Japan attacked Pearl Harbor

In 1941, the United States was not a superpower.

At that time, its military strength was only around 200000 soldiers, scattered across the mainland and overseas of the United States.

Since paying a high price for participating in World War I, the United States has been resisting participation in global affairs and turning to isolationism.

On December 7, 1941, Japan launched an unfounded attack on the American fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor on Oahu Island, Hawaii.

This preemptive attack is intended to weaken the power of the United States in the Pacific and threaten the United States not to interfere in Japanese affairs when Japan begins to invade neighboring countries.

In this attack, Japan planned to destroy the United States Pacific Fleet, but failed to destroy three American aircraft carriers - which were not anchored at Pearl Harbor on the same day, and Japanese intelligence agencies ignored this.

The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor was a successful strategy of Japan at that time, but it later proved to be one of the most costly strategies in the history of war.

Faced with Japan's aggression, the American people did not yield. In the words of Yamamoto, the commander of the Japanese Navy Fleet who planned the attack, "a sleeping giant has awakened.".

Four years later, when the war between the United States and Japan subsided, the United States was already a great power with the most powerful war machine in history.

With its strong industrial strength, the United States has built a military force of 8.3 million people, equipped with jet fighters, long-range bombers, and the world's earliest nuclear weapons.

In the words of US President Franklin Roosevelt, December 7, 1941 will be passed down as a day of shame to future generations.

Now, let's review this historical moment.

December 7, 1941

5am

As the sun leaped over the blue Pacific Ocean, a Japanese fleet consisting of 2 battleships, 3 cruisers, 9 destroyers, and 6 aircraft carriers was on standby 370 kilometers north of Hawaii, just in the safe zone of the US radar.

Hundreds of pilots gathered on the deck to pray. Afterwards, they will launch the first round of attacks against the United States, directly provoking war with the United States.

These Japanese pilots are well-trained. For nearly a year, they have been conducting secret training in the open sea in Kyushu, the southernmost part of Japan, mainly conducting low altitude torpedo launch exercises and high-altitude precision bombing exercises targeting maritime targets.

The entrance of this sea area is narrow, the water is shallow, and the geographical features are very similar to the real target that the pilot will attack - Pearl Harbor on Oahu Island in Hawaii, where the US Pacific Fleet docks.

6:10 am

On the island of Oahu, 370 kilometers away, unsuspecting American soldiers were still sleeping soundly in bed. Admiral Nakaichi Namyun, commander of the Japanese First Air Fleet, ordered the first round of attacks.

Hundreds of Japanese planes took off from the aircraft carrier deck and plunged into the early morning sky, including Japanese fighter jets, torpedo bombers, and dive bombers.

The plane took off at the right time, and the entire fleet of planes took off in 15 minutes.

The Japanese raid plan was divided into three stages:

The first wave of attacks will attack all military facilities on the island of Oahu; The second wave of attacks will target specific targets; The third wave of attacks will destroy fuel tanks, dry docks, and maintenance facilities.

However, the three aircraft carriers that Japan hoped to destroy in this raid did not appear.

The US aircraft carrier Lexington is located hundreds of kilometers east of the island and is responsible for transporting aircraft to the US Air Force base on Midway.

The Saratoga aircraft carrier has just undergone modifications in San Diego, California. The Enterprise aircraft carrier is conducting exercises 320 kilometers south of Oahu Island.

Around the same time as the first Japanese fighter jet took off, 18 American planes also left the deck and flew towards Ford Island in the center of Pearl Harbor. The estimated arrival time is 8:00 am

6:30 am

During routine patrols at the entrance of Pearl Harbor, the crew of the US warship USS Ward discovered an unknown submarine turret.

Commander and captain of the Ward, Ultrabridge, dropped the depth charge as usual.

At 6:53 am, he sent a message to the 14th Naval District Command on Oahu Island:

"An unidentified submarine in operation was found in the defensive waters and a depth charge was placed."

This news is enough to put the entire naval base on high alert.

However, this is a Sunday morning in a tropical paradise, and the United States is not in a state of war. No one understands what Ultrabridge's information means.

7:02 am

On the northern coast of Oahu Island, at the distant Opana radar station, two young American soldiers Joseph Lockheed and George Elliott noticed a mysterious faint light above the radar screen they were monitoring.

They quickly issued a warning to the intelligence center in Shaftner Castle, Honolulu.

At this time, most employees are having breakfast. An inexperienced new police officer, Lieutenant Taylor, answered the phone and told them not to worry:

A batch of American B-17 bombers will take off from California in the morning, possibly earlier than planned.

He ordered two soldiers to close the radar station and return to the base.

7:15 am

At this time, the Japanese fleet, located 340 kilometers away from Oahu Island, received orders to launch the next wave of airstrikes.

Although all three American aircraft carriers are out of town, the Japanese still have plenty of prey to choose from.

Among the warships anchored in Pearl Harbor, Oklahoma is one of the best in the US fleet, with 1398 officers and crew members.

Previously, due to inspections, the ship was moved from its usual defensive anchorage to the south of the Ford Island naval fleet.

Because of this, all external portholes and internal hatches on the ship are open, making it more convenient for inspectors to work.

In peacetime, this is just a routine matter. But during wartime, this could lead to catastrophic consequences, as later events proved.

7:35 am

When approaching Oahu Island from the rugged east coast, the first wave of Japanese fighter jets was not captured by US radar due to blind spots caused by the mountains.

The first Japanese plane arrived on the island without being detected at all.

This is crucial for the successful implementation of Commander Yamamoto's plan, which was unexpectedly completed successfully.

Commander Tsuda Guangfu led the first attack. At around 7:40 am, he issued the order to "clear the sky" (enter combat position), and torpedo bombers roared past at a speed of 370 kilometers per hour.

He opened the cockpit cover of the torpedo bomber and fired a green signal flare. This is a signal of attack.

7:52 am

Commander Guangxiong radioed the fleet to signal "Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!".

This is a code name that indicates "the greatest strategic goal has been achieved".

Subsequently, the Japanese launched the first round of attacks. Bombers, torpedo planes, and fighter jets blocked the sky and began searching for targets.

As multiple attacks were launched simultaneously, the sound of explosions echoed throughout the island.

A dive bomber attacked the Kanio Sea Naval Air Station in the northern part of Oahu Island.

The plane parked on the ground exploded and caught fire, and the frightened crew members fled amidst the roar of high explosive shells and machine guns.

The entire island of Oahu is in chaos. At the same time, the Japanese fighter jet, which was unobstructed in the air, collided with a plane taking off from the USS Enterprise earlier that morning.

At that time, although these planes arrived at their destination accurately, they did not carry weapons.

When they attempted to land on Ford Island, the US military on the island began to counterattack. They were sandwiched between the enemy and friendly forces.

8:02 AM

After a torpedo blasted a large hole on the port side of the battleship Nevada, the anti-aircraft gunners on board began firing at Japanese planes.

The gunners on the Arizona and the repair ship Vesta anchored nearby also engaged in counterattacks.

After the port was hit by torpedoes, the battleship California began to sink.

8:08 AM

The local radio station KGMB interrupted normal music programs and announced, "All Army, Navy, and Marine Corps are immediately in place."

At this moment, Japanese high-altitude bombers are launching an extended range armor piercing missile at an altitude of 3000 meters.

Japanese Air Force Lieutenant Katsui Honda dropped a bomb weighing 800 kilograms, accurately striking the USS Arizona.

Then, the ammunition depot on the ship exploded. The huge fireball generated by the explosion shot straight into the air at a height of 150 meters.

This powerful warship was severely twisted, its hull shattered, and it made a loud noise.

In less than 9 minutes, this warship and 1177 soldiers were buried in the Pacific Ocean.

Oklahoma is located at a distance of about two ships and is the next target.

After being hit by several torpedoes, the explosion tore a large hole in its hull. Due to the always open portholes and watertight hatches, seawater flooded into the hull.

At 8:14 am, the ship capsized.

More than 400 people were trapped on the ship, and the sound of them hitting the hull could even be heard.

The arduous and desperate search and rescue work of the rescue personnel continued until late at night.

8:17am

In addition to airstrikes, the Japanese also dispatched five small twin submarines to attack ships anchored on Ford Island underwater.

The first ship was sunk by Ward that morning.

The HMS Helm was the first destroyer to escape Pearl Harbor. It found another submarine trapped on a reef at the entrance of the port, so it opened fire on it.

In the next 20 minutes, another small submarine returned to the surface.

One by one, they were eliminated.

The most dramatic incident was when one of the ships was sunk by the USS Monahan at Pearl Harbor.

8:50am

Japanese Lieutenant Colonel Shimazaki led a second wave of planes from the north to the battlefield, striking military targets across the island.

Then, the second round of attacks began.

American fighter jets from several airports on the island attempted to take off against Japanese fighter jets, but were all destroyed on the runway.

If the first Japanese attack caused instant chaos, then the second attack caused complete chaos.

The US military launched a frenzy of shooting into the entire sky, but unfortunately, the planes they shot down contained friendly bombers who were not carrying any weapons.

9:05 am

KGMB Radio has issued an emergency warning, requiring Hawaiian residents not to go out.

At the same time, in Pearl Harbor, rescue workers battled the raging fire and carried out rescue work on the capsized Oklahoma.

They hope to use flamethrowers to cut through thick steel hulls and rescue trapped crew members who are desperately trying to survive.

9:25 am

At this moment, the firefighting capacity on the island has been depleted.

The destroyer "Xiao" docked in the dry dock was hit by three shells. The fire ravaged the entire battleship, but the US military was helpless.

After 9:30 am, when the last Japanese aircraft disappeared on the smoky horizon, the fire spread to the ammunition depot in front of the ship.

As another loud explosion echoed over Hawaii, Japan's raid ended in a catastrophic blow to the US military.

Yamamoto seems to have achieved his goal. Pearl Harbor was filled with flames of war, and the once powerful Pacific Fleet was completely destroyed.

At 10 a.m., the first Japanese aircraft began to return to the aircraft carrier located 300 kilometers north of Oahu Island; The second wave of airplanes followed closely behind.

Although Commander Sanxiong, who was responsible for the first wave of attacks, insisted on a third wave of attacks, General Nanyun refused his request.

Uncertain about the location of the US aircraft carrier, concerned that the Japanese fleet may face air strikes upon discovery. He refused to take risks and ordered a retreat.

The Japanese fleet retreated to a wide safety zone. They appeared here a few hours ago.

But due to rumors that the Japanese army would send paratroopers to attack, amphibious forces landed, and the local residents of Hawaii began to prepare for the attack.

At 12:30 noon, the Honolulu Police Station raided the Japanese Embassy in Hawaii and found diplomats busy burning documents.

At the same time, special agents began raiding Japanese residential areas in Hawaii, confiscating their radio equipment because the US was concerned that these devices could be used to communicate with the Japanese army, thereby assisting them in further attacks.

Later that day, Joseph POINDEXTER, the Governor of Hawaii (which was not a state in the United States at the time), announced through telephone consultations with President Roosevelt that Hawaii would be under martial law and all control of the island would be transferred to the US military.

The next day, Roosevelt delivered a declaration of war speech at a joint session of the United States Congress. Only one congressman opposed Roosevelt's declaration of war on Japan.

In order to produce a large amount of weapons and ammunition, the US economy has entered a state of speeding. This is why it later became known as the "National Military Industry Federation".

Three days later, Japan's allies Germany and Italy declared war on the United States.

In less than a week, the US Congress voted for the second time to join the war.

More than two years after the start of World War II, the United States joined the war.