There are certain dates that are reached into the American national consciousness, the 4th of July 1776, the date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence is one of the earliest. One of the most recent is of course September 11th, 2001, a date that needs no explanation. And then there was the 7th of December 1941, a date President Frankly D. Roosevelt described to the US Congress as a date that will leave in form.
On this particular Sunday morning, the Naval Forces of the Empire of Japan carried out the surprise attack on the US Navy Base at the Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Resulting in an overwhelming Japanese victory and a longer waited entry of the United States of America into the Second World War, two years after it broke out.
The ambush resulted in heavy losses for the Americans, there were 2403 dead, and 1178 wounded. They lost 188 aircraft, five battleships, one mine layer and three destroyers were either sunk or badly damaged. The Japanese got off much more likely with 64 dead, one captured and the lost of 29 aircraft and five midget submarines.
As with so many act of hostility, one of the chief reasons behind the transactions was access to oil. Japan was determined to protect it's moving to Singapore and the Dutch East Indies where it was securing access to such natural resources notorious black gold.
The attack was also the almost inevitable result of a period of escalating embargoes and sanctions between the two countries as the US backed by the link of nations responded to Japan’s expansionist policies Asia especially with regards to it's heightened conflict of China from 1937 onwards.
The raid attack on Pearl Harbor began at 7:48 AM and it was all over 90 minutes later. The Americans were completely unprepared. Despite intelligence suggesting increase Japanese aggression and warnings that war with Japan was inevitable, there had been no specific indication of an attack on Pearl Harbor.
It was Commander Logan Ramsey who sent the now famous telegram, “Air raid Pearl Harbor, this is not a drill.” And even with their lack of readiness, many Americans responded to the call of courage and fortitude.
One of the most well documented single defenders was Doris “Dorie” Miller. A ships cook who without any training in the use of the weapon took over an unattended aircraft gun and fired on the attacking planes even while the ship was being bombed. He was awarded the Navy Cross while another 14 sailors and officers received the Medal of Honor.
Even though there was heavy lost of life of the American side however, important infrastructure including the submarine base with the power station and the crypt analysis units survived and the prime Japanese objected, the destruction of the three pacific based American aircraft carriers failed because none of the ships was present at the time.
Consequently the USS recovery was swift and unexpected and the country was able to fully engage in the war in the Pacific within months.
Despite its decisive victory, its preemptive attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan’s strategy was soon exposed as disastrous. With President Roosevelt declaring war the day after the attack, the US was soon utilizing its huge military and economic resources to join its allies against Japan, Germany and Italy leading to the total defeat of the axis powers by 1945. Indeed, on hearing that the Pearl Harbor attack had brought American into the war, the Prime Minister of Britain, Sir Winston Churchill wrote, “Being saturated and satiated with emotion and sensation, I went to bed and slept the sleep of the saved and thankful.”
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