The Bombing of Pearl Harbor was the event that most historians agree brought

The United States into WW2. It was a preemptive strike on the U.S. navy, hoping to

destroy it’s carriers before they entered the war so Japan could take the islands in the

pacific for resources.In terms of casualties, the U.S. lost a total of 2390 people, as well as

1368 wounded. As for ships, 3 were lost, and 18 were damaged but repaired. It was such

a horrible day that it earned its Nickname of “The Day of Infamy.”

At 6:00 Am, December 7, 1941, 183 planes lifted off the deck of six Japanese

aircraft carriers, approximately 230 miles north of Oahu. At 6:45, an Japanese Attack

Midget sub was destroyed by the USS Ward. This was the first sign of attack. At 7:02 ,

Army radar operators saw a large formation of planes but assumed it to be American

B-17s from California. At 7:40 the Japanese aircraft reached Oahu and began their attack.

Although the aircraft carriers were away, the Japanese attacked the ships anyway, hoping

to at least cripple American Response. (Information taken from Frankos Map of Pearl

Harbor) According to HISTORY, the Japanese attack was a sneak attack, which they

proceeded to do without issuing a declaration of war. The declaration of war reached the

President after the attack happened. The Japanese plan to cripple the navy did not work

however, and the navy was back up in about a month.These sources came from secondary

sources. The two sources I used were Frankos Map of Pearl Harbor, and HISTORY

website information. They are secondary sources because they do not come from first

hand results of the Pearl Harbor Bombing.

When the attack came, it wasn’t a surprise. They knew an attack was coming, but not

when it would come. Since the attack happened early in the morning, most people were
still eating breakfast. Some personal accounts are “James "Jimmy" Lee was 11 years old

on December 7, 1941. He and his family lived on a farm on the shores of Pearl Harbor,

less than a mile from Battleship Row and Ford Island. When he woke up that morning, it

was just like any other Sunday. He and his brothers went outside to feed the pigs, and

then the attack began.” While there are not many journals or diaries from the Pearl

Harbor bombing, there are many quotes and stories told from the residents and soldiers

stationed there. A lot of the accounts talk about where they were during the bombing.

Like this person, Joe Morgan, “Joe was on Ford Island when the bombs started falling

December 7, 1941. He ran into a hangar and found a huge I-beam to shelter himself from

the fury of the bullets, bombs and explosions.” (Stories) Stories like this were common

after the attack. One of the more famous stories of Pearl Harbor was how Joe George

tossed a rope to the USS Arizona, from the USS Vestal, saving six service members. “Joe

saved the lives of six USS Arizona sailors trapped on the ship when he threw them a line

from the USS Vestal, the repair ship moored next to the USS Arizona during the attack.”

Most of the day after the bombing was trying to repair damaged ships and save the crew.

The sources I used are listed below, and they are primary sources. You can tell they are

primary sources because they are firsthand accounts of the Bombing.

At the end of the day, Japan’s losses totaled up to barely 70 men, and only 34

ships. However, the terrible mistake of not finishing the job cost them the war. The

Japanese, made one fatal mistake, which is that they missed the Submarine and Fuel Tank

field. The explosion would have hampered U.S. attempts to repair even more, and may

have lost them the war. U.S. submarines accounted for just over 55% of Japanese ships
losses. The submarines sank more battleships and supply ships than any other part of the

navy. By all accounts, attacking Pearl Harbor lost Japan the war.

Works Cited

History.com Editors. “Pearl Harbor.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 29 Oct. 2009,

www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor.

“Primary Sources: World War II: Pearl Harbor.” LibGuides,

cnu.libguides.com/c.php?g=23192&p=136458.

“Stories.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior,

www.nps.gov/perl/learn/historyculture/stories.htm.