Attack on Pearl Harbor- December 7, 1941
On December 7, 1941 the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The Japanese were prepared for the attack and were anxious to begin their mission. At the same time, off the coast of the Hawaiian Islands, Lieutenant William W. Outerbridge saw something in the water, so he ordered his crew to fire at it. They sank a midget Japanese submarine lurking in the water. They were wondering why the submarine was so close to U.S territory. John E. Earle, the fleet commander's chief of staff had dismissed it as a false alarm. The radar crew also picked up blips on the radar screen. They assumed that they were from a group of Flying Fortresses that was supposed to be arriving in California at any moment. There was another warning that was ignored. The Japanese attack commander Mitsuo Fuchida approved his target, he was expecting to see American planes waiting to meet his forces, but the skies were empty. They shouted "Tora, Tora Tora," which meant tiger, it was the code that the Japanese used when they succeeded the surprise attack. The attack was a complete surprise, and it took Americans a few moments to notice what was happening. On the Arizona, the boiler and the forward magazine blew up. One thousand American seamen were killed instantly. Some sailors jumped from doomed ships, and many sailors were covered in oil and burned to death. Five torpedoes struck the Oklahoma, eight minutes later the ship was bottom up in the mud of the harbor. There were one-hundred-twenty-five men trapped within the ship, and only thirty-two were freed thirty-six hours later. A second wave of Japanese planes approached Pearl Harbor. American forces did the best they could to defend the fleet. Gun crews fired anti-aircraft guns at the attacking planes. American pilots struggled to get into the planes and take off from the fields, but the planes were shot without mercy. Some ships tried to go through the entrance of the channel. When it was all over, the Americans woke to smoldering ruins of the harbor.
Atomic Bomb
Hiroshima-August 6,1945
On August 6, 1945 a B-29 bomber, Enola Gay, took off on a secret mission from Tinian Island. The destination was Hiroshima, Japan. It wasn't a guarantee that the mission would succeed. No one had ever dropped an atomic bomb from a plane at this point. The B-29 was 15,000 pounds overweight. It had a 9,700-pound atomic bomb and 7,000 gallons of fuel. The bomb resembled "an elongated ash can with fins". It was covered with messages and signatures from the members of the American armed services. The bomb's nickname was "Little Boy". The USS Indianapolis carried "Little Boy" to Tinian on July 26. The ship was sunk three days later by a Japanese submarine and took away 880 lives. The Enola Gay approached Hiroshima, Japan. The men had to put on special goggles to shield their eyes from the intense light that would occur when the bomb went off. They also put on their "flak" suits that would protect them if the aircraft went on fire, but there was no fire. The people in Hiroshima ignored the B-29s flying overhead and continued their day normally. "Little Boy" denoted at 1,900 feet above ground at only forty-three seconds after it left the airplane. This was the first atomic bomb dropped in history. "A mushroom cloud rose above Hiroshima after the atomic bomb was denoted. On the ground near the bomb's hypocenter, nearly every object and building were destroyed." This bomb wiped out the entire area and it symbolized the end of World War II.
Nagasaki-August 9,1945
On August 9, 1945 the United States Air Force B-29 dropped a nuclear bomb. It was called the Fat Man design, it weighed 10,000 pounds and measured a five foot diameter. The effect of the bomb on Nagasaki was less than the one at Hiroshima: this was the result because some parts of the city were protected by the mountainous terrain. Also, the wind helped limit the fires and there was no firestorm, unlike at Hiroshima. The original target was at Kokura, but there were too many rain clouds, so the pilot redirected it to Nagasaki. Due to the aircraft running low on fuel, they dropped the bomb two miles away from the intended target. The bomb killed widely about 60,000 to 90,000 people, some immediately, some not. President Harry Truman ordered that no more atomic weapons should be dropped to leave time for the Japanese to surrender; the goal of dropping this bomb was to bring Japan to surrender as quickly as possible.
End of WWII-August 14, 1945- V-J Day
At Last, the United States won victory over Japan. V-J Day was known as "Victory over Japan Day." V-J Day was celebrated on August 14th and 15th, 1945. President Harry S. Truman announced the surrender of Japan to end World War II. Americans celebrated this day with parades, dancing in the rain, conga lines (in front of the White House), and in New York, 2 million Americans thronged around Times Square, hugging and kissing one another. The surrender documents were officially signed on September 2nd aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. The World had now entered the atomic age.
Citations
Carlisle, Rodney P. "Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki." Encyclopedia of the Atomic Age. New York: Facts On File, 2001. American History Online. Web. 5 May 2015. <http://online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/194696?q=Nagasaki August 9, 1945>
Mikeska, Jonathan R. "V-J Day." Encyclopedia of American History, Vol. 8, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, 2009. American History Online. Web. 5 May 2015. <http://online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/197508?q=V-J Day
Jeffries, John W. "Hiroshima and Nagasaki." Encyclopedia of American History, Vol. 8, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, 2009. American History Online. Web. 5 May 2015. <http://online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/193416?q=Nagasaki August 9, 1945>
Feinberg, Barbara Silberdick. Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Chicago: Childrens, 1995
Bachrach, Deborah. Pearl Harbor: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 1989
On December 7, 1941 the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The Japanese were prepared for the attack and were anxious to begin their mission. At the same time, off the coast of the Hawaiian Islands, Lieutenant William W. Outerbridge saw something in the water, so he ordered his crew to fire at it. They sank a midget Japanese submarine lurking in the water. They were wondering why the submarine was so close to U.S territory. John E. Earle, the fleet commander's chief of staff had dismissed it as a false alarm. The radar crew also picked up blips on the radar screen. They assumed that they were from a group of Flying Fortresses that was supposed to be arriving in California at any moment. There was another warning that was ignored. The Japanese attack commander Mitsuo Fuchida approved his target, he was expecting to see American planes waiting to meet his forces, but the skies were empty. They shouted "Tora, Tora Tora," which meant tiger, it was the code that the Japanese used when they succeeded the surprise attack. The attack was a complete surprise, and it took Americans a few moments to notice what was happening. On the Arizona, the boiler and the forward magazine blew up. One thousand American seamen were killed instantly. Some sailors jumped from doomed ships, and many sailors were covered in oil and burned to death. Five torpedoes struck the Oklahoma, eight minutes later the ship was bottom up in the mud of the harbor. There were one-hundred-twenty-five men trapped within the ship, and only thirty-two were freed thirty-six hours later. A second wave of Japanese planes approached Pearl Harbor. American forces did the best they could to defend the fleet. Gun crews fired anti-aircraft guns at the attacking planes. American pilots struggled to get into the planes and take off from the fields, but the planes were shot without mercy. Some ships tried to go through the entrance of the channel. When it was all over, the Americans woke to smoldering ruins of the harbor.
Atomic Bomb
Hiroshima-August 6,1945
On August 6, 1945 a B-29 bomber, Enola Gay, took off on a secret mission from Tinian Island. The destination was Hiroshima, Japan. It wasn't a guarantee that the mission would succeed. No one had ever dropped an atomic bomb from a plane at this point. The B-29 was 15,000 pounds overweight. It had a 9,700-pound atomic bomb and 7,000 gallons of fuel. The bomb resembled "an elongated ash can with fins". It was covered with messages and signatures from the members of the American armed services. The bomb's nickname was "Little Boy". The USS Indianapolis carried "Little Boy" to Tinian on July 26. The ship was sunk three days later by a Japanese submarine and took away 880 lives. The Enola Gay approached Hiroshima, Japan. The men had to put on special goggles to shield their eyes from the intense light that would occur when the bomb went off. They also put on their "flak" suits that would protect them if the aircraft went on fire, but there was no fire. The people in Hiroshima ignored the B-29s flying overhead and continued their day normally. "Little Boy" denoted at 1,900 feet above ground at only forty-three seconds after it left the airplane. This was the first atomic bomb dropped in history. "A mushroom cloud rose above Hiroshima after the atomic bomb was denoted. On the ground near the bomb's hypocenter, nearly every object and building were destroyed." This bomb wiped out the entire area and it symbolized the end of World War II.
Nagasaki-August 9,1945
On August 9, 1945 the United States Air Force B-29 dropped a nuclear bomb. It was called the Fat Man design, it weighed 10,000 pounds and measured a five foot diameter. The effect of the bomb on Nagasaki was less than the one at Hiroshima: this was the result because some parts of the city were protected by the mountainous terrain. Also, the wind helped limit the fires and there was no firestorm, unlike at Hiroshima. The original target was at Kokura, but there were too many rain clouds, so the pilot redirected it to Nagasaki. Due to the aircraft running low on fuel, they dropped the bomb two miles away from the intended target. The bomb killed widely about 60,000 to 90,000 people, some immediately, some not. President Harry Truman ordered that no more atomic weapons should be dropped to leave time for the Japanese to surrender; the goal of dropping this bomb was to bring Japan to surrender as quickly as possible.
End of WWII-August 14, 1945- V-J Day
At Last, the United States won victory over Japan. V-J Day was known as "Victory over Japan Day." V-J Day was celebrated on August 14th and 15th, 1945. President Harry S. Truman announced the surrender of Japan to end World War II. Americans celebrated this day with parades, dancing in the rain, conga lines (in front of the White House), and in New York, 2 million Americans thronged around Times Square, hugging and kissing one another. The surrender documents were officially signed on September 2nd aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. The World had now entered the atomic age.
Citations
Carlisle, Rodney P. "Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki." Encyclopedia of the Atomic Age. New York: Facts On File, 2001. American History Online. Web. 5 May 2015. <http://online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/194696?q=Nagasaki August 9, 1945>
Mikeska, Jonathan R. "V-J Day." Encyclopedia of American History, Vol. 8, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, 2009. American History Online. Web. 5 May 2015. <http://online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/197508?q=V-J Day
Jeffries, John W. "Hiroshima and Nagasaki." Encyclopedia of American History, Vol. 8, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, 2009. American History Online. Web. 5 May 2015. <http://online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/193416?q=Nagasaki August 9, 1945>
Feinberg, Barbara Silberdick. Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Chicago: Childrens, 1995
Bachrach, Deborah. Pearl Harbor: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 1989
By Chelsea Cascio