Standing in opposition to Japanese conquest of what Japan’s leaders termed “the Southern Resource Area” was the United States. Since Emperor Hirohito’s Japan wanted to expand in territory and power like some European countries, it needed natural resources, like oil and aluminum found in the Netherlands East Indies. The majority of the Pacific area’s military commands were headquartered there because of growing apprehensions regarding an aggressive Japanese presence. Short of the Army were in command of the fleet and troops on the ground, respectively. On the southern end of Oahu, Pearl Harbor held a 22,000 acre naval base. That same day, with congressional approval, America entered into World War II. Roosevelt delivered his “Infamy Speech” to American citizens, informing them that this occurred despite the fact that the US was in the midst of talks to keep peace with Japan. On Decemthe Japanese launched a surprise attack on the US Naval Base Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, using bombers, torpedo bombers and midget submarines. Importance: The surprise attack on America led to the nation entering World War IIĮxplore the HistoryNet archives about Pearl Harbor Japanese: Chuichi Nagumo and Isoroku YamamotoĬasualties: United States: 3,700 Japanese: 50 civilians: 48-68 Complete with memorials to the USS Arizona and USS Oklahoma battleships, Pearl Harbor is a fascinating trip through time, starting with the tranquility of that Sunday morning and the first bomb that startled the island into action.United States: Husband Kimmel and Walter Short You can learn all about the events of December 7th, 1941 at the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument. The likely truth of the matter is that the United States was simply the victim of a well-planned strike, one that had been previously predicted-almost flawlessly-by the American admiral behind the 1932 attack drill. With nothing but the deep blue separating Japan and Hawaii, the island chain would make a logical attack point. It is, however, not unfathomable to think that if Japan wanted to hit the United States, it would focus on a vulnerable military outpost that would be easy to surprise. It does sound like a major coincidence that almost a decade prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the US military was testing that exact scenario. Though the admiral had shown that Pearl Harbor was more than vulnerable to an attack, his warning fell on deaf ears. Though Yarnell was initially considered the “winner” of the drill, the War Department later changed its ruling. The admiral attacked from the north-northeast, similar to how planes would arrive from Japan’s carriers. His choice of time was deemed “inappropriate” for an attack despite it actually being the perfect time to catch the harbor with its guard down. Both Yarnell and the Japanese decided to attack on a Sunday morning when the harbor would off guard. Utilizing 152 aircraft from a pair of aircraft carriers, the well-trained aviator and admiral was able to achieve a total surprise on Pearl Harbor, starting first by attacking the airfields to disable American ability to counter in the air.Īside from the location and what was used to attack, the drill shared some striking similarities to the real Pearl Harbor attack. Yarnellĭubbed "Fleet Problem #13,” the 1932 drill simulated an attack from a “militaristic, Asian, island nation.” Under the command of Rear Admiral Harry Yarnell, the attacking forces were meant to test the vulnerability of the Pearl Harbor. Most curious to those who think American officials knew in advance about Japan’s intentions in December of 1941 is that the 1932 raid took place at Pearl Harbor. One means of preparing the military for an attack by their Asian opponent was to stage a mock raid, so on February 7th, 1932, that raid took place. Since 1906, the United States War Department had been on edge over a potential conflict with Japan, so much so that they formulated a strategy known as War Plan Orange. It wasn’t an outside attack, however, that makes this a memorable date in US Naval history. How about February 7th, 1932, though? It was well before the Second World War broke out, but tensions were already on the rise between the United States and other countries. We all recognize December 7th, 1941 as the day the Japanese swept through Pearl Harbor, leaving behind a wake of destruction that instigated America’s involvement in World War II.
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