Pearl Harbor 81st anniversary facts: how many planes attacked, how many people died…
Thousands of Americans died in the attack at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. 19 U.S. Navy ships were damaged, and four battleships sunk.
Around 8 a.m. on Dec. 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service. The attack led to thousands of deaths and the United States formal entry into World War II.
The attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii by the Japanese happened for several reasons, one of which being that the United States had been trying to get Japan to stop its military expansion in Asia and the South Pacific.
How did the attack happen? How many planes were there?
The goal of Pearl Harbor was to destroy the Pacific Fleet. In order to do this, the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service sent planes to Pearl Harbor to throw bombs and bullets onto the vessels below.
A 1,800 pound bomb caused the most casualties when it the USS Arizona, killing over 1,000 men.
429 crewmen were also killed on the USS Oklahoma, which sank into the ocean after being attacked by torpedoes. Only 32 men were rescued from the ship and brought to safety. The crewmen had been reportedly preparing for an inspection on the day of the attack.
How many American ships were attacked at Pearl Harbor?
The naval base had nineteen U.S. navy ships and eight U.S. naval battleships at Pearl Harbor, of which all were attacked and four sunk. In total, 2,403 Americans died in the attack. 68 of these people were civilians.
How many planes attacked Pearl Harbor?
It’s reported that the Japanese Navy Air Service sent 353 aircrafts to attack Pearl Harbor. These aircrafts included fighters, level and dive bombers, and torpedo bombers, and they were sent out to attack in two separate shifts.
Pearl Harbor was not only attacked by aircrafts, although the mission was led with aircrafts. In addition, there were also heavy cruisers, battleships, and submarines.
How many Japanese soldiers were lost in Pearl Harbor?
129 Japanese soldiers are reported to have been killed in Pearl Harbor and 29 Japanese aircrafts were lost.
What happened after Pearl Harbor?
Prior to the attack, the United States had remained a neutral country in World War II. However, after the attack, public opinion regarding entering the war changed and on December 8th, President Franklin Roosevelt officially declared war on Japan. Days after Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini declared war on the United States.