How Many Ships Sunk at Pearl Harbor and Which Are There Today?

Eric DawsonByEric Dawson Updated Boats & Cruises

Seven United States Navy ships sunk at Pearl Harbor during the December 7, 1941 attack, which is the direct answer to how many ships went down that morning: USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, USS California, USS West Virginia, USS Utah, the minelayer USS Oglala, and the floating drydock YFD-2. Only three of them, USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, and USS Utah, were permanent losses. The rest were raised and rebuilt. Visitors to Pearl Harbor today can tour memorials for several of these ships, plus the battleship USS Missouri and the submarine USS Bowfin.

How Many Ships Sunk at Pearl Harbor During the Raid

Naval records put the toll at seven vessels sunk outright during the two-hour raid on the morning of December 7, 1941. Four of them were battleships: USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, USS California, and USS West Virginia. Historians count these seven separately from the wider damage the attack caused across the rest of the harbor.

The attack also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, and a minelayer, in addition to the battleship losses. That broader number explains why casual references to Pearl Harbor losses sometimes differ: some sources count every damaged hull, while others count only the ships that actually went under.

Some casual sources blur sunk and permanently lost into one category, since all seven ships went underwater but only three never returned to duty. The Navy’s own historical listings draw a sharper line between the two, and that Navy framing is the more authoritative one to follow here. This article uses sunk for anything that went under and total loss only for Arizona, Oklahoma, and Utah.

Which Ships Were Total Losses

Each is now a memorial, and each still holds the remains of crew members who died aboard.

USS Arizona (BB-39) took a catastrophic hit to its forward magazine and sank in minutes, killing 1,177 of the roughly 1,400 crew aboard. The Navy never raised the wreck. It rests where it sank, beneath the white memorial that spans the hull today, and the ship still counts more Pearl Harbor dead than any other vessel.

Multiple torpedo hits capsized USS Oklahoma (BB-37) within minutes, trapping many of the 429 sailors who died inside. Salvage crews righted the hull in 1943 and prepared it for the trip back to the mainland, but the ship sank again in 1947 while under tow to San Francisco and was never rebuilt. Her irreparable attack damage is why Oklahoma counts as a total loss despite being raised once already.

USS Utah (AG-16), a former battleship then used as a target and training vessel, rolled over and sank after being struck by torpedoes meant for aircraft carriers moored nearby. Fifty-eight crew members died and remain aboard. The Navy stopped salvage efforts and left the wreck in place as a war grave, and it still lies on the north side of Ford Island today.

Which Ships Were Salvaged and Returned to Service

Some of those vessels returned to the fleet after repair. All fought again before the war ended.

USS California (BB-44) and USS West Virginia (BB-48) both settled to the harbor floor after multiple torpedo and bomb hits, then spent months in dry dock and shipyards on the mainland. Workers rebuilt California by January 1944 and West Virginia by July 1944, and both battleships returned to combat with modernized hulls, radar, and antiaircraft batteries. Neither ship kept its prewar profile, and the reconstruction left them closer in design to new-build battleships than to the vessels that sank in 1941.

Moored beside the cruiser USS Helena, USS Oglala (CM-4) rolled over after a torpedo meant for Helena struck nearby and flooding overwhelmed her hull. Salvage teams righted and repaired the ship, and the Navy recommissioned Oglala in February 1944 for service as a repair vessel. The floating drydock YFD-2 sank under a berthed destroyer during the attack and was likewise raised and returned to use.

USS West Virginia’s Recovery Among Pearl Harbor’s Four Sunken Battleships

USS West Virginia was one of the four battleships counted as sunk at Pearl Harbor, yet it was not a total loss. Its later return to wartime duty sets its record apart from a simple total-loss reading of the attack’s ship losses.

At berth F-6, West Virginia was moored outboard of USS Tennessee and forward of USS Arizona. Six torpedoes and two bombs struck West Virginia, which sank with the loss of 106 crew members. Tennessee was damaged beside her, but survived, was repaired and modernized, and later returned to service.

Recovery began in May 1942, when water was drained from West Virginia’s hull after she had been salvaged from the seabed. The battleship later fought at Leyte Gulf and in the liberation of the Philippines. West Virginia was also present in Tokyo Bay for Japan’s formal surrender on September 2, 1945.

Her subsequent career shows why ship totals need careful labels: sinking during the attack did not determine a vessel’s final wartime outcome. West Virginia’s recovery and combat service make her a central example when comparing the four-battleship total with accounts focused on permanent losses.

How Many Sailors Were Lost on the Ships That Sank

Known crew losses total at least 1,664 sailors across the ships that sank, though full figures are not reported for every vessel.

USS Arizona accounts for the largest share at 1,177 dead, followed by USS Oklahoma at 429 and USS Utah at 58. Records for USS California, USS West Virginia, and USS Oglala do not break out crew deaths specifically tied to the sinkings, since crew moved between duties during the extended salvage and rebuilding process. Readers looking for ship-by-ship totals for the entire attack, not just the ships that sank, should consult the National Park Service or the Naval History and Heritage Command directly.

Pearl Harbor Ships at a Glance

The table below lines up all seven ships that sank at Pearl Harbor alongside their designation, fate, and crew losses where records report them.

Ship Designation Sank Total Loss Status Crew Lost
USS Arizona BB-39, battleship Yes Yes Not salvaged, memorial 1,177
USS Oklahoma BB-37, battleship Yes Yes Raised, sank again in 1947 429
USS Utah AG-16, former battleship Yes Yes Salvage stopped, war grave 58
USS California BB-44, battleship Yes No Rebuilt by January 1944 105
USS West Virginia BB-48, battleship Yes No Rebuilt by July 1944 106
USS Oglala CM-4, minelayer Yes No Recommissioned February 1944 Not reported
YFD-2 Floating drydock Yes No Salvaged and returned to use Not reported

What Ships Are at Pearl Harbor Today

Visitors can see this ship history at Pearl Harbor now.

The USS Arizona Memorial sits directly over the sunken battleship and remains the most visited site, drawing about 1.4 million people a year. Ford Island holds the other two: the USS Oklahoma Memorial near where the battleship capsized, and the USS Utah Memorial on the island’s north shore.

USS Missouri, the battleship on whose deck Japan signed its surrender in 1945, is moored on Ford Island and open for self-guided and guided tours. A short walk from the main visitor center, USS Bowfin, a World War II submarine, sits in a park and can be toured inside and out. The Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, across the harbor on Ford Island, focuses on the air campaign that opened the attack rather than the ships in the water.

The Pearl Harbor National Memorial Visitor Center anchors all of these stops and charges no admission. It opens at 7 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. seven days a week, and its two on-site museums are included in the free admission. As of September 2026, the visitor center is wheelchair accessible throughout, according to the National Park Service.

What It Costs to Visit the Ship Memorials Today

Beyond the admission arrangement noted above, the only required payment across the sunken-ship sites is a $1.00 Recreation.gov fee for the Ford Island Bus Tour that reaches USS Oklahoma and USS Utah.

USS Missouri and USS Bowfin charge separate admission that is not part of the free National Park Service ticket, and current rates for either stop are not listed. Confirm pricing directly with the Battleship Missouri Memorial and the Bowfin museum before a visit, since museum admission tends to change more often than federal park fees.

How to Visit the USS Memorials at Pearl Harbor

Each of the three sunken-ship memorials has its own access rules, and only the Arizona memorial allows a booking without an escorted bus tour. The other two require a seat on the National Park Service’s Ford Island Bus Tour.

Visiting the Arizona Memorial

Access to the memorial starts with a free timed ticket booked through Recreation.gov, and walk-up standby tickets are limited and not guaranteed. The visitor center opens at 7 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. every day, and the boat ride out to the memorial runs on a fixed Navy schedule. Arrive early: security screening takes time, and tickets for the day can run out well before closing.

  1. Step 1: Go to Recreation.gov and search for the memorial program.
  2. Step 2: Pick a date and select an available tour time slot.
  3. Step 3: Complete the free reservation and save the confirmation.
  4. Step 4: Arrive at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial Visitor Center at least one hour before the reserved time to clear security.

Visiting the USS Oklahoma Memorial

The USS Oklahoma Memorial is reachable only through the NPS-run Ford Island Bus Tour, since the memorial sits on active Navy property. Tours run Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 3:15 p.m. to 5 p.m., carry a maximum of 25 participants, and require a $1.00 reservation fee on Recreation.gov. Seats fill quickly, so booking a week or more ahead is worth the effort during peak season.

Visiting the USS Utah Memorial

Closed to the public except on the same escorted tour used for the Oklahoma memorial, the USS Utah Memorial sits on the north side of Ford Island. That round trip runs about 90 minutes and passes both memorials along with other historic sites on the island. Fifty-eight crew members remain aboard the wreck, so the Navy and Park Service treat the stop as a war grave rather than a typical tour stop.

I like road trips under about eight hours, partly because a plan has enough room for a reservation without becoming a military campaign. For the USS Memorials at Pearl Harbor, booking ahead seems like the sensible version of that restraint.

This guide does not estimate ship-by-ship death totals where the historical record does not assign them clearly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Ships Were Sunk at Pearl Harbor?

Seven United States Navy ships sank during the attack on December 7, 1941: USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, USS California, USS West Virginia, USS Utah, USS Oglala, and the floating drydock YFD-2. Only three of them, Arizona, Oklahoma, and Utah, never returned to service.

Which Pearl Harbor Ships Can You Still Visit Today?

Visitors can see the Arizona memorial, the USS Oklahoma Memorial, and the USS Utah Memorial, plus the battleship USS Missouri and the submarine USS Bowfin. The Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum rounds out the sites tied directly to the 1941 attack. Access varies: Arizona allows same-day booking, while Oklahoma and Utah require the Ford Island tour.

Was the USS Arizona Ever Raised?

No, the Navy left USS Arizona where it sank and never attempted a full salvage. Divers removed guns, ammunition, and some equipment in the years after the attack, but the hull itself remains on the harbor floor. The memorial now spans the wreck without touching it.

How Many Sailors Died on the USS Arizona?

USS Arizona lost 1,177 of its roughly 1,400 crew members, more than any other ship at Pearl Harbor. That single loss accounts for close to half of all the sailors and Marines killed in the attack. Many of the remains were never recovered and stay inside the wreck today.

Can You Visit the USS Utah Memorial?

Yes, but only as part of the National Park Service operated tour of Ford Island, since the memorial sits on active Navy land. The tour costs a $1.00 Recreation.gov reservation fee and runs about 90 minutes round trip. Independent or walk-up access is not allowed.

What Do the Letters and Numbers After Each Ship’s Name Mean?

The letters are the Navy’s hull classification symbol, and the number is that ship’s position within the class. BB stands for battleship, CM for minelayer, and AG for auxiliary, so USS Arizona (BB-39) was the 39th battleship in the series. USS Utah’s AG-16 designation reflects its reassignment from battleship to target and training ship before the attack.

Pearl Harbor’s ship losses come down to two numbers worth remembering: seven vessels sank, and three of them stayed sunk for good. The rest of the fleet, along with the memorials, museums, and tour ships that now sit where the attack happened, gives visitors a way to see both the damage and the recovery in a single visit.

References

Sources read in September 2026.

Eric Dawson

I'm Eric Dawson, and I write The Money Watch from north Columbus, Ohio. Most of what I cover comes from my own life: renting, a 2014 Honda Fit, parking, computers, food and the bills behind all of it. I spent four years in an apartment-property office and eleven on a distributor's operations desk, reading leases and invoices. Where you need real information, I research the maker's or agency's own page and independent sources and report what they publish. I don't give tax, investment, legal or medical advice.