It is very common that most US sources misrepresent the losses and extent of damage sustained. To understand the seriousness of the damage inflicted, one really has to refer to primary sources.
For the war In Europe thread, myself and Chris ("Njaco") carried out some pretty detailed research on this very issue and came up with the following:
BB OKLAHOMA (USN 27500 grt) was sunk at her moorings by IJN carrier based a/c. She was not returned to service. On the day of her loss she was moored in berth Fox 5 in Battleship Row. Outboard alongside BB MARYLAND, OKLAHOMA took three torpedo hits almost immediately after the first Japanese bombs fell. As she began to capsize to port, two more torpedoes struck home, and her men were strafed as they abandoned ship. In less than 12 minutes, she rolled over until halted by her masts touching bottom, her starboard side above water, and a part of her keel exposed
BB ARIZONA (USN 29158 grt) was sunk was sunk at her moorings by IJN carrier based a/c. She was not returned to service. Shortly after 08:00, 10 Nakajima Kates, five each from the carriers KAGA and HIRYU attacked ARIZONA. All of the aircraft were carrying 410-millimeter (16.1") AP shells modified into 797-kilogram (1,757 lb) bombs. Flying at an estimated altitude of 3,000 meters (9,800 ft). KAGA's aircraft bombed ARIZONA from amidships to stern. Soon after, HIRYU's bombers hit the bow area.
The aircraft scored four hits and three near misses on and around
Arizona. The near miss off the port bow is believed to have caused observers to believe that the ship had been torpedoed, although no torpedo damage has been found. The stern most bomb ricocheted off the face of Turret IV and penetrated the deck to detonate in the captain's pantry, causing a small fire. The next forward most hit was near the port edge of the ship, abreast the mainmast, probably detonating in the area of the anti-torpedo bulkhead. The next bomb struck near the port rear 5-inch AA gun.
The last bomb hit at 0806 in the vicinity of Turret II, likely penetrating the armored deck near the ammunition magazines located in the forward section of the ship. It is not possible to judge the exact location of this hit, its effects are indisputable: about seven seconds after the hit, the forward magazines detonated in a cataclysmic explosion, mostly venting through the sides of the ship and destroying much of the interior structure of the forward part of the ship. This caused the forward turrets and conning tower to collapse downward some 25–30 feet and the foremast and funnel to collapse forward, effectively tearing the ship in half. The explosion touched off fierce fires that burned for two days; debris showered down on Ford Island in the vicinity. The blast from this explosion also put out fires on the repair ship VESTAL, which was moored alongside and ablaze. The bombs and subsequent explosion killed 1,177 of the 1,512 crewmen on board at the time
BB CALIFORNIA (USN 33190 grt) was sunk at her moorings by IJN carrier based a/c. CALIFORNIAwas moored at the southernmost berth of Battleship Row and was with other dreadnoughts of the Battle Force. She was struck on the port side with two torpedoes. One detonated below the armor belt at frame 52 (between number 2 turret and the bridge), creating a hole 10 feet high and 24 feet long, destructively deforming the first antitorpedo bulkhead and transverse stiffeners between frames 47 and 60, and holing the second bulkhead with fragments. Watertight integrity had been impaired by preparations for a material inspection; and the ship suffered extensive flooding damage when hit.
The second torpedo detonated below the armor belt and turret 3 at frame 101, causing nearly identical damage. The third and fourth bulkheads were deformed but remained intact at both locations. The innermost fifth armored bulkhead was deflected approximately 1 inch forward and punctured by a fuel line fitting aft. This damage caused by the shifting fuel line aft allowed flooding of the centre motor room through the port thrust block room.
At 08:45, a 551-pound (250 kg) bomb entered the starboard upper deck level at Frame 60, passed through the main deck, and exploded on the armoured second deck, setting off an AA ammunition magazine and killing about 50 men.
A second near miss bomb off the port bow ruptured hull plates between frames 10 and 15 causing immediate flooding of all first platform compartments forward of frame 21, and three compartments on the second platform putting CALIFORNIA down about one meter by the bow. Smoke from fires started by the bomb hit caused evacuation of the forward engine-room at 1000 and ended pumping efforts to keep CALIFORNIA afloat. After three days of progressive flooding, CALIFORNIA settled into the mud with only her superstructure remaining above the surface. When the action ended, 100 of her crew were lost and 62 wounded.
CALIFORNIA had been extensively wrecked and her repair was marginally effective yet as much for prestige reasons as operational requirements, she was raised and repaired.
On 25 March 1942, CALIFORNIA was refloated and dry-docked at Pearl Harbor for repairs. On 7 June, she departed under her own power for Puget Sound where a major repair and reconstruction job was undertaken, including improved protection, watertight compartmenting, stability, AA battery, and fire control system. Her original twin funnels were combined into a single funnel faired into the superstructure tower as with the newer STH DAKOTA class. It would take until
31 January 1944 before she was to emerge ready for action again.
BB WEST VIRGINIA (USN 32100 grt) was sunk in the attack.
Seven Type 91 aerial torpedoes struck the port side of WEST VIRGINIA. One hit the steering gear, dislodging the rudder. At least three struck below the armor belt, with one or more striking the belt itself (requiring the complex replacement of seven armor plates). One or two torpedoes exploded on the armored second deck after entering the listing ship through holes made by previous torpedoes. One torpedo failed to detonate, and was recovered and disarmed by shipyard explosive technicians. The torpedo attack made two large holes, extending from frames 43 to 52 and 62 to 97.
WEST VIRGINIA was also damaged by two Type 99 No. 80 Mk 5 bombs made from 16 in AP naval shells fitted with aerial fins. The first was found, unexploded, in debris on the second deck after passing through the searchlight platform, signal bridge and main deck deck near frame 70. The second bomb penetrated the 4-inch (100 mm) roof of turret three and broke apart destroying one of the turret's two guns, but did not detonate. It destroyed the Vought OS2U Kingfisher floatplane on the turret catapult. The impact knocked a second floatplane upside down to the main deck below, spilling gasoline (which ignited) from its fuel tanks. Burning aircraft fuel injured turret personnel and damaged the remaining gun. WEST VIRGINIA was eventually engulfed by an oil-fed conflagration, begun by the burning ARIZONA and sustained for 30 hours by fuel leaking from both ships.
Port-side torpedo damage caused rapid compartment flooding; prompt counter-flooding by four damage-control parties under the command of Lcdr John S. Harper and early closure of all water-tight doors and hatches ordered by Harper's assistant, Archie P. Kelley, prevented the ship from capsizing. Water damage ruined much of the ship's communications gear and electrics, including its battle-phone batteries.
With a patch over the damaged area of her hull the BB was pumped out, refloated on 17 May 1942 and docked in Drydock Number One on 9 June. This enabled a more detailed damage assessment, indicating six (not five) torpedo hits.
Shipyard workers were confronted with a monumental task because of the damage to her port side, WEST VIRGINIA sailed from Pearl Harbor on 7 May 1943 to Bremerton and a complete rebuild at Puget Navy yard. During this reconstruction, the cage masts supporting the three-tier fire-control tops, the two funnels, the open-mount 5-inch (127 mm)/25 caliber guns and the casemates with the single-purpose 5-inch/51 caliber guns were replaced by a single funnel and 5/38 dual-purpose guns. On the decks, 40 mm Bofors and 20 mm oerlikon batteries were added. Although the two-ocean naval policy dictated a beam limit of 108 feet for U.S. BBs to traverse the Panama Canal when WEST VIRGINIA, TENNESSEE and CALIFORNIA were rebuilt their beams were widened to 114 feet feet, effectively limiting their service to the Pacific theater. WEST VIRGINIA was finally ready to return to active duty by
early July 1944.
Demilitarised BB UTAH (USN 21825 grt) was sunk. Shortly before 0800, some crewmen aboard UTAHobserved the first IJN planes approaching, but they assumed they were US aircraft. The Japanese began their attack shortly thereafter, concentrating on the BBs moored around Ford Island of which the UTAH was considered by them to be one. At 0801, the first of two torpedoes struck UTAH, which caused serious flooding. The ship began to list to port and settle by the stern.
UTAH was attacked mercilessly because like the Japanese HIEI, which had been similarly "demilitarised" in the 30's it was quite possible this ship might have been re-equipped and returned to service as a BB. As such the IJN considered her a potential threat deserving of attack.
US BB NEVADA was damaged with 57 fatalities and 112 wounded. NEVADA was the only BB to get underway during the attack, making the ship "the only bright spot in an otherwise dismal and depressing morning" for the United States. Still, it was hit by one torpedo and at least six bombs while getting underway forcing the crew to beach
the stricken ship on a coral ledge. The ship continued to flood and eventually slid off the ledge and
sunk to the harbor floor. NEVADA was subsequently salvaged and modernized but took some time to return to active service..
NEVADA was struck by at least 5x250kg bombs as she proceeded down the channel as the IJN attempted to sink her in the channel to impede use of the harbor.
The gasoline fires that flared up around Turret 1 would have caused more critical damage if the main magazines had not been empty. For several days prior to the attack, all of the 14-inch-gun (356 mm) battleships had been replacing their standard-weight main battery projectiles with a new heavier projectile that offered greater penetration and a larger explosive charge in exchange for a slight decrease in range. All of the older projectiles and powder charges had been removed from the magazines of NEVADA, and the crew had taken a break after loading the new projectiles in anticipation of loading the new powder charges on Sunday.
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As bomb damage became evident, NEVADA was ordered to proceed to the west side of Ford Island to prevent her from sinking in deeper water. Instead, she was grounded off Hospital Point at 10:30, though she claimed to have forced down three planes before she struck the shore. Gasoline fires prevented damage control parties from containing flooding forward of the main torpedo defense system. Flooding the main magazine and counterflooding to keep the ship stable lowered the bow allowing water to enter the ship at the second deck level. Lack of watertight subdivision between the second and main decks from frame 30 to frame 115 allowed water entering through bomb holes in the forecastle to flow aft through the ship's ventilation system to flood the dynamo and boiler rooms.
In addition to the immediate casualties mentioned above, NEVADA suffered two more men died aboard during salvage operations on 7 February 1942 when they were overcome by H2S gas gas from decomposing paper and meat. The ship suffered a minimum of six bomb hits and one torpedo hit, but "it is possible that as many as ten bomb hits may have been received, from not more than 18 attackers. Certain damaged areas were of sufficient size to indicate that they were struck by more than one bomb according to the DNS report.
NEVADA urgently required both repairs and modernization. DNS reported the repairs complete November 1942, but the modernization, which was necessarily modest (as it was intended that NEVADA would henceforth be used only as a convoy escort) were completed April 1943.
US BB PENNSYLVANIA was damaged 29 men killed and a further 29 wounded. It is often reported that she returned to service by 30 March 1942m, but in fact this is very misleading. She was indeed recommissioned on that date, only to find that she suffered repeated machinery failures due to the secondary effects of the repairs. It was not until
4 June 1942 that she was finally deemed fit for service. Even then she would need several months of work up exercises to be considered combat ready.
US BB TENNESSEE was damaged with 5 killed and 24 wounded. It is often misreported that she returned to service almost immediately, but this is untrue.
TENNESSEE was struck by two armor-piercing bombs that detonated incompletely. The first one hit the center gun of turret two, and it made all three guns inoperable.
[7] Debris from the bomb hit on TENNESSEE's turret two hit the command deck of WEST VIRGINIA which mortally wounded her commanding officer. The second bomb went through the roof of turret three; and low-order ignition, rather than detonation, burned out only the left gun compartment of that turret. It was extremely lucky this bomb hit was a dud. TENNESSEE was showered with debris when the magazine of ARIZONA exploded and her stern was engulfed in flames from
Arizona's burning fuel oil.
Wedged between the sunken WEST VIRGINIA
a and her mooring quays, TENNESSEE was trapped at her berth for ten days before being freed, and four days later she set sail for the West Coast to be repaired.
After preliminary repairs at Pearl Harbor, TENNESSEE headed for Puget for permanent repairs. In addition to repairing her, crews upgraded her AA capbiliities which after the pearl Harbour attack were considered essential. Search and Fcradars were fitted. . Other modifications improved the BB's habitability. On 26 February 1942, TENNESSEE departed from Puget Sound with the work ostensibly complete. She was not declared fully combat ready, however, until
after June 1942
US BB MARYLAND with four killed and 21 wounded. She was the first damaged ship at Pearl to actually be considered combat ready…..in
June 1942.
MARYLAND was struck by two armor-piercing bombs which detonated low on her hull. The first struck the forecastle awning and made a hole about 12 ft (3.7 m) by 20 ft (6.1 m). The second exploded after entering the hull at the 22 ft (6.7 m) water level at Frame 10. The latter hit caused flooding and increased the draft forward by 5 ft (1.5 m). MARYLAND continued to fire and, after the attack, sent firefighting parties to assist her compatriots, especially attempting to rescue survivors from the capsized OKLAHOMA. The men continued to muster the AA defenses in case the Japanese returned to attack. In all, two officers and two men were killed in the attack. The damage to the ship was more extensive than the casualties would suggest.
The Japanese erroneously announced that MARYLAND had been sunk, but on 30 December, the damaged ship entered Puget for repairs just behind TENNESSEE. Two of the original twelve 5/51 guns were removed and the 5 in/25 cal guns were replaced by an equal number of 5/38s. These were deemed essential at the time, due to the generally poor performace of the USN AA during the 7 December attack Over the course of the next two months, she was repaired and overhauled, receiving new fighting equipment. Repairs were complete on 26 February 1942, but she was not combat ready until the following June. She underwent a series of shakedown cruises to iron out persitent faults and work up the crews,. She was finally declared a combat ready unit of the USN sent back in
June 1942, just prior to Midway