Pearl Harbor Essays

Pearl Harbor Essays
December 7, 1941 was a day that will "live in infamy", a day when 2,400 men needlessly lost their lives while serving America. Millions of dollars of
American military equipment was destroyed. It was a day of horror, disbelief, discontent, and shame. The people of the United States never imagined
anything like this could happen to them. They were a neutral country, only providingsupplies for the Allies. This activity made the Axis powers mad.
At the time of the start of World War II the United States was a leading world country, not only did it have one of, if not the most, feared militaries on
earth, its technology was also rapidly growing. Japan reacted by planning and seeing through a massive attack on America in an effort to disable...show
more content...
When Pearl Harbor was unable to refuel passing ships and planes, all transportation in the Pacific was slowed down.
This is why it was such a world event when Pearl Harbor was attacked. It was one of America's strongest bases. Japan was trying to take over China
and the only country able to stop this from happening was the United States. So Japan had to think of a way to prevent the U.S. from joining the war.
They figured by bombing Pearl Harbor they would be successful. At the time of Pearl Harbor, the United States was a neutral country, but was
backing up the Allies. They were also supplying Japan with scrap iron, fuel and steel, all of which are important essentials of war. The U.S. stopped
this, which in turn angered the Japanese. That was a main reason for Pearl Harbor.
Admiral Yamamoto was the emperor of Japan at the time of World War Two. He not only promoted the attack on Pearl Harbor, he produced the
plan, which would be followed. He encouraged the terrible act of war. Secrecy and surprise were the two elements, which were most important to
the success of this plan. After the attack Admiral Yamamoto realized that he had "Awakened A Sleeping Giant." He knew after the attack on Pearl
Harbor that things were going to get rigorous. He did not realize how right he was. He didn't understand the severe consequences of his actions. His
first attack took place at 7:55 am of December 7, 1941. The planes came to within 30 feet from
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Pearl Harbor Thesis
Pearl Harbor is an American military base located in Oahu, named after the pearls that were found there. This base was originally a normal bay until
the late 1800s when an agreement between America and Hawaii was made. At this time, Hawaii wanted to make their sugar industry stronger by
taking away the money needed to send sugar into America. America accepted this, but in return gained access to Pearl Harbor and changed it into a
refueling station for its army. 10 years after this agreement, America won a war against the Spanish, and gained land within the pacific such as the
Philippines. America needed an army to support these new lands so, they started to change Pearl Harbor into an enormous army base. Although it
suffered an attack from

Pearl Harbor Essay
Pearl Harbor
During the early 1940's, World War II was upon the United States of America. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. was ready to go to war with
The Empire of Japan. During this time, many U.S. citizens grew great hatred toward anyone of Japanese ancestry. People began to become paranoid
and treated any Japanese person with great disrespect. All of this started with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. After the attack, many Japanese
people were sent to concentration camps. Many of them were either put in jail because of their race, or just because they refused to go to the
concentration camps. This also happened in David Guterson's fiction book, Snow Falling on Cedars. After the attack on Pearl Harbor,...show more
content...
During the 1940's and 1950's, the U.S. opinion on Japanese people changed. Years of anti–Japanese discrimination swept across the nation. (America's
Concentration Camps) Every Japanese citizen was looked upon as someone who was capable of sabotage, and many people thought the Japanese were
spies. They were not to be trusted. (America's Concentration Camps)
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, all Japanese residents in Hawaii were rounded up and interrogated. On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D.
Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. (America's Concentration Camps) This called for the eviction and internment of all Japanese Americans. The
evacuation began in April 1942. There were different types of facilities created for different purposes. Three of these were assembly centers, relocation
centers, and internment camps. (America's Concentration Camps) The War Relocation Authority was established to run these camps. During the first
phase of relocation, Japanese citizens were transported on trains and buses under military guard to different assembly centers. "Twelve of these were in
California and one was in Oregon. (America's Concentration Camps) Detainees were housed in livestock stalls or windowless shacks that were
crowded and lacked sufficient ventilation, electricity, and sanitation facilities." (America's Concentration Camps) Also, in these camps, there was a
shortage of food and many times medicine. During the second phase,

Pearl Harbor Essay
Richard Collier wrote The Road to Pearl Harbor: 1941 to talk about how the actions of individuals and governments brought the United States into
World War II, as a result of the Pearl Harbor massacre caused by the Japanese.
The book starts out a dinner that Winston Churchill is hosting in order to recruit the support of the United States during the war. Winston Churchill is
pleased to find out that he will have access to all sorts of American war materials, thanks to the lend–lease policy, which many saw as a slick business
deal for the United States. The United States gained many assets in return for war materials not worth nearly as much.
One German who made a huge difference...show more content...
This proved to be a fatal mistake that cost America tons of lives and military materials. The Arizona, Oklahoma, New Orleans, Nevada, Enterprise, West
Virginia, Tennessee, California, all were either sunk or sustained huge amounts of damage. Even though some ships like the Nevada had the chance to
cruise out of the channel, if a ship was sunk at the mouth of the channel the whole fleet would be bottled in.
Roosevelt was shocked to find out about the attack on Pearl Harbor, due to the Japanese cutting it close. They broke off talks only twenty minutes
before the first attack on Pearl Harbor, and the message was delayed an hour in part because of a slow typist that only used two fingers on the keyboard.
Churchill found it hard to contain his excitement to know that the United States would finally be entering the war, an action that gave Britain hope for
victory.
After America entered the war, Germany did not have much of a chance. The Americans joined the Allied Forces for Operation D
–Day, on which the
Allied Forces invaded France on the beaches of Normandy. Soon the Allied Forces even had Rommel, the Desert Fox, on the run. Rommel abandoned
his prized post of Tobruk without hesitation, fleeing across the dessert. At the same time General Macarthur was leading the battle on the islands

Pearl Harbor Essay examples
Pearl Harbor In 1941, one of the largest American military defeats occurred. An entire naval fleet was destroyed, hundreds were killed, all before
nine A.M. on a Sunday morning. The US did not have any knowledge of this attack, mostly because of their own ignorance, partially because of the
military strategies of their Japanese opponents. The Japanese attack on the US naval base of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, was a classic case
of "It will not happen to me!" Although the US suspected the Japanese actions, they were not ready because they believed an attack would never
happen on American grounds. Through an examination of military history, tactics and eye witness descriptions, it will be proven that the US had no
knowledge of the...show more content...
Fuel talks broke down as the Dutch, who were in control of the Indonesian fuel supply and, under heavy influence from the US, would not supply
Japan with fuel. Desperately needing fuel to continue the war, Japan first thought of attacking Indonesia, but feared US intervention. After some
thought, Japanese leaders decided that an attack directly on the US would be more appropriate to bring the US to the fuel supplies negotiating
table . The first acknowledgment that Japan was a war threat came on November 27, 1941 when Washington ordered a 'War Warning'. The US
feared a Japanese attack, not on America, but on the Philippines. American military leaders took little or no precautions upon the issue of warning.
Admiral Husband E. Kimmel and Lt. General Walter C. Short of Pearl Harbor had done nothing to make the fleet or its defenses ready for Japanese
attack . The commanding officers believed the warning to be no more than a possible threat of sabotage from the Japanese living on the island of
Oahu. As a result, the officers ordered that all aircraft in the base be lined up at wing tip to be easily guarded. Defenses were on limited alert, with no
long distance reconnaissance and no improvements on the limited anti–aircraft defenses. On board ships, only half of the anti–aircraft positions were
stood at with the ammunition locked away . "In every reference I've seen and every Pearl Harbor survivor I've ever talked to,

Pearl Harbor Day Essay
December 7, 1941, "a day that will live in infamy" (Pearl Harbor in Hawaii). This quote is important because the United States were at peace with
Japan, when they suddenly decided to do a wicked and evil act that immediately united us against them. Pearl Harbor is located in Oahu, Hawaii.
The memorial is the final resting place for the heroic soldiers and sailors who lost their lives on that very tragic day. Many people visit the
memorial every year to salute those who lost their lives on that tragic day. The USS Arizona received the most damaged out of all the ships. Pearl
Harbor is a significant historical place, because the Japanese bombed the harbor, causing many ships to be damaged and over 2,000 people to lose
their lives. The attack...show more content...
Franklin D. Roosevelt asked congress to declare war on Japan, and on December, 8, 1941, the US was entered into World War II.Preparing for War
from the mighty disaster took a lot of effort. Twenty–one ships were sunk or damaged, and sixty–four planes were destroyed. They managed within a
few months to raise the sunken ships are prepare the Navy's fleet. Now, they were ready for war. Japan refused to surrender. The US had to use
one of the most dangerous weapons available. The US dropped an atomic bomb on the day of August 6th, 1945. Tons of people died, more than
80,000. It was absolutely devastating yet the Japanese still did not surrender. On August 9, 1945 the US once again dropped another atomic bomb.
This time they dropped it on Nagasaki, Japan. This atomic bomb drop killed over 40,000 people. Finally on August 14, 1945, Japan surrendered, and
World War II was over. Today the USS Arizona Memorial is one of the most frequently visited sites in the USA. "The Memorial is a 184
–foot–long
memorial structure with three main sections. The sections are: the entry and assembly room, the central area designed for ceremonies and general
observation, and the shrine room, where the names of the people who lost their lives are engraved on a marble wall." <http://www.pearl–harbor.com>
At the 66th celebration of Pearl Harbor attack Tucker McHugh, retired Navy Comander,

Essay On Pearl Harbor
The events of Pearl harbor marked a turning point in the United States history, the US, prior to this event was a powerful nation yet, by many
countries was not seen as the superpower it is known as today. The attack on Pearl Harbor marks the shift from a strong nation to the global force and
power it possess today due to economic, social and military shifts made from this attack and leading the United States into World War II. A reported
statement by Japanese General, Isoroku Yamamoto best summarizes this "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a
terrible resolve."1. Shows this shift and the importance of the attack on shaping American history.
United States Prior to Pearl Harbor Attack
Prior to the...show more content...
Despite this however tensions were rising in the world as expressed by the following "increasing the capacity of the U.S. Navy by 11%. Four days
earlier, Roosevelt had condemned the actions of Italy 's declaration of war against France and the United Kingdom."3. This showed how global
tension had been steadily increasing due to the expansion of the Japanese empire as well as aggression in europe in form of Germany and Italy. It
also showed how the United States was attempting to prepare to defend itself from the aggression on both borders. The Atlantic from Italy &
Germany aspirations for military power and control, however the more pressing matter was the Pacific front due to Japan at this time had invaded
China as well as other island across the pacific building an empire close to American territories and allies such as Guam and the Philippines.
Troops involved on the Pearl Harbor Attack
The attack was a complete surprise and as a result was a devastating attack on the American pacific fleet. This attack was carried out by "Japanese
battleships and destroyers which had escorted 43 fighters, 51 dive–bombers, 49 high–level bombers, and 40 torpedo planes from six carriers that
floated 200 miles north of Pearl Harbor. The aircraft had traveled in complete radio silence in order to catch the Americans by surprise."4. One reason
this was so successful was due to the careful timing and planning of this attack as it was done in with

Pearl Harbor
Introduction
At approximately 8 o'clock in the morning on the 7th of Dec 1941, the United States of America faced for the first time in history, an attack on US
soil. The Empire of Japan had strategically planned and executed a swift blow to the state of Hawaii, located in the mid–Pacific Ocean. Hawaii was our
first line of defense from any westerly attack of an Asian country. By the end of the almost 2 hour ordeal, our Naval and Air Corps assets' were
brutally crippled preventing the ability of the US to conduct an immediate retaliation. In this study we will cover many of the events that led up to that
moment in time, the actual attack and show the result that were to follow.
History
Do to the great depression of 1930 the world was...show more content...
The United States had not finished decoding the last and final message until the late morning of the 7th Eastern Standard Time. The final message
stated to cease relations with the US and prepare to announce their declaration of war at 1PM EST. A bit late (1130 EST) and after learning of its
content, General Marshall ordered immediate defensive posture in Hawaii once realizing the time difference between the main land and the
islands. Unfortunately this fell on deaf ears due to complications of the atmosphere blocking radio communications, Washington had to send word
via commercial telegram which did not arrive until well after the attack. By the early morning of December 7, 1941 the Japanese Naval force led
by Admiral Nagumo had parked his fleet of 6 aircraft carriers 230 nautical miles off the north coast of the Hawaiian Islands completely undetected.
The fleet had approximately 423 aircraft with a final destination of Pearl Harbor. At 600 a.m. the first wave of 180 aircraft were launch to attach the
sleeping Hawaiian bay. At 702 a.m. an Army radar station sights the aircraft inbound and report to their direct officer who is aware of a squadron of
B–17's due in from the west coast and write off the sighting am friendly forces. This was the first of many mistakes that would become evident within
the hour.
At approximately 715 a.m. the Japanese fleet launches their second wave of aircraft bound for the same objective. Unbeknown to the military stationed

Pearl Harbor Essay
Pearl Harbor
I. Events before the bombing
A. Reasons for Japans Expansion
1. The Japanese were severely lacking in raw materials
2. The Japanese wanted to build an empire
3. Japan thought that it must build up its armies to compete with the Western Powers
II. Preparations
A. The Japanese made up a 8 point plan
1. Surprise was crucial
2. American aircraft carriers there should be the primary targets
3. U.S. aircraft there must be destroyed to prevent aerial opposition
4. All Japanese aircraft...show more content...
Surprise was crucial
2. American aircraft carriers there should be the primary targets
3. U.S. aircraft there must be destroyed to prevent aerial opposition
4. All Japanese aircraft carriers available should be used
5. All types of bombing should be used in the attack
6. A strong fighter element should be included in the attack for air cover for the fleet
7. Refueling at sea would be necessary
8. A daylight attack promised best results, especially in thesunrise hours
B. The necessary troops were trained and ships were readied
C. Peace talks came to a halt
III. The Attack

A. The attack was carrier based
D. The attack consisted of about 300 planes
E. The attack started at 7:55 a.m.
IV. Aftermaths of the attack
A. American losses
1. 19 ships were damaged or sunk
2. 2,403 people were killed
3. Germany and Italy declared war on America
V. Conclusion
A. The war was stopped by the atom–bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
B. The President was aware of Japan's plans to attack

Pearl Harbor Outline
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor was a attack on a naval harbor base in Hawaii. The Japanese flew planes over and tried to destroy the base. The attack was also known
as the Battle of Pearl Harbor. This later led World War ll . The Japanese called this attack operation AI, and they later turned it into Operation Z.
The Japanese were making plans for the surprise attack as early as January of 1941(Brett, pearlharborwarbirds.com).When the attack started it was a
total surprise. It was such a surprise that many of the U.S. servicemen were either still in their pajamas or eating breakfast in the mess halls when it
began(Brett, pearlharborwarbirds.com). The Japanese commenced the attacked in December of 1941 on a sunday morning at 7:55 a.m.(Brett,
pearlharborwarbirds.com)....show more content...
"The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor destroyed 20 ships and over 300 airplanes."(history.com staff, history.com) "Most important, almost 2,500 men
were killed and another 1,000 were wounded."(history.com staff, history.com The Japs didn't take out the Pacific fleet so they were able to help.
When they dropped one of the bombs it hit a ammo room on one of the ships and destroyed the dock and parts of the ships around it.But the Japanese
had failed to hurt the Pacific Fleet. "In 1940s, battleships were no longer the most important naval vessel."(history.com staff, history.com) "Aircraft
carriers were, and as it happened, all of the Pacific Fleet's carriers were away from the base on December 7"(history.com staff, history.com) "The Pearl
Harbor assault had left the base's most important facilities, oil storage depots, repair shops, shipyards and submarine docks unharmed."(history.com
staff, history.com)."On December 8, Congress approved Roosevelt's declaration of war."(history.com staff, history.com) Three days after Italy and
Germany declared war on the United States(history.com staff, history.com) The Japs lost 65 men, another one of their men were captured. "The
Americans shot down 28 planes and sunk 5 midget submarines."(Brett, pearlharborwarbirds.com). The U.S. lost 2,343 men and 1,272 men were
injured, 960 men went missing.(Brett,

Pearl Harbor Essay
Pearl Harbor
Death, destruction, and mercilessness do little justice in describing the horrible events that took place on December 7th, 1941. What Pearl Harbor fails
to accurately depict is the complexity of the situation. The actual causes of the attack and also the long–term effects that the attack on Pearl Harbor had
on the world are some aspects one doesn't see. Was the bombing of Pearl Harbor a success? Who benefited the most in the end? Scholars have long
pondered these questions and with descriptions of the preceding events, the actual attack, and post attack events, one can form his/her own conclusion.
The path to problems between Japan and America started many years before the attack,...show more content...
Because their country lacks natural resources and had an embargo placed on them, the Japanese government decided to overpower and occupy the
areas in Southeast Asia that had lots of resources (Infamy). Top Japanese officials felt that war with the United States was inevitable, but with a
large American fleet in the Pacific stationed at Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu, war was going to be difficult if Japan was on the defensive. It
would have been to Japan's advantage if they were the ones to pick the time and place of battle, as they went on to do. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
came up with the idea of annihilating the entire American pacific fleet in one single blow (Essential Pearl Harbor). Beginning in the early months of
1941, Japanese aircraft carrier pilots began training for a Top Secret mission involving an air raid on a fleet of ships using tactics that met two major
criteria. The attack was to use a huge amount of naval aviation forces, and it was to achieve complete surprise on its enemy. Japanese leaders felt that
if the attack met that criterion, Japan would dominate the Pacific Ocean and have control over all of the Far East. As the training continued, the plan
became more and more detailed. In the latter part of February 1940, Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto gave Comdr. Minoru Genda,

Pearl Harbor Essay
Pearl Harbor
Was the attack of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 really a surprise? "How secret is secret in a country where years of censorship have trained an
inquisitive, alert population in the discreet whisper and the fine art of putting two and two together? And how secret is secret when one's ideas are
no longer exclusively one's own?" (At Dawn We Slept, Prange 30) The tragic attack of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 has many events
connected to it that lead people to believe that it was no surprise to the United States government. "The attack marked the entrance of Japan into World
War II on the side of Germany and Italy, and the entrance of the United States on the allied side." (Microsoft Encyclopedia) President...show more
content...
The US code word for the resulting intelligence was "Magic." The Americans had also made great progress in penetrating Japan's military codes and
ciphers by 1941 (code word "Ultra," also used by the British for military signals intelligence, which they exchanged with the Americans.) Sometimes
information from one source filled out, clarified, or confirmed interceptions from another. It is hardly surprising that for some people the question has
become, not "Did we know?" but "How could we not have known?" But is that fair?" (Van der Vat 94) "Since the early 1920's America had been
eavesdropping on Japanese government communications. Roosevelt's military leaders called it a "spledid arrangement"" (Stinnett 60) Now if that is
true and the United States knew all about what the Japanese were doing then why wouldn't they have known about the attack on Pearl Harbor? And not
only that, but why would the President of the United States not want to warn his own country of an attack that would harm his nation and kill
thousands? Even though Roosevelt tried to deny it, the radio taps America had on Japan were flawless. "Altogether it was an exceptional effort of
extraordinary scope of achievement, and for years it had kept American officials aware of every intention and activity of the Japanese government."
(Stinnett 60)

Pearl Harbor Essay
Pearl Harbor
After Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States joined the Allies and became a crucial element to an Allied victory. Though strategy was
initially aimed at crushing Hitler and the Nazis, Allied forces persevered for years on different continents, with different leaders, and with varied
objectives. Eventually, anything was being said, done, or invented in order to lessen the strength of the opposing forces – not just Germany. Many of the
Allies' attacks, particularly those led and carried out by the Americans, became turning points which helped to determine victory.
First and foremost, the Allies were intent on destroying the German war machine.
Beginning in 1942, during some of America and Britain's first...show more content...
After defeating the ill–prepared German forces at the shore, American General George S. Patton marched troops toward Paris and another Allied unit
moved northward from the Mediterranean.
Before they reached the German border, the Allies had succeeded in liberating France and Belgium from German influence.
Thereafter, as Eisenhower prepared for a general advance on Germany, the Germans launched a counterattack, 'the Battle of the Bulge', which
significantly exhausted their own reserves. With even heightened advantage, the Allies moved through the Rhine River and onward, crushing German
cities daily, to eventually meet Russian troops at the Elbe River. Within days, Hitler had committed suicide, and Germany had surrendered. The 'war
machine' was successfully destroyed. Still, more work was to be done.
Before an allied victory would be completely secured, Japanese expansion in the pacific had to be suppressed. Though America won many battles at
sea and on the shore, their most important weapons against the Japanese were aircraft. In battles like the 'Battle of Coral Sea' America demonstrated
the importance of dominating the air. After this battle, which Japan mistakenly took for a Japanese victory, America was forced into battle on the
Midway Islands. Here, again, the Japanese were rained on from above. Still using decisive air control, America then moved toward the Japanese
mainland, "island hopping" along the way. Allied strategy

Pearl Harbor Dbq Essay
The main focus on this essay is "Why Did Japan Attack Pearl Harbor?". On a normal Sunday morning when the American navy units were busy
doing their normal routine work, the Japanese navy planned a surprise attack that stunned the world. This attack was so unpredictable that the
entire American navy went in deep shock. Very few of them realized the need to manage and control their position to save the naval power. All the
staff and ships that were present at the Pearl Harbor suffered massive loss. Just a couple of hours of bombing gave the Pearl Harbor, a battlefield
view with fire and smoke emerging from every corner. The attack left American navy at a loss of 2400 of her best men as well as 21 ships that were
either sunk or completely demolished....show more content...
Japan believed they were the fountain of the Yamato race and believed they were superior to any other asian race (Document A). Japan also thought
that America would crumble and become "Old Orders" (Document A). Japan's expansion into Asia caused them to go after the bigger countries.
The second and one of the more underrated reasons Japan attacked Pearl Harbor was because of America putting an embargo on their oil. In August
of 1941, America stopped shipping goods to Japan. The many goods America shipped to Japan were vital because it was more of an underdeveloped
country and couldn't get the good themselves. As provided in Document D, more than 70% of Japan's oil came from the United States. When that
drastically changed it provided a valuable explanation to why Japan declared war.
The last and final reason is that Japan thought America would crumple their power and also attack them first. Japan thought that America had the
means and potential to attack them first so they wanted to get out their first and prevent an attack on their end. In closing there are many reasons as to
why Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. It was a surprise attack that has left many americans still in shock and confusion to this

Pearl Harbor Summary
Early morning on December 7, 1941 over 200 Japanese fighter planes covered the sky over Pearl Harbor. The strike lasted for two long hours, the
damage done was devastating. The Japanese were able to destroy about 20 American naval vessels, including eight enormous battleships, they destroyed
more than 300 airplanes. About 2,000 American's died in the attack that day, and another 1,000 men were

Pearl Harbor Essays

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