The bombing of Pearl Harbor has always been considered a major Japanese victory. President Roosevelt called December 7, 1941, "a day that will forever live in infamy" because of the destruction resulting from this assault. Japanese forces brutally weakened the U.S. naval fleet stationed at Pearl Harbor and brought unimaginable horror to both the citizens of Hawaii and the United States as a whole. As a result of this attack, the United States entered World War II and four years later was able to achieve victory against the Axis powers. However, was the bombing of Pearl Harbor really a Japanese success? I will explore this question by studying newspaper articles written by Japanese officials involved in the attack, the writings of U.S. military officials, news texts, and perspectives from the U.S. Department of Defense. The Japanese had some notable successes. They managed to eliminate a large portion of the American fleet and hundreds of aircraft with very minimal losses. This had a considerable impact on the ability to immediately attack the Japanese. “With the U.S. Pacific Fleet essentially neutralized, the United States was unable to play a significant role in the Pacific War for more than six months. Japan was therefore free to conquer Southeast Asia and the southwest Pacific region, as well as to penetrate widely into Indian territory. Ocean” (Nojeim). Additionally, the Japanese managed to completely surprise American forces at Pearl Harbor. The bombers attacked the fleet at the same time as the airfields to hinder the ability to respond (Department of Defense). However, these two sources identify the three major failures included in the following paragraphs. The failure to eliminate aircraft carriers...... middle of paper ...... History of the US Navy Operations during World War II. Np: Castle Books, 2001. Print. Nojeim, Michael and David Killroy. Days of Decision: Turning Points in American Foreign Policy. Np: Potomac Books, 2011. Print.PAST Foundation and National Park Service Submerged Resource Center, comps. “The attack on Pearl Harbor.” USS Arizona Preservation Project 2004. U.S. Department of the Interior, December 18, 2007. Internet. May 27, 2011. .Pearl Harbor Organization. “Ships and planes sunk or survived in the attack on Pearl Harbor.” The attack on Pearl Harbor. November 27, 2006. The web. May 28, 2011. Smith, Carl. Pearl Harbor 1941: The day of infamy. Ed. Nikolai Bogdanovic. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd. , 1999. Print.