Pearl Harbor

Andrew Wiest is University Distinguished Professor of History at the University of Southern Mississippi and Founding Director of the university's Dale Center for the Study of War and Society. He is author of many books including The Illustrated History of World War I and The Boys of '67, and co-author of Campaigns of World War II: The Pacific War, The Illustrated History of the Vietnam War and Strategy and Tactics: Infantry Warfare.

• Introduction War between Japan and the United States had been a possibility that each nation had been aware of, and planned for, since the 1920s. Japan had been wary of American territorial and military expansion in the Pacific and Asia since the late 1890s, followed by the annexation of islands, such as Hawaii and the Philippines, which they felt were close to or within their sphere of influence.1: Naval Station Pearl Harbor Following the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, the United States Navy established a base on the island in 1899. In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the Pacific Fleet from San Diego to Hawaii. The U.S. Pacific Fleet had been stationed at Pearl Harbor since April 1940. In addition to nearly 100 naval vessels, including eight battleships, there were substantial military and air forces. FEATURE: Admiral Husband Edward Kimmel2: Japanese Preparations The Japanese intended the attack as a preventive action to keep 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 the United States. On November 26, 1941, a Japanese task force (the Striking Force) of six aircraft carriers—Akagi, Kaga, Sōryū, Hiryū, Shōkaku, and Zuikaku—departed Hittokapu Bay on Kasatka (now Iterup) Island in the Kuril Islands, en route to a position northwest of Hawaii, intending to launch its 408 aircraft to attack Pearl Harbor: 360 for the two attack waves and 48 on defensive combat air patrol (CAP), including nine fighters from the first wave. Fleet submarines I-16, I-18, I-20, I-22, and I-24 each embarked a Type A midget submarine for transport to the waters off Oahu. On December 6, they came to within 10 nmi (19 km; 12 mi) of the mouth of Pearl Harbor and launched their midget subs at about 01:00 local time on December 7. FEATURE: Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto3: The Attack The attack commenced at 7:48 a.m. Hawaiian Time (18:18 GMT). The base was attacked by 353 Imperial Japanese aircraft (including fighters, level and dive bombers, and torpedo bombers) in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers. Of the eight U.S. Navy battleships present, all were damaged, with four sunk. A total of 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed; 2,403 Americans were killed and 1,178 others were wounded. FEATURE: Mitsubishi A6M Zero4: The Damage The Pearl Harbor attack severely crippled US naval and air strength in the Pacific. However, of the eight battleships, all but the Arizona and Oklahoma were eventually repaired and returned to service, and the Japanese failed to destroy the important oil storage facilities on the island. As a result of the dispositions made by Admiral Kimmel, two US aircraft carriers were not in the harbour, however. The USS Enterprise, under Adm. William F. Halsey, was on a mission to reinforce the Wake Island garrison with marine planes and aviators. The USS Lexington was undertaking a similar mission to ferry marine dive-bombers to Midway.5: Aftermath The success of the attack on Pearl Harbor was primarily due to the Americans’ false estimate of the enemy’s capabilities and intentions. In 1946 a full-scale congressional investigation took place. Prior to the September 11, 2001, attacks, probably no episode in U.S. military history was so thoroughly examined, and on none has a wider divergence of opinion been expressed.6: Pearl Harbor Today In 2010, Pearl Harbor was combined with Hickam Air Force Base to create Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. The base is home to over 18,000 service members. It serves 24,000 family members each year with schools, hospitals, stores, and recreational opportunities. Today, it is home to the USS Arizona Memorial, the Battleship Missouri, the Pacific Aviation Museum, and other must-see places.Index

Select Guide Rating