JAPAN RENEWS TALKS, BUT CAPITAL IS SKEPTICAL; BRITISH BEAT OFF ATTACKS ON TOBRUK CORRIDOR (12/2/41)

Microfilm-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 12/2/41 | Frank L. Kluckhohn, Otto D. Tolischus, Joseph M. Levy, C.L. Sulzberger, Hanson W. Baldwin

[Homer_J_Simpson]

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum
First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015.
Reading assignment: New York Times articles delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword “realtime” Or view Homer’s posting history .)
To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homer’s profile. Also visit our general discussion thread

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Selections from West Point Atlas for the Second World War
Advance on Moscow – Operations, 26 August-5 December 1941
North Africa, Auchinleck’s Offensive, 18 November-31 December 1941
The Mediterranean Basin
The Far East and the Pacific, 1941 – Major Allied Forces and Positions, December 1941 The Far East and the Pacific, 1941 – Major Japanese War Objectives and Planned Opening Attacks

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Japanese See Hull – 2
Thailand Prepared for Surprise Attack – 2
Japan Now Looks to U.S. for Reply – 3
Japanese Say God Forgot Peace in Creating Hawaii – 3
Vichy Held Unlikely to Oppose Japanese – 3
Desert Path Held – 4-5
U.S. Tanks Finest in Libya; Rout Heavier Nazi Machines – 5
The Last Moments of a British Aircraft Carrier in the Mediterranean (photos) – 6
Donets Drive Gains – 7-8
The International Situation – 7
Berlin Concedes Rostov Retreat – 8-9
Pacific Crisis May Delay Record U.S. Borrowing – 9
Willkie, for Refugees, Asks Freer Use of Funds – 9
Japan’s Eyes on Libya – 10
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on Fighting in Various Zones – 11-12
Argentina Extends Demonstration Ban – 12
Axis Involvement in Far East War Doubted; Italians Cite Japan’s Precedent for Inaction – 12
Maryland Will Test Salvage for Defense; Junk Dealers to Buy from Public in Drive – 12

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1941/dec41/f02dec41.htm

Germans within sight of the Kremlin
Tuesday, December 2, 1941 www.onwar.com

On the Eastern Front... Small German forces reach the northern suburbs of Moscow and come within sight of the Kremlin, less than 20 miles away. Hitler orders a renewed push by Kluge’s Fourth Army to the west of the city. The weather continues to grow colder with heavy snow and blizzards. Both Bock (Army Group Center) and Brauchitsch (Commander in Chief of the German Army) are ill and unable to fully perform their duties.

From Tokyo... A special code order “Climb Mount Niitaka” is transmitted by Japanese naval headquarters to their carrier force bound for Hawaii. This order confirms that negotiations have broken down and the attack on Pearl Harbor is to proceed.

In the East Indies... The British battleship Prince of Wales and the battle cruiser Repulse arrive in Singapore. They arrive to late to have the planned deterrent effect but the Japanese do note the British naval presence.

In North Africa... Heavy fighting in several areas. Rommel’s forces continue the pressure against the Tobruk garrison in fighting around El Duda. British armor is engaged as they attempt to regroup farther south toward Bir el Bubi. They also attempt to send relief to the Axis garrisons at Bardia, Sollum and Halfaya Pass which are still resisting against 4th Indian Division of 13th Corps.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/02.htm

December 2nd, 1941

UNITED KINGDOM:
Destroyers HMS Musketeer and Blackmore launched.

Destroyer HMS Marne commissioned.

Submarine HMS Turbulent commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)

FRANCE: Paris: German army doctor Kerscher is wounded by a pistol shot. In the Boulvard Auguste Blanqui there is a bomb attack on the RNP offices.

FINLAND: The last Soviet troops evacuate Hanko (Hangö), the base forcibly leased from Finland after the Winter War. (Mikko Härmeinen)

U.S.S.R.: With the Kremlin in sight, at 20 miles, some German units reach the northern suburbs of Moscow. Kluge’s forces west of Moscow renew their efforts but General Winter’s cold temperatures are not on the German’s side.

NORTH AFRICA: Between today and the 6th, the fighting in is very confused for both the Germans and the British. The British armour is regrouping near Bir el Gubi in the south. Rommel is trying to contain Tobruk, disrupt the British armour and aid Axis troops at Bardia, Sollum and Halfaya Pass. These scattered efforts further weaken the Germans.

JAPAN: Tokyo: The Premier, Hideki Tojo, publicly rejects US proposals for peace. The Japanese carrier force “Kido Butai” sailing for the Hawaiian Islands and the target of Pearl Harbor receives a special radio signal: “Climb Mount Niitaka 1208”, from Japanese Combined Fleet Commander Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto. This is the order to execute the attack on Pearl Harbor.

SINGAPORE: HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse arrive. The capitol ships represent a British deterrence in the Far East.

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: IJN reconnaissance plane spotted over Clark at dawn.
Unknown aircraft off Luzon coast tracked by radar at Iba.

CANADA:
Destroyer HMCS St Clair completed refit and assigned to EG-14.

Patrol vessel HMCS Elk completed refit and departed for Trinidad.

Tug HMCS Andy assigned to Halifax, Nova Scotia. (Dave Shirlaw)

U.S.A.: President Roosevelt orders that three small ships, former yachts, be sent off the coast of Indo China as pickets in Admiral Hart’s Asiatic Squadron. One of them is Fleet Yacht USS ISABEL, LANIKAI is one of the others. (73, 74) (Matt Clark and Marc James Small)

15 atomic scientists, including the Soviet spy Klaus Fuchs, arrive from Britain to join the US atomic research project.

First Naval Armed Guard detachment (7 men under a coxswain) of World War II reports to Liberty ship, SS Dunboyne. (Dave Shirlaw)

[TADSLOS]

Interesting piece on Japanese commentary concerning God, Hawaii and peace. Sounds like something coming from an Islamic state in current events.

[GeronL]

lighter, faster tanks would seem to be a good idea in the desert I guess.

[GeronL]

So sad about the HMS Arc Royal....

[GeronL]

Interesting that Argentina was putting down anti-NAZI rallies.

[dfwgator]

Japanese Say God Forgot Peace in Creating Hawaii – 3

Hint...Hint!!!

[GreenLanternCorps]

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: IJN reconnaissance plane spotted over Clark at dawn. Unknown aircraft off Luzon coast tracked by radar at Iba.

When you receive a "War Warning" it might be a good idea to have a Combat Air Patrol over your bases in case your potential enemy tries something.

An Imperial Japanese Navy plane that deep into American airspace should have been shot down and we should have been demanding that Japan explain this aggressive act. Instead it just flies off. Crud like this is why Brereton and MacArthur bear a lot of responsibility for the disaster in the Philippines.

[TADSLOS]

Yeah, lots of nation states enamored with fascism then, just like now.

[PeterPrinciple]

ARMY IS TO BUILD NEW POWER LINE TO ST. LAWRENCE.

Publicly Owned Project gets approval over alternative private ownership plan

Would revert to state

---

the above headline caught my attention. I wonder what happened to it. It is to be built by the army corp of engineers and made me think that I don't know as much about the army corp of engineers as I should.

It also suggests how Roosevelt viewed public and private endeavors?

[PeterPrinciple]

Japanese says god forgot peace in creating Hawaii

---

TOKYO - the newspaper yominuri says today that if the Hawaiian islands did not exist, war between Japan and the United states would be impossible. Therefore, it concluded “god cannot have been faithful to the followers of peace when he created those islands.”

Youmiri asks how, if it is unjust to used armed force in he attainment of an ideal such as the “east asia co-prosperity sphere,” the united states can justify its fight for independence in 1776. Through war, Yomiuri continues, the American colonies were able to establish freedom, equality and justice on a new continent and it asserts Japan is engaged in a similar struggle to emancipate the people of east Asia and establish freedom, equality and justice in this part of the world.

The only explanation yomiuri can find for Americas attitude is a “desire to destroy Japan and central Asia.”

---

what would you think when reading this in 1941 and what do you think today?

[CougarGA7]

• JAPAN GIVES TWO WEEKS MORE TO NEGOTIATIONS - PREPARES FOR ACTION IN EVENT OF FAILURE - Hawaiian newspaper headline

• "1. Among the telegraphic codes with which your office is equipped burn all but those now used with the machine and one copy each of 'O' code (Otie) and abbreviating code (L). (Burn also the various other codes which you have in your custody.) 2. Stop at once using one code machine unit and destroy it completely. 3. When you have finished this, wire me back the one work 'haruna.' 4. At the time and in the manner you deem most proper dispose of all files of messages coming and going and all other secret documents. 5. Burn all the codes which Telegraphic official KOSAKA brought you. (Hence, the necessity of getting in contact with Mexico mentioned in my #890 is no longer recognized" - Message from Togo in Tokyo to Washington sent in Purple code. Translated on December 3rd with a correction submitted December 4th.

• "In view of present situation, the presence in port of warships, airplane carriers, and cruisers is of utmost importance. Hereafter, to the utmost of your ability, let me know day by day. Wire me in each case whether or not there are any observation balloons above Pearl Harbor or if there are any indications that they will be set up. Also advise me whether or not the warships are provided with anti-mine (anti-torpedo) nets." This message, Army intercept 8007, was not translated until December 30th 1941. A primary reason for this is that it was transmitted in the J-19 code which was considered to be for lower priority messages and therefore got overlooked.

• Captain Layton reports to Kimmel that he does not know where Japanese Carrier Division 1 or Carrier Division 2 are, but thinks that they are in home waters.

• The Navy stops monitoring the phone lines they have tapped at the Japanese Council General's office.

• Kluge's Fourth Army begins its assault on Naro-Fominsk causing the Stavka to assign additional reinforcements to Artem'ev's Moscow Military District.

[GreenLanternCorps]

The Navy stops monitoring the phone lines they have tapped at the Japanese Council General's office.

Probably a really bad time to stop doing this. I wonder who made that decision and what in the world were they thinking?

What really bugs me about the situation on December 1941, is that even though the situation with Japan is deteriorating rapidly, most of the senior leadership is acting like they have months to prepare for war. Despite all the evidence that a strike South towards Malaya and the Dutch East Indies is probably coming soon, and that Japan will probably also strike the Philippines to protect their flank.

Much of the US high command is operating on a peacetime footing. The war warnings given have been very non-specific. MacArthur is operating on the assumption that he has until spring before an attack. Re-enforcements are only dribbling in and everyone is operating on a peacetime schedule instead of preparing for war.

It is maddening to watch from 70 years on. Even though there is no evidence directly pointing to an attack on Pearl Harbor it is pointing towards the Phillipines. Nobody in the Philippines or Wake or Guam is operating on a war footing and the forces in Hawaii should have been preparing to respond to action. Marshall and Stark should have been leaning on the field commanders to be ready for action at anytime and to respond to multiple possible contingencies. And frankly they needed to get people out to both Hawaii and the Philippines to brief the field commanders on the latest intelligence.

[henkster]

It’s not going to get much better for the RN in the Med later this month either.

[Jay Santos CP]

It is maddening to watch from 70 years on.

It sure is hard to make any sense of it. Worse still is the apparent total lack of preparation in the Philippines AFTER Pearl Harbor.

[CougarGA7]

It is always hard for an army to shift from the peace time army to a wartime one.

It is disappointing that they made this decision to stop monitoring these lines since it is untimely at best with the current situation. The most important note from today is the notification to Washington by Tokyo to destroy their codes. This will be decoded and word sent to the other stations. If there was anything that should have put the guys at Pearl and the Philippines on a complete war footing was that news. It amazes me that they didn’t seem to take much interest in it.