Attack on Pearl Harbor
The Attack on Pearl Harbor was a had a big impact on World War II because of the fact that it was so unexpected. Japan which is part of the axis attacked Pearl Habor on December 7 1941. Japan sent off 384 bomber aircrafts from 3 launching stations to surprise the U.S with an attack on the U.S fleet that was stationed in Hawaii. This attack sunk 18 of the major warships including the Arizona, Nevada, and the Virginia and destroying 180 United States aircrafts. There was 2,403 Americans killed and 1,178 wounded in the end and only the Japanese only lost 29 aircrafts.
December 10, 1941
December 10 was another important date because it was the day that two British battleships the Repulse and the Prince of wales was sunk. These two ships were headed towards Japan but after getting there and finding no targets they started to return home. They all of a sudden they got bomb by Japanese high level fighting planes and torpedoes. These two battleships were the first ships to be sunk by air attack while at high seas.
Timeline of Events
December 7, 1941 - Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; also attack the Philippines, Wake Island, Guam, Malaya, Thailand, Shanghai and Midway.
December 8, 1941 - U.S. and Britain declare war on Japan. Japanese land near Singapore and enter Thailand.
December 9, 1941 - China declares war on Japan.
December 10, 1941 - Japanese invade the Philippines and also seize Guam.
December 11, 1941 - Japanese invade Burma.
December 15, 1941 - First Japanese merchant ship sunk by a U.S. submarine.
December 16, 1941 - Japanese invade British Borneo.
December 18, 1941 - Japanese invade Hong Kong.
December 22, 1941 - Japanese invade Luzon in the Philippines.
December 23, 1941 - General Douglas MacArthur begins a withdrawal from Manila to Bataan; Japanese take Wake Island.
December 25, 1941 - British surrender at Hong Kong.
December 26, 1941 - Manila declared an open city.
December 27, 1941 - Japanese bomb Manila.
