After the Attack: The Fate of Pearl Harbor’s Ships and Submarines

On December 7, 1941, Japanese forces surprise attacked the American naval base in Honolulu, Hawaii, ending American neutrality in World War II. Some ships were sunk that day, others were later sold as scrap metal, while still others were used later on as atomic test bomb targets — here's a look at what happened to all the ships and submarines that were involved in the attack on Pearl Harbor. (Also see more of the biggest surprise attacks in military history.)

To determine the outcome of all ships and submarines involved in the Pearl Harbor attack, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed reports by the Naval History and Heritage Command, an organization dedicated to the preservation of U.S. Naval history. These ships and submarines were ordered alphabetically (those not involved in direct combat roles were excluded.) We also included supplemental information from the Naval History and Heritage Command regarding the type of ship, its commission date, battle stars, and its fate.

Here is the outcome of all ships involved in the attack on Pearl Harbor:

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 1
• Commission date: Jan. 24, 1917
• Outcome: Sold for scrap September 1946

• Type: Battleship
• Battle stars: 1
• Commission date: Oct. 17, 1916
• Outcome: Sunk at Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 13
• Commission date: March 1, 1935
• Outcome: Sold for scrap December 1946

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 12
• Commission date: June 12, 1937
• Outcome: Sold for scrap September 1947

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 5
• Commission date: Aug. 14, 1937
• Outcome: Sunk in Battle of Guadalcanal August 1942

• Type: Submarine
• Battle stars: 3
• Commission date: Dec. 1, 1933
• Outcome: Sold January 1947

• Type: Battleship
• Battle stars: 7
• Commission date: Aug. 10, 1921
• Outcome: Damaged at Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941, sold for scrap July 1959

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 7
• Commission date: Sept. 15, 1936
• Outcome: Sold December 1947

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 1
• Commission date: Dec. 12, 1918
• Outcome: Sold for scrap September 1946

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 14
• Commission date: Nov. 4, 1936
• Outcome: Atomic bomb test target July 1946

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 7
• Commission date: Nov. 25, 1936
• Outcome: Sold July 1947

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 12
• Commission date: June 17, 1935
• Outcome: Sold December 1946

• Type: Light cruiser
• Battle stars: 6
• Commission date: July 31, 1923
• Outcome: Sold February 1946

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 13
• Commission date: Oct. 4, 1934
• Outcome: Sold December 1946

• Type: Submarine
• Battle stars: 2
• Commission date: June 1, 1932
• Outcome: Sold August 1946

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 4
• Commission date: Jan. 15, 1937
• Outcome: Sold for scrap November 1947

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 14
• Commission date: June 18, 1934
• Outcome: Sold for scrap August 1947

• Type: Light cruiser
• Battle stars: 7
• Commission date: Sept. 18, 1939
• Outcome: Sunk at Kula Gulf July 5, 1943

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 11
• Commission date: Oct. 16, 1937
• Outcome: Used as target in atomic tests, sold for scrap October 1947

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 4
• Commission date: Aug. 14, 1937
• Outcome: Sunk by torpedo October 1943

• Type: Light cruiser
• Battle stars: 8
• Commission date: June 15, 1938
• Outcome: Sold for scrap 1959

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 10
• Commission date: Jan. 11, 1935
• Outcome: Sunk in Typhoon Cobra December 1944

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 3
• Commission date: Oct. 27, 1937
• Outcome: Sunk by Japanese aircraft Guadalcanal August 1942

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 13
• Commission date: March 15, 1935
• Outcome: Sold December 1946

• Type: Battleship
• Battle stars: 7
• Commission date: July 21, 1921
• Outcome: Sold for scrap July 1959

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 12
• Commission date: April 19, 1935
• Outcome: Sunk in Typhoon Cobra December 1944

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 7
• Commission date: Aug. 16, 1937
• Outcome: Used as target in atomic tests, scuttled at sea March 1948

• Type: Submarine
• Battle stars: 15
• Commission date: May 15, 1930
• Outcome: Sold for scrap 1945

• Type: Battleship
• Battle stars: 7
• Commission date: March 11, 1916
• Outcome: Atomic bomb test target July 1946, later sunk as a target July 1948

• Type: Heavy cruiser
• Battle stars: 17
• Commission date: Feb. 15, 1934
• Outcome: Sold for scrap September 1959

• Type: Battleship
• Battle stars: 1
• Commission date: May 2, 1916
• Outcome: Sunk at Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 13
• Commission date: Sept. 22, 1937
• Outcome: Sold for scrap August 1947

• Type: Battleship
• Battle stars: 8
• Commission date: June 12, 1916
• Outcome: Atomic bomb test target July 1946

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 12
• Commission date: Feb. 26, 1936
• Outcome: Sold for scrap January 1947

• Type: Light cruiser
• Battle stars: 9
• Commission date: Oct. 3, 1938
• Outcome: Sold April 1951

• Type: Light cruiser
• Battle stars: 3
• Commission date: Feb. 6, 1924
• Outcome: Damaged at Massacre Bay June 1944, sold for scrap February 1946

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 12
• Commission date: Oct. 14, 1937
• Outcome: Used as target in atomic tests, scuttled at sea March 1948

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 7
• Commission date: Nov. 2, 1936
• Outcome: Sunk December 1944

• Type: Heavy cruiser
• Battle stars: 17
• Commission date: Feb. 10, 1934
• Outcome: Sold for scrap September 1959

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 11
• Commission date: Sept. 20, 1918
• Outcome: Sold for scrap March 1946

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 4
• Commission date: Nov. 25, 1936
• Outcome: Sold for scrap December 1946

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 11
• Commission date: Sept. 18, 1936
• Outcome: Sold for scrap July 1946

• Type: Light cruiser
• Battle stars: 11
• Commission date: May 19, 1939
• Outcome: Sold January 1951

• Type: Submarine
• Battle stars: 14
• Commission date: July 3, 1940
• Outcome: Sold November 1959

• Type: Battleship
• Battle stars: 10
• Commission date: June 3, 1920
• Outcome: Sold for scrap July 1959

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 1
• Commission date: July 23, 1936
• Outcome: Struck minefield, sunk August 1942

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 9
• Commission date: July 24, 1918
• Outcome: Sunk at Ormoc Bay Dec. 7, 1944

• Type: Battleship
• Battle stars: 5
• Commission date: Dec. 1, 1923
• Outcome: Damaged at Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941, sold for scrap August 1959

• Type: Destroyer
• Battle stars: 4
• Commission date: Jan. 15, 1935
• Outcome: Sunk January 1943