A bad day for America but a good day for us

 

I can only raise a glass of good cheer to agree with Andrew B. Wilson's article in The American Spectator today entitled "Thanks, Hirohito, We Needed That".  This day in 1941 the Japanese leadership, as mad and perverse in their way as the Kaiser's Germany in 1914, made a calamitous decision born out of fear, arrogance and a total, unthinking belief in the 'wisdom of experts', in this case, military experts.  They launched their attack on Pearl Harbour which was a total failure despite the apparent destruction wrought upon the American fleet - because they missed the carriers!

Naval officers round the world simply could not agree on the debate between the relative values of the carrier versus the battleship - and this despite the battle of Taranto almost exactly a year before when the British launched the first ever naval air attack on the Italian fleet and destroyed it!  All doubts were settled six months after Pearl Harbour at the battle of Midway in which American naval airpower sank four out of six Japanese carriers.  It was not just the loss of the ships and planes that hurt the Japanese but the irreplaceable loss of hundreds of highly experienced aircrews.

I was only 21/2 at the time of the Japanese attack but I'll swear I felt and remember the huge sigh of relief that swept across Britain when we realised that, at last, we were not alone.

 

Comments

[Whitewall]

To the discredit of FDR, Britain was left alone too long.

[David Duff]

I appreciate your sentiments, Whitewall, but I'm not sure Roosevelt was to blame. After all, he was a democratically elected politician and the fact is that huge swathes of the American public had absolutely no inclination to go anywhere near another European war -and I for one don't blame them. (Wait until your country and China come to blows and see how much enthusiasm there will be from 'over here' to go and help 'over there'!) However, what would have been a real test for American, and 'Rooseveltian', opinion is if Hitler had *not* unilaterally declared war on the USA after Pearl Harbour! Sure, America would have gone on to smack the Japs but would public opinion have allowed Roosevelt to declare war on Germany?

Anyway, as so often we benefited from the mistakes of our opponents!

[Andra]

Alone were you? S'funny, I thought there were a few others.

[David Duff]

Well of course there were, Andra, but do remember my motto 'Me, me, me', or, in Latin as it appears on my coat of arms, 'Ego, ego, ego'!

[john malpas]

Was not Japan denied access to important imports eg iron ore by the 'allies' and did not this play a part in it all.

[Whitewall]

John, that was a "casus belli" offered by Japan. Their excuse got answered.

[Whitewall]

David, attacks on American "Liberty Ships" in the North Atlantic would have sufficed. Sunk ships have caused a many a war--Maine, Lusitania. My family keeps deep ties within England and they have always associated with like minded in our community. There was a family who were my grand parents friends way back during the early 20th century. They had a son who joined others and set sail for England early in WW1. This young man had some aviation prowess and he took along a friend that was a master marksman. There are just things I have grown up with and learned and maintain.

[David Duff]

John, it's sometime since I 'studied' the details of the oil embargo slapped on Japan by America which was the item of most importance to them because their fleet would have come to a halt in about six months. I seem to remember that it was almost slipped in without many people noticing, including FDR. Anyway, God bless the bureaucrats who did it!

You are right, Whiters, in thinking that in the end we can always rely on German stupidity to help us out.

[AussieD]

Alone Duffers? Must have been a different war my father and four of his brother fought in. Not to mention, apart from Oz, a few other "colonials" from Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, India and on and on.

[missred]

oops Dear Duffers, you have woken the thunder from down under!
From what I have heard (from family) is that Roosevelt did want to enter the war but the isolationists were just too vocal. AS usual those most vocal seem to run contrary to popular opinion.

[JK]

Oh for a big boy keyboard, my office for a normal-size keyboard.

Aussies One & All!

"Alone Duffers"?

Might insert "Japan, New Guinea" into David's archives then click "Search." I think what I've in mind David posted oh, 2011. Try "Port Arthur" if New Guinea doesn't get Mates to where they needs accustomized as Arkies are.

Heck, maybe Search (careful American spelling) "Pearl Harbor" there was a certain American Admiral David posted a pic of, standing before Congress very obviously taking "the oath" forget his name, anyway fellow advised Congress that august body might check the cables the Navy had sent them months prior to what Admiral King was court-martialed for.

[JK]

Not precisely what I've in mind but - this guy foresaw what Congress' "at the time merely proposed legislation" would lead to (Advisory! Pre take pity on poor D&N Readers JK-commentary on link!)

http://duffandnonsense.typepad.com/duff_nonsense/2011/12/courage-of-a-different-order.html

[Wiki the guy - as I recall he was "intimately familiar with the Aussie Navy's Inevitable Looming Problem[s]

[David Duff]

Even as I wrote that post I knew a certain amount of Aussie/Canadian irritation would arise. Look, sorry and all that and don't think we weren't grateful (then and now) but America was the slumbering giant against which the rest of us were pygmies.

JK, I just wish you would treat yourself to a keyboard that only allowed you to type straightforward English sentences in which you say, clearly, what you mean! I keep telling you - only two clauses per sentence!

Miss Red, yes, FDR was, on the whole, in favour of joining in but he was, above and beyond all things, an acute domestic politician and he had to wait for a suitable opportunity before he could act decisively - Hirohito & Co provided it!

[Mike Cunningham]

I note you chose from the same set of pix as I when looking for a Pearl Harbor (sic) photo when posting my own small tribute to the resilience of America.

Liked the 'ego' bit; but I thought your own personal logo contained the terms:- I prithee, contradict thyself, And say it is not so.

[JK]

Whitewall?

Especially with you in mind - I coulddn't recall just how the occasion arose David had need of the link/actual History ... but I pinch myself everytime I land on a comment of his in the Archives in which DD *never fails* to remark how JK is David's ... well he mentions some Lord or somesuch then some (obviously underacknowledged genius type) intellect manifesting as somehow "below David's Lord status viz Downton Abbey"

"discreetly coughing into his[JK] white glove"

On the post to hand I notice David makes mention of Taranto but - for whatever reason fails to ackowledge a single "discreet cough"

Merry Christmas North Carolina

http://www.usni.org/magazines/navalhistory/2011-12/pearl-harbors-overlooked-answer

[Whitewall]

JK, I'm sure our host is managing the best he can, what with advancing age and all that. Archival recollections can prove tricky so allowances need to be made. If David mentions a Lord or an intellectual or something then it is not a slight I'm sure. After a while he may be confused and mixes up members of The Peerage with his archivist. White gloves notwithstanding.

On Pearl Harbor, Mrs. Whitewall had a first cousin who was married to a Pearl survivor. He was stationed aboard the USS Detroit that morning. Her cousin has passed on but the husband is still with us and is in his late 90s.

[David Duff]

Thanks for the quote, Mike, and please don't tell anyone that I failed to recognise it and had to look it up - mea culpa!

No,no, 'Whiters', JK has white gloves because he is the Carson to my Lord of Downton Abbey!

For what it's worth - not much! - please ask Mrs. Whitewall to pass on my respectful salute to her nautical cousin-in-law.

[Whitewall]

David, I will pass it along and thank you. One of these days I must get with it and begin watching Downton Abbey. We are currently re enjoying our way through our collection of "Lord Peter Wimsey" episodes. The Abbey will have to wait.

David, I trust neither you nor anyone in your family keep peacocks on your estates?

[JK]

Well Whitewall there is the one.

Memsahib keeps it. Occasionally it lays what you and I would use our common colloquial to refer to the product as, A Giant Goose-egg!