Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor had led America into World War 2. This attack was the Japanese’ response to the American oil embargo. Admiral Yamamoto had come up with a plan to cripple America by destroying Pearl Harbor and the Pacific Fleet. They wanted to destroy them so that America wouldn’t be able to stop Japan from invading the pacific islands in search for oil. The first wave of attack was launching 183 fighters and bombers to destroy American battleships and aircraft carriers along with the airfield and all the planes on the ground. In less than a few hours, the Japanese had killed about 2,400 Americans and wounded many more. The first wave of attack was successful because it was early on a Sunday morning, which meant it was the soldier’s day off, making them completely unprepared for what they were going to face. Another Wave of attack was targeted to completely destroy the harbor. They were able to kill more than 2,300 people and wounded many others. Most of the fatalities had occurred by the explosion of the Arizona. Only 55 airmen and 8 submariners of the Japanese were only killed.

As soon terrible news had reached to Washington, the mood ranged from being super angry to panic. President Franklin Roosevelt had addressed the Congress the next day. ”Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy...” a famous quote said by President Roosevelt. The Congress had approved Roosevelt’s request to fight against the Japanese. America had plotted a raid to ambush Japan, by bombing hundreds of bombs in Tokyo, which was called the Doolittle Raid. The greatest cause of the attack on Pearl Harbor was being isolationists until the devastation we encountered.