Battlelines: Pearl Harbor

Battlelines: Pearl Harbor is an interactive, illustrated timeline of the infamous Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. A unique birds-eye-view map plots the Japanese attack, the location of US ships and the heroic American defensive efforts. Created by Aimer Media and military publisher Osprey it clearly explains the chaotic events of Americas Date of Infamy.

Early in the morning on December 7, 1941 the Japanese launched a surprise attack on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor. It was a devastatingly successful military action, and remains one of the darkest days in American military history. Unprepared for the assault, the Americans suffered terrible casualties as Japanese fighters, bombers and torpedo planes delivered two devastating waves of attacks, sinking or damaging 18 American ships and killing thousands of American military personnel.

This app provides a blow-by-blow account of the attack, using an interactive 3D map to track the Japanese attacks throughout the morning. It provides an overview of the military and political motivation behind the attack, the in-depth planning and preparation that went into the attack and summarizes the aftermath of the operation and the impact it had on American foreign policy, before analyzing the effectiveness of the attack and the ultimate failure of the Imperial Japanese Navy to cripple the American Pacific Fleet.