Dec 7 1941

Today 60 years ago Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto and Six aircraft carriers (Akagi, Kaga, Sōryū, Hiryū, Shōkaku, and Zuikaku) launch its their launch aircraft to attack Pearl Harbor. Today we honor those gave their lives on both sides.


Admiral Yamamoto opposed war against the United States, Because of the studies at Harvard University (1919-1921). He say that Japan couldn't win an all out war with the US. But He believed that if Japan could destroy the US Naval Fleet in one shot. Then the US would sue for peace. As peace talks broke down Admiral Yamamoto prepared his attacked. He originally stipulated that attack on Pearl Harbor should not commence until thirty mins after Japan had informed the United States Government. But the attack took place after the notice could be delivered. It was after the attack Admiral Yamamoto know that Japan had " Waken a Sleeping Giant".


This image is a pic of the USS. California on the day attack. The California took two torpedoes and two bombs killing 100 men. Three days of flooding the California settled into the mud with only its superstructure remain above the surface. On 25 march 1942 the California was refloated and repaired. On 17 September she sailed to Philippines to help out in the Invasion.


The image below is a shot of the USS West Virginia (BB-48), a Colorado-class battleship. This image is the rare photographs that was taken during the war and in color. In this shot we can see sailors trying to up out the flames of the West Virginia. The black smoke rapping around them making it hard to fire the fires. As tragic as Pearl Harbor is this shot has to be one of the more powerful and beautiful shot I have seen. The Superstructures stand out the black smoke as to say " I am still here, you can do what you want but I still stand"


On board Arizona, the ship's air raid alarm went off about 07:55. Shortly after 08:00, the ship was attacked by 10 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers. The bombers scored four hits and three near misses on and around Arizona. The last bomb hit at 08:06 in the vicinity of Turret II, likely penetrating the armored deck near the ammunition magazines located in the forward section of the ship. About seven seconds after the hit, the forward magazines detonated in a cataclysmic explosion

The image below is the USS Arizona taken at the time of the magazines explode. This caused the forward turrets and conning tower to collapse downward some 25–30 feet (7.6–9.1 m) and the foremast and funnel to collapse forward. The explosion killed 1,177 of the 1,400 crewmen on board at the time, almost half of the lives lost during the attack. This image is one of the most powerful images of the war. It is a point of time where the world stops and reflex on the souls that where lost daring the war.