Roosevelt did know the attack was coming, that’s why he sent an alert to the Philippines and Pearl Harbor but because of bad weather, the message to Pearl Harbor didn’t come in time.

Similarly, a radar operator reported the first wave on his screen. It was dimissed as friendly planes from the mainland!

Well this was more of a coincidence since a flight of B-17s(?) were scheduled to appear at approximately the same time as the Zeros.

Those Japanese subs were sunk in the mouth of pearl harbour very close to the day of the attack. Japan would have attack whether or not those subs were sunk.

If the Americans ran into the Jap carrier group, I’m sure they would have attacked it too.

Japan intentions in either case would have been interpreted as hostile and aggressive.
The U.S. would have just provocation to attack.

To call the Americans warmongers and the aggressor in the Pacific is a wild and a completey inaccurate overstatement.

@cystic:

@Mr:

The U.S. would have just provocation to attack.

To call the Americans warmongers and the aggressor in the Pacific is a wild and a completey inaccurate overstatement.

i agree that it’s an inappropriate statement. particularly given the lengths to which the Americans avoided going to war.

Still, they have been extremely provoking towards the Japanese. One could say, the US looked like wanting to be attacked: Looking for the war, but not for being the aggressor.

What’s your stand on this?

well roosevelt did want to go to war and was doing every thing in his power to get involved i beleive. i could be wrong

@DasEwokSS:

well roosevelt did want to go to war and was doing every thing in his power to get involved i beleive. i could be wrong

Rossevelt wanted to stop the Nazis.
One front at a time.
He was trying to keep the peace with a ever expanding Japanese Empire.
Both nations new a war was coming years before.
America did not want to fight Germany and Japan at the same time, It was not their first choice.

Japan was the nation with territorial gain as an agenda, not the Americans.
The U.S. was NOT the aggressors or provokers in the Pacific.

Still, they have been extremely provoking towards the Japanese. One could say, the US looked like wanting to be attacked: Looking for the war, but not for being the aggressor.

What’s your stand on this?

How so? I think embargos on Japan were at least justifiable - considering the fact that the Imperial Japanese war machine was massacring fellow Asians.

An unidentified submarine in US territorial waters! I’d say the USS Ward had good provocation to attack. Wasn’t this sub actually a mini-sub, brought along with 4 others to sneak into Pearl Harbor. If a mini-sub, it was brought by a bigger ship for NEFARIOUS purposes. :)

I read that the carriers based at Pearl left a day or two before 12-7-1941! I’d say we got coinkydink. Put that with Midway(7 flights with no success then BOOM!, if I memember korrectly) LUCK and what a history. I think SOMEBODY was lookin’ out fer US. :wink:

"Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect.

• Chief Seattle

Yes, the sub was a mini.