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Pearl Harbor Memorial by Davidson/

10 Things to Know about the Pearl Harbour Attack

Pearl Harbor is a U.S. naval base near Honolulu Hawaii in 1941, on a Sunday morning hundreds of Japanese fighter planes descended on the base and managed to destroy American naval vessels, battleships, and airplanes. This attack was a surprise, there was a chaotic relationship between the United States and Japan. Japan moved from its oldest traditions and built itself into a technologically advanced industrial state with modern systems. When Japan was transitioning it took its first steps into building a Japanese empire in Eastern Asia by invading Manchuria a fertile rich province in northern China.

The U.S. did not appreciate this transition and this surprise attack was to show the weak side of America, this attack brought about World War II. Earlier President Franklin D. Roosevelt had transferred the United States fleet to Pearl Harbor as a presumed deterrent to Japanese aggression. The Japanese attack on the Harbor was a success that shocked the American people and brought about fear. This attack fueled a determination to fight, midway through the battle the Americans eliminated Japan’s striking power. This attack killed over 2000 Americans; congress passed a declaration of war against Japan.

1. The Pearl Attack lasted one hour and fifteen minutes

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii by Unknown Arthur

The Japanese forces made a surprise attack, and the majority of US fighter planes destroyed the planes that had been aligned on the airfields in order to avoid damage. The Torpedo planes caused most of the initial destruction it lasted 11 minutes. The bomb hit the USS Arizona’s magazine resulting in a calamitous explosion this was known as the first wave. 167 aircraft were sent to attack the Ford Island and Kaneohe Naval Air Station however the attack was not devastating and was the second wave.

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2. Pearl Harbor led to World War II

The Royal Navy during the Second World War by Unknown Arthur/

Americans were reluctant to become involved in the war in Europe, but this changed when the United States declared on Japan after the Pearl Harbor attack. Before the attack, there was tension between Japan and the United States, and was mounting. The Harbor was the most important American naval base in the pacific and still is, the Japanese aggression began with the seizure of Manchuria from China. The Japanese aggression triggered widespread denunciation in the United States and elsewhere. The United States began passing sanctions against Japan. Japan allied with Germany and Italy and declared war on the United States, bringing World War II.

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3. Japanese submarine at the Pearl Harbor

The Japanese Navy sent a group of submarines to surround Oahu and sink ships attempting to flee. Five of the marines carried top-secret mini-submarines. The subs were to penetrate inside the harbor under the cover of darkness, they were to surface and fire the torpedoes during the aerial attack. The aerial attack was devastating, the submarines failed and only one made it to the harbor and it quickly sunk during the attack. Another submarine washes a shore and the surviving crew were captured. Americans sank two submarines during the battle, one of the submarines was captured and placed in the Pearl Harbor National Historic Landmark. The Fifth submarine disappeared and was never found.

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Operation K culminated in 1942, this was an unsuccessful attack on pearl harbor, the flying boats were huge. The flying boats were named the flying porcupine, the flying ships were defended by ten machine guns and an equal number of cannons. The Japanese Navy’s high command called the use of 5 H8K aircraft, the flying boats were to fly to French Frigate Shoals, the biggest atoll in the Northwester of the Hawaiian Island. On the day of the mission, only two of the planned flying boats were available, each aircraft was loaded with four 550 Ib bombs. This was the second attack on the Pearl Harbor, operation K had no effect but this did not stop the Japanese from planning another surprise in the United States fleet. This time the goal was not to cause damage but to gather knowledge of the whereabouts.

5. The great Pacific War

USS SHAW exploding Pearl Harbor by Unknown Arthur/

The novel titled The Great Pacific War was written by British author Hector Bywater; this book inspired the Japanese attack on pearl harbor. The novel predicted a surprise attack on the US naval forces in the pacific by the Japanese and the Japanese acquired the victory. Hector Bywater was one of the preeminent naval analysts of his day. Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto was the mastermind behind the surprise raid that destroyed much of the U.S. Pacific Fleet at its base in Hawaii. The attack on the Harbor was prosperous beyond all expectations, making it central to Yamamoto’s reputation as a great admiral, and as it had strategic and political ramifications far beyond what he imagined, it made Yamamoto one of World War II’s most important commanders.

6. After the attack many people enlisted in the military

Military soldiers by Specna Arms/

The sudden attack at Pearl Harbor made Americans be aware that they were under attack and over 3000 people died after the attack, thousands of Americans rushed to enlist in the armed forces. This attack united many Americans, President Roosevelt declared war on Japan. Three days after the declaration of the Tripartite pact signed by the Axis and Japan, Germany and Italy declared war against the United States. This attack drew The United States into World War II, and the involvement of the United States in World War II changed history today. It resulted in the United States becoming a global military and a political superpower. The attack may have happened years ago the effect still remains today, this event will be remembered by the family members who lost their loved ones.

7. USS Arizona Memorial

USS Arizona Memorial by Unknown Arthur/

Lauren Bruner was the second to last man to escape the burning wreckage of the USS Arizona after a Japanese plane dropped a bomb that aflame the battleship. He lived 98 years old and married twice, he worked for a refrigerator company for nearly four decades. A total of 334 crewmembers survived the USS Arizona sinking, only survivors who survived the USS Arizona are buried at Pearl Harbor. Survivors of Pearl Harbor requested for their ashes to be scattered at Pearl Harbor. The service of the deceased of the USS Arizona survivors is conducted on the USS Arizona memorial. The service includes a committal service, interment, rifle salute, flag presentation, and plaque presentation.

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8. The USS battleship

The USS Arizona was a battleship built for the United States named in honor of the 48^th state, the ship was hit by one of the torpedos that were dropped by the Japanese planes. One bomb did not destroy the ship, the Japanese struck several bombs to destroy the ship fully. It blazed furiously as it slowly settled at the bottom of Pearl Harbor which was a total loss. 1100 of the ship’s crew were killed including Rear Admiral Isaac the commander battleship and the commanding officer Captain Franklin Van. The sacrifice of all the military personnel is now permanently memorialized at the USS Arizona memorial. The famous battleship USS Arizona was only in combat for a few minutes before the Japanese attack. The USS Arizona memorial is a must-see destination for visitors coming to Hawaii, visitors are free to examine the grounds of the Pearl Harbor visitors center.

9. Pearl Harbor Resurrection

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a shocking defeat for the United States military, the bombing of the Japanese left a wrecking yard and shattered battleships. Many of the sunken warships rose again to fight the axis, and only three battleships were damaged beyond repair. Within three months smaller ships and three battleships were immediately recovered. Seeing the completion of the resurrection of the ships required Navy and civilian divers to spend 20,000 hours underwater. Uncounted hours went into cleaning the ships and for shipyard repair. Much of the work had to be carried out in gas masks to guard against toxic gases,

10. The Pearl Harbor National Memorial

USS Arizona Memorial by Unknown Arthur/

The Pearl Harbor area was designated a national historic landmark in 1964 for its strategic importance related to the United States. Pearl Harbors’ most famous memorial salutes 1,177 sailors and Marines who perished in the attack. Two million visitors come here each year, making it one of the most popular attractions in Hawaii. Pearl Harbor is still an active military base thus visitors cannot enter many parts of the harbor. When you are at the Pearl you can take a US Navy vessel to the memorial built overtop the USS Arizona, where a large marble wall holds the names of the men who lost their lives.