CLINTON COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL READING ARTICLE
“Pearl Harbor Attack”
Pearl Harbor attack
JAPANESE-UNITED STATES HISTORY WRITTEN BY:
The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, September 7, 2016
www.britannica.com/event/Pearl-Habor-attack
P
earl Harbor attack, (December 7,1941). surprise aerial attack on the U.S.
naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu Island. Hawaii, by the Japanese that
precipitated the entry of the United States into World War II. This year marks the
75th anniversary of the attack. The strike climaxed a decade of worsening relations
between the United States and Japan. Japan's invasion of China in 1937, its
subsequent alliance with the Axis powers (Germany and Italy) in 1940, and its
occupation of French Indochina in July 1941 prompted the United States to
respond that same month by freezing Japanese assets in the United States and
declaring an embargo on petroleum shipments and other vital war materials to
Japan. By late 1941 the United States had severed practically all commercial and
financial relations with Japan. Though Japan continued to negotiate with the United
States up to the day of the Pearl Harbor attack, the government of Prime Minister
Toio Hideki decided on war.
Annotations: Locate text features. Underline
the central (main) idea of each paragraph.
Determine the tone of the piece. Circle all
words that help determine tone. Explain the
main idea of this entire article. (These
annotations should be done while you read,
not as an after-thought.)
CLINTON COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL READING ARTICLE
“Pearl Harbor Attack”
Annotations: Locate text features. Underline the
central (main) idea of each paragraph. Determine
the tone of the piece. Circle all words that help
determine tone. Explain the main idea of this entire
article. (These annotations should be done while
you read, not as an after-thought.)
Adm. Yamamoto Isoroku, the commander in chief of Japan's Combined Fleet, had
planned the attack against the U.S. Pacific Fleet with great care. Once the U.S. fleet
was out of action, the way for the unhindered Japanese conquest of all of Southeast
Asia and the Indonesian Archipelago would be open. On November 26 a Japanese
fleet, under Vice Adm. Nagumo Chuichi and including 6 aircraft carriers, 2
battleships, 3 cruisers, and 11 destroyers, sailed to a point some 275 miles (440 km)
north of Hawaii. From there, about 360 planes in total were launched.
The first Japanese dive bomber appeared over Pearl Harbor at 7:55 AM (local time).
It was part of a first wave of nearly 200 aircraft, including torpedo planes, bombers,
and fighters. The reconnaissance at Pearl Harbor had been lax; a U.S. Army
private who noticed this large flight of planes on his radar screen was told to ignore
them, since a flight of B-17s from the United States was expected at that time. The
anchored ships in the harbor made perfect targets for the Japanese bombers, and
since it was Sunday morning (a time chosen by the Japanese for maximum
surprise) they were not fully manned. Similarly, the U.S. military aircraft were lined
up on the airfields of the Naval Air Station on Ford Island and adjoining Wheeler
and Hickam Fields to guard against sabotage, and many were destroyed on the
ground by Japanese strafing. Most of the damage to the battleships was inflicted in
the first 30 minutes of the assault. The Arizona was completely destroyed and the
Oklahoma capsized. The California, Nevada, and West Virginia sank in shallow
water. Three other battleships, three cruisers, three destroyers, and other vessels
were also damaged. More than 180 aircraft were destroyed. U.S. military
casualties totaled more than 3,400, including more than 2,300 killed. The
Japanese lost from 29 to 60 planes, five midget submarines, perhaps one or two
fleet submarines, and fewer than 100 men.
CLINTON COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL READING ARTICLE
“Pearl Harbor Attack”
Explosions rocked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, during the Japanese surprise
air attacks.
Arizona and Oklahoma were eventually repaired and returned to service, and the
Japanese failed to destroy the important oil storage facilities on the island. The
"date which will live in infamy," as U.S. Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt termed it,
unified the U.S. public and swept away any earlier support for neutrality. On
December 8 Congress declared war on Japan with only one dissenting vote (Rep.
Jeannette Rankin of Montana, who had also voted against U.S. entry into World
War I).
The extent of the disaster and the unpreparedness of the U.S. military provoked
considerable criticism. Adm. Husband Kimmel and Gen. Walter Short, the Navy
and Army commanders on Oahu, were relieved of duty, and official investigations
were begun at once. Some historians and others went so far as to accuse
President Roosevelt of having invited the attack (or at least done nothing to stop it)
in order to bring the United States into the war against the Axis. (See Sidebar:
Pearl Harbor and the 'back door to war" theory.) However, later investigations
indicated that, while U.S. officials had been aware that an attack by Japan was
probable, they had no knowledge of the time or place at which it would occur.
Comprehension Questions:
1. Define what the word precipitated is as used in the text based on the context clues.
CLINTON COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL READING ARTICLE
“Pearl Harbor Attack”
2. What Japanese official decided on war against America?
3. On what date did the Japanese fleet get into position to attack America? What types of
artillery did they have?
4. Why were more precautions not taken against an attack prior to Pearl Harbor?
5. What were the Arizona, Oklahoma, California, Nevada, and West Virginia?
Answer each question in one or more complete sentences, citing textual evidence when warranted,
and give complete explanations.
1. Correctly cite the article in MLA style. Use your MLA guideline foldable for help.
2. Based on the information given, why did the Japanese decide to attack on a Sunday
morning?
3. Explain the purpose in the incorporation of pictures into this article. How do these pictures
help to determine the tone of the writing?
CLINTON COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL READING ARTICLE
“Pearl Harbor Attack”
4. President Roosevelt addressed the nation after the tragedy at Pearl Harbor; in his speech he
stated that December 7, 1941 would be “a date which will live in infamy”. This unified the
US to fight. Why did these few words hold so much power? What did this say about
Roosevelt’s leadership?
5. Within the text it states “See sidebar: Pearl Harbor and the “back door to war” theory.
What does this mean? Why would this be located within the article?