|
|
When Ordinary Americans Were a Great PeopleWhen Ordinary Americans Were a Great People Twentieth Century Fox released the film “Tora, Tora, Tora” on 23 September 1970. This magnificent film tells the story of the Japanese attack on the American military base at Pearl Harbor sixty-six years ago. It is unusual for two reasons. 20th Century Fox organized two production crews to make this movie: a Japanese crew in Japan and an American crew in the United States. The film approaches the events like an unbiased documentary. Nothing is dramatized on the screen that the director Richard Fleischer believed was not factual. He selected actors for the American roles who would not detract attention from the events by their “star” quality. The heroes, villains, and fools reveal themselves; the audience cannot anticipate these roles by knowing the names of the actors. What one sees on the screen is the accurate replication of what actually happened in the light of the best historical research then available. The film is objective, but it is never boring. People who have been programmed by the current American media machine will be surprised to learn that there were two sides to the dispute that led to war with Japan. Japan was engaged in a long and costly war with China. President Roosevelt was supporting China and had moved the United States Pacific Fleet from its normal base at Sand Diego to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The film shows the Japanese government believed that this transfer was like “aiming a dagger at the heart of Japan.” The film shows that the commander of the United State Pacific was replaced because he had objected to the transfer of the fleet to Pearl Harbor. He had regarded Pearl Harbor as a “mouse trap”’. There is only one narrow entrance to Pearl Harbor. If the Japanese sank one ship in the harbor entrance the entire, the entire fleet would be “bottled up” for months. The new commander of the United States Pacific Fleet, Admiral Kimmel promised that he would try to get the fleet moved back to San Diego. He is never shown to have kept this promise. He also knew British torpedo planes had recently sunk three Italian battleships in a harbor similar to Pearl Harbor, but Admiral Kimmel relied on the opinion of the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Stark that it could not happen at Pearl Harbor because the water was too shallow for airdropped torpedoes. The film dramatizes the fact that United States could decipher the Japanese diplomatic code faster than the Japanese could do it themselves. American military intelligence knew what Tokyo was telling its ambassadors in Washington and the American government could make its plans accordingly. During the year that led up to the attack, the Japanese government decided to counter the American threat by making an alliance with Germany and Italy. When FDR cut off the export of oil to Japan, Japan decided that it had to conquer alternative sources of oil in the Pacific and to anticipate an American military response. Admiral Yamamoto became the Commander in Chief of the Japanese Fleet. He concluded that the threat of the American Pacific Fleet had to be addressed. He decided that a plan was needed to cripple the American fleet at Pearl Harbor. He assigned a Naval Air Staff Officer, Minoru Genda, to draw up a plan of attack. Genda devised a plan that called for a six aircraft carrier task force to cross the Pacific and attack Pearl Harbor with bombs and the “new” shallow water torpedoes on a weekend morning. At Perl Harbor, Admiral Kimmel and the new United States Army commander if Hawaii, General Short, had a joint Army-Navy committee evaluate the risks to Pearl Harbor from the Japanese. Admiral Kimmel quotes the report. His experts told him that the Japanese were likely to attack Pearl Harbor by surprise with a six aircraft carrier task force on a weekend. He is advised that Pearl Harbor needs 180 more airplanes for three hundred and sixty degree reconnaissance. The Admiral criticizes his experts for “asking for the moon.” He does not order the fleet to be especially alert on weekends. Although the United States Pacific Fleet had three aircraft carriers, General Short was responsible for the defense of the fleet from air attack. General Short decided that the most crucial danger to Pearl Harbor was sabotage by the one hundred and thirty thousand Japanese working in the Hawaiian Islands. He ordered the United States Army Air Force gather all its airplanes in tight groups in the center of the airfields so that they could be surrounded by guards. He did recognize the potential of an attack from the air. He is shown making the decision to fight the United States Department of the Interior so that the newly invented radar units could be installed on higher locations inside the Hawaiian national park. The film does not show whether he was told that the radar installations were not supplied with telephones until December 6, 1941; nor that the radars were only operating from 4 AM until 7 AM. The film shows the tension increasing in Washington where military intelligence from the broken Japanese diplomatic code was delivered to the President and to the top brass – but not to the commanders at Pearl Harbor. Washington knows that the Japanese have set a time limit to negotiations with the United States “after which things are automatically going to happen.” Washington sends repeated warning to the commanders at Pearl Harbor and the commanders repeatedly put their forces on alert. The film shows that the warnings were frequently phrased in ways that provoked confusion and that they suggested that Japan was going to attack – but not at Pearl Harbor. Washington ordered the aircraft carriers to leave Pearl Harbor. Admiral Kimmel decided to keep the rest of the fleet in the harbor since he no longer had naval air protection. By the morning of December 7th, Washington knew that Japan had instructed its Ambassadors to deliver a note to the American government breaking off diplomatic relations at “precisely 1 PM” Washington time. Washington also knew that the Japanese embassy had been ordered to destroy its code machine, ciphers, and all sensitive documents as soon as it had finished deciphering the note breaking off diplomatic relations with the United States. The film shows the Chief of Naval Operation rejecting advice to phone Admiral Kimmel and tell him that Japan had insisted on its final note being delivered when it was dawn in Hawaii. The film shows General Marshall, Chief of Staff of the United States Army electing to alert all American forces in the Pacific by wireless message. It also makes it clear that the message had to be put into code before it could be sent and that it would have to be decoded in Hawaii before it could be delivered to General Short. In the very short time available before the attack to warn Hawaii, not picking up the scrambler telephone and telephoning General Short was not the best possible decision. The movie is rich with dialogue taken from life and a recreation of the attack that will amaze you. Minoru Genda survived the war. Many decades ago I happened to see him as a guest on an American daytime television show. The host asked him how he felt about the Pearl harbor attack twenty years afterward. Genda replied that he had always thought that the Japanese Navy should have sent in a second attack wave and destroyed the American oil storage tanks and repair facilities. The audience grew very silent; then they applauded his forthrightness. Americans showed themselves to be a people to be proud of. Posted by Robert Reis on Thursday, March 13, 2008 at 03:57 AM in Military Matters Comments:2
Posted by Desmond Jones on March 14, 2008, 01:31 AM | # Pat Buchanan:
Why would FDR provoke Japan to instigate war with Germany? The Battle of Britain had ended. On December 4, 1941, Guderian’s Panzers were in the suburbs of Moscow.
It is alleged Harry Dexter White submitted a note, with Secretary Morgenthau’s signature, in late November, 1941, to FDR:
Buchanan:
FDR left helpless American troops on Corregidor, to the brutality of the Japs and the Bataan death march. It appears he had more pressing interests in Europe. Whatever might they have been? 4
Posted by A Casual Observer on March 15, 2008, 12:21 AM | # Washington ordered the aircraft carriers to leave Pearl Harbor. Admiral Kimmel decided to keep the rest of the fleet in the harbor since he no longer had naval air protection. No aircraft carriers were docked in Pearl Harbor before the attack. There was no such order. The Lexington and Enterprise were heading back from Wake Island and the Saratoga was near San Diego. 5
Posted by Robert Reis on March 15, 2008, 03:06 AM | # The Lexington and the Enterprise had been based at Pearl Harbor and were sent from Pearl Harbor to Wake and Guam just prior to the attack. Japanese agents were ordered to report the location of each ship in Pearl Harbor to Tokyo. Washington knew this. Washington did not inform Kimmel or Short. This was not shown in the film. The film does show Japanese officers discussing the intelligence reports about the U.S. Navy ships at Pearl Harbor as their attack force approached. It was noted that only one aircraft carrier was at Pearl Harbor and then that there were no aircraft carriers at Pearl. Cheers, Robert 6
Posted by A Casual Observer on March 15, 2008, 05:56 PM | # The Lexington and the Enterprise had been based at Pearl Harbor and were sent from Pearl Harbor to Wake and Guam just prior to the attack. Now you’re making up stuff, Robert. The Enterprise was deployed out of Pearl Harbor on Nov 28 to Wake Island, long before the order to launch the attack had been given (“climb Mount Niitaka” on Dec 2). The Lexington left on Dec 5. Kimmel was under the impression that he needed to strengthen other bases which is why he deployed them. The movement of the carriers was not based on data concerning a potential Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. 7
Posted by Robert Reis on March 15, 2008, 11:56 PM | # Your posts are self-contradictory. You stated that no aircraft carriers were docked at Pearl Harbor prior to the attack while also stating simultaneously they were returning to Pearl Harbor. It is impossible to “deploy” a ship from a place where it was not docked. Further posts by you will be ignored. 9
Posted by A Casual Observer on March 16, 2008, 03:55 AM | # You stated that no aircraft carriers were docked at Pearl Harbor prior to the attack while also stating simultaneously they were returning to Pearl Harbor. I never stated they weren’t stationed there. What I stated is that they were deployed away from that station long before the attack occurred. The deployment of the carriers had nothing to do with trying to get them out of there before the Japanese attacked. You’re simply wrong on this. Even revisionist historians have never stated what you’re now stating. 10
Posted by Robert Reis on March 16, 2008, 10:48 PM | # Interesting views about a new book about World War II. Levi Asher is astoundingly balanced in his views and the discussion about the book is fascinating. http://www.litkicks.com/BakerSmoke/ http://www.calendarlive.com/books/bookreview/cl-bk-kurlansky9mar09,0,7528911.story 11
Posted by skeptical on March 16, 2008, 10:54 PM | # I am so sick and tired of WWII. This singular moment in history seems to obscure so much of what should be obvious to our people today. 12
Posted by Bill on March 23, 2008, 05:17 PM | # “Americans showed themselves to be a people to be proud of.” 12 0’Clock High I too, first saw 12 O’ Clock High in the mid 1970’s when on a management training course, the film so impressed me that the impact has remained with me to this day, I had always had a keen interest in World War II, especially the air war, so it was a real treat to unexpectedly stumble across this rare gem of a film. 12 O’ Clock High is a truly excellent film, set in wartime Britain in the summer/autumn of 1942, when the infant US Eight Air Force commenced it’s daylight bombing campaign on the continent of Europe. Three years into the war, Germany was the master of fortress Europe and virtually untouched, the only means to come to grips with the enemy was by air bombardment of its major industries, thus denying Germany of the means to wage war. The depiction of this film has been so well documented by previous reviewers here that I think I will comment just on my personal preferences. But first - I have one gripe about this superb film, so I will get it over and done with quickly. Why oh why did they not shoot this film on location in England? As an Englishman I could see immediately the surrounding countryside in which the airfield was depicted was definitely not England, which had the effect (for me) that certainly detracted from the authenticity and legitimacy of the film, not only that, the film could have been expanded to include the ‘being in wartime England feel’ - fond memories of (pubs, passes spent in London, the local village etc.) that I guess all participants of the air war took back home with them to America - to remain with them always. The opening scenes are probably the most poignant for me throughout the whole film, I especially liked the opening sequences in a post war London, the purchasing of a hat which causes the wearer to pause and look at his reflection in a nearby antique shop window where he spots the Toby Jug – (which has special significance for him and his story - he immediately recognises the jug which used to reside over the fireplace of his mess at his wartime bomber airfield, usually the Jug sat on the mantelpiece facing the wall, however, when a mission was planned the talisman jug was turned around to face the crews – which is a heart thumping moment for them and the viewer.) The gentleman enters the shop, purchases the Jug and asks the owner to pack the Jug safely. The buyer of the hat and Toby Jug is next seen as a lone occupant in a railway carriage compartment, pulling up at the wayside station of Archbury in the heart of Eastern England. By now, he has acquired a bicycle and approaches down a country lane to what is obviously an abandoned World War II airfield, he dismounts, props his cycle against a fence and commences to explore this deserted place, he is deep in thought as he paces the end of the overgrown runway, accompanied by the almost inaudible haunting refrain of half remembered wartime melodies. The viewer is startled by the abrupt cough of an unseen B17’s engine, which explodes into life in the head of the gentleman trespasser and viewer alike. The sky is overcast with sweeping rain clouds, on a nearby concrete apron the nodding grasses bend in unison in response to the down drought of the plane’s props, the bespectacled trespasser removes his spectacles and absently wipes the lens, he is obviously moved. The still imaginary plane’s engines, (now all four) are at a full throttle, flattening the grass. The gentleman’s name is later revealed as Major Stovall, the former Air Exec of the 318th. Bombardment Group here at Archbury - from this moment, I am hooked, the whole film’s story unfolds through the eyes of this man. The film immediately plunges you into the imagery of air war, the tension is deceptive as ground crews while away the time, waiting edgedly for returning aircraft from a raid, ‘Here they come’ Very light distress signals shoot away from a struggling battle damaged B17, wounded on board, the tension is palpable, here’s another – no undercarriage, ploughing furrows in the adjacent grass as he misses the runway and wildly slithers to a stop - hotly pursued by ambulances and crash crews, the removal of a dismembered arm from a just landed aircraft, wrapped in a blanket and carted away in ambulance, the crew still in shock, the dreadful injuries sustained under fighter and flak attack at 25 thousand feet are revealed as crews are extricated from their landed aircraft, harrowing accounts of the mission by the returning crews at briefing, the desperately required medical treatment for the injured, of battle damage that needs urgent fixing for the next mission, and lastly of course, the stark reality of those who did not return and soon become a never ending procession of blurred faces in Stovall’s vision,, that in the end, Stovall could no longer remember who they were. A recurrent theme throughout the film was the chain of command structure and the responsibility of each link, (hence the management theme) which provided an excellent insight of how each participant viewed his part in the grand scheme of things, sounds predictable perhaps but this theme was central to the whole film and constantly held the viewer’s riveted attention. 318 Group is a hard-luck outfit. Col. Davenport, C. O. of 318 Group is bemoaning of the hard luck afflicting the group, which, in turn is causing casualties and losses. HQ’s Brig. General Savage (Gregory Peck) consults with his Major General Boss on getting to the bottom of the troubles affecting the group and agree that Col. Keith Davenport the group’s present C.O. is the problem (over identifying with his men) with the resultant hard luck of the group – the much respected Keith has got to go! (Moved to HQ) Peck’s Major Gen. boss asks him to go down and nose around to ‘find out” what the problem is and report back – Brig. General Savage agrees. (Could he do otherwise?) From now on, the remainder of the film is all about Gen.Savage’s (Peck’s) efforts and involvement in turning round the 318 from a hard luck outfit into a cohesive, effective fighting unit, and from his first entrance into the airfield through a lax security guard, the action both on the ground and in the air is fascinatingly gripping. The air shots of B17’s in formation flying on operational flights over enemy territory are superb, not surprising really as actual wartime footage is extensively used, even when passing through exploding flack and under attack from ME109’s and FW 190’s. The climax of the film is reached when a drained Gen. Savage is taken out to his plane to lead a maximum effort, I will not give the end away other than to say, if you want to see a film about fighting men and the challenges of leadership, then this film is it. Peck ‘s performance is superb, as were the rest of the cast. Note. As already suggested, get the DVD for a rainy day. To those at MR fed up with WWII or not, this film is all about what our parents and grand parents were made of, and it’s not far off the mark. 13
Posted by Fred Scrooby on March 23, 2008, 05:28 PM | # That was a first-rate review, Bill — it could easily have been written by a professional writer. You should have submitted it! Thanks for posting that! Next entry: Debunking the Myth of White Privilege (Draft) Previous entry: Opinion professionals in Rome |
|
Existential IssuesWhite Genocide ProjectOf note
Recent CommentsAlso see trash folder. Zenwheeli commented in entry 'A Line in the Sand' on 05/24/12, 08:32 PM. (go) (view) Neurrydar commented in entry 'A Line in the Sand' on 05/24/12, 07:57 PM. (go) (view) ZNyasare commented in entry 'This thread business' on 05/24/12, 07:10 PM. (go) (view) Wandrin commented in entry 'Golden Dawn - Greece' on 05/24/12, 04:44 PM. (go) (view) Lee John Barnes commented in entry 'Golden Dawn - Greece' on 05/24/12, 03:20 PM. (go) (view) grecian commented in entry 'Golden Dawn - Greece' on 05/24/12, 03:10 PM. (go) (view) Wandrin commented in entry 'Golden Dawn - Greece' on 05/24/12, 02:04 PM. (go) (view) Salvatore Quinto commented in entry 'More on the Indian beauty question' on 05/24/12, 12:47 PM. (go) (view) Classic Sparkle commented in entry 'Golden Dawn - Greece' on 05/24/12, 12:07 PM. (go) (view) Cobus commented in entry 'A genocide in South Africa' on 05/24/12, 10:14 AM. (go) (view) daniel commented in entry 'Golden Dawn - Greece' on 05/24/12, 09:49 AM. (go) (view) uh commented in entry 'Golden Dawn - Greece' on 05/24/12, 08:54 AM. (go) (view) daniel commented in entry 'Golden Dawn - Greece' on 05/24/12, 07:41 AM. (go) (view) uh commented in entry 'Golden Dawn - Greece' on 05/24/12, 07:18 AM. (go) (view) daniel commented in entry 'Golden Dawn - Greece' on 05/24/12, 06:53 AM. (go) (view) Swan commented in entry 'The facial proportions of beautiful people' on 05/24/12, 06:48 AM. (go) (view) Swan commented in entry 'The facial proportions of beautiful people' on 05/24/12, 06:47 AM. (go) (view) daniel commented in entry 'Golden Dawn - Greece' on 05/24/12, 06:32 AM. (go) (view) Guest commented in entry 'The Torment of the Mulattoes' on 05/24/12, 06:17 AM. (go) (view) daniel commented in entry 'Beyond the 14 words' on 05/24/12, 03:05 AM. (go) (view) Lee John Barnes commented in entry 'Golden Dawn - Greece' on 05/24/12, 02:31 AM. (go) (view) daniel commented in entry 'Golden Dawn - Greece' on 05/24/12, 02:03 AM. (go) (view) Captainchaos commented in entry 'Beyond the 14 words' on 05/23/12, 11:08 PM. (go) (view) Captainchaos commented in entry 'Golden Dawn - Greece' on 05/23/12, 09:13 PM. (go) (view) Leon Haller commented in entry 'Golden Dawn - Greece' on 05/23/12, 07:47 PM. (go) (view) Swan commented in entry 'Indian beauty' on 05/23/12, 12:52 PM. (go) (view) Lee John Barnes commented in entry 'Golden Dawn - Greece' on 05/23/12, 12:45 PM. (go) (view) Swan commented in entry 'More on the Indian beauty question' on 05/23/12, 12:31 PM. (go) (view) Leon Haller commented in entry 'Beyond the 14 words' on 05/23/12, 11:43 AM. (go) (view) Leon Haller commented in entry 'Golden Dawn - Greece' on 05/23/12, 11:32 AM. (go) (view) Mellaba Pechios commented in entry 'Golden Dawn - Greece' on 05/23/12, 07:55 AM. (go) (view) daniel commented in entry 'Beyond the 14 words' on 05/23/12, 03:51 AM. (go) (view) Leon Haller commented in entry 'Golden Dawn - Greece' on 05/22/12, 10:40 PM. (go) (view) Leon Haller commented in entry 'Golden Dawn - Greece' on 05/22/12, 10:40 PM. (go) (view) Leon Haller commented in entry 'Golden Dawn - Greece' on 05/22/12, 10:26 PM. (go) (view) Recent Posts
General NewsScience NewsScience CategoriesAll CategoriesThe WritersEach author's name links to a list of all articles posted by the writer; the hashes link to authors' homepages. LinksEndorsement not implied. Controlled Opposition Crime
General
Immigration
Islam Jews
Nationalist Political Parties
Science Whites in Africa |
Posted by Guessedworker on March 13, 2008, 08:04 PM | #
We were giants, Robert, all of us. And now look at what we have become.
There is some footage of the actual attack here, and it is very similar Richard Fleischer’s recreation, a highly edited part of which (the first wave) can be viewed here (sorry about the music).
I would add that Fleischer’s other credits include the intriguing and rather WNish Soylent Green.