7 interesting facts about the attack on Pearl Harbor

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Thursday, December 07, 2023

One of many targets

An Imperial Japanese Navy Mitsubishi A6M2 'Zero' fighter on the aircraft carrier Akagi during the Pearl Harbor attack mission. — An Imperial Japanese Navy Mitsubishi A6M2 "Zero" fighter on the aircraft carrier Akagi during the Pearl Harbor attack mission. | Wikimedia Commons

Although the attack on Pearl Harbor was the most notable assault on Dec. 7, the Japanese military also went after targets throughout the Pacific Ocean as part of the operation.

In addition to Hawaii, Japanese forces attacked the United States territories of Guam and the Philippines, and invaded the British territories of Hong Kong, Malaya and Singapore.

“On the same day as the Pearl Harbor attack, Japanese planes bombed several U.S. bases in the Philippines, including Clark Field (due to time zone differences, these attacks occurred on December 8 local time),” noted History.com.

“Fighting between Japanese and U.S. military forces continued until May 1942, when Japan officially began its occupation of the Philippines. By then, Japan had also established occupation of Hong Kong, Malaya, Singapore, Guam and the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia). Southeast Asia and the Pacific were now a major front in the war.”