Japan attacked Hawaii on December 7, 1941. The start of the attack was due to the cut off of an oil supply from America to Japan. America cut off Japan due to the invasion going on in Manchuria, and the invasion of French Indo-China. This upset the U.S. making them cut off oil to hurt Japan, and make them pay for their actions. Also, Japan attacked due to the naval fleet being at Pearl Harbor, for this scared Japan because they thought the U.S. could set an attack on Japan's naval fleet in the South Pacific. I find it awkward that Japan and the U.S. went to war, because in 1920 they signed the a treaty to stop war going on in the world.
The plan of attack wasn't offical until Spring of 1941 by Isoroku Yamamoto. It was not approved to attack until December 1, 1941 by Hirohito. In a way, there were disadvantages of an attack on the base, such as the ships were in very shallow water, and all the ships were not yet arrived at Pearl Harbor. One thing that the Japanese did use as a very powerful weapon, were torpedos dropped from an airplane instead of shot out of a submerine. They had to use an airplane to do it because otherwise it wouldve been to shallow to do it by sub. The U.S. did think it was not possible to use torpedos in the harbor, for they thought it was too shallow.
For casualties, The U.S. lost 2,402 people and over 1800 injured, compared to the 65 lost by the Japanese. 188 aircraft were destroyed on the U.S. side, while only 29 aircraft of the Japenese were lost.
This was the first modern attack ever on U.S. soil, as i mean using Aircraft and submarine. Thats why i find it interesting, and proved to be devistating. I think the U.S. should've been more prepared, for they did intercept word of an attack in a two week period of when the attack happened.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/pearl.htm
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