On December 7, 1941, the Japanese air force launched a surprise attack on the United States Naval fleet at Pearl Harbor, located on the Hawaiian islands in the Pacific Ocean. The attack began shortly before 8:00 a.m. local time and caught the U.S. off guard. Over 3,500 U.S. military personnel were killed or wounded during the attack, and numerous ships and aircraft were destroyed. In contrast, Japanese losses were minimal. The attack was planned by Japan to neutralize the U.S. Pacific fleet and prevent the U.S. from interfering with its military actions in Asia.