[Leica] LUG Digest, Vol 44, Issue 86

[lrzeitlin at gmail.com (Lawrence Zeitlin)]

Mark writes:
Whatever the origin of the pictures, they do illustrate the terrifying
effects of a major attack.  I haven't read much about the history of the
Pacific war, but that attack must have really hurt the US's capability
to wage war for quite some considerable time.  How long did it take to
rebuild those ships and train replacement sailors and marines?

- - - - - -

I'm not a military historian but it is my belief that the Japanese Pearl
Harbor attack did not achieve its objectives regardless of the number of
ships sunk and people killed. The attack occurred at a time when naval
warfare was changing from a combat between ships at comparatively short
range using cannons to one where ships battled at long range using aircraft.
The US carrier fleet was not in Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 and escaped
intact. The subsequent battle of Midway was largely a carrier operation
which inflicted disproportionate losses on the Japanese navy and turned the
tide of the Pacific war.
Larry Z