The attack on Pearl Harbor (or Hawaii Operation, Operation Z, as it was called by the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters, and Battle of Pearl Harbor by some Americans) was an unannounced military strike conducted by the Japanese navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on the morning of December 7, 1941. It resulted in the United States' entry into World War II. The attack was intended as a preventive action in order to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from influencing the war that the Empire of Japan was conducting in Southeast Asia, against Britain and the Netherlands, as well as the U.S. in the Philippines. The attack consisted of two aerial attack waves totaling 414 aircraft, launched from seven Japanese aircraft carriers.
Five U.S. Navy battleships were sunk (two of which were raised and returned to service later in the war) and all of the five other battleships present were damaged. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship and one minelayer. 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed, 2702 personnel were killed and 1282 were wounded. The power station, shipyard, maintenance, and fuel and torpedo storage facilities, as well as the submarine piers and headquarters building (also home of the intelligence section) were not attacked. Japanese losses were light, with 47 aircraft and five midget submarines lost, and 65 servicemen killed or wounded. One Japanese sailor was captured.
The attack was a major engagement of World War II and came as a profound shock to the American people. Domestic support for isolationism, which had been strong, disappeared. Germany's ill-considered declaration of war on the U.S., which was not required by any treaty commitment, moved the U.S. from clandestine support of Britain (for example the Neutrality Patrol) into active alliance and full participation in the European Theater. Despite numerous historical precedents for unannounced military action, the lack of any formal warning by Japan, particularly while negotiations were still apparently ongoing, led to it being characterized as a "sneak attack", and to President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaiming December 7 "a date which will live in infamy".
Attack Timeline
0342 Minesweeper CONDOR sights periscope off Honolulu Harbor ... notifies patrol destroyer WARD to investigate. 0458 Minesweeper CROSSBILL and CONDOR enter Pearl Harbor ... defective submarine net remains open.
0600 - 200 miles south of Oahu carrier ENTERPRISE launches 18 aircraft to scout ahead ... then to land at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor ... ETA 0800.
0610 - 220 miles north of Oahu Admiral Nagumo orders launching of 1st wave of 183 aircraft off three carriers ... two are lost during takeoff.
0630 Destroyer WARD again notified of submarine sighting this time by supply ship ANTARES off Pearl Harbor entrance ... Navy patrol plane (PBY) dispatched to the scene.
0645 WARD opens fire on target hitting conning tower ... as she closes in drops depth charges ... air attack by PBY follows.
0653 WARD'S commander Captain Outerbridge sends message to Commandant 14th Naval District: "We have attacked, fired upon and dropped depth charges upon submarine operating in defensive sea area".
0700 Commander Fuchida flying towards Oahu directs his pilots to home in on local radio station. 0702 Private's Lockhard and Elliott of Opana Radar Station pick up what appears to be a flight of unidentified aircraft bearing in 132 miles north of Oahu ... discussion follows.
0706 Private Elliott phones switchboard operator Joseph McDonald at Information Center, Ft. Shafter, telling of a large formation of aircraft approaching the Island.
0715 Capt. Outerbridge's attack message, delayed in decoding is delivered to duty officer, 14th Naval District, and to Admiral Kimmel's duty officer ... Japanese launch 2nd wave of 168 assault aircraft ...
0720 Joseph McDonald finding Lt. Tyler in Information Center, calls Opana and patches Lt. Tyler thru to Private Lockard who describes the large flight picked up on radar and is told, "Well don't worry about it." (See Pvt. Joseph McDonald's account under the Survivor Remembrances "An Army Private is one of the first to know of the coming attack)"
0733 Important message from Gen Marshall from Washington to Short received via RCA in Honolulu ... cablegram has no indication of priority ... messenger Tadao Fuchikami proceeds on normal route ...
0735 Reconnaissance plane from cruiser CHIKUMA reports main fleet in Pearl Harbor ...
0739 Opana Station loses aircraft on radar 20 miles off coast of Oahu due to "dead zone" caused by surrounding hills ...
0740 1st wave sights North Shore of Oahu ... deployment for attack begins ...
0749 Commander Fuchida orders attack ... all pilots to begin assault on military bases on Oahu ...
0753 Fuchida radios code to entire Japanese Navy "TORA TORA TORA" indicating success ... maximum strategic surprise ... Pearl Harbor caught unaware ...
0755 Island wide attack begins ... Japanese dive bombers to strike airfields Kaneohe, Ford Island, Hickam, Bellows, Wheeler, Ewa ... Aerial torpedo planes begin their run on ships in Pearl Harbor ...
- ATTACK ERUPTS AT PEARL HARBOR**
Along Battleship Row, battle wagons feel the sting of the newly perfected torpedoes specifically designed for the shallow waters of Pearl Harbor At 1010 dock violent explosions rock light cruiser HELENA on her starboard side crippling both her and minelayer OGLALA moored beside her ... On the other side of Battleship Row, Ford Island, target ship UTAH also feels the sting of the torpedoes ... and like the battleship OKLAHOMA begins to capsize ... Light cruiser RALEIGH moored ahead of the UTAH takes measures to prevent capsizing ... Commander Logan Ramsey of Ford Island Command Center sends out message for all radiomen on duty to send out in plain English "AIR RAID PEARL HARBOR THIS IS NO DRILL" ... Second dispatch orders all patrol planes to seek out enemy ... Simultaneously the call for General Quarters echos throughout Pearl Harbor ... each ship and their personnel in turn swing into action against the attacking Japanese ... one quarter of all guns respond to the enemy ...
0800 B-17's from the mainland reach Oahu after 14 hour flight ... Aircraft from carrier ENTERPRISE arrive Ford Island ... both caught between enemy and friendly fire ...
0802 Machine guns on battleship NEVADA open fire on torpedo planes approaching her port beam ... two planes hit ... however, one missile tears huge hole in ship's port bow ...
0805 Repair ship VESTAL moored outboard of battleship ARIZONA opens fire ... Admiral Kimmel arrives CINCPAC headquarters..Battleship CALIFORNIA receives second torpedo "portside at frame 110" ... prompt action directed by Ensign Edgar M. Fain prevents ship from capsizing ... High level bombers begin their run "on both bows" of battleship row ...
0808 KGMB radio interrupts music calling for: "All Army, Navy and Marine personnel to report to duty" ... High level bombers unleash armour piercing, delayed action bombs from altitude of 10,000 feet scoring hits on battleships ...
0810 Forward magazines on battleship ARIZONA suddenly ignite resulting in a tremendous explosion and huge fireball sinking the battleship within nine minutes ... concussion of explosion blows men off repair ship VESTAL ...
0812 General Short advises entire Pacific Fleet and Washington, "Hostilities with Japan commenced with air raid on Pearl Harbor"
0815 KGMB interrupts music with 2nd call ordering all military personnel to report for duty ...
0817 USS HELM first of several destroyers to clear Pearl Harbor spots a midget submarine struggling to enter harbor ... shots fired misses target ... sub frees itself from reef and submerges ...
0825 Using a Browning Automatic Rifle Lt. Stephen Saltzman and Sgt. Lowell Klatt shot down enemy plane making strafing run on Schofield Barracks ...
0826 Honolulu Fire Department responds to call for assistance from Hickam Field ... three firemen killed ... six wounded ...
0830 Third call out for military via local radio stations ...
0835 Tanker NEOSHO half loaded with high octane aviation fuel moves clear of Battleship Row and oil tanks on Ford Island ... Damage reported in city ... Police warn civilians to leave streets and return to their homes ...
0839 Seaplane tender CURTISS sights midget sub in harbor and commences to fire ... Destroyer MONAGHAN heads for intruder at ramming speed ...
0840 Submarine surfaces after sustaining damage...MONAGHAN hits sub and drops depth charges as she passes ... first explanation over local radio stations. "A sporadic air attack ... rising sun sighted on wing tips" ...
0850 Lt. Commander Shimazaki orders deployment of 2nd wave over military bases on Oahu ...
0854 Attack run begins ... 54 high-level bombers hit Naval air stations, 78 dive bombers hit ships in Pearl, 36 fighters circle over harbor to maintain air control ...
0900 Crew of the Dutch liner JAGERSFONTEIN opens up with her guns, the first Allies to join the fight ... Radios throughout the island crack out urgent messages "Get off roads and stay off ... Don't block traffic ... Stay at home ... This is the real McCoy" ...
0930 Tremendous explosions rocks destroyer SHAW sending debris everywhere ... bomb falls near Governor's home ...
1000 First wave arrives back on carriers, 190 miles north of Oahu ...
1005 Governor Poindexter calls local papers announcing state of emergency for entire territory of Hawaii
1030 Mayor's Major Disaster Council meets at city hall ... Reports from local hospitals pour in listing civilian casualties ...
1100 Commander Fuchida circles over Pearl Harbor ... assesses damage then returns to carrier task force ... All schools on Oahu ordered to close ...
1115 State of emergency announced over radio by Governor Poindexter ...
1142 As per orders by Army local stations go off the air ... General short confers with Governor regarding martial law ...
1146 First report of many false sightings of enemy troops landing on Oahu ...
1210 American planes fly north in search for enemy with negative results ...
1230 Honolulu police raid Japanese embassy ... find them burning documents ... Blackout to begin at night ordered by Army ...
1240 Governor confers with President Roosevelt regarding martial law ... both agree it necessary that the military take over the civilian government ...
1300 Commander Fuchida lands on board carrier AKAGI ... discussion follows with Admiral Nagumo and staff concerning feasibility of launching third wave ...
1330 Signal flags on carrier AKAGI orders Japanese task force to withdraw ... Territorial director of civil defense orders blackout every night until further notice ...
1458 Tadao Fuchikami delivers message from Washington ... message decoded and given to General Short regarding ultimatum from Japan to be given at 1300 Washington time ... "Just what significance the hour set may have we do not know, but be on the alert accordingly" ...
1625 Governor signs Proclamation ... martial law put into effect..
Aftermath
With significant losses to the American Pacific fleet, the launch of War Plan Orange was under question. However, Roosevelt insisted that the Japanese pose a far greater threat to America than Nazi Germany. The British Navy had dealt successfully with the U-Boat issue and so Roosevelt ordered the Atlantic Fleet through the Panama Canal to become the Pacific Fleet. The War in the Pacific would take only two years with Roosevelt dying on the eve of Operation Downfall.