December 7, 2010 at 5:00 pm

Picture of the Day: This Infamous Day in History | Dec. 7, 2010

by twistedsifter

attack on pearl harbor japanese planes view Picture of the Day: This Infamous Day in History | Dec. 7, 2010
Photograph from a Japanese plane at the beginning of the attack. The explosion in the center is a torpedo strike on the USS Oklahoma via Naval History & Heritage Command


The attack on Pearl Harbor (called the Hawaii Operation or Operation Z by the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters) was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on the morning of December 7, 1941. 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 planning in Southeast Asia, against Britain and the Netherlands, as well as the U.S. in the Philippines. The base was attacked by Japanese aircraft (a total of 353, in two waves) launched from six aircraft carriers.

Four U.S. Navy battleships were sunk (two of which were raised and returned to service later in the war) and all of the four 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, 2,402 personnel were killed and 1,282 were wounded. Japanese losses were light, with 29 aircraft and five midget submarines lost, and 65 servicemen killed or wounded. One Japanese sailor was captured.

The attack came as a profound shock to the American people and led directly to the United States entry into World War II in both the Pacific and European theaters. The following day (December 8 ) the United States declared war on Japan. President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed December 7, 1941 “a date which will live in infamy”.


via Wikipedia: Attack on Pearl Harbor




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