December 7th mar
ks the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii in 1941. Six Japanese aircraft carriers launched a total of 414 aircrafts to attack the harbor. Five midget submarines were sent as well. The aircraft had a total surprise advantage in the first wave, which was led by Commander Mitsuo Fuchida. Fires quickly erupted on ships and explosions rang through the air. A second wave of aircraft added to the damage. The cost for the Americans was high. Four battleships, two destroyers, and one other ship were sunk. The old battleship Utah, which had been commissioned as a target ship, capsized, which killed six officers and fifty-two other men. Eighteen planes had been destroyed and 155 were damaged. Casualties were high for the US military, with 2402 dead and 1,247 wounded. Civilians were also caught in the fire with fifty-seven dead and thirty-five wounded. The Japanese were not unscathed. Twenty-nine planes were shot down and all five submarines did not return. Fortunately for the US, most of the ships would be raised and/or repaired. Sadly, the battleships Oklahoma and Arizona would not serve again. The Oklahoma was capsized and was sold for scrap while the Arizona was broken by an explosion and left on the bottom of the harbor. She is still there today. The battleship Utah could also not be raised and is still at the harbor. Americans were outraged at the treacherous attack. Ironically, Japanese diplomats had been talking to the State Department thirty minutes before the attack. There are theories that the US Government had advance-knowledge of the attack, but we are still unsure. The President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave a famous speech about the attack, where he called it "a date which will live in infamy." We honor those who died in this infamous attack on its 69th anniversary.
ks the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii in 1941. Six Japanese aircraft carriers launched a total of 414 aircrafts to attack the harbor. Five midget submarines were sent as well. The aircraft had a total surprise advantage in the first wave, which was led by Commander Mitsuo Fuchida. Fires quickly erupted on ships and explosions rang through the air. A second wave of aircraft added to the damage. The cost for the Americans was high. Four battleships, two destroyers, and one other ship were sunk. The old battleship Utah, which had been commissioned as a target ship, capsized, which killed six officers and fifty-two other men. Eighteen planes had been destroyed and 155 were damaged. Casualties were high for the US military, with 2402 dead and 1,247 wounded. Civilians were also caught in the fire with fifty-seven dead and thirty-five wounded. The Japanese were not unscathed. Twenty-nine planes were shot down and all five submarines did not return. Fortunately for the US, most of the ships would be raised and/or repaired. Sadly, the battleships Oklahoma and Arizona would not serve again. The Oklahoma was capsized and was sold for scrap while the Arizona was broken by an explosion and left on the bottom of the harbor. She is still there today. The battleship Utah could also not be raised and is still at the harbor. Americans were outraged at the treacherous attack. Ironically, Japanese diplomats had been talking to the State Department thirty minutes before the attack. There are theories that the US Government had advance-knowledge of the attack, but we are still unsure. The President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave a famous speech about the attack, where he called it "a date which will live in infamy." We honor those who died in this infamous attack on its 69th anniversary.
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Great post. Those interested might like to know that the original newspaper you see above is in the collections of the Pendleton District Commission. You can see a little more information here online:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.teachingushistory.org/lessons/Japanattacks.htm
Also, the State Archives has several large volumes of World War II era newspaper clippings and other material from scrapbooks compiled during the war. Here's the citation info:
S 192090 Military Dept. Adjutant and Inspector General.
World War II scrapbooks
1941-1945
4.66 cubic ft.