Image: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. A small boat rescues a seaman from the 31,800 ton USS West Virginia (BB-48), which is burning in the foreground. Smoke rolling out amidships shows where the most extensive damage occurred. Note the two men in the superstructure. The USS Tennessee (BB-43) is inboard. (Public Domain).

On this day in history, at 7:55 a.m. on December 7, 1941, a Japanese dive bomber descended from the clouds over the island of Oahu. A group of 360 Japanese warplanes struck the American naval base at Pearl Harbor in a brutal attack. The surprise assault caused a significant blow against the U.S. Pacific fleet and pulled the United States irreversibly into World War II.

With diplomatic discussions with Japan hitting an impasse, President Franklin D. Roosevelt knew an impending Japanese strike was possible. Still, more was needed to strengthen safety measures at the strategic naval base at Pearl Harbor. It was Sunday morning, and countless military personnel had been granted passes to attend church services off base.

At 7:02 a.m., two radar operators spotted large groups of aircraft in flight headed toward the island from the north. Still, with a group of B-17s expected from the American mainland at any time, they were instructed not to sound the alarm. Consequently, the Japanese attack violently shocked the Hawaiian naval base.

The Japanese grew tired of negotiating with the United States. They desired to pursue their growth throughout Asia, but the United States had assigned an exceptionally restrictive embargo on Japan to limit Japan’s hostility. Discussions to sort out their disagreements had been getting progressively worse.

Instead of giving in to U.S. commands, the Japanese opted to instigate a surprise attack against the Americans to destroy their naval power prior to a formal declaration of war being given.

The Japanese strike on Pearl Harbor commenced at daybreak on December 7, 1941. At 6:00 a.m., the Japanese aircraft carriers started releasing their planes amidst the harsh seas. During the first wave, a total of 183 Japanese airplanes took part in the assault on Pearl Harbor.

At 7:15 a.m., the Japanese aircraft carriers, afflicted by even rougher seas, launched an additional 167 airplanes to join the second wave of the assault on Pearl Harbor.

The first wave of Japanese aircraft arrived at the U.S. Naval Station at Pearl Harbor (located on the southern portion of the Hawaiian island of Oahu) at 7:55 a.m.

Before the first bombs fell on Pearl Harbor, Commander Mitsuo Fuchida, group leader of the air attack, yelled out, “Tora! Tora! Tora!” (“Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!”), a coded message informed the entire Japanese naval task force that they had caught the Americans entirely unawares.

Sunday mornings were relaxation time for most American military personnel at Pearl Harbor. Many were asleep, in mess halls eating breakfast, or getting ready for church that fateful morning. They were utterly oblivious to the fact that an attack was forthcoming.

Then the detonations commenced. The loud explosions, pillars of smoke, and low-flying enemy aircraft awoke many to the recognition that this was not a drill; Pearl Harbor was genuinely under attack.

Despite the shock, many acted rapidly. Within moments of the start of the assault, several gunners had gone to their anti-aircraft guns and were attempting to shoot down the Japanese aircraft.

At 8; 00 a.m., Admiral H. Kimmel, the officer in charge of Pearl Harbor, broadcasted a harried communication to everyone in the U.S. naval fleet, “AIR RAID ON PEARL HARBOR X THIS IS NOT DRILL.”

The Japanese had wanted to trap U.S. aircraft carriers at Pearl Harbor, but the vessels were out to sea that day. The next most crucial naval target was the battleships.

That morning, there were eight American battleships at Pearl Harbor, seven lined up in Battleship Row, and one (USS Pennsylvania) was in dry dock for repairs. (USS Colorado, the only other battleship in the U.S.’s Pacific fleet, was not at Pearl Harbor that day.)

Because the Japanese attack was a complete shock, many of the first torpedoes and bombs launched at the unwary ships hit their targets. The damage done was critical. Even though the crews on board each battleship worked intensely to keep their vessel afloat, some were doomed to sink.

Striking the U.S. aircraft on Oahu was a crucial element of the Japanese plan. If they were triumphant in eradicating a large segment of the American aircraft, they could proceed unopposed in the skies above Pearl Harbor. Plus, an attack against the Japanese fleet would be much more doubtful.

Thus, a portion of the first wave of Japanese aircraft was designated to hit the airfields around Pearl Harbor. Little could be done when the American military at the airfields recognized what was occurring. The Japanese successfully destroyed most of the U.S. aircraft on the island.

By 9:45 a.m., just under two hours after the assault began, the Japanese planes left Pearl Harbor and returned to their aircraft carriers. The attack on Pearl Harbor was over.

The remaining Japanese planes returned to their aircraft carriers by 12:14 p.m. An hour later, the Japanese naval force began their long journey home.

In less than two hours, the Japanese had sunk four American battleships (USS Arizona, USS California, USS Oklahoma, and USS West Virginia). The USS Nevada was beached, and the other three battleships at Pearl Harbor received significant damage. Also battered were three light cruisers, one minelayer, four destroyers, one target ship, and four auxiliaries. The Japanese managed to destroy 188 U.S. aircraft, and they damaged an additional 159.

The death toll among Americans was very high. Overall, 2,335 servicemen were killed, and 1,143 were injured. Sixty-eight civilians were killed, and 35 were wounded. Nearly half of the servicemen killed were aboard the USS Arizona when it exploded.

The Japanese suffered very few losses – just 29 aircraft and five midget submarines during the operation.

News of the attack on Pearl Harbor rapidly spread throughout the United States. The public was surprised and enraged. They wanted to strike back immediately. Most Americans agreed that it was time to go to war.

At 12:30 p.m., on December 8, 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt spoke to Congress, asserting that December 7, 1941, was “a date that will live in infamy.” At the end of the address, Roosevelt requested that Congress declare war on Japan. With only one dissenting vote (by Representative Jeannette Rankin from Montana), Congress declared war, officially entering the United States into World War II.

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