The United States Enters the War

On December 7th 1941, the Japanase landed an aerial surprise attack on a American Naval base Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii. This attack caused the United States to join World War ll. The military base was attacked by hundreds of Japanese aircrafts including torpedoe planes bombers and fighters. 42 planes were destroyed, 41 were damadged. Only 43 were left undamadged. The battleship USS Arizona was competly exploded by Torpedoes. The USS West Virginia sank to the bottom of the ocean from repeated aerial attacks. In total all eight battleships stationed at the base were damaged and four sunk. 2,403 Americans were killed. Japan declared war against the United States Later that day while congress declared war on Japan the Following day, December 8th.

The first wave of the attack began at 7:55 am. It included about 200 aircrafts. By 8:10 the air base was riddled with bombs, torpedoes and bullets. Since the attack was such a surpirse the army did not have time to use defense manuvers so most of the American planes were stationed on a nearby Ford Island. Before the Americans had a chance to retaliate the Japanese had already easily destroyes the packed planes. In total 180 aircrafts were destroyed and only 6 U.S. planes were able to get in the air and retaliate. 

The second wave of the attack began at 8:50am. It inflicted less damadge then the first wave but still incureed heavy damadge. By this point the battleship USS Nevada had been hit by one torpedoe during the first wave but was attempting to escape the harbor by the time the second wave hit. It was immidialty demolished by bombs. So was the USS Pennsylvania. The Destoyer ship the USS Shaw was split in half by aerial bombing. By 9:00 the Japanese withdrew.