PT Boat Forum


Moderated by: Dick, Jeff D

The PT Boat Forum ª PT Boats of WWII ª  PT Boats - General

Page: 1 of 1

« Back to Topic Index Page 52 | Replies: 3

 Author  Topic: July 4th & Pearl Harbor Myths
Roy Forbes

TOP BOSS
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Roy Forbes  Posted on: Jul 3, 2015 - 7:52am
First I want to wish everyone a wonderful and safe 4th of July. Lets all never forget what this day is meant to remember, celebrate and honor. Take a moment to look back at all the sacrifices those before us made to get us to where we are today and hopefully remain.

On a different topic a bit off the PT subject, I am finishing up a book that came out last year that analyzes the Pearl Harbor attack from a different point of view. "Attack on Pearl Harbor: Strategy, Combat, Myths, Deception" is an amazing study on the Japanese war doctrine and how the attack was planned. It explains just how poorly the attack was executed and in great detail explains the "flying circus" they performed while achieving only 25 to 30% of what they could have. All command and control was lost even before the first AP bomb hit (remember, the torpedo planes were to attack the harbor first) and every plane was basically on its own to seek out a target following the prioritization requirements of the attack. This is by far the best book I have ever read about that fateful day and really makes me thankful it didn't turn out the way it could have. It also has an entire chapter dedicated to that 5th mini-sub and that now famous photo of all those torpedos heading towards Battleship Row.

God Bless America


Total Posts: 371 | Joined: Sep 5, 2012 - 4:57pm | IP Logged

  TED WALTHER

TOP BOSS
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of TED WALTHER   Send Email To TED WALTHER Posted on: Jul 3, 2015 - 11:53am
Roy;
Thanks for the info, yes they could have done more, militarily speaking Admiral Nagumo should have listened to the pleas of Fuchida and Genda and rolled the dice again and sent the third wave, yes they would have lost a few more planes, but they could have inflicted considerably more damage, such as hitting the fuel oil storage tanks near the sub base. But U.S. planners realized just how lucky they were and as a result built the Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage Facility starting in 1942,
Take care,
TED
P.S. any new photos of your base?


Total Posts: 3058 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am | IP Logged

Deep Vee Forever

New Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Jul 4, 2015 - 9:27am
Hi, Roy-
Happy Independence Day to you and yours as well! Sounds like a very interesting book- I'll have to look for it at my local Barnes and Noble. I wondered why the attackers never hit the fueling station, or sought to destroy ammunition dumps and repair facilities.
Hitting the fueling station alone would have restricted the Pacific Fleet's movements for weeks if not months. Also, the fact that the submarine base was left untouched meant that USN planners could (and did) launch a submarine-based, long range counteroffensive within days of the attack.

Thanks again!

Randy

Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered | IP Logged

Roy Forbes

TOP BOSS
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Roy Forbes  Posted on: Jul 4, 2015 - 3:45pm
Hi Randy, the book looks at all of that and also goes very deeply into all of Fuchida's
mistakes and misrepresentaions in BDA and his (untrue) account of being onboard the Missouri for the signing. Also examines "what if" the fleet had only 40 minutes warning of the approaching planes and how this would have caused a catastrophic loss of Japanese aircraft and maybe prevented the Oklahoma from capsizing. This book was fascinating !! I got mine on e-bay brand new for $8.00.


Total Posts: 371 | Joined: Sep 5, 2012 - 4:57pm | IP Logged


Lock Topic

 

Forum Legend

New Member

Reply to topic

More than 25 posts | Full Member

Reply to topic with quoted message

More than 50 posts | Advanced Member

Edit Message

More than 150 posts | MASTER

View profile

More than 300 posts | TOP BOSS

Email member