Pearl Harbor was attacked twice? (2023)

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JDupre5762

2004-10-11 23:39:09 UTC

Post by david tiberio
I am watching a TV show on Discovery Wings called "Recon" on Oct 10
2004. They stated that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor twice, from
what I understand. They said there was an attack on Pearl Harbor, and
the US didn't learn its lesson, and that Pearl Harbor was attacked 3
years later, and then they showed clips form the Dec 1941 attack

Fairly typical of a TV show to use inaccurate footage. It is a shame but so
commonplace now that I hardly comment when I see it.

There were two Japanese attacks on Oahu. The first was Dec. 7 1941. The
second was some time later but not I think three years later. This attack was
made by two Kawanishi Emily flying boats at night and caused very little
damage. This raid was kept secret for many years by the military.

The US Navy conducted a series of exercises with aircraft carriers in the early
or mid 1930s and in at least one of these Navy fighters and dive bombers
"attacked" Pearl Harbor and the Army installations early on a Sunday morning.
Some people claim that Japanese spies learned of these exercises and they
served as the basis of Japanese plans but I think that has never been proven.

John Dupre'
--

Justin Broderick

2004-10-12 18:39:26 UTC

Post by david tiberio
They said there was an attack on Pearl Harbor, and
the US didn't learn its lesson, and that Pearl Harbor was attacked 3
years later, and then they showed clips form the Dec 1941 attack which
became famous.
What was this 1938 attack that the show was referring to?

They're probably referring to a US Navy war game called Fleet Problem XIX
that was run in September 1938. Saratoga under VAdm Ernest King steamed
almost a thousand miles concealed in a storm front and was completely
undetected when they launched an air attack on Pearl Harbor from the
northwest. Planes successfully "bombed" the Fleet air base and Hickham and
Wheeler Fields. All planes were recovered.

Lexington was supposed to attack from the south in this exercise, but was
unable to participate because of a flu outbreak aboard. In another phase of
the war games, planes from Saratoga and Lexington successfully attacked the
Mare Island Navy Yard on the San Francisco Bay.

--Justin

John Lansford

2004-10-12 18:39:53 UTC

Post by david tiberio
What was this 1938 attack that the show was referring to? Was it Japan
attacking Pearl Harbor? My understanding is that the US was NOT
involved in WW2 at all. What did I misunderstand? I see no reference
to the US being attacked in 1938.

The US Navy simulated a surprise attack by carrier aircraft on Pearl
Harbor in 1938 to show how vulnerable the base was. The bombers flew
over and dropped bags of flour onto the airfields and ships, and
actually used a similar time and approach to Oahu that the Japanese
did three years later.

It made a big row in the brass for awhile, but they soon concluded
that the ships weren't susceptible to dive bombers carrying normal AP
bombs, and since torpedoes were unlikely to work in the shallow waters
they concluded such an attack would cause little damage and was
impractical.

John Lansford
--
The unofficial I-26 Construction Webpage:
http://users.vnet.net/lansford/a10/

Cub Driver

2004-10-13 14:49:09 UTC

You are correct: the U.S. was not attacked in 1938. Perhaps the docco
was referring to a war game? The U.S. military did indeed war-game the
possibility of an attack on Pearl Harbor. I know there was one earlier
than 1938, when Claire Chennault was stationed in Hawaii. As commander
of a fighter group, he stationed a man on a water tower with
binoculars to watch for "Japanese" raiders.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: ***@mailblocks.com (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum www.warbirdforum.com
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Ted Darcy

2004-10-13 15:18:46 UTC

Dave,

The island of Oahu was attacked twice. The Pearl Habor attack on 7 Dec and
then another air raid in March of 42 which did no damage. There was also a
Jap balloon bomb that landed in June of 44 off shore from Kailua so you
could make the arguement that the island was attacked three times.

Ted Darcy
WFI Research Group

Post by david tiberio
I am watching a TV show on Discovery Wings called "Recon" on Oct 10
2004. They stated that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor twice, from
what I understand. They said there was an attack on Pearl Harbor, and
the US didn't learn its lesson, and that Pearl Harbor was attacked 3
years later, and then they showed clips form the Dec 1941 attack which
became famous.
What was this 1938 attack that the show was referring to? Was it Japan
attacking Pearl Harbor? My understanding is that the US was NOT
involved in WW2 at all. What did I misunderstand? I see no reference
to the US being attacked in 1938.
David
--

Bob Matthews

2004-10-18 00:07:00 UTC

Post by david tiberio
I am watching a TV show on Discovery Wings called "Recon" on Oct 10
2004. They stated that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor twice, from
what I understand. They said there was an attack on Pearl Harbor, and
the US didn't learn its lesson, and that Pearl Harbor was attacked 3
years later, and then they showed clips form the Dec 1941 attack which
became famous.

The Japanese staged a raid on Pearl Harbor through the French Frigate
Shoals on March 3-4 1942. Two Emilys were refueled in or near the FFS
lagoon on their way into and out of the Hawaii.

Maybe that's what you're thinking of. There was an incident in the
Pearl Harbor area in 1944 when several LSTs loaded with ammunition
intended for the Marianas blew up. It was a big deal, but not widely
publicized.

==bob
--