Chapter 526: The Warning
“The Japanese fleet is missing!” a young man from the American intelligence department reported to his immediate superior. “They left port a few days ago, and since then we have lost track of the fleet’s position.”
At this time, relations between Japan and the United States were not harmonious. Japanese troops were approaching the Philippines and other American-controlled areas, and the two countries had a very major dispute over the issue of oil supply. The United States had imposed sanctions on Japan, a full embargo on oil and steel, in an attempt to suppress Japan’s expansionist actions in the Far East.
However, it was clear that these sanctions had not had a good effect. The Japanese fleet had been conducting frequent exercises recently. They seemed more inclined to interpret this sanction as a signal of war. No one in the Japanese high command was willing to return to the negotiating table to discuss the final ownership of areas like Shanghai in China. They would rather fight it out with the United States and see who could swallow the other in one bite to achieve eternal hegemony.
The nation of Japan had a restless and tyrannical heart buried in its bones. A country enclosed on a narrow island has been surrounded by anxiety and inferiority since the moment of its birth. They kowtowed before the Han Dynasty, which would punish any who were far away. They kowtowed beside the mighty Tang Dynasty. And even in the Ming and even the Qing dynasties, they were still vassals and underlings. If you feel aggrieved after being a subordinate to a leader for three years, can you understand the sky-high resentment in the heart of a country that has been smiling obsequiously for a thousand years?
So after Japan had finally made something of itself, it could not wait to draw its sword on its former benefactor and teacher, China. They were really unwilling to be subservient to others anymore, to be a background character in history. These dwarves from a small island were joyfully intoxicated by their victories in the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese wars, feeling that the world was nothing special, that they could be the masters of the entire world.
“They’ve lost their position. For how many days?” the intelligence agency official was taken aback for a moment, then asked for confirmation. He immediately grabbed the phone in front of him and contacted his own superior.
“Yes! They’ve disappeared… six aircraft carriers, as well as battleships and cruisers… a massive fleet… we can’t determine their target… yes.” It was clear that the director of the American intelligence agency on the other end of the line was somewhat enraged. His roars could be heard even from a great distance and through the telephone receiver.
A few hours earlier, the military attaché of the German embassy in the United States had urgently rushed to the office of a pro-German American general and had informed the American military of the Japanese navy’s sortie. However, this news was still being confirmed. Several American generals felt that there was no need to put the dozen or so American bases in the Pacific on high alert just because of a warning from a “hostile country.”
Soon, President Roosevelt received the news. Germany was willing to sell out Japan’s strategic intentions to prevent the United States from entering the war. There was at least an 80% chance that this intelligence was true. Roosevelt suddenly felt that happiness had come too quickly, and he was a little dizzy.
According to the intelligence provided by Germany, and some corroborating evidence from China, the massive naval force of the Japanese Combined Fleet had disappeared into the Pacific. So far, their specific location had not been found, but all the information had already proven that Japan was organizing a surprise attack of unprecedented scale.
The authorized American intelligence services began to monitor the Japanese embassy in the United States and, sure enough, they found the news they needed. The Japanese embassy had already received instructions from their home country and was preparing to submit a state document declaring war on the United States. A declaration of war was definitely not a bluff. The United States government was now absolutely certain that Japan would go to war with the United States within a few hours.
“It’s definitely not Pearl Harbor. The water there is too shallow for an aerial torpedo attack,” an American general assured the officers around him with great confidence. “We have deployed new radar and a dense network of anti-aircraft positions there. If the Japanese go there, they’ll be committing suicide.”
On the other side, a congressman whose home was on the West Coast, and who knew nothing about modern naval warfare, was even more concerned. “Will these Japanese attack Los Angeles? If they appear there, will it cause a panic?”
“Sir, the possibility of the Japanese navy attacking Los Angeles is minimal. If they enter the Eastern Pacific region, they will be surrounded and annihilated by our fleet,” an American general beside him assured the congressman.
While the Americans were still repeatedly trying to confirm Japan’s attack target, with a single command to “sortie,” the planes on the Japanese carrier fleet began to take off, one after another. They formed up in echelons over the Japanese fleet and, like rows of wild geese, flew in neat formations towards their target.
“No matter what, we can’t let the carriers stay in port! If we lose the carriers, we will suffer the same defeat as the British in the Atlantic!” Finally, an American naval general reached a consensus with the others and issued a special, very vague operational order: “Order all American carrier fleets to set sail! Leave their respective ports!”
“But General, today is the weekend. It’s impossible for the carrier fleets to be ready for battle and leave their ports within an hour!” his deputy said helplessly.
At this moment, an official from the intelligence department, holding a file and sweating profusely, ran to the side of the American generals who were discussing the operation and handed the file to the white-haired American naval general. “General! A combat report from fifteen minutes ago!”
“A combat report? With whom?” the general asked, taking the report and flipping it open to read the contents.
It turned out that half an hour earlier, an American coal ship had spotted a suspicious target near the entrance to Pearl Harbor. The captain had used his binoculars to spot a sneaky submarine periscope. This captain, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, had immediately reported his discovery to the U.S. Navy at Pearl Harbor. The destroyer on duty had quickly rushed to the nearby waters and had begun anti-submarine operations.
If a person is unlucky, even drinking cold water will get stuck in their teeth. This saying was perfect to describe the Japanese submarine that was reconnoitering the American navy’s movements. The American destroyer that had been sent to the scene had just returned to Pearl Harbor three days ago. It had originally been on an anti-submarine mission in the Atlantic.
An American destroyer that had been trained by the German submarines under Dönitz’s command, against a Japanese navy submarine with no real combat experience—do you suddenly feel the thrill of a high-level player crushing a newbie? After a simple battle, the American destroyer had easily sunk the Japanese submarine and had reported its glorious victory.
“My God! Pearl Harbor! They’re going to attack Pearl Harbor!” The American general, after reading the report, immediately broke out in a cold sweat and quickly issued a combat order. “Cancel all leave for the soldiers in Pearl Harbor! All personnel to their battle stations! Put Pearl Harbor on high alert! Immediately! Right now!”
A few minutes later, the telegraph office at Pearl Harbor received a variety of inexplicable orders, which left the officer on duty somewhat baffled. One telegram ordered the carrier fleet to set sail immediately and prepare for battle. And the next one that came in ordered Pearl Harbor to sound the battle alarm and for all soldiers to return to their battle stations.
“It’s Sunday. Have the big shots lost their minds?” a soldier sitting in the telegraph office asked his superior.
Shrugging his shoulders, the American officer on duty said helplessly, “Maybe they want to conduct a drill. But to conduct a drill at a time like this is a bit too unethical.”
He helplessly clipped the telegrams into a folder, then walked towards the stairs at the end of the corridor, heading for the second-floor combat readiness command. But he had just reached the door when he saw the soldier from the message center, Tom, rush past him in a panic.
“Hey! Tom! What’s the hurry?” the officer from the telegraph office asked.
“The radar has detected a large number of planes approaching Pearl Harbor!” the soldier named Tom replied as he walked past. The radar equipment at Pearl Harbor had been jointly developed by the United States and Britain. The general technology had come from the British, and the American technical department had improved the design. The technology of this radar was now more reliable, but its detection range was still no match for the German military radar. The maximum distance at which it could detect a high-altitude target was a pitiful 120 kilometers. Of course, the radar’s detection capability for low-altitude targets was even lower. Because of the mountains of Pearl Harbor blocking the view, some places even had dead zones. But the appearance of radar had indeed made the defense of Pearl Harbor more complete.
“Could it be our transit planes? The Army Air Corps’ B-17 bombers often fly transit flights. It’s a common thing. What’s all the fuss about?” the officer on duty asked as he caught up with Tom.
“We’ve already checked. There are no scheduled Army planes in transit today!” Tom replied hastily, turning his head.
“…” After being stunned for about two seconds, the officer on duty finally reacted. He quickly ran forward, and out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the telegram under his arm that had ordered him to sound the battle alarm.
“General! A telegram from the mainland!” The officer on duty didn’t even have time to knock before he burst into his superior’s office. And behind him, Tom also came in at the same time, shouting, “Unidentified aircraft are approaching Pearl Harbor!”
“A drill from the military department?” The American general, who was sitting at his desk reading a report on the fuel reserves in Pearl Harbor, looked up at his two subordinates. “The next time you come in, remember to knock, will you, gentlemen?”
“General! This is not a drill!” the two men said in unison, their faces filled with terror.
And the officer on duty slammed the telegram directly onto his superior’s desk. “A telegram from the mainland command, telling us to sound the battle alarm immediately, order the soldiers to return to their posts at once, and to make all combat preparations!”
Published: 2025-09-02T03:40:12.000+00:00
Last Edited: 2025-12-12T16:05:44.000+00:00
URL: https://www.patreon.com/caleredhair/posts/mtr-c526-warning-137920680
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