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The Japanese attack
ended at 9:45 a.m. In just one hour and forty-five minutes, a horrifying
scene of death and destruction covered the island. Most of the ships
of the United States Pacific Fleet were sunk or damaged. More than
2,300 army, navy, air force, and marine corps personnel were killed,
960 were missing, and over 1,200 were wounded. Of the 394 aircraft
on the island, 188 of the army and navy aircraft had been completely
destroyed and over 150 were severely damaged. The fires on the military
bases and on the damaged ships continued to burn for many days. The
rescue of the hundreds of men trapped inside their sunken ships went
on day and night until all hope was gone.
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