Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in hopes that it would destroy the US Pacific Fleet and weaken the resolve of the American people. They hoped that the defeat at Pearl Harbor would be so devastating, that Americans would immediately give up. The goal was a quick US capitulation allowing Japan to continue imperial expansion.
What caused the attack on Pearl Harbor?
The Japanese saw this is a final straw for America, and decided that it was time to do something about them, even though they were so much more powerful. 1 Overall, the attack on Pearl Harbor happened because America stopped trading oil with the Japanese, even though it is a bit more complicated than that.
How many Japanese planes were shot down during Pearl Harbor?
Total American aircraft losses at Pearl Harbor were estimated at 188 planes destroyed and 159 more damaged, while the Japanese lost just 29 planes. Welch and Taylor received the Distinguished Service Cross, becoming the first to be awarded that distinction in World War II.
What are 5 facts about Pearl Harbor?
What are 5 facts about Pearl Harbor?
- Twenty-three sets of brothers died aboard USS Arizona.
- USS Arizona’s entire band was lost in the attack.
- Fuel continues to leak from USS Arizona’s wreckage.
- Some former crewmembers have chosen USS Arizona as their final resting place.
- A memorial was built at the USS Arizona site, thanks in part to Elvis Presley.
Who bombed Pearl Harbor 1941?
Attack on Pearl Harbor. On the morning of December 7, 1941, Japanese bombers staged a surprise attack on U.S. military and naval forces in Hawaii. In a devastating defeat, the United States suffered. 3,435 casualties and loss of or severe damage to 188 planes, 8 battleships, 3 light cruisers, and 4 miscellaneous vessels.
Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbour?
Japan intended the attack as a preventive action. Its aim was to prevent the United States Pacific Fleet from interfering with its planned military actions in Southeast Asia against overseas territories of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and those of the United States.
What was the attack on Pearl Harbor simple answer?
Pearl Harbor attack, (December 7, 1941), surprise aerial attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu Island, Hawaii, by the Japanese that precipitated the entry of the United States into World War II. The strike climaxed a decade of worsening relations between the United States and Japan.
What was the main reason the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor quizlet?
Japan wanted to take over the pacific and wanted to cripple America's military strength in the pacific. They wanted to attack America so that they wouldn't get in their way of their expansion in Malaya and the rest of the pacific.
Was Japan attacking Pearl Harbor justified?
Japanese civilians were more likely to view the actions of Pearl Harbor as a justified reaction to the economic embargo by western countries. Not only were the Japanese more aware of the embargo's existence, but they were also more likely to view the action as the critical point of American hostility.
What was Pearl Harbor for kids?
Pearl Harbor is an inlet, or bay, on the southern coast of Oahu Island, in Hawaii. The harbor lies just west of Hawaii's capital, Honolulu. It is the site of a U.S. Navy base. On December 7, 1941, Japanese warplanes carried out a surprise attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor.
What happened on Pearl Harbor Day in 1941?
On December 7, 1941, the Japanese military launched a surprise attack on the United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Since early 1941 the U.S. had been supplying Great Britain in its fight against the Nazis. It had also been pressuring Japan to halt its military expansion in Asia and the Pacific.
Why was the Pearl Harbor an easy target?
In May 1940, the United States had made Pearl Harbor the main base for its Pacific Fleet. As Americans didn't expect the Japanese to attack first in Hawaii, some 4,000 miles away from the Japanese mainland, the base at Pearl Harbor was left relatively undefended, making it an easy target.
Who did the U.S. attack 3 days after Pearl Harbor?
JapanThe following day, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt addressed the United States, and the U.S. Congress declared war against Japan. Three days later, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States.