1941:
- December 7: Japanese aircraft attack Pearl Harbor, sinking or damaging several US Navy ships, including the battleships USS Arizona and USS California.
1942:
- January 10: Japanese aircraft sink the British aircraft carrier HMS Hermes in the Indian Ocean.
- February 26: Japanese aircraft sink the British battleship HMS Prince of Wales and the battlecruiser HMS Repulse in the South China Sea.
- March 8: Japanese aircraft sink the American aircraft carrier USS Langley in the Java Sea.
- May 8: Japanese aircraft sink the American aircraft carrier USS Lexington in the Coral Sea.
- May 27: Japanese aircraft sink the American aircraft carrier USS Yorktown in the Battle of Midway.
- June 6: Japanese aircraft sink the American heavy cruiser USS Astoria and the Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra in the Battle of Savo Island.
- June 7: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Sims in the Battle of Savo Island.
- June 8: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Hammann in the Battle of Midway.
- June 10: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS O'Brien in the Battle of Midway.
- June 11: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Hull in the Battle of Midway.
- July 14: Japanese aircraft sink the American heavy cruiser USS San Francisco in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons.
- July 29: Japanese aircraft sink the American aircraft carrier USS Hornet in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands.
1943:
- January 11: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Monaghan in the Battle of Rennell Island.
- January 30: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS De Haven in the Battle of Rennell Island.
- February 1: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Gwin in the Battle of Rennell Island.
- February 2: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Blue in the Battle of Rennell Island.
- February 24: Japanese aircraft sink the American aircraft carrier USS Intrepid in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea.
- February 25: Japanese aircraft sink the American aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea.
- March 1: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Truxtun in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea.
- March 2: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Jarvis in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea.
- March 4: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Callinicus in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea.
- March 6: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Chew in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea.
- March 7: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Corry in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea.
- March 17: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Shaw in the Battle of the Solomon Islands.
- April 13: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Aaron Ward in the Battle of Kolombangara.
- April 15: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Monaghan in the Battle of Kolombangara.
- April 17: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Lansdowne in the Battle of Kolombangara.
- April 18: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Duncan in the Battle of Kolombangara.
- April 29: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Walke in the Battle of the Aleutian Islands.
- May 8: Japanese aircraft sink the American aircraft carrier USS Ranger in the Battle of the Philippine Sea.
- June 19: Japanese aircraft sink the American aircraft carrier USS Hornet in the Battle of the Philippine Sea.
- June 20: Japanese aircraft sink the American aircraft carrier USS Yorktown in the Battle of the Philippine Sea.
1944:
- January 21: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Strong in the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
- January 23: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Mahan in the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
- January 24: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Lamson in the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
- January 25: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Moffett in the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
- February 17: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Spence in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea.
- February 18: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Halligan in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea.
- February 19: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Leutze in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea.
- February 20: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Waller in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea.
- March 9: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Hyman in the Battle of Palawan Passage.
- March 10: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Mervine in the Battle of Palawan Passage.
- March 11: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Chase in the Battle of Palawan Passage.
- March 13: Japanese aircraft sink the American destroyer USS Fullam in the Battle of the South China Sea.
- March 15