European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 07, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pearl Harbor the United state Toat 188 aircraft in Flat 30 minutes on that sunday morning. Fortunately Tor the Navy the sleet e Al Cratt Carrier were at  Oft repeated military lesson by Chuck Vinch staff writer although mistakes were made on every level prior to the japanese attack on Pearl Harbor the cause of that defeat was one that has ruined military forces since rival Cavemen first picked up rocks and Sticks according to a Navy historian. The United states simply underestimated the capabilities of its enemy said Robert Cressman an official at the Navy history Center who has studied the attack and has written a Book about naval aviation at Pearl Harbor Quot the idea that the japanese would attack Pearl was just too fantastic for anyone on the . Side to take seriously Quot Cressman said Quot it was such a great distance from Japan that no one thought it could be a primary  he said . Officials were also caught off guard by the size of the japanese attack Force six aircraft carriers. 16 destroyers two battleships three submarines three cruisers and 423 aircraft. Quot getting six carriers across the Northern Pacific for an attack like that was an amazing feat at the time Quot he said. Quot we had never before operated More than two carriers together Quot in both a Broad and narrow perspective the timing of the japanese attack was fortuitous Cressman said. The Navy in 1941 was a Force in transition. A decision to build up to a two Ocean Navy with Independent fleets for the Atlantic and Pacific had been made just 18 months before the attack and the modernization Effort was still in its infancy. The More modern ships of the Pacific Fleet had been redeployed to the Atlantic where Germany s a boat Campaign against Allied shipping was seen As a far More immediate threat than the japanese. Cressman said in the Spring of 1941, adm. Husband Kimmel Pacific Fleet commander had lost three battleships an aircraft Carrier and a number of destroyers and cruisers to the Atlantic Fleet he said. Quot All nine battleships Kimmel had left were built during world War i Quot he said. Though the Fleet was aging naval tactics were not. Quot the Navy realized the increasing importance of aircraft carriers Quot he said. Quot if you look at the Fleet Maneu vers of the 1930s, they were trying out new tactics the Navy was not Static in that  in addition to having the Good Fortune of facing a slightly outdated enemy Fleet in the midst of modernizing the japanese also wisely planned their big punch for a weekend. Quot the Fleet had lapsed into a routine of going out to sea during the week and returning to Pearl on the weekends Quot Cressman said. Quot the japanese had to know that they had quite an intelligence network operating out of their hawaiian consulate Quot even so Cressman does t think the japanese Ever dreamed that the attack would be As successful As it was. Quot in fact they were very worried that some of their midget submarines would tip their hand before the attack Quot he said. That almost happened. Just an hour before the attack the . Destroyer Ward sunk an unidentified sub at the Pearl Harbor Channel Entrance and sent a coded report Back to Navy Headquarters. But the message was not decoded until it was too late to make a difference. In Cressman s View the real Story of Pearl Harbor is in the valiant Way . Service members fought Back once they were attacked. Quot sentries fired their Springfield rifles and .45 Caliper pistols at the planes flying  he said. Quot on the battleship Nevada marines in the Forward machine gun batteries kept firing even though a bomb had severed the water lines to their water cooled guns Quot even the battleships Arizona and Oklahoma got off some rounds Belore they blew up minutes after the first bombs fell. Quot the reactions of people once they realized what has happening was very Quick a Cressman said. Quot the instances of heroism were so numerous that it would take hours to recount them  although the attack was a devastating blow to the United states. Cressman says at least two positive factors emerged Quot in a Way it worked to our advantage in the Long run that the japanese caught the Fleet in Harbor rather than out in deep water because we were Able to raise All the ships that were sunk except the Arizona and Oklahoma and use them again in the War Quot he said. The attack also served to hasten the development of Navy aircraft Carrier tactics since carriers were the Only big naval weapons left in the Pacific immediately after the attack. Quot carriers assumed much greater importance in taking the fight to the enemy during the initial six months of the Pacific War leading up to the raid on Tokyo in april of 1942 and the Battles of Coral sea and Midway in june Quot Cressman said. As far As the Long running debate Over flow much blame should be Laid at the feet of Kimmel Cressman said he did not deserve his humiliation a demotion to rear Admiral and forced retirement. Quot he made his share of mistakes and probably did t take All the precautions he should have Quot Cressman said. Quot but that Sall Hindsight. He Wasny to getting a lot of definitive information Quot either from Washington or from . Outposts farther East. In the end Cressman said Pearl Harbor was made possible by a string of serious errors in judgment. Quot and what it came Down to was that we just never imagined that the japanese could steam across the Pacific with a Force of that size and launch such a Surprise attack 4 the stars and stripes saturday december 7,1991 t