The Failure of Intelligence: A Case Study of the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor

This history essay discusses the failure of intelligence that led to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and the controversies surrounding it. It also suggests ways to improve intelligence reporting and techniques.

History essay
History essay
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History essay
Generally, the success of the Japanese attack on the Pearl Harbour basically illustrates
a case study of national awareness which has highly influenced military leaders in the USA1.
This started since December 7, 1941. Despite the in-depth investigations done on this issue,
the circumstances surrounding the attack remained controversial. The reason for the attack
was termed as the failure of intelligence. Every professional leader in a military group acts
with utmost integrity so as to ensure mistakes done in the military. The case study explains
how lack of intelligence led to the attack on Pearl Harbor.
In addition,key elements of intelligence in US was illustrated in d various
ways.Different scholars and writers in the state argued that the attack was due to the failure of
the USA intelligence system to give the appropriate information to the entire government and
also to the military decision-makers in the state2. The intelligence community had appropriate
information that was not disseminated before the attack. By examining the whole history of
US intelligence group it was clear that the failure was affected by the adequate time for
Japanese military preparations.Also, utilization of the information from the military decision
makers was also another opportunity that geared this attack. The whole concept of Pearl
Harbour tends to be too valuable to be lost for revisionism. It shows a basis for teaching US
future benefits to the government and also to the military leaders. The information gives a
sense of having a clear use of intelligence for national preparedness benefits. As an aspect of
recalling the future generation may repeat the same incidence and therefore there is a need to
check power capabilities possessed by the appropriate nations.
1 Mahnken, Thomas G. "China's anti-access strategy in historical and theoretical perspective."
The
Journal of Strategic Studies 34, no. 3 (2011): 299-323.
2 Trautman, Lawrence J. "Is Cyberattack the Next Pearl Harbor."
NCJL & Tech. 18 (2016): 233.

History essay
First and foremost let's describe some of the key issues which describe the important aspect
of intelligence. This suggests that Pearl Harbor was an intelligence. This indicates that not all
the military organization. Not only in the entire naval military intelligence but also there was
a failure in the other sectors3. Different scholars have revealed that many including the FBI
and the fielding Donovan organization too. It was through the Magic and most of US military
leaders were unable to read what the Japanese ambassadors and other European leaders were
saying on that day.US noted that Japanese had spies who used to report on what was
happening in US military. This caught the US unaware since spies had already revealed the
apt information needed by the attack. This raised an issue on the aspect of human failure in
intelligence and also failed to signal changes in the US.
This raised a question to the president on why both signal and human intelligence in the US
failed at that high degree. This question was indeed a big issue and basis of operation. The
answer was only found by thoroughly examining how the intelligence team in the US was
highly misused or unused during the havoc. However, a one to one clue can be used to trace
the inevitable attack by the Japanese. In fact, a member in intelligence team had warned the
president on the anticipated attacker but no one could believe4. The information spread in the
entire state but many misinterpreted what was conveyed by arguing that the Japanese were
unable to attack Pearl Harbour. Japanese demanded the US not to increase the military group.
This was the idea of measuring the US intelligence since Japanese new that they would
3 Koblentz, Gregory D. "Predicting peril or the peril of prediction? Assessing the risk of CBRN
terrorism."
Terrorism and Political Violence 23, no. 4 (2011): 501-520.
4 Marston, Daniel.
The Pacific War Companion: From Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima. Bloomsbury
Publishing, 2011.

History essay
conquer the available military. In fact, no one could explain how the Japanese were a threat to
the US until everything came out on the day of the attack.
The central debate on the aspect of intelligence is based on the questions which were mostly
targeting the performance of the Allied American5. The failure resulted in the failure of code
breaking and direction funding which failed to reveal Japanese means and intentions in the
North Pacific before the attack on the Pearl Harbour. According to the arguments revealed by
the traditionalist one notice that description by the Allied-American on the diplomatic and
other related naval code did result in any warning on the attack in Pearl Harbor. One could
not get any single information encrypted in Japanese documents describing the attack. Has
means there was no single warning about the attack on Pearl Harbour by the Japanese. Some
of the revisionists in the US believed that the encrypted information had what the Japanese
intended to do but they lacked the primary evidence to prove. Also, it has been known that
US military intelligence at some points they used the safecracking technique so as to get
appropriate Japanese codebooks. Furthermore in 1941 US had interpreted a number of
Japanese messages that different historians had believed they pointed the Pearl Harbor
attack6. It was unusual for the British in the US to translate some of the Japanese messages.
This was so much insecure thus affecting the US intelligence exchange process. Some of this
messages from Japanese revealed their plans to attack the North Pacific - Pearl Harbor. At
this time no one could believe the messages but they all summarized the intelligence scheme
from all interception.
5 Horowitz, Irving.
The imperial republic: the United States and the world 1945-1973. Routledge, 2017.
6 Turner, Michael A.
Historical Dictionary of United States Intelligence. Rowman & Littlefield, 2014.

History essay
On the aspect of historical context, communication intelligence in the US was
identified as the help for the Allied. This was seen through government used to protect the
intelligence secrets. Memoirs and a large number of history played a huge impact on the
wartime topics7. The relevance of the topic is described in apt manner. This suggests that
beyond all selections of evidence by the Historians then we tend to realize that there was a
high degree of hostility towards the form of revisionism identified during attacker to the Pearl
Harbor. In addition just to mention a brief history one tend to realize that Pearl Harbor will be
fought subject which many will debate for a long period of time. The history shows that there
were some individuals who could communicate what Japanese had planned about the attack
Pearl Harbor. By considering the 1941 witness including the Leslie Grogan and also Johan
Ranneft then we get to realize that the thesis for an official in the US had the ability and
predict Japanese attack. This history basis for the topic formed a foundation for the break of
Second World War. In this manner, the intelligence studied helps to reveal the unique insight
offered in the decision-making process8. Adequate intelligence existed in the US back in
1941 and this could help them if only they checked for the encrypted document released by
the Japanese. Integrating and cross-checking available evidence is a way of measuring the
intelligence basis.
United States was unable to predict or detect the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
because of reasons such as;
7 Sutter, Robert G.
The United States and Asia: Regional dynamics and twenty-first-century relations.
Rowman & Littlefield, 2015.
8 Otfinoski, Steven.
Day of Infamy: The Story of the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Capstone, 2015.

History essay
Many scholars and authors have continuously acknowledged that the surprise that Japanese's
got in the massive attack on Pearl Harbor highly resulted from an increased failure of the
United States Intelligence units to offer that information to both the authority and those
implemented decisions in the military9. These sources typically presume that the intelligence
society had vital information that was much misunderstood, wrongly interpreted or
inappropriately disseminated before the eve of the attack. Various revisionist adheres to
existing conspiracy theories and acquires a belief that top officers hid information in order to
contribute to World War II.
They cite the highly initial classified information as historical based evidence for their
assertions. There also existed inaccurate viewpoints since the mostly reflected on
misunderstanding the ultimate abilities and key information that was given to the U.S
intelligence community just before the attack incident occurred at Pearl Harbor10. One can
disapprove these allegations by just evaluating the history of US intelligence society and the
increased knowledge of Japanese military panels while preparing for offensive events.
The controversies on why the available American forces present in Hawaii were so much
unprepared for the Japanese Pearl Harbor attack incident continuous in the modern era.
According to the US Senate and House of Representatives, the official members indicated
that the event that occurred at Pearl Harbor resulted from a failure of Army and Navy. It is
quite evident that the Army and Navy have comprised of the attendant increase in high
9 Asada, Sadao. From Mahan to Pearl Harbor: The Imperial Japanese Navy and the United
States. Naval Institute Press, 2013.
10 Feis, H., 2015. China Tangle: The American Effort in China from Pearl Harbor to the
Marshall Mission. Princeton University Press.

History essay
caliber personnel and instruments of war, failed to provide important measures designated to
detect and know about an upcoming hostile activity11. With this particular war realization and
knowledge, they would have been able to be ready and enact measures that would help in
repelling the disaster.
The US Hawaiian commanders and forces literally failed to discharge their fully given
mandate and responsibilities and take the full interest of the warnings issued out from
Washington DC Also other important message possessed, relayed and also in full conformity
with the principle of emergency command by use of mutual cooperation. They also failed to
highly integrate and coordinate other defensive facilities and forces and also to make the
Army and Navy available aware of the impending attacks. Thus they did not follow the
correctly laid out protocol of dealing with warnings and intelligence.
They also failed to effectively liaison which was aimed at acquainting all of the forces with
the consequent operations of each other. This was appropriate and important to the joint
security forces which would lead to an increased exchange of core intelligence provided.
The Hawaiian commands failed to highly maintain an optimum critical reconnaissance within
the constraints of the war equipment. They were unable to implement an aspect of readiness
in the entire army and navy which are utilized in meeting and suppressing all probable
attacks. They were unable to employ the required facilities, war materials, and high caliber or
skilled personnel who are ready at their command12. These adequate policies would have
11 Nakamura, Masanori. The Japanese Monarchy, 1931-91: Ambassador Grew and the
Making of the" Symbol Emperor System": Ambassador Grew and the Making of the" Symbol
Emperor System". Routledge, 2016
12 Dahl, Erik J. Intelligence and surprise attack: Failure and success from Pearl Harbor to
9/11 and beyond. Georgetown University Press, 2013.

History essay
reduced the impacts of the attack in repelling the attackers. The commanders failed to
appreciate the merits of intelligence reports and other crucial information conveyed to them
from various parties. These particular erroneous acts done by the Hawaii Army and Navy
commanders formed errors of the judgment's a matter of fact they were not errors of
derelictions of responsibilities13.
Also, the War Plans Division in the existing war department had a failure by not discharging
its mandate and direct role or duty to offer advice to the commanding general on the
immediate course of action. The person in charge had not adequately alerted the department
after getting the instructions and reports on the same. In as much there were many officers
under watch, evidence shows that all the in charge departments were not sufficiently made
aware.
However, the most significant reason why the US failed to detect the surprise attack is that
the attack was successfully done in a thorough and careful manner. They were much prepared
to execute the attack. Diplomatic codes could not be broken and message leaked since ship
radios that could be detected by intelligence services were highly encrypted and complete
radio silence assembled and reinforced14. The training and practice of the impending attack
on Pearl Harbor was done in a remote region. In the plan, ship officers and admirals were not
adequately informed. The United States had no access on the ground intelligence assets in the
Harbor before the attack was carried out. No westerner could carry out secret contacts with
officers in the Japanese military and government authorities. The route identified conducive
13 Voss, James F. "Informal reasoning and international relations." In Informal reasoning and
education, pp. 55-76. Routledge, 2012.
14 Prange, Gordon W., Donald M. Goldstein, and Katherine V. Dillon. December 7, 1941:
The Day the Japanese Attacked Pearl Harbor. Open Road Media, 2014

History essay
for the incident was hidden from the realization by sea lanes for commercial cruises so that
there existed fewer opportunities to being discovered. The officers were ignorant and thought
that such a small nation could not make a huge attack or wage war against the USA.15 The
intelligence units in the US Army Air force campaign in Hawaii had inadequate resources
such as insufficient long-range patrol craft which would have been properly utilized in the
maintenance of ocean and other directions. This lack of adequate resources led to the failure
of the local commanders to carry out various surveillance around the Hawaii regions. These
would have immediately detected the Japanese's attack fleet before they had a chance to
launch the dangerous attack.
Suggestions
The bomb plot message indicated that US intelligence should have the capability to highly
accumulate raw message send then have high interception rates and interpret read message. It
suggested that they should have to produce finished intelligence by knowing the significance
of the intelligence message in future.
In conclusion, there should be useful reporting system and technique. The US forces
were quite slow to highly adopt the radar technology which would have discovered the
Japanese attack planes on the available radar scopes. Despite all these everyone in the forces
with sufficient ranks should clearly understand the correct meaning for observations and
alerts. Evidently, Pearl Harbor was a complete intelligence failure 16.Conversely, some of the
conspiracy theorists argue that Roosevelt deliberately ignored provided intelligence regarding
15 Wheeler, Gerald E. Prelude to Pearl Harbor: The United States Navy and the Far East,
1921-1931. Pickle Partners Publishing, 2017.

History essay
the impending attack with in order to acquire a legitimate capacity to declare war on Japan.
We need not to ignore information’s from various sources .There was a memo that showed
that Japan was attempting to contemplate a kind of military insurgency which was denied and
ignored by intelligence officials. Ambassadors in Washington were never made aware of the
plan neither were Japanese diplomats and consular officials alerted. Strike ships were also not
radioed thus cryptanalyst was unable to discover the impending attack plan.
Bibliography
Asada, Sadao. From Mahan to Pearl Harbor: The Imperial Japanese Navy and the United
States. Naval Institute Press, 2013.
Dahl, Erik J. Intelligence and surprise attack: Failure and success from Pearl Harbor to 9/11
and beyond. Georgetown University Press, 2013.
Dower, John W. Cultures of War: Pearl Harbor/Hiroshima/9-11/Iraq. WW Norton &
Company, 2010.
16 Dower, John W. Cultures of War: Pearl Harbor/Hiroshima/9-11/Iraq. WW Norton &
Company, 2010.

History essay
Feis, H., 2015. China Tangle: The American Effort in China from Pearl Harbor to the
Marshall Mission. Princeton University Press.
Horowitz, Irving.
The imperial republic: the United States and the world 1945-1973. Routledge, 2017.
Koblentz, Gregory D. "Predicting peril or the peril of prediction? Assessing the risk of CBRN
terrorism."
Terrorism and Political Violence 23, no. 4 (2011): 501-520.
Mahnken, Thomas G. "China's anti-access strategy in historical and theoretical perspective."
The
Journal of Strategic Studies 34, no. 3 (2011): 299-323.
Marston, Daniel.
The Pacific War Companion: From Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima. Bloomsbury
Publishing, 2011.
Nakamura, Masanori. The Japanese Monarchy, 1931-91: Ambassador Grew and the Making
of the" Symbol Emperor System": Ambassador Grew and the Making of the" Symbol
Emperor System". Routledge, 2016.
Otfinoski, Steven.
Day of Infamy: The Story of the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Capstone, 2015.
Prange, Gordon W., Donald M. Goldstein, and Katherine V. Dillon. December 7, 1941: The
Day the Japanese Attacked Pearl Harbor. Open Road Media, 2014.
Sutter, Robert G.
The United States and Asia: Regional dynamics and twenty-first-century relations.
Rowman & Littlefield, 2015.
Trautman, Lawrence J. "Is Cyberattack the Next Pearl Harbor."
NCJL & Tech. 18 (2016): 233.
Turner, Michael A.
Historical Dictionary of United States Intelligence. Rowman & Littlefield, 2014.
Voss, James F. "Informal reasoning and international relations." In Informal reasoning and
education, pp. 55-76. Routledge, 2012.
Wheeler, Gerald E. Prelude to Pearl Harbor: The United States Navy and the Far East,
1921-1931. Pickle Partners Publishing, 2017.