Japanese war crimes
The U.S. officially classified all 3,649 military and civilian casualties and destruction of military property at Pearl Harbor as non-combatants as there was no state of war between the U.S. and Japan when the attack occurred. Joseph B. Keenan, the chief prosecutor in the Tokyo Trials, says that the attack on Pearl Harbor not only happened without a declaration of war but was also a treacherous and deceitful act. In fact, Japan and the U.S. were still negotiating for a possible peace agreement which kept U.S. officials very distracted when Japanese planes bombed Pearl Harbor. Keenan explained the definition of a war of aggression and the criminality of the attack on Pearl Harbor:
USS Jarvis (DD-393)
On 16 December she cleared Pearl Harbor with the aircraft carrier and joined Task Force 14, steaming to relieve the beleaguered defenders on Wake Atoll. The task forces was recalled to Pearl Harbor on 23 December after the rescue mission was aborted. "Jarvis" returned to Pearl Harbor on 29 December to resume ASW patrols. While operating with the carrier and her screening cruisers, "Jarvis" rescued 182 survivors of the stricken fleet oiler six hours after she was torpedoed during mid-watch on 23 January 1942.