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{{Image|PearlHarbor Sm.jpg|right|350px|Pearl Harbor as seen from the air in 2000.}}
''For the geographic area, see [[Pearl Harbor]]''
'''Pearl Harbor''', located in Honolulu, [[Hawaii (U.S. state)|Hawaii]] on the island of O'ahu, is a [[United States of America|U.S.]] naval base that, during '''[[World War II]]''', was the target of a devastating surprise attack by the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] on December 7, 1941.  This attack galvanized the American public, which until then had resisted entry into [[World War II]], to intervene in defense of the Allies. 


On December 7, 1941, units of the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] conducted air and submarine operations against American forces in the [[Battle of Pearl Harbor]]. This battle was a key element in the major Japanese escalation of what they call the Pacific War.  
The Pearl Harbor commanders, Admiral [[Husband Kimmel]] (Navy) and [[lieutenant general|Lieutenant General]] [[Walter Short]] (Army), had no warning of the attack, during which 2,403 Americans were killed and 1,178 wounded.  Eighteen U.S. ships were lost, including five battleships. By contrast, only 55 Japanese airmen and 9 submariners were killed (with 1 captured), with just 29 of the 350 Japanese planes that took part in the raid lost.


While the United States had intelligence suggesting a high probability of Japanese attacks in December 1941, and some specific information that either did not reach the Pearl Harbor commanders, [[Admiral]] [[Husband Kimmel]] (Navy) or [[lieutenant general | Lieutenant General]] [[Walter Short]] (Army), the attack was a tactical surprise.
==References==
 
{{reflist|2}}
Few battles, and the circumstances leading to them, have been studied as extensively as this one. Many concepts of the discipline of intelligence and warning resulted from this action.
==Japanese operational concept==
==U.S. intelligence and planning==
===Communications intelligence===
===Threat assessment===
====Sabotage vs. air attack====
Short was convinced that the major threat to his aircraft was sabotage by residents of Japanese ancestry, so he had them parked in close formation for ease in guarding them against ground attack. This made them dense targets for strafing and bombing.
====Implications of the Battle of Taranto====
In 1940, the [[Royal Navy]], at the [[Battle of Taranto]], delivered a devastating night attack, by torpedo aircraft, to battleships in a harbor. The U.S. Navy,  in spite of knowing the details of that attack, still believed its ships were safe from aerial torpedoes in a harbor, although Taranto was as shallow as Pearl.
==Order of battle==
===Japan===
===United States===
==The attack==
===Preliminaries===
===First wave air attack===
===Second wave air attack===
===Arguments for and against a possible third strike===
==Aftermath==
===Changes in Command===
===Effect on naval doctrine===

Latest revision as of 21:24, 2 April 2024

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Pearl Harbor as seen from the air in 2000.

Pearl Harbor, located in Honolulu, Hawaii on the island of O'ahu, is a U.S. naval base that, during World War II, was the target of a devastating surprise attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy on December 7, 1941. This attack galvanized the American public, which until then had resisted entry into World War II, to intervene in defense of the Allies.

The Pearl Harbor commanders, Admiral Husband Kimmel (Navy) and Lieutenant General Walter Short (Army), had no warning of the attack, during which 2,403 Americans were killed and 1,178 wounded. Eighteen U.S. ships were lost, including five battleships. By contrast, only 55 Japanese airmen and 9 submariners were killed (with 1 captured), with just 29 of the 350 Japanese planes that took part in the raid lost.

References

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