. . . infamy .
December 7, 1941.
Yes, the attack was a planned military strike.
Roosevelt didn't necessarily strike out against Hitler, as much as Tojo. America joined World War 2 due to Pearl Harbor, the famous event when Japan bombed US naval base in Hawaii. What is less well known is that on 10 December 1941, Germany declared war on the United States.
The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th 1941 was a surprise military strike by the Japanese (Operation Z). It was a preemptive strike to stop the US entering Japanese waters.
Submarines and aircraft carriers
Submarines and aircraft carriers
The Japanese landed a massive air strike on unsuspecting US infantry and navy men in Pearl Harbor. Kamikaze planes would dive bomb into US ships, killing men and damaging ships.
The Fleet's fuel supply depot, drydocks, repair facilities and the missing aircraft carriers.
Japan. Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in a carrier borne pre emptive strike, aiming for the US carrier fleet, which was not at home. There were no Japanese land forces involved.
Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Commander of the Japanese Combined Fleet, was in overall control of planning for the 1941 surprise attack on the United States Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo was commander specifically of the Pearl Harbor Striking Force.
Naguru - to strike.
The surprise military strike on the navy base at Pear Harbor, Hawaii by the Japanese began on the morning of December 7, 1941. This attack was the key factor in the United States entering World War II.