The caption accompanying this photo reads:"Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. A small boat rescues a seaman from the 31,800 ton USS West Virginia burning in the foreground. Smoke rolling out amidship shows where the most extensive damage occurred. Note the two men in the superstructure. The USS Tennessee is inboard."
On the morning of Sunday, Dec 7th, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack against the United States - killing 2,400 and wounding a further 1,300.
188 American aircraft were destroyed, as were four battleships.
[photographer unidentified] [American Memory link]
