USS Shaw Explodes in Pearl Harbor 12/7/41
The December 7th attack on Pearl Harbor marked not only the beginning of the war in the Pacific, but it was also a milestone in carrier warefare. The attack on Pearl Harbor was spearheaded by six Japanese carriers. These carriers steamed stealthly into posistion launching their planes from over the horizon; beyond the range of U.S. Naval radar. This gave the Japanese the pivotal element of suprise necessary to initiate such a daring invasion. The ability to amass a plethora of planes from "mobile airfields" unbeknownst to enemy forces proved devastating. This type of carrier based warfare would be repeated and its strategy refined throughtout the war.
Two important carrier involvements that stressed the importance of carriers in World War II following the attack of Pearl Harbor included the Doolittle raid and the battle of the Coral Sea. In an intrepid act of heroism Col. James "Jimmy" Doolittle lead a group of sixteen B-25 pilots on a daring raid of Japans' capital city; Toyko. Having steamed within 650 miles of mainland Japan, Doolittle and his "raiders" launched thier planes from the carrier Hornet. Doolittle's successful raid on Toyko provided the United States with a morale boost and stuck fear into the hearts of the Japanese. Having proved the importance as an offensive weapon the carriers would solidify thier offensive stance in the battle of the Coral Sea. This battle marked the first time in which agressors were unable to see each other. The era of air warfare upon the high seas had come of age.