Pearl Harbor 9 Essay, Research Paper

World War II began when Hitler starting persecuting the Jews in Germany. Although this was a factor in the United States entering the war, in actuality the main reason for the American s entrance into World War II was the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. The United States had no idea that Japan was planning on attacking American soil. The Japanese had planned to attack Pearl Harbor on Sunday December 7, 1941, and with Americans feeling so sure that this would not occur, Japan succeeded.1

When Japan first attacked China, they had been relying upon the United States for fuel. The Americans were disheartened by the Japanese attack, and so they cut off their fuel supply to the Japanese and their army. The Japanese then turned to Indonesia for fuel, but after a short time they too cut off trade with Japan as a result of heavy American influence; Indonesia had been under Dutch control at the time.2 Following the Indonesian cut off of fuel, Japan felt they had to take drastic measures in order to find a fuel source, since they were an island and did not have their own source of fuel. The Japanese felt, that if they attacked the Americans, than they would be forced to at least begin to negotiate a fuel agreement with Japan. Pearl Harbor was chosen as the target, because it was a major naval port and far away from the mainland America. The entire American Pacific Naval Fleet was located in Pearl Harbor, and with their destruction Japan felt they could then take over many of the Pacific Islands.3

When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, they hurt their own chances of winning their war in Asia because they lost the isolation that had previously helped them gain ground. Two days prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese attacked Thailand and Malaya, as they continued their assault on the Pacific territories. Prior to this date, the Americans had continually insisted that they did not agree with the Japanese plan to take over land in Asia.4 This development, along with the continual fuel debate and seemingly inevitable conflict, caused the Japanese to commence their attack on Pearl Harbor.

The Americans had a slight inkling that the Japanese might attack, as demonstrated when the government declared a war warning on November 27, 1941.5 The problem was though, that the Americans continued to ignore any signs of attack following this declaration. Even when there was an unidentified periscope spotted in the ocean, there was no attention paid to it by the Navy men on duty in Pearl Harbor. The Americans showed their ignorance about not being attacked even more, when an American ship depth-charged and destroyed and unidentified submarine. This sudden news was also ignored, as the American Navy felt that since they were the most powerful in the world that they would not be attacked.6 The Japanese moved carriers within 230 miles of Oahu, and at 6 A.M. Hawaiian Time, the Japanese fighters took off, consisting of 183 planes. Even on the morning of the bombing, two US army operators in Oahu picked up the Japanese fighters on radar, and informed a junior officer in Pearl Harbor. The officer, thinking that it was just American B-17 s, disregarded the news.7

The naval base in Pearl Harbor contained two 500-foot anti-torpedo gates. Just before the attack, ironically, these two gates were raised, which allowed some Japanese submarines to enter the harbor undetected, as the use of radar was unadvised because it interrupted some civilian communications on land.8 These submarines played a critical part in the Japanese attack, as they aided in finishing off certain battleships and cruisers which required an enormous amount of assault to sink. At 7:35, the American crews in Pearl Harbor were singing the Star-Spangled Banner on the decks of the boats.9 The Naval Sailors would not take action until they finished singing the National Anthem. Many sailors did not even realize they were actually under attack, as some thought it was a drill. “AIR RAID PEARL HARBOR THIS IS NO DRILL. This was the message played over the radio for the American sailors once the attack had started.10

Although totally unbeknownst to the Japanese attack, the Americans were rather quick to react and attempt to set up a counter-attack. The problem was, that it was believed to be a peace time, and so much of the ammunition was locked away in storage, inaccessible for the soldiers. The Americans had also lined up all of the available fighter planes in rows due to the warning of an attack; unfortunately, this maneuver left the planes able to be destroyed more easily. The Japanese quickly struck and destroyed the planes with just one quick wave of fighters in rows of two and three. The Americans also had their ships set up in groups, which left them very vulnerable to attack as well.11 Following the fighters attack, bombers arrived to drop huge 1,600-pound bombs in order to finish off the American cruisers and other naval ships.12 The Americans did fight back a little, but with diminutive rewards, as they barely put a blemish in the Japanese attack force. All told, the Americans lost 2,335 servicemen and 68 civilians along with 1,178 injured. There were five sunken battleships and three more damaged, and 11 cruisers and destroyers badly damaged. The Japanese, committing nearly all of their planes, ships and subs, only lost around 30 planes and 5 submarines.13

The goal of the Japanese was to badly damage the American Pacific Fleet, in order to allow them to pursue the Pacific Islands and China, which had previously not sat well with the American government. The Japanese accomplished this, as they handed in the Americans their worst Naval defeat in their entire history in just 110 minutes.14 The Japanese now felt they could attempt to take over Pacific countries such as Thailand, and parts of China without feeling afraid of American interference. The American Naval Fleet was left in such disarray from the Japanese assault, that they could not be a formidable opponent to the Japanese in a Pacific located war.15 The worst loss in the Japanese attack was the sinking of the USS Arizona. It was hit with a bomb, and then the ammo on board exploded violently, sinking the ship and killing its crew of over 1,000. The USS Arizona was one of the most advanced American carriers, and was a major loss to the Navy.16

As a result of Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war. On Dec. 8, 1941, the United States declared war on Japan. That same day, England declared war on Japan as well, as they had said that if the United States went to war with Japan, they would support the Americans and declare war as well. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had made an agreement with President Roosevelt that both would declare war on Japan if the other did as well.17 A similar agreement had been made between Germany, Italy, and Japan. When the Americans and British declared war on Japan, Germany and Italy took action, as they declared war on America on Dec. 11, 1941.18 The war now became global, whereas it previously had taken place in Europe and Asia. Although the Japanese felt that drawing the Americans into the war was necessary, it in turn proved to be the Japanese and German s downfall, as the Americans played a significant part in causing the German s to surrender, and then single-handedly forced the Japanese surrender with the Atomic Bomb.

After the Pearl Harbor attack, American s all wanted to declare war on Japan, as well as they had been angered with the German s movement in Europe. The attack on Pearl Harbor caused millions of Americans to now desire to fight in the war. The Americans now had more soldiers join the army, with a reason and motivation towards fighting the enemies.19 President Roosevelt, in his speech asking Congress to declare war on the Japanese, called Dec. 7, 1941 A day of infamy as it caused the Americans to become involved in World War II, upgrading the war into world war category.20

The United States had been secretly helping the British wage their war with Germany and Italy for two years since the Germans invaded Poland in 1939. With the Japanese attack on declaration of war, the Americans now became involved fully, not just supplying weapons to England, but now sending troops and fighting naval battles in the Pacific. President Roosevelt stated, No longer would Britain have to fight with only the struggling Soviets as an active ally. America, had joined the contest. 21 The war started for the Americans on Dec. 7, 1941, and would not end until August 15, 1945, on V-J Day when the Japanese surrendered; that 3-+ year war started, with an attack on a Sunday morning in Hawaii.