Q&A · 2:32:40-2:33:50

Why Enterprise would likely be sunk at Pearl Harbor

A stationary Enterprise would become the only carrier target at Pearl Harbor and attract a concentration of Japanese dive-bombing attacks.

Question

What happens if USS Enterprise is in Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack?

Short answer

She probably sinks or is devastated because the attackers concentrate on the only carrier present while she cannot maneuver.

Notes

If Enterprise were in Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, Japanese aircrews would identify her as the only carrier present and make her a priority target. Unlike at sea, she could not maneuver to complicate bombing runs. Concentrated dive-bomber attacks would make sinking or catastrophic damage highly likely. Recovery would depend on the ship being unusually empty of fuel, aircraft, and other combustibles when struck.