Why Did Japan Attack Pearl Harbor
December 7, 1941 will go down as one of the worst days in American history. On this day more than 2,400 Americans were killed and over 1,100 were injured. On this day, Japan launched a surprise, military, aerial attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The next day the United States declared war on Japan and eventually led to the country’s entry into World War II. The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor for many reasons. One reason was because the embargo the U.S. put in place against Japan. This embargo blocked Japan from receiving steel and aviation fuel as well as other military supplies. Japan also feared the U.S. would stop them from conquering Burma, Malaya, the East Indies and the Philippines. So, as a precaution, the Japanese launched a surprise
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This means that all those Americans died in 110 minutes. The Japanese fleet was made of approximately 353 planes. The attack was originally called code name Operation Hawaii and later changed to Operation Z. The Japanese attacked airfields at Hickman Field, Ewa Field, Wheeler Field, Bellows Field, Schofield Barracks, and Kaneohe Naval Air Station. There were eight battleships at Pearl Harbor that day. All eight battleships were either sunk or damaged during the attack. An retired battleship, the Utah, was also destroyed. The USS Arizona was was hit with an 1,800 pound bomb, trapping more than 1,000 soldiers inside as it sank. Today, those soldier’s remains are still trapped in the USS Arizona underwater. The other battleships were the USS California, the USS Oklahoma, the USS West Virginia, the USS Pennsylvania, the USS Nevada, the USS Maryland, and the USS Tennessee. Eventually, all but two battleships, were repaired and returned to duty. The Japanese failed to destroy the two aircraft carriers that were stationed at Pearl Harbor because they were out to sea. They also failed to destroy the U.S. oil storage facility. Japan also used midget submarines in the attack. Eleven other ships were sunk, and 188 planes destroyed. Only about 28 Japanese planes were shot down and 5 midget submarines were
This means that all those Americans died in 110 minutes. The Japanese fleet was made of approximately 353 planes. The attack was originally called code name Operation Hawaii and later changed to Operation Z. The Japanese attacked airfields at Hickman Field, Ewa Field, Wheeler Field, Bellows Field, Schofield Barracks, and Kaneohe Naval Air Station. There were eight battleships at Pearl Harbor that day. All eight battleships were either sunk or damaged during the attack. An retired battleship, the Utah, was also destroyed. The USS Arizona was was hit with an 1,800 pound bomb, trapping more than 1,000 soldiers inside as it sank. Today, those soldier’s remains are still trapped in the USS Arizona underwater. The other battleships were the USS California, the USS Oklahoma, the USS West Virginia, the USS Pennsylvania, the USS Nevada, the USS Maryland, and the USS Tennessee. Eventually, all but two battleships, were repaired and returned to duty. The Japanese failed to destroy the two aircraft carriers that were stationed at Pearl Harbor because they were out to sea. They also failed to destroy the U.S. oil storage facility. Japan also used midget submarines in the attack. Eleven other ships were sunk, and 188 planes destroyed. Only about 28 Japanese planes were shot down and 5 midget submarines were