It’s just before eight am and yet another beautiful morning is about to bless the citizens of Hawaii. As the day starts, Commander Logan C. Ramsey takes a sip of his first coffee. Relishing the mild aroma filling the room, he spots a low flying plane zooming overhead. Before Ramsey gives this sighting any further thought, the plane drops a bomb. Immediately, the closest radioman hastily sends the message: “Air raid on Pearl Harbor. This is no drill”. The battle has just begun. It’s dull, rainy weather in late autumn of 1939. Approaching the end of his second term, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was on a set path
to successfully endure a truly unsettling decade that followed the Great Crisis of 1929. The ensuing social unrest was mostly a thing of the past and the economy seemed to be getting back on track again. Yet President Roosevelt couldn’t just breathe a sigh of relief, as (from the American perspective) world politics looked just as grim as the grey weather beyond the windows of his apartment. Developments in the other parts of the world were received with utmost concern by Roosevelt and many of the American elite, as their country steered away from its long-standing policy of isolationism. To the west, fast rate of changes happening in Japan, which followed the path of militarism were in stark contrast with the interests of both Congress and the President. Distressed, they had made attempts to divert the course of the Japanese Empire using increasingly strict measures, like relocating the US Pacific Fleet from San Diego to Hawaii, and making use of trade restrictions. But as it soon turned out, these actions only threw more oil on the bonfire. One could commend the valiant peacekeeping efforts of America, but from Japan’s perspective (which by this time had become essentially a one-party state controlled by the army) the United States and its allies were severely limiting growth of the Japanese Empire. Allied military bases and colonies in the Pacific, along with American policies to interfere in Japan’s affairs, were clear signs that the neutrality of the United States was by then only theoretical, and the Americans, in fact, actively played against Japan’s imperialist plans. Both countries were visibly on a collision course, and things further gained traction in the summer of 1941, when the United States imposed another severe embargo that banned oil shipments to Japan, which relied heavily on imported resources. Since vital petroleum came mostly from the States, the most recent embargo put the Japanese economy and war department in serious trouble. At this point, the Japanese government had two viable options: submit to American demands and place the dreams of ‘Great Japan’ on the shelf, or pursue a course to attain self-sufficiency and try seizing British Malaya and the Dutch East Indies, both rich in strategic resources. The first option was summarily dismissed, however the second, more tempting one, presented some significant issues. Japanese war planners estimated that attacking South East Asia would inevitably result in an American response, possibly from the nearby Philippines, which for that very reason would also become a target. It seemed that pursuing this policy of aggression was equal to going to war with the United States. And if that was going to be, Japanese war planners appeared to be far more level-headed compared to those dabbling with politics. For those admirals, it was clear that any protracted conflict with the United States would spell disaster for Japan. The only chance to victory lay in crippling the American Pacific Fleet in a surprise blow, and forcing the States into a negotiated peace, which would give Japan a free rein in South East Asia. A bold strategy indeed, but the Japanese had already started the ground work for this many months prior, relying heavily on the capabilities of Admiral Yamamoto, who served as chief of the Combined Fleet. The grand plan envisioned coordinated attacks on many objectives in South East Asia and American military bases in the Pacific. The Hawaiian naval base at Pearl Harbor was deemed the most critical, as according to intelligence reports, it was home to the largest warships of the United States Pacific Fleet. For that reason, the very first and most important blow was to be dealt in Hawaii. On the morning of the 26th of November the Combined Fleet, representing the main component of the Imperial Japanese Navy under the command of vice-admiral Nagumo departed the foggy Kuril Islands in utmost secrecy and took an easterly direction towards Hawaii. For the next twelve days a force of six aircraft carriers escorted by two battleships, three cruisers and some additional vessels steamed through the North Pacific eventually reaching its position northwest of the archipelago roughly an hour before daybreak of the 7th of December. It was a fair, unremarkable Sunday morning at Pearl Harbor Naval Base. As one would expect from a Sunday morning, it was unsurprisingly quiet, and many of those who were on shore leave had either thoughts about breakfast, or nursing a hangover. Though the war with Japan was looming on the horizon and was generally anticipated by many, Pearl was presumed to be too well defended to be considered a target. If anything, it could be a naval attack followed by a full invasion force, or possibly some kind of sabotage. But the Japanese attacking Pearl by air? No one truly believed it. Even if high-ranking officers who commanded the base, seemed to disregard the standard warnings they received and did little to mitigate the threat of a Japanese attack. But soon, the Americans would pointedly learn how dead wrong they were, as the sky swarmed with hundreds of enemy planes. At last, the monotonous rumble of radial engines could be heard on Oʻahu. The very first targets of the Japanese attack were American air bases scattered over the island. Seeking to prevent possible retaliation, both Aichi D3A dive-bombers and famous Mitsubishi A6M fighters commonly known as Zeros rained down fire upon the completely unprepared Americans, shredding planes and bombing air installations. To avoid possible sabotage, the aircraft were ordered to be packed tightly together, which obviously only added to the ensuing mayhem. But this surprise blow was but a taste of what was to come. Having secured the skies from the threat of American planes, the Japanese were able to fly the vulnerable carrier-based torpedo bombers over the main objective of Pearl Harbor. The first Nakajima B5N bombers arrived on the scene, instantly focusing on the ships moored northwest of Ford Island. Some of the berths appeared to be unused and neither of the valuable warships were located there on the 7th December. Yet the first plane mistakenly started the attack and some of the others followed. Six bombers dropped against USS Utah, an old dreadnought turned training ship. In this haphazard attack out of the six torpedoes launched at the biggest vessel there, two torpedoes hit Utah, and one accidentally hit the nearby light cruiser the USS Raleigh. Although the Utah quickly rolled over and sank, the Raleigh was saved from capsizing by the staid actions of her crew. The rest of the group was not fooled and flew around Ford Island in search of better targets. But again, possibly blinded by the morning sun one plane dropped a torpedo at, what was presumed, a battleship usually berthing there, but in fact the USS Pennsylvania was docked nearby and the projectile was about to hit an ancient minelayer, Oglala. Curiously, the torpedo went under it and hit the modern light cruiser USS Helena instead. The explosion tore through the hull of the Helena and split the nearby Oglala open. It’s worth noting at this point that the shallow waters of Pearl Harbor essentially prohibited the use of aerial torpedoes. The Japanese pilots however used wooden stabilizers coupled with a sophisticated control system for their torpedoes to work in the shallow depths of the lagoon. The majority of Japanese bombers pulled up to circle around and get into position to attack the much coveted battleship row. Numerous valuable targets were berthed there, but the most vulnerable to torpedo attack were two outboard ones, the battleships Oklahoma and West Virginia. Eventually, Nakajima bombers approached from the south-east and a number of projectiles hit both Oklahoma and West Virginia. Some of the pilots chose more challenging angles and scored hits on the California and Nevada at the other side of the battleship row. Each ship was hammered by blow after blow, despite increasing anti-aircraft fire that managed to shoot down a couple of the slow torpedo bombers. The West Virginia, hit by seven torpedoes was barely afloat. The Oklahoma, hit by nine, slowly capsizes with many men trapped under her deck. Rescue parties saw to the wounded, but the attack was not over. A following group of Nakajima planes, this time in a horizontal bomber configuration, struck from the south-west. The inboard vessels, up until this moment protected from torpedo attacks were vulnerable to level bombing runs. Multiple near misses washed the decks and many direct hits were scored on the Maryland, Tennessee and Arizona. One bomb pierced the armour of the unfortunate Arizona and ignited the forward magazine of the warship. Seconds later a massive fireball erupted like a volcano, destroying the battleship and setting fire to the nearby repair vessel. Chaos mounted at Pearl Harbor as the remainder of the Japanese warplanes departed the scene. Damage control parties were in full motion. Others scrambled to put out fires, help the wounded and man their posts, but there was little respite from the air strikes. Less than thirty minutes later a second wave was inbound, about to hit the island. This time, the naval base at Pearl Harbor was marginally better prepared, but this was well anticipated by the Japanese and the configuration of the second attack differed from before. The element of surprise was already spent, so there was little point using torpedo aircraft anymore. The task of harming the ships was now passed to Aichi dive-bombers, each armed with a single 250kg explosive. By the time of the second wave arrived, the USS Nevada, though hit earlier by a torpedo, was already underway, being the only vessel in the battleship row not moored and able to manoeuvre. Seeing her moving down the channel to the harbour entrance, many dive-bombers concentrated their efforts on the Nevada. Over the next twenty minutes she was subjected to persistent attacks, as the Aichi dive-bombers struck the slowly moving battleship in a hope of sinking her and blocking the inlet. One could argue against this logic given the sheer width of the channel, but nevertheless the Nevada suffered multiple hits and fires on-board. These relatively light bombs however were unlikely to penetrate her deck, and even then, her ammo magazines were empty, as she was in the process of going through a refit. The Nevada sustained the majority of damage to her superstructure and ultimately, at ten minutes past nine am she was intentionally beached to prevent her sinking in deeper waters. Though the American battleships were the secondary targets for the dive-bombers, a number of well-trained pilots of the second wave focused on the docked USS Pennsylvania, notably missed by the first attack. Yet by nine am American resistance was becoming more effective. Heavier anti-aircraft fire rendered the Japanese strikes chaotic and less coordinated compared to the first wave. The brunt of the attacks on the Pennsylvania were taken by nearby destroyers, which either sank or were badly damaged. The pace and relative efficacy of the American anti-aircraft response was not accounted for by the Japanese, who had wagered much on the capabilities of the Aichi driven strike. But as the last plane returned to the aircraft carriers, the results of the second wave, all factors considered, was only deemed as… acceptable. Less than two hours after the first strike, the naval base of Pearl Harbor was a wash of twisted metal, burning oil and the ringing cries of the wounded and dying. Four battleships were sunk, many other ships either went down or sustained various degrees of damage. Almost two hundred planes were destroyed, the majority of which, still on the ground. More than 2,300 US military personnel were killed with many more wounded. The American losses were substantial, especially given the light casualties conceded by the Japanese. The Imperial Navy succeeded in crippling the battle line of the US Pacific Fleet, and for a time could claim an unrestricted freedom in the Pacific, free to execute their ambitious plans. But unfortunately for them, none of the American aircraft carriers were even present at Pearl in the our of the enemy storm. Their absence quickly proved to be vital, as the age of carrier based air power was about to dramatically change naval warfare in the time to come, as Japanese had shown themselves at Pearl Harbor. The attack, though quite successful on an operational level and very useful for Japanese propaganda, brough them little gains in the grand scheme of things. The real consequences, feared by many more sensible Japanese, were still to come. From this day forth, the events at Pearl Harbor swayed American public opinion in favor of war with Japan. Consequently, the rust-covered wheels of the American military industry, basically dormant for many years, were set in motion. As the popular phrase goes, the sleeping giant was awakening.
