Pearl Harbor Attack Quiz

Study Notes

Date of attack: December 7, 1941, a significant event that drew the United States into World War II.
Japanese forces launched a surprise raid with 183 aircraft arriving around 7:50 AM from carriers 200 miles away, led by Vice Adm. Chuichi Nagumo.
Primary targets included ships on Battleship Row and planes at Naval Air Station, Wheeler Field, and Hickam Field.
Most antiaircraft guns (780 total) were unmanned due to it being Sunday morning; many personnel were off-duty or sleeping.
Radar detected the incoming planes but was disregarded due to a misidentification as American B-17s returning from the West coast.
A second wave of 168 Japanese aircraft attacked an hour later, contributing to extensive destruction.

Significant destruction inflicted: Battleships Arizona and Oklahoma were lost, while Nevada, California, and West Virginia were salvaged.
Total destruction included 347 aircraft and substantial naval assets.
Casualties exceeded 2,300 U.S. military personnel killed, including 1,177 aboard the Arizona, with around 1,100 wounded.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt referred to the attack as "a date which will live in infamy" in his address to Congress on December 8, 1941.

The perceived success of the Japanese attack was somewhat overstated; critical assets like U.S. aircraft carriers were not present at Pearl Harbor.
Resulted in a shift in naval warfare with an emphasis on aircraft carriers over battleships.
Japanese forces failed to target vital infrastructure, including oil storage tanks and naval dockyards.
Within six months, the U.S. Pacific Fleet significantly retaliated at the Battle of Midway, marking a pivotal shift in the war.

Pearl Harbor functions as a strategic naval base and headquarters for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, enhanced in its shape and capacity over time.
Located on Oahu, approximately 6 miles west of Honolulu, with a total area of 10 square miles of water and a land area of 10,000 acres.
The name "Wai Momi," meaning "pearl waters," comes from the historical presence of pearl oysters in the area.

An 1887 treaty granted the U.S. exclusive rights for coaling and repairs at Pearl Harbor.
The harbor's strategic value was recognized post-Spanish-American War, leading to dredging efforts that began in 1898.
A naval station was established by 1908, with a dry dock added in 1919.

The USS Arizona Memorial, completed in 1962, honors those lost during the attack and serves as a major tourist site.
Designed by architect Alfred Preis, it mimics a covered bridge over the sunken ship’s hull.
The memorial contains a museum featuring artifacts and inscriptions commemorating the 1,177 men who died on the Arizona and the 58 lost on the Utah.