Shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese pilots reached Wheeler Field.

During the first wave of the attack, 25 dive-bombers dropped about 35 bombs on Wheeler’s hangars. The planes returned to strafe the fight line, touching off a blazing fire at the headquarters for the 14th Pursuit Wing and the 15th and 18th Pursuit Groups and about 90 aircraft.

With no anti-aircraft guns, no trenches and no air raid shelters, Wheeler had little protection against an aerial attack.

In the barracks area and on the hangar line, exploding bombs and gunfire sent soldiers leaping out of barracks windows and doors. Men eating breakfast in a mess hall were blasted from the building, many wounded or dead within a few minutes. In a tent area, men were strafed and some killed. All over the field, bullets tore through windows and blasted cement and wooden buildings.

Four fighters from the 46th Pursuit Squadron were able to take off and attack Japanese planes over southeastern Oahu.

Among the pilots was 2nd Lt. Philip M. Rasmussen. He recalled: “I was able to become airborne in a P-36. Engaged and destroyed a Japanese aircraft in the vicinity of Bellows/Kaneohe.” After his plane was attacked by “Zeros,” Rasmussen said he “landed at Wheeler Field with over 400 holes in my aircraft, canopy shot off, tail wheel shot off … and radio destroyed.”

A second Japanese wave at about 9 a.m. strafed Wheeler’s field area but caused little additional damage. The attack ended at 9:45 a.m. Eighty-three aircraft had been destroyed, 38 enlisted men were killed and 59 men were wounded.

As the Japanese aircraft finished strafing runs on Wheeler they flew over Schofield Barracks, strafing the engineer, infantry and artillery quadrangles as well as various officer’s quarters and the post hospital. There were personnel casualties as well as some structural damage, according to a report published by the 25th Infantry Division Association.

Either two errant Japanese bombs or U.S. Navy anti-aircraft shells struck Schofield. One hit a corner of the engineer quadrangle and the other hit the parade ground in front of the commanding general’s quarters, causing no casualties, the report said.

At both Schofield and at other locations the 25th Infantry Division suffered a total of two killed and 17 wounded, according to available documents from the National Archives. Most Schofield casualties occurred in the artillery quadrangles.

Sources: Pacific Air Forces, Office of History, Hickam Air Force Base (Leatrice R. Arakaki and John R. Kuborn); and National Park Service.