harbor was devastated. Attempts to free trapped sailors in half-submerged ships continued for days. Sailors and airmen recalled scenes of devastation well into 1943. The US government kept the full details of the attack secret for many years so as not to provide useful intelligence information to the Empire of Japan.

The US Congress voted for war on the Empire of Japan on 8 December 1941.

Many individuals contributed to the funding of the Arizona Memorial. Among them was Elvis Presley, who held a benefit concert at Bloch Arena to raise money for the Arizona Memorial. This concert raised over $64,000, which was more than 10% of the final cost. Elvis was not paid for the concert and donated additional funds in addition to the $64,000. The concert was on March 25, 1961, and the Arizona Memorial was dedicated on May 30, 1962.

2019