March 2, 1941… Japan will be a pushover

March of 1941 was a month of great significance in the march to global war. I don’t know anything about the writer of this article in the Washington Evening Star. But I do know that his column was probably being used as a way to telegraph the activities to the world at a time when […]

In Plain Sight (Part 2)

This is a much more detailed account about the man who provided the information to the Japanese Navy about Oahu: UNDER COVER On March 27, 1941, a 27-year-old junior diplomat named Tadashi Morimura arrived in Honolulu to take his post as vice-consul at the Japanese consulate. But that was just a cover- “Morimura” was really […]

In Plain Sight…

Eighty years ago, the United States was still at relative peace. In Europe, Britain was hanging on for life while France and most of the other occupied nations were adjusting to life under the heel of the Nazi warlords. In the Far East, Japan was beginning to feel the pressure of the sanctions imposed by […]

February 1941- Ten Months to Infamy

February 1941- Ten Months to Infamy Husband Kimmel will certainly be remembered in American Naval History as long as any other figure. Admiral Kimmel was the man who was in charge of the Pacific Fleet on December 7th 1941. Admiral James O. Richardson was his predecessor in the position. Richardson was relieved of command in […]

The Path to War – Japan in January 1921

The Path to War Began in the Ashes of the Aftermath of the World War In 1921, the world was still reeling from the war that had consumed so much of its young men and resources. The European landscape had changed from all of the brutal fighting and the League of Nations proposed by Wilson […]

When Coal Was King – Harsh Realities in 1941 for a Nation that Needed Expansion

Since the beginning of the industrialized era of mankind, one of the key elements that has both enhanced and limited progress is the humble material called coal. Coal played an important part in the growth of America and all of the industrialized nations. Coal also played a part in the eventual destruction of the Imperial […]

Low Cost Submarines

By 1939, the state of the US Navy’s readiness was in question. The treaties of the past twenty years and the economic conditions had stunted the growth of the force that was realizing the threat of a two ocean war. The war in Europe had not reached its peak yet but the shadows of the […]

The Tanaka Memorial – Real or Imagined? Part 2

Part Two: Admiral Taussig. Yes, Senator. Shall I proceed with my statement? The Chairman. Proceed. Admiral Taussig. In spite of our desires to remain aloof from international problems, we cannot do so. The world has shrunk too much. Can we look on a development in the Far East such as out lined above with detached interest, as a matter of no immediate concern to us as […]

The Tanaka Memorial – Real or Imagined?

This story will be done in two parts. In 1940, Rear Admiral Joseph Taussig was called to testify to Congress about the ship building program and the perceived threats that were emerging in the Far East. This controversial testimony placed him at odds with an old nemesis – the former Assistant Secretary of the Navy […]

The Tripartite Pact of 1940 – Prelude to War

In September of 1940, the fate of world peace was sealed with the signing of the Tripartite Pact.. The Tripartite Pact was directed primarily at the United States. Its practical effects were limited since the Italo-German and Japanese operational theatres were on opposite sides of the world, and the high contracting powers had disparate strategic […]