Attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941 Share Search The USS Shaw explodes after being hit by bombs during the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in this Dec. 7, 1941 photo. (AP Photo, U.S. Navy, File) Black smoke pours from the U.S. Destroyer USS Shaw after a direct hit by bombs during the surprise aerial attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941. Defenders on the pier at left throw water into the blazing wreckage. (AP Photo/U.S. Navy) This picture, taken by a Japanese photographer, shows how American ships are clustered together before the surprise Japanese aerial attack on Pear Harbor, HI., on Sunday morning, Dec. 8, 1941. Minutes later the full impact of the assault was felt and Pearl Harbor became a flaming target. (AP Photo) Hawaii residents comb thru wreckage on Dec. 17, 1941 after Japanese bombing raids on December 7. (AP Photo) This is one of the first pictures of the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941.

A P-40 plane which was machine-gunned while on the ground. (AP Photo) "Japanese cabinet meets in emergency session," is the bulletin shown in Times Square's news zipper in lights on the New York Times building, New York, Dec. 7, 1941. (AP Photo/Robert Kradin) Unidentified attaches of the Japanese consulate began burning papers, ledgers and other records shortly after Japan went to war against the U.S., Dec. 7, 1941, in New Orleans. Police later stopped the fire after most of the papers had been destroyed. (AP Photo/Horace Cort) Rescue workers help evacuate the Lunalilo High School in Honolulu after the roof of the main building was hit by a bomb during the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in this Dec. 7, 1941 file photo. (AP Photo/File) Anti-aircraft gunners of the United States Army who fired on the Japanese planes during the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, in Wheeler Field, Hawaii. (AP Photo) American ships burn during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941.

(AP Photo) Troops man a machine gun nest at Wheeler Field, which adjoins Schofield Barracks in Honolulu, after the Japanese attack on the island of Oahu, Dec. 7, 1941. (AP Photo) Believed to be the first bomb dropped on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in the sneak-attack on Dec. 7, 1941, this picture was found torn to pieces at Yokusuka Base by photographer's mate 2/C Martin J. Shemanski of Plymouth, Pa. One Japanese plane is shown pulling out of a dive near bomb eruption (center) and another the air at upper right. (AP Photo) The wreckage of a drug store smolders at Waikiki after attack by Japanese planes, Dec. 7 1941. (AP Photo) Black smoke rises from the burning wrecks of several U.S. Navy battleships after they had been bombed during the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. (AP Photo) A Japanese plane, braving American anti-aircraft fire, proceeds toward “battleship row,” Pearl Harbor, after other bombers had hit USS. Arizona, from which smoke billows, Dec.

7, 1941. (AP Photo) Battleship Arizona at Pearl Harbor, December 1941. The photo was taken shortly after the battleship was bombed and destroyed during the surprise attack by Japanese forces, December 7, 1941. The vessel at right is a rescue tug. Flag still flying the ship is resting on the bottom of the ocean with decks flooded. (AP Photo) Officers' wives, investigating explosion and seeing smoke pall in distance on Dec. 7, 1941, heard neighbor Mary Naiden, then an Army hostess who took this picture, exclaim "There are red circles on those planes overhead. They are Japanese!" Realizing war had come, the two women, stunned, start toward quarters. (AP Photo/Mary Naiden) Three U.S. battleships are hit from the air during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Japan's bombing of U.S. military bases at Pearl Harbor brings the U.S. into World War II. From left are: USS West Virginia, severely damaged; USS Tennessee, damaged; and USS Arizona, sunk. (AP Photo) FILE - In this Dec.

7, 1941 file photo, people buy newspapers reporting the Japanese attack on U.S. bases in the Pacific Ocean, at Times Square in New York. (AP Photo/Robert Kradin) An undamaged light cruiser steams out past the burning USS Arizona and takes to sea with the rest of the fleet during the Japanese aerial attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941 during World War II. (AP Photo/U.S. Navy) U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the declaration of war following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, at the White House in Washington, D.C., Dec. 8, 1941 at 3:08 p.m. EST. Watching from left to right are, Rep. Sol Bloom, D-N.Y.; Rep. Luther Johnson, D-Texas; Rep. Charles A. Eaton, R-N.J.; Rep. Joseph Martin, R-Mass.; Vice President Henry A. Wallace; House Speaker Sam Rayburn, D-Texas; Rep. John McCormack, D-Mass.; Sen. Charles L. McNary, R-Ore.; Sen. Alben W.

Barkley, D-Ky.; Sen. Carter Glass, D-Va.; and Sen. Tom Connally, D-Texas. (AP Photo) Heavy black smoke billows as oil fuel burns from shattered tanks on ships that were hit during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941 during World War II. Visible through the murk is the U.S. battleship Maryland, center, and the hulk of the capsized USS Oklahoma to the right of it. (AP Photo/U.S. Navy) A small boat rescues a USS West Virginia crew member from the water after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941 during World War II. Two men can be seen on the superstructure, upper center. The mast of the USS Tennessee is beyond the burning West Virginia. (AP Photo) The battleship USS West Virginia is seen afire after the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. (AP Photo) The destroyer USS Shaw explodes after being hit by bombs during the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941.

(AP Photo) Unidentified Japanese men, taken into custody under an order issued by Pres. Franklin Roosevelt, enter the Federal Building in New York, Dec. 7, 1941, accompanied by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. (AP Photo/Matty Zimmerman) This photograph, from a Japanese film later captured by American forces, is taken aboard the Japanese aircraft carrier Zuikaku, just as a Nakajima "Kate" B-5N bomber is launching off deck for the second wave of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. (AP Photo) In this image provided by the U.S. Navy, sailors stand among wrecked airplanes at Ford Island Naval Air Station as they watch the explosion of the USS Shaw in the background, during the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. (AP Photo/U.S. Navy) Rescue workers help evacuate the Lunalilo High School in Honolulu after the roof of the main building was hit by a bomb during the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941.

(AP Photo) A Japanese dive bomber goes into its last dive as it heads toward the ground in flames after it was hit by Naval anti-aircraft fire during surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941. (AP Photo) President Franklin D. Roosevelt, appearing before a joint session of Congress termed as unprovoked and dastardly the attack by Japan upon Hawaii and the Philippines and asked for an immediate declaration of war, Dec. 8, 1941. (AP Photo) This file photo shows the US Pacific Fleet as it burns in its home base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, after 360 Japanese warplanes made a massive surprise attack 07 December, 1941, which ended a long struggle on the part of isolationist forces in the US to stay out of the war. Commemorations for the 62nd Anniversary of the attack will begin 05 December, 2003, by military and civilian groups. Celebrations will include honoring civilian survivors of the attack.

(HO/AFP/Getty Images) This 07 December 1941 file photo obtained from the US Naval Historical Center shows the Commanding Officer of the Japanese aircraft carrier Hokaku, watching as planes take off to attack Pearl Harbor, during the morning of 07 December 1941. The Kanji inscription (L) is an exhortation to pilots to do their duty. Commemorations for the 62nd Anniversary of the attack will begin 05 December, 2003, by military and civilian groups in Hawaii. Celebrations will include honoring civilian survivors of the attack. (HO/AFP/Getty Images) A small boat rescues sailors December 7, 1941 from the USS West Virginia after she had suffered a hit in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The USS Tennessee, Bb-43, is inboard of the suken battle ship. (Photo by Getty Images) Japanese soldiers wave at a plane from under their flag December 7, 1941 just before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

(Photo by Getty Images) The jumbled mass of wreckage in front of the battleship USS Pennsylvania constitutes the remanins of the destroyers USS Downes and USS Cassin, bombed by the Japaneses December 7, 1941 during the raid on Pearl Harbor. (Photo by Getty Images) The horror of destruction at the US Naval Base of Pearl Harbour (Pearl Harbor) which was attacked without warning by the Japanese airforce on the 7th December 1941. The attack took place whilst the Japanese were holding peace talks in Washington. More than 2000 servicemen were killed, and a large part of the US fleet destroyed. The attack caused the USA to join the war. This salvage crew is on the deck of the USS Oklahoma sunk on the night of the attack. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images) USS Cassin, one of the three destroyers sunk at Pearl Harbour (Pearl Harbor), during the Japanese attack. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) The US Pacific Fleet burns in its home base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii after 360 Japanese warplanes made a massive surprise attack, 07 December 1941.

(STF/AFP/Getty Images) 7th December 1941: The results of the Pearl Harbour (Pearl Harbor) attack by the Japanese at Wheeler Field Barracks with artillery being pulled from the water. (Photo by Three Lions/Getty Images) December 1941: The horror of destruction at the US Naval Base of Pearl Harbour (Pearl Harbor) which without warning was attacked by the Japanese airforce on the 7th December 1941. The attack caused the USA to join the war. Seen here is the wreckage of a Japanese fighter bomber brought down during the attack. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images) 7th December 1941: A picture taken from a Japanese bomber showing another Japanese plane and plumes of black smoke on the ground during the attack on Pearl Harbour (Pearl Harbor). (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images) December 1941: The horror of destruction at the US Naval Base of Pearl Harbour (Pearl Harbor) which was attacked by the Japanese airforce on the 7th December 1941. The destroyer 'Shaw' is a tangled mess of wreckage but she was back in use one year later.

(Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images) The USS Arizona burning furiously in Pearl Harbour (Pearl Harbor) after the Japanese attack. To the left of her are USS Tennessee and the sunken USS West Virginia. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Ford Island is seen in this aeriel view during the Japanese attack on Pearl harbor December 7, 1941 in Hawaii. (Photo by Getty Images) December 1941: The jumbled mass of wreckage in front of the battleship USS Pennsylvania constitutes the remains of the destroyers USS Downes and USS Cassin, bombed by the Japanese during the raid on Pearl Harbour (Pearl Harbor). The ships were in drydock. The torpedo-damaged cruiser USS Helena is in the right distance, beyond the crane. Visible in the centre distance is the capsized USS Oklahoma with USS Maryland alongside. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images) Members of the Hearns Volunteer National Defense Corps spell the slogan "Remember Pearl Harbor" at a rally held on 14th St. between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in New York City, Dec. 27, 1941.

(AP Photo) ‹ Today in History - December 7 | Library of Congress Library of Congress Today in History - December 7 December 7 Listen to this page Air Raid On Pearl Harbor On December 7, 1941, Japanese planes attacked the United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor External , Hawaii Territory, killing more than 2,300 Americans. The U.S.S. Arizona was completely destroyed and the U.S.S. Oklahoma capsized. A total of twelve ships sank or were beached in the attack and nine additional vessels were damaged. More than 160 aircraft were destroyed and more than 150 others damaged. A hurried dispatch from the ranking United States naval officer in Pearl Harbor, Admiral Husband Edward Kimmel, Commander in Chief of the United States Pacific Fleet, to all major navy commands and fleet units provided the first official word of the attack at the ill-prepared Pearl Harbor base. It said simply: AIR RAID ON PEARL HARBOR X THIS IS NOT DRILL. Naval Dispatch from the Commander in Chief Pacific (CINCPAC) announcing the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941 . (John J. Ballentine Papers).

Words and Deeds in American History: Selected Documents Celebrating the Manuscript Division’s First 100 Years . Manuscript Division The following day, in an address to a joint session of Congress, President Franklin Roosevelt called December 7, 1941 “a date which will live in infamy.” Congress then declared War on Japan, abandoning the nation’s isolationism policy and ushering the United States into World War II. Within days, Japan’s allies, Germany and Italy, declared war on the United States, and the country began a rapid transition to a wartime economy by building up armaments in support of military campaigns in the Pacific, North Africa, and Europe. Also on the day following Pearl Harbor, Alan Lomax , head of the Library of Congress Archive of American Folk Song, sent a telegram to colleagues around the U.S. asking them to collect people’s immediate reactions to the bombing. Over the next few days prominent folklorists such as John Lomax , John Henry Faulk, Charles Todd , Robert Sonkin , and Lewis Jones responded by recording “man on the street” interviews in New York, North Carolina, Texas, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere.

They interviewed salesmen, electricians, janitors, oilmen, cabdrivers, housewives, students, soldiers, physicians, and others regarding the events of December 7. Among the interviewees was a California woman then visiting her family in Dallas, Texas. “My first thought was what a great pity that… another nation should be added to those aggressors who strove to limit our freedom. I find myself at the age of eighty, an old woman, hanging on to the tail of the world, trying to keep up. I do not want the driver’s seat. But the eternal verities–there are certain things that I wish to express: one thing that I am very sure of is that hatred is death, but love is light. I want to contribute to the civilization of the world but…when I look at the holocaust that is going on in the world today, I’m almost ready to let go…” Pearl Harbor Widows have Gone into War Work… Howard R. Hollem, photographer, August 1942. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Color Photographs .

Prints & Photographs Division The Office of War Information (OWI) capitalized on the fear and outrage associated with the bombings to encourage support of war mobilization. Created In June 1942, some six months after the air raid on Pearl Harbor, the OWI served as a U.S. government propaganda agency generating pictures and copy such as the above photograph of Pearl Harbor widows. Concentrating on subjects like aircraft factories , training for war , women in the workforce , and the armed forces , the OWI documented and celebrated American patriotism in the military and on the home front. December 7, 1941 | Densho Encyclopedia Densho Encyclopedia Print Cite On December 7, 1941, the Japanese navy launched a surprise military attack against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor located on the island of O'ahu. The attack on Pearl Harbor was intended to neutralize the United States Pacific Fleet as the Japanese expanded throughout the Pacific region. Despite numerous historical precedents for unannounced military action, the lack of any formal warning by Japan led President Franklin D.

Roosevelt to proclaim December 7, 1941, "a date which will live in infamy." The attack on Pearl Harbor, not only brought America into World War II, but raised suspicions of the large Japanese communities on West Coast of the United States and in Hawai'i. However, the changes brought by war were first immediately felt by residents of O'ahu in the hours and days following the attack. [1] Contents 7 Footnotes The Approach and the Attack At 3:24 a.m. on December 7, 1941, the minesweeper Condor sighted a submarine periscope off the entrance to Pearl Harbor. Since this was an area where no American submarine traveled submerged, the Condor immediately notified the destroyer Ward, which searched the waters for an hour and a half without success. Nearly three hours later, the destroyer answered a similar alert from the target repair ship Antares and this time located the submarine, apparently trailing the Antares into Honolulu Harbor. The Ward fired on the intruder—the first American shots of World War II—and the crippled submarine went down.

As the Ward was reporting the incident to the 14th Naval District headquarters, two army privates were completing their three-hour training period at an isolated radar station in the hills between Waialua and Kahuku when they discovered a large number of planes approaching O'ahu from three degrees east of north at a distance of 132 miles. A lieutenant who was serving his second morning of observation assumed that the planes were the B-17s scheduled to fly in from the Mainland and dismissed the matter. Thus, as early as 6:30 a.m., two Japanese reconnaissance planes flew over O'ahu. They were followed by 360 planes that Japanese carriers 200 miles to the north had launched in three waves. Most of the planes approached the Pearl Harbor area directly from the sea. At about 7:57 a.m., a score of fighters swooped down from the sky to within twenty feet of the ground at the Marine Corps Air Station at 'Ewa, firing on the forty-nine planes closely lined up on the field and riddling them with bullets before heading to Pearl Harbor.

Japanese dive bombers immediately targeted Ford Island, in the center of Pearl Harbor, destroying thirty-three of the seventy planes on the field. Japanese pilots then besieged the heavy vessels in "battleship row," adjacent to Ford Island. Almost simultaneously, Japanese fighters attacked Hickam Field next to Pearl Harbor, Kāne'ohe Naval Air Station on the windward side of O'ahu, and Wheeler Field adjoining Schofield Barracks in central O'ahu. In the first half-hour, Japanese pilots had inflicted significant damage to major American military installations on O'ahu. All seven battleships—the West Virginia, California, Arizona, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Oklahoma—had been hit at least once, many sustaining fatal damage. In all, six ships were sunk, twelve were severely damaged, and others suffered minor blows. Hangars, machine shops, guard houses, and barracks were also hit; 2,335 American servicemen, mostly navy personnel, perished. By contrast, Japanese losses were minimal, with twenty-nine aircraft and five midget submarines damaged or destroyed, and sixty-five servicemen killed or wounded. Fires broke out throughout the city including one at the Lunalilo School first aid station.

A building next to the school had caught fire and some of the residents had died, trapped behind a wall of flames. Fifty-seven civilians died on O'ahu that day, and another 280 were injured in fires caused by American anti-aircraft action. [2] Top The Aftermath of the Attack Soon, radio stations were broadcasting orders to the residents of O'ahu: "Do not use your telephone. The island is under enemy attack. Do not use your telephone. Stay off the streets. Keep calm…In the event of an air raid, stay under cover." Governor Joseph Poindexter came on the radio to proclaim a state of emergency, and, at 11:41 a.m., the army ordered all commercial radio stations off the air, fearing that Japanese planes could navigate by their signals during another attack. Later that day, the stations returned to the air to announce that Hawai'i was now under martial law . The statement was broadcast three times: twice in English, once in Japanese. [3] Poindexter also ordered the mobilization of a Territorial Guard that day.

Subsequently, the University of Hawai'i's Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) was called to duty and its members became the nucleus of the new Hawaii Territorial Guard that was primarily an "anti-sabotage force." With martial law instituted, constitutional liberties were suspended. Civilian courts were closed, and all government functions—federal, territorial, and municipal—were placed under army control. The commanding general declared himself the "military governor" of Hawai'i, and controlled the entire civilian population with absolute discretionary powers as a state of emergency had been declared. Top Rumors and Uncertainty in Wartime Hawai'i Contributing to the atmosphere of anxiety and uncertainty that justified the imposition of martial law were rumors about those within the Japanese population who might engage in sabotage or espionage in the event of an invasion or a further attack. Immediately after the attack, it was alleged that Japanese plantation workers had cut arrows in the cane fields to direct Japanese flyers to Pearl Harbor or had set cane fires as signals. Rumors also circulated that Japanese pilots who had been shot down were found with McKinley High School and University of Hawai'i rings, implying they were former residents of Hawai'i.

Newspapers reported that Japanese parachutists had landed on O'ahu and that the city water supply had been contaminated, along with other general acts of sabotage. [4] Although these rumors remained unsubstantiated, officials eventually detained 1,569 individuals it considered suspicious or dangerous of which 1,444 were of Japanese descent. The presence of so many "undesirables" in an important military location in a time of war became the justification for martial law and for the internment of nearly 1,500 Japanese, who were sent first to camps in 'Ewa and then to the continental United States. Some historians have claimed that martial law and internment were unnecessary as no one was ever convicted of espionage or sabotage. Others have argued the opposite case, claiming that martial law prevented further acts such as the Battle of Ni'ihau. (See Ni'ihau Incident .) This singular event that involved the collaboration between a Japanese pilot and Japanese American, served to cast doubt on the loyalty of the nearly 160,000 Japanese in the Islands.

[5] In particular, the approximately 35,500 Japanese aliens, twenty-two percent of the Japanese population in Hawai'i, were immediately suspect owing to their Japanese citizenship. Top The Mobilization of the Japanese Community To prove their loyalty, the Japanese responded to the war with extensive efforts to mobilize the Japanese community in Hawai'i and to contribute to the overall United States war effort. Prior to the war, some Nisei and non-Japanese had formed the Committee for Interracial Unity in Hawaii, a multiethnic group of civic and military leaders that included Hung Wai Ching , Charles Loomis, and Shigeo Yoshida , who were appointed to the Public Morale Section, first with the Office of Civilian Defense and a month later under the Office of the Military Governor. Under the Morale Section , various organizations were formed within different ethnic communities, such as the Emergency Service Committee , that was organized to work with the Japanese community. Members of this group worked as liaisons with the military on matters affecting the Japanese community and assured the military of the complete loyalty of the Japanese population.

They disseminated information at 209 meetings, contacting approximately 10,000 individuals from February through December 1942, relieving community anxieties during a period when authorities had suspended Japanese radio broadcasts and newspapers. [6] In addition to collective activities, many Japanese also responded through individual demonstrations of loyalty. Often holding down more than one job, many Japanese in the islands served as block wardens, Red Cross workers, fire fighters, medical workers, and laborers. They responded to urgent pleas for blood by hosting numerous blood drives and encouraged the purchase of war bonds. As block wardens, they were responsible for patrolling their areas, investigating fire hazards, and enforcing the 6:00 p.m. curfew and blackout regulations established under martial law. Volunteers also manned first-aid stations and the blood bank, and provided emergency ambulance services. In fact, the 800 volunteers who had received emergency medical training under the United Japanese Society in Honolulu went directly from their December 7, 1941, certification ceremonies to the aid of the wounded at Pearl Harbor.

As members of the kiawe corps on O'ahu and Kaua'i, and of the Menehune Minutemen on the Big Island, Japanese volunteers cleared kiawe thickets for evacuation and military camps, built trails, and strung barbed wire along the coastline. [7] On Sundays, Japanese women devoted their free time to Red Cross activities, such as folding bandages and knitting woolen socks. Others joined the Women's Division of the Office of Civilian Defense (OCD.) and studied safety measures, disseminated necessary information, and worked on special projects such as Christmas gifts for servicemen. Some young Japanese women even expressed their patriotism by entertaining off-duty soldiers at dances held in Waialua. Although many of these activities were sincere expressions of patriotism, they were also efforts to deflect the suspicion focused on them as a result of their Japanese ancestry. In order to prove their loyalty and appear as "American" as possible, the Japanese replaced Japanese radio programs and films with English programs and American films, and a "Speak-American" campaign was launched in the Japanese community.

[8] Many Japanese families also removed family heirlooms from their houses and destroyed them for fear that they would be used as incriminating evidence at an internment hearing. Additionally, many Japanese candidates who had previously been politically active elected not to run for public office during the war because of the politically volatile situation. As one Japanese politician observed, "A kettle that is already boiling should not boil over." [9] Japanese voters themselves hesitated to support Japanese candidates for fear that it would seem the Japanese community was trying to take over the government. The Japanese community did not want to exacerbate already strained race relations in Hawai'i, as the war provided the opportunity for other ethnicities to express long-standing racial antagonism toward the Japanese. Although persons of varying ethnic backgrounds had lived and worked side-by-side for many years, there was an undercurrent of anti-Japanese feeling even before December 7. The Japanese attack and the Pacific War caused these latent feelings to surface. The Koreans disliked the Japanese because Japan had subjugated Korea; the Filipinos were angered by the Japanese invasion of their homeland. Others had doubts about the loyalty of Japanese Americans because they followed Japanese customs, went to language schools, and were generally clannish.

"Once a Jap, always a Jap" was a phrase often heard in wartime Hawai'i. [10] Many Japanese understood the hostility and suspicion directed at them as this tension-filled situation ignited racial fears and hostilities. Top Conclusion To many, the Pearl Harbor attack seemed to confirm long-standing fears of the Japanese, enabling the expression of latent anti-Japanese sentiment to emerge both in Hawai'i and the United States. Pearl Harbor not only marked America's entry into World War II, but it also initiated a war within America's own borders to control and contain a population of "undesirables." Martial law and internment reflected the depth of American fears of the Japanese and their assumed disloyalty by virtue of their race that was highlighted in the events of December 7, 1941. Authored by Kelli Y. Nakamura , University of Hawai'i Nakamura, Kelli Top For More Information Bailey, Beth and David Farber. The First Strange Place: Race and Sex in World War II Hawai'i. Baltimore: John Hopkins Press, 1992. Dye, Bob ed. Hawai'i Chronicles III: World War Two in Hawai'i, From the Pages of Paradise of the Pacific.

Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 2000. Library of Congress. . An Era of Change: Oral Histories of Civilians in World War II Hawai'i. Honolulu: Center for Oral History, Social Science Research Institute, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, 1994. "Pearl Harbor Raid, December 7, 1941." Naval History and Heritage Command. . Pearl Harbour, December 7, 1941: Japan launches deadly attack on US Navy base - BT Print this story On December 7, 1941, fighters and bombers from the Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, killing 2,403 US citizens and injuring over a thousand more. The attack shocked America, silencing non-interventionist voices and ensuring its entry into the Second World War – thus changing the face of the conflict. As the Japanese propaganda footage in the video above shows, 353 Japanese planes launched from two aircraft carriers hit the base in two waves. All eight US battleships at the base were damaged, with four being sunk.

Remarkably, six of the eight would be salvaged and go on to take part in the war. Numbers vary with different accounts, but over 100 more vessels were damaged or sunk, and at least 160 aircraft were destroyed. Fortunately, three US aircraft carriers were at sea when the base was struck, saving then from disaster. The attack happened because Japan was planning military action against resource-rich British and American-held territories in south east Asia; their strategists reasoned that the only way to stop the US Pacific fleet becoming involved was a pre-emptive strike. [Read more: May 8, 1945 - Millions rejoice on VE Day] The following day, in a solemn speech made in Washington DC, President Franklin D. Roosevelt called December 7 “a date which will live in infamy”. Within an hour, Congress had declared war on Japan. What course would the war have taken were it not for the attack on Pearl Harbor? Let us know in the Comments below. Pearl Harbor – Did you know? Japan had been heavily reliant on US oil, but after its aggressive actions in China in the preceding years, America had imposed trade sanctions.

When the US ceased trading oil with them, Japan joined the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy, and began planning an attack on the oil-rich Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), as well as neighbouring Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. The Japanese government was still negotiating with their American counterparts when the attack took place; no formal warning or declaration of war had occurred, and strategists believed the US-held Philippines was a more likely target. The attacks came in two waves, the first beginning at 7.48am, the second at around 8.40am, and lasted a total of approximately 110 minutes. Japanese commander Mitsuo Fuchida signalled "Tora! Tora! Tora!" ("Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!") upon flying unmolested over Pearl Harbor – a coded message to the Japanese fleet telling them they had achieved total surprise. Nearly half the American fatalities occurred when a bomb breached the magazine (ammunition room) of the battleship USS Arizona (above), causing a huge explosion. More than 1,100 US servicemen died on board. Japan also launched five two-man midget submarines against the American ships. Four were destroyed, and one was captured.

One of its crew, Ensign Kazuo Sakamaki, swam ashore and was held, becoming the first Japanese prisoner of war. No fewer than seven investigations were held into how America was taken so totally by surprise. Poor co-ordination and communication between Washington and Hawaii, and between different branches of the armed forces, was blamed. Share this Pearl Harbor attacked by Japan in 1941 - NY Daily News Pearl Harbor attacked by Japan in 1941 Pearl Harbor attacked by Japan in 1941 NEW YORK DAILY NEWS This Dec. 7, 1941 photo shows the USS West Virginia burning after the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. (-/AFP/Getty Images) NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Monday, December 7, 2015, 11:30 AM (Originally published by the Daily News on Dec. 8, 1941. This story was written by Francis McCarthy.) HONOLULU, Dec. 7. - War broke with lightning suddenness in the Pacific today when waves of Japanese bombers attacked Hawaii and the United States Fleet struck swiftly back.

Japanese bombers, including the Japanese version of four-motored Flying Fortresses, dive bombers and torpedo-carrying planes blasted at Pearl Harbor, the great United States naval base, the city of Honolulu and several outlying American military bases on the island of Oahu. PEARL HARBOR ATTACK PROMPTS U.S. TO ENTER WWII IN 1941 There were casualties but of unstated number. (In Washington, D.C., an official first estimate of casualties from the War Department said there were 104 killed and 300 wounded among troops on Oahu. This did not include civilian casualties, it was said.) Pearl Harbor: 75 years later (The German radio, heard in New York, quoted a Japanese communique which described the attack on Oahu as a “great success”) Parachutists appeared off Harbor Point, five miles from the center of Honolulu. (It was assumed that they were suicide squadrons of saboteurs.) Fleet Goes on Action. Then the United States Fleet steamed out of Pearl Harbor. The sound of gunfire was heard off Oahu and gunflashes were seen from the shore. It was believed that most of the Japanese bombers operated from aircraft carriers, which might have been intercepted.

(Four Japanese submarines and six aircraft were reported destroyed by U.S. defensive action, and an NBC broadcast from Panama claimed one Japanese aircraft carrier had been sunk. The Associated Press said the Nipponese raiders came from two aircraft carriers.) New York Daily News published this on December 9, 1941. (New York Daily News) (Japanese sources at Shanghai reported that a Japanese-American naval battle was under way “in the Western Pacific.”) The air attacks began at 7:55 A.M., rousing most Honolulans from their beds. Some were still roaming the city at noon in their pajamas. “Several” persons were killed in the city. Estimates of the number of attacking planes ranged from 50 to 150. They were said to have come from carriers off Barbers Point, Pearl Harbor is protected from that direction, the northeast, by a range of mountains and the raiders skimmed the peaks and were almost over the naval base before they were detected. At least one plane was seen to launch a torpedo at warships in the harbor. It now is possible to reveal that the United States forces here had known for a week that the attack was coming and they were not caught unprepared.

It broke with such suddenness, however, that at first the identity of the planes was not definitely known. But observers soon could plainly see the Rising Sun insignia of Japan on the dive bombers’ wings. New York Daily News published this on December 9, 1941. (New York Daily News) New York Daily News published this on December 9, 1941. (NewYork Daily News) New York Daily News published this on December 9, 1941. After the shock of the first bomb impacts, Gov. Joseph B. Poindexter declared a state of emergency, ordered the public to stay off the streets, and threw out police cordons to guard all roads and important intersections. Report Parachute Troops. The attack on Hawaii, as well as the one on the International Settlement of Shanghai, where Japanese marines took over the main business section and Japanese gunfire sank the British gunboat Peterel, was believed designed to knock out the centers of resistance to Japan in surprise blows. This correspondent saw one dive bomber swoop down in an attack, the red ball on its wing tip clearly discernible.

Heavy smoke from anti-aircraft guns drifted from the Pearl Harbor navy yard and from Hickam Field, Army bomber base. In this Dec. 7, 1941 photo, a Japanese plane goes into its last dive as it heads toward the ground in flames after it was hit by Naval anti-aircraft fire during a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. (AP) Later today, parachute troops were sighted off Harbor Point. “Many” of the attacking planes were reported shot down. Civilians were ordered off the streets but many gathered on the hills nearby to watch the attack. National Broadcasting Co. said its Honolulu observer reported that untold damage was down to the Pearl Harbor naval base and to the city of Honolulu. The observer was quoted that the battle had been going on for three hours and that one bomb fell within 50 feet of the tower radio station KGU. An eyewitness said: “I was returning home from work and was above Pearl Harbor when I saw a bomb fall on Ford Island, in the middle of the harbor.” “The bomb exploded with a deafening roar.

It must have been a big one.” - Published via News wire services Tags: Pearl Harbor - World War II - HISTORY.com Google Pearl Harbor and the Road to War The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise, but Japan and the United States had been edging toward war for decades. The United States was particularly unhappy with Japan’s increasingly belligerent attitude toward China. The Japanese government believed that the only way to solve its economic and demographic problems was to expand into its neighbor’s territory and take over its import market; to this end, Japan had declared war on China in 1937. American officials responded to this aggression with a battery of economic sanctions and trade embargoes. They reasoned that without access to money and goods, and especially essential supplies like oil, Japan would have to rein in its expansionism. Instead, the sanctions made the Japanese more determined to stand their ground. During months of negotiations between Tokyo and Washington , D.C., neither side would budge. It seemed that war was inevitable. Did You Know? The single vote against Congress's declaration of war against Japan came from Representative Jeannette Rankin of Montana. Rankin was a pacifist who had also voted against the American entrance into World War I.

"As a woman," she said, "I can’t go to war, and I refuse to send anyone else." But no one believed that the Japanese would start that war with an attack on American territory. For one thing, it would be terribly inconvenient: Hawaii and Japan were about 4,000 miles apart. For another, American intelligence officials were confident that any Japanese attack would take place in one of the (relatively) nearby European colonies in the South Pacific: the Dutch East Indies, for instance, or Singapore or Indochina. Because American military leaders were not expecting an attack so close to home, the naval facilities at Pearl Harbor were relatively undefended. Almost the entire Pacific Fleet was moored around Ford Island in the harbor, and hundreds of airplanes were squeezed onto adjacent airfields. To the Japanese, Pearl Harbor was an irresistible target. “A Date Which Will Live in Infamy” The Japanese plan was simple: Destroy the Pacific Fleet. That way, the Americans would not be able to fight back as Japan’s armed forces spread across the South Pacific. On December 7, after months of planning and practice, the Japanese launched their attack. At about 8 a.m., Japanese planes filled the sky over Pearl Harbor.

Bombs and bullets rained onto the vessels moored below. At 8:10, a 1,800-pound bomb smashed through the deck of the battleship USS Arizona and landed in her forward ammunition magazine. The ship exploded and sank with more than 1,000 men trapped inside. Next, torpedoes pierced the shell of the battleship USS Oklahoma . With 400 sailors aboard, the Oklahoma lost her balance, rolled onto her side and slipped underwater. By the time the attack was over, every battleship in Pearl Harbor–USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, USS California , USS West Virginia , USS Utah , USS Maryland , USS Pennsylvania , USS Tennessee and USS Nevada–had sustained significant damage. (All but USS Arizona and USS Utah were eventually salvaged and repaired.) In all, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor crippled or destroyed nearly 20 American ships and more than 300 airplanes. Dry docks and airfields were likewise destroyed. Most important, almost 2,500 men were killed and another 1,000 were wounded. But the Japanese had failed to cripple the Pacific Fleet.

By the 1940s, battleships were no longer the most important naval vessel: Aircraft carriers were, and as it happened, all of the Pacific Fleet’s carriers were away from the base on December 7. (Some had returned to the mainland and others were delivering planes to troops on Midway and Wake Islands.) Moreover, the Pearl Harbor assault had left the base’s most vital onshore facilities–oil storage depots, repair shops, shipyards and submarine docks–intact. As a result, the U.S. Navy was able to rebound relatively quickly from the attack. Pearl Harbor Awakens the “Sleeping Giant” “Yesterday,” President Roosevelt said on December 8, “the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked.” He went on to say, “No matter now long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.” After the Pearl Harbor attack, and for the first time after years of discussion and debate, the American people were united in their determination to go to war. The Japanese had wanted to goad the United States into an agreement to lift the economic sanctions against them; instead, they had pushed their adversary into a global conflict that ultimately resulted in Japan’s first occupation by a foreign power. On December 8, Congress approved Roosevelt’s declaration of war. Three days later, Japanese allies Germany and Italy declared war against the United States. For the second time, Congress reciprocated. More than two years after the start of the conflict, the United States had entered World War II . Tags Pearl Harbor Attack Footage December 7, 1941 US Navy; World War II Japanese Attack - YouTube Pearl Harbor Attack Footage December 7, 1941 US Navy; World War II Japanese Attack Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video?

Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on May 13, 2013 more at "This footage of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was shot by CWO4 Clyde Daughtry. The original footage has since been lost, and the poor quality of this footage is due to the fact that it is a copy. Among the many valuable portions of this footage are shots of USS Nevada (BB-36) underway and firing back at Japanese aircraft, USS Oglala (CM-4) rolling over and sinking, and USS St. Louis underway (CL-4)." Silent. Public domain film from the United States Navy, slightly cropped to remove uneven edges, with the aspect ratio corrected, and mild video noise reduction applied. The attack on Pearl Harbor (called Hawaii Operation or Operation AI by the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters (Operation Z in planning) and the Battle of Pearl Harbor) was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941 (December 8 in Japan).

From the standpoint of the defenders, the attack commenced at 7:48 a.m. Hawaiian Time. The attack was intended as a preventive action in order to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from interfering with military actions the Empire of Japan was planning in Southeast Asia against overseas territories of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States. The base was attacked by 353 Japanese fighters, bombers and torpedo planes in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers. All eight U.S. Navy battleships were damaged, with four being sunk. Two of these were later raised, and with the remaining four repaired, six battleships returned to service later in the war. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, and one minelayer. 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed; 2,402 Americans were killed and 1,282 wounded. Important base installations such as the power station, shipyard, maintenance, and fuel and torpedo storage facilities, as well as the submarine piers and headquarters building (also home of the intelligence section) were not attacked.

Japanese losses were light: 29 aircraft and five midget submarines lost, and 65 servicemen killed or wounded. One Japanese sailor was captured. The attack came as a profound shock to the American people and led directly to the American entry into World War II... ) USS Nevada (BB-36)... was the lead ship of the two Nevada-class battleships; her sister ship was Oklahoma. Launched in 1914, the Nevada was a leap forward in dreadnought technology; three of her new features would be included on almost every subsequent US battleship: gun turrets with three guns, oil in place of coal for fuel, and the "all or nothing" armor principle. These features made Nevada the first US Navy "super-dreadnought". ...In World War II, she was one of the battleships trapped when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. She was the only battleship to get underway during the attack, making the ship "the only bright spot in an otherwise dismal and depressing morning" for the United States. Still, she was hit by one torpedo and at least six bombs while steaming away from Battleship Row, forcing her to be beached.

Subsequently salvaged and modernized at Puget Sound Navy Yard, Nevada served as a convoy escort in the Atlantic and as a fire-support ship in four amphibious assaults: the Normandy Landings and the invasions of Southern France, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa... ) ...On the morning of 7 December 1941 USS Oglala, flagship of the Pacific Fleet Mine Force, was tied up outboard of the light cruiser Helena (CL-50). They were alongside Pier 1010 at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, with an eight-foot floating cushion (camel) between them. Japanese torpedo planes of the first attack wave hit the cruiser with a single torpedo, which ran under Oglala to hit Helena's starboard side. The torpedo's explosion broke through the minelayer's port bilge amidships, and she rapidly took on water. A bomb that burst nearby caused further damage. With the marginal watertight integrity typical of older ships, Oglala's flooding could not be contained. When it became clear that she might sink, Oglala was moved aft of Helena, so she would not pin the warship against the dock.

About two hours after receiving her initial damage, she rolled over to port and sank beside 1010 dock. There Oglala became the object of a prolonged, and ultimately successful, salvage effort... ) On 7 December 1941... At 0931, St. Louis moved away from the pier and headed for South Channel and the open sea... St. Louis continued out to sea where she joined in the search for the Japanese fleet. After failing to locate the enemy strike force, the hunters returned to Pearl Harbor on 10 December... Category Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor | World History Project Dec 7 1941 Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941. The attack was intended as a preventive action in order to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from interfering with military actions the Empire of Japan was planning in Southeast Asia against overseas territories of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States. The base was attacked by 353 Japanese fighters, bombers and torpedo planes in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers.

All eight U.S. Navy battleships were damaged, with four being sunk. Of these eight damaged, two were raised, and with four repaired, six battleships returned to service later in the war. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, and one minelayer. 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed; 2,402 Americans were killed and 1,282 wounded. Important base installations such as the power station, shipyard, maintenance, and fuel and torpedo storage facilities, as well as the submarine piers and headquarters building (also home of the intelligence section) were not attacked. Japanese losses were light: 29 aircraft and five midget submarines lost, and 65 servicemen killed or wounded. One Japanese sailor was captured. The attack came as a profound shock to the American people and led directly to the American entry into World War II in both the Pacific and European theaters. The following day (December 8), the United States declared war on Japan. Domestic support for non-interventionism, which had been strong, disappeared.

Clandestine support of Britain (for example the Neutrality Patrol) was replaced by active alliance. Subsequent operations by the U.S. prompted Germany and Italy to declare war on the U.S. on December 11, which was reciprocated by the U.S. the same day. There were numerous historical precedents for unannounced military action by Japan. However, the lack of any formal warning, particularly while negotiations were still apparently ongoing, led President Franklin D. Roosevelt to proclaim December 7, 1941, "a date which will live in infamy". Incredible images Reveal PBY Catalina Wreck Lost In Attack On Pearl Harbor Incredible images Reveal PBY Catalina Wreck Lost In Attack On Pearl Harbor George Winston A diver examines the gunner's forward turret on a PBY-5 Catalina resting on its right side.Credit: UH Marine Option Program SHARE: Facebook Twitter A diver examines the gunner’s forward turret on a PBY-5 Catalina resting on its right side in Kāne‛ohe Bay, Hawaii. The plane was sunk during the attack at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

Credit: UH Marine Option Program At 7:55 on the morning of Sunday 7th December 1941, Japanese carrier-borne aircraft launched an unprovoked attack on the US Naval base at Pearl Harbor, in the South of the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Two hours later, 2403 US servicemen and civilians were dead and another 1178 had been wounded. Japanese naval planners had planned for the attack to take place on a Sunday, in the belief that the Americans would be less likely to be able to fight back. Most of the US personnel were eating breakfast when the attack began. Eight American battleships were in the harbour that day. All of them were either sunk or damaged in the attack. Japanese planes also attacked six US air bases, destroying almost 200 aircraft on the ground. The next day, December 8th, America declared war on Japan. It became apparent that the attack on Pearl Harbor was planned by Japan while peace talks between the two nations, had been taking place. In a speech before Congress, President Franklin D.

Roosevelt referred to December 7th, 1941 as “a date which will live in infamy.” He called the events at Pearl Harbour an “unprovoked and dastardly attack”. In addition to ships in the harbour, Oahu was a base for American Catalina PBY flying boats. These aircraft were a concern to the Japanese because their long-range capability would enable them to find and track the attack fleet. Silted interior of the fuselage in the area of the mechanic’s compartment. (Credit UH Marine Option Program) In fact, a Catalina discovered a Japanese submarine lying off pearl harbour early on the morning of the attack, and sent a coded message to its base. Unfortunately, the air attack happened before the signal could be decoded. The 27 Catalinas based on the East coast of Oahu island were destroyed by Japanese bombs before the Main attack of Pearl Harbor began. One of these aircraft, lying in three pieces beneath 30 feet of water, was discovered by a team of divers from the University of Hawaii in 1996. They tried to photograph the wreckage, but poor visibility made it impossible. A later attempt by local amateur divers met with only limited success.

PBY anchor in anchor well and cockpit (upper right). Credit: UH Marine Option Program Finally, in June 2015, a team from Hawaii University was able to carry out a proper archaeological survey on the aircraft wreck. Using high-quality underwater cameras and with better visibility, the team was able to obtain excellent photographs of the Catalina’s wreckage although the aircraft’s identity remains a mystery. The student effort was coordinated by Hans Van Tilburg, a maritime archaeologist with NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. Van Tilburg said while the precise identity of the aircraft remains unknown, it is possible the crew died while attempting to take off in the face of the attack. The plane, which rests in three large pieces at a depth of 30 feet, is protected by the Sunken Military Craft Act of 2004, which prohibits unauthorized disturbance of military vessels or planes owned by the U.S. government, as well as foreign sunken military craft that lie within U.S. waters. Cockpit detail showing portside wheel and throttle controls (left) extending downward (to the right) from the overhead.

Credit: UH Marine Option Program “The new images and site plan help tell the story of a largely forgotten casualty of the attack,” Van Tilburg said. “The sunken PBY plane is a very important reminder of the “Day of Infamy,’ just like the USS Arizona and USS Utah. They are all direct casualties of December 7.” “This sunken flying boat is a window into the events of the attack, a moment in time that reshaped the Pacific region,” said June Cleghorn, senior archaeologist at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. “Understanding this site sheds light on the mystery of the lost PBYs and honors the legacy of the Navy and Marine Corps Base in Hawaii.” FEATURED VIDEO

Question: Which harbour, a US naval base, was attacked by Japanese aeroplanes on 7 December 1941?
Answer: Pearl