The Shocking Truth Behind America's Nuclear Bombing of Japan

This blog post explores the events surrounding the Pearl Harbor attack, examining the reasons behind Japan's surprise strike, the heroic actions of individuals like Doris Miller, and the devastating consequences that ultimately led to the US dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

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2/1/20256 min read

The Dawn of a New Era: The Pearl Harbor Attack and Its Aftermath

December 7, 1941, was the last day in history that was about to change the world map forever. A disaster was about to strike a naval base, and no one had any idea it was coming. An African American girl named Taurus Miller, who was on the battleship, started serving breakfast to the Navy officers as soon as the sun came up, and then she went to collect their laundry. Right at 7:57 AM, Doureris heard a siren – the kind of siren that no one ever wants to hear while on duty. He rushed outside and was stunned to see the entire sky filled with Japanese bomber aircraft.

The Surprise Attack

In the blink of an eye, it was like all hell broke loose at Pearl Harbor. Japanese aircraft started picking off American ships one by one. This attack was launched on the Pearl Harbor base, and today we're going to explore how Japan had the guts to strike a country like the U.S., why a chef named Doris Miller received the highest honor in America, and why the U.S. dropped nuclear bombs on Japan. So, let’s dive into this interesting story that kicks off in 1941 during World War II.

The Road to War: US Neutrality and Japanese Expansion

America had put everything on the line to save China. Yeah, that same China that the U.S. openly talks about today in 2023. Here’s how it went down: three years into World War II, with Germany and Italy on one side and Britain, the Netherlands, and France on the other. The U.S. wasn’t involved at all; they were completely neutral because they wanted to stay out of European and Asian conflicts after the losses from World War I. But there was one country that kept bothering America.

Japan's Strategic Dilemma and the Oil Embargo

Japan was running low on natural resources, so it started grabbing land from its neighbors to meet its demands. It had already taken over large areas in Korea, Taiwan, and China. Japan also had its eyes on the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia in the Pacific Ocean. The catch was that Malaysia was a British colony, Indonesia belonged to the Netherlands, and the Philippines was a neutral colony of the U.S. These countries were not okay with Japan's expansion into other nations at all.

The US Response and Japan's Calculated Risk

Because behind the scenes, Hitler was pulling the strings, and he was an enemy of both Britain and America. Seeing Japan's actions, the U.S. cut off their oil supply in July 1941. Japan didn’t have its own oil; in fact, 80% of its oil came from the U.S. They put a condition in front of Japan: they had to give up their hold on China first, and then they would get oil. For Japan, this was a really tough decision. If they withdrew from China, the whole world would think they were supporting Hitler.

The Decision to Attack Pearl Harbor

Despite bowing down to America, Japan was in a tough spot because of oil, which they desperately needed. They decided they wouldn’t call back their troops from China but secretly planned to take over Indonesia for its oil. However, it wasn’t going to be easy. At that time, Indonesia was a Dutch colony, and to reach there, they first needed to capture the Philippines, which was under American control. Japan knew very well that if they attacked the Philippines, it would lead to serious consequences.

The Japanese Fleet and the Element of Surprise

The response will be carried out from the American naval base at Pearl Harbor in the Pacific Ocean. However, Japan was running low on oil reserves and had no option left but to attack, not just the Philippines but also Pearl Harbor. Yes, the Japanese military leaders decided to launch a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor to wipe out the whole base, making it easier for Japan to take over the Philippines afterward. The Japanese were quietly gearing up for the attack on Pearl Harbor and started preparing their fleet, which included two...

The Scale of the Attack and American Forces

There were 39 battleships, 30 submarines, and 414 bomber aircraft involved, all launched towards Pearl Harbor from 6 aircraft carriers. On the other side, if you look at the American forces stationed at Pearl Harbor, they had 8 battleships, 59 anti-aircraft ships, several submarines, and around 390 aircraft. So, the U.S. had enough force to thwart Japan's attack, but it was crucial for them to get information about the attack in advance. However, Japan wanted to keep the attack completely secret, which is why the Japanese commander...

The Silent Fleet and the Two Waves

It was decided that before the attack, they would stay away from any wireless communication. The force that was supposed to evacuate from Japan had covered about 8,000 kilometers, and now they were just 370 kilometers away, which was the point from where the aircraft would take off to launch the attack. This was going to be the biggest attack yet, and the U.S. wasn't even involved at that point. On December 7, 1941, 350 Japanese aircraft launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in two separate groups. The Americans, completely unaware of the impending attack, were caught off guard like it was the end of the world.

The Devastation and the Heroism of Doris Miller

The group really went after Golu for 45 minutes, attacking him over and over before finally backing off. At first, it seemed like the attack was over, but then, ten minutes later, a second wave of aircraft showed up and completely wrecked the base with a downpour. The assault went on for a whole hour and 15 minutes, where Japan's support included 20 vessels, 8 battleships, and more than 300 planes, all taken out without a fight. The ground was getting washed today, and the clouds were hiding the sky for tomorrow. During all this chaos, there was an African American cook on one of the American battleships who was terrified.

A Cook Turned Hero

In the beginning of the blog, we mentioned Smriti. During the laundry collection, Taurus heard a terrifying siren. By the time he got outside, a Japanese torpedo missile hit their ship, injuring Captain Shiv and several officers. Fearlessly, Sneha moved the injured to a safe place, then went to the anti-aircraft guns and fought back against the Japanese aircraft. Without any training, she managed to take down a total of six Japanese planes during this attack, which later earned her the Navy Cross, the highest award in the Navy.

The Aftermath and US Entry into World War II

The Medal of Honor is the second highest award in the United States. After an hour and 15 minutes of the attack, the Japanese aircraft left, but they had already pushed America into World War II. Before this attack, the U.S. wasn't even involved in the war. The day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, America decided to teach Japan a lesson and declared war on them. For the next three months, the U.S. focused on restoring its naval base. Luckily, several ships were in shallow water and were repairable.

The US Retaliation and the Turning Tide

After 4 months, America attacked Japan just like they did with Pearl Harbor. Yup, in April 1942, America bombed Tokyo, Japan. This was the first attack by the U.S. in World War II, but they didn’t stop there. For the next 4 years, there was a fierce battle between Japan and America, and by now, the odds were heavily in America's favor. Japan had become very weak in this war, but they weren't giving up. They weren't surrendering to the Americans at any cost. Finally, in August 1945...

The Atomic Bombs and the End of the War

On August 6, 1945, at 8:00 AM, the U.S. dropped its final card against Japan. A Boeing B-29 Superfortress was spotted over Hiroshima, and it dropped a bomb called "Little Boy," weighing 4,400 pounds. Exactly 43 seconds later, there was a massive explosion, and everything went white. After that, a fireball shot up from the ground to the sky, raising the temperature to 5,000 degrees Celsius. This was the first nuclear attack in history, and it pretty much wiped out 80% of the Japanese military.

The Devastating Impact and Japan's Surrender

It was like the ground had just vanished from under the leaders' feet. Just when they thought things couldn't get worse, on August 9, the U.S. dropped a nuclear bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. This was the Mark III bomb, code-named "Fat Man," weighing 4,670 pounds. It wiped out entire areas, just like the two nuclear bombs that had been used on humans before.