Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor
The Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, pushed the United States into entering World War II. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto came up with this idea to try to permenantly cripple the United States Navy. Let's look closer at the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
It was 7:55 on that fateful Sunday morning. At 7:55, the first bombs of the first wave started to fall, taking the U.S. by complete surprise. Most of the servicemen were sleeping, doing ordinary duties aboard ship, or enjoying time on solid ground. Many people were killed, especially on the USS Arizona, the storehouse of ammunition exploded. 1,177 men on the USS Arizona were died, and are buried in their ship in the harbor.
Then, after the first wave of Japanese ran out of ammunition, 181 more aircraft under Commander Shimazaki continued to destroy Pearl Harbor. Some American soldiers flew some planes while others responded with anti-aircraft fire. Through all the wreckage, these soldiers defended their island and country.
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| Courtesy of: http://blog.usnavyseals.com/uploads/pearl-harbor-attack1.jpg |
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor ended within one hour and 45 minutes. The Japanese managed to destroy or sink 18 of the United States's vessels, completely destroy 164 planes, and damage another hundred aircraft. But, let's not forget about all of the casualties; about 2,403 Americans died at Pearl Harbor. The Japanese only lost 129 soldiers, 29 aircraft, and five midget submarines. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor lit the spark in the United States to join the Allies in World War II.
Sources:
Mystery of History Volume 4
Video courtesy of: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvYhQKn5hlE
