Slideshow: American air arsenal of 1941

Sikorsky JRS-1 Baby Clipper

A handful of JRS amphibians lifted off during the Pearl Harbor attack and went searching for the enemy fleet. The “Baby Clipper” was a utility plane that usually carried cameras, but on Dec. 7th some crew members were armed with bolt-action Springfield rifles as they hunted for Japanese carriers. Pan-American Airlines flew these 15-passenger planes, as did the Army Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps.