March 15 2013

[4 Keenan]

Pearl Harbor

 

In July, 1941, Japan invaded French Indochina

 

In response, the US stops trading with Japan

 

Due to embargo, Japan felt it had three options:

1. 1.     abandon ambitions in South East Asia
2. 2.     compromise with the US
3. 3.     attack Dutch and British possessions in the Pacific and US bases in the Pacific

 

Yamamoto felt that if Japan had any chance of winning a war against the US it must destroy the US Pacific fleet in a surprise attack

 

A surprise attack would give Japan at least six months to dominate SE Asia unopposed

 

Japan thought that the US then would face a long, bloody struggle and would settle for a negotiated peace that would allow Japan to do as it pleased in Asia

 

Tojo replaces Konoye as Premier of Japan.  Konoye wanted to negotiate with the US. Tojo didn’t and had a low regard of the US

 

Tojo wanted war but Emperor Hirohito wanted on last peace attempt.

Japan offered this:

1. Open door policy everywhere and Japan would withdraw from  

 French Indochina

2. US would stop Lend-Lease Aid to China and start trading with Japan again

3. Japan would start peace talks with China

 

US refused plan on November 29^th

 

US took a hard line stance with Japan now because we had deciphered their diplomatic code(Magic) and knew that they had some type of attack plan. 

 

Magic Information

          “November 29^th is the deadline”

          “things are automatically going to happen”

 

 

Japan felt that the key to success in the Pacific was air and sea power

-especially launching airplanes from aircraft carriers and submarines attacking enemy ships

 

Japan had ten aircraft carriers to our three in the Pacific(based in Pearl Harbor)

 

 

Japanese Pearl Harbor Attack Plan

1. 1.     destroy three aircraft carriers, eight battleships, seven cruisers and other small ships
2. 2.     attack Wake Island and Guam
3. 3.     attack Malay and Hong Kong
4. 4.     attack Philippines, Dutch East Indies and Burma

 

Japanese attack force consisted of:

1. 1.     Six aircraft carriers
2. 2.     360 airplanes

-Kate High level bombers

-dive and torpedo bombers

-Zero fighters

1. 3.     two battleships, three cruisers, eight destroyers

 

Admiral Nagumo commanded the force

 

To succeed, Japan had to travel 3,500 miles without being detected.  That meant absolute radio silence and travelling through a vast, lonely expanse of the Pacific Ocean.  This attack had to be a complete surprise.

 

“Backdoor to War” Conspiracy