When Japan attacked U.S. naval and air bases at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941—drawing the United States into world war for the second time since the beginning of the twentieth century—several elements came together to ensure a victory for Japan. Japan had begun developing a plan of attack several months before, and virtually every detail and contingency was taken into consideration. The secret nature of the plan guaranteed an element of surprise, while the fact that the attack was scheduled to take place on a Sunday—rnwhen many military personnel would be enjoying a relaxing weekend away from their duties and when naval ships were most likely to be in harbor following training maneuvers—meant that the American forces would not be well prepared for an attack. The one element that the Imperial Japanese forces could not fully prepare for was the weather. But while they could not accurately predict the weather on the day of the attack in the early planning stages, fortuitous conditions ultimately helped secure their victory.
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