[Milsurplus] Japan's Pearl Harbor Blunders?

[Dave Maples]

All: Japan made two mistakes, IMHO: (a) they didn't think through the
logistics of the United States turned totally to war production and (b) they
didn't read American politics at all correctly.  Yamamoto had it closest, I
think.

If the Japanese had gone ONLY after the Phillipines, and had left Pearl
strictly alone, the outcome in the Pacific could well have been completely
different.  As an additional "what if", if Hitler had left the United States
strictly alone (i.e DON'T declare war on them on December 10, or 11, or
whatever), the United States would have been very hard-pressed to enter into
Europe as they did.  If those two items had occurred together, the picture
could have been completely different.

But they didn't...

Thanks,
Dave WB4FUR

-----Original Message-----
From: milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of Ray Fantini
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2013 10:16 AM
To: Military Surplus Mail List (milsurplus at mailman.qth.net)
Subject: [Milsurplus] Japan's Pearl Harbor Blunders?



Within the context of war plan orange and the Japanese response to that plan
along with the IJN love of the idea of the great decisive battle the attack
on Pearl Harbor was both a tactical and strategic success. The key to orange
was for the US pacific fleet to marshal, sail across the pacific, fight a
decisive battle agents the IJN fleet with battleships and blockade the
Japanese mainland. I know I left a lot out like relieving the Philippines
but that's the short version.
Prewar Japanese plans in response to orange committed IJN submarines and
aircraft carriers to strike at the US fleet while it was in rout across the
pacific but still counted on a decisive battle being fought by battleships
for control of the home waters.
 The attack on Pearl Harbor exceeded the Japanese requirements by removing
US pacific fleet battleships as a factor.  The problem was that this was
going to be a new war not fought with battleships but with aircraft carriers
and the Kantai Kessen theory of decisive battles proved to be false with the
war turning into a long hard fought event.
 The attack on Pearl Harbor may be one of the most successful and well
executed battles ever fought, true that long term strategic outcome was a
disaster for japan, but that day in fulfilling prewar requirements the IJN
hit the ball  out of the park.

Ray F
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