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Annotated BibliographyAlison Chang, Selena Lu, and Amy van Ee

Primary Sources:

Journal:

Ginger. "Sunday, December 7. 1941." Ginger's Diary (n.d.): 1. Essential Pearl Harbor. Osprey

Publishing, 2008. Web. 27 Nov. 2013.

These excerpts from Ginger’s diary helped us understand his point of view of the

bombing. He was a 17 year old senior in high school who lived in Hickam Field,

Hawaii. When he woke up on Sunday morning of the bombing, Ginger thought that

something exciting was happening. He noticed black smoke and explosions outside, and

when he went outside of his house with his mom, he observed three planes flying in the

sky. There was fire on the barracks, which housed the soldiers, and a whole hangar line

was destroyed. When driving on the road, Ginger and his family had to move aside

every now and then to let ambulances pass by.

Photos:

"Air Raid Pearl Harbor This Is No Drill !!!" Air Raid Pearl Harbor. US Navy, National

Archives, NHC Naval Historical Center, n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2013.

Many of the pictures show the resulting damage and/or explosions on the ships. There

are also pictures of each damaged ship such as the USS Nevada, Oklahoma, West

Virginia, Tennessee, Maryland, Arizona, and many more. The website containing these

pictures includes one colored picture of the minelayer Oglala.

N.d. Photograph. Military History. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.

This black and white photograph is of an explosion taking down a ship that is likely to

be the American USS Arizona due to the large explosion. The explosion was

exceptionally violent because of the ignition of over a million pounds of gunpowder.

The gunpowder was stored in the basement of the ship.

Interviews:

Gano, Margaret Ellen, and Hubert Gano. "About Our Experience." Interview. Interview with

Pearl Harbor Eyewitnesses. Scholastic, n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2013. <Gano, Margaret Ellen. "About

Our Experience." Interview with Pearl Harbor Eyewitnesses. Scholastic, n.d. Web. 27 Nov.

2013.>.

This interview was about Hubert ‘Dale’ Gano, who was a retired US Navy Commander,

and his spouse Margaret Ellen ‘Johnie’ Gano who both witnessed the bombing of Pearl

Harbor. Both were 25 years of age and lived in Pearl City, on a peninsula which

stretched towards Pearl Harbor. Johnie saw sunken US Navy ships and, when she

reached Ford Island, she saw several dead or wounded sailors on the ground. Both Dale

and Johnie were in a state of shock as they watched Pearl Harbor being attacked and

damaged and thousands of people dying. When the bomb fell, Johnie and Dale were

deciding on whether or not to go to church. The couple didn’t see any bombs, but they

did see tracers, or ammunition that, when shot, left a trail of smoke behind. Dale was not

assigned to a ship, but to the Naval Air Station. Damage to building to this station was

very minor. Although ships and airplanes were destroyed, no buildings were bombed.

After the attack, all Japanese Americans were moved to internment camps in California.

Dale blamed President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his supporters for their

unpreparedness. He believed that the president should have been suspecting an attack

from Japan.

Miller, Jim D., G. S. Flannigan, W. J. Bush, A. R. Schubert, J. S. Doherty, and S. Q. Fuqua.

"USS Arizona (BB-39) Action Report: 7 Dec 1941." USS Arizona (BB-39) Action Report: 7 Dec

1941. Naval Historical Center, 11 June 2001. Web. 27 Nov. 2013.

From these interviews, we learned that the raid alarm of the USS Arizona was supposed

to signal three blasts, although most people only heard one before the explosion

happened. According to Jim D. Miller, the captain was not on the ship at the time of the

attack. To G. Flannigan, there was nothing on the speaker system and there was too

much smoke to see anything. Another man named W. Bush had desperately tried to

extinguish the fires, but there were no available supplies on hand. A. Schubert was on

deck when the attack started, and so he saw low-winged monoplanes with the

“meatballs” (the Japanese red disc symbolizing the sun) on the underside of the wings.

To Doherty, the air raid alarm had sounded too late, at the exact same time the bombing

started. At 7:55, fifteen torpedo planes, a dive bomber, and around thirty other planes

were spotted attacking USS Arizona. Another man onboard the ship named S. Fuqua

recalled that around 9:00 AM, USS Arizona had run out of anti-airplane ammunition,

and everyone had to abandon ship.

"Oral History Pearl Harbor Attack: Oral History: LT Erickson." Oral History Pearl Harbor

Attack: Oral History: LT Erickson. Naval History and Heritage Command, n.d. Web. 18 Nov.

2013.

This interview was about a nurse named Ruth Erickson, who tended to injured survivors

of the bombing. We learned that normally, there were aircraft practices on weekends for

the military and that at first, the people weren’t bothered by the planes. The civilians

went on with life, thinking that the deadly planes were part of a normal drill. Erickson

had many patients who were burnt on their faces, arms, and legs.

Newspapers:

"Allies Open Rome Drive." New Castle News 26 May 1944: 1. World War 2 Articles. Web. 25

Nov. 2013.

This newspaper gave us more information on the Allied forces’ movement through Italy.

The newspaper expressed the importance of the Allied troops fighting the Axis, or

Germans and Italians, to gain control over the Italian peninsula. It is stated that the

Allied forces were rather successful in this fight. The Allied soldiers also gained Rome

from Germany in a battle. Liberated Italians greeted the American troops with much

gratitude. When General MacArthur of the United States’ side led his troops to Dutch

New Guinea’s Maffin Bay to take control over the airdrome, which is an airplane

operation area, situated there, they encountered Japanese troops. By the end of the battle,

the number of Japanese casualties was greater than American casualties by a large

amount.

"Japan Wars on US and Britain; Makes Sudden Attack on Hawaii; Heavy Fighting at Sea

Reported." The New York Times, 8 Dec. 1941. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

To the minority of the American citizens, it seemed that the Japanese had attacked Pearl

Harbor, Hawaii, with no real reason or valid ulterior motive. This attack came as a

complete surprise to Americans, as they did not make provisions for such an offense.

The attack inspired confusion, unity, anger, anxiety, and determination among the

Americans.

"Reds Drive Deeper into Berlin." Joplin Globe 25 Apr. 1945: 1. World War 2 Articles. Web. 25

Nov. 2013.

This newspaper helped us understand how the Germans and Russians surrendered. The

day that Soviet and American soldiers met at the Elbe River, in Germany, to march to

Munich was the day that the troops took control over Ulm, which was a major

communications center for Germany. It was reported that Berlin was in flames, with

Russian armies together to make a final stand as a Nazi army. 20, 000 to 30, 000

disarmed Germans marched towards the Allied lines in surrender. This was one of the

largest surrenders ever to have taken place. Although it was believed that Hitler went

into hiding, there were reports that he remained in Berlin. The Allied forces also

captured the 125-mile long defense line in Italy. They captured cities and military bases,

marking a major turning point in the World War II.

"Second World War Breaks." Fairbanks Daily News-Miner 4 Sept. 1939: 1. World War 2

Articles. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.

This newspaper helped us to understand how people in Alaska, more specifically

Fairbanks, processed the events taking place during that time. In London, on September

4, which was Chamberlain Sunday, it was stated that Britain was at war with Germany.

Germany didn’t respond to the ultimatum before its expiration, leading to Britain and

France’s declaration of war. Soon following was New Zealand, Egypt, and Australia.

Britain began sending military forces to China, attacking Germans at the German Tennis

Club in Shanghai. France began sending troops and help to Poland to try to force the

German troops to leave. The current president of the United States, Franklin D.

Roosevelt, also mentioned that the US was to remain neutral and to not get involved in

the war. Germany performed a torpedo attack on the British ship powered on steam

engines Athenia, killing approximately 1,400 refugees, mainly from Canada. The ship

was bombed only 300 miles east of the country of Scotland.

"YesterYear Once More." YesterYear Once More. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2013.

The Americans saw the bombing of Pearl Harbor as a horrid massacre, and newspapers

did not mention anything about self-defense, which gave the impression of being

defenseless. The pictures in the newspaper depict neither Americans holding guns nor

American war planes. This was a tactic to show the American citizens that the Japanese

were brutal and could not be trusted. Also, there were many pictures of navy men

placing objects on memorials and pictures of annihilated and destroyed ships, planes,

and more. Overall, the American newspaper articles were very biased towards their own

side.

"U.S. Declares War." Manitowoc Herald Times 8 Dec. 1941: 1. Pearl Harbor Articles &

Newspaper. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.

This newspaper gave us more information about the US Congress declaring war on

Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbor. On December 8, 1941, Congress declared war on

Japan. Washington admitted that over 3, 000 Americans were either hurt or killed, and

that aircraft and naval ships were damaged, but how many it did not mention.

Secondary Sources

Books:

Allen, Thomas B. Remember Pearl Harbor: American and Japanese Survivors Tell Their Stories.

Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2001. Print.

From this book, we learned that America was friends with China, so when Japan

invaded China, Japan became America’s enemy. Germany had been allies with Japan,

and Germany allowed Japan to take over the Pacific colonies. When the Americans

realized, Franklin D. Roosevelt moved US Navy‘s Pacific Fleet from California to Pearl

Harbor. Later, Japanese troops went into Indochina, and the US cut off all oil exports

from the US and China to Japan. So, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto thought that if Japan

were to attack the US Navy ships, then the US would have to surrender, negotiate, and

let Japan extend its empire and get its oil. During the attack on December 7, 1941,

Mitsuo Fuchida sent out two messages: to and ra, which meant to launch the attack and

that the attack’s element of surprise was successful, respectively. The main targets of the

attack were the Navy battleships Nevada, Arizona, Tennessee, West Virginia, Maryland,

Oklahoma, and California. Kazuo Sakamaki and Chief Warrant Kiyoshi Inagaki were in

a midget submarine, which was caught in a coral reef. As a result, Kiyoshi drowned

while trying to swim to shore, and Kazuo became the first American prisoner of war.

Burgan, Michael. Perspective: The Attack on Pearl Harbor | US Entry into WW II |. Selangor

Darul Ehsan: Benchmark, 2011. Print.

From this book, we learned that warfare is based on deception. On the Sunday of

December 7, 1941, Japan released 182 aircrafts into the air, commanded by Mitsuo

Fuchida. The leading captain of the first wave of airplanes, Fuchida and his pilots

announced the success of the element of surprise by saying, “Tora, tora, tora,” which

translates to “Tiger, tiger, tiger.” The later signal, “To, to, to,” which is an abbreviation

for totsugeki, means “charge” in Japanese. Although some aircrafts were detected by the

United States, they made no effort to stop the attacks. Five minutes to 8:00 AM, the

Japanese pilots dropped bombs on Oahu, aiming for the US war planes stationed there.

The bombing lasted until about 8:30 AM and the final result was that approximately

2,400 people died and 1,200 were critically hurt. Also, 21 US Navy ships were either

sunk or had been damaged, with over 300 warplanes destructed.

Davenport, John. The Attack on Pearl Harbor: The United States Enters World War II. New

York: Chelsea House, 2009. Print.

This book helped give us a better understanding of what events preceded the Japanese

bombing Pearl Harbor. To begin, Japan was in war with Russia, called the Russo-

Japanese War, during the years 1904 and 1905. Observing the Japanese military’s tactics

and skills, US president Franklin D. Roosevelt admired the Japanese. However, the

majority of the US did not. Japanese immigrants were discriminated against. In fact,

some of the Japanese Americans were forced to go to school with the Chinese rather

than the Caucasians. In fear of war, Roosevelt tried to end this discrimination against

Japanese. Japan, in return, agreed to discourage its people from moving to America.

Despite this negotiation, resentment lingered. Consequently, both Japan and the US

anticipated war. America had it War Plan Orange while Japan had its plan of attacking

Hawaii, specifically Pearl Harbor. Looking back at World War I, both Japan and

America had come out as winners. As well as both being champions, both empires were

looking to expand their influence over China and trade with them. Since the first world

war weakened any other non-Asian rivalries, it was only America against Japan in terms

of gaining trade-control over China. Soon, Japan was gaining influence over China.

Despite China being upset with the Twenty-One Demands placed on them by Japan and

America’s objections, China gave Japan full economic and military power over itself in

May, 1915. Although, right after World War I, there was some settlement between Japan

and the US, there was none during the 1920s and 1930s. Soon, there would be war in

Asia and Europe.

Nevertheless, Japan and America sought accommodation between themselves in hope of

preventing war. Eventually, however, their influence over the Pacific was expanding to a

point of near collision. As a result, the US was deciding over how to limit Japan,

specifically by the use of weapons. In the meantime, Japan was concerned with the Paris

Peace Conference of 1919. In this agreement, Japan felt that they didn’t earn enough

from having contributed in defeating Germany in World War I. While the US and

Britain earned 500,000 tons worth of ships, Japan only received 300,000 tons, and Japan

felt insulted. For the status it would give, Japan wanted equality with the US and Britain.

They felt that this inequality was US’ hostility. Rather accurately, as future events have

shown, Brigadier General Billy Mitchel predicted that Japan would put a surprise attack

on Pearl Harbor. Planning for the attack, Japanese naval officer Isoroku Yamamoto

proposed that torpedoes, dropped from airplanes, should attack the American warships

at Pearl Harbor. Throughout the 1920s, the US and Japan monitored each other. While

America tried to break Japan’s military code, Japan tried to learn about the U.S. During

this time period, Japan began to think about being Asia’s dominant power. Because they

had gained some control over China, Japan was able to use China as its food source.

Soon, China became the center of Japan’s foreign policy. By having military control in

China, Japan had the ability to fight any American military forces trying to gain Asian

lands. Using their only available “weapon” to fight against Japan’s ambitions, US

Congress put an embargo on Japan on exports of high grade scrap metals and high-

octane fuel for Japan.

Dolan, Edward F. America in World War II: 1941. Brookfield: Millbrook, 1991. Print.

In this book, we learned more information about figures involved in the bombing of

Pearl Harbor as well as some events that followed the attack. General Hideki Tojo was

the first in rank of Japan during the time of the attack. While many Japanese officials

were against it, Tojo proposed the attack on Pearl Harbor. Some of the officials

opposing such an idea were former Prime Minister Fuminaro Konoye and Admiral

Isoroku Yamamoto. Yamamoto led the Japanese Navy during the early stage of World

War I. Although he was ordered to plan and command the attack on Pearl Harbor as well

as the air force on Oahu, Yamamoto was strongly against entering war with a strong

nation like the US. In 1943, two years after the Pearl Harbor attack, Yamamoto was

killed in the South Pacific in air ambuscade. In America, Admiral Husband E. Kimmel

was in charge of the US Pacific Fleet while Lieutenant General Walter C. Short was in

command of the US Army Troops based in Hawaii. These two Americans were

criticized severely for not having been able to prepare their troops for an attack from

Japan.

Having survived the first wave of Japanese attack in the Philippines and then returning

to retaliate at a Japanese fleet of ships, three bombs hitting the battleship Haruna,

Captain Colin P. Kelly was considered to be one of the first American war heroes.

However, his plane was shot down and he crashed landed.

Several days after the attack, the phone company of San Francisco put up a wall of

sandbags to protect themselves from Japanese attacks that never came. During World

War II, women worked at recording numbers at factories that produced materials for war

and defense plants.

Dunnahoo, Terry. Pearl Harbor: America Enters the War. New York: F. Watts, 1991. Print.

This book informed us about how the development atomic bomb and the V2 rocket

spread over the world and also about how the United States concluded that they needed

a warning system for surprise attacks. The Defense Early Warning System was set up,

which involved a line from the US to the Soviet Union and passed over the North Pole

because that was the shortest distance. The line was called the Dew Line.

Dupuy, Trevor Nevitt. The Air War in the Pacific: Air Power Leads the Way. Vol. 13. New

York: Franklin Watts, 1964. Print. The Military History of World War II.

This book informed us more about the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Japanese First Air

Fleet left Hitokappu Bay, in the Kurile Islands, on November 26, 1941. The fleet

consisted of 414 planes, 6 aircraft carriers. In addition to the air force, there were 2

battleships and 12 more warships. In command of the fleet was Vice Admiral Chuichi

Nagumo. The US was unprepared on account of how Premier Tojo ordered the two

Japanese ambassadors to act as if they were continuing the negotiations with the US,

Nagumo led his fleet with caution, and the US Army and Navy were lacking alertness in

Oahu. Although the US deciphered Japanese radio signals, without Japan knowing, and

found out that an attack would take place on either December 7 or December 8, they

focused their attention on the South China Sea, where Japanese military was rather

active. The attack portrayed Japan’s great air force power.

Harris, Nathaniel. Pearl Harbor. London: Dryad, 1986. Print.

We learned that President Roosevelt had placed an embargo earlier on all war materials,

not just oil on Japan. During the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Americans initially thought

that it was a drill. However, over the radio, a message that said, “AIR RAID PEARL

HARBOR. THIS IS NOT A DRILL” was sent and alerted citizens and the navy men.

After the attack, it was recorded that the first and the last shots of the Japanese bombing

came from American guns.

Isserman, Maurice. World War II. New York: Facts on File, 1991. Print. America at War.

This book helped us to understand how the US defeated the Japanese in World War II. It

was in late 1944 when the US began to positions itself in the bombing campaign. As the

Air Force generals had stated the atomic bombs would, the Japanese surrendered

without a single American killed in the process. Although thousands of bombs were

released onto Japan, the bombs landing on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were vital in Japan’s

surrender. The use of the atomic bomb not only ended the World War II, but it also

changed the world. The world was a very different place before the year 1939 in

comparison to after 1945. Throughout the war, Japan was merciless about their civilians’

lives and the lives of the Chinese. Japan’s civilian government was in little control over

the Japanese military.

McGowen, Tom. Midway & Guadalcanal. New York: Franklin Watts, 1984. Print. Turning

Points of World War II.

This book helped us to understand how the US made a comeback after the bombing of

Pearl Harbor. On June 4, 1942, although they were outnumbered, Admiral Chester

Nimitz used strategy to lead the US into victory against the determined Japanese at

Midway. Afterwards, the US focused on recapturing the Solomon Islands. On August 7,

1942, the American invasion force arrived on Guadalcanal where they met the Japanese

again. After months of fighting, the Japanese were finally defeated on February 7, 1943,

when the last Japanese left the island. These two major battles signified a major turning

point in the Pacific war for the US.

Nardo, Don. World War II: The War in the Pacific. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 1991. Print.

By reading this book, our group learned that during World War II, the United States had

a lot of power and became nearly invincible because it was the only country possessing

the atomic bomb. However, the Soviet Union also gained power since at the last second,

they declared war on Japan which made them victors. The Soviets also developed their

own atomic bomb, which drove the United States and the Soviet Union into a cold war

lasting nearly forty years. This book also was informing about the Axis countries, which

contained Germany, Italy, and Japan. The Allies included New Zealand, the United

States, France, Britain, South Africa, Canada, and more.

Seddon, Tom. Atom Bomb. New York: Scientific American for Young Readers, 1995. Print.

This book gave us some information on the events following the bombing at Pearl

Harbor. A day after this bombing, US Congress declared war on Japan, who was already

at war with China. Being an ally of Japan, Germany declared war with the US. Soon, all

of the US’ allies came in to help the US in this war. At this point, almost the whole

world was at war. Nine days later, a meeting was held in which it was agreed to build an

atomic bomb.

Skipper, G. C., and Robert L. Messer. Pearl Harbor. Chicago: Childrens, 1983. Print.

From this printed source, we were able to get more background information on the why

the Americans were so poorly prepared and why Japan attacked. The Japanese believed

in the concept of “Hakko Ichiu,” meaning “bringing the eight corners of the world under

one roof.” In other words, the Japanese believed that their destiny was to rule Asia. To

start this process, Japan had to gain control of the Asian countries that composed the

Asian continent. In 1910, Japan gained control of Korea, and in 1937, Japan began

waging war with China. In July, 1941, when Japan tried to get Indochina, or the region

containing present-day Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, the US put an embargo on Japan

to prevent them from taking more Asian countries. To Japan, this embargo meant war.

America was unaware of this aspect of war with Japan, except for a few who were

clueless on where they would strike. To the Americans, there were a couple of reasons

for poor preparations. For one, America believed that the Japanese military was inferior

to theirs. Due to the Great Depression from the 1930s, America also had little money to

spend on servicemen and military equipment. To add on, they thought that Pearl Harbor

was too shallow for any underwater torpedoes. Although America did crack the secret

Japanese diplomatic code, the code was guarded and important people in Pearl Harbor

had no access to the information. However, America did worry some about sabotage at

Pearl Harbor. They prepared ships and planes, but this only made for an easier target. In

spite of the fact that they were trying to negotiate a peace treaty with the US in late

1941, General Hideki Tojo began planning for war and Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto

began planning strategies for attacking Pearl Harbor.

Tanaka, Shelley, and David Craig. Attack on Pearl Harbor: The True Story of the Day America

Entered World War II. New York: Hyperion For Children, 2001. Print.

This book told us about the Japanese flag, which used to be a circle with lines expanding

from it. The white background symbolizes the sky, and the red circle with lines

extending from it symbolize the rising sun. A survivor named George DeLong was on

USS Oklahoma when it rolled over capsized. The Kaneohe Naval Air Station in Hawaii

was attacked, as it contained United States army battle and airplanes.

Uschan, Michael. The Bombing of Pearl Harbor. New York: World Almanac Library, 2006.

Print.

This book helped us learn about the effects of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. First off, it

made Americans a part of what was going on in the outside world and stunned the

United States government out of their isolationism system. Second, the bombing united

Americans under one cause, which was to defeat the Japanese and despise them, no

matter to which country they were loyal to. Third, this tragic event instilled suspicion in

Americans of all Japanese people, even if they were American citizens. The United

States government was fearful that the Japanese living in America were spies, so they

forced all Japanese Americans to go to internment camps, where they were treated

terribly. Lastly, the bombing of Pearl Harbor led the United States to join World War II.

This created jobs for ship, plane, and weapon manufacturers. The new economy created

by World War II ended most of the financial issues of the Great Depression.

Documentaries:

Pearl Harbor: Disaster for Japan. National Geographics, 2013. Online Video. Pearl Harbor:

Disaster for Japan. National Geographics, 18 Jan. 2013. Web. 28 Nov. 2013.

On December 6th, one day before the attack, the Japanese sent a message to their

ambassador in Washington D.C. at 1:00 PM. In Washington D.C., they received the

letter only thirty minutes before the attack. This was because the Japanese were

supposedly slow typers, and wrote very indirectly so that the US government could not

decipher the message. The message from Japan was a declaration of war and a warning

to the Americans that they were going to attack . So, the message was deciphered only

after the attack, which caused the Americans to think that the Japanese had attacked

On December 7th, the Japanese executed their carefully-planned missions. The Japanese

fighters were trying to destroy the big ships as their main priority. They missed the

submarine pits, which as a critical mistake on their part because the pits were going to

carry the war to Japan. They were trying to strike the submarines since it would have set

back the United States’s war effort by a full two years. They also should have attacked

the fuel supports, but they decided not to because the smoke all around them would

make it hard to see and maneuver the plane. Furthermore, the Japanese did not attack the

United States war ships. Doing so would stop the US war effort before it even started.

The Japanese did, however, attack the US fuel storage, which contained enough to fuel

the Pacific Fleet for ten months. General Nagumo, who led the waves, thought that a

third wave was not necessary because he knew that the Americans would be, by that

time, well-prepared. Japan’s future was based on this critical bombing of Pearl Harbor,

and overall, the did not do very well. After the attack, the United States’ citizens were

not frightened and intimidated like the Japanese thought they would be; instead, the

Americans’ spirits, determination, and passion rose like never before.

Internet:

"70 Years since Pearl Harbor Attack | The Japan Times." Japan Times RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 16

Nov. 2013.

From this website, we learned what the Japanese take from the bombing of Pearl Harbor

today. For Japan, the bombing at Pearl Harbor took place on December 8, 1941.

Although the attack was successful, no major damage was done to the US aircraft

carriers, since they were not present. Japan has been accused numerous times of having

carried out a sneak attack since their Japanese Ambassador Kichisaburo Nomura and

special envoy Saburo Kurusu handed the final memorandum to the US Secretary of

State Cordell Hull late by an hour. To the Japanese, however, it is still believed that it is

the fault of the Japanese embassy staff in Washington, who were working very

inefficiently. If they had been more productive, the memorandum would have been

handed on time. Nonetheless, this argument is not strong, since the memorandum did not

clearly say that they were entering war. It only stated that Japan was terminating their

negotiations with the US. It has also often been said that the US’s negative impact on

Japan’s economy, including the embargo, the freezing of Japanese property in the US,

and the action of ending the bilateral trade and navigation treaty, provoked the Japanese

to attack Pearl Harbor. However, this, once more, is an invalid argument. The US only

performed these actions in response to Japan’s military aggression against China and its

recent attempt at gaining French Indochina. Also, one hour before the attack, Japanese

military units landed in British Malaya and Thailand to carry out operations to prepare

for when they wage war on China and US. Although many Japanese believe that the war

that began after the bombing was to mainly bring freedom to Asians from the Western

Powers, the main goal of the Japanese was to gain dominant control over the Asia-

Pacific region. This cost Japan more than 3 million lives and even more for other Asian

countries. Among these deceased were people from Japanese colonies, Japanese areas of

control, and imprisoned allies put to forced labor. The war between Japan and US only

ended in August, 1945, when atomic bombs landed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a

devastating event for the Japanese.

"A Japanese View of the Race Issue at the Paris Peace Conference." A Japanese View of the

Race Issue at the Paris Peace Conference. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.

This website tells us the view of the Japanese on the League of Nations. On February 15,

the first draft of the compact of the League of Nations was accepted by the Peace

Congress at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. It was noted that, on February 13, Japan

suggested adding an article that would abolish racial discrimination, but the Peace

Conference dismissed the idea without giving Japan a hearing. This was rather

disappointing for the Japanese. When America stated that peace can only exist between

equals, Japan felt that, unsure about Britain’s current position on the matter, America

might listen to their proposal of adding the article. However, Japan was disappointed

once again when America offered no encouragement for their proposed article. For the

Japanese, it was important that this article be included. By the agreement among the

Occidental Powers, or Western Powers, can’t encourage Japanese immigration to other

countries. Their population was immense and was growing at an average rate of 400,000

per year. Issues concerning food supply was becoming increasingly serious. European

countries, on the other hand, have the ability to encourage emigration. The only thing that

Japan wanted was fair treatment for Japanese immigrants moving to the western

countries.

Albertson, Mark. "Dec. 7 Has Importance beyond Pearl Harbor Attack." Thehour.com. The

Hour, 3 Dec. 2011. Web. 23 Nov. 2013.

The Japanese plan of worldwide expansion, titled Hakku-Ichiu, means literally “bringing

the eight corners of the world under one roof.” This plan was not unlike the German’s

ideas. The embargo the United States placed on Japan impeded the Hakku-Ichiu, and so

the Japanese became more aggressive towards the U.S.

Antill, Peter. "Pearl Harbor: The Day of Infamy, 7 December 1941." Pearl Harbor: The Day of

Infamy, 7 December 1941. History of War, 28 Oct. 2001. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

This website gives a detailed account of what happened during the bombing of Pearl

Harbor, Hawaii. At 7:49 AM, or 0749 hours, commander Fuchida signaled the torpedo

bombers to attack by firing one shot from his flare gun. Fuchida fired a second time to

make sure all the bombers had seen the flare, but the second flare was misinterpreted by

Takahashi, who ordered his dive-bombers to strike. The code words ‘Tora, Tora, Tora’

sent at 7:53 indicated that the approach was successfully a surprise to the Americans. At

7:55, the first bomb exploded in a hangar. Japanese torpedo bombers sent their torpedoes

into the water. The attacks continued and caused great confusion and chaos. The second

wave arrived shortly after the first. At first, the Japanese considered sending a third wave,

but they decided not to because the American defense would be alert.

"Attack At Pearl Harbor, 1941 - The Japanese View." Attack At Pearl Harbor, 1941 - The

Japanese View. Eyewitness to History, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.

This website includes an oral interview of the commander of the Japanese attacks, Mitsuo

Fuchida. The original Japanese goal was to bomb and destroy as many carriers as they

could. When Fuchida got to Hawaii, however, he saw that all eight of the ships were

there, but not one carrier. Still, he continued with his plan and tapped out the message

‘TO,TO,TO...’ Fuchida recalls how he had attempted to release several bombs and had

missed because of a cloud before he was finally successful.

"Attack At Pearl Harbor, 1941 - The Japanese View." Attack At Pearl Harbor, 1941 - The

Japanese View. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.

From this website, we learned more about the Japanese preparation and the attack on

Pearl Harbor. The Japanese attack fleet left Japan on November 26. The flight

commander Vice Admiral Nagumo got his final orders on December 1, and on the

morning of December 7 the fleet was 275 miles north of the destination of Hawaii.

Getting into positions at 6:00 AM, the air attack was composed of fighter aircrafts, high-

level bombers, dive-bombers, and torpedo bombers. Although there were eight

battleships present, no carriers were in sight. At 7:49, or 0749 hours, Commander Mitsuo

Fuchida commanded the radioman to send the signal to attack. Lieutenant Commander

Murata led his torpedo bombers away. Lieutenant Commander Itayay led his fighters

down to eliminate any enemy fighters in the air. Takahashi led his dive-bombers straight

up into the sky. Commander Mitsuo Fuchida led his bombers towards Barbers Point to

regulate the attack schedule. There was no action from the US on the ground. It was

certain that the goal of achieving the element of surprise was reached. The attack began

with the drop of the first bomb on Wheeler Field. Soon, there were dive-bombing attacks

on Hickam Field and Ford Island. There was no real attempt from the US at taking the

command of the air away from the Japanese.

"Beyond the Movie: Pearl Harbor." Beyond the Movie: Pearl Harbor. National Geographic,

2001. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.

Although there were sure signs of Japan intending to bomb Pearl Harbor, the U.S. was

too busy trying to help Britain in the European war to notice. Also, at Pearl Harbor, there

was a warning radar, fighter aircraft, and guns, but the commanders of the Pearl Harbor

military unit had not established a working air defense system. The reasons why the

Japanese were so successful in their attack were because for one, they traveled on a path

rarely used, and they did not use radios so they were not detected. Also, the Japanese had

practiced the bombing many times and were well prepared. Last but not least, the

Japanese planes were superior to the ones on Oahu. Prior to the attack, there were many

warnings the United States should have picked up on about the upcoming attack. The first

one came as a coded cablegram from the U.S. ambassador to Japan. The message said

that the Japanese were going to surprise attack Pearl Harbor, but the warning was brushed

off as a rumor. Another warning was when the Americans realized that the Japanese fleet

of ships the Americans had been tracking by radio had been ordered to stop using their

radios. In 1940, the United States code breakers built a machine, codenamed Purple, that

could read the Japanese’s coded messages. However, this machine did not reveal any

information about the attack on Pearl Harbor. When the bombing actually happened, the

U.S. military units in Hawaii immediately responded. The Japanese lost 29 aircrafts, 54

fliers, all five of their midget submarines, and nine onboard the submarines. The one

person who survived the submarine sinking became the first POW, or prisoner of war.

"Bushido (Japanese History)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d.

Web. 27 Nov. 2013.

This website helped us to understand the Japanese’s belief of Bushido, which some

pilots in the attack on Pearl Harbor still took seriously, better. Bushido meant the ‘Way

of the Warrior’ in Japanese. It was the samurai code of conduct. During the mid-19th

century, this code of conduct was the basis for standard training. This contributed in the

rise of Japanese nationalism, or love for the country of Japan, and Japan’s pride for war.

Samurai were trained to obey the commands of their masters and to be loyal, even if it

were to mean violating the law.

"Carrier Locations, 7 December 1941." Carrier Locations, 7 December 1941. Naval History and

Heritage Command, n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.

On the day of the attack on Pearl Harbor, none of the three American carriers were

present. USS Enterprise, USS Lexington, and USS Saratoga are the names of the three

planes. Enterprise was at Wake Island, Lexington was at Midway Island, and Saratoga

was getting repaired on the West Coast.

Dickson, Keith D. "World War II Comes to America: Pearl Harbor." For Dummies. For

Dummies, n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2013.

The United States Pacific Fleet and around 50,00 soldiers occupied the military base on

the island of Oahu, which is part of Hawaii. The largest concentration of the Pacific

military was in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The Japanese goal was to destroy the U.S. carriers

and battleships, although by chance, the battleships were not present that day. The

bombing lasted for around an hour and fifty minutes. The next day, President Roosevelt

declared war on Japan, and the Prime Minister of Britain, Winston Churchill, was

overjoyed to get another ally.

"Editorial: Why We Remember Pearl Harbor." - Our Opinion. Gaston Gazette, 6 Dec. 2012.

Web. 25 Nov. 2013.

This website explores why we should remember the attack on Pearl Harbor. It led to the

United States’ entry in World War II, killed and wounded many Americans, and sunk

important military ships. Although there are many people who visit Pearl Harbor and the

USS Arizona memorial each day, it is a saddening thought that the number of the

survivors dwindles ever lower. For over 60 years, December 7th had reminded us about

“a date that will live in infamy.”

"FDR and Pearl Harbor." FDR and Pearl Harbor - Pearlharbor.pdf. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov.

2013.

This article contained helpful information regarding why the bombing happened. During

the 1930s, the Japanese invaded China, which the United States did not like. The US

responded by trying a numerous amount of different strategies to deter Japan. In the July

of 1941 when Japan conquered French Indochina, president Roosevelt decided to place

an embargo on Japan for oil. As the Japanese military depended heavily on America for

oil, they were in a huge crisis. At this point, the Japanese had two choices. One was to

capture more of Southeast Asia, where there was more oil, but the Americans would

oppose. The second choice was to go to war with the US. After deciding on the latter

option, the Japanese kept their secret safe, hoping that the surprise attack on Pearl

Harbor would weaken the Americans.

In a letter from Franklin D. Roosevelt to his good friend, he addressed the concerns of

what would happen to Britain if the US was at war with the Japanese. The issue was that

if America placed all its military strength in the goal to defeat the Japanese, then Britain

would have less of America’s help and might lose the European wars. However,

Roosevelt confidently assured his friend that the British were very strong and didn’t

need the United States to assist them. In another letter, Henry Morgenthau, Jr., the US

Secretary of the Treasury, estimated the number of oil barrels Japan needed for a full-

scale war to be forty-one million barrels a year.

"FDR Wins Unprecedented Fourth Term." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web.

07 Jan. 2014.

From this website we learned more about Frankling Delano Roosevelt’s years as

president. He was the only president to have served four terms in office. He was elected

as president in the year 1932. He died in April, 1945, while still in office. Roosevelt

presided over two of the biggest issues in the US: the Great Depression and US’ entry

into World War II. Although it was initially the plan to avoid involvement in World War

II, the bombing on Pearl Harbor pushed the US into it. President Roosevelt also made

drastic moves, which were often criticized, to pull America out of the Great Depression.

Even though it seemed as though the Allies were winning the war, Roosevelt’s health

declined and his arteriosclerosis worsened. Seven months before the war ended with the

Allies as victors, Roosevelt died from a stroke.

Grier, Peter. "Pearl Harbor Day: How Did Adolf Hitler React to the Attack?" The Christian

Science Monitor. The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Dec. 2011. Web. 28 Nov. 2013.

Germany and Japan were allies during World War II. Adolf Hitler, Germany’s leader,

did not know beforehand about the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was extremely happy to

hear about its success and it made him think that he could not lose the war. Because the

failed German events that happened previously, the Pearl Harbor bombing came to

Hitler as a light in the darkness.

“Hideki Tojo." Hideki Tojo. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2013.

This website taught us more about General Hideki Tojo. He was born in 1884, in Tokyo,

and died in 1948. He was the Prime Minister of Japan at the time of the attack on Pearl

Harbor. This bombing led to the Far East entering war and the destruction of Hiroshima,

Japan, in August 1945. Because he led Japan into World War II, Tojo was labeled as a

war criminal and killed for it. In 1940, Tojo became the Minister of War in the

government and saw the future of Japan to be involved with European dictators,

specifically Hitler.

"How Roosevelt Attacked Japan at Pearl Harbor." How Roosevelt Attacked Japan at Pearl

Harbor. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

This website helped us understand more about how the president, Franklin D. Roosevelt,

was involved in the bombing of Pearl Harbor. When deciding who to blame for the

bombing, certain critics called the “Pearl Harbor revisionists” believed it was the

president’s fault. Their goal seemed to have been to make the nation know that

Roosevelt tried to make the Japanese leaders attack so that the US would have a reason

to join the European conflict. However, in reality, the president’s goal was to find a way

to stop Japan from making certain actions. While the president was rather forceful and

aggressive in the Atlantic, he was more willing to hold back in the Pacific.

Consequently, he ignored numerous cabinet members, including Secretary of the Interior

Harold L. Ickes, who suggested that the US stop sending oil shipments to Japan.

Roosevelt felt that this would hurt their opportunity at getting Japan to join their side

and neutralize Indochina as a country. In response to Japan’s unresponsiveness,

Roosevelt froze all of Japan’s valuable items situated in the US. Although the president

didn’t reveal his intentions or reasons, it was understood that a complete trade embargo

was placed on Japan, ending the sending of oil shipments. Soon, Roosevelt learned that

using the strategy of patience only aggravated the Japanese’s aggressiveness. Revising

his tactics, the president began sending late responses to the Japanese which, ultimately,

threatened the US, as seen by the US government.

The Pearl Harbor revisionists always wanted to display Roosevelt as being a “bad”

president. Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson’s diary for November 25, 1941, showed

that Roosevelt wanted Japan to fire at the US without them being hurt. The revisionists

have tried to portray Roosevelt as being a president trying to bring Japan into war.

However, this is not true, since Japan had turned to a policy of force, which they had

created on their own with no ‘help’ from the president. The US operation “Magic” was

making translations and intercepting Japanese diplomatic messages. However, issues

with lack of personnel and several procedures that had to be followed through. Despite

some claims, the messages being sent between Japanese bases gave no information

about tactics or strategies, only foreign policies. There was no hint whatsoever about an

attack on Hawaii. on December 7. Regulating it about a year before the attack, it was

learned that Japan was interested in ships moving in and out of Pearl Harbor. Japan was

very interested in vital information in other areas as well, including major West Coast

posts in the US and Canada, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, consisting of the Dutch

East Indies, and Panama Canal. Sent on September 24, in Telegram Number 83, Japan

told a spy agent in Honolulu to put Pearl Harbor into five distinct regions and report if

there are at least two watercrafts lined along the same dock. Rather late, this telegram

was interpreted by the intelligence czar “Magic” on October 9. While two men in

Washington were concerned about the telegram, their troubles were dismissed.

Important hints and clues in this telegram were not detected by important military and

naval officials in the War Plans and Intelligence Divisions in Washington. As a result,

vital information was not given to commanders in the field who should have been

notified at once. Sending a message to Winston Churchill, Roosevelt displayed that he

knew that danger was nearing, and that they must prepare. When US Secretary of State

Cordell Hull handed the famous note of November 26 to an ambassador in Japan, the

Japanese rejected America’s proposal and found it to be humiliating. When a committee

of the Congress in 1945 asked Hull about the effect of the note of November 26, Hull

was enraged about the idea that his note began the war. On December 3, 1941,

Roosevelt made the rather valid observation that the Japanese were stalling until they

were ready. After having received a message from the Japanese government stating that

they can’t accept Hull’s proposal, Roosevelt knew that it meant war. Had Roosevelt not

died in the spring of 1945, he would have been able to deny the ideas the Pearl Harbor

revisionists proposed. Legally, the arguments of the revisionists were neither clear nor

convincing, so they should have been rejected. Moreover, the bombing of Pearl Harbor

was only one part of the Japanese’s army’s offensive. The attack on the Philippines

would have brought the US into war with Japan even if the bombing on Pearl Harbor

had not taken place. However, the bombing was the last straw for the US. Roosevelt

simply could not have known that the Japanese army had chosen Hawaii as one of its

major targets, nor how the Japanese were going to deal with the unresolved argument

with the US.

"Japanese Fighter Pilot Recalls Vividly Attack on Pearl Harbor." : Kitsap Sun. N.p., n.d. Web.

24 Nov. 2013.

From this website, we gained more knowledge about how the Japanese pilots of the

bombing at Pearl Harbor reflect on their actions. Pilot Iyozo Fujita flew a Zero fighter

during the attack. Although he knew he was to follow his orders, he had a consistent bad

feeling in the back of his head as he flew to Hawaii. Being his first experience in battle,

Fujita remember it vividly, even at an age of 74 years. He remembers fighting in a

ferocious dogfight and watching his friend suicide in the air. Fujita received his education

at Japan’s Naval College. He completed work in China and was exposed to the aircraft

carrier Soryu for a period of time before he began training with the Zero. In November,

1941, Fujita learned that Japan was planning an attack on the US, and he feared that he

was going to die while attacking such a powerful country. Fujita controlled one of the

nine planes of the second wave of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Fujita attacked three

hydroplanes and, when his group leader Lieutenant Fusata Lida signaled that he would

suicide, a US plane began to head straight for him. After having seen his friend suicide,

Fujita was prepared to crash into the plane. However, the planes didn’t crash as the US

fighter made a turn upwards. During this premonition of a crash, Fujita was firing at the

plane, which in turn fired at him. One of Fujita’s engine’s cylinders was hit. After having

made an emergency landing, Fujita noticed that the oil pressure was at a zero. When the

war was over, he was relieved.

Although he had many more experiences in war, Fujita found the one concerning the

bombing of Pearl Harbor to be the most important to him. Later in his life, at about the

age of 69, Fujita and others visited Hawaii at a memorial service. He was delighted when

he saw that Fusate Lida was buried by the US military. When asked about how he

considered the US, Fujita responded with the statement that the Americans were his

friends.

"Kamikaze Images." I Attacked Pearl Harbor. Kamikaze Images, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2013.

This website provides a brief summary of how Ensign Kazuo Sakamaki survived his

midget submarine crashing on a coral reef. He was assigned to a two-man submarine to

attack Pearl Harbor, but discovered that his sub’s gyrocompass was not working

correctly. The broken gyrocompass could not serve its purpose to help move the

submarine underwater in the correct direction, and so the submarine crashed into a coral

reef, where it remained lodged. Sakamaki and his teammate, Kiyoshi Inagaki, placed

ignited bombs in the submarine so it would not fall into enemy hands, and then

abandoned ship. However, the bombs did not ignite and Sakamaki was taken captive after

drifting onshore.

Kawabata, Tai. "Pearl Harbor: Memo Sheds Light on Japan's Failure to Make a 'declaration' of

War | The Japan Times." Japan Times RSS. The Japan Times, 6 Dec. 1999. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.

In this article, Tai Kawabata explores the idea that Japan had purposely sent the

declaration of war to America late, contrary to popular belief. Kawabata says that the

memorandum sent to the US contained many garbled and missing words, which

he believes is one of Japan’s ways to try to be as indirect and secretive in telling the US

about the war. Also, in addition to the slow Japanese typers, Japan insisted that the

memorandum was to be sent a day after the attack happened.

This website helped us to understand what factors other than timing led to Japan’s attack

on Pearl Harbor being labeled as a sneak-attack. Professor Takeo Iguchi stated that the

memorandum that was sent from Japan to Cordell Hull was constructed to try to deceive

not only the US government but also the Japanese embassy working there. The professor

discovered the “Draft Final Memorandum of the Imperial Government Addressed to the

US Government,” dated for December 3, 1941. It stated that Japan was ending its

negotiations with the US and was entering into war. He reasoned that, had this document

been sent on time, the US government could not call the attack on Pearl Harbor to be a

sneak-attack. The draft dated for December 5 was less explicit, and the US would not

have been able to understand that Japan was going to attack. The third draft displayed

that Japan was trying to avoid telling the US that they were ending their negotiation. The

final document that was sent to Hull was only a slight bit different from the draft of

December 5. Iguchi also found the “Confidential War Diary,” which displayed that,

while Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto wanted to send an advanced warning of military

action to the US, the army and navy made no intention to do so. This, Iguchi noted,

proved the popular theory that the navy was not given a voice in this matter to be false.

Japan tried to frame the Japanese Embassy for having deceived the US by having two

diplomats, Nomura and Kurusu, deliver the memorandum rather than Togo. In the final

memorandum that was sent it was not very clear that Japan was terminating their

negotiations with the US and entering war.

McAvoy, Audrey. "Pearl Harbor Survivor Back after 68 Years | The Japan Times." Japan Times

RSS. The Associated Press, 8 Dec. 2009. Web. 27 Nov. 2013.

Ed Johann is an 86 year old man who had been a worker on USS Solace, which is a

hospital ship helping injured patients at the time of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Johann

bravely helped to carry the wounded from two of the bombed ships, USS Arizona and

USS West Virginia. Without Johann, there would have been more dead men that

morning. In total, four battleships were annihilated and four more were damaged.

Additionally, 188 planes were destroyed and three cruiser and destroyer ships were in

poor condition due to bomb shrapnel. After 1945, Ed Johann decided to become a

firefighter because of his will and desire to help others in times of need.

"Pearl Harbor: A Rude Awakening." BBC News. BBC, 30 Mar. 2001. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

The Japanese thought that they deserved to be the ruler of Asia because of racial

superiority. Although evidence pointed towards war between the United States and

Japan, America was still poorly prepared for the bombing of Pearl Harbor. After all, the

US had even cracked Japan’s diplomatic code and could decode the message extremely

quickly. A theory as to why this may be says that president Roosevelt actually wanted to

join World War II, but had no solid reason to. The Japanese bombing provided an

excuse for the problem, similar to a backdoor for the US into the war.

"Pearl Harbor Articles & Newspapers." Pearl Harbor Newspaper. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.

This website helped us understand the events leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor

better. During the 1930s, people in the US began feeling resentment against the

Japanese, mostly due to how the Japanese were fighting a rather bloody war in China

and how they destroyed a US Navy gunboat. The US, Britain, East Indies, and the

Netherlands all decided to put an embargo of oil and steel on Japan. This embargo

caused a major issue in Japan. Congress declared war on December 11, when Japan’s

allies of Germany and Italy declared war on the US. On January 27, 1941, the US

ambassador for Japan reported to Washington that the Japanese were planning an attack

on Pearl Harbor, but nobody was willing to believe it. On November 27, 1941, Admiral

Kimmel and General Short received a warning from Washington stating that the

Japanese were planning on attacking the US in the Pacific. On December 8, 1941,

Congress and Roosevelt declared war on Japan, and so the US entered World War II.

Japanese and German newspapers stated the Pearl Harbor attack to be a victory. Japan

claimed that they took out the West Virginia and Oklahoma ships during the attack on

Pearl Harbor. They also stated that over 60% of the US Naval forces were present, and

were therefore damaged. It was proclaimed that Japan had showed that it was more

superior to the US.

In addition, in a Pearl Harbor newspaper article, it was stated that, in deciding whether

or not to declare war with Japan, the House of Representatives voted 388 to 1, with

Jeanette Rankin of Montana being the only one opposing the idea. In Senate, the vote

was 82 to 0.

"Pearl Harbor Bombed." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

This website tells us that the Franklin D. Roosevelt knew that a Japanese attack was

probably going to happen, but he did nothing about it. The attack happened on a Sunday,

when many military men were excused to attend religious services. At 7:02 AM, the US

detected a large group of planes from the north which were the Japanese planes, but

since a flight of planes from the US were expected at that time, no alarms were signaled.

In this way, when the attack happened, it was a complete surprise to the Americans.

Several of the United States’ ships were sunk, and a lot were damaged. Fortunately, all

three of the carriers were away from Pearl Harbor at the time of the attack for training

maneuvers.

"Pearl Harbor, Oahu - The Attack: Facts and Information." RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2013.

After having read this website, we learned more about why the US was unprepared for the

Pearl Harbor attack. The first warning regard an attack on the US from Japan was sent by

Navy, yet Washington and the War Department found it unlikely and dismissed it. The US

also assumed that the Japanese didn’t have any seaborne aircrafts that could capture their

B-24 bombers. They also assumed that the Japanese were too focused on expanding their

military influence in other areas to plan an advanced attack on the US. The US Army and

Navy saw no need to protect Hawaii on a large scale. On the day of the attack,

Washington did get a message stating that Japan was threatening war, yet the US didn’t

take the deadline of 7:30 AM, in Hawaii Aleutian Time Zone, too seriously. Two early

warnings of the attack came of the Japanese approaching, yet they were both ignored.

After the attack, Commander Lieutenant General Walter Short requested a retirement,

which was accepted when Lieutenant Genearl Delos Emmons took his position.

"Pearl Harbor Visitors Get Japanese View of Dec. 7, 1941." Toledo Blade. N.p., 24 Nov. 2013.

Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

By reading this website, we learned more about the effects of the bombing of Pearl

Harbor. Today, visitors to the USS Arizona Memorial, located at Pearl Harbor, can view

several photos and pictures of Japan in the 1930s. In the 1980s, the memorial was

designed to serve as more of a shrine rather than a place where history is interpreted and

displayed. With a $56 million redevelopment, the museum allows visitors to learn more

about the attack. With former enemies of America visiting the US, American veterans and

survivors begin to feel more comfortable around the Japanese. The attitudes between the

Japanese and the Americans began to soften over the past few years. In 1991, former dive-

bomber Zenji Abe brought a group of Japanese veterans to Pearl Harbor. He stated that the

Japanese leaving in their aircrafts carriers in belief that the Japanese government had

declared war. In reality, war was not yet declared, and this action was going against their

traditions of bushido, or the way of the samurai. In an interview, Abe admitted that he felt

bad.

"Saburo Kuruso, Former Special Ambassador To The United States." N.p., 24 Sept. 1997. Web.

28 Nov. 2013.

This website shows the Japanese bias is very strong. Some Japanese people believe that

the United States’ and Japan’s war was the United States fault and definitely not

Japan’s. The author shows evidence of the United States’ motive to go to war before the

bombing of Pearl Harbor. Some of the Japanese believe that the United States made

false accounts as to delude its own citizens from the truth.

"The History Place - World War II in Europe Timeline: December 7, 1941 - Japanese Bomb

Pearl Harbor." The History Place - World War II in Europe Timeline: December 7, 1941 -

Japanese Bomb Pearl Harbor. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

From this website, we learned more about what happened the day before the attack, the

day of the attack, and the day following the attack. On Saturday, December 6, the day

before the attack, the president made a final attempt to make peace with Japan, who

made no response. After having interpreted 13 parts of a 14-part message, America

believes that Japan is planning an attack, probably in Southeast Asia. However, it was,

as shown on Sunday, December 7, in Hawaii. After having deciphered the rest of the

message and another message, the US War Department realizes that Japan is aiming for

Hawaii. However, when the warning reaches Hawaii, it was four hours since the attack

begun. On December 8, the US and Britain declare war on Japan. On December 11,

Germany and Italy join Japan. Soon it became a conflict between Japan, Germany, and

Italy, against America, France, Britain, and their other Allies.

"The Great Depression." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.

At this website, we were able to get a summary of what the Great Depression was. The

Great Depression, which lasted from 1929-39, was the greatest fall in economics in

history for the Western world. Soon after the stock market crash in October 1929, Wall

Street ran into a panic and millions of investors lost their money. Over the following

years, consumers began spending less and less money on products, and the rate of

construction of these products began to fall. Failing companies had to let go their

workers, and the unemployment rate and industry began to fail. At its peak, the 13

million out of 15 million Americans were unemployed and 1 out of 2 banks were

bankrupt. During the 1930s, president Franklin D. Roosevelt was able to help fix the

economy, yet the financial system would only be revived once World War II began and

put America’s industry to work again.

"The Pearl Harbor Attack, 7 December 1941." The Pearl Harbor Attack, 7 December 1941.

Naval History and Heritage Command, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

The bombing of Pearl Harbor was caused by a series of events. In 1937, Japan started a

campaign to capture China, and in 1940, they became a part of the Axis Alliance,

consisting of Germany and Italy. Because East Asia was important to the United States

both politically and economically, the US clashed with Japan. The United States stopped

shipping oil and other materials to Japan, aided China further, and strengthened their army

in the Pacific. Since Japan’s resources mostly came from other countries, they decided to

invade Southeast Asia, where there were plentiful resources. The Admiral in charge of

taking down the carriers in Pearl Harbor was Isoroku Yamamoto, although when the

bombing happened, none of the carriers were present at Pearl Harbor. The main element

he needed for the plan was surprise. The American‘s radars had detected the first wave of

the Japanese attack, but it was deemed of little importance and labeled as an American

group of planes scheduled to arrive that morning.

"The Significance of Pearl Harbour to America and the Second World War." The Guardian. The

Guardian, 6 Sept. 2009. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.

As a result of the bombing, isolationism is smothered out. Prior to the attack, Japan had

kept its plan to attack a secret. In Roosevelt’s broadcast on December 9, 1941, he let the

American citizens know of the attack and of their determination to fight back Japan.

Roosevelt told the people not to fear, but to have pride and courage.

"Thousands Remembered on 71st Anniversary of Pearl Harbor Attack." NY Daily News. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.

This website gave us an idea of how Americans remember the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Today, the bombing of Pearl Harbor will be remembered infamously. Americans

remember the ones who had been killed in the attack. To recognize these people, there

would be a moment of silence at 7:55 A.M., the time at which the bombing began in

1941.

Townsend, Susan. "Japan's Quest for Empire 1931 - 1945." BBC News. BBC, 30 Mar. 2011.

Web. 26 Nov. 2013.

This website explored the causes of the United States and Japan’s long, clashing history.

First, there was the ‘Manchurian Crisis’ in which the Japanese delegates walked out of

the League of Nation during 1933. The Manchurian Crisis resulted in Japan being

isolated from the rest of the war. Then, in 1937, Japan and China had a minor battle at

the Marco-Polo Bridge. This small clash led to undeclared war between the two nations.

"Twenty-one Demands (East Asian History)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia

Britannica, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.

In this website, we received a summary of the Twenty-One Demands that were placed

on China by Japan. The Twenty-One Demands were placed on China by the Japanese

government. These claims gave Japan special privileges in China which European

countries could not object to due to their focus on World War I. On May 7, Japan sent its

last demand, and, the Chinese president Yuan Shikai surrendered by signing the Sino-

Japanese agreements on May 25. The Twenty-One Demands gave Japan political,

economical, and military control over China. Due to Yuan’s forced surrender and

acceptance, many Chinese began to resent the Japanese.

"Welcome to the Official Site of the Attack on Pearl Harbor." Pearl Harbor History: Why Did

Japan Attack? Eyewitness Accounts, Casualty List, Background. Pearlharbor.org, n.d. Web. 24

Nov. 2013.

From this website, we learned more about the cause of the bombing at Pearl Harbor. In

September 1940, the United States placed an embargo on Japan by not allowing exports

of aviation fuel, steel, and oil. This was punishment for the Japanese taking over

northern French Indochina. In the July of 1941, Japan conquered southern Indochina,

which led the US and Britain to prevent Japan from buying oil. Near the end of 1941,

Japan desperately tried to get much-needed oil by trying to take it from southeast Asia,

which upset the Americans, although they did not want to go to war. Before December,

Japan was devising a war plan. Japan’s biggest problem was the US Pacific Fleet

stationed in Pearl Harbor, so they tried to take it down with aerial bombardment and

torpedoes. The day after the bombing, the United States declared war on Japan.

Why Did Japan Attack Pearl Harbor? N.p.: The DBQ Project, n.d. PDF.

From this website, we were able to use the PDF provided. Initially, Mr. Pang had

showed us this and printed it himself. We used the documents in the PDF to make our

timeline on our website and to learn more about Hideki Tojo and his comments during a

meeting.

"World War II." History: WW2 Pearl Harbor Attack for Kids. Ducksters, Nov. 2013. Web. 25

Nov. 2013.

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is located on the island of Oahu. The United States was forced out

of isolationism as a result of the bombing at Pearl Harbor; the European war had lasted

already over two years before the United States joined in on the war. The biggest loss

for the Americans was the sunken USS Arizona, along with it over 1,100 military

personnel. A total of 2,390 Americans were killed and 1,178 were injured. Twelve ships

were sunk and nine ships were damaged. Compared to the Japanese losses, the US has

staggering numbers. However, the attack had not crippled America like Japan had

hoped, rather, it had hardened the Americans’ resolve. On December 8, 1941, the United

States declared war on Japan. Shortly afterward, Japan’s allies, Germany and Italy,

declared war on the US.

"World War 2 Records & Newspapers." World War 2 Articles. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

This website gave us more information about World War II. The war officially began on

September 1, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. The war ended in 1945 when Japan

and Germany surrendered. In March of 1938, Germany gained control over Austria.

Wanting to please Hitler and avoid war, Britain and France gave part of Czechoslovakia

to Hitler during the Munich Conference. On September 1, 1939, Hitler and his army

attacked Poland using Blitzkrieg, or ‘lightning war,’ as their style. Refusing to withdraw

his soldiers from Poland, Britain and France declared war. In July of 1940, in the Battle

of Britain, Germany and Britain fought each other using air force. Ending in October

with a British victory, Germany failed to gain control over Britain. In 1944, on June 6,

or rather D-Day, the Allied Forces attacked the west while attacking the Nazi forces

coming from the east. This was called the Normandy Invasion.

Additions to the Website:

Pictures:

"Air Raid Pearl Harbor This Is No Drill !!!" Air Raid Pearl Harbor. US Navy, National

Archives, NHC Naval Historical Center, n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2013.

We used photos from this website on our own website.

"All Japan Map." All Japan Map. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.

We used a picture from this website on our own website.

"Consolidated B-24 Liberator." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Jan. 2014. Web. 18 Jan.

2014.


"The Edsman." The Edsman. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.


"FDR Political Cartoon." Cartoon. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.


"Franklin D. Roosevelt Picture - Close-Up." Franklin D. Roosevelt Picture - Close-Up. N.p., n.d.


Web. 20 Jan. 2014.


"Good Day Books - The Best English Bookstore in Tokyo for Used & New Books - Takeo


Iguchi." Good Day Books - The Best English Bookstore in Tokyo for Used & New Books - Takeo

Iguchi. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.


"Hideki Tojo." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 01 Dec. 2014. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.


"HRW WORLD ATLAS - World." HRW WORLD ATLAS - World. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.


"Isoroku Yamamoto." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Jan. 2014. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.


"Japanese World War 2 Aeronautical Map of Hawaii." Map. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 1. Print.


"Kolarik, J / Units and Materials Semester 2." Kolarik, J / Units and Materials Semester 2. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.


"Oxnard High School About OHS HISTORY OF OXNARD HIGH SCHOOL." Oxnard High

School About OHS HISTORY OF OXNARD HIGH SCHOOL. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.


"Sflistteamhouse.com." Sflistteamhouse.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2014.

We used this picture to show all the smoke there was as a result of the bombs dropped by

Japan on Pearl Harbor.

"University of Texas Libraries." United States Maps. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.


"U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis." U.S.

Energy Information Administration (EIA). N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.


"World War 2 Tales." Chester The Crabs Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.


Audio:

"Listen to Audio." Internet Archive. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.

From this website, we were able to download the audio of FDR’s Infamy Speech.

Films:

"Japanese-Americans to Internment Camps - 1942 - Pearl Harbor Retaliation." YouTube.

YouTube, 18 Jan. 2013. Web. 27 Jan. 2014.

This video helped us understand the depth of cruelty the Japanese Americans faced when

they were sent to internment camps. We used a clip of the video on our ‘Japanese

Relations with the US’ page.

Pearl Harbor: Disaster for Japan. National Geographics, 2013. Online Video. Pearl Harbor:

Disaster for Japan. National Geographics, 18 Jan. 2013. Web. 28 Nov. 2013.

On December 6th, one day before the attack, the Japanese sent a message to their

ambassador in Washington D.C. at 1:00 PM. In Washington D.C., they received the letter

only thirty minutes before the attack. This was because the Japanese were supposedly slow

typers, and wrote very indirectly so that the US government could not decipher the

message. The message from Japan was a declaration of war and a warning to the

Americans that they were going to attack . So, the message was deciphered only after the

attack, which caused the Americans to think that the Japanese had attacked without moral,

leading to the US’s entry into WWII to fight against Japan.

On December 7th, the Japanese executed their carefully-planned missions. The Japanese

fighters were trying to destroy the big ships as their main priority. They missed the

submarine pits, which as a critical mistake on their part because the pits were going to

carry the war to Japan. They were trying to strike the submarines since it would have set

back the United States’s war effort by a full two years. They also should have attacked the

fuel supports, but they decided not to because the smoke all around them would make it

hard to see and maneuver the plane. Furthermore, the Japanese did not attack the United

States war ships. Doing so would stop the US war effort before it even started. The

Japanese did, however, attack the US fuel storage, which contained enough to fuel the

Pacific Fleet for ten months. General Nagumo, who led the waves, thought that a third

wave was not necessary because he knew that the Americans would be, by that time, well-

prepared. Japan’s future was based on this critical bombing of Pearl Harbor, and overall,

the did not do very well. After the attack, the United States’ citizens were not frightened

and intimidated like the Japanese thought they would be; instead, the Americans’ spirits,

determination, and passion rose like never before.