Attack on Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941

Why Does Japan Attack the U.S.?? The United States had issued an embargo against the Japanese on steel and scrap iron, which affected their military build with the shortage of gasoline, iron and copper. The only way for the embargo to end was if Japan pulled out of China, which they refused to do. In response to the embargo, the Japanese invaded Indochina claiming they needed resources. Invasion of Indochina ended all peace talks between the U.S. and Japan. The Japanese decided a surprise attack would cripple the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor. It took them 11 days to get to Pearl Harbor. The attack lasted 2 hours and began at 7:55am.

394 airplanes and 8 battleships stationed at Pearl Harbor.

Timeline of Attack on Pearl Harbor 6:10 --220 miles north of Oahu Admiral Nagumo orders launching of 1st wave of 183 aircraft off three carriers...2 are lost during takeoff. At 6:30 am, a Japanese midget submarine was sunk by the U.S. as it tried to enter the harbor. 7:02 -- Two navy privates pick up what appears to be a flight of unidentified aircraft bearing in 132 miles north of Oahu on radar...discussion follows. 7:06 -- Navy private phones boss telling of a large formation of aircraft approaching the Island. Boss responds "Well, don't worry about it." –They were expecting B-17s to come in that morning. 7:15 -- Japanese launch 2nd wave of 168 assault aircraft. 7:40 -- 1st Japanese wave sights North Shore of Oahu. 7:49 -- Commander Fuchida orders attack...all pilots to begin assault on military bases on Oahu... 7:53 -- Fuchida radios code to entire Japanese Navy "TORA TORA TORA" indicating success and maximum strategic surprise. 7:55 -- ATTACK ERUPTS AT PEARL HARBOR**

Many ships, like the U.S.S. Oklahoma, capsized, trapping men inside the ship. The U.S.S. Oklahoma capsized next to the U.S.S. Maryland

Sinking of the U.S.S. Arizona 1,177 men died on the U.S.S. Arizona

Destruction on Battleship Row

Japanese Planes Japanese Zeroes were feared by all American pilots and sailors. They were light and fast. Japanese Kate Torpedo bombers dropped torpedoes in Pearl Harbor.

Destruction of Planes at Hickam Field

Doris “Dorie” Miller African Americans were segregated troops during WWII. Their jobs in the military included: cook, laundry, mess attendant – anything that didn’t involve firing a weapon. Dorie manned a .50 caliber anti-aircraft machine gun and brought down several Japanese planes and receives Navy Cross. He dies on November 24, 1943 when his ship, U.S.S. Liscome Bay, was sunk during the Battle of Making Island with 272 crew men losing their lives. He was from Waco, Texas. Chester W. Nimitz pins the Navy Cross on Dorie, at ceremony on board warship in Maui, May 27, 1942

Timeline of Pearl Harbor Attack Along Battleship Row, battleships are hit by torpedoes specifically designed for the shallow waters of Pearl Harbor. Japanese pilots have to fly so low that sailors can see their faces when they drop the torpedoes. Lieutenants Taylor and Welch were pilots that made it up into the air to fight the Japanese. 14 total U.S. pilots were able to get in the air in P-40B Warhawk 50 planes to fight the Japanese. 2,400 men died at Pearl Harbor on Sunday, December 7, 1941. Most men were on shore because it was the weekend.

Doolittle Raid- April 18, 1942 On 18 April 1942, airmen of the US Army Air Forces, led by Lt. Col. James H. (Jimmy) Doolittle, carried out a surprising and daring raid on military targets at Tokyo, Yokohama, Yokosuka, Nagoya, and Kobe. The result of coordination between the Army Air Forces and the US Navy, which carried the sixteen North American B-25 medium bombers aboard the carrier USS Hornet to within take-off distance of the Japanese Islands. B-25s were the only bombers that could take off the short distance of a carrier. 8 crewmen captured and 3 executed. 250,000 Chinese

The problem for the Allies was the time & troops it would cost to retake the thousands of islands the Japanese controlled in the Pacific The U.S. developed an island-hopping strategy to skip the heavily defended islands & seize islands close to Japan From 1943 to 1945, the Allies took back the Philippines & were moving in on Japan The fight for Guadalcanal took 6 months & cost 25,000 Japanese & 2,000 U.S. lives 14