W2-VJ2011PH: 4 FDC USA "PEARL HARBOR Attack 1941, Yamamoto, Fuchida, Roosevelt"

December 7, 1941: The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor caused the United States to enter the war

On the morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941, swarms of Japanese planes attacked the American war fleet at Pearl Harbor, in the Hawaiian archipelago, by surprise. Admiral Yamamoto wanted to preemptively destroy the American fleet to allow Japan to continue its conquest of Asia. His pilots were trained in secret and their planes were equipped with special torpedoes capable of diving into the very shallow waters of the American harbor. When the day came, the Japanese fleet, comprising 6 aircraft carriers, 423 planes and 27 submarines, approached 500 km from the archipelago without being detected by radar. The code for triggering the attack was "Tora, Tora, Tora" (Tiger in Japanese).

At 7:40, a first assault wave led by Lieutenant Commander Fuchida (designer of the Pearl Harbor attack plan) heads towards the 90 ships parked in the harbor. A second wave hits the base at 9:45. In two hours, the Japanese destroy or damage 8 battleships, including the Arizona, as well as 3 cruisers, 3 destroyers and 4 auxiliary ships. 188 planes are also destroyed. A total of 2,403 American sailors are killed. On the Japanese side, losses are very low (29 planes shot down and 55 dead).

"The Day of Infamy"

The President of the United States, Franklin Roosevelt, was expecting an attack, the tension with Japan being at its peak. But who could have imagined that the Japanese navy could strike five thousand kilometers from its bases. The day after the attack, Roosevelt addressed Congress: "Yesterday, December 7, 1941, the day of infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked. It does not matter how long it may take us to repel this premeditated invasion. The American people, in their right, in their strength, will go on to absolute victory."