Pearl Harbor Reaserch

14 Source 1 Japan had a simple strategy: Eliminate the U.S. Pacific Fleet.* By doing this, American forces would be unable to counterattack as the Japanese army extended across the South Pacific.*

14 Source 1 Ibid

15 Source 1 The Japanese had put their attack into motion on December 7, 1941.*

15 Source 1 Ibid

16 Source 1 Starting at approximately 8 A.M. in the morning, Japanese aircraft swarmed Pearl Harbor.* Vessels on the water were hit by bullets and bombs.*

16 Source 1 Ibid

17 Source 1 At 8:10 in the morning, a bomb weighing 1,800 pounds smashed into the deck of the USS Arizona and landed in her forward ammunition magazine compartment.* The USS Arizona collapsed underwater with more than 1,000 crew members still trapped on the vessel.*

17 Source 1 Ibid

18 Source 1 The USS Okalahoma was next to be hit in the hull by multiple torpedoes.* The USS Oklahoma rolled to her side and sunk under the water with 400 crew members aboard.*

18 Source 1 Ibid

3 Source 1 The day after the strike, U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt made a request to the United States Congress if it was ok to declare war on Japan.* On December 10, 1941, Italy and Germany who were allies with Japan decided to go to war with the United States.*

3 Source 1 Ibid

30 Source 2 However, this time was too early for Teletype messages to be sent to Fort Shafter so RCA sent the message by messenger who was a Japanese boy on a motorcycle.* On his way to Fort Shafter, the Japanese boy heard what sounded like gunfire to him.*

30 Source 2 Ibid Page 61

31 Source 2 At other places on Oahu several minutes earlier, two officers in training were in preparation to close down the radar for the morning, when they noticed planes closing in from 132 miles away.* The lieutenant on duty at the time was not surprised because a flight of B-17 fortresses were expected that day. He recommended that the two officers shut it down and go eat some food.*

31 Source 2 Ibid Page 61

32 Source 2 The Japanese Navy's strike force was assembled at Hitokappu Bay which is located in the Kuril Islands in November.* In other places, Japanese army and Japanese Air Force units were prepared to inspect other Pacific islands during or right after the assualt on Pearl Harbor.*

32 Source 2 Ibid Page 62

33 Source 2 By the end of the month, Japan wanted to take over Indonesia, Guam, Midway and the Phillipines.* The operation's success depended on crippling and discouraging the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet.*

33 Source 2 Ibid Page 62

51 Source 2 Japanese Air Group Commander Fuchida Mitsuo spotted Pearl Harbor and seven battleships at Battleship Row at 7:49 A.M.* By telegraph key, Mitsuo gave the signal to attack by saying to-ra, to-ra, to-ra which means "Tiger."*

51 Source 2 Ibid Page 62

52 Source 2 The Japanese Kate torpedo bombers descended to an altitude where they could successfully fire their weaponry.* Other Japanese bombers broke off to strike Navy and Army airfields.*

52 Source 2 Ibid Page 62

53 Source 2 The largest Japanese planes kept flying while closing in on their targets.*

53 Source 2 Ibid Page 62

6 Source 1 As a response to Japan's treatment of China, America punished Japan with economic restrictions and trade restrictions. 1937* The Americans tried to explain to Japan that if the Japanese could not access money, goods, and oil, the Japanese would have to stop expanding their rule to other countries.*

6 Source 1 Ibid

1 Source 1 At 8 O' Clock on the morning of December 7, 1941, the American naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii was attacked by fighter planes from the Empire of Japan* The attack was two hours long.*

1 Source 1 "Pearl Harbor." History.com. A&E Television Networks, LLC., 2016. Web. 3 May 2016.

10 Source 1 Due to the fact that high ranking U.S. military officials did not anticipate a Japanese raid on American soil, the U.S. naval facillities at Pearl Harbor were very lightly defended.*

10 Source 1 Ibid

11 Source 1 Almost the whole U.S. Pacific Fleet was docked around Ford Island, and hundreds of airplanes were crammed onto runways.* Because of this, The Japanese could not ignore Pearl Harbor.*

11 Source 1 Ibid

12 Source 2 Yamamoto, who was the Admiral of Japan, called the U.S. Pacific Fleet "A dagger pointed at our throat."* U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull's aggression toward Japan boiled down to the phrase "Nothing will stop them but force."*

12 Source 2 "December 7, 1941." Life 18 November 2011: 53-89.

13 Source 2 Admiral Yamamoto's raid on Pearl Harbor was activated with the Japanese aircraft carriers moved through the Pacific ocean, closing the distance of about 4,000 miles between Japan and Hawaii.* U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt could do nothing but sit and wait, having figured out that the strike on Pearl Harbor would be caused by Japan and not Germany.*

13 Source 2 Ibid

19 Source 1 By the time the strike on Pearl Harbor had ended, the USS Arizona, Oklahoma, Cailfonia, West Virginia, Utah, Maryland, Pensylvannia, Tenessee, and Nevada had suffered major damage.* Every battleship was salvaged, repaired and put back into service with the exception of the USS Arizona and the USS Utah.*

19 Source 1 Ibid

2 Source 1 Twenty United States Navy vessels, Eight United States Naval battleships and around three hundred United States Naval airplanes were destroyed.* At least two thousand American soldiers and sailors were killed as a result of the attack, and around a thousand more were injured.*

2 Source 1 Ibid

20 Source 1 In total, the Japanese strike on Pearl Harbor disabled or destroyed nearly 20 American ships.* Dry docks and airfields were decimated.*

20 Source 1 Ibid

21 Source 1 Nearly 2,500 men were killed and 1,000 more were wounded.* However, the Japanese had failed to eliminate the U.S. Pacific Fleet.*

21 Source 1 Ibid

22 Source 1 As the 1940s dawned, Aircraft carriers had replaced Battleships as the most important naval vessel type.* Luckilly, when Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941, all of the U.S. Pacific Fleet Aircraft carriers were not at the base. (Some were in other parts of the U.S. and others were supporting troops on Midway and Wake Island by bringing planes to them).*

22 Source 1 Ibid

23 Source 1 Furthermore, the assault on Pearl Harbor had left oil storage depots, repair shops, shipyards and submarine docking stations all intact.* This enabled the U.S. Navy to recover quickly from the raid.*

23 Source 1 Ibid

24 Source 1 U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's famous words on December 8, 1941 were: "Yesterday, December 7, 1941, A date which will live in infamy. United States of America, was suddenly and delibarately attacked by naval and air forces of the empire of Japan". He also said: "No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. I believe I will interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make very certain that this form of trechary shall never endager us again."*

24 Source 1 Ibid

25 Source 1 Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, and after many years of debate and discussion, Americans were united and were determined to head off to war.* The Japanese people attempted to persuade the United States into a deal that would eliminate Japan's economic sanctions.*

25 Source 1 Ibid

26 Source 1 However, Japan had pushed their enemy into a global war that ended up resulting in the first country occupying Japan.* On December 8, 1941, The United States Congress accepted President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's announcement of war.*

26 Source 1 Ibid

27 Source 2 And the U.S. must allow the disaster to have effect instead of launching an attack.* The night before the bombardment was a mysterious calm before the storm and for politicans before the public, war had already become an existince. The duel was active, with guns waiting to be fired.*

27 Source 2 Ibid Page 53

28 Source 2 Starting at 12:01 p.m. on the East Coast of the U.S. which was 6:31 a.m. in Hawaii, a warning was filed at the War Department Signal Center for transmission to Manilla, Panama, and San Francisco.* The War Department had not heard from Hawaii for the whole morning and was attempting to send the message to Honolulu.*

28 Source 2 Ibid Page 61

29 Source 2 The War Department sent a teletype transmission to San Francisco at 12:17 p.m. EST which was 6:47 a.m. in Hawaii.* The warning was sent from San Francisco to the RCA office in Honolulu and it arrived at 7:33 a.m.*

29 Source 2 Ibid Page 61

50 Source 4 The United States had cut off its exports from to Japan and demanded that Japan withdraw from conqured territories.*

50 Source 4 Page 126

35 Source 2 Admiral Nagumos force made its way from Hitokappu Bay within striking distance to Pearl Harbor undetectded.* The fleet mantained radio silence for more than a week, and sailed North at approx 43 degrees latitude while going through stormy weather.*

35 Source 2 Ibid Page 62

36 Source 2 Three large submarines served as scout ships.* These submarines along with 27 other normal sized submarines traversed the ocean with the intent of surrounding Oahu and charge at anything that tried to escape Pearl Harbor.*

36 Source 2 Ibid Page 62

37 Source 2 Five of these vessels had midget submarines that would speed into Pearl Harbor in advance of the attack.* The strike force for Pearl Harbor ended up settling 230 miles North of Oahu.*

37 Source 2 Ibid Page 62

38 Source 2 From 230 miles to the North of Oahu, the first wave of 183 planes to strike Pearl Harbor came at six o clock in the morning and included 49 Kate bombers, 49 Kate torpedo bombers, 51 Val dive bombers and 43 fighter planes which were called Zeros.* The Kate bombers were each carrying one armor piercing bomb which weighed 1,760 pounds each, the Val dive bombers each carried one bomb which weighed 551 pounds.*

38 Source 2 Ibid Page 62

39 Source 3 Aboard the USS Arizona, Crewmembers were finishing breakfast when the air raid siren sounded on board the ship.* Since some crewmembers did not have access to anti aircraft guns, the air raid siren went unnocteced by most.*

39 Source 3 Ibid "Attack at Pearl Harbor" EyeWitness to History.com. Ibis Communications, Inc., 2015. Web. 19 May 2016.

4 Source 1 The United States and Japan had been preparing to go to war decades before the attack on Pearl Harbor.* The United States was angry at Japan for their increasingly aggressive temperament with the Chinese.*

4 Source 1 Ibid

40 Source 3 There was an explosion onboard the USS Arizona.* One crewmember ran to the port door near the quarterdeck and saw a bomb land on a barge near the USS Nevada.*

40 Source 3 Ibid

41 Source 3 A U.S. Marine announced that the base of Pearl Harbor was under attack, and machine gun fire was everywhere.* The anti-aircraft battery was activated after the Marine announcment.*

41 Source 3 Ibid

42 Source 3 After awaiting orders the crewmembers arrived at the boat deck to the sight of all the anti-aircraft guns firing.* A bomb hits the quarterdeck of the USS Arizona and a second lieutenant was killed by the blast.*

42 Source 3 Ibid

43 Source 2 The job of disabling the U.S. Pacific Fleet fell to Admiral Nagumo* He had a force of six aircraft carriers and two battleships as well as three cruisers and nine destroyers.*

43 Source 2 Ibid Page 62

44 Source 3 Another explosion happened to the Arizona and everything in front of the main mast was in flames.* The boat deck was torn up and also in flames.*

44 Source 3 Ibid

45 Source 3 A crewmember was about to get onto the beach when a supposed bomb threw him into the water.* About half way to the pipe line, the crewmember's strength gave out.*

45 Source 3 Ibid

46 Source 3 A Major attempted to drag the crewmember in, but his strength gave out.* The Major refused to let go of the crewmember and the two finally reached the beach.*

46 Source 3 Ibid

47 Source 3 A marine directed the two to a bomb shelter and the crewmember who fell into the water due to the aftershock of a bomb found a place to recuperate.*

47 Source 3 Ibid

48 Source 4 In battle formation, the Japanese aircraft carrier Akagi had planes on its flight deck, and the superstructure of the Akagi protected the ship from bomb blasts and shellings.* Out of at least 20 vessels headed toward Pearl Harbor undetected plus six aircraft carriers, the Akagi was one of them.*

48 Source 4 Stolley, Richard B.,ed. World War II History's Greatest Conflict in Pictures. New York: Bulfinch Press, 2001 Page 126

49 Source 4 The skipper of another Japanese aircraft carrier called the Shokaku walked across the flight deck and looked at a message that encouraged his pilots to win.* The Japanese war logic was as follows: Japan had to import 80 percent of its oil.*

49 Source 4 Page 126

5 Source 1 The Japanese Government held on to the belief that the only way to solve Japan's problems with the economy and demographics was to stretch their rule into China and take over the Chinese market of import. * By 1937, The Japanese had declared war on the Chinese.*

5 Source 1 Ibid

7 Source 1 The American economic sanctions made Japan more motivated than ever to stand their ground against other countries. 1937* Tokyo and Washington D.C. had been negotiating for months, but it seemed like neither side could reach an agreement.* War between the United States and Japan was inevitable.*

7 Source 1 Ibid

8 Source 1 Americans refused to believe that the Japanese would begin a battle by striking an American base. 1941* It would be very inconvenient because the distance that separated Japan and Hawaii were separated by about 4,000 miles.*

8 Source 1 Ibid

9 Source 1 American intelligence were very certain that any strike by the Japanese would occur in South Pacific colonies that were controlled by European Countries. These included the Dutch East Indies, Singapore and Indochina.*

9 Source 1 Ibid