Attack on Pearl Harbor
07 December 1941
Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor
The Japanese Attack on Pear Harbor was a surprise attack on the U.S. naval base in Hawaii intended to critically damage the U.S. Pacific Fleet. This was to prevent later interference from the U.S. Pacific Fleet in the military actions of the Japanese Empire. The idea of the attack was formulated upon a cumulative series of events perpetrated on the Japanese and Axis powers by the U.S. in the form of support for the Allied Powers. Some of these events were the Lend-Lease Act and the Atlantic Charter & Conference. The U.S. had declared neutrality in the war; however they broke that pronouncement multiple times, while still remaining officially neutral. The U.S. interfered with the Japanese campaign to conquer Manchuria, and eventually the rest of China. The United States, which had economic and political investments and interests in East Asia, became alarmed at the Japanese involvement. They interfered in the Japanese operation by offering support to China in the form of financial aid, while attempting to strengthen their military power in the Pacific, as well as cutting off the shipment of oil and other raw materials from Japan. Japan saw this as a threat to their nation’s survival, and decided that in order to prevent their nation from falling, they had to act quickly to deter the U.S. from intervening with the Japanese affairs. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, commander of the Japanese fleet, devised a plan to immobilize the U.S. fleet at the outset of the war with a surprise attack at the Naval Base in Pearl Harbor. Yamamoto meticulously prepared for the attack, ensuring that the element of surprise combined with an unprecedented attack force would guarantee the success of their assault. The fleet departed in utmost secrecy on the 26th of November, 1941, and by the 7th of December, they had arrived undetected at a point about 200 miles from their target. By coincidence, all 3 of the American aircraft carriers were not present at Pearl Harbor at the time of the attack.
At 6:00am, on the 7th of December, 1941, the first wave of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was launched. From an aircraft carrier 200 miles away, 181 planes took off; including torpedo bombers, diver bombers, horizontal bombers, and fighters. At 7:00am, the Officers at the base were alerted of a looming attack, but did not take heed of the warning and declared it insignificant. The Japanese aircrew achieved their element of complete and utter surprise when they struck shortly before 8:00am, attacking military airfields as well as the Pacific Fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor. At 8:30am, there was a short pause in the attack, during which the harbor control tower successfully managed to move an injured battleship to safety before the second wave of the Japanese attack appeared over the harbor, which was launched about 30 minutes after the first wave of the raid. The attack ended less than two hours after it started, shortly before 10:00am. The damage to the American Forces was significant and almost fatal. The Fleet suffered a devastating loss of 188 aircraft vessels destroyed and 159 damaged, and 21 ships of the U.S. Pacific Fleet were sunk or broken. Fortunately, American technological skill raised and repaired all but three of the ships sunk or damaged at Pearl Harbor. The American dead numbered 2,403, 68 of which were civilians, while 1,178 military personnel and civilians were wounded. The Japanese suffered minimal losses, lost less than 10% of their original crew, and achieved an overwhelming success in their mission.
This attack led to the American entry into World War II, on both the Pacific and European Theatres, and on December 8th, 1941, the day after the Japanese attack, the United States declared war on Japan, which prompted Germany and Italy to declare war on the U.S., on the 11th of December which was reciprocated by the U.S. on the same day. The Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor was the turning point for the United States. The point from the U.S. remaining neutral, to their entrance to the war on the side of the Allied forces.
President Roosevelt declared the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor, 07 December 1941, as "a date which will live in infamy".
At 6:00am, on the 7th of December, 1941, the first wave of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was launched. From an aircraft carrier 200 miles away, 181 planes took off; including torpedo bombers, diver bombers, horizontal bombers, and fighters. At 7:00am, the Officers at the base were alerted of a looming attack, but did not take heed of the warning and declared it insignificant. The Japanese aircrew achieved their element of complete and utter surprise when they struck shortly before 8:00am, attacking military airfields as well as the Pacific Fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor. At 8:30am, there was a short pause in the attack, during which the harbor control tower successfully managed to move an injured battleship to safety before the second wave of the Japanese attack appeared over the harbor, which was launched about 30 minutes after the first wave of the raid. The attack ended less than two hours after it started, shortly before 10:00am. The damage to the American Forces was significant and almost fatal. The Fleet suffered a devastating loss of 188 aircraft vessels destroyed and 159 damaged, and 21 ships of the U.S. Pacific Fleet were sunk or broken. Fortunately, American technological skill raised and repaired all but three of the ships sunk or damaged at Pearl Harbor. The American dead numbered 2,403, 68 of which were civilians, while 1,178 military personnel and civilians were wounded. The Japanese suffered minimal losses, lost less than 10% of their original crew, and achieved an overwhelming success in their mission.
This attack led to the American entry into World War II, on both the Pacific and European Theatres, and on December 8th, 1941, the day after the Japanese attack, the United States declared war on Japan, which prompted Germany and Italy to declare war on the U.S., on the 11th of December which was reciprocated by the U.S. on the same day. The Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor was the turning point for the United States. The point from the U.S. remaining neutral, to their entrance to the war on the side of the Allied forces.
President Roosevelt declared the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor, 07 December 1941, as "a date which will live in infamy".