Saddest part is that America Gave Japan the idea on the attack, but We totally ignored the lesson.
:nope:

If you look at things in the same light today? We are setting ourselves up for another such attack.
And December 2012 draws closer.
:-?

How did we do that? :hmmm:

The Pearl Harbor operation was based partially on the RN's Toranto Raid and the Japan's (unsuccessful) surprise attack on Port Aurthur in the Russo-Japanese war. :yep:

Japan considered an attack on Pearl Harbor long before Toranto because We had everything there for the takeing.
(Never place all your Eggs in one basket)

It was not until Toranto that they saw the answer.
We saw it also but ignored it.
Along with the failings of key people that just screams of what is going on today.

And I should have posted 'lessons' not 'lesson'.

In 1932 Admiral Harry E. Yarnell showed how easily Pearl Harbor could be attacked. These war games were publicized around the world, and the Japanese used the studies at their war college.

In 1938 Admiral Ernest King repeated the experiment, with the same success. In 1940 Admiral James Richardson was relieved of command for opposing the moving of the Pacific Fleet from San Francisco to Pearl harbor. All of this was public knowledge.
http://www.ussflierproject.com/tags/...-pearl-harbor/

Bravo Steve!
:rock:

I could not find that info even though I knew of it.

But our eggs weren't in one basket. :hmmm:

Pearl was a big base sure but it wasn't the only military installation we had in the Pacific or even the largest.

Thank you. Thank you. *looks for a 'taking a bow' gif but doesn't see one*

One thing I found interesting was that a British writer predicted the Pacific War as early as 1925. He got some of the details wrong, predicting an attack on Manila rather than Hawaii, but his foretelling of the actual campaign was quite accurate, probably because both Japanese and American strategists used the book as a guide.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hector_Charles_Bywater
http://www.lindseywilliams.org/LAL_A...ese_Attack.htm

And copies of the book are available.
http://www.amazon.com/Great-Pacific-...3311765&sr=1-1

It was where all the power was.
Kill the Pacific Fleet? The island bases and such fall.
That was proven to an almost fatal extent only avoided by the failure to destroy the AirCraft Carriers that were the targets of most importance.

Had Japan got those? Midway would have been a different story along with many other battles.

The size of the base hardly matters. All of our Pacific battleships and carriers were stationed there, and the only BB not there at the time was Colorado, being overhauled at Bremerton, Washington. Pearl Harbor may not have been the biggest basket, but all our Pacific eggs were indeed there.

It would have been interesting if Yamamoto didn't win out and the Japanese "old guard" won out and attacked with battleships instead of aircraft. Along Mahanian theory.

Along those lines, do you think Japan could have held the Hawaiian Islands, if they had an invasion fleet following the attack? Do you think they could have taken the Islands if they wanted? Maybe skip the Philipines and put all of that effort into Hawaii?

Just a thought.

Your right Steve.
Why do people think there are 'War Collages'?
To study past engagements and tactics so they may be adapted and applied, useing the latest technology, to todays Battlefields.

@ McBee: Taken it? With enough force any island can be taken, especially if the naval and air forces are destroyed first.

Held it? For how long? What can be taken can be retaken, just as the Philippines were.

I have no doubt they could have taken Hawaii if they wanted at that time.
I doubt they would have held it long and there probably would have been more then 2 Nukes gifted to them at the end.

Mahanian theory disregards what types of ships they are. Is the concentration of force and the destruction of the enemy's main attack force that is critical in Mahan's doctrine.

I really doubt the Japanese could have held the islands. Their supply lines would have been stretched thin by it. Basing their ships there would have left them exposed to attrition by US forces based on the west coast.

I'm really wondering why they messed about in the Aleutian islands.
Same problem with no major victory or advantages gained.