Posted on 03/08/2009 8:06:05 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
While an attach on Pearl Harbor had been wargamed several times, the US expected the main Japanese thrust to be at the Philippines, Malaya, and the Dutch East Indies, which in fact was what happened.
The Pearl Harbor strike was a one shot given the distance involved. There was opposition to it in the Imperial Japanese Navy. Yammamoto lucked out in having two brilliant officers, Fuchida and Genda, to plan and lead the attack. Under other circumstances it might not have worked.
Which is one of the key reasons why there were not troop transports sent with that task force.
I wonder if either the ship’s captain or the subs captain suffered any repercussions.
“Shirer might have a left-leaning bias, but it doesn’t distort his reporting enough to diminish its value.”
A good companion to “Rise and Fall” is Speer’s Inside The Third Reich”.
While it doesn’t go in to a lot of detail, it does show that much of the driving factor behind the Nazi leadership was a fear of the Soviets and expansionist International Communism. And that expansion was directed right at them. (Something Shirer conveniently leaves out).
And a LOT of the Anti-Soviet feeling in Germany was driven by the slaughter of so many Ethnic Germans (Volksdeutsche) and the Armistace stopping Germany from helping them. Ger. Some sources say up to 1 million were killed by the Communists during the Polish Wars of Independence from 1919-1921.
I wonder too. If it were me I would have pinned a medal on the sub captain at the very least. And then I would have to start looking at what our anti-submarine procedures were.
Tell that to the CO of the Houston.
From Wikipedia:
Houston became flagship of the U.S. Fleet on 19 September 1938, when Rear Admiral Claude C. Bloch brought his flag on board her, and maintained that status until 28 December, when she returned to the Scouting Force. Continuing the now-familiar routine of training exercises, she got underway for Fleet Problem XX, on 4 January 1939 from San Francisco, sailed to Norfolk and Key West, and there embarked the President and the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral William D. Leahy, for the duration of the problem. She arrived Houston, Texas on 7 April for a brief visit before returning to Seattle, where she arrived 30 May.
So did these not count too? I want a do over!!
Now after reading the article I felt I needed to go find out what this Frau Gertrud Scholtz-Klink (perfect woman mind you) looked like.
Here she is.
Ummm! Not so much.
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More likely the other way around however. The boss was embarrassed, so the sub captain probably found a desk somewhere.
A wave of perverse optimism had swept across the British scene during these March days. In spite of the growing stresses in Czechoslovakia under intense German pressure from without and from within, the Ministers and newspapers identified with the Munich Agreement did not lose faith in the policy into which they had drawn the nation. For instance, on March 10 the Home Secretary addressed his constituents about his hopes of a Five Years' Peace Plan which would lead in time to the creation of "a Golden Age". A plan for a commercial treaty with Germany was still being hopefully discussed. The famous periodical Punch produced a cartoon showing John Bull waking with a gasp of relief from a nightmare, while all the evil rumours, fancies, and suspicions of the night were flying away out of the window. On the very day when this appeared Hitler launched his ultimatum to the tottering Czech Government, bereft of their fortified line by the Munich decisions. German troops, marching into Prague, assumed absolute control of the unresisting State. I remember sitting with Mr. Eden in the smoking-room of the House of Commons when the editions of the evening papers recording these events came in. Even those who like us had no illusions and had testified earnestly were surprised at the sudden violence of this outrage. One could hardly believe that with all their secret information His Majesty's Government could be so far adrift.
Winston S. Churchill, The Gathering Storm
3/10/39: Stalin postulates a "kinship" between Nazism and Communism in his radio speech
http://www.worldwar-2.net/prelude-to-war/prelude-to-war-index.htm
Read all about it tomorrow.
best book ever on the subject is “coming of the third reich” its the first of a three part series, the second being “third reich in power”. i dont think the last on eis out yet.
coming of the third reich is the only book i read that really explains why and how the nazis were able to come to power. pretty intersting. a lot of lessons there for USA.
Agricultural secretary killed by his own grain. See, even then the earth was trying to warn us about global warming, or cooling, or something.
That’b because you’re not the perfect man yet. After a few beers, you will be.
“few” is probably too mild of a word to capture me getting interested in Frau Scholtz-Klink here (horses whinnying in background).
M. V. DE LACROIX, French Minister in Prague, to M. GEORGES BONNET, Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Prague, March 10, 1939.
THE negotiations that were taken up again yesterday in Prague by the delegates of the Slovak Cabinet have culminated tonight in a new crisis which led the Government of Prague to dismiss President Tiso, as well as the Ministers Durcansky, Cabusinsky and Vanco. At the same time, the Czechoslovak Government entrusted the Government of the province to M. Sivak, who until now was Minister for Public Instruction.
According to the first information received, it seems that the following interpretation can be placed on the events leading to this decision which does not affect the autonomous arrangements stipulated in November last.
It is said that the Czechs rejected the Slovak proposal for the organization, not of a federal State, but a Confederation of States. In their opinion such a system did not afford them sufficient guarantees and involved serious risks for the future. In the Bratislava Cabinet, with which the Slovak negotiators were in constant communication by telephone, the uncompromising elements are said to have declared themselves for resistance.
In these circumstances the Government of Prague decided to recall the Ministers who were under the influence of the extremists, as well as the Prime Minister of Slovakia, who had proved incapable of keeping them in check. The Government also decided to take important police measures in Slovakia, so as to be ready for any contingency.
LACROIX.
Then later that same day
M. V. DE LACROIX, French Minister in Prague, to M. GEORGES BONNET, Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Prague, March 10, 1939.
ACCORDING to information I have just received from Bratislava, the Central Government until now seems to remain in control of the situation in spite of intense agitation. The military authorities, under the orders of the general who is said to have been sent from Prague, have unlimited control. It is reported that some units of the Hlinka guard made a show of resistance, but that they were held in check It was all confined to a few shots and some scuffling.
The Cabinet of Prague, according to M. Chvalkovsky's communication this morning to my British colleague, is said to be confident of complete success on the home front. As to the attitude of Germany, the Minister for Foreign Affairs had not yet noticed the least reaction from that side.
According to rumours which seem to be gaining strength, concentrations of German troops are taking place near the southern frontiers of Moravia and Slovakia. It should be observed that such rumours, for the time being are interpreted as a probable indication of Germany's desire, by intimidatory action, to exploit the situation created by her agents and to exercise pressure so as to extend her domination over Czechoslovakia.
LACROIX.
I bolded those lines because I found them curious. There is no sign of reaction by the government.......oh, except for the troop buildup on the border. [/scratches head]
I'm sure we'll read more about this tomorrow.
Today I was looking forward to posting the next installment from the Campbell Playhouse but their site is down. Now I wish I would have downloaded all of those so I could have hosted them myself in case this happened. :(
In September 1939, Great Britain and the British Empire and the Commonwealth nations declared war on Germany following its invasion of Poland.
In 1940 The United States entered into a Lend-Lease agreement with Great Britain whereby the US transferred 50 desperately needed four stacker destroyers to the Royal Navy (some of which went to the Royal Canadian Navy) in exchange for leases on naval bases and air stations in British possessions spread from Trinidad to Newfoundland.
Newfoundland was not then part of Canada but nonetheless the RCN benefited from the deal. The RCN was then heavily involved in the Battle of the Atlantic, with primary responsibility for convoy protection in the western North Atlantic so it really needed the destroyers.
The US made good use of the bases. Even before the US joined the war it mounted a system of neutrality patrols which, although ostensibly to enforce US sneutrality control over the western Atlantic, actually served as an auxiliary naval patrol force to the advantage of the Empire and Commonwealth and the disadvantage of Germany.
Many records of the pre-Pearl Harbor warnings and responses were destroyed, so we'll never know exactly who expected what to happen. And those who defend the Roosevelt administration claim that none of the Japanese messages pointing to Pearl Harbor as their target were decoded on-time.
But many records did survive, along with later testimony which adds up to dozens of warnings from spies, diplomats and foreign military (British & Dutch) plus decoded messages.
Indeed, there were enough warnings, along with the fact that the US Navy had been actually practicing the attack for years, that we have to wonder: were these warnings actually overlooked, or were they deliberately ignored, and if so why?
I think the answer is: they were deliberately ignored, and the obvious reason is, for much much larger strategic purposes.
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