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FREE HISTORY INFORMATION

Campaign - World War 2.      

Date – 7^TH DECEMBER 1941.     

Location – Pearl Harbour, Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands in the South Pacific.

On December 7^th 1941 the United States (which had remained neutral so far) had its pacific fleet attacked by the Imperial Japanese Forces at a small Island chain in Hawaii called Pearl Harbour (Pearl Harbor as spelt by the American’s) in the south Pacific. This surprise attack was unprovoked and had no warning so caught the Americans who were not at war with anyone by surprise and over 350 Japanese planes from Aircraft Carriers attacked the Naval port. The planes including level and dive bombers and planes carrying torpedoes and bombs attacked American Ships in the port including Battle Ships and Destroyers.

On this sleepy Sunday the US Navy lost part of its fleet that was in dock and port at Pearl Harbour / Harbor but the American Aircraft carriers were out to sea on manoeuvre’s and remained unaffected. (This turned out to be a key factor).

The Americans who had not actually been at war until this point had been sending materials, tanks, equipment and supporting the British now fully joined the war alongside the Allies and received the news that the Japanese declared war with them.

It is reported that the Imperial Japanese Navy’s Admiral Yamamoto said after the Pearl Harbour attack “I fear we may have woken a sleeping giant”.

The United States declared War on Japan and Germany the following day 8^th December 1941.

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