Was Pearl Harbor really a surprise attack?

Question

I just want to hear your opinions. I have read in countless History Textbooks in school about how Pearl Harbor was a suprise attack: But I have also read countless books about how Pearl Harbor may not have been a surprise. The books told me that Japan had actually contacted the U.S. that they were planning an attack on the Harbor (since an army must, according to the "rules" of war) and the American Army had purposefully silenced this fact from their soldiers about the attack (in other words kept it a secret): To enrage them and pit their anger against the Japanese. Do you think this is true? Have you ever heard of anything like this?

Answer 1

Yes and no. First, Japan in no way formally contacted the U.S. that they were planning an attack beforehand. They actually did present an ultimatum 10 hours after the attack. The attack was a surprise. However, just as there were signs before 9/11, there were signs before Pearl Harbor. Negotiations with Japan were ongoing and broke down about 10 days before the attack. Since 1931, Japan had been waging war throughout Asia and sanctions and embargos were in place by the U.S., Britain and others. The Japanese made no mistake about how they felt about the sanctions and, if not resolved, what would happen.

Answer 2

The US military had an idea that an attack would come shortly after declaration or war. If after Japan had declared war an attack came then it would not be considered against their rules. It does not say that they have to contact the enemy.

I've studied Pearl Harbor for 25+ years and I haven't seen or read anything that tells me that we knew the attack was going to be at Pearl. Now there might be a conspiracy for keeping the Japanese from offically declaring war until after the attack but not that we knew where the attack was going to be.

The US military was surprised by a series of mistakes. Radar installation was still new and not considered turstworthy, plus they were expecting a flight of B-17s in that day. New skipper on the destroyer Ward, considered inexperienced so nothing was done with the submarine sightings. Of course a submarine sighting doesn't mean you will be attacked by the air.

The war warning, military installitions all over the Pacific were getting them. Also it was expected that the Philippines would be attacked first, not Pearl Harbor.

Also remember this, just because Japan attacks the US does NOT mean that Germany will declare war against the US.

ARTICLE THREE
Germany, Italy and Japan agree to co-operate in their efforts on aforesaid lines. They further undertake to assist one another with all political, economic and military means when one of the three contracting powers IS attacked by a power at present not involved in the European war or in the Chinese-Japanese conflict.

Japan attacked the US, not the US attacking Japan. People who use this arguement haven't read their facts.

Also consider that carriers were considered to be a compliment of, not a replacement of, battleships. It wasn't until the US Pacific fleet was only left with carriers did the carrier truely come into being. Remember the US military thought carriers would do well as a single unit, ex, the Lexington, Enterprise, Hornet, were all used in seperate battle groups for the beginning of the war. They were to scout for, damage and allow the battlefleet to destroy the enemy fleet.

As for breaking the code, yes we broke the diplomatic code, but the military code I have yet to see evidence of. This is really true when you take a look at a couple of days later at Wake Island. Wake was an essential part of the defence of the Pacific. The US military would have had a perfect opportuny to surprise two Japanese carriers with three US carriers, instead they only sent one carrier and it took its time getting there.

Answer 3

As far as the other bases, I do not know the names nor have I heard of them being attacked. However, Pearl did have several warnings. An AA gun emplacement saw the Zeros and could have done severe damage to the attacking force. The men at that emplacement mistook the planes for some other kind of plane, whether civilian or military. Because of this mistaken identity and a set of bureaucratic red tape that had to be cut before a second emplacement could relay the news to the people on the ground at Pearl, the Japanese with their 342 Zeros and several submarines were able to attack the harbor in 2 waves, temporarily hindering the navy, forcing the US to join WWII, and eventually causing the destruction of many Japanese ships, planes, military men, and civilians. So, to answer your question, it was a sneak attack that could have been prevented with a little less assumption from the men at the first emplacement and a lot less bureaucracy. Thanks to all those who fought and those who gave their lives during the horrific bloodbath that was WWII. And God bless the troops currently serving in harm's way.

Answer 4

In Hawaii there was a radar station. They saw a bunch of plane on the radar. The people who work there call it to a officer and he say it was just a bunch of B-17 that was schedule to come to pearl harbor that day but it was the Japanese attack force. Pearl harbor could had been prevent if those B-17 weren't schedule to come to Pearl harbor that day.

Answer 5

The U.S. lacked a lot of stuff including intrusion prevention and sub hunting equipment. Now radar is backed up with intercepting aircraft that are already in the air and there is a commanding officer near the guys watching the radar for instance. Even if the radar guys broke all the rules, got on the horn and called the pilots to intercept the planes, it still would have been iffy. The pilots weren't ready, the planes probably were not ready and the planes themselves were basically junk. Not only that, most of the ships themselves purposely beached themselves, because beached ships don't sink. The ships that did try to make it out of the harbor were sunk. Also the attack lasted three or four days and the damage assestment was 10% damage to the harbor. The planes didn't even touch the oil supply which would have kelt the ships from moving.

Answer 6

U.S. had an idea that Japan was going to attack. but U.S. did not know when and where. Many thought it might have been Pearl Harbor but was not sure. U.S. had already broken the japanese communication code before Pearl Harbor and was listening on Japanese communication. So they did know that attack was comming. But when Japan naval fleet left Japan to attack U.S., they maintained radio silance and only minutes before Japan launched attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese ambassy got the words from Japan to let U.S. know that Japan is going to attack U.S. and by the time Japanese ambassy tried to relay this communication to U.S. state dept., attack has already begun and it was too late I think? Watch history channel some time it;s on there.

Answer 7

the general public was led to believe that japan's attack was unprovoked and a total surprise. many people believe that this attack was what the u.s. needed to rally our troops and provide excuse for the u.s. to enter the war. if you research this topic further you will find that the reasons japan attacked the u.s. is because they felt the u.s. was preventing them of fulfilling their destiny by not allowing japan to expand like the u.s. did (manifest destiny). military strategists believed that japan would attack pearl harbor on a sunday morning. the question was which sunday morning.
i believe a select few knew the attack would take place and we should not have suffered as greatly as we did except there were human errors involved in providing the security of the hawaiian islands, such as the radar operators where ignored when they reported enemy aircraft, the base aircraft where bunched together to protect against sabotage instead of an aerial attack, and our naval ships were sitting ducks in the harbor instead of being out to sea. while this was a great air victory for japan, the primary targets were the u.s. aircraft carriers, and they were out to sea.

Answer 8

I have heard of this before. I would agree to the fact that F.D.R. would have had alot of reasons to keep this under wraps. He was more worried about Germany than Japan. At that time Americans did not want to go into another war. Letting the Japanese attack was the only way to enter this war. We were already supporting the Russians by the Lend Lease Act. There is even theories that Hitler learned of this and tried to inform the U.S. because he did not want us to enter and just add more problems to his war. Who knows. The main point that the Hitler theory stands out just a little bit is the fact that when a Texas school exploded from the new use of natural gas, Hitler sent a letter of sympathy and some money to the town to help because a natural gas explosion that killed a bunch of people in Germany just a few months before.

Answer 9

It was as much a surprise attack as 9/11 was.

Answer 10

It's highly questionable. In military terms it of course was
a "surprise attack". There was no war declaration prior
to the attacks. "Knowing" is also a quite strechable term.
I'm pretty sure they knew that "something" was cooking.
But I don't think they knew about the extent of the planned
attack.