by Craig Nelson
Hara
Senshi sōsho, the World War II History Collection of the National Institute for Defense Studies’ Military Archives in Tokyo, also available as Shiro Hara, Senshi sōsho [The history of war], 102 vols. (Tokyo: Asagumo Shinbunsha, 1966–80).
Hoover Institution
Hoover Institution, Stanford University (papers of Short, Hornbeck, America First, etc.).
Hull papers
Cordell Hull Papers, 1908–56, and Memoranda of Conversations, 1933–44, Library of Congress Manuscript Division, Washington, DC.
NA
National Archives, College Park, Maryland.
PHA
Congress of the United States, “Hearings before the Joint Committee on the Investigation of the Pearl Harbor Attack,” Seventy-Ninth Congress, 1946, Center for Legislative Archives.
Prange papers
Gordon W. Prange Papers, Hornbake Library, University of Maryland.
State
US Department of State, Peace and War: United States Foreign Policy, 1931–1941, National Archives, Maryland.
Stimson diary
Diaries of Henry Lewis Stimson, Yale University Library, New Haven, Connecticut.
Preface: Dreadnoughts and Holystones
“The cleanest bodies,” “SAILORS AND DOGS”: Raymer.
“I was just overwhelmed”: Jasper et al.
“people could walk underneath it”: Ibid.
“The [float] plane sat on top”: Ibid.
“It was a thrill”: Ibid.
“A man’s name”: Ibid.
“biggest fighting ship, built or building”: “Lay Keel of Navy’s New Dreadnought,” New York Times, March 17, 1914.
“I am making a strange wish”: Leckie.
“was in high spirits, for he loved the Navy”: J. Richardson.
“should keep me in touch personally”: Fromkin.
“I have always disliked him”: Ibid.
“We are going to make a country”: Perkins.
“Well, Mother,” “I think I know what all you men want for Christmas”: Jasper et al.
“bitterer than death to me”: Michael Tighe, “Hawaii Marks Annexation,” Eugene Register-Guard, August 9, 1996.
“An armada of 160 ships”: Hanson W. Baldwin, “160 Ships Berthed at Pearl Harbor,” New York Times, May 27, 1935.
“timid and ineffective”: Prange et al., At Dawn We Slept.
“My objections for remaining there were”: PHA.
“You are there because of the deterrent effect”: McWilliams.
“Immediate alert. Complete defensive organization”: Ibid.
“On October 7, I talked with Stark, Nimitz, Knox”: Richardson testimony, PHA.
“Now, someone suggested that the government was trying to bluff”: Hull testimony, PHA.
“The President asked me to have luncheon with him on October 8”: PHA.
“Conversely, we’re within striking distance”: Ian W. Toll, “A Reluctant Enemy,” New York Times, December 6, 2011.
“In early January, a dispatch came in ordering Richardson to be relieved”: Vice Admiral George C. Dyer, “My God, They Can’t Do That to Me,” in Stillwell.
“After taking over command of Patrol Wing Two”: Prange et al., At Dawn We Slept.
“Hawaii is on a far better basis”: Ibid.
“Upon my meeting Short when he arrived,” “Following my talks with General Short”: Clausen report, PHA; Clausen and Lee.
“Cables from the Navy Department might have declared”: Clarke.
“During the spring and summer of 1941 we saw a death ship,” “Long about one o’clock”: Jasper et al.
“We’d have a few beers at the Officers’ Club”: Brinkley.
“Nobody talked about the possibility of war”: Verklan.
“It was actually my first time to have any distance”: Brinkley.
Chapter 1: Conceiving the Inconceivable
“Japanese troops defeat Chinese at P’yongyang”: Ienaga.
“In response to the warning”: Koenig.
“The steel plates and superstructure”: Ibid.
“Defeat is a common fate”: Ibid.
“a legend that was to haunt Japan’s leaders”: For more of Regan’s theory, see The Guinness Book of Decisive Battles.
“As far as I am concerned, war with America,” “Ever since the ten:six ratio was imposed”: Asada.
“Throughout the history of Japanese naval aviation”: General Minoru Genda, “Evolution of Aircraft Carrier Tactics of the Imperial Japanese Navy,” in Stillwell.
“In all games Yamamoto loved to take chances”: Prange papers.
“incompetency, criminal negligence and almost treasonable,” “with the advent of aircraft, the battleship has become window dressing”: Cited in Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s General William “Billy” Mitchell and the Sinking of the Ostfriesland: A Consideration.
“Anyone who has seen the auto factories in Detroit”: Toll, “A Reluctant Enemy.”
“Should hostilities break out between Japan and the United States,” “on heaven’s behalf”: Prange papers.
“In case the enemy’s main fleet is berthed”: Costello.
“The general nature of the exercise was”: Stillwell.
“War with Japan will be precipitated”: PHA; Lord.
“In the 1920s and 30s”: Batty.
“We planned exercises for these men”: Cook and Cook.
“This situation reminds me strongly of the efforts of,” “That we do not and never will recognize title”: State.
“The national essence of Japan”: Toland, Rising Sun.
“the four races of Japan,” “Seven hundred million brethren”: Ienaga.
“We have large emotional interest in China,” Kennedy, Freedom from Fear.
“It seems clear to me”: Northridge.
“Tell me of one case in history,” “The danger of war is by far the greatest,” “To get on with Japan”: Iguchi.
“at a lower order of the human evolution”: Batty.
“Our candid ideas at the time were that”: Dower, War without Mercy.
“was very much like chasing a vagrant beam”: Larrabee.
“If Cordell says, ‘Oh, Chwist,’ ” “as crooked as a bundle of fishhooks”: Perkins.
“a formally recorded expression”: State.
“The Japanese would take any men”: Chang.
“One by one the prisoners fell down”: Yin and Young.
“Few know that soldiers impaled babies”: Pitman.
“We always stabbed and killed them”: Yin and Young.
“I personally severed more than forty heads”: Cook and Cook.
“Tony, keep quiet,” “not so much as the twitching”: Kennedy, Freedom from Fear.
“Why are you crying about”: Yin and Young.
“The man is saturated with hate”: Kennedy, Freedom from Fear.
“war with America was to be avoided”: Iriye.
“In both my talks with the President”: Feis.
“action in showing surprise now”: Kato.
“If you tell me that it is necessary that we fight”: Fuchida and Okumiya.
“I reported to the State Department”: PHA.
“Of all the world’s statesmen”: G. Terasaki.
“Our opposition to the alliance,” “You must, therefore, share with me”: Asada.
“You see, I am an Asian,” “full of subtle twists”: Hotta, Japan 1941.
“Taranto, and the night of November”: Iguchi.
“If Great Britain goes down”: Frank Freidel, “FDR vs. Hitler: American Foreign Policy, 1933–1941,” Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, 3rd ser., 1987.
“it is impossible to rectify diplomatic relations”: Morley, The Fateful Choice.
“would begin with an air attack on our fleet”: For a thorough accounting of the Zacharias conundrum, see Pfeiffer.
“said that I had observed every phase of Hitler’s conduct
and utterances”: Library of Congress.
“The draft understanding that came from America is appalling”: Hotta, Japan 1941.
Chapter 2: A Sinister Wind
“A conflict with the United States and Great Britain”: Prange papers.
“Should hostilities break out between Japan and United States”: Ibid.
“Unless a technical miracle can be achieved”: Ibid.
“Yamamoto’s daring plan,” “A new concept suddenly hit me”: Stillwell.
“Since we cannot use a torpedo attack”: Prange papers.
“Under present conditions I think war”: Ibid.
“None of us was a volunteer”: Kazuo Sakamaki, I Attacked Pearl Harbor (New York: Association Press, 1949).
“My Peruvian colleague”: PHA.
“The Division of Naval Intelligence”: Ibid.
“would have to expect to come into conflict”: This exchange is in Heinrichs.
“We felt secure against a raid,” “I never knew what the navy had”: PHA.
“to sit absolutely quiet while two or three nations”: Library of Congress.
“It first off involved what I call:” For a more detailed look at this story, see Kahn.
“Grotjan enters room, obviously excited”: Recounted in Theodore Hannah, “Frank B. Rowlett—a Personal Profile,” Declassified Asset Files, NSA.gov.
“According to a fairly reliable source of information”: Prange papers.
“Since I had been studying English”: A detailed account of Yoshikawa can be found in Savela.
“From there I saw the fleet in Pearl Harbor”: Batty.
“It was a matter of common knowledge that”: Prange papers.
“We all knew he was a spy”: PHA.
“Go ahead, Mr. Kita”: Stillwell.
“Personnel of your naval intelligence service”: PHA.
“Japan is deathly afraid”: Clarke.
“tell these people that Japanese aviators”: Stillwell.
“With our heavy bombers and our fine new pursuit planes,” “felt that Hawaii was impregnable”: Stimson diary.
“The island of Oahu, due to its fortification”: PHA.
“Practically every person on the island of Oahu”: PHA.
“with few having thought through a detailed response”: Ibid.
“Roosevelt is keen to go to war”: G. Terasaki.
“The president shows evidence of waiting”: Stimson diary.
“With the recent detachment of many of the most modern”: PHA.
“were carrying on informal talks with certain Japanese”: This conversation between Kimmel and FDR is from Kimmel’s memo “Interview with the President, 1425–1550, Monday, June 9, 1941,” NA.
“recent developments have shown that”: PHA.
“aerial torpedoes could run in Pearl Harbor”: Ibid.
“a very interesting piece of news”: Stimson diary.
“Do you really think we can act,” “You’re telling me”: Hotta, Japan 1941, citing Inose Naoki, Showa Jurokunen Natsu no Haisen (Bunshun Bunko, 1986).
“No new developments”: Kimitsu senso nisshi, Hara.
“Operations against the United States were primarily the responsibility”: Akira Fujiwara, “The Role of the Japanese Army,” in Stillwell.
“Imperial conferences were a curious thing”: Showa tenno dokuhakuroku, Hara.
“War preparations against,” “How could you have endorsed”: Asada.
“To embargo oil to Japan would be as popular a move,” “sit on the fence and be more friendly”: FDR papers.
“offering assistance to Germany’s policy”: State.
“That the Japanese Government did not understand”: Ibid.
“Tell [Churchill] also in great confidence that”: FDR papers.
“received the impression that some kind of an economic”: Prange papers.
“We, myself included, thought that advancing”: Toshitane Takada television interview, NHK, Supersharu: Gozen Kaigi, August 15, 1991, Hara.
“The vicious circle of reprisals and counter-reprisals”: Grew papers.
“By the grace of heaven”: Grew papers.
“Our Empire must immediately take steps”: PHA.
“made up his mind that we have reached the end”: Stimson diary.
“only a step this side of”: Feis.
Chapter 3: Autumn 1941
“enemy ships or aircraft or ships of neutral”: Kenshujo.
“You shall not resign your post”: PHA.
“saddled with the responsibility for some”: Grew papers.
“The invitation is merely a blind”: Morley, The Final Confrontation.
“we could not think of reopening”: State.
“I had the right information to forestall”: Popov.
“Our most likely enemy, Orange”: PHA.
“I didn’t think [Japan] could”: PHA.
“Yamato-damashii is what the United States”: Showa Jurokunen Natsu no Haisen, Hara.
“Could we expect a big victory”: Saionji.
“How many planes do we need”: Prange, God’s Samurai.
“We cannot rely only on torpedoes,” “It was decided to make bombings only against them”: Prange papers.
“I was in command of a bomber company”: Schmidt.
“By occupying the necessary areas to the south,” “That is correct”: Sugiyama memo, Hara.
“Japan was like a patient suffering,” “over and over again . . . striving to introduce,” “filled with trepidation”: PHA.
“arranged a meeting with me on September 6”: State.
“there was any possibility that Japan might intervene”: Kido.
“The war games cut through the year 1941”: Prange papers.
“Henceforth, we would like to have you make reports”: PHA.
“the Japanese were showing unusual interest,” “Japanese intent to execute a submarine,” “the fleet is not going to be there”: PHA.
“Is the October fifteenth deadline,” “You are the one who called”: Hotta, Japan 1941.
“The key to peace or war”: Hull papers.
“It is obvious that a war between Japan”: Gozen Kaigi, Hara.
“Many Japanese, and he himself”: Hull papers.
“I have no confidence”: Morley, The Fateful Choice.
“If you die in this operation”: Ibid.
“It is no longer time for discussion,” “That sort of thing is called scheming,” “The army is saying”: Gozen Kaigi, Hara.
“We’ve lost two hundred thousand souls”: Ibid.
“I realize that some do not think well”: Prange papers.
“We must continue to seek a diplomatic”: Gomikawa, Junpei. Gozen Kaigi, found in Hara and cited in Hotta, Japan, 1941.
“We are at the crossroads of pursuing”: Ibid.
“I am greatly responsible for the China Incident”: Ibid.
“For the past six months, ever since April”: Ibid.
“Although I respect him for that”: Ibid.
“I’ve got some awful news! Ozaki’s been arrested”: Saionji.
“Minister, you cornered Prince Konoye”: Showa Jurokunen Natsu no Haisen, Hara.
“I have three things to say to you”: Saionji.
“A soldier serves the emperor”: Tsunoda and Fukuda.
“much more anti-American”: Hull papers.
“The resignation of the Japanese Cabinet,” “Personally I do not believe the Japs,” “I am firmly convinced that I should retire”: PHA.
“If you have made a mistake,” “If this seems strange”: Prange papers.
“The security of the Fleet,” “Nearly all of the failures”: PHA.
“We can defend anything”: Bartsch.
“I have recently heard that there are some elements”: Prange papers.
“A Nazi tin fish,” “I was asleep when the torpedoes hit us”: Hynes.
Chapter 4: November
“Could you explain to me”: Gozen Kaigi, Hara.<
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“It was as though they had already decided to go to war”: Ibid.
“Yes, until twelve midnight”: Ibid.
“Perhaps it is unavoidable”: Hotta, Japan 1941.
“Of course His Majesty is a pacifist”: Hattori, citing Fujiwara.
“I was born a boy at the right time!”: Prange papers.
“This time we are showing the limit”: PHA.
“At the very outset of the beginning of hostilities”: Gozen Kaigi, Hara.
“[American] policy, together with the impact”: State.
“Things seem to be moving steadily towards a crisis,” “The plain fact is that Japanese politics”: PHA.
“If we just stand by with”: Taiheiyo Senso e no Michi, in Hara.
“If things go as they are going now”: Hotta, Japan 1941.
“a major calamity for the world,” “I find my present position extremely odd”: Larrabee.
“on the brink of chaos”: PHA.
“relations had become extremely critical”: Ibid.
“Do not let the talks deteriorate”: Hull papers.
“At the present time the United States Fleet”: PHA.
“There must be no behavior such as”: State.
“not merely an expedient and temporary agreement”: Ibid.
“This equipment is to enable you to haul”: Prange papers.
“tiny, like a bean”: Allen.
“We were told the altitude”: Editors, “Remembering Pearl Harbor,” National Geographic.
“would begin with an air attack”: Pfeiffer.
“As relations between Japan and the United States”: PHA.
“prepare them for the shock of war,” “Nothing that I am telling you today”: Baldwin.
“because the hazards would be”: Bartsch.
“The American commander [Kimmel] is no,” “The Empire is now going to war”: Prange papers.
“In emphasizing the need for guarding”: State.
“In this dangerous emergency”: Hotta, Japan 1941.
“[Togo] said he had picked Mr. Kurusu”: PHA.
“the chance of success in the negotiations”: In Saburo Kurusu, Homatsu no Sanjugonen (Tokyo: Chuko Bunko, 2007).
“There is no last word between friends”: Hull papers.
“At the time of year when green leaves turn suddenly”: From “The Southern Cross” by Iki Kuramoti in PHA.
“At six o’clock on the dark and cloudy morning”: Mitsuo Fuchida, “I Led the Attack on Pearl Harbor,” in Stillwell.