Why did Japan attack the US at Pearl Harbor? It’s important to first consider the history between Japan and the US. Political relations between the two countries have a complicated past.
Political relations between the two countries have a complicated past. Unlike its Pacific neighbor, China, Japan had been successful in isolating itself from the Western world. Whereas China had what was called spheres of influence and then an Open Door policy which gave not only the US and a number of European countries access to various trading ports throughout China, Japan was isolated. Until – Commodore Matthew Perry. Perry was to seek an agreement which would open at least one Japanese port to trade and would secure the protection of American seamen and property in that country. At first turned away, he threatened the use of force unless they permitted him to present his letter from the President of the United States, who at that time was Millard Fillmore. The Japanese had been so isolated that they were no match for the advanced weapons and ships at their harbor. He returned months later with an even larger envoy of ships and the Japanese officials had agreed to the majority of the terms or demands in the letter Perry had presented during his first trip. This is known as the Treaty of Kanagawa. No longer isolated Japan quickly modernized – for history buffs out there this time is referred to as the Meiji Restoration. A time where Japan modernized, built up its military, improved education and industrialized. They soon after were involved in a number of wars ( that they won with China and Russia). You see this same pattern throughout history. When a country industrializes, they then require more raw materials, if they don’t have what they need, they will acquire it by trade or by force. Japan began to build an empire. By 1905, they had done just that. Japan’s war with China began in 1937. Eventually setting their sights on the whole of the Pacific. This posed a threat to US interests in the region. The US started an embargo. First weapons, then steel and oil. Additionally, US banks refused to give loans to Japanese businesses. As tensions increased, President FDR ordered the Pacific fleet to move from San Diego, California to Hawaii. The thought process for Japan in attacking the US, was to force the United States’ hand to end the embargo.
History of Puuloa (Pearl Harbor)
Known to native Hawaiians as Wai Momi, meaning "water of pearl. A number of countries were attracted to the area for the purpose of creating a naval base. Its shallow waters turned off countries like Great Britain and France.
The harbor was acquired by the United States through the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875. The Kingdom of Hawaii gave the US the right to create and maintain a coaling and repair station in Pearl Harbor. The US didn’t do much to the area until after the US Government annexed Hawaii in 1898. Hawaii was known at the time as the crossroads of the Pacific. The naval base was established at Pearl Harbor in 1908. Japan’s victory in the Russo-Japanese War from 1904-1905 persuaded US officials to make the area more suitable for a naval base in the Pacific. Congress approved 3 Million to straighten the harbor and to complete the dry dock. For those who don’t know what a dry dock is, it is an area where ships can be built, repaired and maintained.
The US Navy created channels and deepened lochs so that even the largest of Navy ships could be accommodated.
While tensions between the US and Japan were at an all time high, the two countries continued to negotiate. In early November, Japanese military officials made the call to militarily attack the US and hinder its ability to stop Japanese expansion in the Pacific and to hopefully urge the US to negotiate a peace on better terms. Neither of those things happened. By the end of November of 1941, negotiations stopped and naval communications showed that there were warnings of an attack but there was no specific location that had more of a threat than another. The Japanese fleet headed towards Hawaii in total secrecy and consisted of 6 aircraft carriers, 2 battleships, 3 cruisers, and 11 destroyers. The fleet stopped a few hundred miles north of the Hawaiian islands.
Dec. 7th, 1941 was a Sunday. As the sun rose over the tranquil waters of the Hawaiian Islands, a fleet of Japanese aircraft appeared on the horizon, launching a relentless assault on the unsuspecting American naval base. The surprise attack came in waves, with bombs raining down on ships, hangars, and barracks. The destruction was swift and devastating. The first wave of the attack began at 7:55 am and consisted of 200 planes. During the first wave, only 6 US planes were able to get up in the air and fight off the attack. The most important battleships and air basses were hit first. The first wave ended at 8:45 am and just a few minutes later, the second wave of the attack began. Japanese forces attacked with precision having memorized their targets of the mission due to the consistent practice and drilling they had taken part in. A significant amount of reconnaissance was needed for this. A man by the name of Takeo Yoshikawa made this possible. Trained at the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy and got involved with naval intelligence. He had become an expert on the US Navy. He was sent to Hawaii to pose as a Vice Consul and rented an apartment that overlooked Pearl Harbor. He took meticulous notes on fleet movements and security measures. The attack, carried out with meticulous planning and precision, aimed to cripple the U.S. Pacific Fleet and prevent American interference in Japanese expansion in the Pacific. In just two hours, the Japanese bombers and torpedo planes inflicted severe damage on the fleet, sinking or severely damaging eight battleships, including the USS Arizona.
The loss of life during the attack was staggering, with 2,403 Americans killed and over 1,000 injured. The USS Arizona, in particular, suffered a catastrophic fate as a bomb struck its deck, igniting its forward magazine and causing a massive explosion that engulfed the ship in flames. Nearly 1,177 crew members lost their lives that day, their remains still entombed within the sunken vessel.
US forces were completely unprepared and in less than 90 minutes, more than 2,400 Americans were killed and 1,104 wounded. Twenty-one ships of the Pacific Fleet had been sunk or damaged, and 75 percent of the planes on the airfields surrounding Pearl Harbor were damaged or destroyed.
There are a number of stories from the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor. Every battleship has their stories of both devastation and heroism. 429 men were killed on the USS Oklahoma – including 3 brothers – The Barber Brothers. Typically, the US military wouldn’t station brothers together in the same place, but because it was peacetime, the military agreed to their request for the brothers to be assigned to the same ship.
The USS West Virginia was launched in the 1920s. The Captain of the USS West Virginia, Captain Mervyn S. Bennion was disemboweled by a piece of flying shrapnel. He refused medical attention and ordered his crew to get to safety and to work to sink the ship upright. The ship was repaired by 1944 and was involved in a number of battles in the Pacific as well as being in Tokyo bay when Japanese officials signed the terms of surrender as a symbol of the resilience of the US Navy.
USS Arizona Memorial
One of the most famous battleships destroyed in the attack was the USS Arizona. The ship had a crew of over 1500 men. Almost all of them were killed. The ship was built in 1916 in Brooklyn, NY at the Brooklyn Navy yard the real name is called the New York Navy Yard which was established during the Presidency of John Adams. The USS Arizona was used as a training ship during WWI. There were some planes on the USS Arizona but they were spotting planes that would radio back information to what they saw. They would land in the water next to the ship and cranes would put them back onto the ship. There were 4 triple turrets on board. Massive guns that required about 80 men each to operate. The massive shells and gunpowder bags were stored underneath.
USS Arizona was hit by a number of bombs. One of the bombs landed by one of the turrets and most likely by the gun powder storage rooms. This caused a massive explosion and the ship sank in minutes. About half of the casualties from the attack were lost on the USS Arizona. Some of the survivors of the USS Arizona have had their cremated remains brought back and placed inside of the ship to be entombed with their fallen brothers. If you go to Pearl Harbor today, you can visit the beautiful memorial for the USS Arizona and see portions of the ship that are above the water line. Today, the wreckage of the USS Arizona lies beneath the surface of Pearl Harbor, serving as a tomb for those brave sailors. It stands as a solemn testament to their sacrifice and a reminder of the human cost of war.
Construction began in 1958, and the memorial was completed and opened to the public on Memorial Day in 1962. It stands as a white concrete structure spanning over the sunken battleship, allowing visitors to walk above the remains of the USS Arizona. The memorial features a marble wall inscribed with the names of the 1,177 crew members who lost their lives that day.
In the aftermath of the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, shock and anger rippled across the nation like a tidal wave. Americans from all walks of life were united in their disbelief and outrage at the unprovoked assault on their own soil. The peaceful tranquility of their daily lives shattered in an instant, replaced by a profound sense of vulnerability and betrayal.
News of the attack spread rapidly, as radio broadcasts, newspaper headlines, and word-of-mouth accounts brought the shocking reality of Pearl Harbor into the living rooms of millions of Americans. Families gathered around their radios, listening intently to updates on the unfolding tragedy, their hearts heavy with grief and anger. Crowds gathered in front of The White House on Dec. 7th, awaiting news of how the country would respond to such an attack. The crowds sang God Bless America. The lyrics could be heard inside The White House.
As the enormity of the devastation sunk in, citizens grappled with a mix of emotions. Grief for the lives lost and the heroes who bravely fought, anger towards the attackers, and a determination to seek justice and defend their country. From coast to coast, the nation mourned the loss of their fellow Americans and resolved to stand together in the face of this unprecedented aggression.
In the days following the attack, the shock turned to resolve, and a call to action echoed throughout the nation. Pearl Harbor had awakened a sleeping giant, and the American people were determined to retaliate. This day of infamy had ignited a fire, there was a fierce determination to defend their freedom and ensure that justice was served. The day after the attack, President Franklin D. Roosevelt went before Congress and asked them to declare war on Japan, signaling the United States' official entry into World War II.
