The Americans imposed trade sanctions and made impossible demands, this restricted the amount raw materials going in to Japan, which aggravated the Japanese even more.
The Japanese may have thought that war was inevitable and that striking first when America was unprepared would give them an important advantage. Japan had appointed a war like general as prime minister, he was more likely to attack than other prime ministers.
The Attack
At 7:53 am on Sunday the 7th December 1941 the first assault wave of 183 planes began to attack airfields and battleships. The second wave of 167 planes attacked 12minuites later and targeted ships and shipyard facilities.
Eight battle ships were damaged with 5 sunk. 9 other ships were destroyed as well as 188 aircraft. 2,335 service men and 68 civilians were killed and 1,178 were wounded. By comparison the Japanese losses were light, 27 planes and 5 midget submarines were lost.
The air raid lasted till 9:45am. It would have lasted longer but the Japanese did not send out their third wave. It was lucky for the Americans that the 3 U.S Pacific fleet aircraft carriers were not in the port and that the base fuel tanks were not damaged.
The Effects
America was shocked and appalled and angry when news of the sneak attack was broadcast that Sunday afternoon. This was the main event that brought America in to WWII. The next day Britain and America declare war on Japan with President Roosevelt calling December 7, “a date which will live in infamy”
On December 11 Germany and Italy declared war on America. The two separate wars in Europe and S.E Asia had now become one war, a world war.
Conclusion
Even if Japan had not attacked the U.S the U.S might have joined the war anyway, however there is no doubt that America became fully involved with the war in Europe as an immediate and direct consequence of the attack on Pearl Harbor. This was regarded as Winston Churchill as a huge step in the efforts to win the war and beat the Germans. He wrote in his diary:
“To have the United States at our side was to me the greatest joy. Now at this very moment I knew the United States was in the war, up to the neck and in to the death. So we had won after all!….Hitler’s fate was sealed. Mussolini’s fate was sealed. As for the Japanese, they would be ground to powder”
Churchill’s prediction of the future was accurate, Germany was defeated and Japan was almost ground to a powder due to the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Jo Moss
Year9
