What Were the Events Leading up to the Surprise Attack?

The Hull note, so-named for Secretary of State Cordell Hull, was delivered on November 26, 1941. It was the final proposal delivered to Japan by the United States before the start of war between the two nations. 

It is formally called "Outline of proposed Basis for Agreement Between The United States and Japan". the day the Hull note was received from United States Secretary of State Cordell Hull, the Japanese carrier battle group under the command of Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, already assembled in Hitokappu Wan in the Kurile Islands, sortied for Hawaii, under strict radio silence.

What do you know about the attack?  Here is a quick quiz leading up to the surprise attack.

True or False?

1. The Kido Butai, the Combined Fleet's main carrier force of six aircraft carriers.

2. The carriers Akagi (flag), Kaga, Sōryū, Hiryū, and the newest, Shōkaku and Zuikaku, had 135 Mitsubishi A6M Type 0 fighters (Allied codename "Zebra".

3. Two fast battleships, two heavy cruisers, one light cruiser, nine destroyers, and three fleet submarines provided escort and screening.

4. Combined Fleet Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was told to return to the Home Islands, but didn't get the notice because fleet to far away from radio communications.

5. Order number 9, issued on 1 December 1941 by Nagano, instructed Yamamoto to crush hostile naval and air forces in Asia, the Pacific and Hawaii.

6. Returning after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Combine Fleet was ordered to the Philippines.

What Were the Events Leading up to the Surprise Attack Answers

1. True. The Kido Butai, the Combined Fleet's main carrier force of six aircraft carriers (the most powerful carrier force with the greatest concentration of air power in the history of naval warfare to date), embarked 359 airplanes, organized as the First Air Fleet.

2. False. The carriers Akagi (flag), Kaga, Sōryū, Hiryū, and the newest, Shōkaku and Zuikaku, had 135 Mitsubishi A6M Type 0 fighters (Allied codename "Zeke", commonly called "Zero"), 171 Nakajima B5N Type 97 torpedo bombers (Allied codename "Kate"), and 108 Aichi D3A Type 99 dive bombers (Allied codename "Val") aboard.

3. True. Two fast battleships, two heavy cruisers, one light cruiser, nine destroyers, and three fleet submarines provided escort and screening. In addition, the Advanced Expeditionary Force included 20 fleet and five two-man Ko-hyoteki-class midget submarines, which were to gather intelligence and sink U.S. vessels attempting to flee Pearl Harbor during or soon after the attack. It also had eight oilers for underway fueling.

4. False. On December 1, 1941, after the striking force was en route, Chief of Staff Nagano gave a verbal directive to commander of the Combined Fleet Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, informing him: Upon completion, the force was to return to Japan, re-equip, and re-deploy for "Second Phase Operations".

5. True. Order number 9, issued on 1 December 1941 by Nagano, instructed Yamamoto to crush hostile naval and air forces in Asia, the Pacific and Hawaii, promptly seize the main U.S., British, and Dutch bases in East Asia and "capture and secure the key areas of the southern regions".

6. False. On the home leg, the force was ordered to be alert for tracking and counterattacked by the Americans, and to return to the friendly base in the Marshall Islands, rather than the Home Islands.

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