A date that shall live in infamy !

[Torplexed]

Originally Posted by Lionclaw

Wouldn't a decleration of war remove the element of suprise?

Psst! Hey, we're going to declare war on you, just so you know. So you'll be ready.

Maximum damage to enemy forces is best achieved when you catch them unawares. Feels like a "Well, duh!" moment.

No disrespect meant.



Didn't they see the incoming aircraft on radar, but they thought it was B-17's or something?

The Japanese Embassy was supposed to deliver the DOW at the about the same time as the attack took place. It was delivered over an hour late, due to the confusion that resulted when two "correction" messages were received: one amending a single word, and the other announcing that a sentence had been dropped in transmission. The first meant the retyping of one page, and the second two pages. As it was the 14 part message contained several typographical errors but Ambassador Nomura tired of the delay, delivered it anyway. Even if it had been delivered on time, it still would have been a surprise attack since there would have been precious little time to get a warning out. However, the DOW arriving after the attack had been delivered, compounded the outrage and anger many Americans felt at the time.

Yes, the incoming strike was observed on an experimental radar station, but was dismissed as B-17s from the mainland.