“The war that we have carefully for years provoked Catches us unprepared, amazed and indignant. Our warships are shot Like sitting ducks and our planes like nest-birds, both our coasts ridiculously panicked, And our leaders make orations. This is the people That hopes to impose on the whole planetary world An American peace.”
– Robinson Jeffers, “Pearl Harbor.”
“This Pearl Harbor business has a terrible smell. – Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander-in Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet in World War II.
Eighty years ago today—what President Franklin Roosevelt termed a “date which will live in infamy”—Japanese forces attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor off the coast of Hawaii, triggering U.S. intervention in World War II.
pearl harbor attack newspaper report The Honolulu Star-Bulletin announces the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. [Source: chiff.com] Historian Samuel Elliot Morrison wrote that one could “search military history in vain for an operation more fatal to the aggressor.”[3] 2,403 Americans were killed and 1,143 were wounded. Eighteen ships were sunk or run aground, including five battleships.
Of the American fatalities, nearly half were due to the explosion of the USS Arizona’s forward magazine after it was hit by a modified 16-inch (410 mm) shell.[4]
In his address to the nation following the attacks, President Roosevelt stated that “the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the empire of Japan.”
#1: Darkwing To: Ada (#0)
Darkwing posted on 2021-12-07 14:43:15 Reply Private Reply
#2: titorite To: Ada (#0)
The truth of politics is disgusting and them that push this kinda evil never really considered oh much easier they will be to find with billions of less people on planet earth
titorite posted on 2021-12-07 17:22:08 Reply Private Reply
#3: Pinguinite To: Darkwing (#1)
The far bigger issue is the Japanese codes were already broken. FDR needed a surprise attack to quash a reluctant America to enter WW2. It wouldn't surprise me if FDR managed to delay the Japanese envoys from delivering the declaration of war in DC to firm up the "surprise attack" narrative. Clog up the streets and such. They were some 30 minutes late. Maybe not, but it wouldn't surprise me.
Pinguinite posted on 2021-12-07 18:36:45 Reply Private Reply
#4: BTP Holdings To: Pinguinite (#3)
The way I heard it was the Japanese envoys had trouble with changing the message from Japanese into English. This delay caused them to serve the paperwork to the U.S. Secretary of State after the attack had occurred.
And yes, the U.S. had already broken the Jap Naval Code. Word was sent by regular U.S Mail instead of by military channels.
The Japs held off on the third wave because the aircraft carriers were not in port. Apparently, they were delivering planes to Midway. ;)
BTP Holdings posted on 2021-12-07 19:03:45 Reply Private Reply
#5: BTP Holdings To: Ada (#0)
Robinson Jeffers was spot on with this assessment. The U.S. had cut off the supply of oil to Japan.
In the 30s we were selling them as much scrap steel as we could ship over to them. This is how they were able to build the ships needed to war.
And the Japs were island hopping in the Philippines. They were heading toward Australia. And the metals and oil they were procuring in the Philippines and areas around Singapore were also vital to their war efforts.
Then there was Yamashita's gold which was hidden in the Philippines. It seems the Ferdinand Marcos had uncovered that treasure. Why do you think his wife had 200 pairs of shoes? LOL
BTP Holdings posted on 2021-12-07 19:15:07 Reply Private Reply
#6: Pinguinite To: BTP Holdings (#5)
200? As I remember the reports, it was 3000 pairs.
Pinguinite posted on 2021-12-07 19:44:02 Reply Private Reply
#7: NeoconsNailed To: Darkwing (#1)
NeoconsNailed posted on 2021-12-07 20:55:10 Reply Private Reply
#8: StraitGate To: titorite (#2)
But that sub reportedly sunk immediately after having been hit. It seems unlikely that the sub could have communicated her being fired on before sinking. Maybe the Japanese took the sub's failure to report on some schedule as indicating US hostility against it? (I'm not a naval man.)
StraitGate posted on 2021-12-07 22:56:54 Reply Private Reply
#9: Esso To: StraitGate (#8)
I am, big time. You weren't talking about boats, I hope.
Esso posted on 2021-12-07 23:00:40 Reply Private Reply
#10: BTP Holdings To: Pinguinite (#6)
You could very well be right. My memory has been screwed up because of the meningitis. ;)
BTP Holdings posted on 2021-12-08 06:51:50 Reply Private Reply
#11: BTP Holdings To: Esso (#9)
BTP Holdings posted on 2021-12-08 06:58:28 Reply Private Reply
#12: BTP Holdings To: Pinguinite (#3)
When I started working for Illinois State Highways in 1980, the time keeper was named Dewey Robinson. He was an old time Navy man and was in the south Pacific during WW II.
He told me, " A lot of those tin cans went down during the storms." I am thinking it was typhoons that sank those destroyers.
His kid had the same name and was playing baseball for the Chicago White Sox. The women were calling him and wanting to sleep with his kid.
Now who would be dumb enough to think the ball player would be listed in the phone book? ROTFLOL
BTP Holdings posted on 2021-12-08 07:08:53 Reply Private Reply
#13: BTP Holdings To: StraitGate (#8)
Yes the sub that was hit by depth charges was one of those small two man subs that were attached to larger subs.
It was a suicide mission for the Jap sailors.
The USS Iowa was in dry dock so was not sunk during the attacks. ;)
BTP Holdings posted on 2021-12-08 07:23:17 Reply Private Reply