What year was Pearl Harbor? Pearl Harbor: causes and results

A row of battleships (“Battleship Row” are concrete piles to which heavy ships were moored side to side) at Pearl Harbor. From left to right: USS West Virginia, USS Tennessee (damaged) and USS Arizona (sunk).

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Pearl Harbor attack(Pearl Bay) or, according to Japanese sources, the Hawaiian operation - a sudden combined attack by Japanese carrier-based aircraft of the aircraft carrier formation of Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo and Japanese midget submarines, delivered to the site of the attack by submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy, on American naval and air bases , located in the vicinity of Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, which occurred on Sunday morning, December 7, 1941. As a result of the attack on the Pearl Harbor naval base, the United States was forced to declare war on Japan and enter World War II. The attack was a preventive measure against the United States, aimed at eliminating the American navy, gaining air supremacy in the Pacific region and subsequent military operations against Burma, Thailand, and the US's western possessions in the Pacific Ocean. The attack consisted of two air raids involving 353 aircraft from 6 Japanese aircraft carriers. The attack on Pearl Harbor was the main reason the United States entered World War II. Because of the attack, especially its nature, public opinion in America changed dramatically from an isolationist position in the mid-1930s to direct participation in the war effort. On December 8, 1941, US President Franklin Roosevelt spoke at a joint meeting of both houses of Congress. The President demanded that from December 7, from “a day that will go down in history as a symbol of shame,” to declare war on Japan. Congress adopted a corresponding resolution.

A model of the US Navy base at Pearl Harbor, built in Japan in 1941 during the planning of the attack on the base. The arrangement of the ship models extremely accurately reproduces their real place in the “line of battleships.”

Background
After the First World War, the Pacific Ocean became an arena of contradictions between two strong maritime states - the USA and Japan. The United States, rapidly rising to the position of the leading world power, sought to establish control over this strategically important region. Japan, which was experiencing serious difficulties in providing strategic materials and considered itself deprived of colonies in Southeast Asia, was striving for the same goal. The contradictions inevitably had to result in a military conflict, but this was prevented by the isolationist and anti-war sentiments that dominated American public opinion. These moods could only be destroyed by a strong psychological shock, which did not take long to arrive. The introduction of economic sanctions against Japan by the United States, which included an embargo on the supply of petroleum products, made war inevitable. Japan was faced with a choice - to suffocate under the economic blockade or die with honor, trying to obtain the resources it needed in battle. The top Japanese generals understood that for an unconditional victory over the United States it was necessary to defeat the American Pacific Fleet, land troops on the west coast of the United States and fight to Washington, which, given the ratio of the economic and military potentials of the two countries, was completely unrealistic. Forced to enter the war under pressure from the political elite, they relied on the only chance they had - with one powerful blow, inflicting unacceptable damage on the United States and forcing them to sign peace on terms favorable to Japan.

Pearl Harbor before the attack
The main events of December 7, 1941 unfolded around Fr. Ford Island, a small island in the center of the East Loch of Pearl Harbor. There was a naval airfield on the island, and there were ship moorings around it. Off the southeastern shore of the island. Ford is located so-called “Battleship Row” - 6 pairs of massive concrete piles designed for mooring heavy ships. The battleship is moored simultaneously to two piles. A second ship can moor alongside it.

View of Pearl Harbor and a row of battleships during the Japanese attack

By December 7, there were 93 ships and support vessels in Pearl Harbor. Among them are 8 battleships, 8 cruisers, 29 destroyers, 5 submarines, 9 minelayers and 10 minesweepers of the US Navy. The air force consisted of 394 aircraft, and air defense was provided by 294 anti-aircraft guns. The base garrison numbered 42,959 people. Ships in the harbor and planes at the airfield were crowded together, making them a convenient target for attack. The base's air defense was not ready to repel attacks. Most of the anti-aircraft guns were not manned, and their ammunition was kept under lock and key.

Japanese aircraft carriers are heading for Pearl Harbor. The photo shows the flight deck of the Zuikaku aircraft carrier in its bow, twin installations of universal 127-mm type 89 guns. The Kaga aircraft carrier (closer) and the Akagi aircraft carrier (further) are visible ahead. The differences between the aircraft carriers of the 1st Division are clearly visible; the Akagi has a superstructure located on the port side.

Story

To attack Pearl Harbor, the Japanese command allocated an aircraft carrier force under the command of Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, consisting of 23 ships and 8 tankers. The formation consisted of a Strike Group consisting of six aircraft carriers: Akagi, Hiryu, Kaga, Shokaku, Soryu and Zuikaku (1st, 2nd and 5th aircraft carrier divisions), Group cover (2nd detachment of the 3rd battleship division), two heavy cruisers (8th cruiser division), one light cruiser and nine destroyers (1st destroyer squadron), an advance detachment consisting of three submarines and a supply detachment of eight tankers. (Futida M., Okumiya M. The Battle of Midway Atoll. Translated from English. M., 1958. P. 52.) The aviation group of the formation consisted of a total of 353 aircraft.

The operation, which was carefully planned and prepared, was led by the commander of the combined Japanese fleet, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. Particular importance was attached to achieving surprise in the attack. On November 22, 1941, the task force gathered in the strictest secrecy in Hitokappu Bay (Kuril Islands) and from here, observing radio silence, headed for Pearl Harbor on November 26. The transition took place along the longest (6300 km) route, characterized by frequent stormy weather, but least visited by ships. For camouflage purposes, a false radio exchange was made, which simulated the presence of all large Japanese ships in the Inland Sea of ​​Japan. (Soviet military encyclopedia. T.6. P. 295.)

Briefing on the deck of the aircraft carrier Kaga before the attack on Pearl Harbor

However, for the American government, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was not so unexpected. The Americans deciphered the Japanese codes and read all Japanese messages for several months. The warning about the inevitability of war was sent on time - November 27, 1941. The Americans received a clear warning about Pearl Harbor at the last moment, on the morning of December 7, but the instruction about the need to increase vigilance, sent via commercial lines, reached Pearl Harbor only 22 minutes before the Japanese attack began, and was transmitted to the messengers only at 10:45 minutes when it was all over. (See: History of the War in the Pacific. T.Z.M., 1958. P. 264; Second World War: Two Views. P. 465.)

In the predawn darkness of December 7, Vice Admiral Nagumo's aircraft carriers reached the aircraft lifting point and were 200 miles from Pearl Harbor. On the night of December 7, 2 Japanese destroyers fired on the island. Midway, and 5 Japanese midget submarines launched at Pearl Harbor began operating. Two of them were destroyed by American patrol forces.

At 6.00 on December 7, 183 aircraft of the first wave took off from aircraft carriers and headed for the target. There were 49 attack aircraft - type "97" bombers, each of which carried an 800-kilogram armor-piercing bomb, 40 attack aircraft-torpedo bombers with a torpedo suspended under the fuselage, 51 dive bombers of the "99" type, each carrying a 250-kilogram bomb. The covering force consisted of three groups of fighters, numbering a total of 43 aircraft. (Futida M., Okumiya M., op. cit. p. 54.)

The first aircraft is ready to take off from the aircraft carrier Shokaku at Pearl Harbor

The skies over Pearl Harbor were clear. At 7:55 am, Japanese planes attacked all large ships and aircraft at the airfield. There was not a single American fighter in the air, and not a single gun flash on the ground. As a result of the Japanese attack, which lasted about an hour, 3 battleships were sunk and a large number of aircraft were destroyed. Having finished bombing, the bombers headed for their aircraft carriers. The Japanese lost 9 aircraft.

Destroyed Naval Air Station at Pearl Harbor

The second wave of aircraft (167 aircraft) took off from the aircraft carriers at 7:15 am. In the second wave there were 54 attack bombers of the 97 type, 78 dive bombers of the 99 type and 35 fighter jets, which covered the actions of the bombers. The second strike by Japanese planes met stronger American resistance. By 8.00 the planes returned to the aircraft carriers. Of all the aircraft that took part in the air raid, the Japanese lost 29 (9 fighters, 15 dive bombers and 5 torpedo bombers). Manpower losses amounted to a total of 55 officers and men. In addition, the Americans sank one submarine and 5 midget submarines, whose actions turned out to be ineffective.

The abandonment of the battleship Nevada inside the harbor during the attack on Pearl Harbor. On this day, she became the only American battleship that managed to get underway and tried to leave the bay. However, due to the threat of sinking by the Japanese in the fairway, the Nevada was ordered to beach. In total, during the attack on Pearl Harbor, the battleship Nevada was hit by 1 aerial torpedo and 2-3 aerial bombs, after which it ran aground.

Japanese aviation
In total, three types of aircraft were based on the Japanese aircraft carriers that participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor, widely known by the code names given to them in the American Navy: Zero fighters, Kate torpedo bombers and Val dive bombers. Brief characteristics of these aircraft are given in the table:

Japanese A6M Zero fighters before taking off to attack the American base at Pearl Harbor on the deck of the aircraft carrier Akagi. The photo was taken a few minutes before departure.

Aircraft of the first wave

Group numbers are conditional for designation on diagrams.

Aircraft of the second wave

Group numbers are conditional for designation on diagrams.

Results
As a result of the Japanese airborne attack on Pearl Harbor, the strategic goal of preventing the US Pacific Fleet from interfering with Japanese operations in the south was largely achieved. 4 American battleships were sunk and 4 more were badly damaged. 10 other warships were sunk or disabled; 349 American aircraft destroyed or damaged; among the killed or wounded Americans - 3,581 military, 103 civilian. (World War II: Two Views. P. 466.)

The Japanese victory could have been even more significant. They failed to cause the slightest harm to the enemy aircraft carriers. All 4 American aircraft carriers were absent from Pearl Harbor: 3 of them went to sea, one was being repaired in California. The Japanese made no attempt to destroy the huge American oil reserves in Hawaii, which in fact were almost equal to the entire Japanese reserves. The Japanese formation, with the exception of the ships that were part of a specially organized formation, which consisted of the 2nd division of aircraft carriers, the 8th division of cruisers and 2 destroyers, headed for the inland Sea of ​​Japan. On December 23, it arrived at the anchorage near the island. Hasira.

Thus, by 10 a.m. on December 7, the American fleet in the Pacific actually ceased to exist. If at the beginning of the war the ratio of the combat power of the American and Japanese fleets was equal to 10: 7.5 (History of the War in the Pacific. T.Z. P. 266), now the ratio in large ships has changed in favor of the Japanese naval forces. On the very first day of hostilities, the Japanese gained supremacy at sea and gained the opportunity to conduct extensive offensive operations in the Philippines, Malaya and the Dutch Indies.

Battleship California and tanker Neosho during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The battleship California sank after being hit by two torpedoes and two bombs. The team could have saved the ship, and even set sail, but abandoned it due to the threat of a fire from a flaming slick of oil leaking from other battleships. The ship landed on the ground. Has been restored.In the background is the squadron tanker Neosho, subsequently sunk by Japanese carrier-based aircraft in the battle in the Coral Sea in May 1942. Fortunately for the Americans, as a result of the fact that during the Pearl Harbor attack the Japanese pilots had warships as a clear target, the tanker was not hit. The Neosho tanks were filled to capacity with high-octane aviation gasoline...

There are several facts that are difficult to explain.

Mysteries of World War II

The incomprehensible actions of politicians include the completely inexplicable and atypical humanism for Hitler, shown in relation to the British troops surrounded at Dunkirk, whom he allowed to evacuate unhindered. The attack on the USSR also seems illogical to many historians, because it took place at a time when German forces were dispersed over vast areas from North Africa to Yugoslavia, and ships were conducting combat operations even near South America. Hitler never occupied half of France, although he could have: there was no one to offer much resistance to him. The Cote d'Azur, Nice, Marseille, cognac wines, French wines, again - all this is at hand. Warm, comfortable, good roads. And the possessed one suddenly needed to conquer Vapnyarka and Vasilyevka.

It is unclear why and why

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor also seems completely illogical and even crazy. In Europe the situation is critical, Hitler is stuck in the frosty steppes of the Moscow region. He would like to get at least some help from his allies. It's hard for Hitler. But Stalin knows that Japan will not attack, we have an agreement with them. True, he was also with the Germans... But Joseph Vissarionovich is not afraid. For some reason he is confident in the Japanese, and boldly withdraws the Siberian divisions to Moscow, practically exposing the Far East. Maybe the samurai are not strong enough, and Richard Sorge warned about this? May be. There is even a version that it was this Soviet intelligence officer who encouraged the Japanese leadership to attack Pearl Harbor. History does not yet have documentary evidence of such a hypothesis, but if we proceed from the ancient Roman principle “Who benefits?”, then it seems plausible.

Japanese gift to Stalin and Churchill

And now the weak Japanese attack, but not on the USSR, but on the American fleet base of Pearl Harbor. That is, the USA, a neutral country until December 7, 1941, although it supported England and the USSR in their fight against Germany. It would be extremely difficult to come up with a better gift for Stalin and Churchill. Now America is simply forced to enter the Second World War, and, as they say, “in full force.” And the question is, what was the Japanese General Staff counting on? Even if it were possible to destroy the entire American Pacific fleet, there was no hope that the United States would not react to such a blow. And the industrial capacity and economic potential of this country were already great then. By irritating this giant, the Japanese leadership made a terrible mistake. Admiral Yamamoto, commander of the imperial fleet, was against this attack, but as a samurai he was forced to carry out the order.

Yamomoto's success

Much of the military success was due to the complete surprise of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor by the Americans. They really weren't expecting him. The result was impressive: four battleships were sunk, two of which were subsequently recovered, and another ten relatively small ships were irretrievably lost. Significant damage was caused to American aviation: three and a half hundred Air Force aircraft were burned, mainly at airfields. More than 3,600 Americans died, most of them military sailors. When the battleship Arizona exploded, 1,177 members of its crew sank to the bottom; in their memory, a memorial was built in Pearl Harbor in 1962.

Defeat of the winners

However, it cannot be said that the Japanese aircraft carrier group dealt a fatal blow to the US military power. Huge fuel storage facilities survived. The main striking force - four aircraft carriers - left the Pearl Harbor base at the time of the attack. The attack, as well as the victory, were completely senseless, moreover, harmful and aggravating the position of Imperial Japan. Public opinion in the United States, which before December 7 was rather pacifist (they say, let the Europeans fight, but we don’t need that), immediately became militant. There were calls to “teach these cross-eyed Japs a lesson.” Machiavelli once said that a blow should either be fatal or should not be given at all. He understood these matters...

If you look at where Pearl Harbor is on the world map, it’s hard to believe that this paradise of the Hawaiian Islands became a real hell one Sunday morning. On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor using the troops of Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, who was assisted by midget submarines delivered to the site by submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy. This date remains in the memory of the American people as a reminder of the horrors of a war that must not be repeated.

US Navy military exercises

The US Pacific Fleet, which was located at the Pearl Harbor military base, was considered one of the strongest fleets in the world. The military base was perfectly protected from attacks from sea and air. To test combat readiness, the Americans conducted large-scale military exercises.

In 1932, during the exercises, the American Admiral Yarmouth (commander of the “offensive” forces) behaved untypically, and instead of unleashing the full power of the naval squadron entrusted to him on the Pearl Harbor military base, he decided to attack only with the help of two fast aircraft carriers (which appeared in the fleet not so long ago). Having approached the target at a distance of 40 miles, the admiral sent 152 aircraft into battle. The attacking air forces brilliantly coped with the combat mission, conditionally destroying all aircraft at the enemy base.

Despite the complete defeat of the defenders, the US military command believed that in a real battle the aircraft carriers would be destroyed and most of the aircraft would be shot down, since the real results of the battle would differ significantly from the simulated attacks. The exercises of 1937 and 1938, as a result of which carrier-based aircraft again completely defeated the mock enemy, did not prove anything to the American military.

The thing is that battleships were considered the main force in the 1930s; attacking these powerful warships was considered a deliberately failed idea if the enemy did not have the same class of warships. All major world powers believed that the success of a war at sea depended on a single meeting of the navies of the two powers. Victory was guaranteed to be won by the side whose number of battleships exceeded its opponent. Although aircraft carriers played an important role in navies, their task was only to support battleships. The American military command was skeptical about the results of the exercises.

On November 11, 1940, a battle took place between the English aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious and the Italian battle fleet. Contrary to expectations, an attack by aircraft from a single aircraft carrier was able to destroy one Italian battleship and put two others out of action. The battle in the harbor of Taranto was considered by the American military to be luck and the result of the irresponsible attitude of the Italian military towards the battle.

Prerequisites for preparing the attack on Pearl Harbor

It is still unknown exactly why Japan decided to attack Pearl Harbor. The prerequisites for this were already evident in 1927. This year, the future Chief of Staff of the 1st Carrier Fleet, Kusaka Ryunosuke, who had just graduated from a specialized naval staff college and was at that time a captain of the second rank, began developing plans to attack the US naval base at Pearl Harbor.

Shortly after graduating from college, he was appointed to teach an aviation course to 10 important government officials, among whom was Nagano Osami (admiral and future marshal of the Imperial Japanese Navy). It was during this course that Kusaka Ryunosuke wrote a document stating that if a general battle with the American fleet did not take place, since it refused to go to the open sea, it would be necessary to urgently seize the initiative and strike at Pearl Harbor. This operation can only be carried out by aviation.

This document was published in only 30 copies and secretly distributed to the command staff. Most likely, he came to the attention of Admiral Yamamoto, after which he formed a plan in his head to attack Japan on Pearl Harbor. The results of the naval exercises forced the Japanese to take a different look at the use of aircraft carriers, and the battle in Taranto harbor convinced them of their idea.

Although Admiral Yamamoto did not approve of Japan's entry into World War II (he especially did not like the conclusion of the Tripartite Pact), as a professional military man, he did everything necessary to prepare the Japanese fleet for future hostilities. In particular, he increased the number of aircraft carriers and carried out the attack plan on Pearl Harbor.

It should be understood that Admiral Yamamoto could not have carried out the plan to attack Pearl Harbor on his own. When the situation between Japan and the United States became so tense that war became almost inevitable, Yamamoto turned to Rear Admiral Kaijiro Onishi, who commanded the 11th Air Force, for help. Kaijiro had at his disposal only Zero fighters and G3M and G4M torpedo bombers, which due to insufficient range could not participate in this operation. Onishi advised the distressed Yamamoto to contact his deputy, Minoru Gende.

Why was Genda chosen? This man, in addition to being an ace pilot (his combat fighter unit was nicknamed “Genda magicians”), had an excellent sense of tactics. In addition, he was considered the best specialist in Japan in the combat use of aircraft carriers. Genda carefully studied all the possibilities of attacking the US Pacific Fleet at the Pearl Harbor base and calculated how much material and human resources would be needed. To successfully carry out the operation, according to Genda, 6 heavy aircraft carriers were needed. It was necessary to place only the best pilots on all planes, and the operation itself had to be carried out in the strictest secrecy to ensure complete surprise.

Detailed study of the combat operation

The development of the plan for the attack on Pearl Harbor was entrusted to one of the main officers of the United Fleet, Kuroshima Kameto. This officer was distinguished by his eccentricity and originality. When he “created”, he locked himself in his cabin for several days, stripped naked and sat on the table in this form, fumigating the entire room with incense. It was this strange man who developed the entire tactical plan for an attack on a US military base, taking into account all possible nuances.

The finished detailed plan was submitted to the naval general headquarters for trial, where it unexpectedly met with strong distrust and opposition. Many officers, not believing the effectiveness of aircraft carriers, believed that as a result of this operation they could all die. In addition, some were distrustful of such a large-scale operation, in which too much depended on various factors:

• The surprise factor could fail, and the aircraft carriers would be shot on the approach to the base;
• The number of ships at the base was unknown, as was their readiness for surprise combat;
• The state of the military base's air defenses was also unknown;
• Weather conditions could also interfere with the military operation.

Admiral Yamamoto fiercely defended his plan, as he was a very gambler, ready to put everything he had on the line. When the General Staff was ready to abandon the risky operation, Admiral Yamamoto threatened to resign. Due to the fact that Admiral Yamamoto was a highly respected person, his departure would be a disaster, so the Chief of the General Naval Staff, Nagano, had no choice but to accept Yamamoto’s plan. Admiral Nagumo also doubted success. To convince him, Yamamoto stated that he was ready to personally lead troops into battle if Admiral Nagumo was afraid. In order not to “lose face,” Nagumo was forced to agree.

Why did Japan go to war with the USA?

Many still do not understand how Japan entered into a war with such a powerful power as the United States of America. This was due to several reasons:

1. In 1937, Japan began a war with China, which was an economically backward country. For 3 years, Japanese troops advanced to the border of Indochina, which led to an escalation of the conflict with England and the United States;
2. In 1940, Japan concluded the Tripartite Pact, which was a military alliance between three countries (Germany, Italy and Japan), which greatly influenced the deterioration of relations with the United States;
3. In July 1941, when Japanese troops invaded Indochina, the United States, Holland and Great Britain imposed an embargo on oil exports to Japan.

It was this last point that was the last straw in the aggravation of relations between Japan and the United States. Japan's oil fuel reserves would last for 3 years, after which the powers with oil fields could demand any price for oil, so the Japanese command decided to seize the oil fields of Southeast Asia. Naturally, the United States did not like this decision, so the Japanese command was faced with two options for possible events:

1. Capture oil fields and give battle to the American fleet on the high seas (which was quite problematic, since the forces of the American fleet were significantly superior to the Japanese fleet);
2. First, defeat the enemy’s navy (through a surprise attack), and then concentrate forces on the occupation.

As you might guess, the second option turned out to be preferable.

Attack on Pearl Harbor

The Japanese military unit left the Kure base between November 10 and 18, 1941. On November 22, the combat formation was in Hitokappu Bay, in the Kuril Islands area. All the necessary equipment was loaded onto the warships, including canvas covers for guns and barrels of fuel for aircraft. The people who were given a full set of winter uniforms were not forgotten either.

On November 26, the ships set off for the collection point. They all took different routes so as not to attract suspicion. It was at the gathering point that it was to be decided whether war with the United States would begin or not.

On December 1, Japan decided to start a war with the United States, which was announced to Admiral Nagumo, who commanded the entire operation, the very next day. The attack on Pearl Harbor was scheduled for December 7, which was transmitted in a coded order that read "Ascend Mount Niitaka."

In addition to aircraft carriers, about 30 different submarines took part in the combat operation, 16 of which were powerful submarines with a long range. 11 submarines each carried 1 seaplane, and 5 carried small submarines.

At 6 o'clock in the morning, combat aircraft began to take off from aircraft carriers that were 230 miles from the Hawaiian Islands. Each plane took off with precise synchronization relative to the pitching of the aircraft carriers.

First wave of attack on Pearl Harbor

The first combat wave, which went to bomb the US naval base, included:

1. 40 Nakajima B5N2 torpedo bombers, whose torpedoes (especially for attacks in shallow water) were equipped with wooden stabilizers;
2. 49 aircraft of the same type, which carried huge 800 kg bombs - deeply modernized and converted battleship shells;
3. 51 aircraft of the Aichi D3A1 type (dive bomber), each of which carried a bomb weighing 250 kg;
4. 43 Mitsubishi A6M2 fighters, whose task was to cover the bombers.

Perhaps the US Navy could have prepared for an attack in advance if it had promptly responded to the discovery of one of the Japanese mini-submarines. At 3:42 a.m., one of the US minesweepers noticed the periscope of a submarine that was located near the entrance to the harbor. The information was transmitted to the destroyer USS Aaron Ward, which unsuccessfully searched for her for 3 hours. At 6 o'clock this or another submarine was discovered by the Catalina flying boat, and already at 6-45 the destroyer sank it. 10 minutes after the destruction of the submarine, the destroyer transmitted a message to the duty officer, which reached him only at 7-12.

The approach of Japanese planes was noticed at 7-02 by a radar station. Privates Joseph Lockard and George Elliott, who were operators of the radar station, reported this to duty officer Joseph MacDonald, who in turn reported this information to Lieutenant K. Tyler. Knowing that B-17 bombers were about to arrive at the Pearl Harbor military base, the lieutenant reassured those on duty, saying that there was no cause for concern. The radio station, which pilots often used as a bearing, also spoke about this. That is why numerous danger signals were ignored.

The commander of the Akagi air group, Futida, in the memoirs he wrote after the war, rather inaccurately describes the signal for the attack. Although he gave it at 7:49, it was a repeated signal. The first signal, sent at 7:40, was a black flare, which was not noticed by Lieutenant Commander Itaya, leading the group of fighters. The second signal was noticed by the dive bomber commander, who immediately launched an attack.

Despite the suddenness of the attack, military musicians on the battleship USS Nevada performed the US national anthem at exactly 8:00, while bombs rained down from all sides. The musicians only lost their rhythm a little once, when one of the bombs almost hit the battleship.

Since the Japanese understood the danger enemy aircraft carriers posed, they were the main target of their attacks. But since the American aircraft carriers were not at the base during the attack, Japanese aircraft focused their attention on the battleships, since they were a fairly important target.

The most important Japanese aircraft that participated in this operation were undoubtedly torpedo bombers. 16 aircraft, due to the absence of aircraft carriers at the base, were left without a specific target and were forced to attack targets at their own discretion, which introduced a certain amount of confusion into a clearly planned attack.

The first targets to be attacked were:

1. Light cruiser USS Raleigh;
2. The old battleship USS Utah, which was mistaken for an aircraft carrier;
3. Light cruiser Detroit.

While the attack was underway, Captain Commander Vincent Murphy discussed details of the report from the destroyer USS Aaron Ward (which sank the Japanese submarine) with Admiral Kimmel. The arriving liaison informed the commander that the attack on Pearl Harbor was not an exercise, which Vincent immediately informed the admiral about. Kimmel, in turn, conveyed this news to all parts of the navy that were at military bases and on the high seas.

Rear Admiral W. Furlong, who was on board the minelayer USS Oglala during the Japanese attack, saw enemy planes in the sky, immediately realized that this was an enemy raid and signaled all ships to leave the bay. At that moment, a Japanese torpedo passed directly under the keel of the USS Oglala, which miraculously escaped damage. It would seem that the minelayer was lucky, but the torpedo, hitting the side of the cruiser USS Helena, damaged the starboard side of the USS Oglala with an explosion, causing the ship to sink to the bottom.

The huge battleship Arizona was sunk in 10 minutes, without having time to fire a single shot. 1,177 sailors went to the bottom with him. In total, 18 ships of the American navy were disabled:

1. Three battleships were sunk;
2. One ran aground;
3. One turned over;
4. The rest received significant damage.

In addition to warships, targets for Japanese aircraft were:

1. The airfield, which was located on Ford Island;
2. Hickam Air Force Base;
3. Wheeler Air Force Base;
4. Seaplane base.

Japanese fighters began destroying American B-17 aircraft, which were nicknamed the “Flying Fortress.”

Heavy aircraft on the ground were an excellent target that was unable to fight back. After the destruction of the B-17, the American carrier-based Dontless bombers became the target of the Japanese fighters.

Second wave of attack on Pearl Harbor

The second wave of Japanese air attack consisted of 167 aircraft. There were no more torpedo bombers in the second wave, since the second attack was only the final stage.

It was during the second Japanese attack that American pilots were able to provide at least some resistance to Japanese aircraft. Haleiv airfield was able to organize two combat sorties consisting of 5 aircraft. These flights occurred from 8-15 to 10-00. As a result of combat missions, American pilots were able to shoot down 7 Japanese aircraft, losing only one of their own. This is an indication that US combat aircraft were significantly superior to Japanese ones.

Results of the attack on Pearl Harbor

Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor was not so much a daring raid as a necessary measure, since Japan's fuel resources were under threat. Despite all the efforts of politicians and diplomats, the oil embargo issue could not be resolved peacefully, so the command of the Japanese army was forced to launch a surprise attack on the American naval base.

This operation was planned by excellent Japanese naval specialists, who took into account every detail with Japanese scrupulousness. Japan's best aviators were selected to take part in the attack.

The main objectives that Japan set for itself when planning the attack on Pearl Harbor were:

1. Completely destroy the American navy so that it does not interfere with the seizure of oil fields;
2. Demoralize the spirit of the American people.

If the first task was partially completed, then the second one came true exactly the opposite. The entire war with Japan took place under the slogan “Remember Pearl Harbor.”

Since the American aircraft carriers survived, they were able to turn the tide of the Battle of Midway, after which the Japanese fleet lost 4 aircraft carriers and about 250 aircraft, forever losing the ability to operate without coastal artillery cover.

Due to the excessive caution of Admiral Nagumo, who did not strike at the base’s infrastructure, the docks and oil storage facilities remained intact. Continuing the offensive in this direction could have consolidated the success, but the Japanese command decided to transfer aircraft to southeast Asia, hastening to seize rich oil fields.

Pearl Harbor Memorial

The Pearl Harbor Memorials consist of two large complexes:

1. USS Arizona Memorial;
2. USS Missouri Memorial.

The Arizona Memorial is located above the site of the sinking of the battleship of the same name. Since its construction in 1962, more than a million people have visited this memorial. There is a tradition in the United States according to which every president of this country must visit this memorial at least once.

The second Missouri Memorial is located aboard the decommissioned battleship Missouri, which is a museum ship. It was on this warship that the Japanese surrender was signed in 1945.

The attack on the Pearl Harbor military base killed approximately 2,500 people. This operation did not bring Japan a complete victory over the American navy, but showed the superiority of aircraft carriers over battleships.

", I would like to tell you about another myth, namely that the United States suddenly stopped supplying petroleum products to Japan in order to provoke the Japanese, and that it was for this reason that Japan decided to attack Pearl Harbor.

This article is written primarily based on the Wikipedia article, as well as other articles that I link to in the text.

Long before the attack on Pearl Harbor, back in November - December 1937, during the Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese army launched an attack on Nanjing along the Yangtze River, and on December 12, 1937, Japanese aircraft carried out an unprovoked raid on American ships stationed near Nanjing, which were part of the so-called “Yangtze Patrol” (Yangtze Patrol or YangPat for short).

YangPat was originally part of the United States Navy's East India Asiatic Squadron, which existed under various names from 1854 to 1945. In 1922, YangPat was created as a formal component of the Asiatic Fleet. Under treaties signed by the United States, Japan, and various European powers, YangPat was allowed to sail the rivers of China and engage in "gunboat diplomacy." They also patrolled the coastal waters, protecting their citizens, their property, and their religious missions.

So, Japanese aircraft carried out an unprovoked raid on YangPat, as a result of which the American gunboat Panay was sunk, but despite this, the United States not only did not declare war on Japan, but even the supply of petroleum products to Japan was not stopped. Moreover, after this YangPat ceased its mission and was withdrawn from China, which proves that the United States did not really want to fight.

Japan then invaded what was then French Indochina in 1940, cutting off the Sino-Vietnamese Railway, through which China imported weapons, fuel, and 10,000 tons of materials from its Western allies every month. But even after this, the United States did not stop oil supplies, but only banned the export of aircraft, spare parts, machine tools and aviation fuel to Japan.

It was only after the Japanese completely occupied Indochina in July 1941 that the United States froze Japanese financial assets and imposed a comprehensive trade embargo on August 1.

After the embargo was imposed, the Japanese Ambassador in Washington and Secretary of State Cordell Hull held numerous meetings to discuss a solution to the Japanese-American problems, but no solution could be agreed upon for three main reasons:

1. Japan's alliance with Hitler's Germany and Italy
2. Japan wanted to establish economic control over all of Southeast Asia.
3. Japan refused to leave mainland China.

And this is called a sudden embargo? It turns out that the Japanese decided to attack Pearl Harbor only in August 1941, after the Americans imposed an embargo, and it took about 4 months to prepare the entire operation?

In fact, preliminary planning for the attack on Pearl Harbor began early in 1941 under the auspices of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, then in command of the Japanese Combined Fleet. Full-scale planning for the operation began in the early spring of 1941. Over the next few months, pilot training took place, equipment adaptation and reconnaissance were carried out. Despite these preparations, the attack plan was approved by Emperor Hirohito on November 5, after the third of four Imperial Conferences convened to consider the matter. The final decision was made by the emperor only on December 1.

Although by late 1941 many observers believed that hostilities between the United States and Japan were imminent, and U.S. Pacific bases and installations were placed on alert several times, American officials doubted that Pearl Harbor would be the first target. They expected that the bases in the Philippines would be attacked, since it was through them that supplies went to the south, which were the main goal of Japan. The most likely target of the Japanese, according to the Americans, was to be the US naval base in Manila. The Americans also mistakenly believed that Japan was incapable of conducting more than one major naval operation at a time.

So, the Americans expected the Japanese to attack the Philippines, and the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Why Pearl Harbor? There were 3 main reasons for this:

1. By defeating the American Pacific Fleet, the Japanese hoped to prevent it from interfering with the conquest of the Dutch East Indies and Malaya.
2. The Japanese hoped to buy time so that Japan could strengthen its position and increase its naval forces before the Vinson-Walsh Act of 1940 took effect (the Act provided for a 70% increase in US naval forces). since the Japanese's chances of winning after this were greatly reduced.
3. Finally, the attack would be a heavy blow to American morale, which would deter Americans from participating in the war in the Western Pacific and the Dutch East Indies. To achieve maximum effect, battleships were chosen as the main targets, as they were the most prestigious ships in any navy in the world at the time.

In addition, back in November 1940, the British carried out a successful attack on the Italian fleet in the Italian port of Taranto. The Japanese command carefully studied the experience of the British, which not least influenced the decision to attack Pearl Harbor.

Here's a brief background to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

PEARL HARBOR (Pearl Har-bor, translated from English as Pearl Harbor) is a bay (bay) of the Pacific Ocean on the southern coastal island. Oa-hu in the Hawaiian Islands (Hawaii, USA), approximately 10 km west of the city of Go-no-lu-lu.

It has a complex, split-branched shape, spread across two islands and about. Ford on the smaller bays (West Loch, Middle Loch, East Loch), reaching the town itself about 9.5 km. In the southern part, a narrow channel (shi-ri-about 400 m) communicates with the Pacific Ocean Bay of Ma-ma-la.

For the first time, descriptions of the British ex-pe-di-tsi-ey N. Port-lo-ka in 1786, for further research Ch. Mol-de-na in 1824. In 1887, King Ka-la-ka-ua I of Hawaii gave exclusive rights to use va-nie bay-you United States. In 1908, the US Congress made a decision to build a naval base in Pearl Harbor (opened in 1911). Since July 1941, the headquarters of the US Pacific Fleet has been located.

December 7, 1941 on-pa-de-ni-em on Pearl Harbor Japan on-cha-la war-well in the Pacific Ocean (see Pacific Ocean campaigns 1941-1945). By this time, the main forces of the US Pacific Ocean fleet were in Pearl Harbor, including 8 battleships, 8 cruisers, 29 destroyers (in total more than 160 ships). Air Force base on-count-you-va-li 394 sa-mo-lyo-ta. The Japanese plan for Pearl Harbor was actively developed under the leadership of Admiral I. Yama-to from January 7, 1941, approved Government of Japan and im-per-ra-to-rum on November 5, 1941. His main strategic goal was to establish the American fleet as a pre-graduate on the way to the ex-pan-sia of Japan in Southeast Asia. November 26, Japanese aircraft carrier formation [commander - Vice Admiral T. Na-gu-mo; a total of 33 ships, including 2 battle ships, 6 aircraft carriers with 423 ships, 3 cruise ships, 11 destroyers tsev, 3 PL;] po-ki-nu-lo buh-tu Bi-do-kap (Hi-to-kap-pu; o. Itu-rup). The general management of the United Fleet was carried out by Admiral Yamamo. At dawn on December 7 (the elk arrived on Sunday; at that time on the night of December 8) an aircraft carrier -the unit reached the river 275 miles (about 450 km) to the north of the island. Oa-hoo. In addition, more than 20 Japanese submarines were deployed near Pearl Harbor (they had 5 ultra-small submarines on board). Picked up from Japanese aircraft carriers, you two eche-lo-na-mi in less than 2 hours [from 7.50 (according to other data, 7.55) to 9.45 (according to other data, 9.30) at the time] a series of subsequent strikes were carried out on American ships, aero- dro-mom and be-re-go-vym ba-ta-re-yam. The combat readiness of Pearl Harbor turned out to be low (long-range air reconnaissance and air defense are weak or-ga-ni-zo-va-ny, co-working whether you’re not ras-s-among-to-the-che-ny, part of the personal group is on the b-re-gu, etc. .). As a result, 21 American ships were lost and damaged [including 8 battleships (4 of them were without-return-but), 3 krey-se-ra (1 - without-return-but), 4 es-min-tsa (2 - without-return-but)], destruction 188 killed, 159 killed, 2,403 people killed (including 68 civilians), 1,178 people wounded. According to the Japanese fleet, there are 29 sa-mo-le-tov (over 70 by-the-time), 6 submarines (including including 5 super-small ones), 6 ka-te-rows, 64 people died (1 was captured). In connection with the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 8, 1941, the United States and Great Britain declared war on Japan.

At Pearl Harbor - the largest operation at that time using aircraft carriers - brought Japan is important in the future, providing her with free action in the ak-va-to-rii Ti for some time -ho-ocean, allowed at the end of 1941 - the first half of 1942 to reach large infantry in Malaya, on Phi-lip-pi-nah, in Burma , Ni-derl. India, New Guinea, etc. At the same time, she failed to break the naval power of the United States and achieve a strategic position in howl-no; during the air strike, the Japanese ko-man-do-va-ni-m was responsible for a number of calculations (wouldn’t you have been exposed to bomb-bar-di-rov-ke su-do-re-mont-nye mas-ter-skie, then-p-liv-nye for-pa-sy), the random factor played its role but-sti (American aircraft carriers arrived outside Pearl Harbor in December 1941 and were not harmed).