Shortcomings Of Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor was one of the most horrific attacks in the history of the United States but could it have ended differently? Were there any intelligence gaps that could have helped to warn the US of the impending danger? What would the second and third order effects be if the outcome were changed? By identifying these shortcomings, we may be able to see future weaknesses and better manage our intelligence processes.
December 7, 1941 was a tipping point in US history. On this day, the Japanese Navy attacked the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. US forces were caught completely off guard during this attack and suffered great losses. A total of 2,400 Soldiers and Sailors were killed and an additional 1,200
It may have looked something like this: Between 0645 and 0700 on December 7, 1941, the Opana Mobile Radar Unit at Kahuku Point detected fifty planes approaching Pearl Harbor. The Opana Mobile Radar Unit reported the sighting to the watch officer at the Aircraft Warning Service Center on Fort Shafter. The watch office issued an alert and contacted both Army and Navy Commanders on the island. Luckily, US forces were already on a heightened sense of security. This was due to earlier intelligence reports predicting an act of sabotage somewhere on the island in the near future. A total of 500 planes were pre-staged on runways around the island as a precautionary measure. As a result, the fighters were airborne within moments and able to provide overwhelming force. Allowing time for the naval ships to man their fighting positions and drop torpedo nets saving the fleet. These actions caused the Japanese to sustain great losses and in the end retreat back out into the
Yet Japan’s greatest weapon was its ability to remain undetected until moments before the attack. The Japanese needed surprise on their side and went to great lengths to accomplish it. Using only flags and flashes of light they were able to navigate a fleet of naval aircraft carriers within range of Pearl Harbor (Clayton, 2009). If the US Forces had had an early warning of an impending attack they could have easily launched fighters and set up defensive measures. As it stood, Pearl Harbor had been on high alert for several weeks and several precautions were in place. For example, all planes were parked on the runway ready to take off at a moment’s notice (Clayton, 2009). Pearl Harbor undoubtedly had the means and ability to defend itself. What they did not have was the indication of an impending