December 7, 1941
Today In History
The attack on Pearl Harbor, also known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor
War of the World - Published: December 8, 1941 - Copyright © The New York Times - Japanese Attack Merges Conflicts – We must not discount Foe’s Strength - By, Hanson W. Baldwin of the New York Times Bombers with the Rising Sun flag of Japan painted upon their wings flew over Pearl Harbor, “key to the Pacific,” shortly after dawn yesterday and thus emerged the Chinese war and the European war into the war of the world. The crash of the exploding bombs in the Hawaiian Islands, Guam and possible the Philippines, the roar of anti-aircraft guns and the twisted, flaming skeletons of wrecked planes heralded the war of the Pacific, with the principal antagonists the United States and Japan – a war that has been long brewing, a conflict often predicted but previously avoided. But the Japanese aggression yesterday did more than start a Pacific war. It broadened the conflicts already raging into a world-wide struggle whose end no man can know. The Japanese blows were struck – as had long been anticipated – without a declaration of war and without warning. But the temporary advantages the Japanese may have just gained are more than offset by the psychological effect that the manner of their attack has had upon the United States. In the long view, those attacks were perhaps the most stupid action the Japanese could have taken, and were clearly by-products of the military mentality that has so long been a powerful influence in Japan. For it is possible that the Japanese could have moved into Thailand without an actual United States military intervention; few Americans wanted to “die for Thailand.” But for the United States is another matter. The country is now unified and is girding itself for the first time with full strength for a struggle that will be hard and long, but which eventually must result in disaster for Japan. Results Are Unpredictable The Japanese intervention in the war is certain to have far-reaching and unpredictable effects upon the struggle in Europe and upon the Battle of the Atlantic. For the democratic gains of the past few months – the upset of the German “timetable” in Russia, the recent Nazi reverse at Rostov, the assumption by the British of the offensive in North Africa, the marked reduction in ship sinkings – are now to some extent neutralized and countered by the entrance of Japan into a “shooting war” on the side of the axis. One factor, the strength of Japan, cannot and must not be discounted. There has been a distinct tendency in this country to underestimate, the Japanese military, naval and air forces; now that the final struggle has been joined, the nation must face the prospect of war with an opponent that possesses considerable strength – material as well as intangible strength – an opponent whose soldiers have one great attribute: they are not afraid to die. Our nation’s slogan should be Churcillian in its inspiration: “blood, sweat, and tears.” Some of this Japanese strength was evident in the treacherously sudden attacks yesterday that seemed – from the sparse information available – skillfully planned. The reports from the Philippines were conflicting and confusing, but it was evident that the heaviest Japanese blows were directed at Pearl Harbor, principal base of our Pacific fleet, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The Japanese bombers and torpedo planes struck at ships moored in the narrow harbor there, and raked Ford Island in the center of Pearl Harbor, site of the navy’s patrol plane base. Hickam Field, the army’s great air field near the entrance to Pearl Harbor, was also bombed. It is likely, however, that most of the planes at both fields were either in the air or based elsewhere when the attacks occurred. Almost simultaneous attacks took place on virtually undefended Guam, and it is likely that other of our mid-Pacific outposts, perhaps Wake, Midway, and Johnston Islands were also bombed. At the same time sinkings, almost certainly attributable to Japanese submarines, were reported in the Eastern Pacific, an Japanese troops have apparently attacked Thailand. Premeditation Indicated - All of this quite clearly indicates a premeditated plan on Japan’s part, a plan that must have been launched with the departure of the men-of-war from Japanese ports at least a week – perhaps two weeks ago. The Japanese attacks perhaps had one end in view – to strike at and weaken as quickly as possible the naval strength of her principal antagonist, the United States, before our superior strength could institute an effective war of attrition by long-range blockade and long-range bombardment. Singapore is the southern “anchor,” Pearl Harbor the northern base, for the great ring of any such blockade; Japan chose to strike, apparently, at her strongest opponent first – knowing that if our Pacific fleet could be materially damaged, or its base operations blocked or partially destroyed, weaker salients of our strength, such as the Philippines could be destroyed later. This war that has just been joined is a war of great distances, a war in which navy and air forces will at least initially play the major roles. Our navy today is probably the largest in the world, but it is divided between two oceans, and the British establishment of an Eastern fleet at Singapore does not wholly compensate for the transfers in the past month of some of our vessels to the Atlantic, for the vast distance between Pearl Harbor and Singapore results in a somewhat risky dispersion of strength. Fleet is Third Largest - The Japanese fleet is the world’s third largest; it probably consists today of eleven capital ships (one of them new), with another nearly ready; eight or nine aircraft carriers, plus three carriers converted from merchantmen; forty-four to forty-six cruisers, (seven of them obsolete, about five other of special types, fast-mine layers, etc.); about 126 destroyers and sixty-nine or seventy submarines, some of them large craft of long range - probably now operating in the Eastern Pacific. The Japanese aviation, divided between the army and the navy (with the navy generally conducting over-water operations and all long-range overland raids) is believed to number between 3,000 and 5,000 combat planes with one recent estimate putting the total at 220 squadrons. The Japanese Army at full mobilization consists of about sixty to sixty-six divisions (1,800,000 men), with perhaps twenty divisions or more in China, twenty to twenty-seven in Manchukuo, others in metropolitan Japan and in Formosa, Hainan, Indo-China and moving toward Thailand.
Remember When
Latest issue
VIEW CURRENT ISSUE
Which is the Favorite TV Show?
- MASH0%
- Cheers0%
- All in the Family0%
Who won Best Actress in 1932?
- Katharine Hepburn
- May Robson
- Diana Wynyard
- Greta Garbo
Pete Rose ruined this catchers career - who was he and what team did he play for ?
Ray Fosse of the Cleveland Indians
CLASSIC MOVIE SCENES
CLASSIC AMERICAN IMAGES
Fan Favorites
Fernando Valenzuela
Rollie Fingers
Bobby Clarke
Mohammed Ali
Don Meredith
Fernando Valenzuela
Rollie Fingers
Bobby Clarke
Mohammed Ali
Don Meredith
Collectible Editions
You have a choice of three versions of our collectible edition to select from. 52-pages, 100-pages (special oversized edition) and our 104-page version (hard cover). Enjoy your stroll down memory lane!
Learn More »
Who am I ?
Candice Bergen
Looking for More?
Fret not, we've got more! Pick a category below to see what we've got.
Comments