The bombing of Pearl Harbor has always been considered a great Japanese victory. President Roosevelt called December 7, 1941, the “day that will forever live in infamy” because of the destruction that followed this assault. Japanese forces brutally damaged the American naval fleet stationed at Pearl Harbor and caused 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 managed to achieve victory against the Axis powers four years later. However, was the bombing of Pearl Harbor really a Japanese success? I will explore this question by studying diary entries written by Japanese officials involved in the attack, the writings of American military officials, briefing texts, and a perspective from the U.S. Department of Defense. The Japanese achieved some notable successes. They managed to eliminate much of the American fleet and hundreds of aircraft with minimal losses. This greatly affected the ability to immediately strike 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, so Japan was free to conquer Southeast Asia and the South Asia region. west of the Pacific, as well as penetrating well into Indian territory. Ocean” (Nojeim). Furthermore, the Japanese managed to completely surprise the American forces at Pearl Harbor. The bombers attacked the fleet at the same time as the airfields to hinder response capability (Department of Defense). However, both of these two sources identify three major failures which are included in the following paragraphs. Failure to eliminate aircraft carriers... middle of paper... History of the United States Navy Operations in World War II. Np: Castle Books, 2001. Print.Nojeim, Michael and David Killroy. Days of Decisions: Turning Points in US Foreign Policy. Np: Potomac Books, 2011. Print.PAST Foundation and Submerged Resources Center of the National Park Service, comps. "The Attack on Pearl Harbor." USS Arizona Preservation Project 2004. U.S. Department of the Interior, December 18, 2007. Network. May 27, 2011. .Pearl Harbor Organization. “Ships and Planes Sunk or Survived the Attack on Pearl Harbor.” The attack on Pearl Harbor. November 27, 2006. Web. May 28, 2011. .Smith, Carl. Pearl Harbor 1941: The Day of Infamy. Ed. Nikolai Bogdanovic. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 1999. Print.