this is so confusing, i mean if i am the general of the american troops in Pearl Habour, i would send out scout planes to detect enemies everyday(i am sure the actual general has done this), how does the scout plane missed such a big iterm like an aircraft carrier coming in? thanks for answering
I dont know. But if you read my post on Radar, the Americans deffinetely saw the planes coming for them. I think the Americans would never think of such a thing happening. The Japanese deffinetely had the element of surprise.
Pearl Harbor was a complete military blunder. The Americans did have a pretty good idea of what was going on but I dont think they knew where or when is was going to happen. Funny all of our pacific carriers where out to sea that day!?!?
The US had been monitoring the progress of the Japanese fleet but however lost them soon after they left Japan. There is alot of ocean so even with alot of scout planes the fleet would be hard to find. It would be interesting to see what would have happened if the Amercans were ready for such an attach. I think Japan would have come out vitorious but with heavy losses.
BTW the quote “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.” Does anyone know for sure if Yamamoto actually said this?
Ya deffinetely looks like he did. Or not. Nobody knows. 
http://www.japan-101.com/history/isoroku_yamamoto.htm
Well whoever said it was right…so props to them.
Afaik, the USA Command in Vashington can’t believed in Japanese attack. After 2 howrs of attack has began, somebody made a phone call, but in the Vashington answered - “Don’t joking!” They can’t believe, and the president recieved information only next day… Colossal pacifism :?
Sad. They might of prevented it slightly if they just read the radar and sent planes up.
Yes. You absolutely right. The proof of the “pacifism” of USA is a fact, that no one plane was upped. Even they saw on radar Japanese planes, they can’t imaginated that someone can attack them…
Yes. You absolutely right. The proof of the “pacifism” of USA is a fact, that no one plane was upped. Even they saw on radar Japanese planes, they can’t imaginated that someone can attack them…[/quote]
You are both correct. They did have a routine to send up PBY flying boats on a regular basis, but normally towards the southwest, where the nearest Japanese base at Truk was located. Nobody seriously entertained the idea of a direct attack on Hawaii, which they regarded as suicide.
In retrospect, they were right, but a serious misreading of the Japanese leadership at the time was partially to blame. U.S. foreign policy had backed the Japanese into a corner, since they could not possibly withdraw from China and French Indochina without losing face and the collapse of their military government. The Japanese were running out of time, because the Oil embargo gave the Imperial navy less than six months of fuel for any war.
American strategists were convinced the Japanese were going to attack either the Phillipines, Singapore or Java, to get at the oil, rubber and tin.
The radar issue was complicated by an incoming flight of B-17’s coming in from the States. When the radar blips were reported, the information center the radar crew reported to assumed they were the B-17’s. It all came down to America not believeing the Japanese could be so stupid.
Yes. You absolutely right. The proof of the “pacifism” of USA is a fact, that no one plane was upped. Even they saw on radar Japanese planes, they can’t imaginated that someone can attack them…[/quote]
You are both correct. They did have a routine to send up PBY flying boats on a regular basis, but normally towards the southwest, where the nearest Japanese base at Truk was located. Nobody seriously entertained the idea of a direct attack on Hawaii, which they regarded as suicide.
In retrospect, they were right, but a serious misreading of the Japanese leadership at the time was partially to blame. U.S. foreign policy had backed the Japanese into a corner, since they could not possibly withdraw from China and French Indochina without losing face and the collapse of their military government. The Japanese were running out of time, because the Oil embargo gave the Imperial navy less than six months of fuel for any war.
American strategists were convinced the Japanese were going to attack either the Phillipines, Singapore or Java, to get at the oil, rubber and tin.
The radar issue was complicated by an incoming flight of B-17’s coming in from the States. When the radar blips were reported, the information center the radar crew reported to assumed they were the B-17’s. It all came down to America not believeing the Japanese could be so stupid.[/quote]
The attack on pearl habor was very nicely planed out and proved to be 100% succesfull. Though, they could of made that 200%. No one in America thought that it would be possible that any torpedo could hit any one the ships that where docked in pearl habour. They thought that it was too shallow, but all that the Japanese did was put wooden fins on it and that gave it the extra bouyancy that made it possible to hit. After the first round of planes attacked pearl habor, they practically nocked out all of its defences. The aiports were quite damaged and the anti-air guns had either run out of ammo or had been nocked out. If they had sent the secound round of planes they would of destroyed all of the boats in habour, the aiports completely and they could of knocked out the oil depot.
All of the damage that they did, was sink one ship I think, and all of the damaged ones where repaired. Anyway, like Komissar said, they didnt have enough oil, and couldnt get oil either, and so it was kind of stupid to go to war with America in the first place. They shouldve just took what ever land they wanted, and if America wanted to go to war with Japan, well then they couldve dealt with them then. America did not want to get involved with war.
I watched a special on the Military Channel (same ppl that own the History Channel) about Battleplans. Anyhow this guy made a point that even though the attack was a succes that they really targeted the wrong ships. The Americn aircraft carriers were out that day which were on the list to destroy. But the japanese did not target Amerian submarines. Which played a major role in combating Japanese shipping. Nor did they really do much damage to the facilities which made Pearl harbor a good port. The only real loss was too our battleships. Which would take a secondary role later in the war. Offshore artillery. So really the attack on Pearl wasnt a grand victory for the Japanese as most might think.
Interesting topic.
In essence the japanese made a blunder and paid for it. While the attack on Pearl was decisive it failed to hit any US carriers.
2 fold mistakes here. The japanese believed that the US battleships were the eal threat. The Us also believed at that time that the batttleship was the real threat.
By destroying the us battleship capability in the Pacific the japanese forced the US to use the only vessels that were still effective, the carriers. This led to them being bloddied at the Coral Sea, and being oh so effective, for various reasons at Midway. leading of course to the decimation of very experienced Japanese carrier crews on deck, which were practically irreplacable.
Now, the original japanese war plans called for an attack on the Phillepines, which would then draw out the US fleet for he decisive battle. If they had stuck to this, the well trained Japanese naval airmen would probably have achieved even greater results. Yamamoto instead of being revered as a genius, should really be looked on as a fool who did not take advantage of the japanese advantage at that time in naval air warfare.
I dont think it would have affected the ultimate outcome of the war, but it may have swayed the US to allocate much more force to the Pacific than it did at the time.
At the time of the Pearl Harbor attacks, the United States was at peace with Japan, and probably saw no need to monitor their naval activities. Either way though, they were monitored by their transmissions, and the Japanese back at the docks kept up radio transmissions to make it seem like all their ships were docked, while the ships really moved in unnoticed. What I’m confused about is that just outside of the submarine nets surrounding Pearl Harbor, a small Jap. Sub was detected and blown out of the water. If i was a General their, I would have known something fishy was going on.
By the time they realised something Fishy was going on, it was too late.
At the time of the Pearl Harbor attacks, the United States was at peace with Japan, and probably saw no need to monitor their naval activities. Either way though, they were monitored by their transmissions, and the Japanese back at the docks kept up radio transmissions to make it seem like all their ships were docked, while the ships really moved in unnoticed. What I’m confused about is that just outside of the submarine nets surrounding Pearl Harbor, a small Jap. Sub was detected and blown out of the water. If i was a General their, I would have known something fishy was going on.[/quote]
Well we werent totally at peace with Japan. We had imposed a oil embargo against them for their actions in China. Washington had a feeling that war was coming but they didnt know when. They had actually been tracking Japanese Naval movements but of course this in back in the day when that wasnt as easy as it is now. Its my understanding that we knew that a decent size force had left Japan but we had no idea where they where. They could have been doing exercises or going anywhere in the Pacific for that matter.
Insofar as the Jap sub being sunk in the harbor by the USS Ward that is very true. However, not long after the attack started. Im sure the top brass were a bit confused and wanted to confirm the reports. You have remember we sunk it. So its not like we could just flop it on the shore and say hey here it is and here they come so get ready.
Interestingly enough I was watching a Prog on the History Channel about divers going down to these submarines, look out for it, fascinating stuff.