Pearl Harbor Pacific Problems

Problems in the Pacific While thousands of sleepy soldiers dozed in bunks, hundreds of Japanese bombers were in rout to Pearl Harbor, HI. The Japanese had spent the last 11 days sneaking a fleet through the Pacific Ocean right under the USA’s nose. In two large waves, the air bombers and submarines annihilated the unprepared base with most of the damage occurring in the first 10 minutes because of the Harbor’s vulnerability. Because the ships at dock were so closely clumped together and the bombers on the air strips were grouped in one general area, it’s likely the Japanese probably could have done about as much damage blindfolded. “18 warships were sunk or damaged, 180 aircraft were destroyed, and 2,400 Americans were killed.” (Dowswell,

One theory suggested that Japan was planning to occupy as much land in the Pacific as possible while keeping the United States distracted. (Schweikart, 593) This theory was likely true because the day after bombing Pearl Harbor, the Japanese invaded both Malaysia and the Philippines. By bombing Pearl Harbor, they hoped to cripple the US’s ability to defend the Pacific. Another possible reason for Japan’s rash actions was their lack of supplies. They were running out of both oil and rubber because the United States had blockaded their usual stock lines. These supplies were found in areas like the Southeast Asian Islands they planned to invade. Perhaps the Japanese were attempting to distract the US from the European front of the war to assist the Axis powers. The US had not officially declared war against any of the Axis, despite the fact that they were already assisting the Allies. The attack on the Harbor might have allowed the Axis to make European advances while the US was trying to recover. Though to the Japanese these might have been valid reasons, they knew right away that they had, “awoken a sleeping tiger.” (Dowswell, 151) The US recovered rapidly and

At this point Japan thought themselves undefeatable. The US therefore had to plan an attack that would remind the Japanese that they were not the only ones capable of a surprise air attack. They sent eighty men in sixteen B-25 Bombers across the Pacific to bomb strategic targets over Tokyo and then land in the safe airfields of China. The mission was extremely risky and it was doubtful that all would make it out alive. The crews and aircrafts were taken by ship through the pacific until they were discovered and had to launch of the aircraft carrier sooner than planned. Because of the early takeoff there was a chance they wouldn’t have enough fuel to make it to China. But onward they flew and the bombing of Tokyo itself lasted less than a minute. The civilians were completely oblivious, in fact, “the planes were cheered by civilians who thought they were Japanese.” Some of the men involved in the attack, expectedly, did not return alive. (Schweikart, 594) “Although the raid was materially but a pin prick, its psychological impact was monumental. It elevated the flagging American moral and destroyed the Japanese conviction that they were invulnerable to air attack.”(Eye Witness