PERSPECTIVES ON PEARL HARBOR�
CAPT ANDY PETRUSKA
WHY WERE THE BATTLESHIPS IN PEARL HARBOR?�
WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY WAS IT TO DEFEND THEM?
WAS THERE A BETTER STRATEGY FOR THE JAPANESE?
WAS THE ATTACK, AS MANY HISTORIANS HAVE CLAIMED, “BRILLIANTLY EXECUTED?”
RUSSO JAPANESE WAR 1904-1905
FOUGHT OVER CONTROL OF MANCHURIA AND KOREA
SURPRISE ATTACK AT PORT ARTHUR
BATTLE OF TSUSHIMA
COMPLETE RUSSIAN DEFEAT
1. “The Tide at Sunrise – A History of the Russo-Japanese War” page 20.
BATTLE OF TARANTO�NOVEMBER 1940
3 BATTLESHIPS SUNK OR DISABLED.
59 KILLED, 600 WOUNDED
BRIT LOSSES: 2 AIRCRAFT, 4 AIRMEN
WHY WERE THE BATTLESHIPS IN PEARL HARBOR?�
A CONVERSATION WITH THE PRESIDENT:
“WHAT’S WRONG WITH JOE (ADM RICHARDSON)” ROOSEVELT FUMED. “HE HAS GOT YELLOW.”
ADM LEAHY: “JOE IS NOT AND NEVER WILL BE YELLOW. HE IS DEAD RIGHT.”
ROOSEVELT: “I WANT HIM FIRED!”
(THE SECOND MOST POWERFUL MAN IN THE WORLD, PAGE 140)
WHY WERE THE BATTLESHIPS IN PEARL HARBOR?�
WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY TO DEFEND THEM?
WHY WERE THE BATTLESHIPS IN PEARL HARBOR?�
WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY TO DEFEND THEM?
THE ARMY!
AIR DEFENSE
ARMY AIR CORPS
“…THE ARMY HAD CONTRUCTED AN AIRCRAFT WARNING SERVICE PATTERNED AFTER THAT USED BY THE BRITISH IN THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN “ …TO BE ACTIVATED AFTER THE WAR BEGAN!
WAS THERE A BETTER STRATEGY FOR THE JAPANESE?
WHY INVOLVE THE US?
OBJECTIVE WAS BBs
(knew CVs not inport)
ATTACK EVEN IF DETECTED
EXPECT TO LOSE 2 -3 CV or MORE
WAS THE ATTACK “BRILLIANTLY EXECUTED”?
“ONE IF BY LAND …”
- CDR MITSUO FUCHIDA
TORPEDO ATTTACKS PLANNED FOR 2 MINUTES, ACTUAL 11-15
GREATEST STRATEGIC FAILURE WW II
“THE PAST IS NEVER DEAD. IT’S NOT EVEN PAST. IT IS PART OF US. IT DETERMINES HOW WE APPROACH THE PRESENT. � … WILLIAM FAULKNER
Sources:
“The Tide at Sunrise – A History of the Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905” by Dennis and Peggy Warner.