Pearl Harbor Facts For Kids Interesting Facts About The Pearl Harbor Bombing

pearl harbor facts for kids I’m truly honored and excited to bring you Pearl Harbor facts for kids. I have done extensive research to give you information about the interesting facts about the Pearl Harbor bombing. The beginning of this page is to get you familiar with the events of Pearl Harbor, if you are just here for the interesting facts, scroll down and you will see the interesting facts all about the Pearl  Harbor bombing.

Pearl Harbor Facts For Kids

Interesting Facts About The Pearl Harbor Bombing.

The attack on Pearl Harbor took place on December 7, 1941 at 7:55 a.m.  The Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack on the Hawaiian U.S. naval base that would change the course of history.  During the event approximately 181 fighter planes flew over the Island of Oahu and began their attack. Twenty one ships in the US Naval fleet were destroyed in just  a couple of hours and more than 2,500 people were killed, 1,000 more wounded and damaged  nearly 300 airplanes and 18 ships.  The USS Arizona was hit four times by Japanese bomber planes, which made up almost half of the casualties during the tragic event at pearl Harbor.

Learn More Hawaii Facts For Kids and it’s History!

Pearl Harbor Facts For Kids

Why was the United States not prepared?   

December 7, 1941, a written message from Japan threatening war was intercepted. However, The United States did not appreciate the full implications of the 7:30 am Hawaii deadline. A last minute effort was sent to the Pacific commanders, although interesting facts about pearl harbor for kidsGeneral Short did not receive the message until hours after the attack. Lack of communications between Washington and Hawaii gave the Japanese  the opportunity they needed to achieve the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. There were two early warnings of the Japanese attack, but sadly both were ignored. Around 6:30 a.m., a Japanese sub was spotted and sunk near the entrance to Pearl Harbor. Shortly after an Army radar station on Oahu’s north shore reported the sighting of planes about 50 miles away to the Army information center at Fort Shafter. It was then reported to a Navy lieutenant. The Navy lieutenant thought they were United States planes coming home  from a reconnaissance flight or the B-17’s that were scheduled to arrive from California and the sighting was ignored.

Interesting Facts About Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor was hit in two waves of attacks

The first wave arrived at approximately 7:45 a.m.  This was the Japanese air attack.  “Battleship Row”  was located on the East side of Ford island.  It included 7 United States battleships, another located in dry dock by the navy yard, and other equally important aircraft carriers.  The airfields were the Japanese initial attack.  Destroying many aircraft’s on the tip of Ford Island.  Finally a dispatch of communications was the Works first notification that a war had now begun in the Pacific. Next, torpedo planes attacked hitting the west side of Ford Island hitting USS Helena, USS Utah and USS Raleigh.  On the East, torpedoes hit USS California, the USS Nevada, USS Oklahoma and USS West Virginia.  Bombs continued to be dropped on “Battleship Row”  The USS Arizona received a devastating blow followed by huge monstrous explosions. The second wave of planes continued to attack ships that had already been hit.  Trying to destroy the entire Navy Yard.  The Japanese had ruined the United States Pacific Fleet Battleship force in less than hours, making sure the United States would not interfere with any of their further plans.

Pearl Harbor Facts For Kids

Why would the Japanese want to bomb Pearl Harbor? amazing pearl harbor facts for kidsIn  1931 The Japanese dreamed of an Empire in Asia and began their quest.  The US, Netherlands and Great Britain were concerned over Japans ambitions, so they froze their assets in their countries.  Because of this it cut off 90% of materials that Japan required for war production.  The united States wanted the aggressive actions again Indonesia and China to be stopped. Japan decided to advance with their war Plans.  They believed that Pearl Harbor US Pacific Fleet was their only threat.  So they made plans to ambush the fleet in a surprise attack. Now the part you have been waiting for.  Pearl Harbor facts for kids!  A simple breakdown of interesting and fun facts made easy for kids to understand.  I had so much fun learning about his event in American History.

Pearl Harbor Facts For Kids

Facts About The Pearl Harbor For Kids

Pearl Harbor was an incredibly important part of our American history. I’m so glad you are here learning about it! Take a look at some exciting and interesting Pearl Harbor facts for kids below!

Quick Pearl Harbor Facts For Kids
♦ A couple of the battleships sunk that day were resurrected:  The USS West Virginia and the USS California had both completely sunk, but the US Navy raised them up and were able to repair and reuse them. ♦ The USS Arizona still leaks fuel each day!  Can you believe that!  The USS Arizona completely filled its tank full of nearly 1.5 million gallons of fuel the day before the attack.  Although most of the fuel helped cause the explosions and fires that eventually destroyed the ship,  about  9 quarts of  oil  still continues to leek out of the leftover wreckage into the harbor! ♦ Bullet holds and remaining damage from the attacks on Pearl Harbor can still be seen to this day at several of the military locations.  Sheeler Army Airfield, Hickam Army Air Field, and Schofield Barracks.  They decided to leave them as a reminder of all the fellow military members lost that day rather than to repair and cover up all of the damage.  It is a constant reminder for our military to remain strong. ♦ The Japanese telegraphed their operator. Tora, Tora, Tora:  Which is the code word for surprise attack achieved. ♦ The Japanese fleet was made up of 353 planes that attacked Pearl Harbor in two waves. ♦ Four American battleships stationed on “Battleship Row” were sunk, one was capsized. ♦ 188 planes were destroyed and 11 other ships were sunk. ♦ Only 28 Japanese airplanes were shot down and 5 midget submarines were sunk. ♦ The united states declared war on Japan the following day when FDR gave his famous speech to Congress “Day of Infamy.” ♦ The attack brought the United States into World War II. ♦ There was a National Monument erected on the hull of the sunken USS Arizona in 1962 pearl harbor facts for kids arizona memorial ♦ There is a conspiracy theory that FDR provoked the Japanese attack in order to help sway American opinions and make them agree to the US to enter into the war.

Pearl Harbor Facts For Kids

Cool Pearl Harbor Stuff!

Pearl Harbor Facts For Kids Video

Here is a pretty amazing video that has some footage and has a good breakdown of how and what happened in Pearl Harbor. Definitely worth a watch! [iframe: src=”//www.youtube.com/embed/VBdIR7_B3JA” frameborder=”0″ width=”100%” height=”315″ scrolling=”no”]

Amazing Pearl Harbor Facts For Kids

Pearl Harbor: Inspiring Hollywood

The events at Pearl Harbor has inspired many adaptations of what happened that day. None as popular as the 2001 movie that was directed by Michael Bay and starred Josh Hartnett and Ben Affleck titled appropriately “Pearl Harbor”. The movie ended up being pretty successful netting over $450 million at the box office. It was criticized for it’s lackluster script and some historical inaccuracies. Regardless, it still did well and people enjoyed it. There was an edited version that played in Japan that focused more on the love story and less on the bombing, that also did surprisingly well. It makes me wonder who will be the next to take advantage of such an important part of our history and attempt to cash in on it.

Pearl Harbor Facts For Kids

More Amazing And Interesting Facts About Pearl Harbor

facts about pearl harbor Pearl harbor was not the only area that suffered form the Japanese attack that day.  Several other military bases on Oahu were also damaged.  Bellows airfields, Hickam, Kaneohe Bay Naval Air, are just to name a few that also suffered.  Hundreds of planes were damaged or destroyed along with many men wounded, dead, or unaccounted for.   Although the attack that day was a huge blow to the U.S. military in the Pacific, it was not a total victory for the Japanese. Not only were the attack’s biggest targets, the American aircraft carriers, out of port at the time and therefore saved, the attack lead to the nation’s support for involvement in the war, ultimately contributing to the defeat of the Axis powers. More than 70 years later  more than 1.5 million people a year visit the memorial that floats over the sunken Arizona to pay respects to the lives that were lost on what President Franklin D. Roosevelt called “a date which will live in infamy.”

Pearl Harbor Facts For Kids

DID YOU KNOW?!?!?!

  • Pearl Harbor is located on the southern coast of Oahu island in Hawaii.
  • After the bombing of Pearl Harbor took place, the American government ordered that all people of Japanese ancestry had to leave the west coast of the United States. If they had no where to go, they were all sent to Internment Camps where they were forced to live until the war was completely over.
  • The park is actually  built around the site of the sunken USS Arizona ship. And is known as the USS Arizona National Park at Pearl Harbor.

Pearl  Harbor Facts For Kids Conclusion

It has been a lot of fun learning about the Pearl Harbor bombing. It’s a sad event, but so important for American history. I hope that you found some really fun Pearl Harbor facts for kids today and that you can take something away from this article. Please, feel free to check out some of our other amazing and interesting facts for kids articles before you leave!! Pearl Harbor Facts For Kids

2 Comments

  1. many interesting facts about pearl harbor. Some things that I have learned in this me and my friends and family never knew.

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