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Pearl Harbor

Introduction

Although the attack the U.S. military inflicted a considerable weakening proved its long-term consequences as disastrous for Japan. By the U.S. as "treacherous"-conceived attack, it was the American government, which until then largely pacifist and isolationist adjusted U.S. population for entry into the war on the part of allies to mobilize, which due to the huge American industrial potential, the decision in their favor brought about. The name Pearl Harbor is now in the U.S. as a synonym for a devastating attack took place without any warning (Lord, pp.34-120).

Discussion

Before the war, the Pacific Fleet was considerably stronger than had always been the Atlantic Fleet. After the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 allowed USA 15 battleships, six aircraft carriers possess, and of these twelve were the Pacific Fleet battleships and four carriers assigned. These were also the most powerful ships; the three battleships of the Atlantic Fleet (Arkansas, New York, Texas) were the oldest in the fleet. The reason for this one-sided distribution was that in the Pacific with a potential enemy. Japan's third largest fleet in the world possessed, while among the largest fleets in the Atlantic, Britain and France to expect that no conflicts were there (Horn, pp.40-69).

However, the Pacific Fleet was to break the current standards emanating from a decision by battle or battleships, quite strong. They had nine battleships with 24-caliber guns 40.6 cm (16 inches) and 68 caliber cannon 35.6 cm (14 inches) against ten Japanese warships with 16 guns of the caliber of 40.6 cm (16 inches) and 80 caliber cannon 35.6 cm (14 inches) (Dorsey, pp 409-431). As the Japanese fleet it but also of battleships was constructed during or immediately after the First World War, this disadvantage was not being implemented in the Pacific.

Intelligence failures contributed to the overall lack of preparedness. The United States was unable to read Japanese diplomatic codes that could have revealed espionage by their diplomats in Hawaii. In addition, military underserviced rivalries, the lack of a centralized intelligence agency capable of analyzing available information, and sheer disbelief that Japan was capable of launching an attack of such magnitude from so far away all added to the eventual shock and surprise. Despite claims of revisionist historians, no credible evidence has surfaced to indicate that President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, or any other Allied military or political leaders had direct evidence of an attack on Pearl Harbor and deliberately failed to act in hope of creating a "back door" to war.

Strict radio silence hid the movements of the Japanese Combined Fleet of some 20 warships, including six aircraft carriers with 360 warplanes, after it left the Kurile Islands Naval Base on November 26, under the command of Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo. Arriving 275 miles north of Hawaii early on December 7, the Japanese launched their first wave of 49 bombers, 40 torpedo-bombers, 51 dive-bombers, and 43 fighters at 6:00 a.m. A second wave of 54 bombers, 78 dive-bombers, and 36 fighters soon followed. The first ...