An aerial view of Pearl Harbor as the bombs begin to fall
This Wednesday, December 7th, 2011 marks the 70th anniversary of the Japanese surprise attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, an event that brought the United States into the Second World War and opened up the so called ‘Pacific War’.
Japan had been engaged in a war of expansion into China since the mid 1930s and in 1940 had invaded French-Indochina to cut off relief supplies to the Chinese. This act resulted in the United States placing an embargo oil exports, cutting off the Japanese Navy from their primary source of fuel. In order to secure new oil supplies, the Japanese turned their attention to the Dutch East Indies and the Philippine Islands, an American territory. An attack in this rejoin was sure to provoke an American response.
Rather than wait and react to America, the Japanese High Command instead decided to launch a pre-emptive strike on the US Pacific Fleet, stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
The attack, code named Operation AI, involved a total of six aircraft carriers and more than 300 aircraft, and their escorts. The attack began at
- The USS Arizona burns
approximately 7:48 local time on the morning of December 7thand achieved total surprise. A total of four battleships, three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship and one minelayer were sunk, with a further 4 battleships suffering damage. One hundred and eighty eight US aircraft were destroyed and more than 2400 Americans killed, with a further 1282 wounded. The Japanese lost only 29 aircraft, five midget submarines and 65 servicemen killed or wounded.
On the day following the attack, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his now famous “Day of Infamy” speech and the US declared war on Japan and entered the Second World War on the side of the Allies.
The USS Arizona memorial today
Today, the still submerged wreck of the battleship USS Arizona is marked as a memorial to the attack. The battleship USS Missouri (BB63), the ship aboard which the Japanese signed their surrender to the Allies is permanently moored 460m from the Arizona.
Off the Shelf 
Nice article. It’s worth remembering that within hours of the attack on Hawaii both Hong Kong and the Philipines were also bombed. The attacks on Pearl Hrbour and the Philipines were both against American interests, but Hong Kong was an attack on British power in the region and prompted Australia’s declaration of war on Japan.
Very true, also not long after was the destruction of Force Z (HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse) of the coast of Malaya on December 10th. This attack, I believe, was the first sinking by aircraft of a Battleship that was actually under way and able to manoeuvre.