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| PEARL HARBOR |
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| The USS Arizona (BB-39) burning
after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor |
Pearl Harbor
Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
planned the Pearl Harbor attack. Two things inspired Yamamoto's
Pearl Harbor idea: a prophetic book and a historic attack.
The book was The Great Pacific War, written in 1925 by
Hector Bywater, a British naval authority. It was a realistic
account of a clash between the United States and Japan
that begins with the Japanese destruction of the U.S.
fleet and proceeds to a Japanese attack on Guam and the
Philippines. When Britain's Royal Air Force successfully
attacked the Italian fleet at Taranto on November 11,
1940, Yamamoto was convinced that Bywater's fiction could
become reality.
On December 6, 1941, the U.S. intercepted a Japanese message
that inquired about ship movements and berthing positions
in Pearl Harbor. The cryptologist gave the message to
her superior who said he would get back to her on Monday,
December 8th.
On December 7, a radar operator in Oahu saw a large group
of airplanes on his screen heading toward the island.
He called his superior who told him it was probably a
group of U.S. B-17 bombers and not to worry about it.
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor began at 7:55 A.M.
on December 7, 1941. The entire attack took one hour and
15 minutes. Captain Mitsuo Fuchida sent the message, "Tora,
Tora, Tora," to the Japanese fleet after flying over Oahu
to indicate the Americans had been caught by surprise.
The Japanese planned to give the U.S. a declaration of
war the moment the attack began so they would not violate
the first article of the Hague Convention of 1907, but
the message was delayed and not relayed to U.S. officials
in Washington until the attack was already in progress.
The Japanese strike force consisted of 353 aircraft launched
from four heavy carriers. There were 40 torpedo planes,
103 level bombers, 131 dive-bombers, and 79 fighters.
The attack also consisted of two heavy cruisers, 35 submarines,
two light cruisers, nine oilers, two battleships, and
11 destroyers.
The attack killed 2,403 U.S. personnel, including 68 civilians,
and destroyed or damaged 19 U.S. Navy ships, including
8 battleships.
The four aircraft carriers of the U.S. Pacific fleet were
out to sea on a practice maneuver. The Japanese were unable
to locate them and were forced to return home with the
U.S. carrier fleet intact.
The battleship USS Arizona remains sunken in Pearl Harbor
with its crews onboard. The Arizona still leaks oil to
this day. Half of the dead at Pearl Harbor were on the
Arizona. The USS Arizona is no longer in commission, contrary
to popular belief. A United States flag does fly at half-mast
above the sunken battleship. The flag is attached to a
severed mainmast of the ship.
Dorie Miller, a steward on the USS West Virginia, distinguished
himself by courageous conduct and devotion to duty during
the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He first assisted
his mortally wounded captain and then manned a machine
gun, which he was not accustomed to operating, successfully
destroying two Japanese aircraft. He was the first African
American awarded the Navy Cross, the service's highest
award, for his actions during the attack.
The Japanese lost 29 aircraft and 5 midget submarines
in the attack. One Japanese soldier was taken prisoner
and 129 Japanese soldiers were killed. Out of all the
Japanese ships that participated in the attack on Pearl
Harbor only one, the Ushio, survived until the end of
the war. It was surrendered to the U.S. at Yokosuka Naval
Base.
When Admiral Yamamoto learned that his forces had not
destroyed the U.S. aircraft carriers or completely destroyed
the U.S. fleet, he feared that the United States, with
its enormous industrial potential, would soon recover
and fight back.
The United States did recover-and quicker than Yamamoto
could have imagined. After only six months, the U.S. carrier
fleet dealt a decisive blow to Yamamoto's navy in June
1942 at the Battle of Midway, sinking four Japanese aircraft
carriers. This U.S. victory marked the zenith of Japanese
expansion in the Pacific.
| |
| Service |
Killed |
Wounded |
Total |
| NAVY
|
2,008 |
710 |
2,718 |
| ARMY |
218 |
364 |
582 |
| MARINES |
109 |
69 |
178 |
| CIVILIANS |
68 |
35 |
103 |
| TOTAL |
2,403 |
1,178 |
3,581 |
|
| |
| Service |
Damaged |
Destroyed |
|
| NAVY
|
31 |
92 |
|
| ARMY |
128 |
97 |
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| |
| Type
of Ship |
Damaged |
Destroyed |
Years
Repaired |
| BATTLESHIPS
|
6 |
2 |
1942-1944 |
| CRUISERS |
3 |
0 |
1942 |
| DESTROYERS
|
3 |
0 |
1942-1944 |
| AUXILARIES
|
4 |
1 |
1942 |
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