Pearl Harbor is synonymous to World War II. This is because it signifies an attack on the US navy who were based on the harbor. The Attack was carried out by the Japanese Empire on the 7th of December in the year 1941.
Here are some of the facts surrounding the harbor and the attack:
- There were two successive attacks on this day. The first one was executed some minutes before 8 am and the other followed after one hour. The first one was carried out by the most planes which were 183 in number and the second was carried out by a less number of 167 planes. This was a surprise attack and the damage was severe due to the unpreparedness of the US navy.
- The damage caused on the US navy was much more than the damage on the Japanese navy. This is because the US navy lost 188 aircrafts, 8 battleships, a total of six destroyers and cruises combined and a single minelayer. However, the damage involved on the Japanese side was the destruction of 29 aircrafts only.
- The attack led to the death of more than two thousand people with the death of almost seventy civilians with another close to two thousand people who were left injured.
- After this attack the Americans declared war on the Japanese the following day and hence the World War II.
The harbor has turned into a tourist attraction for people from within the US and other parts of the world as well. There are about five sites around the harbor which you can visit and learn about the harbor. Here is a list of these places.
- USS Arizona is one of the historical sites. When you get here you will get a guide who will tell you of the strategies that were used in the attack and you will also see some places where the attacks were actually carried out.
- Battleship Missouri Memorial – This is the other historical site within the harbor. This is the area around which the Japanese soldiers surrendered bringing the war into an end.
- The Submarine Museum/park – This is an area that you get the chance of learning how the battle under sea water was carried out and the various techniques that were used. In addition, the different guns and war artifacts that were made use of are also displayed in this museum.
- Pacific Aviation Museum – This is a site which gives you the opportunity to see the aircrafts that were made use of in the war.
- Visitor Center at Pearl Harbor – This is the area that is next to the USS Arizona remains after the war. This site can be visited by everyone without being charged a single penny.
Some of the benefits of visiting the site are that you will get to watch a film that documents the Japanese attack. Secondly, there is a trip to the memorial via a US Navy shuttle. However, the park receives a lot of guests and therefore it is advisable to get there early so that you can get your tickets for the film and the trip earlier than the other guests.