Ten fun facts about Pearl Harbour

Fact 1
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941 (Dec. 8 in Japan).

Fact 2
There were simultaneous Japanese attacks on the US-held Philippines and on the British Empire in Malaya, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

Fact 3
The base was attacked by 353 Japanese fighters, bombers and torpedo planes in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers.

Fact 4
All eight U.S. Navy battleships were damaged, with four being sunk. Two of these were later raised, and with the remaining four repaired, six battleships returned to service later in the war.

Fact 5
The attack was intended as a preventive action in order to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from interfering with military actions the Empire of Japan was planning in Southeast Asia against the overseas territories of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States.

Fact 6
The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, and one minelayer. 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed; 2,402 Americans were killed, and 1,282 wounded.

Fact 7
Japanese losses were light: 29 aircraft and five midget submarines lost, and 65 servicemen killed or wounded. One Japanese sailor was captured.

Fact 8
The attack came as a profound shock to the American people and led directly to the American entry into World War II in both the Pacific and European theaters.

Fact 9
Domestic support for non-interventionism, which had been strong, disappeared.

Fact 10
Clandestine support of Britain was replaced by active alliance.

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