-
Period: to
pearl harbor
the of harbor was not a good time -
attack
July: Japan invades North China from Manchuria. -
the start
U.S. imposes trade sanctions, followed by an embargo, aimed at curbing Japan's military aggression in Asia. -
communication
Adm. Yamamoto begins communicating with other Japanese officers about a possible attack on Pearl Harbor. -
general
Adm. Husband E. Kimmel assumes command of the U.S. Pacific Fleet in Hawaii. Kimmel and Lt. Gen.Walter C. Short, commanding general of the Hawaiian Department, prepare for the defense of the islands. They ask their seniors in Washington for additional men and equipment to insure a proper defense of military instillations. -
mr washington
U.S. intelligence officers continue to monitor Japanese secret messages. In a program code-named Magic, U.S. intelligence uses a machine to decode Japan's diplomatic dispatches. Washington does not communicate all the available information to all commands, including Short and Kimmel in Hawaii. -
the suprise attack
Joseph C. Grew, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, wires Washington that he has learned that Japan is planning a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. No one in Washington believes the information. Most senior American military experts believe the Japanese would attack Manila in the Philippine Islands if war broke out.
