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On This Day in History: November 25th, 1941 - A "War Warning" is Sent to U.S. Commanders in the Pacific!
Posted: 11/25/2012 13:33 by herodotusComments: 8
On this day in 1941, Adm. Harold R. Stark, U.S. Chief of Naval Operations, tells Adm. Husband E. Kimmel, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, that both President Roosevelt and Secretary of State Cordell Hull think a Japanese surprise attack is a distinct possibility.

"We are likely to be attacked next Monday, for the Japs are notorious for attacking without warning," Roosevelt had informed his Cabinet. "We must all prepare for trouble, possibly soon," he telegraphed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Kimmel's command was specifically at the mid-Pacific base at Oahu, which comprised, in part, Pearl Harbor. At the time he received the "warning" from Stark, he was negotiating with Army Lt. Gen. Walter C. Short, commander of all U.S. forces at Pearl Harbor, about sending U.S. warships out from Pearl Harbor in order to reinforce Wake and Midway Islands, which, along with the Philippines, were possible Japanese targets. But the Army had no antiaircraft artillery to spare.

War worries had struck because of an intercepted Japanese diplomatic message, which gave November 25 as a deadline of sorts. If Japanese diplomacy had failed to convince the Americans to revoke the economic sanctions against Japan, "things will automatically begin to happen," the message related. Those "things" were becoming obvious, in the form of Japanese troop movements off Formosa (Taiwan) apparently toward Malaya. In fact, they were headed for Pearl Harbor, as was the Japanese First Air Fleet.

Despite the fact that so many in positions of command anticipated a Japanese attack, especially given the failure of diplomacy (Japan refused U.S. demands to withdraw from both the Axis pact and occupied territories in China and Indochina), no one expected Hawaii as the target.

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By SiyaenSokol (SI Elite) on 11/25/2012 23:17
SiyaenSokol
There are times that I think this all was planned in order to get America into the war.
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on 11/26/2012 18:30
herodotus
I wrote a paper some years ago on the theory that it was no surprise attack, only a surprise to the public and to the military commanders at Pearl. There is overwhelming evidence that Churchill and Roosevelt knowingly allowed the attack to proceed for just the reason you've suggested, mate. The evidence is truly astonishing when you've read it.
I've said I'd re-write the paper for some of the members here, but I haven't finished yet.
By SiyaenSokol (SI Elite) on 11/27/2012 00:21
SiyaenSokol
I would love to see that paper. I doesn't make sense to me how America could've been oblivious to such an attack. And also, why in the world would the Japanese want to attack America. They had no part in the war until after the attack, but war means money, and America has always been finding ways to get involved in other peoples affairs... or better said wars.
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on 11/27/2012 15:23
herodotus
I had access to the library of "MAGIC" intercepts, in 200 Volumes, the broken Japanese code which revealed everything being communicated from Japan to all Military and Diplomatic posts. Very interesting reading, as the Americans new ahead of time the attack was coming. The message "Hikaze no kazeame" (East Wind Rain) given in a weather report would mean "Attack On Pearl Harbor immminent. Destroy your coding machine" was sent out and pertained the Japanese Consulate in Washington. The code intercept sergeant claims, or claimed as he ihas now passed away, that he received it, gave it to the officer in charge, who also remembers it, who passed it on to his CO (a major). The major apparently remarked: "It's in. Finally we know", and picked up a phone. The attack went ahead and the Lt. asked the Major what had happened. The major responded: "What message?".
The U.S. wanted in the war, but not the Pacific - that was a side-show for them. They had to be involved in Europe to take part in post-war Europe's politics. As for Pearl Harbor - a necessary sacrifice, according to Roosevelt. The carriers were ordered out on exercise so would miss the attack, and the only ships remaining were obsolete anyway. The "New Jersey" Class, a modern battleship dwarfing all but the Yamato Class was already in full production as were many new cruisers and destroyers.
Japanese military thinking was that to take out PACFleet was to remove the blockade from rubber and oil imports to Japan and allow for free expansion into the Pacific region. Only Admiral Yammamoto had the insight to know that: "We have awoken a sleeping giant".
By SiyaenSokol (SI Elite) on 11/28/2012 01:46
SiyaenSokol
Yes, I remember that scene in the film Pearl Harbor. But what I am wondering about now, what is then planned to use the atomic bomb as well? I mean, if the superiors of Japan along side the Americans planned all of this to happen in order to bring America into the war, did they then also plan for the devastation to take place in Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

I know that after the war ended, America helped to rebuild Japan, but that is my point, was all of this planned in order to change Japan, and make America richer?
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on 11/28/2012 13:30
herodotus
What scene? Oh, that one about Doolittle's raid. Yeah, they really did not address the fact that the code had been broken well before Pearl. The Admiralty even sent out a picket line of ships so that the Japanese fleet would be seen wherever it passed. Supposedly made up of destroyers, the ships were in fact fishing boats from French Indo-China (or Vietnam as we say now) that had no radios and at best two crew members.
I don't believe it was all planned, though dropping the A-bomb on Japan was always going to happen. That's what the Nazi scientists were for - to complete it as a weapon of war.
Good and interesting point you've raised Siyaen.
By SiyaenSokol (SI Elite) on 11/29/2012 02:15
SiyaenSokol
Thank you very much herodotus... I can see that you stopped calling me Vet now xD

This is what I love about history. There is always some undiscovered facts (in this case not undiscovered), and you can always speculate about the reasons why choices were made, and how it all ended up influencing the world.
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on 11/29/2012 15:19
herodotus
That's okay Vet, sorry...Sokol:)