Pearl+Harbor

media type="youtube" key="HAnOtWm5OrM" height="344" width="425" ** By Dean ** Pearl Harbor, “What happened there?” you may be wondering. On December 7, 1941, “A day that will live in infamy,” the Japanese attacked bringing the United States into WW II. But to know why the Japanese attacked we must back up in time.
 * 20th Century Pearl Harbor **

Before you find out why the Japanese attacked, you must know about Pearl Harbor. Pearl Harbor was a large naval base that housed most of the U.S. Pacific fleet. It housed many battleships and usually housed some air-craft carriers. It was very close to Japan so the Japanese generals knew that if war broke out, it would threaten them. That is why the Japanese attacked.

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese launched a major sunrise attack on Pearl Harbor. The Japanese knew that if the attack failed, they would not gain the upper hand in the war.

The Japanese fleet consisted of five submarines (each submarine carrying a midget sub). The attack also included three aircraft carriers and a few other ships.

On the day of the attack, the Japanese planned two waves of attack. The planes were to fly in low and try to sink the battleships that were harbored there. The Japanese knew that guns would not be very affective against the thick armor on the battleships so they fitted their planes with torpedoes to hit the ships where they were vulnerable, the water line. In war, there is one rule to follow. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese broke that one rule. The rule was that before any country can attack the other they must officially declare war. The surprise attack that morning broke that rule because the Japanese never declared war. The U.S.S. Arizona had the most powerful guns in the world at that time but they were not affective against the fast moving Japanese fighters. As soon as the attack started many men were killed. But also many men were hurt. To deal with the large amount of wounded men the people on that day turned any place they could into an emergency hospital. After the attack many warships were destroyed including the U.S.S. Arizona and the U.S.S. Oklahoma. Also, 300 hundred planes were destroyed and 3,700 men had died.

The Pearl Harbor attack didn’t just affect Hawaii, it affected all of America. It made many people afraid but also made Americans get angry at the Japanese for attacking without warning. While the Japanese were celebrating their victory, one of their generals knew they had had only a small victory. The general said, “We have awakened a sleeping giant.” He knew that just because they had temporarily disabled the U.S. Pacific fleet they would not necessarily be able to win the war.

When the Japanese attacked they knew that America would join the Allies making them an enemy of the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan). Joining the Allies, America eventually helped defeat the Axis powers ending World War II.

B., Allen, Thomas. __Remember Pearl Harbor American and Japanese survivors tell their stories__. Washington, D.C: National Geographic Society, 2001.

. "Pearl Harbor." __Surfing the Net with Kids: Educational site reviews and kids games__. 20 May 2009 . 20 May 2009 . "The Japanese Attacked Pearl Harbor." 20 May 2009