December 29. Jacob DeShazer. On December 7, 1941, in a surprise attack, hundreds of Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor and inflicted much damage, including 8 battleships and more than 300 airplanes. More than 2,400 Americans died, and another 1000 were wounded.  Within a month, the United States had planned its own surprise attack on Tokyo and four other Japanese cities, and—in April—the attack was led by Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle. Sixteen bombers and eighty volunteer […]