Lesson 5: Pearl Harbour Flashcards
What the Japanese hoped to achieve by attacking Pearl Harbour.
because it was the
home of the US Pacific Naval Fleet. Destroying the fleet would mean that Japan wouldn’t have to worry about American intervention, and this would give them time to achieve their aims in the region. * The Japanese also hoped that after the attack America would sue for peace rather than retaliate by declaring war on the Japanese.
-catch by surprise
A breakdown of the events of the attack on Pearl Harbour. ( 1st wave)
6:53am
American Navy sink a Japanese submarine off the coast of
Oahu. This is viewed as an isolated incident and no further
action is taken
7:02am
A US Army radar operator on Oahu spots a large formation of
unidentified aircraft heading towards the island.
No action is taken as it is believed that these are a group of US
bombers scheduled to arrive on the island later that morning
7:40am
The first wave of Japanese planes (183 aircraft) arrives and
begins their attack.
7:58am
The US Air Force issue the order to military personnel around
Pearl Harbour: “Air Raid Pearl Harbor, this is no drill!”
8:45am
The first wave returns to their aircraft carriers. They have sunk
6 battleships and damaged 3 more
- A breakdown of the events of the attack on Pearl Harbour. (2nd Wave)
8:50am
The second wave of Japanese
aircraft (163) arrive over Pearl
Harbour. They have been given the order to target any battleships that are still afloat and pulverize those that have already been hit.
9:30am
The destroyer USS Shaw takes a
direct hit from a Japanese dive-bomber and explodes.
9:45am
Captain Fuchida, happy with the
damage caused by the offensive
and concerned by American anti-aircraft fire orders the second fleet to return to their aircraft carrier.
The attack is over.
A breakdown of the events of the attack on Pearl Harbour. (Journey + targets)
The armada included 414
planes (including fighters,
dive-bombers and bombers)
onboard 6 aircraft carriers.
To catch the Americans by
surprise they travel 5600km
with complete radio silence
before stopping 370km north
of the Hawaiian island of
Oahu. The first of these targets was
‘Battleship Row’. This was the
location of 7 of the US Pacific
Fleet’s best battleships.
The second main targets were
the airfields located near Pearl
Harbour. One of these was the
Ford Island Naval Air Station.
Impacts of the attack of Pearl Harbour on USA
US losses:
* 2404 military personnel and civilians killed.
* 188 aircraft were destroyed and 159 were damaged (approx. 80% of planes on Oahu).
* 21 ships were destroyed or damaged.
Despite 21 ships being damaged only 3 were destroyed. The rest would be fixed and used later in the war.
* The Japanese had not destroyed or damaged any US aircraft carriers. Aircraft carriers were the most
important ship during WWII and this would come back to haunt the Japanese.
* Germany and Italy declare war on the USA on 10th and 11th December.
* The United States of America has now entered World War Two.
Impacts of the attack of Pearl Harbour on Japan
Japanese losses:
* 64 military personnel killed.
* 29 planes destroyed.
The Japanese pilots returned to their ships as heroes. They believed that they had completed
destroyed the US Pacific Fleet. However, this wasn’t the case.
* Despite 21 ships being damaged only 3 were destroyed. The rest would be fixed and used later in the war.
* The Japanese had not destroyed or damaged any US aircraft carriers. Aircraft carriers were the most
important ship during WWII and this would come back to haunt the Japanese.
Furthermore, rather than America suing for peace they declared war on Japan on December
8
th 1941.
* Germany and Italy declare war on the USA on 10th and 11th December.
* The United States of America has now entered World War Two.
