Discuss Time Rider
Notes: As this story
focuses on the attack on Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941, here are
some facts of that historic attack.
According to wikipedia.org,
Japanese tactics for attack
Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo commanded the Carrier Striking Task
Force for the attack The task force was ordered (Order Number 7) to
engage the enemy fleet if encountered. The whole operation was
obviously meant to be conducted in secret. In fact, a commercial
freighter had scouted the proposed route earlier in the year.
Isoroku Yamamoto and senior Navy staff intended there be three waves
of attack, but Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo decided to break off
after the second. There were also supporting submarines and midget
submarines assigned to engage U.S. ships should they succeed in
leaving the harbor. The location of the attack force remained
unknown to the U.S. until after the Japanese pilots were already on
the return to the Eastern Pacific; they were not located after the
attack, in part because such searches as were organized were
conducted south of Oahu. (This was in part because of direction
finding mistakenly placing searchers on a reciprocal bearing.) The
total number of planes involved in the aerial attack was
350.[citation needed] Ninety-one planes were engaged in protection
of aircraft carriers and other ships during the attack. The fleet
launched 200 miles (370km) north of Oahu.On the home leg, the task
force was instructed to respond aggressively should American forces
locate and engage them, and re-routed south to the friendly base in
the Marshall Islands.
Pre-attack reconnaissance
On December 5, intelligence officer Yoshikawa went on his final
“sight-seeing” flight over Pearl Harbor in a small Piper Cub. He
cabled Tokyo that there were 8 battleships, 3 light cruisers, and 16
destroyers in the harbor. Also, two planes from the 8th
Cruiser Division secretly scouted the Hawaii for the US aircraft
carriers and targets, and so for the possibility of counter-attack.
First wave attack units
Crewmen aboard Shokaku waving to the planes taking offThe first wave
of attack consisted of 49 "Kate" level bombers, 51 "Val" dive
bombers, 40 "Kate" torpedo bombers and 43 "Zeke" fighters (a total
of 183), launched north of Oahu, led by Captain Mitsuo Fuchida. This
wave included
1st Group (Captain Mitsuo Fuchida)
1st-4th Attack Units - 50 Nakajima B5Ns with 800 kg (1760 lb) armor
piercing high altitude bombs
1st-4th Torpedo Attack Units - 40 Nakajima B5Ns with Type 91
torpedoes
2nd Group (Lt. Cmdr. Takahashi)
15th and 16th Attack Units - 55 Aichi D3As with 550 lb anti-ground
bombs
3rd Group (Lt. Cmdr. Itaya)
1st-6th Fighter Combat Units - 45 Mitsubishi A6Ms for air control
and strafing
The first attack wave was divided into six formations with one
directed to Wheeler Field. Each of the aerial waves started with the
bombers and ended with the fighters to deter pursuit.
Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers preparing to take off
Second wave attack units
The second wave consisted of 54 level bombers, 78 dive bombers and
35 fighter (a total of 167), launched from much the same location,
led by Lieutenant-Commander Shigekazu Shimazaki. This wave was
composed of
1st Group (Lt. Cmdr. Shigekazu Shimazaki)
5th and 6th Attack Units - 54 Nakajima B5Ns with 550 lb anti-ground
bombs and 120 lb general purpose bombs
2nd Group (Lt. Cmdr. Egusa)
11th-14th Attack Units - 78 Aichi D3As with 550 lb ordinary dive
bombs
3rd Group (Lt. Cmdr. Shindo)
1st-4th Fighter Combat Units - 36 Mitsubishi A6Ms for air control
and strafing
The second wave was divided into four formations with one formation
tasked to Kāneʻohe Marine Corps Base away from Pearl Harbor proper
and the rest sent against the main naval base. The separate sections
arrived at the attack point almost simultaneously, from several
directions.
Post attack
For post attack survey, some fighters were scheduled to fly as low
and fast as possible to study the damage inflicted to the targets.
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