Melber, Takuma Pearl Harbor

Japan's attack and the USA's entry into the war. Hawaii, 7 December 1941, shortly before 8 a.m.: Japanese torpedo bombers of the first attack wave swoop down on the American Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor. For the second time in 30 years, a war becomes a world war. The attack on Pearl Harbor cost the lives of more than 2400 American soldiers, numerous ships and aircraft were damaged. One day later, the American Congress declared war on Japan. On 11 December, Germany responded by declaring war on the USA. Takuma Melber vividly describes the prehistory, course and consequences of the Japanese invasion, around which numerous conspiracy theories are entwined, and brings the dramatic events to life in close-ups of the historical actors. Unlike most Western authors, he also includes the perspective of the Japanese attackers.

Takuma Melber did his doctorate on Japanese occupation policy in Southeast Asia. He is the recipient of the Wilhelm Deist Prize for Military History and was an expert advisor for a ZDF documentary on the Pacific War.


Content:
Prologue I. The Prehistory
The Road to "Pearl Harbor"
The Crisis Intensifies
Japan's Proposals for Conflict Resolution
The Hull Note 75

II. The Japanese War Plan
Admiral Yamamoto and "Operation Hawaii"
The Plan for the Attack
The Kido Butai Sets Sail
Japanese Spies in Hawaii
The First Encounter

III. The attack
.The launch of the first wave of attack
"Tora Tora Tora"
The Battleship Row in the crossfire
The second wave of attack
Egusa's dive bombers

IV. The aftermath
The balance of the attack
The US entry into the war
Prisoner of War Number 1
The Japanese victims of Pearl Harbor
Could "Pearl Harbor" have been prevented?
Conspiracy theories
"Operation K" 195

Epilogue
Notes Further reading Picture credits Index of persons.