How serious was the damage done to the fleet at Pearl Harbor?

The attack killed 2,403 U.S. personnel, including 68 civilians, and destroyed or damaged 19 U.S. Navy ships, including 8 battleships. The three aircraft carriers of the U.S. Pacific Fleet were out to sea on maneuvers.

Why did the US place an oil embargo on Japan?

In 1940 Japan invaded French Indochina in an effort to embargo all imports into China, including war supplies purchased from the U.S. This move prompted the United States to embargo all oil exports, leading the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) to estimate it had less than two years of bunker oil remaining and to support …

What happened after Pearl Harbor?

Only a few hours after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan formally declared war against the United States. After Japan’s surprise attack and the declaration of war on the United States by Germany and the European Axis powers within a week, the Atlantic and Pacific wars became a truly world war.

What events led up to the attack on Pearl Harbor?

The relationship between Japan and the United States had soured in the years leading up to Pearl Harbor. This began with the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931, an expansion throughout the Chinese mainland that led to the Second Sino-Japanese war between China and Japan in 1937.

What would happen if Pearl Harbor never happened?

At the most extreme, no attack on Pearl Harbor could have meant no US entering the war, no ships of soldiers pouring over the Atlantic, and no D-Day, all putting ‘victory in Europe’ in doubt. On the other side of the world, it could have meant no Pacific Theatre and no use of the atomic bomb.

What really happened at Pearl Harbor?

At about 8 a.m., Japanese planes filled the sky over Pearl Harbor. Bombs and bullets rained onto the vessels moored below. At 8:10, a 1,800-pound bomb smashed through the deck of the battleship USS Arizona and landed in her forward ammunition magazine. The ship exploded and sank with more than 1,000 men trapped inside.

Why did America fight Japan?

Faced with severe shortages of oil and other natural resources and driven by the ambition to displace the United States as the dominant Pacific power, Japan decided to attack the United States and British forces in Asia and seize the resources of Southeast Asia. In response, the United States declared war on Japan.

What did America lose in Pearl Harbor?

In all, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor crippled or destroyed nearly 20 American ships and more than 300 airplanes. Dry docks and airfields were likewise destroyed. Most important, 2,403 sailors, soldiers and civilians were killed and about 1,000 people were wounded.

How did the US respond to the attack on Pearl Harbor?

The attack on Pearl Harbor left more than 2,400 Americans dead and shocked the nation, sending shockwaves of fear and anger from the West Coast to the East. The following day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed Congress, asking them to declare war on Japan, which they did by an almost-unanimous vote.