Pearl Harbor

Attack on Pearl Harbor! Did we know?



Pg #1

Did we know about the attack the occurred in Pearl harbor? Was there any sign or possible way of changing what happened? Did someone or a group of people that could were have been more careful mess up? Or was there some one that knew about the attack or had an idea that it was coming but didn't say anything? An why did the Japanese choose Pearl Harbor of all place to strike an attack, was their a significance? These are all question you might ask your self in confusion about the attack on Pearl Harbor. In the following I will show you why and how some of these things came about.

It was 1941, on a calm, tranquil day in December, until a impulsive, unexpected Japanese air attack on Hawaii brought the united states in to the war. The US pacific fleet which was docked at pearl harbor at the time, unfortunately they were unprepared. That Sunday early around 7:56 am, approximately two weeks after Washington's warning on the attack. "Which was a warning received by Washington from the is navy base at pearl harbor."(#1) Within two hour of the attack, eighteen ships had been sunk or heavily damaged. One hundred and sixty four aircraft

had been destroyed and another one hundred and twenty four damaged, also more than two thousand, four hundred service men had been killed and almost one thousand two hundred wounded. The Japanese crippled the united states fleet in only a loss of twenty nine planes.

The Japanese moved in a quick swift pace as they quickly destroyed all of Pearl Harbor. For the US luckily before the attack on Pearl Harbor most of our aircraft carriers and some destroyers left the harbor. One of the advantages besides knowing about the

(Quote (# 1) Encyclopedia of World War II pg 9 Grolier education group)

attack the Japanese were willing to kill themselves as long as they caused the most damage possible to our fleet. The Japanese had about eight battleships, two carriers, ten heavy and six light cruisers. Our fighter planes were mostly all parked in rows at the army air forces in wheeler field. "This arrangement made it easy to guard against mischief, it also made them prey for aerial attacks." #2 The following were the times that the attacks occurred: "7:55 am dive bombers at Hickam and Wheeler. 7:57 am torpedo planes at battleships. 8:00 am fighters strafing airbases. 8:05 am level bombers at battleships. Ships like the Oklahoma, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Arizona were all hit by torpedoes. During the attack, many of our pilots noted the brave efforts they put in, in trying to put some aircraft

off the ground. But they were too greatly outnumbered. The Japanese would just shoot all of our planes before lift off or crash into them if were about to take off from the ground. "There efforts were negligible but their courage commanded the admiration and respect of our pilots." (#3-4)

The US was stunned and enraged by the attack. President Franklin D. Roosevelt called it "a day of infamy." The next day, December 8, 1941, the US declared war on Japan. The Japanese had planned out this attack well before it occurred. Working hard and discussing how to do it. There had already been in tension between the US and Japan before this whole thing occurred. They just weren't sure how or with what to strike because the waters of Pearl Harbor are real deep. They wanted the attack to be the most effective on possible. So they put fins on

#2-4 quotes from the encyclopedia of World War II pgs 9-11

their torpedoes, so that it causes maximum damage. The attack on pearl harbor was led by Admiral Yomamoto.

Japanese ambassador in Washington during much of 1941 was a naval officer and a long time friend of the Americans. Admiral Kichisaboro Nomvra. Despite the prediction for war being made In Japan, he didn't find out that his government had decided on war until after the bombs started falling on Pearl Harbor. "Contrary to initial reports coming from pearl harbor after the attack, the major part like I already said was not present that day on December 7th."(#5) A ship count showed that half the fleet was anchored that day. 8 battleships, 2 heavy cruisers, four ten thousand ton cruisers, two seven thousand ton cruisers, thirty destroyers, four submarines, one gun boat, nine mine layers, fourteen mine sweepers, and twenty seven auxiliary vessels.

"Did Franklin Delano Roosevelt know in advance of the top- secret Japanese plan to assault the United States Pacific Fleet based at Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii?" (#6)

"And if he did why didn't he issue a warning that would have saved not only the fleet but thousands of American lives?" (#7) I assume that he (FDR) did know that the attack was coming because of the information and facts found on the website by "Blaine Taylor" as follows. Throughout the 1930's is where it all began. Japan was exposed in it government of Nazi Germany and in 1940 united with Adolph Hitler and the Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini in the axis power. "Roosevelt was convinced that Hitler's regime was morally corrupt." The

Quotes from WWII encyclopedia pg 9-10 and from A day of infamy pg 7 Walter lord

president was worried that without instantaneous American and both of the Russian, and England would fall. They also found out from undisclosed intelligence about the factory, like the death chambers the Nazi's had created in conquered Poland.

FDR's glitch was that it seemed that 80 percent of the Americans were conflicting to any kind of association or connection in which was a European problem. The Axis powers were set upon the idea of attacking the United States initially. Roosevelt along with his advisors agreed that it might be a good idea and the right