Preemptive Strike America's plan to attack Japan first would have prevented Pearl Harbor Read the rest of the Flight Journal article here
The above article is based on the book Preemptive Strike which also has a website: http://www.preemptivestrikethebook.com/index.html
Were the US forces in any sort of state at this time to conduct an effective operation of this magnitude? To be honest, I don't think they were.
Funny you should ask that. From Air Force Magazine Oct 2007: The Air Force on the Eve of World War II
Quite an interesting slant however doomed to never be enacted by the United States. There is a lot there however there is not insurmountable proof that it was not more than a strategic plan approved in anticipation of changing circumstances.
Until Roosevelt appointed Marshall and Marshall appointed his chosen elite, they could not have taken the war to the Japanese.
Interesting plan, but surely its one of those that were made by many armed forces at different times in history. The big questions would be, was the political resolve there to carry it out? And what if any consideration given to the colonial properties in the area?
Something has been bothering me! And that is, the part where Gen Marshal was suppossed to have vetoed the transfer of B17s to the CVG. Because of the neutrality act, Britian had difficulty getting supplies and there had to be a clandistine arragnement whereby, military stocks were declared surplus and so could be released to Britian. Surely, the same law would have applied to the CVG?
Yes and no - in public it did but in private the volunteer group was well supported by the Administration. http://www.warbirdforum.com/vets.htm It's like a number of other ways that the Neutrality Act was bypassed. Another example was the British acquisition of Hudsons in 1941. Because they could not be flown out the States (a provision in the Act), they woul dbe flown to the border with Canada, manually towed across the border, and then flown to bases in Newfoundland etc for the ferry trip across the Atlantic.
