Tora! Tora! Tora!

If all the people are brethren, why are the waves of the sea and the winds restless? (Japanese emperor Hirohito in a Diet meeting, contemplating an attack on Pearl Harbor)

On this day in 1941, the Japanese navy launched an audacious attack on Pearl Harbor. Plenty of details are available on the web. We strongly recommend the movie Tora! Tora! Tora! for understanding the historical context and also the tactical and diplomatic blunders that led to this event of great carnage and destruction. This is one of the most spectacular and authentic war movies ever made. The soundtrack is glorious.

This incident led to the famous "day of infamy" speech by Roosevelt and a declaration of war. The somewhat demoralized Americans made a counter-move, by bombing Tokyo in April, 1942. This attack was largely symbolic. There are two pretty decent movies that chronicles this event: Thirty Seconds over Tokyo shows the air strike preparation and the bombing. Destination Tokyo is based on the covert submarine operation that was supposed to provide intel support for the air attack.

Actually the Japanese made a follow up attack to Pearl Harbor. This is very well depicted in another fantastic film Midway. This time the plan was to catch the American carriers on high seas and destroy them. Like the Pearl Harbor, the strategic objective of the Midway attack was not met. They could not successfully destroy the large naval carriers.

At the end of Tora! Tora! Tora!, Japanese Admiral Yamamoto is heard saying: I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.

This would eventually lead to the nuclear bombing of two Japanese cities by Americans. But the Japanese have moved on, as we discussed in a previous blog post.

Strategic Analysis


Reviewing the various media reports, articles and other details available on the Bombay terror attacks of 11/26, it appears that it is but a small part and a trial run of a much larger and very deliberate strategic plan.

The Tom Clancy novel Debt of Honor describes a scenario where the Japanese have not moved on. So they launch a very devious plan involving covert operations within the United States as well as coordinated external naval and air attacks. Interestingly there is a component of attacking the American financial system as well.

Pakistan has not really moved on from 1971. A direct military conflict may be very costly for Pakistan and must be supplemented with covert operations. The recent financial crisis presents an opportunity like never before, the world is wholly preoccupied with cleaning up the financial mess. It is well known that the ISI prints Indian currency. Pakistani visitors regularly go missing within India. America just had an election and its future foreign policy goals are pretty fuzzy. India is going to have an election.

India is also going to have a war, whether it likes it or not.