OT: Second attack on Pearl

[Lictuel]

I stumbled on a rather interesting video today about the second Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
I hadn't heard of that before and thought maybe some other forum dwellers might find this interisting as well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJMT-ajff-c

[btd64]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing....GP

[Insano]

I haven't watched the video. Is that the one by flying boat staged from French Frigate Shoals? I can't remember if they used Mavis or Emily but was an interesting attempt at what I would classify as a nuisance raid.

[jdsrae]

Interesting. That goes a long way to explaining why a 2 plane Emily det arrives in stock at Yokosuka in early 42

[dr.hal]

The Japanese also shelled the West Coast via sub and launched balloons to try and ignite fires in the North West! Very industrious.

[Lictuel]

I haven't watched the video. Is that the one by flying boat staged from French Frigate Shoals? I can't remember if they used Mavis or Emily but was an interesting attempt at what I would classify as a nuisance raid.

yes!

[BillBrown]

I do believe they were Emilys.

[LargeSlowTarget]

ORIGINAL: jdsrae

Interesting. That goes a long way to explaining why a 2 plane Emily det arrives in stock at Yokosuka in early 42

Exactly - two prototype / pre-production Emilies have been used in "Operation K" a.k.a. the second bombing of Pearl Harbor in March 1942.

The "Yokohama Ku T-1 Det" represents these two aircraft.

The regular production run of the Emily started later.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: dr.hal

The Japanese also shelled the West Coast via sub and launched balloons to try and ignite fires in the North West! Very industrious.

The balloon bombs to start fires were a failure, but some historians think the secondary idea was to find out where the balloons came down (from news reports) and use the info for a balloon/bioweapons attack later. Japan had a bacterial bioweapons program and used them in China to test their potential. They were hoping to get something deadly enough to send against the US. Of course the scientists and army officers involved were likely always "almost on a breakthrough" so their program kept them away from fighting the real war.

[pontiouspilot]

Rather than such a silly attack they would have been better served using the frigate shoals for search or recon for something more important....namely the something that happened in early June.

[rustysi]

ORIGINAL: pontiouspilot

Rather than such a silly attack they would have been better served using the frigate shoals for search or recon for something more important....namely the something that happened in early June.

+1

After that 'silly attack' the US figured out where it came from and occupied FFS. The Japanese recon that was supposed to occur from there in early June never happened. Oops.

Would it have made a difference... Who knows?

[fcooke]

Anyone else build up FFS to help in the transfer of aircraft. Cost a bunch but the US has it and it is close to home. Home being PH

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: fcooke

Anyone else build up FFS to help in the transfer of aircraft. Cost a bunch but the US has it and it is close to home. Home being PH

No. It might be useful to get short-ranged aircraft to Midway, but there isn't much they could reach beyond that. If you are trying to get them to Wake they can stage to Johnson Island instead and you don't have to build a new base at FFS.

Almost all the aircraft I considered sending to Midway have the range to make it there non-stop with drop tanks (once available). Otherwise, they are coming from USA by ship or very long ranged and can fly in from the Aleutians.