December 7: Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor Day In the early morning of Dec. 7, 1941, the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was attacked by the Japanese. Here are some facts about the event.

1. Pearl Harbor is a natural deepwater naval port on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, located just west of Honolulu. At the time of the attack, the Americans were using it as a military base. The U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet was based there.
2. Relations between Japan and the USA had been strained for some time. Since 1931, Japan had embarked on an aggressive campaign of military expansion, invading Korea, China and Vietnam. The US had responded by cutting off trade with Japan. Japan's objective was to neutralise the American forces in the Asia Pacific region, so they could dominate the area.
3. The two countries were engaged in peace negotiations at the time, so the attack was in violation of the conventions of war – a war crime. Aware of this, the Japanese, who'd been planning the attack for nearly two years, sent a letter to the Americans, half an hour before the attack, ending the peace negotiations and declaring war. However, it took time for the ambassador in Washington DC to transcribe the letter, and by the time he had, the attack had already happened.
4. Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was the one who initiated the plans. Strategic and tactical planning of the attack was carried out by Rear Admiral Ryūnosuke Kusaka with assistance from Captain Minoru Genda. Minoru Genda was also responsible for training the Japanese forces. The Japanese used the code name "Operation Hawaii" for the attack, later changed to "Operation Z." They deliberately chose a Sunday morning to carry out the attack, because they thought the Americans would be less vigilant at the weekend. Five midget submarines left Japan on 25 November, followed a day later by six aircraft carriers carrying a total of 408 fighter aircraft. The Japanese attack force stationed itself approximately 230 miles north of Oahu.
5. The attack lasted 110 minutes, from 7:55 a.m. until 9:45 a.m. A wave of Japanese fighter planes struck at 7.55am followed by a second wave 45 minutes later. 2,335 U.S. Servicemen and 68 civilians died; 1,143 servicemen and 35 civilians were wounded. 65 Japanese soldiers died and one was captured. As well as the eight battleships docked in the harbour, the Japanese targetted nearby airfields as well. All eight U.S. battleships were either sunk or damaged during the attack. All but two (the USS Arizona and the USS Oklahoma) were eventually able to return to active duty. However, the ships the Japanese really wanted to destroy, three aircraft carriers, were out at sea at the time. Three civilian aircraft were shot down, too.
6. The people based at Pearl Harbor were indeed taken by surprise. Many U.S. servicemen were either still in their pajamas or having their breakfast when the attack began. Even though the first wave of planes were picked up on radar, but when the radar operators warned Lieutenant Kermit A. Tyler, he dismissed it, because Tyler was expecting six B-17 bombers. The radar operators hadn't been told about that for security reasons. However, Tyler wasn't told just how many planes had been spotted on the radar. U.S. troops and commanders scrambled to get planes in the air and ships out of the harbour, but the defence was quite feeble. The first Japanese plane to arrive saw that the defences were unmanned, so he sent the famous message, “Tora, Tora, Tora,” (“Tiger, tiger, tiger”) to indicate that they had indeed caught the Americans by surprise. Conspiracy theorists maintain that the US government knew about the attack – in fact they'd actually provoked it, to allow America to enter the war “by the back door” despite a lack of public support for war.
7. Worst hit in the attack was the USS Arizona, which exploded when a bomb breached its ammunition room. Over a thousand of the casualties were on that ship alone. Those who died on the Arizona included 23 sets of brothers. 37 sets of brothers, 77 men, were serving on the Arizona. 62 of them died. Only one full set of brothers, Kenneth and Russell Warriner, survived the attack; Kenneth was away at flight school in San Diego on that day and Russell was badly wounded but recovered. Also killed in the attack were father and son Thomas Augusta Free and his son William Thomas. It was fairly common for members of the same family to serve together on board a warship. Pearl Harbor prompted the authorities to try and discourage it, but no official regulations came into force. In fact, five brothers from Iowa joined up after hearing one of their friends had died on the Arizona – and insisted on serving on the same ship. All five of them were killed when their ship was sunk at the Battle of Guadalcanal. Also killed was the entire ship's band, who were on deck getting ready to play music for the daily Flag raising ceremony. It's the only time in American history when an entire military band died in action.
8. The next day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed a joint session of Congress, making his famous "a date that will live in infamy" speech and asking Congress to authorise a declaration of war against Japan. Jeanette Rankin of Montana was the only member of Congress to vote against the declaration of war.
9. Today, the wreckage of the Arizona is a war memorial and a grave. There has been a floating National Monument on the hull of the sunken Arizona since 1962. The funds to build it came from the public sector and private donors, and also the proceeds from a benefit concert by Elvis Presley. More than a million people visit the memorial every year. Servicemen who survived the attack can ask to be interred on the Arizona. After a full military funeral and cremation, the urn containing their ashes would be taken down by divers and placed under a gun turret.
10. Over 70 years after the attack, the wreckage of the Arizona is still leaking oil. The ship had been due to travel to the mainland a few days later, and hence had taken on a full full load of fuel, nearly 1.5 million gallons, the day before. Nine quarts of oil leaks out of the ship every day. The leaking oil is sometimes referred to as the “tears of the Arizona,” or “black tears.” Scientists are monitoring the likely effects of this on the environment. There are also fears that one day, the remaining fuel will erupt from the wreckage causing “catastrophic” damage to the Hawaiian shoreline. Because the ship is a designated war grave, government agencies are reluctant to go down and carry out repairs unless it becomes absolutely necessary.

My Christmas Novella!

A Very Variant Christmas

Last year, Jade and Gloria were embroiled in a bitter conflict to win back their throne and their ancestral home. This year, Queen Jade and Princess Gloria want to host the biggest and best Christmas party ever in their palace. They invite all their friends to come and bring guests. Not even the birth of Jade's heir just before Christmas will stop them.

The guest list includes most of Britain's complement of super-powered crime-fighters, their families and friends. What could possibly go wrong?

Gatecrashers, unexpected arrivals, exploding Christmas crackers and a kidnapping, for starters.

Far away in space, the Constellations, a cosmic peacekeeping force, have suffered a tragic loss. They need to recruit a new member to replace their dead colleague. The two top candidates are both at Jade and Gloria's party. The arrival of the recruitment delegation on Christmas Eve is a surprise for everyone; but their visit means one guest now faces a life-changing decision.

Meanwhile, an alliance of the enemies of various guests at the party has infiltrated the palace; they hide in the dungeon, plotting how best to get rid of the crime-fighters and the royal family once and for all. Problem is, they all have their own agendas and differences of opinion on how to achieve their aims.

Not to mention that this year, the ghosts who walk the corridors of the palace on Christmas Eve will be as surprised by the living as the living are by them.

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