A day that will live in infamy, These were the words broadcast by FDR to the United States on that fateful day 73 years ago. The Japanese Empire attacked Pearl Harbour in the Hawaiian Islands at 7.45am on the 7th Dec 1941. They sank eight battleships plus some cruisers and destroyers with a huge loss of life. Some 2400 sailors lost their lives and over a thousand more were injured. The attack was a total surprise but also a failure, six of the eight battleships were re-floated and live on to fight in the war. The US carrier fleet was at sea and fortunately was spared from damage. This fact proved to be vital in stopping the Japanese through 1942 and shifted the balance of sea power in the Pacific. If this was good news for anyone, it was for Winston Churchill. Churchill had since the beginning of the war been urging the US to join in on the side of the Allies. On the 7th Dec his wish came true, Hitler declared war on the US and Britain finally had that much needed and powerful ally join them in the war to defeat Nazism.
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