December 7 th 1941 "Before we're through with 'em, the Japanese language will be spoken only in hell!"

 At 7:55 am, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor  The U.S. fleets Pearl Harbor base was reachable by an aircraft carrier force, and the Japanese Navy secretly sent one across the Pacific with greater aerial striking power than had ever been seen on the World’s oceans.  Within a short time five of eight battle ships at Pearl Harbor were sunk or sinking, with the rest damaged.

 Imperialism, the wanted to “own” the Pacific  U.S. stopped trading goods such as scrap metal to Japan  To knock America out of a future war the military government knew was inevitable  Japan wanted to become a superior power

 1st wave  1st Group (targets: battleships and aircraft carriers)  50 Nakajima B5N bombers armed with 800 kg (1760 lb) armor piercing bombs, organized in four sections  40 B5N bombers armed with Type 91 torpedoes, also in four sections  2nd Group — (targets: Ford Island and Wheeler Field)  54 Aichi D3A dive bombers armed with 550 lb (249 kg) general purpose bombs  3rd Group — (targets: aircraft at Ford Island, Hickam Field, Wheeler Field, Barber’s Point, Kaneohe)  45 Mitsubishi A6M fighters for air control and strafing  2 nd Wave  1st Group — 54 B5Ns armed with 550 lb (249 kg) and 132 lb (60 kg) general purpose bombs  27 B5Ns — aircraft and hangars on Kaneohe, Ford Island, and Barbers Point  27 B5Ns — hangars and aircraft on Hickam Field  2nd Group (targets: aircraft carriers and cruisers)  81 D3As armed with 550 lb (249 kg) general purpose bombs, in four sections  3rd Group — (targets: aircraft at Ford Island, Hickham Field, Wheeler Field, Barber’s Point, Kaneohe)  36 A6Ms for defense and strafing * The Japanese did not lunch a Third Wave

 Many cruisers and destroyers left Pearl Harbor, joining the aircraft carrier Enterprise and other surface ships that were already at sea.  On 8 December, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt addressed the Congress to ask for a declaration of war against Japan.  Within a few days, Germany and Italy had declared war on the United States.