Pearl Harbor - If the U.S. Only Knew

It would have been merciful had it killed me

- Husband E . Kimmel , after being wounded by shrapnel at Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor was an unmitigated disaster . Taking the place of Husband E . Kimmel , then Commander-in-chief of the U .S . Pacific Fleet , would have made little difference in the management of the attack . There was simply not enough information available to Kimmel at the time to be able to avert the attack . We have to remember that the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred literally in broad daylight , in an era where communications and

early detection systems were only a fraction as powerful as they are today . Not only did this make effective reconnaissance extremely difficult , it opened people such as Kimmel to deliberate misdirection and a surprise attack by an enormous fleet of six aircraft carriers and over three hundred fifty aircraft

At least one theory exists that Kimmel was deliberately misled by the Pentagon and perhaps even President Roosevelt in to allow the Japanese to attack the United States in a manner that would arouse public opinion in favor of war . According to the version of events presented in Robert Stinnett 's book Day of Deceit , Commander Arthur McCollum had prepared a list of actions for President Roosevelt designed to provoke a surprise attack by the Japanese to allow the United States to join the war with public support . Stinnett 's suggestion would mean that the American government had been able to successfully gather intelligence revealing the plans...