“Yesterday, December 7, 1941-- a date which will live in infamy-- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” These words were spoken by President Franklin D. Roosevelt while he was speaking to Congress on the attack on Pearl Harbor. Pearl Harbor Naval Base in Hawaii was attacked by the over 350 Japanese planes in a surprise attack staged by the empire of Japan. Although the United States was not yet involved in World War II, their naval forces posed a threat to the Japanese’s push for expansion in the South Pacific. This propelled the Japanese Empire to attack the US. Amongst many other things, most importantly, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor prompted the United
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In Yamamoto’s plan, two waves of over 350 Japanese planes world relentlessly attack the American forces at Pearl Harbor. The first wave would include 40 Japanese A6M Zero torpedo planes. These new planes were the pride of the Japanese Air Force and were given the mission to destroy 2 of the aircraft carriers, and 6 of the battleships. The second wave of Japanese planes was comprised of 171 aircraft. The centerpiece of this wave was the 81 dive bombers. These dive bombers were given the orders to complete the destruction of any surviving aircraft carriers or cruisers. Along with 57 large bombers, the remainder of the second wave was tasked with destroying the rest of the ground forces, and airstrips (Goldstein 22). This action would prevent any immediate return strikes by the US on Japan. On the 18th of October in 1941, General Isoroku Yamamoto convinced the Japanese Naval Ministry about the specifications of his seemingly audacious plan. At this time, the date of the attack was set for the 7th of December. Japan needed this attack to be a devastating blow to American morale, and their ability to protect the South Pacific from the expansion of the Japanese …show more content…
Pearl Harbor was attacked due to the fact that the base housed three American aircraft carriers. The USS Enterprise, USS Lexington, and USS Saratoga were the main target of the Japanese raid (Goldstein 28). On the day of the attack, the three ships happened to be at sea performing a training exercise. For this reason, the Japanese were unable to accomplish their main goal of sinking these floating fortresses. Even though the attack seemed to be a failure, some serious damage was done. In total, over 1,100 Americans are injured, and around 2,400 are killed (Apocalypse: World War II). Even though the American aircraft carriers had not been destroyed, Japan decided to intensify its push for expansion in the South Pacific. On the same day, the Japanese bomb British Hong Kong, bases on the Bataan Peninsula, and multiple other allied bases in the Philippines. This was all done according to plan in their push for natural resources. Complete chaos ensues across the South Pacific, and Hong Kong falls to Japan in just a few days. This gives the country a much needed foothold in the region, and shows that Japan is much stronger than everyone thought. Japanese warriors, trained since early childhood, are like none ever seen before. They practice the art of Bushido, or the way of the warrior. Bushido is the art of killing and dying. These warriors are taught to never surrender, and will
In Yamamoto’s plan, two waves of over 350 Japanese planes world relentlessly attack the American forces at Pearl Harbor. The first wave would include 40 Japanese A6M Zero torpedo planes. These new planes were the pride of the Japanese Air Force and were given the mission to destroy 2 of the aircraft carriers, and 6 of the battleships. The second wave of Japanese planes was comprised of 171 aircraft. The centerpiece of this wave was the 81 dive bombers. These dive bombers were given the orders to complete the destruction of any surviving aircraft carriers or cruisers. Along with 57 large bombers, the remainder of the second wave was tasked with destroying the rest of the ground forces, and airstrips (Goldstein 22). This action would prevent any immediate return strikes by the US on Japan. On the 18th of October in 1941, General Isoroku Yamamoto convinced the Japanese Naval Ministry about the specifications of his seemingly audacious plan. At this time, the date of the attack was set for the 7th of December. Japan needed this attack to be a devastating blow to American morale, and their ability to protect the South Pacific from the expansion of the Japanese …show more content…
Pearl Harbor was attacked due to the fact that the base housed three American aircraft carriers. The USS Enterprise, USS Lexington, and USS Saratoga were the main target of the Japanese raid (Goldstein 28). On the day of the attack, the three ships happened to be at sea performing a training exercise. For this reason, the Japanese were unable to accomplish their main goal of sinking these floating fortresses. Even though the attack seemed to be a failure, some serious damage was done. In total, over 1,100 Americans are injured, and around 2,400 are killed (Apocalypse: World War II). Even though the American aircraft carriers had not been destroyed, Japan decided to intensify its push for expansion in the South Pacific. On the same day, the Japanese bomb British Hong Kong, bases on the Bataan Peninsula, and multiple other allied bases in the Philippines. This was all done according to plan in their push for natural resources. Complete chaos ensues across the South Pacific, and Hong Kong falls to Japan in just a few days. This gives the country a much needed foothold in the region, and shows that Japan is much stronger than everyone thought. Japanese warriors, trained since early childhood, are like none ever seen before. They practice the art of Bushido, or the way of the warrior. Bushido is the art of killing and dying. These warriors are taught to never surrender, and will