Pearl Harbor

A tactically successful air attack

On Sunday, December 7, 1941, Japan conducted a tactically successful air attack on Pearl Harbor, an American naval base in Hawaii, at around noon local time.

The US Pacific Fleet was and still is today located in Hawaii at Pearl Harbor. Pearl Harbor remains an active military base, headquarters of the Pacific Fleet,

The attack came as a great shock to the American people and European nations. It directly led to US involvement in World War II, both in the Pacific Ocean (Southeast Asia) and in Europe. The day after the Pearl Harbor raid, the United States declared war on Japan.

The Japanese surprise attack largely destroyed the American fleet, which, apart from a few ships, was docked in Pearl Harbor. The Japanese attack thus kept the Americans (temporarily) away from the Pacific Ocean. Japan was now lord and commander there.

In the meantime, Japan conquered Thailand, Malaysia, the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia), Burma (present-day Myanmar), Singapore. Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia fell into Japanese hands shortly after. China also had to deal with Japan. In short, the war raged in all its fury in and around the Pacific Ocean and Japan was winning. 

The war in Europe saw France, Great Britain and the Netherlands all lose their colonies in Southeast Asia. The Japanese conquered these lands because the colonizer's respective armies in Europe/Africa surrendered to Germany or were engaged in heavy fighting with Germany.

Japan had been assigned the former German colonies in Southeast Asia after World War I. In conclusion, Japan was now all-powerful in the area and wanted to keep it that way. 

In the meantime, Japan conquered Thailand, Malaysia, the Dutch East Indies, Burma (present-day Myanmar) and Singapore at a rapid pace.

Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia also fell into Japanese hands. China also had to deal with Japan. In short, the war raged in all its fury in and around the Pacific Ocean, and Japan was winning.

The war in Europe saw France, Great Britain and the Netherlands all lose their colonies in Southeast Asia. The Japanese conquered these lands because the colonizer's respective armies in Europe/Africa surrendered to Germany or were engaged in heavy fighting with Germany.

Japan had been assigned the former German colonies in Southeast Asia after World War I. In short, Japan was now all-powerful in the area and wanted to keep it that way.

Japan was winning.