This Day In History: Pearl Harbor Bombed And So It Began

[Steely Dan]

December 7: General Interest

1941 : Pearl Harbor bombed

 

At 7:55 a.m. Hawaii time, a Japanese dive bomber bearing the red symbol of the Rising Sun of Japan on its wings appears out of the clouds above the island of Oahu. A swarm of 360 Japanese warplanes followed, descending on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in a ferocious assault. The surprise attack struck a critical blow against the U.S. Pacific fleet and drew the United States irrevocably into World War II.

 

With diplomatic negotiations with Japan breaking down, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his advisers knew that an imminent Japanese attack was probable, but nothing had been done to increase security at the important naval base at Pearl Harbor. It was Sunday morning, and many military personnel had been given passes to attend religious services off base. At 7:02 a.m., two radio operators spotted large groups of aircraft in flight toward the island from the north, but, with a flight of B-17s expected from the United States at the time, they were told to sound no alarm. Thus, the Japanese air assault came as a devastating surprise to the naval base.

 

Much of the Pacific fleet was rendered useless: Five of eight battleships, three destroyers, and seven other ships were sunk or severely damaged, and more than 200 aircraft were destroyed. A total of 2,400 Americans were killed and 1,200 were wounded, many while valiantly attempting to repulse the attack. Japan's losses were some 30 planes, five midget submarines, and fewer than 100 men. Fortunately for the United States, all three Pacific fleet carriers were out at sea on training maneuvers. These giant aircraft carriers would have their revenge against Japan six months later at the Battle of Midway, reversing the tide against the previously invincible Japanese navy in a spectacular victory.

 

The day after Pearl Harbor was bombed, President Roosevelt appeared before a joint session of Congress and declared, "Yesterday, December 7, 1941--a date which will live in infamy--the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." After a brief and forceful speech, he asked Congress to approve a resolution recognizing the state of war between the United States and Japan. The Senate voted for war against Japan by 82 to 0, and the House of Representatives approved the resolution by a vote of 388 to 1. The sole dissenter was Representative Jeannette Rankin of Montana, a devout pacifist who had also cast a dissenting vote against the U.S. entrance into World War I. Three days later, Germany and Italy declared war against the United States, and the U.S. government responded in kind.

 

The American contribution to the successful Allied war effort spanned four long years and cost more than 400,000 American lives.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

General Interest

1941 : Pearl Harbor bombed

http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdih...ory&id=7104

[DC Tom]

December 7: General Interest

1941 : Pearl Harbor bombed

 

At 7:55 a.m. Hawaii time, a Japanese dive bomber bearing the red symbol of the Rising Sun of Japan on its wings appears out of the clouds above the island of Oahu. A swarm of 360 Japanese warplanes followed, descending on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in a ferocious assault. The surprise attack struck a critical blow against the U.S. Pacific fleet and drew the United States irrevocably into World War II.

 

With diplomatic negotiations with Japan breaking down, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his advisers knew that an imminent Japanese attack was probable, but nothing had been done to increase security at the important naval base at Pearl Harbor. It was Sunday morning, and many military personnel had been given passes to attend religious services off base. At 7:02 a.m., two radio operators spotted large groups of aircraft in flight toward the island from the north, but, with a flight of B-17s expected from the United States at the time, they were told to sound no alarm. Thus, the Japanese air assault came as a devastating surprise to the naval base.

 

Much of the Pacific fleet was rendered useless: Five of eight battleships, three destroyers, and seven other ships were sunk or severely damaged, and more than 200 aircraft were destroyed. A total of 2,400 Americans were killed and 1,200 were wounded, many while valiantly attempting to repulse the attack. Japan's losses were some 30 planes, five midget submarines, and fewer than 100 men. Fortunately for the United States, all three Pacific fleet carriers were out at sea on training maneuvers. These giant aircraft carriers would have their revenge against Japan six months later at the Battle of Midway, reversing the tide against the previously invincible Japanese navy in a spectacular victory.

 

The day after Pearl Harbor was bombed, President Roosevelt appeared before a joint session of Congress and declared, "Yesterday, December 7, 1941--a date which will live in infamy--the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." After a brief and forceful speech, he asked Congress to approve a resolution recognizing the state of war between the United States and Japan. The Senate voted for war against Japan by 82 to 0, and the House of Representatives approved the resolution by a vote of 388 to 1. The sole dissenter was Representative Jeannette Rankin of Montana, a devout pacifist who had also cast a dissenting vote against the U.S. entrance into World War I. Three days later, Germany and Italy declared war against the United States, and the U.S. government responded in kind.

 

The American contribution to the successful Allied war effort spanned four long years and cost more than 400,000 American lives.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

General Interest

1941 : Pearl Harbor bombed

http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdih...ory&id=7104

 

 

Little known fact: of the eight ships:

USS Arizona: sunk, still there, obviously.

 

USS Oklahoma: capsized, recovered (in an impressive year-long effort; I've seen pictures, it was a phenomenal engineering effort righting the hull), but written off as a wreck.

 

USS Nevada: rebuilt, served in the North Atlantic protecting troop convoys, provided support for D-Day and Iwo Jima.

 

USS Pennsylvania

USS Tennessee

USS West Virginia

USS California

USS Maryland

All five were rebuilt, fought their way across the Central Pacific in '44, through the Marshall, Caroline, and Marinias archipeligos, to the Phillipines. On the morning of Oct. 25, 1944, these five battleships (and the USS Mississippi), as the battle line of the 7th Fleet, fought the last surface gun action ever, when they completely destroyed Admiral Nishimura's Southern Strike Force at the Battle of Surigao Strait.

 

Always thought that was a compelling story: the battle line at Pearl Harbor was recovered, rebuilt, and fought its way across the Pacific to kick the Japanese fleet's ass. I was planning to write a book about it, until I discovered someone beat me to it.

[Steely Dan]

Little known fact: of the eight ships:

USS Arizona: sunk, still there, obviously.

 

USS Oklahoma: capsized, recovered (in an impressive year-long effort; I've seen pictures, it was a phenomenal engineering effort righting the hull), but written off as a wreck.

 

USS Nevada: rebuilt, served in the North Atlantic protecting troop convoys, provided support for D-Day and Iwo Jima.

 

USS Pennsylvania

USS Tennessee

USS West Virginia

USS California

USS Maryland

All five were rebuilt, fought their way across the Central Pacific in '44, through the Marshall, Caroline, and Marinias archipeligos, to the Phillipines. On the morning of Oct. 25, 1944, these five battleships (and the USS Mississippi), as the battle line of the 7th Fleet, fought the last surface gun action ever, when they completely destroyed Admiral Nishimura's Southern Strike Force at the Battle of Surigao Strait.

 

Always thought that was a compelling story: the battle line at Pearl Harbor was recovered, rebuilt, and fought its way across the Pacific to kick the Japanese fleet's ass. I was planning to write a book about it, until I discovered someone beat me to it.

 

Thanks that's interesting.

[Frit0 Bandit0]

Little known fact: of the eight ships:

 

the battle line at Pearl Harbor was recovered, rebuilt, and fought its way across the Pacific to kick the Japanese fleet's ass.

 

 

Tom, outstanding bit of historical reference

[Marv's Neighbor]

So now we have another day that could Live in Infamy, the opening of the Copenhagen Climate Summit.

[KD in CA]

So now we have another day that could Live in Infamy, the opening of the Copenhagen Climate Summit.

 

 

Where did they find room to park all the private planes?

[TheMadCap]

Little known fact: of the eight ships:

USS Arizona: sunk, still there, obviously.

 

USS Oklahoma: capsized, recovered (in an impressive year-long effort; I've seen pictures, it was a phenomenal engineering effort righting the hull), but written off as a wreck.

 

USS Nevada: rebuilt, served in the North Atlantic protecting troop convoys, provided support for D-Day and Iwo Jima.

 

USS Pennsylvania

USS Tennessee

USS West Virginia

USS California

USS Maryland

All five were rebuilt, fought their way across the Central Pacific in '44, through the Marshall, Caroline, and Marinias archipeligos, to the Phillipines. On the morning of Oct. 25, 1944, these five battleships (and the USS Mississippi), as the battle line of the 7th Fleet, fought the last surface gun action ever, when they completely destroyed Admiral Nishimura's Southern Strike Force at the Battle of Surigao Strait.

 

Always thought that was a compelling story: the battle line at Pearl Harbor was recovered, rebuilt, and fought its way across the Pacific to kick the Japanese fleet's ass. I was planning to write a book about it, until I discovered someone beat me to it.

 

Was this the one they cut the bottom of the hull out to rescue some of the men who were in the lower levels when it capsized or was that the Utah?

 

 

I have long believed (and have heard it said a few other places) that even if the Japs would have sunk the carriers of the PAC fleet that day, by about 1943 or so when the full might of US war production would have maxed out, the US would still have had the naval firepower to wear down and defeat the Imperial Japanese Navy in the end. What do you think about this?

[Wacka]

My Dad was a fireman at the air strip on Ford Island (in the middle of Pearl harbor) during 48-49. He said they didn't repair some of the bullet holes in the buildings as a reminder to them to always be prepared and aware. He said the superstructure of the Arizona was still sticking out of the water and they would see it several times a day. My parents went to Hawaii in 1986 for their 30th anniversary and my dad said that the barracks that were there in the late 40s were replaced with homes for retired admirals and other high ranking brass.

[Mark Vader]

Little known fact: of the eight ships:

USS Arizona: sunk, still there, obviously.

 

USS Oklahoma: capsized, recovered (in an impressive year-long effort; I've seen pictures, it was a phenomenal engineering effort righting the hull), but written off as a wreck.

 

USS Nevada: rebuilt, served in the North Atlantic protecting troop convoys, provided support for D-Day and Iwo Jima.

 

USS Pennsylvania

USS Tennessee

USS West Virginia

USS California

USS Maryland

All five were rebuilt, fought their way across the Central Pacific in '44, through the Marshall, Caroline, and Marinias archipeligos, to the Phillipines. On the morning of Oct. 25, 1944, these five battleships (and the USS Mississippi), as the battle line of the 7th Fleet, fought the last surface gun action ever, when they completely destroyed Admiral Nishimura's Southern Strike Force at the Battle of Surigao Strait.

 

Always thought that was a compelling story: the battle line at Pearl Harbor was recovered, rebuilt, and fought its way across the Pacific to kick the Japanese fleet's ass. I was planning to write a book about it, until I discovered someone beat me to it.

My grandfather was on the USS Pennsylvania when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He survived and currently resides in Oroville, CA.

 

Sadly my family and myself does not have a good relationship with him. Yet I always remember this day and can not even begin to comprehend what he went through on that horrific day. For that he has my undying respect.

[ExiledInIllinois]

And now we are driving these:

 

Number #1

 

Which kinda look like this:

 

Number #2

 

While watching this:

 

Number #3

 

 

Remeber Pearl Harbor I guess... I wonder what we will be saying in 50 years in regard to things made in Afghanistan...

[ExiledInIllinois]

My Dad was a fireman at the air strip on Ford Island (in the middle of Pearl harbor) during 48-49. He said they didn't repair some of the bullet holes in the buildings as a reminder to them to always be prepared and aware. He said the superstructure of the Arizona was still sticking out of the water and they would see it several times a day. My parents went to Hawaii in 1986 for their 30th anniversary and my dad said that the barracks that were there in the late 40s were replaced with homes for retired admirals and other high ranking brass.

 

Nice story Wacka!

 

What you didn't give your parnents that much of a honeymoon... I see you were born in 1957...

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?

[Chef Jim]

And now we are driving these:

 

Number #1

 

Which kinda look like this:

 

Number #2

 

While watching this:

 

Number #3

 

 

Remeber Pearl Harbor I guess... I wonder what we will be saying in 50 years in regard to things made in Afghanistan...

 

Give Afghanistan 500 years and they won't make anything other than goat ****.

[DC Tom]

Was this the one they cut the bottom of the hull out to rescue some of the men who were in the lower levels when it capsized or was that the Utah?

 

I believe so. I've read some horror stories about what they found when they finally righted her - like compartments with two or three bodies in them and messages on the bulkhead to the effect that they'd waited sixteen days for rescue. I can't even imagine...sixteen days in an absolutely pitch black, partially flooded compartment, waiting for the air to run out. War basically sucks, a lot.

 

I have long believed (and have heard it said a few other places) that even if the Japs would have sunk the carriers of the PAC fleet that day, by about 1943 or so when the full might of US war production would have maxed out, the US would still have had the naval firepower to wear down and defeat the Imperial Japanese Navy in the end. What do you think about this?

 

No doubt. As much as American industrial capabilities, there's the factor of Japanese industrial incapability as well. The Japanese had very good engineers, but very poor manufacturing technique, and when given a good weapon design simply couldn't manufacture it - usually at all, never mind in quantity. The Japanese had absolutely no depth to their industrial or economic base (the main reason they went to war to begin with), and were completely unable to sustain a long war over great distances.

[Wacka]

Nice story Wacka!

 

What you didn't give your parnents that much of a honeymoon... I see you were born in 1957...

 

My dad was busy! I was born about 10 months and 3 weeks after their wedding

[ExiledInIllinois]

My dad was busy! I was born about 10 months and 3 weeks after their wedding

 

 

That is what I was implying!

 

I knew you were born in the mid to late 1950's (my memory)... Then when you said 1956... I feverishly checked your profile. Man did they cut it close Wacka!

 

I used to work with an older guy that came of age in the 1950's and 1960's... He always (not so fondly) refered to that time in the 1950's and 1960's BEFORE the sexual revolution as: "The Great P*ssy Famine." Meaning that one couldn't get laid without getting married first!

[tennesseeboy]

I believe so. I've read some horror stories about what they found when they finally righted her - like compartments with two or three bodies in them and messages on the bulkhead to the effect that they'd waited sixteen days for rescue. I can't even imagine...sixteen days in an absolutely pitch black, partially flooded compartment, waiting for the air to run out. War basically sucks, a lot.

 

 

 

No doubt. As much as American industrial capabilities, there's the factor of Japanese industrial incapability as well. The Japanese had very good engineers, but very poor manufacturing technique, and when given a good weapon design simply couldn't manufacture it - usually at all, never mind in quantity. The Japanese had absolutely no depth to their industrial or economic base (the main reason they went to war to begin with), and were completely unable to sustain a long war over great distances.

Great points...in the final analysis I think it would be worth positing to the Japanese leaders--WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING? They would have been far better off not screwing with us. And once Hitler declared war, I suspect outcome of the entire war was pretty much decided. We could fight, but better than our fighting was our capability of production. We ought to be thinking about that as we outsource our manufacturing capacity.

[tennesseeboy]

my mother had a club of women who knew each other since high school, that met every month. They were all married and in 1945 when the husbands came home from war my mother very soon became pregnant with my oldest sister. She went to the club meeting that month and said "I have wonderful news" Turned out that six of the eight women had the same news. Guess the returning vets had something more than mom's apple pie on their mind.

[DC Tom]

my mother had a club of women who knew each other since high school, that met every month. They were all married and in 1945 when the husbands came home from war my mother very soon became pregnant with my oldest sister. She went to the club meeting that month and said "I have wonderful news" Turned out that six of the eight women had the same news. Guess the returning vets had something more than mom's apple pie on their mind.

 

Except for in the Phillipines, the Pacific didn't offer a hell of a lot of opportunities for "wink-wink, nudge-nudge, say-no-more".

 

The South Pacific, in fact, was one of the few battlefields in history where STDs weren't an issue.

[dib]

My Dad was a fireman at the air strip on Ford Island (in the middle of Pearl harbor) during 48-49. He said they didn't repair some of the bullet holes in the buildings as a reminder to them to always be prepared and aware.

 

The holes (chipped barracks walls) are still there, I saw them, there is also a small memorial to one of the Japanese pilots that was shot down and killed.

 

Mitsubishi- 'Zero' fighter planes

Porsche- Tiger tanks

BASF- a result of one the company that produced Cyclon B, being split up