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Explore the myths and facts surrounding the infamous Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941 that led to US entry into WWII. Learn about the history of the harbor and how the surprise Japanese strike unfolded.
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Text A Five Myths about Pearl Harbor Text C Chinese Aircraft Carrier Liaoning Contents
Look and Wonder Look at the photos on the right. Do they remind you of an attack on the United States by the Japanese army? How much do you know about the event? Background information Text A Five Myths about Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is a lagoonharbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the United States Pacific Fleet. The U.S. government first obtained exclusive use of the inlet and the right to maintain a repair and coaling station for ships here in 1887.The attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan on December 7, 1941 was the immediate cause of the United States' entry into World War II.
Naval presence (1899–present) • Following the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, the United States Navy established a base on the island in 1899. On December 7, 1941, the base was attacked by the Imperial Japanese Navy airplanes and midget submarines, causing the American entry into World War II. One of the main reasons that Pearl Harbor happened was because the United States had major communication breakdowns among several branches of the U.S. armed services and departments of the U.S. government. This led to the surprise Japanese attack at the Hawaiian air base.
Even if American army and navy forces had not been surprised by the Japanese attack against Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, they would have been defeated just as decisively. There was no meaningful plan for the air defense of Hawaii, for American commanders had no understanding of the capabilities and proper employment of air power. As it was, had the Pacific Fleet acted on the war warnings it undoubtedly would have sortied突围 and been at sea on December 7, where the major ships would have been sunk in deep water, making salvage海上救助 impossible.Shortly after the devastating Japanese surprise attack at Pearl Harbor two American military commanders were demoted降职 of their full ranks.
Post-WWII • Over the years, Pearl Harbor remained a main base for the US Pacific Fleet after World War II along with Naval Base San Diego. In 2010, the Navy and the Air Force merged their two nearby bases; Pearl Harbor joined with Hickam Air Force Base to create Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
1. infamy: N. disgrace 耻辱 2. feature: N. a prominent or special article in a newspaper or periodical 特写 3. espionage: N. the act or practice of spying 间谍活动 4. armada: N. large fleet of ships 舰队 5. off guard: AP. in an unprepared state 不提防，丧失警惕 6. shell: V. fire shells 炮击 7. bombardment: N. attack with bombs or shells 轰炸 8. theater: N. an area where a battle is fought 战场 9. sub: N. submarine 潜水艇 10. offensive: N. attack 进攻 11. deploy: V. organize military resources 部署 12. midget subs: NP. very small submarines; 袖珍潜水艇 13. intern: V. put sb in prison 拘留 14. archivist: N. one who is in charge of archives 档案管理员 15. bolster: V. give support to支持 Words to Prepare before Reading
The Pearl Harbor Incident caused more than 2,000 deaths as well as enormous damage to the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Tactically, America faced a very big loss, but strategically, this was the initial turning point in World War II. Some people might say that America would have been better off had they never been attacked, but the involvement of America also saved Europe and Asia from the cruel Axis domination. Can a loss be more valuable than a victory? Express your views. Viewpoint presentation
Text C Chinese Aircraft Carrier Liaoning • China purchased the unfinished ex-Soviet Navy aircraft carrier Varyag （瓦良格号）from Ukraine in 1998 and finally received the vessel in 2002. After some extensive refurbishments（整修） at the Dalian Shipyard in northern China, the vessel was commissioned by the PLA Navy in September 2012 and renamed Liaoning, after the northeastern province. The primary role of the vessel is to serve as a training platform for the PLA Navy to gain experience in operating from a modern aircraft carrier, and to develop and perfect the relevant technologies that will be used for the design and construction of China’s indigenous carriers.
History The Varyag is the second hull of the Soviet Navy Project 1143.5 (Admiral Kuznetsov class（库兹涅佐夫元帅级航空母舰） aircraft carrier. The 67,500-tonne vessel was laid down at the Nikolayev South Shipyard on 6 December 1985 and was launched on 4 December 1988. The vessel was renamed Varyag in July 1990. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the ownership of the vessel was transferred to Ukraine. Construction stopped by 1992 due to a lack of funding. By then, 70% of the construction had been finished. The vessel was structurally completed but without weapons, electronics, or propulsion.
In the late 1990s, the vessel was put up for auction and bought by a Macau-based Chinese company for US$20 million for conversion into a floating Casino and amusement park. After a troublesome journey, the Varyag finally arrived at the Dalian Shipyard in northern China in March 2002 and was stationed there under tight security. By then it became apparent that the vessel was never going to be turned into an amusement park. Instead, it was handed to the PLA Navy for research and restoration.
On 25 September 2012, the aircraft carrier was officially commissioned by the PLA Navy, with a new name Liaoning and hull number 16. In November, the Chinese Ministry of National Defence confirmed that the PLA Naval Aviation’s J-15 fighters had successfully performed touch-and-go and arrested landings (拦阻着陆)on the Liaoning. Chinese press estimated that crew training would continue for 4 to 5 years before the aircraft carrier reaches its full capacity.
Two elevators lift the aircraft between the flight deck and the aircraft hangar（飞机库）
Aircraft： The Liaoning features a short take-off but arrested recovery (STOBAR) （短距起飞、正常降落式航空母舰：凭借航母前端上翘的一段甲板，使滑行中的舰载机得到额外升力得以起飞。）arrangement. The flight desk is fitted with arresting wires. The carrier operates a number of Shenyang J-15 Flying Shark carrier-based multirole fighters, including its two-seat fighter-trainer variant J-15S. In addition, the PLA Naval Aviation has been flying several models of ship-based helicopters from the vessel.
J-15 fighter taking off from the ski-jump deck of the Liaoning
