Pearl Harbor

On November 26th, 1941, the battle convoy of six Japanese aircraft carriers and their escort set sail from bay Hitokappu. On their decks were over 400 planes. The task sounded: destroy entire fleet of United States, which on December 7th, 1941 will be harbored in main base of Americans in Pacific Ocean on Hawaiian island in the port Pearl Harbor. Attack should have been surprising. Despite of different warnings Americans did not do any countermeasure. Attack for them was absolutely surprising and after-effects catastrophic. A few minutes before sixth hour in the morning on December 7th, 1941, the strike group reached the position for take-off of planes 230 miles from island Oahu. Each aircraft carrier turned after strong wind and despite of 15 degrees high swings, the first offensive wave launched at 6:00 AM. At 7:53 AM frigate captain Futchida already reported to Japanese offensive unit that the surprising attack was successful. Approximately at the same time another group of torpedo and headlong bombers directed to port Pearl Harbor. After ending of air-raid of the first strike group, American defenders started feverous preparations to repulse another expected attack. Roughly after half an hour second wave counting 167 planes appeared. Second air-raid took about an hour. Japanese, similar to first attack, tried to strike its targets even several times, because of more accurate placing of their torpedoes and bombs. Return and landing of airplanes of the second wave made difficult worse weather. In the afternoon on December 7th, aboard the command ship Akagi, was again suggested to search and destroy American aircraft carriers. But because of lack of fuel they finally returned to Japan, which was the only luck for crushed Americans. At first sight American losses seemed immense: 2403 killed or missing men, 1178 injured, eighteen sunk or damaged ships. From those eight battleships, three battle cruisers and three destroyers. Opposite Japanese losses of 29 planes and 55 men were these losses seemingly extreme. Other aspect of attack on Pearl Harbor was the fact, that in USA grown immense hatred to everything Japanese.