Warbird Information Exchange

A few years ago us-aircraft.com was witness to a comprehensive study on the U.S. aircraft present during the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Many a historian frequented the us-aircraft.com message boards and much information was exchanged between historians and amateurs alike! I must also include that the attack on Pearl Harbor has been my most interested subject and there is always much to learn and find out from that day. Most of my interest is towards the wide variety of aircraft present during the attack and to those aircraft that got airborne to fight and local the Japanese Imperial Fleet. Below is a list from us-aircraft.com created by a fellow poster by the name of Rich Leonard who studies quit a bit on U.S. Naval aviation. In fact I would have to say that most of the historians on us-aircraft.com were more Naval researchers then say Army or Airforce researchers. Anyway without further due here is a list of aircraft present during the attack and some are explained in further detail.

USN-USMC-USCG Aviation Assets and Status-Pearl Harbor, TH-7 December 1941 0800 hours.

Aircraft-Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Oahu:
-NAS Kaneohe- 1 J2F-1.
-Patrol Wing One(PatWing 1)- 1 OS2U-1.
-Patrol Squadron Eleven(VP-11)- 12 PBY-5.
-Patrol Squadron Twelve(VP-12)- 12 PBY-5.
-Patrol Squadron Fourteen(VP-14)- 12 PBY-5- Three were in the air on morning security patrol armed with depth charges.

Aircraft-Naval Air Station Pearl Harbor, Oahu:
-Patrol Wing Two(PatWing2)- 1 SOC-1; 1 SU-3.
-Patrol Squadron Twenty One(VP-21)- 1 PBY-3 for repair(11 PBY-3 and -4 at Midway).
-Patrol Squadron Twenty Two(VP-22)- 12 PBY-3.
-Patrol Squadron Twenty Three(VP-23)- 12 PBY-5.
-Patrol Squadron Twenty Four(VP-24)- 6 PBY-5- Four in the air conducting joint submarine exercises.
-Utility Squadron One(VJ-1)- 9 J2F(various models -1 to -4); 9 JRS-1.
-Utility Squadron Two(VJ-2)- 10 J2F(various models -1 to -4); 4 PBY-1(2 at Johnson Island).
-Aircraft Battle Force, Pacific Fleet- 2 SBD-2; 1 OS2U-2; 1 SNJ-2.
-Aircraft Scouting Force, Pacific Fleet- 2 OS2U-2; 1 SNJ-2.
-Base Force Pacific Fleet- 4 J2F; 1 O3U-6.
-Battle Force, Pacific Fleet- 6 OS2U-1; 17 OS2U-3; 9 SBD-3; 8 SBD-2; 7 SOC-1; 4 SOC-2; 4 SOC-3; 2 TBD-1; 1 F4F-3; 2 F4F-3A; 1 F2A-3; 1 R3D-2; 1 SON-1.
-Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet- 1 OS2U-1.
-NAS Pearl Harbor- 5 OS2U-2; 2 PBY-3; 1 RD-3; 1 F3F-2.
-Station Operations- 3 J2F.
Scouting Force, Pacific Fleet- 1 SOC-2; 1 J2F.
-Utiliy- 1 J2F.
-Coast Guard Officer, 14th Naval District- 1 JRF-2.
-USCGC Taney- 1 JF-2.
-Enterprise Air Group-Bombing Squadron Six(VB-6)- 1 SBD-2.
-Saratoga Air Group,(VF-3)- 1 F4F-3.
-Lexington Air Group,(VF-2)- 3 F2A-3; Bombing(VB-2)- 2 SBD-2; Scouting Squadron Two(VS-2)- 1 SBD-2.

Marine Corps Air Station, Ewa, Oahu:
-Marine Air Group 21(MAG-21).
-Marine Fighting Squadron 21(VMF-211)Rear Echelon- 10 F4F-3; 1 SNJ; VMF-211 Forward Echelon- 12 F4F-3 on Wake Is.
-Marine Bombing Squadron 231(VMB-231)- Rear Echelon- 7 SB2U-3; VMB-231 Forward Echelon- 18 SB2U-3 in USS Lexington.
-Marine Bombing Squadron 232(VMB-232)- 19 SBD-1; 3 SBD-2.
-Marine Utility Squadron 252(VMJ-252)- 2 J2F-4; 2 R3D-2; 1 JO-2; 1 JRS-1; 1 SBD-1; 1 SB2U-3.

Punene Airfield, Maui
-Utility Squadron Three(VJ-3)- 4 JRB-1; 2 BTD-1; 1 JRF-1A; 1 J2F-4.

Enjoy,
Nathan