FORTRESS No 8 DEFENCES OF PEARL HARBOR AND OAHU 1907-1950

At the beginning of the 20th Century, the military importance of the Hawaiian Islands became clear. Oahu in particular was a key bastion in projecting America's military power in the Pacific. The island was turned into a military fortress - and yet it also became the site of one of America's greatest defensive failures, the Japanese attack of 7th December 1941. By the end of World War II, the harbour itself was the most heavily defended in the world, and the island had earned the sobriquet Fortress Oahu. This title documents the development of the coastal, air and land defence systems that served to protect Pearl Harbor and Honolulu from 1907 to 1950, and seeks to understand why these failed at a critical point. Contents: Introduction · Chronology · Design and Development · Tour of the Sites · The Principles of Defense · The Living Sites · Operational History · Aftermath · The Sites Today · Bibliography * Cutaway artwork and exploded diagrams reveal the key features.