Pearl Harbor Attack in 1941

The attack came out of the sky on Sunday morning, December 7, 1941. The surprise attack, which caught the U.S. completely off guard, had been launched from 200 miles north of Pearl Harbor from the decks of six aircraft carriers belonging to the Japanese Imperial Navy under the command of Admiral Yamamoto. In less than two hours, Japanese airmen destroyed the U.S. battleships and badly damaged six others. Only 6 U.S. planes managed to get into the air to defend against their Japanese attackers. The assault took 2,330 American lives and left 1,145 wounded. It was the most humiliating defeat ever suffered by American forces. The attack had tremendous consequences. Responsibility for America’s unpreparedness has never been completely defined. Most military historians submit that America’s leaders were convinced that Japan would never dare attack, primarily because its navy and economy were too weak to wage a major war. (Paragon Publishing).