During world war 2 did Churchill know about Pearl Harbour?

Question

I'm sure I read somewhere that Churchill had intellegence that the Japanese during world war 2 were going to attack Pearl Harbour but kept the knowledge top secret from the Americans in order for the Americans to enter into the war with Germany. Is this true or is it speculation based on conspiracy.

Also was it also true that FDR also knew of the impending attack on Pearl Harbour and allowed it to happen in order to get the United States into the war?

Answer 1

How Intelligent is Intelligence? This is one of the great mysteries of World War Two. Not BECAUSE the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor but WHY DID the Japanese attack.....

Pearl Harbor was amiong the stupidest attacks ever misconceived. It went contrary to all of Japanese aims and as you mentioned the only thing it accomplished was to galvanize America into declaring war against Japan.

But here is the rub from the Chruchill perspective - - -0 it did not 'propell' America into entering war against America. In fact America might have ignored Germany and have concentrated their forces against Japan. America only declared War against Germany because a Misguided Idiot named Adolf Hitler declared war against America. Hitler could have ignored his pact with Japan and said that Pearl Harbor was a surprise to him, too. World War Two would have been very different if Germany had not declared War first and if FDR had not already committed America to aiding Britain..

Back to Intelligence..... EVERYONE knew that Japan MIGHT attack Peal Harbor. Churchill certainly knew something was up, what exactly it was was speculative. As much as I admire
Churchill he was capable of viewing an attack against Pearl Harbor as perhaps blunting Japanese aggression against Singapore and Hong Kong...

In theory one cannot 'manufacture' a war but one can ignore intelligence and allow things to happen. It is odd how trhe Harvard educated Admiral Yamamoto was able to convince the Japanese High Command to drop a viable smart plan for the blunder at Pearl Harbor but unles some startling evidence emrges all is speculative.

(To add to any conspiray buffs arsenal// \\ Admiral Kimmel and General Short in Hawai'i were kept out of the 'loop' of sensitive intelligence, and it was at the directive of powers above Admiral Kimmel that the aircraft carriers were kept out of Pearl Harbor delivering planes that could have just as easilly been delivered by freighters... On the Japanese side, the attackers following the attack planned by Yamamoto made no effort to destroy the repair & maintainance facilities or the petroleum farm all of which were far more valuable than the ships sunk & forever lost at Pearl Harbor.)

(Oh, and the original Japanese Battle Plan was too go forward with their aggression against British & Dutch possessions in Asia and take Guam & Wake Island but otherwise Ignore America. How quickly does anyone magine the US Congress would have declared war over Guam? After Ignoring America as long as Possible the Japanese planned to enagage America in the deep waters of the Mid Pacific pitting their nine carriers against America's four carriers. )

Peace.......................

Answer 2

Easy to read about. In Churchill's own hand, book The History World War II, six volumes. He tells of the news and was overjoyed, "We are saved" I believe were his words, as I recall them, twenty odd years later. But there is no evidence that he had foreknowledge of the attack. I would not be surprised if he did but as an historian I have no evidence.

It does not really matter, if the U.S. had knowledge, the attack would have been successful, but to a much lesser degree. The attack would have been an act of war and would have drawn in the U.S. anyway.

It was coming, the fleet in Pearl Harbor and had been sent there from the West Coast to be closer to the action. The attack might have been a blunder anyway, If the Japanese had attacked the Dutch East Indies there is all likelihood that the U.S. would not have even entered the war.

Answer 3

It's possible that Churchill knew, but it hasn't been proved. And the Brits don't have the same ideas about declassifying documents, so we'll likely never know.

As for FDR, no he did not know. The surprise was too complete. If they'd known the Japanese were coming, they would have been at least a little bit better prepared. And don't start about the carriers, they'd never have left the entire pacific fleet battle line anchored in rows for the slaughter if they'd known.

Answer 4

About Roosevelt, I understand that he learnt of the attack, but was slow to give a warning.
Also, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxim Livitnov, was in pearl harbor just 24 hours before the attack and warned the authorities. They answered that they would be doing something insane if they did it. The Russian said that it would be indeed, but that they would attack.
And they did.
The yanks just thought that a bunch of yellow guys was not a menace to the usa

Answer 5

Churchill did know and let it happen becuase it need the US in the war for there man power