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"Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan."
~President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Learn how and why Pearl Harbor happened with a timeline by Wargaming's Nicholas Moran, "The Chieftain:"
Japan didn't wake up on December 7, 1941 and decide to pay a visit to the US Navy's Pacific Fleet because they had nothing better to do. The countdown to the "day that will live in infamy" began far earlier.
February 8, 1904: Japan "notifies" Russia of a new round of hostilities by attacking the Far East Squadron of the Russian Navy as it lays anchor in Port Arthur. Only three torpedo hits are scored and Russia's two best battleships are put out of action for several weeks. A precedent is set for opening a war with a surprise attack on a fleet at anchor.
July 21, 1921: The former SMS Ostfriesland is sunk by US Army Air Corps bombers off the Virginia Capes in the Naval Air Power Trials. This was heralded as the doom of the battleship, although Brigadier General Mitchell tweaked the rules in his favor by not allowing any damage control efforts between attack waves. The Navy remained unconvinced, though Japanese observers take notes.
SMS Ostfriesland takes a near miss during the trials
September 18, 1931: "When Washington sneezes, Tokyo catches the flu." The 1929 Great Depression hits the Japanese economy hard; Japan invades Manchuria in search of more resources using the manufactured pretext of a small explosion under a train. The US isn't pleased, but can't do more than make statements, which go ignored.
Japanese troops in Mukden, 1931
July 1, 1937: A Japanese soldier of the Kwantung Army, near the Marco Polo Bridge in Peking, decides to absent himself without notifying his colleagues. They notice his absence, conclude that Nationalist Chinese forces in a nearby encampment are responsible, and attack them. This escalates into the second Sino-Japanese War.
While isolationists denied President Roosevelt the ability to support Chiang Kai-Shek in this war, he appeals to the world to band together to "quarantine" Japan, which further sours US/Japanese relations. Moral of the story: Tell your battle buddy where you're going, just like they teach you in Basic Training.
December 12, 1937: USS Panay is attacked and sunk by Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft in a case of mistaken identity. Six weeks later, the US consul in Nanking is physically struck by a Japanese soldier. Apologies and reparations were made by the Japanese government for both incidents, but again American sentiment towards Japan is soured.
USS Panay after the attack.
January 1940: Commercial treaties between the USA and Japan, including shipments of mineral and oil resources, are allowed to expire. Prior to this, the Japanese government was upset with the US for its continued support of Chiang Kai-Shek and looked to the north. After a defeat by the Soviets at Nomohan, the Japanese instead looked south towards British and Dutch interests.
July 26, 1940: President Roosevelt announces the first restrictions on exports to Japan, including aviation fuel, lubricants, and some metals. By October, this expands to all iron and steel.
November 11, 1940: The Royal Navy conducts a carrier strike against the Italian fleet at anchor in Taranto. For the loss of two aircraft, the British effectively sink one battleship, and knock out two more. (Admiral Yamamoto would propose a similar strike on January 7, 1941.) Secretary of the Navy Stimson suggests that torpedo netting be used around Battleship Row at Pearl Harbor to protect against such an attack. Admiral Kimmel responds that the shipping channel was already narrow, and netting would make it even worse.
Conte di Cavour rests on the bottom. She took no further part in the war
March 31, 1941: A Joint Board Study suggested "A Japanese declaration of war might be preceded by (1) A surprise submarine attack… (2) A surprise attack on Oahu including ships and installations […] launched from one or more carriers which would probably approach inside 300 miles." No actions are taken -- US planners believe areas such as Indonesia or the Philippines would be more logical targets for the Japanese, and they consider Oahu to be too well defended for an attack to be practical.
April 1941: Plans for "Operation Z," named for the flag flown by Mikasa at the Battle of Tsushima, officially begin.
July 2, 1941: An Imperial Conference is held and a policy of southward expansion is determined, "no matter what obstacles may be encountered." This then results in the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.
July 21, 1941: Secretary of State Hull flatly rejects Tokyo's latest plan to de-escalate, which involves a "free" China protected by Japanese troops. Hull also states that Japan would be expected to withdraw from the Tri-Partite agreement with Germany and Italy.
July 26, 1941: The US freezes Japanese funds and announces further trade restrictions, excluding a total embargo on oil, as Roosevelt didn't want to goad Japan into a war, which Churchill feared. Japan's navy now has about a year's worth of fuel, and the threat of total shut-off gives new impetus to seize oil fields in the East Indies. By this point, the IJN's air crews are practicing torpedo attacks on the bay at Kagoshima, topographically similar to Pearl Harbor.
October 1941: Prime Minister Konoye is under intense pressure to settle the American problem diplomatically by mid-October. He places pressure on Ambassador Nomura, resulting in Nomura occasionally promising more than Tokyo would accept, followed by a reversal that causes anger on the American side. The American negotiators, led by Hull, are to prolong the negotiations as long as possible, in the belief that eventually the economic sanctions will work.
Further, while the US was able to read Tokyo's transmissions to Nomura, their rapid translations were not entirely accurate, leading to misunderstandings. Ambassador Grew, in Tokyo, warns Washington that if the negotiations fail, Konoye will likely fall, and it would probably lead to "unbridled acts."
October 15: A final desperate plea from Konoye to Roosevelt goes unanswered and Konoye resigns the following day. General Tojo is selected to replace him. Under an unusual instruction from the Emperor, Tojo is instructed to "go back to a blank paper' to try to negotiate a solution with the US. Despite Ambassador Grew's warning that the Japanese were prepared and ready to "plunge into a suicidal war," this got no further. The US government procrastinated, believing that reinforced US and UK strength in South East Asia would deter a Japanese attack. Such an attack would instigate a war which neither the US nor UK needed, especially given events in the Atlantic.
November 5, 1941: Intercepts of Japanese communications reveal that Nomura was given a deadline, which would eventually become December 1. Ambassador Grew tells Washington that if negotiations fail, it could result in an "all out do-or-die attempt actually risking national Hara-Kiri to make Japan impervious to economic embargoes, rather than yield to foreign pressure." The US trusts their current military deterrence and stalls.
November 7, 1941: A full six-carrier, 350-aircraft rehearsal exercise is conducted successfully. Yamamoto issues "Operation Order No. 2," which sets the date of the attack as December 8, 1941.
November 16, 1941: The Pearl Harbor Strike Force carriers depart and rendezvous at the Kurile Islands. Their radio callsigns are given to destroyers around the Japanese home islands. Nomura is told "the fate of the Empire hangs by a sheer thread. Please fight harder."
November 21, 1941: A British Joint Intelligence Committee transmitted an estimate that if the negotiations broke down, the Japanese would most likely attack Thailand, rather than declaring all-out war. Americans (who broke the British code) circulate this information internally.
November 24, 1941: The Chief of Naval Operations warns of "surprise and aggressive movements" by Japan. Admiral Nagumo, commanding the Japanese force, receives instructions to sail on Nov. 26. This instruction is transmitted in the JN25 code, unbroken by the US. Nagumo sets sail as ordered.
November 27, 1941: All parties believe that war is inevitable. America is playing for time to reinforce the Philippines and other areas, while Japan sees "no glimmer of hope" for resolution. A warning that hostile action by Japan was possible at any moment is issued to the Pacific theater. General Short, commanding the Hawaii garrison, receives a vague instruction that he interprets as threat of sabotage, and consolidates aircraft and equipment to make it easier to protect from the ground. Admiral Kimmel (Commander, Pacific Fleet) is given a specific war warning, but reads the attached intelligence summary that the likely target of Japan's strike would be the Philippines, Borneo or Thailand.
November 28, 1941: USS Enterprise puts to sea, ferrying aircraft to bolster the local force at Wake Island.
December 1, 1941: Despite an assurance by Roosevelt to Nomura that the USA "would continue to be patient," Tokyo decides to go to war, and the Foreign Ministry decides to submit the final Japanese rejection half an hour before the strike.
December 2, 1941: US Navy Intelligence figures out that Japanese ship codenames have been changed, and while their best assessment is that the Japanese carriers are still in the Inland Sea, they're not confident. Kimmel theorizes that the Japanese could be rounding Diamond Head and Intel wouldn't know about it.
05 December 5, 1941: USS Lexington puts to sea on a mission to transport Marine aircraft to bolster the force at Midway. Both US carriers are now at sea, while Army Intelligence notes large convoys moving across the South China Sea. They continue to believe that the US won't be attacked, and that Thailand is the most likely target.
December 6, 1941: An Australian Hudson aircraft spots a convoy apparently heading for Thailand and is shot down. British forces in the Far East go on war alert. By total coincidence, two US officers, including General Short, look at the ships moored at Battleship Row that evening and remark on what a target it makes. A flight of B-17s was expected from the Mainland, so the radio station was instructed to play music all night as a homing beacon.
Australian Hudson on maritime patrol.
Midnight: Five midget submarines are launched, and four make it as far as the harbor mouth. They are stopped by booms.
02:00: Intelligence translates the last part of Tokyo's message to Nomura to hand to the President, announcing the termination of negotiations.
03:50: USS Condor sights a periscope. While she's joined by USS Ward, there's no further contact. US Intelligence decodes an instruction to Nomura to hand the rejection to the President at exactly 1:00 PM in Washington DC.
04:30: The harbor boom opens to allow two minesweepers in, while a midget sub sneaks in with them.
05:30: General Marshall returns from his morning ride to discover the 1:00 PM notification. The message is forwarded, but the Army's link to Oahu is down! The message is then sent by the Western Union civilian telegraph, but not marked "Priority," so the message reaches General Short at about 11:30 that morning. Japanese Cruisers Tone and Chikuma launch seaplanes to perform a reconnaissance of Pearl Harbor.
06:00: Aboard Akagi, the battle ensign is hoisted above the Z Pennant and the first of 184 aircraft are launched. One fighter crashes into the sea, but the remaining force -- 51 Val dive bombers, 40 Kate torpedo bombers, an additional 49 Kates carrying armor-piercing bombs converted from naval shells and 43 Zero fighters -- start on their way south to Oahu.
A Val is sent on its way
06:37: USS Ward detects and attacks a midget submarine as the harbor booms open to let another ship into the port, firing the first US shots of WWII. The Oahu duty officer does not get confirmation and gives a low priority to the report.
07:02: The Opana radar unit, which is still operating two minutes after it was to shut down because their food truck was late, detects a large group of aircraft 37 miles to the north. They call it in and are famously told "don't worry about it," as the duty pilot at the radar HQ believed the signal to be the expected B-17s. At this time, a PBY aircraft on antisubmarine patrol dropped depth charges on a contact near Pearl Harbor. The report was transmitted in code and automatically classified; it took over half an hour to declassify it for circulation.
Radar station, Opana.
07:30: Due to understaffing at the Japanese Embassy, Ambassador Nomura doesn't hand over the notice to his US counterparts at the time given by Tokyo. His staff is still typing.
07:35: The Japanese recon aircraft report the Pacific Fleet present and at anchor. Due to a signal flare miscommunication, the dive bombers commence their attack on the airfields a little early.
07:49: With the attack committed, the signal "Charge!" is sent out. "To to to to to," "to" is short for totsugeki, meaning "charge." Then, the famous "Tora Tora Tora" indicating to the Fleet that complete surprise was achieved.
07:56: The first bombs land -- 18 of the Vals attack Hickam Feld, where aircraft were placed closely together to prevent sabotage and make outstanding targets. More planes attack the flying boat ramps on Ford Island.
07:58: The alarm is raised: "Air raid on Pearl Harbor. This is not [sic] drill"
07:59: USS West Virginia gets hit with the first of five torpedoes. Frantic counter-flooding keeps her upright as she sinks to the harbor's shallow bottom. USS Oklahoma's efforts aren't as successful; she capsizes with 400 men aboard -- 30 are rescued over the next two days, and USS Arizona is hit and explodes early on. Aboard Fuchida's command airplane, the pilot observed "Yes, commander, the powder magazine must have exploded. Terrible, indeed." Fuchida then attacks USS Maryland. The battleships inboard need to be attacked with bombs, as the presence of the outer battleships protects them from torpedo attacks. Fuchida scores two hits on Maryland out of four bombs dropped. Maryland is the least damaged battleship, and will return to the fight in June.
An armed "Kate" in flight.
USS Tennessee also receives two bombs, with additional fires started by the debris from Arizona. Though not badly damaged, she's pinned for almost two weeks by the sunken West Virginia. She sails to Puget Sound for repairs with Maryland, arriving December 30. At the head of the row, USS California takes two torpedo hits, and also starts to settle, while counter-flooding keeps her upright. At the other end, Nevada starts shooting back quickly, but takes a torpedo in the bow. Helena, moored where Pennsylvania was expected to be, takes a torpedo hit, but keeps floating and fighting.
08:10: News reaches Washington DC as the two Japanese diplomats await their audience. When Secretary Hull receives them, the two ambassadors are still unaware what is happening. They were only told to deliver the message.
08:17: USS Helm, underway at the time the attack started, spies a midget sub that has run aground. After engaging it, Ensign Kazuo Sakamaki makes it to land and becomes the first Japanese prisoner taken by the US.
A Ko-Hyoteki midget submarine after the attack
08:26: USS Monaghan, warned to move earlier by the dispatch from Ward, spots another submarine in harbor and dodges a torpedo before ramming the mini-sub and lobbing some depth charges for good measure. The ship then lost control and rammed into a burning barge. At about this time, Lts. Taylor and Welch make it to Haleiwa airfield and climb into their P40s. At least five American pilots would make it into the air.
08:40: A second wave of Japanese planes approaches: 86 Vals, 75 Kates with bombs, and 34 Zeros. At about this moment, the 12 B-17s from the mainland arrive, and all the aircraft land wherever they could -- one even lands on a golf course! A flight of Dauntlesses, inbound from the returning USS Enterprise, only adds to the confusion.
Another Kate, this one over Ford Island, with Battleship Row burning behind it
Movement attracts attention, and Nevada was moving. The full weight of the attack is focused upon her, and despite every gun now being manned, she grounds herself at Waipo Point to avoid blocking the harbor channel. Japanese pilots notice and attack USS Pennsylvania in drydock, damaging not only her, and the two destroyers sharing the dock in front of her.
Meanwhile, the nearby Shaw had her bow blown off, requiring a temporary repair.
Shaw loses her bow.
The final notable casualty was the deactivated dreadnaught, USS Utah, reclassified as a target ship.
1,000 Japanese aircraft return to their carriers and Fuchida recommends a third strike against the base fuel and repair facilities, but Nagumo decides that the risk to his carriers from both the missing US carriers and any land-based aircraft is too great. He decides to leave while they're ahead and the third attack wave is never launched.
The raid cost the Japanese 29 aircraft and five midget submarines. 2,403 people were killed, 88 aircraft were destroyed and another 159 were damaged, leaving 43 operational. 18 warships were lost and every battleship was knocked out of the fight, though only Arizona and Oklahoma would never fight again.
As Admiral Yamamoto expected, even with this unqualified success, Japan would run riot over the Pacific for only a short while before the US got back on its feet with a massive shipbuilding program never seen before or since. Yamamoto didn't see the war's end -- his transport aircraft was intercepted and shot down.
Pearl Harbor was a tragedy that galvanized the US into action. Winston Churchill said of that night, "I went to bed and slept the sleep of the saved and thankful," for he knew that now the United States would be a part of the fight to preserve the ideals of freedom.
Wargaming is pleased to have been associated with the refurbishing of the Arizona Memorial.
Nicholas Moran "The_Chieftain" is the Military Specialist at Wargaming America.
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