In the December,1958 edition of the magazine The American Weekly, retired Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz revealed his thoughts on the Pearl Harbor attack.

In the article, Admiral Nimitz described several of the failures of the Japanese attack. Specifically, their failure to destroy the vast fuel storage facilities, repair facilities and submarine base.

He also made a startling revelation of what he believed would have happened had we had timely warning of the attack. The Pacific Fleet would have sought a fleet engagement with a Japanese fleet with an overwhelming superiority in aircraft carriers.

The result of such an action, he believed would have been a disaster for the American fleet. Our battleships and cruisers would have been sunk in deep water with one hundred percent loss of life.

It was fortunate that the battleships were sunk in the shallow waters of Pearl Harbor where most could be salvaged and returned to the fight. He closes by stating that the attack “shocked our country out of its apathy about the World War already underway in Europe.

All the arguments for and against entering the conflict ended and America, as one man, joined the fight against aggression. ” What Admiral Nimitz does not address is the fact that even more fortunate was that all three of the Pacific Fleet aircraft carriers were absent from Pearl Harbor on the day of the attack.

Saratoga was in San Diego embarking her air group after completing a lengthy refitting. Lexington was returning from delivering aircraft to Midway Island and Enterprise from a similar mission to Wake Island.

These carriers, and the cruisers and destroyers that formed their task forces would be the core of the fleet at the pivotal battles of Coral Sea and Midway. FDR wanted the United States involved in the World War against the Axis Powers, most importantly against Germany.

In late July by Executive Order, he froze all Japanese assets in the United States and embargoed the sale of oil to Japan. This was the event that set-in motion their decision to attack.

Within four days of the attack, the United States was at war with both Japan and Germany. FDR had his war.

. .