Download Different Responses to the Attack on Pearl Harbor

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Pearl Harbor
- Surprise attack by Japanese Navy and Air Force on the morning of December 7, 1941 (December 8 in Japan). The
attack led to the United States' entry into World War II.
- Japanese attack commenced at 7:48 a.m.Hawaiian Time, as the base was attacked by 353 Japanese fighter
planes, bombers, and torpedo planes in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers.
Japanese Objective
- The attack was intended as a preventive action (a devastating preventive strike appeared to be the only way to
avoid U.S. naval interference Britain's Southeast Asian colonies) in order to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet (neutralize the
U.S. fleet) from interfering with future military actions of the Empire of Japan in Southeast Asia against overseas
territories of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States.
- There were simultaneous Japanese attacks on the U.S.-held Philippines and on the British
Empire in Malaya, Singapore, and Hong Kong, all in an effort to gather resources for Japan’s economy.
- Part of “Southern Operation” by Japan to achieve resource independence
- Protect Japan's advance into …
- Malaya
- The Dutch East Indies … where it sought natural resources such as oil and rubber.
U.S. Casualties & Consequences
- All eight U.S. Navy battleships were damaged, with four being sunk.
- All but one (Arizona) were later raised,
- Six of the eight battleships were returned to service and went on to fight in the war.
- Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship
- 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed
- 2,403 Americans were killed
- 1,178 others were wounded.
Consequences to American Public
- 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.
- Domestic support for non-interventionism, which had been strong, disappeared.
- Strong support for end of U.S. neutrality
Historical Events Leading to Attach
- Japan attacked Manchuria in 1931.
- The 1937 war w/ China, including the “Nanking Massacre” (the International Military Tribunal of the Far East
concluded that more than 200,000 Chinese non-combatants were killed in indiscriminate massacres, though other
estimates have ranged from 40,000 to more than 300,000) swung public opinion in the West sharply against Japan.
- In 1940, Japan invaded French Indochina in an effort to control supplies reaching China.
- The United States halted shipments of airplanes, parts, machine tools, and aviation gasoline to Japan, which was
perceived by Japan as an unfriendly act.
- The U.S. did not stop oil exports to Japan at that time in part because prevailing sentiment in Washington was
that such an action would be an extreme step, given Japanese dependence on U.S. oil, and likely to be considered a
provocation by Japan.
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** Early in 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the Pacific Fleet to Hawaii from its previous base in San
Diego and ordered a military buildup in the Philippines in the hope of discouraging Japanese aggression in the Far
East.
** While U.S. Pacific bases and facilities had been placed on alert on many occasions, U.S. officials doubted Pearl
Harbor would targeted, as they did not believe the Japanese would attempt an attack on Pearl Harbor because of its
distance from Japan.
Escalating Tensions
- The U.S. ceased oil exports to Japan in July 1941, following Japanese expansion into French Indochina after
the fall of France; in part because of new American restrictions on domestic oil consumption. This in turn caused
the Japanese to proceed with plans to take the Dutch East Indies, an oil-rich territory.
** U.S. argued to Japan = withdraw from China and Indochina
- Japan's final proposal, on 20 November, offered to withdraw their forces from southern Indochina and not to
launch any attacks in Southeast Asia provided that the U.S., Britain, and the Netherlands ceased aiding China and
lifted their sanctions against Japan.
- The American counter-proposal of 26 November (November 27 in Japan) (the Hull note) required Japan to
evacuate all of China without conditions and conclude non-aggression pacts with Pacific powers. However the day
before the Hull Note was delivered, on November 26 in Japan, the main Japanese attack fleet left port for Pearl
Harbor.
Public Opinion in U.S.
- By late 1941, many observers believed that hostilities between the U.S. and Japan were imminent. A Gallup poll just
before the attack on Pearl Harbor found that 52% of Americans expected war with Japan, 27% did not, and 21% had
no opinion.
The Battle Plan
On November 26, 1941, a Japanese task force (the Striking Force) of six aircraft carriers—Akagi,
Kaga, Sōryū, Hiryū, Shōkaku, and Zuikaku—departed northern Japan en route to a position northwest of Hawaii,
intending to launch its 408 aircraft to attack Pearl Harbor: 360 for the two attack waves and 48 on defensive combat
air patrol (CAP).
- The first wave was to be the primary attack.
The aircrews were ordered to select the highest value targets (battleships and aircraft carriers) or, if these were not
present, any other high value ships (cruisers and destroyers). First wave dive bombers were to attack ground targets.
** Japanese also used five “midget submarines” to attack U.S. ships docked at Pearl Harbor.
First wave composition
- The first planned wave consisted of 189 planes:
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First Wave
The Japanese attacked in two waves. The first wave was detected by U.S. Army radar at 136 nautical miles (252 km),
but was misidentified as USAAF bombers arriving from the American mainland
Attacked targets:
1: USS California
2: USS Maryland
3: USS Oklahoma
4: USS Tennessee
5: USS West Virginia
6: USS Arizona
7: USS Nevada
8: USS Pennsylvania
9: Ford Island NAS
10: Hickam field
Warning of First Wave
As the first wave planes approached Oahu, they encountered and shot down several U.S. aircraft. At least one U.S.
aircraft of these radioed a somewhat incoherent warning. Other warnings from ships off the harbor entrance were
still being processed or awaiting confirmation when the attacking planes began bombing and strafing. Nevertheless,
it is not clear any warnings would have had much effect even if they had been interpreted correctly and much more
promptly.
(The famous message, "Air raid Pearl Harbor. This is not drill.") …
… was sent from the headquarters of Patrol Wing Two, the first senior Hawaiian command to respond.) The
defenders were very unprepared.
- An effective response by U.S. aircraft was not prepared, as ammunition lockers were locked, aircraft parked wingtip
to wingtip in the open to deter sabotage, guns unmanned.
- Despite this low alert status, many American military personnel responded effectively during the attack.
Second wave composition
- The second planned wave consisted of 171 planes:
- The second wave was divided into three groups. One was tasked to attack Kāneʻohe, the rest Pearl Harbor proper. =
- The separate sections arrived at the attack point almost simultaneously from several directions.
American casualties and damages
USS Arizona (BB-39) during the attack.
- Of the American fatalities, nearly half were due to the explosion of Arizona's forward magazine after it was hit by …
Arizona (Kidd's flagship): hit by four armor-piercing bombs, exploded; total loss. 1,177 dead.
Nevada: hit by six bombs, one torpedo, beached; returned to service October 1942. 60 dead.
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Already damaged by a torpedo and on fire amidships, Nevada attempted to exit the harbor. She was targeted by
many Japanese bombers as she got under way and sustained heavy bombing.
Oklahoma: hit by five torpedoes, capsized; total loss. 429 dead. Refloated November 1943; capsized and lost while
under tow to the mainland May 1947.
West Virginia: hit by two bombs, seven torpedoes, sunk; returned to service July 1944. 106 dead.
California: hit by two bombs, two torpedoes, sunk; returned to service January 1944. 100 dead.
Destruction of Aircraft
- Of the 402 American aircraft in Hawaii, 188 were destroyed and 159 damaged, 155 of them on the ground. Almost
none was actually ready to take off to defend the base. Eight Army Air Forces pilots managed to get airborne during
the attack and six were credited with downing at least one Japanese aircraft during the attack.
- At the time of the attack, nine civilian aircraft were flying in the vicinity of Pearl Harbor. Of these, three were shot
down.
Japanese losses
- Fifty-five Japanese airmen and nine submariners were killed in the action, and one was captured.
- Of Japan's 414 available planes, 29 were lost during the battle (nine in the first attack wave, 20 in the second), with
another 74 damaged by antiaircraft fire from the ground.
Why not a third strike?
- Considered too risky: if a third strike was launched, three quarters of the Combined Fleet's strength to wipe out the
remaining targets would have been risked.
- American antiaircraft guns had performed well in the 2nd Japanese airstrike, so there was concern about losing too
many Japanese airplanes.
- The location of the American carriers remained unknown to the Japanese, as these were intended targets as well.
Aftermath
- The day after the attack, Roosevelt delivered his famous Infamy Speech to a Joint Session of Congress, calling for
a formal declaration of war on the Empire of Japan. Congress obliged his request less than an hour later. On
December 11, Germany and Italy, honoring their commitments under the Tripartite Pact, declared war on the United
States.
** Britain actually declared war on Japan nine hours before the U.S. did, partially due to Japanese attacks on Malaya,
Singapore and Hong Kong, and partially due to Winston Churchill's promise to declare war "within the hour" of a
Japanese attack on the United States.
** Japan attacked the Philippines hours later (because of the time difference, it was December 8 in the Philippines).
** Throughout the war, Pearl Harbor was frequently used in American propaganda.
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** One further consequence of the attack on Pearl Harbor and its aftermath (notably the Niihau Incident) was that
Japanese American residents and citizens were relocated to nearby Japanese-American internment camps. Within
hours of the attack, hundreds of Japanese American leaders were rounded up and brought to high-security camps
such as Sand Island at the mouth of Honolulu harbor and Kilauea Military Camp on the island of Hawaii. Later, over
110,000 Japanese Americans, including United States citizens, were removed from their homes and transferred to
internment camps in California, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, Arkansas, and Texas.
Different Responses to the Attack on Pearl Harbor:
[1] Hitler’s response: upon hearing the news, (because there was not foreknowledge of this attack by other Axis
Powers) he remarked, “Now it is impossible for use to lose the war: we now have an ally who has never been
vanquished in three thousand years.”
** Throughout the 2,600 year history of the Empire of Japan, they had never lost a military offensive, at least
this is what they claimed.
** Let’s be honest, though, typhoons saved the Japanese twice during invasions by the Mongols in the
1200’s.
[2] Churchill’s response: He remarked to an aid, “So we have won after all,” as he was confident the U.S. would tip
the war effort in favor of the Allied Powers.
[3] Ribbentrop’s response: Joachim von Ribbentrop, Germany’s Foreign Minister, famous because of the MolotovRibbentrop Pact (Soviet-Germany non-aggression pact), said “We have just one year to cut Russia off from her
military supplies arriving via Mumansk and the Persian Gulf; Japan must take care of Vadivostok. If we don’t succeed
and the munitions potential of the United States joins up with the manpower potential of the Russians, the war will
enter a phase in which we shall only be able to win it with great difficulty.”
** Churchill on America’s production capacity: “Once the fire is lighted under it there is no limit to the power
it can generate.”
** Stalin on America’s production capacity: “American production, without which this war would have been
lost.”