On December 7, 1941, a day that will live in infamy, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on the US naval base of Pearl Harbor. Over 100 Japanese planes attacked the base, crippling the force that was stationed there. Furthermore, over 2,400 people were killed and another 1,000 people were wounded. Even though war was looming between the two countries, the attack which severely damaged eight battleships, came as a surprise and it ultimately led to the US entering WWII.
Although The United States and Japan had been on the verge of war for some time, the attack on Pearl Harbor was a complete surprise. In 1937, Japan declared war on China, which led to the US putting many economic sanctions in place. According to the History Channel, “American officials responded to this aggression with a battery of economic sanctions and trade embargoes.” However, these sanctions did not have the effect the United States wanted and only made Japan more determined to expand into neighboring countries. Pearl Harbor is also located in Hawaii, which is an island
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on December 7, 1941, Japanese planes flew into Pearl Harbor with the intent to attack. Almost the entire US pacific fleet was stationed at Pearl Harbor and the Japanese aimed to destroy it. According to the History Channel, “Almost the entire Pacific Fleet was moored around Ford Island in the harbor, and hundreds of airplanes were squeezed onto adjacent airfields. The Japanese did partially meet their goal. The Japanese planes, using bombs and torpedoes, critically damaged all 8 battleships in Pearl Harbor, killing and wounding many sailors that were aboard the ships. According to the History Channel, “Less than two hours later, the surprise attack was over, and every battleship in Pearl Harbor had sustained significant damage.” Only the USS Arizona and the USS Utah were unrepairable though. Conclusively, the Japanese launched an attack that crippled the ships moored at Pearl Harbor and killed over 2,400