Pearl Harbor Attack
Tension had been building up between the U.S and Japan. Japan was poor in natural resources, when the U.S decided to cut off all shipment of oil and other raw materials to Japan, the government of Japan had felt this was a threat to the nation’s survival. In response Japan started to collect the riches of South East Asia that the U.S had been eyeing.
A warning had been sent to the naval commander W.Kimmel at the U.S navy base at Pearl Harbour on the island of Oahu in Hawaii about a possible war. W.Kimmel had felt that the possible event of an attack was unlikely because if Japan was planning to attack they would have choose to attack somewhere closer like the Philippines. When the U.S was least expecting it the Japan came in at 7:56am on Sunday December 7, 1941 and attacked. Pearl Harbour is a naval base of the U.S in Oahu Hawaii which came under attack by Japanese aircrafts and submarines.
The Japanese air fleet came in two waves of attack. The first of the wave attack came at 7:53 the second wave attack came at 8:55. 353 Japanese airplanes fighter, bombers and torpedo planes launched from six aircrafts carriers. After 2 hours of the attack the U.S had suffered heavy damage which ended shortly after 10:00am 2,403 civilians died, 188 planes destroyed and 158 planes damaged. Also a crippled Pacific Fleet that included 8 damaged battleships four being sunken. The Japanese losses were 29 planes destroyed less that 10% of the attacking force failed to return to their carriers which was light compared to the loss of the U.S. The primary purpose of the attack was to damage the battleships of the U.S navy and also the U.S aircraft carriers which fortunately for the U.S that it just happened to be absent from the harbor that day.
The purpose of the attack from the Japanese was to cripple the U.S fleet so they would not have a chance to intercept the Japanese planes from further attacks on other countries. In the end this had back fired on Japan this event left the U.S shocked and angry. The President declared war on Japan making them officially joining World War II. With the U.S now involved in the war and openly supporting the allied forces it gave the allies a significant advantage and manpower.
A warning had been sent to the naval commander W.Kimmel at the U.S navy base at Pearl Harbour on the island of Oahu in Hawaii about a possible war. W.Kimmel had felt that the possible event of an attack was unlikely because if Japan was planning to attack they would have choose to attack somewhere closer like the Philippines. When the U.S was least expecting it the Japan came in at 7:56am on Sunday December 7, 1941 and attacked. Pearl Harbour is a naval base of the U.S in Oahu Hawaii which came under attack by Japanese aircrafts and submarines.
The Japanese air fleet came in two waves of attack. The first of the wave attack came at 7:53 the second wave attack came at 8:55. 353 Japanese airplanes fighter, bombers and torpedo planes launched from six aircrafts carriers. After 2 hours of the attack the U.S had suffered heavy damage which ended shortly after 10:00am 2,403 civilians died, 188 planes destroyed and 158 planes damaged. Also a crippled Pacific Fleet that included 8 damaged battleships four being sunken. The Japanese losses were 29 planes destroyed less that 10% of the attacking force failed to return to their carriers which was light compared to the loss of the U.S. The primary purpose of the attack was to damage the battleships of the U.S navy and also the U.S aircraft carriers which fortunately for the U.S that it just happened to be absent from the harbor that day.
The purpose of the attack from the Japanese was to cripple the U.S fleet so they would not have a chance to intercept the Japanese planes from further attacks on other countries. In the end this had back fired on Japan this event left the U.S shocked and angry. The President declared war on Japan making them officially joining World War II. With the U.S now involved in the war and openly supporting the allied forces it gave the allies a significant advantage and manpower.