A tragic attack by the Japanese troops on the Pacific fleet, Dec 7, 1941, remains an unforgettable day in America’s history. At around 8.am, Sunday morning, Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Naval base at Hawaii, was attacked by Japanese fighter planes in order to destroy the Pacific fleet. This was a surprise mission that America was unprepared to handle. Several U.S aircraft, battleships, and naval vessels were destroyed during this assault. Two of the battleships, USS Arizona and USS Utah, were completely destroyed and the others suffered severe damage that was later repaired.Wanna learn more about What Really Happened at Pearl Harbor? Learn below…
Why Did Japan Attack Pearl Harbor?
The attack had been planned for months before Japan finally executed it on one fine Sunday morning. Gowing tension regarding the countries’ import duties and the aim to damage most of the Pacific fleet while Japan waged war against the British, and Dutch were the reasons behind this devastating assault.
Though it seemed like a victory to Japan, the East Asian island country had little clue about the consequences it would face in less than 4 years from the happening. The American President at that time, President Franklin. D. Roosevelt officially announced that the U.S would be entering World War II and that war with Japan is inevitable.
1. During Which War Was Pearl Harbor Attacked?
- A. World War I
- B. World War II
- C. American War of Independence
- D. American Civil War
America’s Counterattack
The destruction of 300 aircraft, 20 naval ships, and an irreparable loss of 2,400 lives that included sailors, crewmen, and civilians was not taken lightly by the American government. In August 1945, Japan suffered an unimaginable loss in terms of human lives when the U.S dropped atomic bombs over two major cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It was the only time atomic bombs were ever used in the history of wars. Not only were the cities completely destroyed but the generations that follow are still facing the aftermath of the bombing that took place years ago.
World War II eventually came to a close after this attack, but both the Pearl Harbor attack and Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing will forever remain a catastrophe in the hearts of the people.To know much more about Interesting Fact about Pearl Harbor click here.