How many times was the US mainland attacked during World War 2?

Answer 1

I would believe to say only once. This one catastrophic event was on December 7th, 1941 (December 8th for Japan) - "...a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." (Excerpt from the "Day of Infamy" speech given by Franklin D. Roosevelt on December 8th, 1941.) This tragic and historic day is when Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, United States Territory beginning at about 07:45 a.m. On this day, many American lives were lost, as well as many battleships, destroyers, carriers, and submarines damaged or sunken by Japanese artillery, bombs, and torpedos. This attack came as a shock to the American people, but the brave men of the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor packed their bags and fought long and hard to defend their homeland against the Japanese, and did so with honor and bravery, never letting their country or their comrades down, not even for a second. Although the United States and Japan were involved in past negotiations to continue the overseas trade of American goods to Japan, tension was slowly intensifying between the two countries. These negotiations did not mean that the U.S. and Japan were necessarily Allies, but it was just a way for Japan to make it appear as though they and the U.S. were getting along, while back in Japan, the Japanese Emperor, the Ambassador, and many Japanese troops were secretly planning the attack on Pearl Harbor (nicknamed "Operation Z" in planning) , using the 1940 British air attack on the Italian fleet at Taranto as a blueprint in which they studied intensively, for it was of great use to them in planning their attack on U.S. naval forces in Pearl Harbor. Yet, U.S. officials doubted Pearl Harbor would be the first target, but rather the Philippines to be attacked first due to the threats of the air bases theire, as well as the naval base at Manila, which would pose as sealanes, stopping the shipment of supplies to and from territory in the south, which were Japan's main objective. But they were wrong, for they incorrectly believed that Japan was not capable of mounting more than one major naval operation at a time, and because Pearl Harbor was the first place to be attacked, and was followed by the Philippines, Manilla, Midway Island, Wake Island, and other countries of the Southeast Asia and Pacific area. On the day of December 8th, 1941 (day after the attack on P.H.), President Roosevelt delcared war against the Empire of Japan. As a result of this declaration, Japan declared war upon the United States shortly after, following the declaration of war against Japan by the United Kingdom (England and Scotland, although Ireland was involved in WWII at some point), thus making the United States and the United Kingdom Allies, helping to support one another against the forceful attack on Japanese forces in an attempt to stop Japan from continuing their bloody march across the Pacific [Theater of Operations] (PTO; the countries and islands that were at war with Japan in the Southeast Pacific area). In the end, all the gruesome battles fought in the Pacific against England, the United States (including other Allie countries), and Japan paid off, with the surrender of the Japan on September 2nd, 1945.