The Road To Pearl Harbor Essay Research

The Road To Pearl Harbor Essay, Research Paper

Road To Pearl Harbor

The attack on the military forces of the U.S. at Pearl Harbor Hawaii did not just happen nor was it a quick reaction to initiatives instituted by President Roosevelt. The Japanese believed that they were being pushed into a corner by Roosevelt and felt that they must act to protect the Empire. Gordon Prange in ‘At Dawn We Slept’ describes pre-attack events in detail. The description of these events note the mistakes made on each side.

1937

July

The Japanese Army invaded North China from Manchuria, eight years of combat with the Chinese began.

December

The gunboat USS Panay, while on routine duty in Chinese waters, was attacked by Japanese aircraft. We do not know if the attack was intentional or an accident but Roosevelt looked for ways to punish Japan . Nothing became of this incident because the Japanese government apologized, paid for all damages, and promised to protect American nationals.

1938

October

With the continued German military rearmament program and European leadership capitulation at the Munich conference, President Roosevelt asked Congress for $500 Million to increase America’s defence forces. This action was done because he believed that Germany was a threat to the U.S. The Japanese saw this build up as a direct threat to their Empire because, the U.S. was the only country in the Pacific which could impede their expansion.

1939

Join the Navy Poster

February

Japan continues its conquest of China by occupying Hainan Island of the Southern coast. This occupation improved Japans ability to interdict maritime trade routes.

Because the U.S. was the primary military threat in the Pacific, Japan had prepared war plans to deal with this problem, the U.S. had similar war plans aimed at Japan. The Japanese plan was to conduct one large naval battle against the American Navy, destroying it, resulting in the inability of the U.S. to interfere with Japanese expansion through out Asia. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto assumed command of the Japan’s Combined Fleet in August of 1939. Having lived in America for several years he knew Americans, the type of people we were, he knew that this war plan was impractical. He needed a new plan which would remove the threat of U.S. intervention from his flank.

1940

January

Some time between January and March 1940 Yamamoto devised his plan to destroy the U.S. Navy in Hawaii and demoralize the American people. Prange asks the question ‘Why did Yamamoto think that this attack would crush American morale since he knew them.’ but he does not answer his own question. No actions were implemented to put the plan in action.

July

Trade sanctions followed by a trade embargo were imposed resulting in increased ill-will and additional political problems with Japan. These trade actions were imposed because Roosevelt was attempting to stop Japanese expansion.

1941

January

Admiral Yamamoto begins communicating with other Japanese officers, asking them if an attack on Pearl Harbor would be possible. The final outcome of these discussions was the attack was possible but would be difficult.

Secrecy and surprise were the two elements which were most important to the success of this plan. With that said one wonders how secure was the flow of information around the Imperial Naval Staff, because on January 27, 1941 Joseph C. Grew, the U.S. Ambassador to Japan, wired Washington that he had learned information that Japan, in the event of trouble with the U.S., was planning a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

No one in Washington believed the information, if someone had believed this information, the Pearl Harbor attack possibily could have been avoided. While many thought that war was possible, no one believed that the Japanese could surprise us.

Most senior American military experts believed that the Japanese would attack Manila in the Philippine Islands. Manila’s location threatened the sea lanes of communications as the Japanese military forces moved south. Another thought to location of attack was toward the north into Russia because of the war in Europe between Germany and the Soviet Union.

February

As the Japanese were conducting preliminary planing for the attack, Americans were preparing to defend American property. Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, Commander in Chief of the U.S. Fleet, and Lieutenant General Walter C. Short, Commanding General of the Hawaiian Department prepared Hawaii for attack. Defence of the islands was an Army responsibility though the Navy did play a major role in preparing to repel an attack.

Adm. Kimmel planed on taking his fleet out of the harbor and confronting the enemy at sea.

With this in mind both officers communicated with their seniors in Washington attempting to obtain additional men and equipment to insure a proper defence of all military instillations on Oahu. At this time, war production of the U.S. was still limited resulting with the dispersal of material around the world trying to fill everyones needs; Britain, Russia, the Philippines and Hawaii.

March

Nagao Kita, Honolulu’s new Consul General arrives on Oahu with Takeo Yoshikawa, a trained spy. As the military of b

Внимание, отключите Adblock

Вы посетили наш сайт со включенным блокировщиком рекламы!
Ссылка для скачивания станет доступной сразу после отключения Adblock!

Скачать