and why didn't they go head and hit the west coast? was it because they would have ben in reach of our land based bombers?
2007-01-26 01:39:00 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
They used up all of their resources at the first wave on Pearl Harbor. None left for pear habor.
Do you have any idea how far it is from Hawaii to the West Coast? A plane could not fly that far back then.
2007-01-26 01:44:37 · answer #1 · answered by Jimfix 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The second wave was indeed launched at Pearl Harbor, it was the 3rd wave that was held back by Nagumo. This was the wave that was supposed to hit the oil reserves and dry docks and he was urged to send this attack in. But because the initial reports listed no American carriers, he feared they would be close by looking for him. Since he deemed the attack already to be a great success, he never launched the 3rd wave.
I agree with the others here as to why no attack would be launched against the west coast: not enough resources. It was never in Japan's plans to invade us, just hurt us enough to get us to negotiate.
2007-01-26 05:14:36 · answer #2 · answered by Bob Mc 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They didn't have enough resources and invasion troops to launch an amphibious invasion on the West Coast as the other guy stated. They couldn't find the American aircraft carriers that were supposed to be in Pearl Harbor. So, they had to head back to Asia to regroup and launch other invasions on American and British colonial territories in Asia.
They weren't really interested in invading Hawaii and the West Coast. Pearl Harbor attack along with the attack on British Hong Kong and the British East Indies was meant to bring the Americans and British to the negotiating table to have them to stop supporting the Chinese military. Americans and British were giving military and financial aid to the Chinese KMT and placed an embargo on Japan. The Japanese military thought that the Americans and British were interfering with their plans for invading all of China. They were only interested in conquering all of China and making their Emperor like Genghis Khan and Nurhaci of the Manchus. The Japanese only attacked American and British territories in Asia that the allies could use against Japan. However, the Japanese military leaders miscalculated when they attacked Pearl Harbor.
Japanese Samurais launched by Toyotomi Hideyoshi tried to invade China via the Korean Peninsula (Chosun Kingdom) during the Imjin War but was defeated by a great Chosun Admiral named Yi-Sun Shin and Chosun Army General Kwon Yul.
"He who controls all of China will control the world." Japanese Military Baron 1905
2007-01-26 02:14:09 · answer #3 · answered by James 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They did launch 2 waves....it was the third wave that was stopped. It was admiral Nagumo's fear that the US Carriers were nearby and he was unwilling to risk an encounter with US carrier-based aircraft. The reports of the 2 waves were enough to convince him of the success of the mission. Unknown to him, however, the dry dock facilities & oil storage tanks were relatively untouched, which allowed the US to quickly repair many of their damages ships. If that had been destroyed, that would've set us back another year.
Of course there was only one wave of torpedoes (the 1st wave), which is probably what you're referring to. With the attack so successful in its primary mission, Nagumo was not going to hang around and tempt fate. It was a bit of bad luck that there were no carriers in the harbor at the time of the attack, but there was nothing the Japanese could do to remedy that. Looking for aircraft carriers at sea, when they know you are around, gives them as good a chance of finding you as you of finding them (look what happened at Midway).
2007-01-26 07:43:54 · answer #4 · answered by Its not me Its u 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The US fleet of aircraft carriers was not at Pearl but was out on manoevers. The Japanese admiral decided not to use the second wave of bombers but to hold them in reserve to meet the carrier threat.
2007-01-26 01:48:58 · answer #5 · answered by limey_not_lime 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the goal was to attack the fleet while it was at port and the people were not aware of there coming. the fleet was in pearl harbor.
once the first wave of planes came and went the element of surprise was gone so the plan was done.
2007-01-26 01:46:27 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i thought they brought everything they had.
the attack was diversionary to some extent, and only worked because of the surprise effect. that and to destroy a large percent of the US naval might.
anyway, thats why there was no invasion.
2007-01-26 01:48:28 · answer #7 · answered by Lane 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I thought it was the third wave thet didn't send
2007-01-26 07:13:00 · answer #8 · answered by greenname16 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
theyre not as smart as they look.
2007-01-26 01:43:48 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋