What really happened on December 7th, 1941, at Pearl Harbor? For many, the truth is muddled by stories they heard from others or found online. As with any historic event, it’s not uncommon for people to speculate and create their own narratives. This can result in people taking these false stories and conspiracy theories to be factual. Let’s cover ten of the most common myths about the attack on Pearl Harbor and what the reality behind them is.
A common misconception is that the Japanese attack was a complete surprise with no prior declaration of war. The reality is a bit more complicated. Japan did intend to deliver a declaration of war to the United States just before the attack was scheduled to begin.
This 14-part message was sent to the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C., for transcription and delivery. Delays at the embassy meant the declaration wasn’t delivered until after the attack had already started. So, while there was an intent to provide a warning, it didn’t arrive in time.
It’s true that the attack on Pearl Harbor was devastating, but it didn’t wipe out the entire U.S. Pacific Fleet. The Japanese attack focused on the battleships moored at Ford Island. Eight battleships were hit, and four were sunk.
Of the ships that were sunk, all but two, the USS Arizona and the USS Oklahoma, were eventually raised and returned to service. Furthermore, the fleet’s three aircraft carriers were at sea on December 7th and were completely untouched. Their survival would prove to be a massive advantage for the U.S. in the months that followed.
This conspiracy theory suggests that President Franklin D. Roosevelt knew the attack was coming and allowed it to happen to create a reason for the U.S. to enter World War II. There’s no credible evidence to support this claim.
American intelligence had broken Japanese diplomatic codes, but they hadn’t cracked the naval codes that would have revealed the plans for the attack. U.S. officials expected a Japanese attack somewhere in Southeast Asia, but Pearl Harbor wasn’t the anticipated target.
Many people believe a torpedo delivered the fatal blow to the USS Arizona. In reality, the battleship was destroyed by a bomb. An 800-kilogram armor-piercing bomb, dropped by a high-altitude bomber, penetrated the forward deck.
The bomb detonated the ship’s forward ammunition magazines, which caused a catastrophic explosion. This explosion is what sank the ship and took the lives of 1,177 crewmen. The shipwreck still lies at the bottom of Pearl Harbor today.
This story isn’t a myth, but a real event that occurred on the island of Niʻihau. After the attack, a Japanese Zero pilot, Shigenori Nishikaichi, crash-landed on the island. The residents, who were mostly native Hawaiians and were unaware of the attack, initially treated him with courtesy.
The situation turned tense when the pilot, with the help of a few local Japanese-American residents, tried to retrieve his papers and escape. The incident ended in a conflict where the pilot was killed. This event, known as the Niʻihau Incident, contributed to the decision to intern Japanese Americans during the war.
The attack on Pearl Harbor fueled widespread suspicion and prejudice against Japanese Americans. This led to Executive Order 9066, which authorized the forced relocation and internment of over 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry on the West Coast.
The belief that they were all loyal to Japan was false. Many Japanese Americans served bravely in the U.S. military during World War II. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team, composed almost entirely of second-generation Japanese Americans, became one of the most decorated units in U.S. military history.
The attack on Pearl Harbor was shocking, but it wasn’t the first time the U.S. had been attacked on its own territory. During the War of 1812, British forces captured and burned Washington, D.C.
The attack on Pearl Harbor was, however, a powerful modern assault on a major military installation. It was the event that directly propelled the United States into the global conflict of World War II.
Four days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, on December 11, 1941, Germany declared war on the United States. It’s often assumed this was a direct obligation because of the Tripartite Pact between Germany, Italy, and Japan.
The pact, however, only required mutual assistance if one of the countries was attacked, not if one of them initiated a conflict. Hitler chose to declare war on the U.S. for his own strategic reasons, which he believed would help his war effort in Europe.
The attack did generate a massive surge of patriotism and a desire for retribution against Japan. The famous phrase “Remember Pearl Harbor” became a national rallying cry. That said, it didn’t instantly erase all political divisions within the country.
Before the attack, there was a strong isolationist movement in the United States that wanted to stay out of foreign wars. While Pearl Harbor silenced most of this opposition, debates about war strategy and domestic policy continued throughout the war.
This is actually true. The USS Arizona continues to leak small quantities of oil into the harbor, more than 80 years after it was sunk. The oil droplets are sometimes called the “tears of the Arizona” or “black tears.”
This slow leak serves as a constant, physical reminder of the ship and the crew members who remain entombed within it. Visitors to the USS Arizona Memorial can often see the rainbow sheen of oil on the water’s surface.
These are some of the most popular myths about Pearl Harbor and December 7th, but most of them are just that: myths, borne from misinformation and speculation. If you’d like to get the real history of the attack, consider joining Pearlharbortour.org on our Pearl Harbor and USS Missouri tour! Our experienced tour guides will take you through the historic sites and share the stories of that day. Book your experience today.