The first Japanese dive bomber descended out of the clouds above the Hawaiian island of Oahu bearing the red symbol of the rising sun. A swarm of Japanese warplanes followed close behind, each on the tail of the one in front. They descended onto the US naval base and unleashed their ferocious barrage. The US Pacific fleet was caught in total surprise and a critical blow was delivered that morning with very light losses felt by the Japanese.

Diplomatic relations between the US and Japan had been breaking down. The US president and his advisers knew an attack from the Japanese was probable but security had not been stepped up at the vitally important naval base in the mid Pacific. It was a Sunday morning, many service personnel had passes to leave the base. At 7.02am two radio operators spotted large groups of aircraft in flight heading towards the island from the north. A flight of B-17’s was expected to arrive from the US mainland and they were told not to raise the alarm. Nobody was then prepared for the onslaught when it arrived just before 8am.

The attack rendered much of the Pacific fleet useless. Five out of eight battleships, three destroyers and seven other ships were either sunk or badly damaged. Over 200 aircraft were destroyed. 2,400 were killed in the attack with half that number wounded. On the other side, Japan lost just 30 planes, five midget submarines and fewer than 100 men. The only good news for the US fleet was the aircraft carriers were all out at sea doing training and escaped the attack. They would have their revenge against the Japanese at the Battle of Midway six months later.

The day after the attack on pearl Harbor the US President Roosevelt in an address before Congress called it a date that will live in infamy. After a brief and forceful speech he asked for them to approve a resolution recognizing the state of war between the United States and Japan. The Senate voted 82 to 0 in favour of war. A similar resolution before the House of Representatives gave a 388 to 1 majority. The only dissenting vote came from Jeannette Rankin of Montana, she was a devout pacifist and had some years earlier voted in a similar way against the US entering WW1.

Three days later Germany and Italy declared war on the United States, the US government responded equally to that declaration.