The Naval War College will unveil online Monday 4,030 pages of U.S. battle communications from the Pacific during World War II starting on Dec. 7, 1941, and including the updates Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz was giving and getting for most of the war.
The event, to be held on the anniversary of Nimitz’s 129th birthday, will be streamed on the Navy Live Blog (navylive.dodlive.mil) at 1:30 p.m. Hawaii time. Viewers will be able to submit questions via interactive chat.
"There’s perhaps no greater champion of freedom in the history of the United States Navy than Chester Nimitz and his leadership of the Pacific Fleet during World War II," Naval War College President Rear Adm. Walter E. "Ted" Carter Jr. said in a release.
The communiques point to confusion and the early belief that enemy positions were equally divided north and south of Oahu on Dec. 7, as well as the concern that Hawaii island — but not Oahu — might be initially occupied by the Japanese.
The "Gray Book," named for the color of its cover, is a World War II "historic treasure" with its daily record of the combat situation in the Pacific Theater and responses of Nimitz as commander in chief, Pacific, and Pacific ocean areas, the war college said.
Staff member Capt. James Steele began it on the day Pearl Harbor was attacked and ended it on Aug. 31, 1945, just two days before the formal end of the war, according to the organization.
"The whole course of the war in the Pacific may hinge on developments of the next two or three days," a prophetic entry states on June 3, 1942, a day before the Battle of Midway, which turned the tide in favor of the U.S.
The documents "clearly reveal what Nimitz thought was important," Capt. Henry Hendrix, director of the Naval History and Heritage Command, said in the release.
Nimitz arrived at Pearl Harbor on Christmas Day 1941 to relieve Adm. Husband Kimmel. Nearly three years later, he wore five stars in the newly created rank of fleet admiral, the war college said.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt is said to have told the secretary of the Navy: "Tell Nimitz to get the hell out to Pearl and stay there till the war is won!"
Nimitz lived in the modest two-story home at 37 Makalapa Drive just up the street from U.S. Pacific Fleet headquarters. The "Nimitz House" is still the home of the Pacific Fleet commander, and a huge desk in the historic headquarters was used by Nimitz.
The battle updates reveal some of the confusion that ensued in the Dec. 7, 1941, attacks. In a "running summary of situation," a false report came over the "warning net" of two enemy aircraft carriers southwest of Barbers Point.
"On intercepting this report the Minneapolis sent a despatch which said ‘two’ (instead of ‘no,’ as was intended) carriers in sight," the reporting notes.
With the belief that the enemy was north and south of Oahu, Task Force 12 was dispatched to intercept the southern group, which turned out to be nonexistent.
On Jan. 2, 1942, "enemy intentions" were predicted to include attacks in the Far East until Malaysia and the Philippines were captured; aircraft carrier raids on the West Coast, and the "attack for capture" of Midway, Palmyra and the main Hawaiian Islands.
Nearly five months later, on May 26, 1942, the command said "there are indications that the enemy will make a strong simultaneous effort" to capture Midway "for possible subsequent operations against Oahu," and to capture an advanced position in the Aleutian Islands.
Then came the Battle of Midway June 4 to 7 and its early success.
"CinC Pac (commander in chief, Pacific) generally records the start of what may be the greatest sea battle since Jutland (in World War I)," the records state. "Its outcome, if as unfavorable to the (Japanese) as seems indicated, will virtually end their expansion. We lost a large percentage of highly trained pilots who will be difficult to replace."
The Navy attacked and sunk four Japanese carriers.
"This was a great day for the American Navy," the Pacific command said on June 6. A day later, Nimitz received congratulations from around the world.
Fast-forward three horrible years later, and by July 1, 1945, the war was over Japan.
"573 B-29s (bombers) were over the Empire last night on bombing and mining missions," an entry from that date said. "159 aircraft struck Kumamoto, 136 aircraft hit Shimonoseki, 100 aircraft were over Ube and 154 bombed Kure. One plane was lost en route to the target, 6 of the crew have been reported rescued."
The "Gray Book," which filled 28 bankers boxes, was declassified in 1972.
The documents were scanned before, but the newer, higher-quality scans will offer researchers, scholars and enthusiasts a better way to search through them, the war college said.
The Naval War College Foundation funded the effort, which began in August 2012.
The records are the "most authoritative source on the Pacific War available anywhere," Naval War College Historian Douglas Smith said.
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CORRECTION
February 22, 2014
» The Battle of Midway lasted four days in June 1942. A graphic on Friday said it lasted three years.
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