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Seventy-Five Years Ago, Japan Launched a Surprise Attack on the U.S

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Seventy-Five Years Ago, Japan Launched a Surprise Attack on the U.S Saturday, December 3, 2016 11 Seventy-five years ago, Japan launched a surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet moored at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The attack caused profound shock in the United States and precipitated America’s entry into World War II in both the Pacific and European theatres KEY EVENTS LEADING TO ATTACK 1937: Japan Jan 1941: Admiral Jul: Throughout summer months, pilots invades China. Isoroku Yamamoto, train in shallow waters of Kagoshima Bay, Ultra-nationalist Commander-in-Chief of which closely resembles Pearl Harbor military leaders justify Combined Fleet, tasked Nov 3: Chief of Japanese Naval occupation of China, with planning surprise General Staff approves draft plan Manchuria and Korea attack to destroy U.S. as part of Japan’s naval capability in Nov 17: Yamamoto reveals attack plan “divine right” to unify Pacific, enabling Japan to naval leadership East Asia under rule to complete territorial Nov 26: Strike Force, comprising six aircraft of Emperor Hirohito conquests carriers, sets sail from Hitokappu Bay Jun 1940: Feb: Commander in Kuril Islands, under President Franklin Minoru Genda command of D. Roosevelt moves expands plan, which Vice Admiral U.S. Pacific Fleet from calls for fighters, dive Chuichi Nagumo San Diego to Pearl bombers and torpedo Dec 6: Fleet reaches Harbor and imposes bombers deployed rendezvous point, embargo on vital raw from aircraft carriers beginning high speed materials to curb to target ships, approach to Pearl Harbor Japan’s advance into airfields, aircraft as 30 submarines French Indo-China and dry docks surround Hawaii TIMELINE OF ATTACK Route of Task Force FIRST SECOND (Hawaiian time, GMT -10 hours) Nov 26 – Dec 23 WAVE WAVE Dec 7, 03:42 Minesweeper USS Condor spots Hitokappu Bay periscope of midget submarine Opana Mitsubishi A6M2 “Zeke” JAPAN radar 3km off entrance to Pearl Harbor – PACIFIC Hishirajima station alerts destroyer USS Ward OCEAN 06:00 First attack wave of 183 Japanese planes takes off HAWAII from carriers located 370km north Kagoshima Bay KOOLAU RANGE Nakajima B5N2 “Kate” of Oahu. Pilots tune in to Honolulu OAHU radio station to guide approach 150km 06:37 USS Ward sinks 93 miles submarine in first American shots fired in World War II Aichi D3A1 “Val” Opana radar station detects W 07:02 First Carrier Strike A Wheeler large flight of planes I Force: Six aircraft A Field approaching from north. Initially carriers – each carrying N thought to be B17 Flying Fortresses, about 70 aircraft – A en route from California escorted by E OAHU Kaneohe Second attack wave of two battleships, Ford Island Naval Air 07:15 R 167 planes takes off three cruisers, Naval Air Station nine destroyers A Station Rear Admiral Husband and three N Kimmel, commanding reconnaissance G officer of U.S. Pacific Fleet, submarines. E opts to wait for verification Fleet supplied of report on submarine contact by seven oil tankers because of numerous recent Hickam “false reports of submarines” Field Bellows Field 07:33 Washington cracks coded diplomatic Honolulu message ordering Japanese negotiators to break off talks. Delays in army communications means warning does not reach Ewa Marine 5km Lt. Gen. Walter Short, commander U.S. LOSSES Corps Air 3 miles of U.S. Army forces in Hawaii, Station until after attack ends Coordinated attack begins. 07:55 Ships: Eight battleships, three cruisers, Command centre on Ford three destroyers and four other vessels sunk Island transmits news of attack: or damaged – all but three return to service “Air Raid on Pearl Harbor. This is No Drill” Aircraft 188 destroyed, Armour-piercing bomb 08:10 159 damaged hits forward magazine of battleship USS Arizona, causing Military personnel cataclysmic explosion that 2,402 killed kills 1,177 crew 1,282 wounded 08.50 Second wave of JAPANESE LOSSES aircraft joins attack 29 aircraft and five 10.00 Attack ends midget submarines lost. 65 killed or wounded Dec 8 U.S. declares war on Japan. President Roosevelt calls December 7, 1941 “a date which will live in infamy” Pearl Harbour 75th anniversary Sources: Imperial War Museum, War Against Japan by Sidney C. Moody Jr., and Associated Press Pictures: AP, Getty Images, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration © GRAPHIC NEWS.
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