Pearl Harbor

By

Sarah Cormier

• Pearl Harbor is a harbor on the island of O’ahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Surrounding the harbor is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

7:55 a.m. Hawaii Time Sunday, December 7, 1941 A surprise military strike was conducted

by the Japanese navy against the United States' naval base at Pearl Harbor. This

later resulted in the United States becoming militarily involved in World War

II. It was intended as a preventive action to

keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from influencing the war Japan was planning to

wage in Southeast Asia against Britain, the Netherlands, and the United States. Further More Japan wanted to advance into Malaya and the Dutch East Indies,

where they would have access to natural resources such as oil and rubber

Export Control Act The Export Control Act of 1940 was one in a series of legislative efforts by the United States government, specifically the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt to accomplish two tasks: to avoid scarcity of critical commodities in a likely pre-war environment and to limit the exportation of war materiel to pre-World War II Imperial Japan. The act forbid the exporting of aircraft parts, chemicals, and minerals without a license This act was perceived by Japan as an unfriendly act.

• Many sailors were still sleeping in their quarters, aboard their ships. They had no idea what was coming.

• Japanese planes had taken off at 6 a.m. from aircraft carriers 230 miles away.

• There were two waves of planes that attacked. The first arrived at 7:55 a.m. and consisted of 183 planes. The second wave arrived almost an hour later with 167 planes

• A fleet of midget submarines was also part of the Japanese attack. They dropped deadly torpedoes, which had been modified with wooden fins to run their course in the shallow waters of Pearl Harbor. 

• 188 aircrafts, eight U.S. Navy battleships, three destroyers, three cruisers, and one minelayer were destroyed. The damage caused to the Japanese navy was very small, Only 29 aircraft out of 350 were destroyed along with a handful of midget submarines.

Facts

• There were 2,403 people killed, 68 of those were civilians. 1,178 were wounded.

• When U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan the day after the attack, the answer was a resounding yes.

While the attack accomplished its intended objective, it turned out to be

largely unnecessary. The U.S. Navy had decided as far back as 1935 to abandon 'charging' across the Pacific towards the Philippines in response to an outbreak of

war. The U.S. instead adopted "Plan Dog" in 1940, which emphasized keeping

the Imperial Japanese Navy out of the eastern Pacific and away from the

shipping lanes to Australia while the U.S. concentrated on defeating Nazi Germany

"We won a great tactical victory at Pearl Harbor and thereby lost the war."

-Admiral Hara Tadaichi

Images of the Attack on Pearl Harbor

Zeroes of the second wave preparing to take off from Shokaku for Pearl Harbor

Battleship USS California sinking

Battleship USS Arizona explodes.

Destroyer USS Shaw exploding after her forward magazine was detonated

Salvage• After searching for survivors a formal salvage

operation started.• divers, the Naval Shipyard, and civilian

contractors began work on the ships which could be refloated. They patched holes, cleared debris, and pumped water out of ships. Also Navy divers worked inside the damaged ships. In about six months, five battleships and two cruisers were patched or refloated so they could be sent to shipyards in Pearl and on the mainland for extensive repair.

• Arizona and the target ship Utah were too heavily damaged for salvage

• Today, the two hulks remain where they were sunk, with Arizona becoming a war memorial.

Aftermath..

• 16 Congressional Medals of Honor• 51 Navy Crosses, 53 Silver Crosses, • 4 Navy and Marine Corps Medals, • 1 Distinguished Flying Cross,• 4 Distinguished Service Crosses, • 1 Distinguished Service Medal, • 3 Bronze Stars were

Awards given to the American servicemen who distinguished themselves in combat at Pearl Harbor:

Aftermath..• Fortunately for the United States, the American aircraft

carriers were untouched by the Japanese attack, otherwise the Pacific Fleet's ability to conduct offensive operations would have been delayed for a year or so. The elimination of the battleships left the U.S. Navy with no choice but rely on its aircraft carriers and submarines. Five of the eight battleships were fixed and returned to service, but their slow speed limited their deployment, serving mainly in shore bombardment roles. A major flaw of Japanese strategic thinking was a belief the ultimate Pacific battle would be fought by battleships, As a result, Yamamoto (and his successors) hoarded battleships for a "decisive battle" that never happened.

USS Arizona Memorial • A visit to the USS Arizona

Memorial is a solemn and sobering experience, even for those who were not alive when the attack occurred. You are literally standing over a grave site where 1177 men lost their lives

• Allow 75 minutes for the tour. This does not include time waiting for your tour to begin. Use that time to enjoy the USS Arizona Memorial Museum or waterfront promenade.

• Following the events of September 11, 2001, new security regulations have been implemented. No purses, handbags, backpacks, camera bags, diaper bags, or other items that offer concealment are allowed in the visitor center or on the Memorial tour. Strollers with pockets and compartments must be empty before being allowed in the visitor center. Personal cameras are allowed.

USS Arizona Memorial.

Model of the Arizona Memorial

Actual Arizona Memorial

Inside the memorial

Art inspired by Pearl Harbor

• The Raid on Pearl Harbor, 7th December 1941 by Ivan Berryman

Ivan Berryman, renowned naval and aviation artist.

Music associated with the Pearl Harbor

Attack.• Shortly after the attack

on December 7, 1941 and America's entry in to the war, one of the first and the most classic World War Two patriotic songs was written by Don Reid and music by Reid and Sammy Kaye

Drama associated with Pearl Harbor

• Below is a link to a scene from the 2001 movie Pearl Harbor. In this scene you will see a portrayal of the attack on pearl harbor.

Pearl Harbor Attack SceneDirector: Michael BayWriter: Randall WallaceGenre: Action, Romance, WarAwards: Won Oscar. Another 9 wins & 34 nominations

Work Cited• http://ezinearticles.com/?Facts-on-Pearl-Harbor

&id=1582085• http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/ushi

story/pearlharborattack3.htm• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Har

bor#Salvage• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv1niwxQgoY• http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0213149/• http://my.execpc.com/~dschaaf/songnew.html