The Attack on Pearl Harbor

The Attack on Pearl Harbor By: Sandra Marrazzo

What is the attack on Pearl Harbor? • The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise attack, created by the Japanese, on the United States. • Pearl Harbor is located in Hawaii. • It happened on December 7, 1941. • The attack was during World War II.

Why did the attack happen? • The attack happened so that the United States would not get involved in World War II. • The Japanese wanted to expand into the Pacific. • The United States naval base is located at Pearl Harbor, which is in the Pacific, • The Japanese did not want the United States to stop them, so they came up with an attack that could stall their navy. • While the United States would be spending time to rebuild their navy, Japan would now start to take control of the Pacific.

Lets start from the very beginning • The United States and Japan already did not have close relations with one another. • In 1940, the Japanese government allied their country with Nazi Germany in the Axis Alliance. • By the following year, Japan occupied all of Indochina. • The United States had important political and economic interests in East Asia, was alarmed by what Japan did.

Beginning • As a result to that the United States : • Increased military and financial aid to China • Strengthen its military power in the Pacific • Cut off the shipment of oil and other raw materials to Japan

Japanese Plan • Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, commander of the Japanese fleet, came up with a plan to immobilize the United States fleet with a surprise attack. • The key elements to Yamamoto’s plan were: • careful preparation • The success of surprise • The use of aircraft carriers and naval aviation as fast as possible

The plan continues • In the spring of 1941, Japanese carrier pilots began training for the Pearl Harbor attack plan. • In October 1941, the naval general staff gave the final approval to Yamamoto’s plan. • This was to be commanded by Vice Admiral ChuichiNagumo. • The plan was centered around six heavy aircraft carriers accompanied by 24 supporting vessels. A separate group of submarines was to sink any American warships which escaped the Japanese carrier force.

The beginning action of the plan • Nagumo’s fleet assembled in the Tankan Bay and departed for Hawaii on November 26, 1941. • The ships’ route crossed the North Pacific and avoided normal shipping lanes. • At dawn, on December 7, the Japanese task force had approached more than 200 miles north of Oahu. • (At this time the United States carriers were not at Pearl Harbor.)

Taking it back a little • On November 28, Admiral Kimmel sent the USS Enterprise to deliver Marine Corps fighter places to Wake Island. • On December 4, the USS Enterprise delivered the aircraft and on December 7, the task force was on its way back to Pearl Harbor. • On December 5, Admiral Kimmel sent the USS Lexington to deliver 25 scout bombers to Midway Island. • The USS Saratoga had left Pearl Harbor for upkeep and repairs on the West Coast.

And the plan begins • At 6:00 in the morning on December 7, the six Japanese carriers launched a first wave of 181 planes. • Shortly after that, the United States Navy vessels spotted an unidentified submarine near Pearl Harbor. • It was attacked and reported sunk. • At 7:00 a.m., an alert operator of an Army radar station spotted the approaching first wave of the attack force. • The officers to whom those reports were relayed did not consider them significant enough to take action.

First wave from the Japanese • The Japanese made contact with American ships and military installation on Oahu shortly before 8:00 a.m. • They attacked military airfields at the same time they hit the fleet in Pearl Harbor. • The purpose of the simultaneous attacks was to destroy the American planes before they could defend themselves against Japan.

Second wave from the Japanese • Of the more than 90 ships at anchor in Pearl Harbor, the primary targets were the eight battleships anchored there. • The resulting explosion and fire killed 1,177 crewmen. • At about 8:30 a.m., there was a second wave of 170 Japanese planes (launched 30 minutes after the first) appeared over the harbor.

End of attack/American losses • When the attack ended shortly before 10:00 a.m., less than two hours after it began, the American forces paid a huge price. • 21 ships of the United States Pacific Fleet were sunk or damaged • Aircraft losses were 188 destroyed and 159 damaged • The total number of American dead was 2,403 • There were 1,178 wounded • (This included the military and civilians)

Japan’s losses • The Japanese losses were very light compared to the United States. • 29 planes failed to return to their carriers • That was less than ten percent of the attacking force

Conclusion • The Japanese success, however, was not complete. • They failed to damage any American aircraft carriers, which had been absent from the harbor. • They neglected to damage the shore side facilities at the Pearl Harbor Naval Base • Which latter plays an important role in the Allied victory in World War II. • With the skills of technology that the United States had, they were able to raise and repair all but three of the ships sunk or damaged.

Conclusion • The United States had been divided as a country if they wanted to get involved with the war. • Some wanted to help the Allies • Other wanted to stay neutral • Before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States as a country decided to stay neutral and did not want to get involved with the war. • Most importantly, the shock and anger caused by the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor united a divided nation and was now able to win the entire World War.

Works Cited • http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq66-1.htm • http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/pearl.htm • http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1649.html

The Attack on Pearl Harbor