 Shortly after completion in 1941 , Shōkaku and Zuikaku were assigned to the newly formed Fifth Carrier Division , which was itself assigned to the 1st Air Fleet ( Kidō Butai ) , and began working up to prepare for the Pearl Harbor attack . Due to their inexperience , their air groups were tasked with the less demanding airfield attack role rather than the anti @-@ ship mission allocated to the veteran air groups of the older carriers . Each carrier 's aircraft complement consisted of 18 Zero fighters , 27 D3A dive bombers , and 27 B5N torpedo bombers . The two carriers contributed a total of 12 Zeros and 54 D3As to the first wave on the morning of 8 December 1941 ( Japan time ) ; these latter aircraft struck Wheeler Army Airfield , Hickam Field , and Naval Air Station Ford Island while the fighters strafed Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay . Only the 54 B5Ns participated in the second wave , striking Ford Island , Hickam Field and Kaneohe Bay again . The Fifth Carrier Division 's aircraft conducted the majority of the attack against the airfields , supplemented only by fighters from the other four carriers . Only one of Shōkaku 's dive bombers was lost during the attack ; in exchange 314 American aircraft were damaged or destroyed . Historian Alan <unk> said the young aviators delivered " a sterling performance , greatly exceeding expectations and outshining the dive bombers from the more experienced carriers . " 
