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Before dawn on 7 December 1941, the American strategic center of gravity in the Pacific reposed in the seven battleships then moored along "Battleship Row", the six pairs of interrupted quays located along Ford Island's eastern side. Quay F-2, the southernmost, which usually hosted an aircraft carrier, was empty. Northeastward, Battle Force flagship ''California'' was next, moored at F-3. Then came two pairs, moored side by side: ''Maryland'' with ''Oklahoma'' outboard, and ''Tennessee'' with ''West Virginia'' outboard. [[Astern]] of ''Tennessee'' lay ''Arizona'', which had the repair ship ''Vestal'' alongside. Last in line was ''Nevada'', by herself at quay F-8. These seven battleships, ranging in age from eighteen to twenty-five years, represented all but two of those available to the Pacific Fleet. The Fleet flagship, ''Pennsylvania'', was also in Pearl Harbor, drydocked at the nearby Navy Yard. The ninth, ''Colorado'', was undergoing overhaul on the west coast.

Before dawn on 7 December 1941, the American strategic center of gravity in the Pacific reposed in the seven battleships then moored along "Battleship Row", the six pairs of interrupted quays located along Ford Island's eastern side. Quay F-2, the southernmost, which usually hosted an aircraft carrier, was empty. Northeastward, Battle Force flagship ''California'' was next, moored at F-3. Then came two pairs, moored side by side: ''Maryland'' with ''Oklahoma'' outboard, and ''Tennessee'' with ''West Virginia'' outboard. [[Astern]] of ''Tennessee'' lay ''Arizona'', which had the repair ship ''Vestal'' alongside. Last in line was ''Nevada'', by herself at quay F-8. These seven battleships, ranging in age from eighteen to twenty-five years, represented all but two of those available to the Pacific Fleet. The Fleet flagship, ''Pennsylvania'', was also in Pearl Harbor, drydocked at the nearby Navy Yard. The ninth, ''Colorado'', was undergoing overhaul on the west coast.

Together, these ships were one short of equaling Japan's active battlefleet. Clearly a worrisome threat to Japanese plans for Pacific Ocean dominance, they were the Japanese raiders' priority target. Twenty-four of the forty Japanese torpedo planes were assigned to attack "Battleship Row", and five more diverted to that side of Ford Island when they found no battleships in their intended target areas. Of these planes' twenty-nine Type 91 aerial torpedoes (each with a warhead of some 450 pounds of high explosive), up to twenty-one found their targets: two hit ''California'', one exploded against ''Nevada'' and as many as nine each struck ''Oklahoma'' and ''West Virginia''. The latter two ships sank within minutes of receiving this torpedo damage. The excessive concentration on ''Oklahoma'' and '"West Virginia'' was a byproduct of the overly-complex torpedo plane attack plan (which had multiple flight paths criss-crossing south of Battleship Row), a breakdown in Japanese command and control during the final run-in, and the higher difficulty of flying a torpedo attack profile against the northern end of Battleship Row.

Together, these ships were one short of equaling Japan's active battlefleet. Clearly a worrisome threat to Japanese plans for Pacific Ocean dominance, they were the Japanese raiders' priority target. Twenty-four of the forty Japanese torpedo planes were assigned to attack "Battleship Row", and five more diverted to that side of Ford Island when they found no battleships in their intended target areas. Of these planes' twenty-nine Type 91 aerial torpedoes (each with a warhead of some 450 pounds of high explosive), up to twenty-one found their targets: two hit ''California'', one exploded against ''Nevada'' and as many as nine each struck ''Oklahoma'' and ''West Virginia''. The latter two ships sank within minutes of receiving this torpedo damage. The excessive concentration on ''Oklahoma'' and ''West Virginia'' was a byproduct of the overly-complex torpedo plane attack plan (which had multiple flight paths criss-crossing south of Battleship Row), a breakdown in Japanese command and control during the final run-in, and the higher difficulty of flying a torpedo attack profile against the northern end of Battleship Row.

Horizontal bombers, armed with heavy armor-piercing bombs, arrived just as the last torpedo planes finished their attacks, and other horizontal and dive bombers came in later. Together, these planes scored many hits or damaging near-misses on the "Battleship Row" ships: two on ''California'', ''Maryland'' and ''Tennessee''; a few on ''West Virginia''. Most spectacular of the bombers' victims was ''Arizona'', which was struck many times. One bomb penetrated to the vicinity of her forward magazines, which detonated with a massive blast, immediately sinking the ship.  

Horizontal bombers, armed with heavy armor-piercing bombs, arrived just as the last torpedo planes finished their attacks, and other horizontal and dive bombers came in later. Together, these planes scored many hits or damaging near-misses on the "Battleship Row" ships: two on ''California'', ''Maryland'' and ''Tennessee''; a few on ''West Virginia''. Most spectacular of the bombers' victims was ''Arizona'', which was struck many times. One bomb penetrated to the vicinity of her forward magazines, which detonated with a massive blast, immediately sinking the ship.