A total of 353 Japanese aircraft took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, striking in two main waves from six aircraft carriers.

Quick Scoop

  • The attacking force included a mix of fighters, level bombers, dive bombers, and torpedo bombers, all launched from a carrier strike group northwest of Hawaii.
  • In all, 353 of the roughly 400 planes in the Japanese strike force actually participated in the raid over Oahu, with others held back for combat air patrol and reserve roles.
  • The attack began around 7:48–7:55 a.m. Hawaiian time and inflicted heavy losses on U.S. ships and aircraft while Japan lost 29 planes and under 100 men.

In brief: when asking “how many Japanese planes took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941?”, the widely cited historical figure is 353 planes in the actual attack waves.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.