The blitz broke out on the morning of December 7th, 1941. Over 300 Japanese fighter planes, bombers, and torpedo planes bombarded the US harbor within 90 minutes. More than 24-hundred Americans were killed and another 12-hundred injured in the attack. Multiple U.S. Navy battleships were damaged, and the US also lost nearly 200 aircraft.

Japan only lost 29 aircraft, five midget submarines and 60 servicemen. Japan intended the attack to keep the US Pacific Fleet from interfering with military actions planned in Southeast Asia. In a speech to Congress, then-US President Franklin Roosevelt called it a day of infamy. Congress swiftly passed a formal declaration of war against Japan.