Pearl Harbor: A Backdoor to War

13 min readDec 10, 2024

After World War 1 and nearly half a million of lost American lives, the country returned to isolationism with a foreign policy centered on neutrality, such as avoiding intervention in foreign wars. Organizations like the American First Committee, National Council for the Prevention of War, and the Keep America Out of War Congress, led the movement that united both left and right-wing activists. [1][2][3][4]

But isolationism is not good for the business of war, and it had to be crippled again as it had been in the so called “war to end all wars”. The isolationists successfully kept the US out of WW1, until President Woodrow Wilson betrayed his voters and got more than 400,000 Americans killed for “democracy”. This in addition to the hit the economy took from Wilson’s 1917 intervention, left many Americans feeling empty from the war-machine’s fake virtue signaling. [1]

“This present war is a continuation of the old struggle among western nations for the material benefits of the world. It is a struggle by the German people to gain territory and power. It is a struggle by the English and French to prevent another European nation from becoming strong enough to demand a share in influence and empire” — Charles Lindbergh

Charles Lindbergh, Isolationist leader and decorated American Aviator

This post-war isolationist attitude kept the United States from joining the League of Nations, the precursor to the United Nations. Which was later used by interventionists to claim that joining it could’ve prevented WW2. Furthermore interventionists argued that Hitler’s military technology posed a great threat to world and if the British were to fall, they could make their way to the American continent. [1]

So how could the isolation movement be overcome to facilitate America’s WW2 intervention? By inciting Japan into committing an “overt act of war” and unite the American public into spilling its own blood overseas.

The Navy’s 8 Action Provocation Plan

The Navy’s own documents reveal their 8-action plan to incite Japan to attack. This is the McCollum memo, dated October 7th 1940. [5][6]

As you can see from the above document, the Navy itself crafted a plan so that “if by these means [Japan] could be led to commit an overt act of war, so much the better”. Baiting them into doing this would put the isolationist’s arguments in a tough spot, and shock the public into supporting a war in “self-defense”. [5]

Commander Arthur McCollum, a central figure in the Pearl Harbor conspiracy.

The plan was proposed by Commander Arthur McCollum, who was the head of the far east desk of Naval Intelligence, and the one who routed intelligence to President Franklin D Roosevelt (FDR). [5]

Pop-Up Cruisers

Then President Franklin D Roosevelt (FDR)

We know from White House documentation that FDR was aware of this plan and advocated it to his military officers. Action D, which involved sending out US Navy cruisers to provoke Japan for example, was discussed in the letters cited here. [7]

Admiral Harold Stark warned that this could “precipitate hostilities”, and Admiral Kimmel called this “ill advised”. According to Stark, FDR referred to them as “pop-up cruisers” and was alright with potentially losing “one or two cruisers”, which would amount to around 900 dead men each. [7]

FDR sent out 3 pop-up cruisers and succeeded in making Japan publicly protest this directly to the US Embassy in Japan. Australian newspapers announced the presence of US Warships in the South Pacific. Deck logs of the USS Salt Lake City and USS Northampton show evidence of one cruiser taking warships to the South and Central Pacific regions. And another cruiser making it to the Bungo Strait. [6]

At least 12 US submarines were also sent to Manila, as per Action E. [6]

Sitting Ducks

By May of 1940, a large part of the US Fleet was transferred from the West Coast to Pearl Harbor. Before that the Harbor was just a repair and supply base of operations in the region, until FDR ordered the transfer. Was the Fleet sent there for a purpose? [6][8]

Action F instructed to keep the Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor, with the covert goal of providing Japan with a tempting target. FDR called Admiral James Richardson and Admiral William D Leahy into his office on October 8th. Admiral Richardson saw the request as putting the Fleet in danger, and objected to FDR’s orders. [6][8]

This resulted in Richardson being fired and replaced with Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, and Admiral William Anderson when FDR restructured his Navy with less defiant leadership in key positions. Out of the two, Kimmel was left out of the loop on the provocation plan, while Anderson was aware of it. [6][8]

Admiral Husband Kimmel, promoted to become a patsy.

Conveniently a large number of experienced personnel were moved from the Harbor to the Atlantic, leaving mostly newer recruits to man the Pacific Fleet. 6 cruisers, 3 battleships, 6 transports filled with most Marines in the region, and 18 destroyers, were also sent out into the Atlantic. More were to be transferred out, but Admiral Kimmel dissuaded FDR against this. [8]

A week before the attack, DC ordered 2 carriers, the USS Enterprise and USS Lexington and their task groups to deliver 12 Army pursuit planes to Wake and another 12 to Midway. [6][9]

12 made it to Wake, but the USS Lexington did not deliver the planes to Midway, and just sailed around the area. [6]

What remained at the Harbor was mostly old WW1 battleships and planes. This would prevent Japan from destroying the modern and expensive ships, and the planes from defending the Harbor. [6][9]

Embargo

Japan’s Admiral Yamamoto. The one who organized and executed the Pearl Harbor attack.

Actions G and H centered around economic warfare that targeted Japan’s trading. This resulted in seizing $130 billion of their funds, and cutting off resources like oil, coal, metals and other raw materials. These series of economic sanctions signed by FDR himself, such as Executive Order 8832, would greatly cripple the Japanese industry. Together with the British and the Dutch embargoes, Japan found itself in a strangle hold with nothing to lose. [8][10]

“Commercial and economic relations between Japan and third countries, led by England and the United States, are gradually becoming so horribly strained that we cannot endure it much longer. Consequently, our Empire, to save its very life, must take measures to secure the raw materials of the South Seas.” — Secret message from Foreign Minister Teijiro Toyoda to Ambassador Kichisaburo Nomura[10]

Breaking the Codes

An example of Japan’s “5 Number Code”, or “Code Book D”.

While FDR’s small group within the US Navy continued their provocations, Japanese messages were being intercepted by radio experts and decoded by cryptographers. This allowed them to gauge how the 8-action plan was antagonizing the Japanese, and if they were biting into attacking the Pacific Fleet. [6][9][11]

Japan’s military codes had been broken and the US Navy was able to follow Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto’s steps. Yamamoto was the commander in chief of Japan’s Navy, and the man who organized the Pearl Harbor attack. The first leak came in January 1941, when the US embassy in Japan learned that Japan was planning the attack. The US ambassador in Tokyo passed this on to DC, who discounted the report. [6]

The embassy’s report was specific in that the Japanese would attack Pearl Harbor with all of their air forces. But Commander McCollum, the one who wrote the 8-action plan memo, was asked to evaluate the intel and deceptively concluded that there was nothing to it. [6]

Both Admiral Kimmel and General Short were not given the decoded messages, while a small group of conspirators kept the information to themselves. Admiral Anderson along with his very close friend Admiral McCollum, were acting as gatekeepers. [6][11]

General Walter Short was kept out of the loop like Admiral Kimmel. Both were later blamed for the attacks.

The messages were captured by 25 radio monitoring stations in the Pacific Rim — from California to Alaska to the Philippines. The British and the Dutch were also intercepting them. [6][9][11]

2 processing stations were used to break the codes, translate them and give them to their commanders. One was Station CAST located on Corregidor Island in Manila Bay of the Philippines. General Hart and General MacArthur who were conspirators, claim to have sent them to Admiral Kimmel and General Short, but the messages never reached them. [6]

An example of a decoded Japanese message. This one in particular, was conveniently withheld and not translated until after the attack. This was doneto support the official narrative.

Further intercepted messages show Yamamoto organizing his fleet and aircraft carriers into task forces in preparation for the attack. By November 15th, Japan’s forces moved into attacking points against the Philippines and Pearl Harbor. By the 27th, the US Navy was ordered to go into defense with Admiral MacArthur wiring a message that said “Everything is in readiness for the conduct of a successful defense”. The US base in the Philippines was secretly readied into defense, while the Harbor was left in the dark. [6]

As per Captain Homer Kisner, the chief cryptographer at Pearl Harbor, on December 2 they received the Japanese intercepted code “CLIMB MOUNT NIITAKA, 1208 REPEAT 1208”. The message, which was a command referencing an “ultimate offensive” on 12/08 (day ahead, Japan time) was decoded in Station H. [11]

Admiral Kisner says that he sent the message out, but it did not make it to the leadership that was being kept out of the loop. [11]

Another notorious intercepted message was found in Admiral Homer Wallin’s 1968 book “Pearl Harbor Why, How, Fleet Salvage and Final Appraisal”. Some modern historians like to claim that this message is not real, which is a lie as it was originally published by the US Navy’s Naval History Division itself, and it can be found on the Navy’s own website. [14]

Message is from Admiral Yamamoto to Admiral Chuichi Nagumo.

“The task force, keeping its movement strictly secret and maintaining close guard against submarines and aircraft, shall advance into Hawaiian waters, and upon the very opening of hostilities shall attack the main force of the United States Fleet in Hawaii and deal it a mortal blow. The first air raid is planned for the dawn of X-day (exact date to be given by later order).
Upon completion of the air raid, the task force, keeping close coordination and guarding against the enemy’s counterattack, shall speedily leave the enemy waters and then return to Japan.
Should the negotiations with the United States prove successful, the task force shall hold itself in readiness forthwith to return and reassemble. ” [14]

Other intercepted Japanese messages of interest were:

“Don’t give impression negotiations broken off,” Nov. 28, 1941

“Say to Hitler that there is extreme danger war will break out with United States,” Nov. 30, 1941

“The United States regards Japan as an enemy,” Nov. 30, 1941

“To keep United States from becoming unduly suspicious say negotiations are continuing,” December 1, 1941” [6]

For some reason General George Marshall, the Army Chief of Staff, contacted several major newspapers such as the New York Times, Newsweek, the AP, Time Magazine and others, and told them that we had broken the Japanese codes, and to expect war on the first week of December. He made them pledge to secrecy, although years later this meeting was revealed by Time’s journalist Robert Sherrod. [15]

Congressional hearings in 1945–46 discussed the diplomatic codes, but not the military codes. [6]

Spy at the Harbor

Japanese Naval spy, who’s real name was Ensign Yoshikawa

Aboard a steam boat in March 1941, came a Japanese spy later identified as Ensign Yoshikawa aka “Tadashi Morimura”. When he arrived into Pearl Harbor he read US communications and sent the intel back to Tokyo. The FBI became aware of the spy, but special agent Robert Shivers was told by Admiral Walter Anderson that the Navy was in charge of the investigation and to back off. However the FBI still tracked him. [6]

The spy conducted a census of the US Fleet, and afterwards began to plot bombings from August ’41 until the fall. All of this while his messages were being intercepted by the US Navy. Unsurprisingly Kimmel and Short were kept ignorant about this. [6]

Other Warnings

CBS News journalist Eric Sevareid, revealed that a secret Korean-American source (spy) gave him multiple warnings of an attack on Pearl Harbor “before Christmas”, but he was unable to get an audience with the State Department. [20]

Ambassador Joseph Grew had learned of Japan’s plot from the Peruvian Embassy. He was able to get through to the State Department, but Secretary of State Cordell Howe disregarded the warning, and together with FDR, continued their hard-lined negotiations. [20]

Cordell Howe was kept in the loop on the decoded messages, and was aware of Japan’s negotiation ultimatum date of November 29. He also knew that Japan had told its diplomats to pretend as if negotiations were continuing after said date, and that “after Nov. 29, things are automatically going to happen”. [8][20]

The Aftermath of the Attack

At the Harbor official numbers put the death toll at around 2,400. With more than 180 US aircraft destroyed. Most of them were WW1 relics, with the modern equipment having been ordered out of the area in advance. Japan did not attack critical infrastructure like oil supply or the electric grid. [6][12][13]

Admiral Kimmel and General Short, were both blamed of the attacks by the official Roberts Commission Report. They were accused of dereliction of duty despite many other officers asserting that neither was given the information needed to prepare for the attack, both were relieved of their duties. [8][16]

While the two could legitimately claim that they were caught by surprise, this defense didn’t work for the fall guys. That defense was only accepted for the conspirators including the President. [8]

Admiral MacArthur had prepared nearly a week in advance to escape the Philippines. FDR approved orders to detach both him and Admiral Hart. MacArthur was evacuated along with his family and selected staff members such as his radio experts, and cryptologist. The US Army command in the Philippines was transferred to General Jonathan Wainwright who was left there to surrender and be taken as a prisoner. [6]

While the Japanese attacked the Philippines, Admiral Hart ordered all of the submarines in his US Asiatic Feet to submerge at Manila Bay instead of attacking the invading Japanese cruise ships. Hart withdrew to Australia, and years later after returning he became US Senator for Connecticut for 2 years. [6]

At home, the Isolationist movement was painted as antisemitic and pro-Nazi, because they argued that the British, FDR and the Jews were to blame as war agitators. [19]

It didn’t help that one member of the America First Committee (AFC), Laura Ingalls, was outed as a Nazi spy. But it’s completely absurd to frame an entire organization of more than 80,000 members for 1 single individual. However the pro-war media framed it as such. And unfortunately for the AFC, more Nazi sympathizers took a liking to it, despite the organizations efforts in keeping them out of their chapters. [21]

But Did FDR Know?

One of the major points of contention is whether the President knew of the attacks before they occurred. One thing we can confirm is that he worked in lock-step with Admiral McCollum’s 8-action plan to provoke Japan into attack.

Action A — Arrangements were made for the US to use Rabaul’s Simpson Harbor, which was in possession of the British. However Japan captured Rabaul before the lease arrangements were completed. [6]

Action B — FDR met with Holland’s Foreign Minister Eelco Van Kleffens to discuss this. [6]

Action C — He gave a $25 million loan to the Chinese government, who at the time was invaded by Japan. The President also signed an executive order for air battle training in Burma (now Myanmar), which just so happens to be next to China. Sales of weapons to China were also authorized by the President, despite the Neutrality Act. [6][8][18]

Action D — The pop-up cruisers were sent out to harass the Japanese Navy, despite Admirals warning FDR against it. [7]

Action E — 12 submarines were approved to be sent from Honolulu to Manila. [6]

Action F — The Pacific Fleet was retained in Hawaii, and placed in there by the President himself. He even fired Admiral Richardson who opposed this. [8]

Action G — The Dutch cut off access to natural resources in Southeast Asia from Japan, after meeting with the President. [18]

Action H — FDR signed Executive Order 8832 (and various others) to embargo Japan. And that was just one part of the economic warfare he waged. [6][8][10]

We can’t say for sure if the decoded military messages were being sent to FDR, but why would Commander McCollum, who routed intel directly to FDR, not do so? The President was obviously in-line with provoking Japan, going as far as to fulfill all 8 steps and more. But the fact is that we don’t know if he did not get them either.

FDR was also meeting with Ambassador and Admiral Nomura. The President kept a hard-line approach to negotiations that did nothing but make the matters worse. [8]

Judging by FDR’s actions we can infer that he was updated, and his knowledge of the intercepted messages was kept secret for political reasons. After all, the people who were assigned to investigate this were appointed by him.

But if I were to play devil’s advocate, and say that FDR was being blocked by his Navy, then the conspiracy still points to a small group within the military leadership.