How come the USA did not see Japanese forces coming in the attack on Pearl Harbor sooner?

Answer 1

Two waves had been sent into Pearl harbor demolishing the battleline and airforces present. Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo cautiously (and perhaps mistakenly) decided not to launch a 3rd wave to destroy the oil tanks and drydocks at Pearl. His concerns were the increasing casualties he incurred in the 2nd wave and the still missing US carriers which posed a threat to his fleet. The most important thing to examine is that if the American administration in fact knew about the attack on Pearl Harbor, then is it not a huge calculated risk that the Japanese would not conduct a "third wave," completely incapacitating the base at Pearl for use in the Pacific Theatre?

Answer 2

Since we were not at war we did not have combat reconnaissance patrols out looking for them. We did not have watch stations set up all over Hawaii to look for enemy planes. Radar had only just been invented. There was a radar station that was turned on and did spot the incoming attack force, but when the radar crew reported their superiors decided that the blip was a flight of B-17 bombers that were known to be flying in on that day. The attack's success was due in large measure to the complete surprise that was achieved. Negotiations had been going on to resolve the differences between Japan and the U.S. so we did not realize they were ready to attack. We didn't have any idea that their fleet had left its home waters and sailed to Hawaii. We didn't realize they had solved the technical problems involved with dropping torpedos into a shallow harbor. It was 7:00 on a peaceful Sunday morning and everybody was sleeping late or eating breakfast and nobody knew they were under attack until the bombs started falling. Since we were more worried about sabotage than a big attack, all of our airplanes were grouped together, lined up wingtip to wingtip to make them easier to guard. Of course, that made it very easy for the Japanese to destroy them on the ground. We only managed to get five or six planes into the air. The ships were all docked, tied up alongside their warves with their engines turned off. Their wasn't time to get up steam and get oput of the harbor. They were sitting ducks. Read "At Dawn We Slept" and watch "Tora! Tora! Tora!" and "Pearl Harbor". to get a good idea of what happened. Michael Montagne

Answer 3

Officially they were out distributing aircraft to some islands (they were on patrol/doing errands).

However, they were doing the same thing that the battleships were originally transferred there from California (Los Angeles-Long Beach) to begin with.

Answer 4

Japanese soldiers didn't land troops at pearl harbor because the army would have seen the carrier coming. A plane attack was much quicker, and it gave the U.S. less time to react and organize a counter-offense.

Answer 5

If more airplanes had been sent to Pearl Harbor, then they would have to come from the mainland US or California. That flight would have taken 6 or 8 hours. By then the Japanese attackers would have been gone.

The closest friendly aircraft would have been the Navy fighters located on the US aircraft carriers. They were out to sea and still would have been too far away. Otherwise, all the American planes in the Hawaiian islands were involved in the attack. There were no more spare aircraft.

Answer 6

The attack on Pearl Harbor was an invasion, from the air, by the Japanese.

Answer 7

Could it be that they knew everone had their own personal weapons, and that the fight would be house to house

Answer 8

They didnt have the men or equipment to invade