Again someone left the meeting to arrange the search. About two hours later Catlaina’s were taking off and heading north. By then, Johnny the Jap and Yoshikawa were both in custody. The FBI had scored a real coup in picking up the diplomat at his home. They searched the house and found his message log and codes. He was due to send a message of fleet status at 2200 hours. A FBI radio operator was set to send a garbled message on the frequency at the appointed time to confuse the Japs. By that time, the ships would be at sea. As a diplomat he couldn’t be charged but under the circumstances he would be held for the next forty eight hours pending return to his own country as Persona non grata.

As the meeting progressed the other staff members were pulling out papers and making notes. The President directed them to prepare for the battle that would most certainly be joined the next day. Lunch was brought in and by 1500 hours the plan was formulated. Everyone left to begin its implementation. They would meet again late in the evening to confirm that all was in place.

12/6/41 1100 hours – Pearl Harbor

Orders were cut for the commanding officers of all ships at Pearl. A fleet order issued early in the day canceled all leaves and put all ships on alert, they were to have up steam and be ready to sail. The later order directed them to leave harbor at 1700 hours. Their individual battle orders were delivered to their commanders just prior to the departure time.

All of the battleships except the Pennsylvania sortied on time. The flagship of the fleet was in dry dock with a destroyer behind it. Before she could leave the dry dock must be cleared of equipment and filled with water. This couldn’t be completed before 1700 so the Pennsylvania would sortie at least an hour later than the other ships. The various portions of the fleet would move north and be in a position north and east of Pearl at daybreak. The plan was a simple one. If the Japanese fleet presented itself as expected, the US carrier fleet would be just under 200 miles from it, and the battleships would be between the two carrier forces. At 27 knots the battleships could close the gap before midday and attack. The orders were clear, the fleet couldn’t fire or close within 100 miles of the Japanese fleet unless attacked or until the Japanese attacked the islands. It was imperative that the Japanese not learn of the presence of the fleet until they were committed to an attack on Pearl so that the movement couldn’t be considered a provocation.

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World War II – a Novel Chapter One

World War II – a Novel Chapter Five the Threat

World War II 7