Although a complete surprise and unpreparedness of American airmen made easier task, it should be noted that both coordinated and individual attacks Japanese pilots accomplished perfectly, deliberately and with the highest enthusiasm. This is especially true for a group of torpedo planes that attacked the so-called "Battleship Row", anchorage along the east bank of Ford Island. Japanese pilots had to fly from the southeast, to overfly the airport Hickham and an arsenal with high chimneys, then immediately drop as low as possible above the surface and then overthrow the torpedoes. Although the Japanese aircraft torpedoes had no such an efficacy as "Long lances" used by surface boats, there was also able to inflict mortal wounds to heavy armored battleships. (Ivan Hrbek, Jaroslav Hrbek - Krvavé oceány, Naše vojsko, 1994)
Article on Czech Wikipedia
Article on English Wikipedia| Scenario in dates: |
| November 5, 1934: |
United States - A plane crash occurs during a night landing maneuver at Fort Crockett, Texas. 49-year-old Colonel Horace Hickam, a pioneer airpower advocate and an officer in the United States Army Air Corps, is killed in the wreckage of the Curtiss A-12 Shrike. It will later be designated Hickam Field new flying field near Pearl Harbor base at Honolulu, Hawaii. |
| January 11, 1935: |
California - an american female aviator Amelia Earhart became the first pitot to fly solo across y between Hawaii and the continental United States in the Lockheed Vega airplane. The flight from Hawaii to California is next milestone, as it is 400 miles (almost 644 kilometers) longer than a transatlantic flight. |
| May 21, 1935: |
Hawaiian Islands - a new flying field at Honolulu, Oahu, near Pearl Harbor, is named Hickam Field in honor of one of the leading builders of the US Air Corps, Colonel Horace Hickam. |
| April 15, 1940: |
In the Pacific ocean - the large scale excercise of the US Pacific fleet is underway. The aim of the simulated operation is to defend the Hawaiian Islands. |
| September 13, 1941: |
In the Pacific - The Japanese Combined Fleet completes a 4-day exercise. |
| November 18, 1941: |
From Japan - 11 Japanese submarines are launched to take up station keeping off Hawaii and scouting mission. A further nine Japanese vessels sail for Hawaii from Kwajalein. |
| November 26, 1941: |
From Japan - The Japanese carrier force leaves its bases for Hawaii. |
| December 2, 1941: |
From Tokyo - A special code order "Climb Mount Niitaka" is transmitted by Japanese naval headquarters to their carrier force bound for Hawaii. This order confirms that negotiations have broken down and the attack on Pearl Harbor is to proceed. |
| December 4, 1941: |
Japan - Japanese naval codes JN-25 is significantly changed. |
| December 7, 1941: |
In Washington - The last part of the Japanese signal, stating specifically that relations are being broken is intercepted and decoded by the Americans. Delays in decoding of the message and difficulty in securing an appointment with Secretary Hull ensure that the Japanese delegation do not meet their country´s deadline for presentation of official note breaking of diplomatic ties until after the attack upon Pearl Harbor is launched. |
| December 7, 1941: |
Hawaii - At about 06:37 destroyer USS Ward (DD-139) sighted a periscope of submarine attempting to enter the Pearl Harbor by following cargo ships through the antisubmarine nets at the harbor entrance. Ward fired the first American shots of World War II, several rounds from its main guns, hitting the conning tower of the submarine, and also dropped several depth charges during the attack. Ward was Wickes-class destroyer serving in the United States Navy from World War I, she was built in record time: her keel was laid on 15 May 1918, launched only 17 days later on 1 June 1918, and commissioned 54 days after that on 24 July 1918. |
| December 7, 1941: |
In Hawaii - The Japanese attack launched from six carriers, Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu, Soryu, Zuikaku and Shokaku, carrying a total of 423 planes, begins at 0755 local time. Its target: the main base of the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. There is complete tactical and strategic surprise. The Japanese task force, under the command of Admiral Nagumo, also contains 2 battleships, 2 heavy cruisers as well as destroyers and support vessels including tankers. Two attacking waves strike the naval base. The first lead by Commander Fuchida is comprised of 40 torpedo bombers carrying special shallow running torpedoes, 51 dive bombers, 50 high level bombers and 43 fighters. The second wave is comprised of similar numbers with more dive bombers replacing the torpedo planes. All eight of the US battleships in port are damaged. The USS Arizona (BB-39) sinks to the bottom with most hands onboard, the Oklahoma sinks but its later raised and scrapped. The USS California (BB-44), USS Nevada (BB-36) and USS West Virginia (BB-48) are later rebuilt and rejoin the fleet. Three cruisers and three destroyers are also sunk. The Americans lose 188 aircraft, the Japanese 29. Admiral Nagumo, despite the task forces´s capacity and against advice, does not send a third wave against the base. The three American aircraft carriers serving in the Pacific are not in port and escape unharmed as does much of the infrastructure of the port, including the oil storage tanks. However, the attack leaves the Allies with only the three US carriers and two British battleships as active capital ships in the theater. The cruisers destroyers and submarines available from the Dutch and Free French reduce the numerical inferiority against the Japanese navy, however, the Allied craft are widely dispersed and under multiple commands. |
| December 7, 1941: |
In Ottawa - The Canadian government declares war on Japan. |
| December 11, 1941: |
Hawaiian Islands - The first American submarine, the USS Gudgeon (SS-211), sails from Pearl Harbor on a combat cruise. Her target are the Japanese home waters and the commanding officer is provided with explicit written orders to carry out unrestricted submarine warfare. |
| December 17, 1944: |
From Washington - Admiral Nimitz to appointed to the command of the Pacific Fleet, replacing Admiral Kimmel who resigned as the result of Pearl Harbor. |
| January 6, 1942: |
United States - Pan Am´s large-scale Boeing 314 Pacific Clipper flying boat lands at LaGuardia Airport in New York, being the first commercial plane flight to circumnavigate the world. During the trip from San Francisco to New Zealand, the plane caught word of the attack on Pearl Harbor, and since it would be threatened with downing by the Japanese air force on its way back through Hawaii, it made its way back through Australia, India, Africa and the Atlantic. |
| January 26, 1942: |
In Washington - The Board of Inquiry established to investigate Pearl Harbor find Admiral Kimmel, (then Commander in Chief, US Fleet) and General Short (then Commander in Chief, Hawaii Department) guilty of dereliction of duty. Both have already been dismissed. |
| March 4, 1942: |
Over Hawaii Islands - japanese Operation K, Kawanishi H8K neconnaissance flying boat first saw operational use on the night in a second raid on Pearl Harbor. Since the target lay out of range for the flying boats, this audacious plan involved a refuelling by submarine at French Frigate Shoals, some over 900 km (560 mi) north-west of Hawaii, en route. Two planes attempted to bomb Pearl Harbor, but, due to poor visibility, did not accomplish any significant damage. Althought the operationd oes not end with success, the two bombers return well and complete the longest (8000 km) bomber mission in contemporary history, overtaken by the Falkland War in 1982 (for comparison, the later US air raids on Japan from Marian Islands, Doolittle´s raid on Tokyo or, for example, a pendulum raid to Germany from England across Europe to the USSR, were conducted at about half the distance). During the operation, the Americans tapped a Japanese radio communication in which the Japanese use the AF code to identify the location as a landmark. Because there is no land other than the Midway Atoll in the area, they can pair this code-tagged object, which will later help them to uncover the Japanese intentions from the deciphered messages and gain a major advantage over the Midway battle. |
| August 29, 1942: |
Hawaiian Islands - A salvaged wrecked Japanese Pearl Harbor attack veteran midget submarine HA. 19 is sent to the United States as a propaganda tool for a national fundraiser. Hundreds of thousands of people will see her on the successful journey of 42 states in the deck of a truck, and thousands of them who want to see it from the inside will buy war bonds. |
| December 3, 1942: |
Japan - The film Hawai Mare oki kaisen (The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malaya) is released on the first anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It is the most costly film made in Japan up to this time, using special effects and miniature models to create realistic battle scenes. |
| December 7, 1942: |
In New Guinea - The Japanese counterattacks threaten the American positions by Buna. The Americans ultimately hold. During the raid on the Japanese air base Buna by American Aircobra fighters, George Welch shot down two Aichi D3A dive bombers and one A6M2 Zero fighter. He thus becomes one of only two American pilots of inefficient Airacobras, who achieved three victories in one flight. He succeeds in the first anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, during which Welch distinguished himself as one of the few fighters that took off and shot down Japanese planes that day. |
| February 3, 1943: |
United States - The premiere of the war aviation film Air Force. Its storyline revolves around an actual incident, the journey of a B-17D "Mary-Ann" bomber from San Francisco to Hawaii, which arrived to the island of Oahu just as the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. |
| September 2, 1943: |
New Guinea - An American Fighter Ace Captain Georg Welch, who was one of the few to take off against attacking Japanese aircraft and shoot down most of them during the attack on Pearl Harbor, completes his last successful combat mission. In the ranks of the 80th Fighter Squadron, he shot down three Zeros over Wewak and later over Madang, another Japanese twin-engine reconnaissance aircraft Ki-46. In mid-September 1943, his third operational tour will ende and he will return to the United States with a final score of 16 confirmed victories. |
| November 23, 1943: |
In the Gilbert Islands - On Tarawa Atoll, the battle ends by noon. The US marines have suffered 1000 killed and 2000 wounded. The Japanese garrison of 4800 troops has been annihilated. A total of 17 wound Japanese troops and 129 Korean laborers are the only survivors. On Makin Atoll, the battle is also completed. American infantry have suffered about 200 dead and wounded. The Japanese have lost about 600 killed, wounded or captured. The total American losses in the Battle of Makin are twice as high as the Japanese, as Japanese I-175 submarine on the coast of Butaritari Island torpedoes the escort carrier USS Liscome Bay (CVE-56), whose subsequent catastrophic explosion kills 600 seamen, including Doris "Dorrie" Miller, the first American black knit in the US Navy decorated with the Naval Cross, for the pride in fighting aboard the battleship of USS West Virginia (BB-48) in an attack on Pearl Harbor. |
| July 6, 1944: |
Mariana Islands - On Saipan Island, Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, who was the commander of the Japanese aircraft carriers at the beginning of the war during almost all major operations, including the Pearl Harbor attack and defeat at Midway, committs suicide by revolver shot. |
| July 26, 1944: |
Philippines - USS Robalo (SS-273) submarine is lost at Palawan Island after struck of a mine. Her commander, Manning Kimmel, son of Admiral Kimmel, commander of the Pacific Fleet recalled after Pearl Harbor attack, is sinking with the submarine. |
| December 7, 1944: |
In the Philippines - On Leyte, the US 7th Division continues attacking northward toward Ormoc. The US 77th Division lands about one mile south of Ormoc. There is some Japanese resistance. One of the 12 escorting destroyers is sunk by a Kamikaze attack. It is the USS Ward (DD-139) which fired the first American shot in World War II, when it engaged a Japanese submarine before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Severely damaged Ward is sunk by deck guns of destroyer USS O´Brien (DD-725) led by William W. Outerbridge who was a captain of Ward in Pearl Harbor. |
| August 29, 1945: |
In Washington - Secret Army and Navy reports of official enquiries into the raid on Pearl Harbor are made public. The blame is placed on a lack of preparedness, confusion and a breakdown of inter-service coordination. Former Secretary of State Hull, General Marshall and Admiral Stark are criticized. President Truman objects to the findings on Hull and Marshall. |
| September 24, 1945: |
Japan - Japanese Emperor Hirohito says that he did not want war and blames Hideki Tojo for the attack on Pearl Harbor. |
| October 3, 1945: |
United States - General Walter Short, the US military commander responsible for the defense of Pearl Harbor at the time of the Japanese attack, after which he retired from the Army and then headed the traffic department at a Ford Motor Company plant in Dallas, Texas, returns to duty. |
| December 5, 1946: |
Hawaiian Islands - The salvaged wreck of the battleship USS Oklahoma (BB-37), sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, is sold for scrap. However, in the end, the waters of the Pacific will finally close over the majestic vessel, as it will sink the following year en route to be disposed of in San Francisco. |
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