Attack on Pearl Harbor

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The *USS Arizona* sinking after being bombed by Japanese forces

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise attack on December 7, 1941 by fascist Japan against neutral U.S. forces in their colony of Hawaii during the Second World War. The attack ended U.S. neutrality and led to war against both Japan and its ally, Nazi Germany. More than 2,400 Statesians died.^[1]

U.S. government knowledge

By the time of the attack, U.S. Navy cryptographers had deciphered Japanese codes and discovered plans for the attack. Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall learned about the planned attack at 10 a.m. EST (5 a.m. in Hawaii), but sent the information to Hawaii by a slower courier message instead of instantly via scrambler phone. The message was not marked as urgent and did not arrive until after the attack.^[1]

Navy Under Secretary James Forrestal helped suppress a Naval Inquiry report by Admiral Orin Murfin that exonerated Admirals Husband Kimmel and Harold Stark, showing that they had not received all available information and blaming the lack of preparation on higher-ranked officials. Forrestal later wrote that he was dissatisfied with the government investigation on the attack.^[1]

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Jeremy Kuzmarov (2021-10-27). "Was the 1949 “Suicide” of Defense Secretary James Forrestal the First Major Domestic Political Assassination of the Emerging U.S. Deep State After WWII?" CovertAction Magazine. Archived from the original on 2024-05-29.

[:0-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Jeremy Kuzmarov (2021-10-27). "Was the 1949 “Suicide” of Defense Secretary James Forrestal the First Major Domestic Political Assassination of the Emerging U.S. Deep State After WWII?" CovertAction Magazine. Archived from the original on 2024-05-29.

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