Research

As mentioned earlier, it is key to have as much knowledge of Pearl Harbour and the key aspects. Research was conducted which took several hours. Below is a list of key aspects that were important.

Research:
'It all happened so quickly. At 7.55am on Sunday 7 December 1941, the first of two waves of Japanese aircraft began their deadly attack on the US Pacific Fleet, moored at Pearl Harbour on the Pacific island of Oahu. Within two hours, five battleships had been sunk, another 16 damaged, and 188 aircraft destroyed. Only chance saved three US aircraft carriers, usually stationed at Pearl Harbour but assigned elsewhere on the day. The attacks killed under 100 Japanese but over 2,400 Americans, with another 1,178 injured.

Although swift in execution, the attacks had been slowly brewing for years. The US had once looked upon Japanese ambitions with a level of sympathy, even indulgence. Hit hard by the Great Depression of the early 1930s, however, Japanese disillusion with party government grew and moderates gave way to militants. In 1931 Japan occupied Manchuria in northern China. Over the decade conflict intensified and in July 1937 war was declared. As Japanese aggression increased, its relations with the US deteriorated'

'The Japanese dreamed of an Empire in Asia and began their quest in early 1931. They overran Manchuria and established it as a state, which they named Manchukuo. Moving into China, the Japanese were initially successful, but ultimately encountered the resistance of the Chinese, under the government Chiang Kai-shek. A crisis arose in 1937, when Japan launched a major offensive in an effort to reduce China into submission.'

'Military intelligence did intercept two cipher messages from Tokyo to Kichisaburo Normura, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States, that suggested an imminent attack, but Richmond Turner, in charge of evaluating and dissemination, did not pass on warnings of the proposed attack to Admiral Husband Kimmel.'





Research Websites:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/pearl_harbour_01.shtml
http://history1900s.about.com/od/worldwarii/a/Attack-Pearl-Harbor.htm
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-pac/pearlhbr/pearlhbr.htm
http://www.gohawaii.com/uk/oahu/regions-neighborhoods/central-oahu/pearl-harbour
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWpearl.htm
http://www.pearlharboroahu.com/attack.htm


The film Pearl Harbor has enriched the research and developed it further by gaining visual representations of the attack.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0213149/

Important scenes from the film:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv1niwxQgoY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eIKVCmgt6U


Documentaries also provided more information:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1TnD45tGHo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e99lfmmDN0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e99lfmmDN0

 Overview

• Japanese conducted an air attack on Pearl Harbour (America)
• It was a surprise attack - America and Japan were in talks of peace.
• The attack happened on December 7,1941.
• 2400 Americans were killed
• 29 Japanese Airplanes were destroyed