Was Admiral Kimmel the Scapegoat of Pearl Harbor?
The article examines the controversy surrounding Admiral Husband Kimmel, commander of the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, who was blamed for the lack of preparation before the December 7, 1941 attack. Kimmel claimed he was scapegoated by Washington, which withheld crucial intelligence. The article details his career, the failures of intelligence sharing, the Roberts Commission's findings, and subsequent investigations that exonerated him. Despite a 1999 Senate vote to restore his rank, the Pentagon has never officially cleared him, making it the longest-running dispute over military rank in American history.
Key facts
- Admiral Husband Kimmel was stripped of command after the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941.
- Kimmel was born in Kentucky in 1882 and graduated from the Naval Academy.
- He became commander of the Pacific Fleet in February 1941, leapfrogging other admirals.
- Washington withheld intelligence about Japanese intentions, including Magic intercepts.
- The Roberts Commission in January 1942 blamed Kimmel and General Walter Short for negligence.
- A 1944 naval court of inquiry exonerated Kimmel and blamed Admiral Harold Stark.
- A 1946 Joint Congressional Committee report undermined the initial negligence claims.
- In 1999, the Senate voted to exonerate Kimmel and restore his four-star rank, but the Pentagon has not complied.
Entities
Institutions
- US Navy
- Naval Academy
- Pacific Fleet
- War Department
- Navy Department
- Roberts Commission
- Supreme Court
- Joint Congressional Committee
- Department of Defense
- Senate
- National Defense Authorization Act
- Station HYPO
- Magic
- Kido Butai
- PBY Catalina
- Midway Atoll
- Wake Island
Locations
- Kentucky
- Pearl Harbor
- Hawaii
- Oahu
- Washington
- Tokyo
- United States