PEARL HARBOR THE DAY OF INFAMY December 7, 1941

The rise and fall of Imperial Japan. (by KA) The rise and fall of Imperial Japan. (by KA)

The background.  Western countries merely wished to exploit Asia and showed much prejudice against her peoples.  The 19thcentury Western carving up of China had been a warning to Japan.  Japan realised that to retain her independence and national character she had to adopt some Western ideas, and quickly.  In particular Japan copied Western military ideas, for example her navy started building a ‘dreadnaught’ battleship in a year before HMS Dreadnaught was started in Britain.  Japan’s modern military then set about finding ways to promote Japanese interests abroad.  China was defeated in battle in and Japan got influence on the mainland and Taiwan. This was the First Sino-Japanese War. (Sino=Chinese)

The Japanese Empire.  Japan had a severe lack of natural resources.  Nearby Manchuria had plenty of coal, plus industries and ports.  China had already been carved up by the Western powers. Why shouldn’t Japan do the same?  1910 Japan moved into Korea.

The Manchurian Incident 1931  The Great Depression in the USA was devastating to Japan.  Many people were in poverty, and half the factories had closed.  The Japanese army saw conquest as a way out of this.  The army was also afraid of Chiang Kaishek’s moves to unify China. They thought he would take Manchuria from them.  Claiming Chinese sabotage of a railway, the Japanese army occupied Manchuria. They renamed it Manchukuo and put the deposed Chinese Emperor Pu Yi up as a figure head.  This was the run-up to the Sino-Japanese war

Japanese tanks of the Kwantung Army in Manchuria

Causes…  The U.S. demanded that Japan withdraw from China and Indochina  Japan thought that attacking the U.S. would provide them an easy win, and a territory with abundant land and resources to rule once they were victorious.  The U.S. oil embargo against Japan was hurting Japan’s economy

General Hideki Tojo  Prime Minister of Japan and primary military leader.  Rose to power in the Manchukuo ‘Kwantung’ army  Nicknamed the ‘razor’  Keen on ultra nationalistic secret societies.  Responsible for 8m civilian deaths, countless deaths and experiments on prisoners of war.  Commemorated at the Yasukuni Shrine.  Apologized for military atrocities on his death.  Executed for war crimes 1948

Gradual Japanese advances.  The Japanese army gradually crept Southward, through China, fighting all the way.

Japanese soldiers ‘conquer’ the Great Wall 1933

Japanese occupation of China.  By 1938 There were 1 million Japanese troops in China.  By million troops- but this was still not enough.  Japan could occupy only key areas and cities.  Out of fear they adopted The ‘Three All Campaign’ (‘Kill all, burn all, destroy all’)  She simply didn’t have enough soldiers however.  By million Chinese people had died and 60 million had been displaced.  Many Chinese cities lay in ruins.

The Japanese army rapidly advanced through China, Indo- China, Malaya, and Indonesia. -Some Asian people welcome them as liberators from western Imperialists - Soon they were generally feared as new imperialists, not as Asian liberators - Soon they were generally feared as new imperialists, not as Asian liberators  They treated non- Japanese peoples with ruthlessness, cruelty and severity.

Great cruelty.

Imperial Japanese expansion up to 1941

.  The British government- alarmed at the rapid Japanese advance-decided to send some big warships to show strength.  They ignored the advice of the navy that already knew that aeroplanes could now sink ships easily.  Both ships were sunk by over 100 Japanese planes.  It was a major blow to Britain. Another pointer to the new nature of naval warfare.

The Prince of Wales,and the Repulse- both sunk Dec 1941.

USS Arizona

Major Combatants Japan -Fleet of 6 Aircraft Carriers under the command of Admiral Nagumo and Admiral Yamamoto -Aerial Assault Force under the command of Mitsuo Fuchida United States - Pearl Harbor Naval/Army Base under the command of Admiral Husband E. Kimmel and Lt. General Walter C. Short

Battle Sequence  5 PHASE ATTACK BY JAPANESE… (as noted by the U.S. Navy)  PHASE 1: Combined torpedo plane and dive bomber attacks lasting from 7:55 a.m. to 8:25 a.m.  PHASE 2: Lull in attacks lasting from 8:25 - 8:40 a.m.  PHASE 3: Horizontal bomber attacks from 8:40 – 9:15 a.m.  PHASE 4: Dive bomber attacks between 9:15-9:45 a.m.  PHASE 5: Warning of attacks and completion of raid after 9:45 a.m.

Pearl Harbour

Warfare Used During Attack Warfare Used During Attack JJJJapan Fighter Planes Dive Bombers Horizontal Bombers Torpedo Planes -A-A-A-At least 5 Midget Submarines

Warfare (continued)  United States -108 Fighter Planes (59 not available for flight) -35 Army Bombers (27 not available for flight) -993 Army/Navy Antiaircraft Guns

USS Arizona

Casualties Japan -L-L-L-Less then 100 men planes midget submarines United States ,335 servicemen killed, 68 civilians killed, 1,178 wounded planes ships (8 battleships, 3 light cruisers, 3 destroyers, 4 other vessels)

USS Arizona Burning: 1,100+ servicemen died on the ship

Effects/Outcome JJJJapan dealt a seemingly crippling blow to the U.S. Pacific fleet (U.S. Pacific Fleet aircraft carriers: Lexington, Enterprise, & Saratoga were not in port) JJJJapan began their quest for a Pacific empire TTTThe U.S. finally was forced to join World War II (“The Sleeping Giant was awakened”) TTTThe U.S. & Great Britain declare war on Japan (Dec. 8, 1941) GGGGermany & Italy declare war on the U.S. (Dec. 11, 1941)

The US fleet lies destroyed.

Unfortunately the Japanese destroyed battleships, but no US aircraft carriers. They also failed to either destroy or capture the harbour.

Roosevelt Day of Infamy speech.  hakFtZQY hakFtZQY hakFtZQY

The USS Enterprise  Only luck kept this ship out of Pearl Harbour on the 7 th. She arrived the following day.  She was to lead the US Navy back into the fight in the Pacific.

Fantastic industrial output allows the US to pour new ships into the Pacific.

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Doolittle Raid-April 1942 Pay Back!!

Chinese mountain “air raid shelter”; Doolittle and men hide out for 10 days from Japanese bombing attacks.

Chinese rescuers

“Blood Chit”-carried by raiders, it said, “This foreign person has come to China to help in the war effort. Soldiers and civilian, one and all, should rescue, protect, and provide him medical care.”

Doolittle.html Doolittle.html

Midway Island. May 1942 US aircraft carriers outclass the Japanese carriers and catch them off guard. The Japanese navy loses 4 of it precious aircraft carriers in this one battle. Japan cannot replace the loss quickly- unlike the US. It is the turning point of the war. A Japanese carrier on fire and sinking.

The Japanese Shinano. -to make up for losses, the Japanese built the world’s largest aircraft carrier. Due to bombing it had to put to sea whilst still unfinished, and with workers onboard still building it! -it was sunk by a US submarine shortly afterwards, still incomplete.

Mighty Japanese battleships are pounded to pieces by US carrier planes. They are obsolete.

The USS IOWA. Battleships found a new role in bombarding Japanese held island defences.

A US carrier sinks.

 Carrier battles were fierce.  Japanese islands acted as permanent aircraft carriers  If you crashed in the Pacific you were unlikely to be found / rescued.

The US carrier St.Lo, attacked and sunk by Kamikaze.

1941

1942

The Battle Of Midway June months after Pearl Harbour Yamamoto seeks to capture Midway atoll and thus confront and destroy the US Navy’s carrier forces.

Midway Order of Battle US forces: 3 carriers ~50 support ships 233 carrier aircraft 127 land-based aircraft Japanese forces: 4 carriers 7 battleships ~150 support ships 248 carrier aircraft 16 floatplanes