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Nine unique lessons on the planning and attack at Pearl Harbour (WW2).

By William Van Zyl (December 2021).

Listen to the podcast of the article: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-cyjiw-115b17b

Weeks earlier.

A tiny reed protrudes out of the water – hardly visible – slowly moving from ship to ship. His eyes are wide open; his brain is making notes. He breathes slowly and carefully through the curved reed.

As Takeo’s body moves slowly through the transparent sapphire coloured water in the harbour, he sinks downwards, kicks, and then moves forward, constantly circling around the ships. The golden sand captures his shadow. The fishes know he is there. However, the US Navy has no idea that they are being monitored. The first thing that catches the spy’s eyes is the large metal-whales – riveted together, sheet upon sheet – lying calmly in the cool saltwater of Hawaii. The large destroyers and plane carriers float lazily in the bay; the smaller ships bob slowly up and down. They are at ease. The large propellers and rudders are resting, ready to awake at a moment’s notice

The sun forces its way through the shallow water and lights up the white sand that lines the bottom. A ray of light rests for a moment on the closest section of the destroyer close to Takeo, highlighting the silhouettes of the large US warship. He scans for nets and barriers that protect the ships from torpedoes and possible underwater sabotage. The nets and barriers are the first lines of defence against underwater torpedoes.

The moving reed started its spy-work weeks earlier. Classified intelligence is being relayed to the headquarters of Japan in Tokyo. Photos, sketches, and diagrams mixed with secret codes followed.

Takeo Yoshikawa is undetected.

The young Japanese spy – Takeo Yoshikawa – is here busy checking for meshes, nets and barriers around the US ships in Pearl Harbour (1941). Diving with a hollow curved reed – acting as a snorkel – he was able to gather vital information for the Japanese government before the attack on Pearl Harbour. From the author’s sketchbook. Credit: W Van Zyl (20 Dec 2021).

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“Tiger, tiger, tiger!” – The Japanese pilots relayed the crackling message in the air.

“We have total surprise, we have total surprise, we have total surprise!”

In Hawaii, an army personnel officer of the US looked up and saw a fleet of Japanese fighter planes flying over Honolulu.

It is early Sunday morning.

He yawned and said lazily.

“Our Air Force is really making things real. Look! They have painted planes to resemble the Japanese Air Force.”

He shook the Honolulu Star-Bulletin in both hands – as if he wanted to rearrange the news on the two giant pages. He stretched his extended arms wide apart. He leaned back in his chair – flipped his glasses back on his nose – and continued reading.

Then, suddenly from nowhere, there was a range of explosions coming from the airfields and random machine-gun fire. He stopped reading. He looked up. Fire and billowing smoke rose up over the nearby field airport.

“What! What the hell!”

He jumped up in astonishment – totally perplexed. It took him a minute to gather his thoughts.

“What is happening!”

*Where conditions are favourable, the torpedo net can provide complete protection against a submarine’s primary weapon and also can nullify the threat of air-borne torpedoes. Credit: Maritime.org.* https://maritime.org/doc/netsandbooms/index.htm

*The Honolulu Star-Bulletin. The first two months of World War II are shown in this selection of clippings from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Credit Bishop Museum.* https://hawaiialive.org/world-war-ii-newspaper-headlines/

I have recently watched a documentary on the History Channel, and I have focused on the unique events during the planning and execution of the Pearl Harbour attack. I have identified several occasions, concepts and ideas which are uncommon – I share them in this article.

This article focuses on unexpected lessons learned from the planning and the events leading up to the infamous attack on Pearl Harbour. I have included some scriptures, and please note that these scriptures are unrelated to Japan and the US or the events at Pearl Harbour during WW2. Dear reader, it has been included because some keywords relate to scriptures I know. Do not endeavour to read any connection, reference, or relationship – ‘between the lines’ – to these scriptures. The scriptures are entirely separate from the events at Pearl Harbour. There is no connection at all!

1. When you think that people did not receive your instructions, think again before giving a second signal. It could create a huge misunderstanding.

The Japanese commander pilot – flying with his men over Pearl Harbour – shot a second flare into the air. It was an arranged signal for managing the attack. He thought the pilots did not see the first one. The plan was to attack the destroyer ships in the harbour first. The two green flares meant attack immediately. At that moment, all the Japanese planes were in the air over Hawaii and the airfields. The Japanese pilots were waiting for the command to attack. The one wave of pilots incorrectly interpreted the signal as to attack immediately. The plan was to attack the destroyer ships in the harbour first so the anti-aircraft guns could be disabled. So, incorrectly – not according to plan – the pilots started attacking the airfields.

Unrelated lessons learned from scriptures:

Matthew 22:29
But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God.
Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Misunderstandings

2. The power of surprise in an attack over your enemy is one of the most powerful things you can attain.

Probably the biggest lesson to be learned in the Military is the power of surprise. In warfare, a surprise could make or break an offensive move. That is why most attacks are at first light – at the break of dawn – or moving forces in position during the night.

Japanese chart of Pearl Harbor, TH. Captured from Jap Sub. Dec 7, 1941. NARA. Credit: http://denisefrisino.com/the-japanese-spy-who-predestined-the-fate-of-pearl-harbor/japanese-chart-of-pearl-harbor-th-captured-from-jap-sub-dec-7-1941-nara/

Unrelated references from scriptures:

Joshua 10: 9 -11
9. After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise.
10. The LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great victory at Gibeon. Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon and cut them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah.
11. As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the LORD hurled large hailstones down on them from the sky, and more of them died from the hailstones than were killed by the swords of the Israelites.

3. Things can go your way – create space for your enemies to make mistakes.

The White House and the Military’s radio communication of the US were exceptional poor on the Sunday morning of the attack. When the US sent the warning to Hawaii – via the Western Union – a messenger on a scooter had to travel through the traffic to get the message to the commanding US officer Admiral Kimmel. It was too late. Below is a telegram sent hours after the attack on Pearl Harbour – from Honolulu to Washington.

This is a Western Union Telegram dated December 7th, 1941 and time-stamped at 3:54 Eastern time which translates to 10:54 Hawaiian time, less than two hours after the second wave concluded at 9:30 am. The Western Union telegram was sent by a wire service reporter of the United Press. It reads:

**1941 DEC 7 PM 3 54**
**JAPANESE PLANES HAVE ATTACKED PHILIPPINE AND HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.**
**AN AMERICAN TRANSPORT SHIP, LOADED WITH LUMBER, HAS BEEN SUNK**
**1,300 MILES WEST OF SAN FRANCISCO. PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT**
**IMMEDIATELY ORDERED THE ARMY AND NAVY TO CARRY OUT WHAT HE**
**CALLED “PREVIOUSLY PREPARED ORDERS”. THE WHITE HOUSE IN**
**WASHINGTON. SAID NIPPONESE PLANES RAIDED PEARL HARBOR, AMERICA’S GREAT NAVAL BASE IN THE HAWAIIANS, AND THE ARMY AND NAVY BASES AT MANILA, THE CAPITAL OF THE PHILIPPINES.**
**WASHINGTON HAS NOT ANNOUNCED CASUALTIES OR DAMAGE, BUT**
**REPORTS INDICATE THERE MAY HAVE BEEN BOTH. MANY JAPANESE PLANES ARE SAID TO HAVE BEEN SHOT DOWN. UNITED PRESS SETTING UP 24 HOUR SERVICE ON ALL WIRES. PLEASE ADVISE WHAT PROTECTION WANTED=**
**UNITED PRESS.** Credit: https://www.ima-usa.com/products/original-u-s-wwii-pearl-harbor-united-press-reporter-wire-western-union-telegram-dated-7-december-1941?variant=31986631934021

Unrelated references from scriptures:

22 As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 2 Chronicles 20:22 NIV
22. At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the LORD caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. 2 Chronicles 20:22 – New Living Translation.

4. Sometimes, you have to endure hardships to attain your goals.

The Japanese Navy took a long, quiet route from Japan to Hawaii. It was freezing cold at sea with lots of turbulent weather. The large fleet of ships saved fuel by not heating the vessels. Soldiers had to endure the cold. They even bathed in the ocean water. They only had limited amounts of diesel in their tanks. Anything could happen, and they had to be prepared.

Unrelated references from scriptures:

James 1:2–4
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

5. Sometimes, you have to be very strategic to achieve your personal goals.

One of the famous Japanese generals Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto – about halfway on the journey to Hawaii – threatened to resign. He heard that the generals at home wanted to abort the mission. It was important to him to follow through. He believed that they had to act quickly to stop the US superpower in its tracks. However, it proved that in the end, that they had awakened a giant. Eventually, he got what he wanted – the mission went ahead. The generals at home realised that he had lots of influence. It could have had a severe adverse effect on the men and the plan of attack. So, they were influenced by his threat.

Fleet Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. Credit – Wikipedia. By Unknown author – This image is available from the website of the National Diet Library, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2434599. By Unknown author – This image is available from the website of the National Diet Library, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2434599

Unrelated references from scriptures:

6. Strategic planning is the key to warfare; to win, you need a lot of good counsel.
7. Wise conversation is way over the head of fools; in a serious discussion, they haven’t a clue.
Proverbs 24: 6 & 7 MSG

6. Invention and secrecy: A key to surprise your enemy.

The Japanese spy Takeo – lurking around in Hawaii – had a taxi driver taking him all over the island to collect information before the attack. All the intelligence was sent to the Japanese Generals back in Japan. He even went diving around the US ships swimming underwater in the harbour with a long reed as a snorkel. He monitored for nets and meshes, which protected US ships against the air to land missile and submarine torpedo attacks.

The young Japanese spy Takeo Yoshikawa. Credit: https://dirkdeklein.net/2018/03/27/a-spy-in-hawaii-takeo-yoshikawa/

Unrelated references from scriptures:

INVENTION:

2 Chronicles 26:15 & 16 NIV
¹⁴Uzziah [King of Israel at the time] provided shields, spears, helmets, coats of armour, bows and slingstones for the entire army. ¹⁵In Jerusalem he made devices invented for use on the towers and on the corner defences so that soldiers could shoot arrows and hurl large stones from the walls. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.

Japanese Fighter Plane (WW2). The Mitsubishi A6M “Zero” was a long-range carrier-based fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was designated as the Mitsubishi Navy Type 0 carrier fighter (零式艦上戦闘機, rei-shiki-kanjō-sentōki), or the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen. The A6M was usually referred to by its pilots as the Reisen (零戦, zero fighter), “0” being the last digit of the imperial year 2600 (1940) when it entered service with the Imperial Navy. Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_A6M_Zero

7. Ingenuity – fitting wooden fins to Japanese torpedoes – to ensure the torpedoes wouldn’t dive too deep and hit the ocean floor.

The Japanese Air Force trained their pilots to fly at an angle of 5 degrees – upwards – just before dropping their torpedoes into the water. They also devised an ingenious plan – by attaching wooden fins to their torpedoes – preventing the torpedoes from diving too deep crashing into the bottom of the ocean floor. They did so to ensure that they had a significant success rate in the shallow waters of Pearl Harbour. It is reported that the average water depth of the harbour is a meagre 13.7 metres.

Credit: http://www.mybaycity.com/scripts/P3_V2/P3V3-0200.cfm?P3_articleID=10655

Unrelated references from scriptures:

Clothing (Genesis 3:21) – The first innovative product in the Bible that met a human need. Before God made the first clothes out of animal skin, Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves. God knew they needed something more durable and strong. As a consequence, of their sin, the earth was now going to experience extreme weather conditions, wild animals, insects, and other environmental challenges; therefore, they needed something that could protect them against the elements of severe weather and other atmospheric conditions.
Reference:
²¹The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them (Genesis 3:21).

8. Never put all your planes in one basket.

General Short, serving under Admiral Kimmel – the US commander in Hawaii – was obsessed with the idea that sabotage by agents in the islands’ Japanese community posed the greatest threat to their air force. He ordered that all aircraft be lined up wingtip to wingtip on their airfields. This combination of planes would make them easier to protect. All the ammunition was centrally stored and guarded.

On the morning of the attack, the planes – grouped beautifully together – made the perfect target for the Japanese fighter planes. The Japanese bombs shredded the wing-to-wing parked planes of the Americans with devastating results. Wiping out and crippling about 300 US planes during the attack.

Placing all your planes in one basket means you could lose it all. Like in business, look at different baskets. You never know what can happen! Think strategically; view all possible options.

Above, SB2U Vindicators were lined up at the outer edge of Ewa Marine Corps Air Station in 1942, parked wingtip to wingtip for security against sabotage. In the distance are the slopes of the Waianae mountains. Below, planes were lined up at Hickam Field in an undated photo. Credit: https://www.staradvertiser.com/2016/11/30/hawaii-news/u-s-aircraft-and-fighters-were-sitting-ducks/

Unrelated references from scriptures:

Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land. Ecclesiastes 11:2

9. The choices you make in life could be a life sentence.

A quick overview of the life of the infamous Japanese spy – Yoshikawa – after the Pearl Harbour attacks:

Yoshikawa never received official recognition of his services during the war. In 1955, he opened a candy business, but it failed as word spread of his role in the war. The locals blamed Yoshikawa for the war. “They even blamed me for the atomic bomb,” he declared in one interview. Penniless and jobless, his wife supported him for the rest of his life via her position selling insurance. “My wife alone shows me great respect,” said the old spy. “Every day, she bows to me. She knows I am a man of history.” He died in a nursing home. Credit: Dirk De Klein https://dirkdeklein.net/2018/03/27/a-spy-in-hawaii-takeo-yoshikawa/

*The old Japanese spy, Takeo Yoshikawa (left). Right: American ship – Pearl Harbour attack. Credit: Dirk De Klein.* https://dirkdeklein.net/2018/03/27/a-spy-in-hawaii-takeo-yoshikawa/

Unrelated references from scriptures:

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. Proverbs 22:1

The End of the Article.

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If you are interested in the story of Pearl Harbour, the author had written a compelling story of a fountain pen. Secrets and mysteries are weaved and intertwined throughout the work of fiction – based on some true facts. Read the synopsis of the short novella – Pearl Harbour context – here: https://fivehousepublishing.com/2021/06/11/the-encoded-pen/

Excerpt 1

Authenticity

TREASURE

A blue ripple with tones of grey crisscrosses the dune-like ocean floor. The wavy pattern of the sea surface reflects down onto the bottom with artistic flair. Shades of blue and grey float mysteriously over the scuba divers as they move slowly, flipping now and then with their giant black amphibian-shaped flippers. The water is diamond-clear. Schools of bright-hued fish and exotic sea flowers decorate the sandy floor and small reef. The ocean floor is littered with large, dark, sinister coffins – the shapes are very distinct. Warplanes and warships lay strewn for hundreds of meters on the bottom of the harbour. The visibility is excellent. Strange looking sea flowers stare from the jagged black reef. A small, friendly white and grey shark moves closer to the divers and bumps into one of the oxygen tanks. With a quick dart, the shark takes off into the grey unknown. The rhythmic release of carbon dioxide bubbles sends a message to the surface, ‘There is something very mysterious and beautiful down here,’ one of the divers thought. The bright searchlights of the divers scan meticulously to the left and right. They are looking for clues and treasure. In the white beam of the second diver’s headlight dances thousands of micro sea creatures and plankton. They represent every known shape and form.

Excerpt 2

Finding treasure

Inside the hardly recognisable fighter-plane cockpit, the dashboard seems to stare at the two divers without emotion. A small yellow sentry-fish guards the deserted instrument panel. It is as if the yellow-uniformed guard is sternly barking, ‘Hey, what are you doing here? Do you have permission to be here?’ The unfriendly yellow sentry-fish rushes away in a hurry to sound the alarm.

The instrument panel is covered with many gauges, switches, and buttons – some are rusted away. Green algae, rust, barnacles, and small shells—with a cluster of mussels here and there—cover the once immaculate instrument panel. A tiny copper nameplate, hardly recognisable, sits proudly above the altimeter. It is still legible, and the diver moves closer to read it. It reads ‘Mitsubishi Zero, Model No: 214955, Made in Japan,’ just below the Japanese text. It has stood the test of time – at least up to now. The altimeter pointer sits at zero – it cannot go any lower. A random thought runs through the pilot-diver’s mind, ‘I wonder from what height did this Kamikaze pilot attack?’ The two divers are lost in a world of war, and the images of the attack on Pearl Harbour in the 1940s by the Japanese Air Force flash through their minds. It conjures up chaos, out of control fires, and the thunder of bombs exploding. For several minutes, they admire the beautiful vintage plane wreck.

Digital sketch from ‘The Encoded Pen’ – Novella:

From the author’s tablet. Digital sketch – Tayasui sketch software (stylus). Image of Pearl Harbour with smoke, flames, water (blue colour) and a Japanese plane added (new layers) on top. Created – June 2017. Credit: The Author.

*Attribution ebook cover: Japanese Warplane (WW2): By Kogo – Own work, GFDL, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3936615

Tiger, Tiger, Tiger! タイガー、タイガー、タイガー！