Does Japan Attack Pearl Harbor Again?

Pearl Harbor is a U.S. naval base of operations near Honolulu, Hawaii, that was the scene of a devastating surprise set on past Japanese forces on December vii, 1941. Only earlier eight a.m. on that Sunday morning, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes descended on the base, where they managed to destroy or damage nearly 20 American naval vessels, including viii battleships, and over 300 airplanes. More than 2,400 Americans died in the attack, including civilians, and another i,000 people were wounded. The day after the assault, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare state of war on Japan.

Nippon and the Path to War

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise, but Japan and the United States had been edging toward state of war for decades.

The United states was peculiarly unhappy with Japan's increasingly argumentative attitude toward China. The Japanese government believed that the just style to solve its economic and demographic issues was to expand into its neighbour's territory and take over its import market.

To this cease, Japan declared war on China in 1937, resulting in the Nanking Massacre and other atrocities.

American officials responded to this aggression with a bombardment of economic sanctions and trade embargoes. They reasoned that without access to money and goods, and especially essential supplies like oil, Japan would take to rein in its expansionism.

Instead, the sanctions made the Japanese more adamant to stand their basis. During months of negotiations between Tokyo and Washington, D.C., neither side would budge. Information technology seemed that war was all but inevitable.

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Where Is Pearl Harbor?

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is located almost the center of the Pacific Bounding main, roughly ii,000 miles from the U.South. mainland and about 4,000 miles from Nippon. No ane believed that the Japanese would start a war with an attack on the distant islands of Hawaii.

Additionally, American intelligence officials were confident that any Japanese assault would take identify in i of the (relatively) nearby European colonies in the S Pacific: the Dutch East Indies, Singapore or Indochina.

Considering American military leaders were non expecting an attack so close to home, the naval facilities at Pearl Harbor were relatively undefended. Almost the entire Pacific Fleet was moored effectually Ford Island in the harbor, and hundreds of airplanes were squeezed onto side by side airfields.

To the Japanese, Pearl Harbor was an irresistibly easy target.

USS Arizona

The Japanese programme was simple: Destroy the Pacific Armada. That manner, the Americans would non be able to fight dorsum as Japan's armed forces spread across the South Pacific. On Dec 7, after months of planning and practice, the Japanese launched their assault.

At about 8 a.m., Japanese planes filled the sky over Pearl Harbor. Bombs and bullets rained onto the vessels moored below. At viii:10, a ane,800-pound bomb smashed through the deck of the battleship USS Arizona and landed in her forward ammunition magazine. The send exploded and sank with more ane,000 men trapped inside.

Next, torpedoes pierced the beat out of the battleship USS Oklahoma. With 400 sailors aboard, the Oklahoma lost her balance, rolled onto her side and slipped underwater.

Roll to Continue

Less than ii hours later, the surprise attack was over, and every battleship in Pearl Harbor—USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, USS California, USS West Virginia, USS Utah, USS Maryland, USS Pennsylvania, USS Tennessee and USS Nevada—had sustained significant damage. (All simply USS Arizona and USS Utah were somewhen salvaged and repaired.)

Affect of the Pearl Harbor Assault

In all, the Japanese assault on Pearl Harbor crippled or destroyed well-nigh 20 American ships and more than than 300 airplanes. Dry out docks and airfields were likewise destroyed. Most important, 2,403 sailors, soldiers and civilians were killed and virtually i,000 people were wounded.

But the Japanese had failed to cripple the Pacific Fleet. By the 1940s, battleships were no longer the nearly important naval vessel: Aircraft carriers were, and as information technology happened, all of the Pacific Fleet's carriers were away from the base on December 7. (Some had returned to the mainland and others were delivering planes to troops on Midway and Wake Islands.)

Moreover, the Pearl Harbor assault had left the base'southward nearly vital onshore facilities—oil storage depots, repair shops, shipyards and submarine docks—intact. As a upshot, the U.Southward. Navy was able to rebound relatively speedily from the assail.

'A Date Which Will Live in Infamy'

President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed a joint session of the U.Southward. Congress on December eight, the solar day after the crushing attack on Pearl Harbor.

"Yesterday, December vii, 1941—a date which volition live in infamy—the U.s. was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan."

He went on to say, "No matter how long information technology may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to accented victory. I believe I translate the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not just defend ourselves to the uttermost, just will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again."

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America Enters World War II

After the Pearl Harbor attack, and for the starting time time during years of discussion and debate, the American people were united in their conclusion to go to war.

The Japanese had wanted to catalyst the United States into an agreement to lift the economic sanctions against them; instead, they had pushed their adversary into a global conflict that ultimately resulted in Japan's outset occupation by a foreign power.

On Dec 8, Congress approved Roosevelt's annunciation of war on Japan. Three days later, Nippon's allies Frg and Italian republic alleged war confronting the The states.

For the second fourth dimension, Congress reciprocated, declaring state of war on the European powers. More than two years afterward the start of World War Ii, the United States had entered the conflict.

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Source: https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor

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