Topic: Today in History: November 26, 1941

[Rat_Boy]

From the History Channel

Quote:
1941 Japanese Fleet Sails for Pearl Harbor
On this day, a Japanese fleet of six aircraft carriers, commanded by Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, left Hitokapu Bay under strict radio silence. The surprise attack was Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto's idea. The Commander in Chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet had been stewing over the idea since November 1940, two months after Japan signed the Tripartite Pact that aligned them with Germany and Italy. Yamamoto's Pearl Harbor idea was inspired by two things: a prophetic book and a historic attack. The book was The Great Pacific War, written in 1925 by Hector Bywater, a British naval authority. It was a realistic account of a clash between the United States and Japan that begins with the Japanese destruction of the U.S. fleet and proceeds to the Japanese attacks on Guam and the Philippines. To Yamamoto, the book's plot almost seemed like a blueprint for war. And when the Royal Air Force attacked and successfully debilitated the Italian fleet at Taranto on November 11, 1940, Yamamoto was convinced that Bywater's fiction could become reality. He started making plans at once. Yamamoto, who studied English at Harvard University, did not underestimate the Americans. He said that if "hostilities break out between Japan and the United States, it would not be enough that we take Guam and the Philippines . . . we would have to march into Washington and dictate the terms of peace in the White House." He understood this would be virtually impossible but also believed that waiting for the Americans to strike first would be playing into U.S. strengths. Planning the Pearl Harbor attack and organizing the First Air Fleet took up much of 1941. When the fleet finally sailed on November 26, the mood was tense. The director of the First Fleet, Vice Admiral Nagumo, not only lacked experience with naval aviation but openly opposed the attack. Yamamoto sat in his flagship headquarters in Japanese waters, anxiously awaiting the results of his Pearl Harbor brainchild.

Yeesh, was every major event in history predicted in a book?

[Sethan]

Quote:
Yeesh, was every major event in history predicted in a book?  

Many authors of fiction strive for plausible scenarios to make their work more believable.  Some of their plausible scenarios are read by people who can implement them...

That's one of the things that makes Tom Clancy's books somewhat scary.

[KOTH-Steel Claw]

I'm predicting it was.

EDIT: Read more about it in my upcoming book.

[Rat_Boy]

Quote:
That's one of the things that makes Tom Clancy's books somewhat scary.

The Teeth of the Tiger should make you look over your shoulder at the mall.

[Dogmatix!]

Quote:

Quote:
Yeesh, was every major event in history predicted in a book?  

Many authors of fiction strive for plausible scenarios to make their work more believable.  Some of their plausible scenarios are read by people who can implement them...

That's one of the things that makes Tom Clancy's books somewhat scary.

Took the words right out of my mouth...


 

[BortaS]

Don't forget that Billy Mitchell predicted the attack in the 20's and lost his career because of his criticism of the complacency of the American military.

[Toasty0]

Quote:

Quote:
That's one of the things that makes Tom Clancy's books somewhat scary.

The Teeth of the Tiger should make you look over your shoulder at the mall.  

Or every time you hear about more folks getting busted smuggling illegles into the country...

I'm looking forward to the next installment of this series. Soon I hope.  

[Rat_Boy]

From the History Channel

Quote:
1941 Japanese Fleet Sails for Pearl Harbor
On this day, a Japanese fleet of six aircraft carriers, commanded by Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, left Hitokapu Bay under strict radio silence. The surprise attack was Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto's idea. The Commander in Chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet had been stewing over the idea since November 1940, two months after Japan signed the Tripartite Pact that aligned them with Germany and Italy. Yamamoto's Pearl Harbor idea was inspired by two things: a prophetic book and a historic attack. The book was The Great Pacific War, written in 1925 by Hector Bywater, a British naval authority. It was a realistic account of a clash between the United States and Japan that begins with the Japanese destruction of the U.S. fleet and proceeds to the Japanese attacks on Guam and the Philippines. To Yamamoto, the book's plot almost seemed like a blueprint for war. And when the Royal Air Force attacked and successfully debilitated the Italian fleet at Taranto on November 11, 1940, Yamamoto was convinced that Bywater's fiction could become reality. He started making plans at once. Yamamoto, who studied English at Harvard University, did not underestimate the Americans. He said that if "hostilities break out between Japan and the United States, it would not be enough that we take Guam and the Philippines . . . we would have to march into Washington and dictate the terms of peace in the White House." He understood this would be virtually impossible but also believed that waiting for the Americans to strike first would be playing into U.S. strengths. Planning the Pearl Harbor attack and organizing the First Air Fleet took up much of 1941. When the fleet finally sailed on November 26, the mood was tense. The director of the First Fleet, Vice Admiral Nagumo, not only lacked experience with naval aviation but openly opposed the attack. Yamamoto sat in his flagship headquarters in Japanese waters, anxiously awaiting the results of his Pearl Harbor brainchild.

Yeesh, was every major event in history predicted in a book?

[Sethan]

Quote:
Yeesh, was every major event in history predicted in a book?  

Many authors of fiction strive for plausible scenarios to make their work more believable.  Some of their plausible scenarios are read by people who can implement them...

That's one of the things that makes Tom Clancy's books somewhat scary.

[KOTH-Steel Claw]

I'm predicting it was.

EDIT: Read more about it in my upcoming book.

[Rat_Boy]

Quote:
That's one of the things that makes Tom Clancy's books somewhat scary.

The Teeth of the Tiger should make you look over your shoulder at the mall.

[Dogmatix!]

Quote:

Quote:
Yeesh, was every major event in history predicted in a book?  

Many authors of fiction strive for plausible scenarios to make their work more believable.  Some of their plausible scenarios are read by people who can implement them...

That's one of the things that makes Tom Clancy's books somewhat scary.

Took the words right out of my mouth...


 

[BortaS]

Don't forget that Billy Mitchell predicted the attack in the 20's and lost his career because of his criticism of the complacency of the American military.

[Toasty0]

Quote:

Quote:
That's one of the things that makes Tom Clancy's books somewhat scary.

The Teeth of the Tiger should make you look over your shoulder at the mall.  

Or every time you hear about more folks getting busted smuggling illegles into the country...

I'm looking forward to the next installment of this series. Soon I hope.  

[Rat_Boy]

From the History Channel

Quote:
1941 Japanese Fleet Sails for Pearl Harbor
On this day, a Japanese fleet of six aircraft carriers, commanded by Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, left Hitokapu Bay under strict radio silence. The surprise attack was Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto's idea. The Commander in Chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet had been stewing over the idea since November 1940, two months after Japan signed the Tripartite Pact that aligned them with Germany and Italy. Yamamoto's Pearl Harbor idea was inspired by two things: a prophetic book and a historic attack. The book was The Great Pacific War, written in 1925 by Hector Bywater, a British naval authority. It was a realistic account of a clash between the United States and Japan that begins with the Japanese destruction of the U.S. fleet and proceeds to the Japanese attacks on Guam and the Philippines. To Yamamoto, the book's plot almost seemed like a blueprint for war. And when the Royal Air Force attacked and successfully debilitated the Italian fleet at Taranto on November 11, 1940, Yamamoto was convinced that Bywater's fiction could become reality. He started making plans at once. Yamamoto, who studied English at Harvard University, did not underestimate the Americans. He said that if "hostilities break out between Japan and the United States, it would not be enough that we take Guam and the Philippines . . . we would have to march into Washington and dictate the terms of peace in the White House." He understood this would be virtually impossible but also believed that waiting for the Americans to strike first would be playing into U.S. strengths. Planning the Pearl Harbor attack and organizing the First Air Fleet took up much of 1941. When the fleet finally sailed on November 26, the mood was tense. The director of the First Fleet, Vice Admiral Nagumo, not only lacked experience with naval aviation but openly opposed the attack. Yamamoto sat in his flagship headquarters in Japanese waters, anxiously awaiting the results of his Pearl Harbor brainchild.

Yeesh, was every major event in history predicted in a book?

[Sethan]

Quote:
Yeesh, was every major event in history predicted in a book?  

Many authors of fiction strive for plausible scenarios to make their work more believable.  Some of their plausible scenarios are read by people who can implement them...

That's one of the things that makes Tom Clancy's books somewhat scary.

[KOTH-Steel Claw]

I'm predicting it was.

EDIT: Read more about it in my upcoming book.

[Rat_Boy]

Quote:
That's one of the things that makes Tom Clancy's books somewhat scary.

The Teeth of the Tiger should make you look over your shoulder at the mall.

[Dogmatix!]

Quote:

Quote:
Yeesh, was every major event in history predicted in a book?  

Many authors of fiction strive for plausible scenarios to make their work more believable.  Some of their plausible scenarios are read by people who can implement them...

That's one of the things that makes Tom Clancy's books somewhat scary.

Took the words right out of my mouth...


 

[BortaS]

Don't forget that Billy Mitchell predicted the attack in the 20's and lost his career because of his criticism of the complacency of the American military.

[Toasty0]

Quote:

Quote:
That's one of the things that makes Tom Clancy's books somewhat scary.

The Teeth of the Tiger should make you look over your shoulder at the mall.  

Or every time you hear about more folks getting busted smuggling illegles into the country...

I'm looking forward to the next installment of this series. Soon I hope.