Aftermath of Pearl Harbor
Recovering his aircraft, Nagumo departed the area and began steaming west towards Japan. In the course of the attack the Japanese lost 29 aircraft and all five midget subs. Casualties totaled 64 killed and one captured. In Pearl Harbor, 21 American ships had been sunk or damaged. Of the Pacific Fleet's battleships, four were sunk and four badly damaged. Along with the naval losses, 188 aircraft had been destroyed with another 159 damaged. American casualties totaled 2,403 killed and 1,178 wounded.
Though the losses were catastrophic, the American carriers were absent and remained available to carry on the war. Also, Pearl Harbor's facilities remained largely undamaged and were able to support salvage efforts in the harbor and military operations abroad. In the months after the attack, US Navy personnel successfully raised many of ships lost in the attack. Sent to shipyards, they were updated and returned to action. Several of the battleships played a key role in the 1944 Battle of Leyte Gulf.
Addressing a joint session of Congress on December 8, Roosevelt described the previous day as a "date which will live in infamy." Outraged by the surprise nature of the attack (a Japanese note breaking off diplomatic relations had arrived late), Congress immediately declared war on Japan. In support of their Japanese ally, Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy declared war on the US on December 11 despite the fact they were not required to do so under the Tripartite Pact. This action was immediately reciprocated by Congress. In one bold stroke, the United States had become fully involved in World War II. Uniting the nation behind the war effort, Pearl Harbor led Japanese Admiral Hara Tadaichi to later comment, "We won a great tactical victory at Pearl Harbor and thereby lost the war."
Selected Sources
