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TIMELINE 1941 Jan. 6 - Four Freedoms speech to Congress. Freedom of speech, worship, from want, fear. British could use other "other assets" for Lend-Lease. Jan. 7 - Yamamoto proposes operation Z in letter. His goal is to destroy the U.S. fleet, not invade or conquer the U.S. Will use massed carriers idea of Genda, not oversized battleships. Pearl Harbor raid to be part of combined operations to defeat British strongholds at Hong Kong and Singapore, occupy Philippines, the Malay barrier, Java, Borneo, New Guinea, central Pacific islands. Jan. 10 - HR 1776 bill introduced in Congress. Jan. 20 - FDR's third Inauguration. Jan. 27 - Joseph Grew warns of Japanese plan to attack Pearl Harbor. ONI (Office of Naval Intelligence) places "no credence" in Grew's rumors Jan. 31 - First U.S. troops arrive at St. John's, Newfoundland. Jan. 31 - "Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere" - Indochina, Thailand, but not Russia. Matsuoka leaves for Moscow & Berlin, Ambassador Noruma leaves for U.S. Feb. 1 - Issue of "Click" magazine prints imaginary story based on rumors. Feb. 5 - General Walter Short arrives in Pearl Harbor - Army responsible for defenses. Feb.14 - Eugene Dooman delivers FDR ultimatum to Foreign Minister Ohashi in Tokyo. If Japan attacked Singapore, it meant war with the U.S. Feb. 15 - Magic intercepts Owaga's "shopping list" for spies in Hawaii, Pearl Harbor isn't informed. March 11 - FDR signs Lend-Lease with the 4 amendments: Time limit of June 1943 Periodic reports to Congress Consult with Army and Navy Navy not allowed to transports goods, but could convoy foreign ships Mar. 14 - New consul Kita arrives in Hawaii. Yoshikawa becomes #1 spy for Japan at Pearl Harbor. Mar. 29 - Anglo-American staff produce ABC-1 plan for Pacific defense with China. March 30 - 65 Axis ships in the U.S. taken into "protective custody". Apr. 2 - FDR transfers 10 Coast Guard cutters to the British Navy. Apr. 3 - FDR orders transfer from Pacific to Atlantic of 3 battleships, 1 carrier, 4 cruisers. Due to emerging Europe-frist strategy, Lend-Lease convoys. Apr. 4 - FDR allows British warships to be repaired in the U.S. Apr. 6 - Yugoslavia and Greece invaded. Hitler's "Balkan springboard" Apr. 10 - Atlantic security zone extended to the 26th longitude. Includes Greenland and the Azores. U.S. Navy to shift from convoys to patrols. Apr. 10 - Yamamoto forms First Air Fleet of 4 carriers, 200 planes. Apr. 11 - USS Niblack drops 3 depth charges on a German submarine, begins undeclared naval war in the Atlantic. Apr. 13 - Matsuoka signs the Soviet Japanese Neutrality Pact. Allows neutral shipping to use Vladivostok. Apr. 16 - Walsh-Drought Draft Understanding basis of Nomuro proposal to Hull. Stanley Hornbeck's "John Doe Associates" include China missionary and Bishop James Walsh, Maryknoll priest James Drought, banker Ikawa, army Iwakuro. Japan to withdraw from Chinaif China reorganized Manchukuo and Whang Ching-wei. Apr. 21 - FDR rescinds Apr. 3 fleet transfer order, but re-ordered in May except cruisers. Apr. 24 - Stimson and Knox announce "observation patrols". Apr. 29 - Germany learns of Magic and tells Japan but is ignored. May 9 - Japan-Thailand Treaty threatens Burma and Malay. May 20 - Airborn attack on Crete. British defeated despite Enigma warning. May 20 - Neutral Egyptian liner Zam-Zam sunk in the S. Atlantic. 140 U.S. aboard, but none killed. May 26 - German battleship Bizmark located off Brazil by U.S. built PBY seaplane with a U.S. pilot. May 27 - FDR speech declared "unlimited national emergency" used false documents of presumed Nazi plan to conquer the world, urges shipbuilding program to replace growing losses. July 4 - FDR warns in radio speech U.S. will "never survive as a happy and fertile oasis of liberty surrounded by a cruel desert of dictatorship." June 5 - Secret transfer of 4000 Marines to Iceland. June 6 - FDR seized 40 foreign merchant ships in U.S. ports for Lend-Lease convoys. June 10 - FDR Announced the recovery of the lifeboats of the U.S. freighter Robin Moor sunk May 12. June 14 - FDR freezes Axis funds in the United States. June 16 - FDR ordered German consulates closed and expelled diplomats. June 20 - Battleship USS Texas evades German subs. June 21 - Hitler ordered German subs not to attack U.S. warships. June 21 - Hull insists on "public act of contrition" and end the Tripartite Pact. In addition to his Four Principals (terr. integrity of China, non-interference, Open Door, status quo in Pacific) June 22 - June 22 - Operaton BABAROSSA begins. Over 3 million German soldiers and 3,300 tanks cross the Russian border. The Wehmarcht (German Army) is organized into three Army groups. Facing them is the world's largest army comprised of 230 divisions of 14,000 men each, with 20,000 tanks (many obsolete). The Russian Army is organized into four Military Districts. June 23 - The Luftwaffe (Germany Air Force) destroys over 2,000 Red Air Force aircraft. Many are caught on the ground during the first few hours of the assault. The numerically strongest air force in the world is wiped out in only 48 hours. The Commander of the Russian Aviation, General Rychagov, is given the death sentence for "treasonable activity". (defeat) June 24 - FDR extends Lend-Lease aid to Stalin. Did not invoke Neutrality Act. Released $39 million in frozen assets. Sent Harry Hopkins to Moscow to meet Stalin. June 28 - The Wehrmarcht captures Minsk, having advanced over 200 miles in a week. 15 Russian divisions are surrounded, later surrendering. July 1 - Life magazine's Special Defense Issue went on sale. July 2 - Imperial Conference decision to move South. 1st major triumph of Magic and Sorge-Ozaki ring. July 3 - Stalin calls for *scorched earth policy in radio broadcast. (scorched earth policy - devestating all land and buildings in the course of advancing troops so as to leave nothing salvageable for the enemy.) July 7 - 61% of Americans approved FDR's announcement of Marines stationed in Iceland. July 10 - Germans cross Dnieper River. Guderian, the most aggressive German general, wishes to purge on. Kluge, his superior, orders him to wait for the infantry to catch up. Guderian convinces Kluge to allow further penetration, but Kluge worries, "your operations always hang by a thread." July 11 - FDR appointed William Donovan as Coordinator of Information, predecessor of the OSS (Office of Strategic Services). July 15 - Smolensk is taken, and another 300,000 Russian soldiers with it. July 16 - konoye resigns, reforms his 3rd cabinet on July 18. To replace pro-Htiler Matsuoka, who urged attack on Russians, with Hiranuma as deputy PM. Pro-U.S. Toyoda becomes Foreign Minister to seek diplomatic solution. July 17 - Joe DiMaggio 56-hit streak called "heroic", Ted Williams .406 batting average. FDR wanted to double the 7 night baseball games to keep war workers on the job. July 21 - FDR asked Congress to extend the draft, it passed the House on Aug. 12 by only one vote. July 22 - The German advance is temporarily halted to allow infantry and supplies to catch up to the Panzer armies. The Germans experience a new kind of warfare. The Russians seem content to trade 10 Russian lives for 1 German life. They continually mount reckless counter-attacks. These wasteful attacks have an unnerving effect on the Wehrmarcht. July 24 - Crude oil embargo on Japan. July 25 - Japan announces Indochina protectorate, begins military occupation of bases July 28 to prepare for invasions of Malay. July 26 - July threshold - FDR takes decisive action: New Philippine command created under General MacArthur AVG in China under Chennault with 100 pilots Japanese assets in the U.S. frozen Crude oil embargo July 24; aviation gasoline added Aug. 1 Proposal for neutral Indochina July 27 - Hitler orders Guderian's Panzers to turn south, away from Moscow, in order to conquer Russia's economic centers. Guderian's 2nd Panzer Army is renamed "ArmeeGruppe Guderian in recognition of his success. Further, he is no longer subordinate to Kluge, but answers to Bock, Commander of Army Group Center. July 30 - U.S. gunboat Tutiula damaged by Japanese planes near Chungking. Aug. 3 - Guderian, who desires to continue the thrust toward Moscow, disobeys orders and intentionally gets caught up in fighting at Roslavl. Hitler, however, is not to be denied. Guderian is forced to move south. The German high command grows restless at the growing disobedience of forward commanders. Hitler is haunted by the ghost of Napolean. He admits to Guderian, "had I known the Russian tank strength...I would not have started this war." Aug. 4 - Stimson shows Hull the Magic intercept of Toyoda's "encirclement" message to Berlin, that Japan and Germany will encircle enemies of Russia and India. Aug. 7 - Konoye asks FDR for summit meeting. Also proposes a Chinese police corps with Japanese officers and a timetable for withdrawal of troops from China. Stalin assumes the title of Supreme Commander of miltary forces. Aug. 9 - Atlantic Conference - FDR & Churchill agreed on more aid, Europe first. To make public declaration of liberal war aims in Atlantic Charter. Affirmed secret guarantees to defend British possessions. Started search and destroy security patrols, which will provoke an incident, 74% of Americans still opposed the war. Aug. 17 - FDR encourages idea of Konoye summit - proposes Oct. 15 date. But Dallek argues FDR only seeking time to build up defenses after the July Threshold - had promised Churchill "Europe first" at the Atlantic Conference Aug. 9th. Aug. 19 - German troops under von Leeb surround Leningrad in the north. Aug. 20 - Col. William Farthing report emphasizes B-17 defense of Pearl Harbor. But most B-17's are earmarked for England. Aug. 22 - Guderian flies to see Hitler, to convince him of the need to drive on to Moscow. Hitler refuses, stating, "my generals know nothing about economic aspects of war." The drive south continues. Aug. 28 - FDR proposes Juneau instead of Hawaii for Konoye summit. Sept. 3 - FDR rejects Konoye summit until major principals are agreed on first. B-17E with tail gun, test flight in Seattle. Sept. 4 - FDR closes Panama Canal to Japanese shipping. Sept. 4 - Japanese Cabinet's Minimum Demands" and "Maximum Concessions". Demanded Burma Road closed, no interference with Japan's occupation of Indochina or China, and re-open trade with Japan. Only consession was promise of eventual withdrawl from China. Sept. 11 - FDR's 16th Fireside Chat, wearing a black armband in memory of his Mother Sara who died Sept. 7, 1941 U.S freighter Montana sunk en route to Iceland, no one killed. Sept. 12 - The first snows slow the Wehrmarcht's advance. Sept. 13 - Russian General Zhukov is sent to oversee the defense of Leningrad. He puts the citizens to work creating multiple defensive lines around the city. Sept. 19 - Armed U.S. Panama freighter Pink Star sunk en route to Iceland with cargo of food. Hitler's drive south nets the city of Kiev. 650,000 Russian soldiers are captured, the largest number ever, in any war. Sept. 24 - Magic intercepts "bomb plot" message to Kita - translated Oct. 19. Ship berths, torpedo nets, harbor layout - indicate arial attack. Sept. 27 - U.S. - Panamanian oil tanker I.C. White sunk en route to Africa killing three. Oct. 2 - FDR rejects Konoye offer of a summit meeting unless China troops withdraw first. Hitler orders the resumption of the attack on Moscow. There is only limited time before the harsh Russian winter "General January" assists the Red Army. Some argue the delay in attacking Moscow cost Germany the war. Oct. 8 - Hull demands Japan withdraw troops from China in advance of any diplomatic agreement. Oct. 9 - FDR seeks revision of the 1939 Neutrality Act to arm merchant ships. Oct. 10 - 30th anniversary of China republic. Oct. 15 - FDR tells Churchill: "Japan situation definitely worse. I think they are headed north". Oct. 16 - U.S. tanker W.C. Teagle sunk and U.S. - Panama freighter Bold Venture sunk. Army militant Tojo replaces Konoye as Prime Minister. Former Kwantung Army commander is also Home Minister, War Minister. Supported by Foreign Minister Tojo. Newspapers emphasize the growing danger of war in the Pacific. Stimson diary notes this was a time of "diplomatic fencing" and "make sure that Japan was put into the wrong and made the first bad move." Oct. 17 - U.S. destroyer Kearny torpedoed and damaged with 11 killed inside the Security Zone. Kimmel improves naval reconnaissance, but not 360-degree nor 24 hour patrols. Oct. 19 - U.S. freighter Lehigh sunk in the S. Atlantic. Oct. 21 - Zhukov moved from the successful defense of Leningrad to take command of Moscow's defenses. Oct. 24 - Kharkov falls to the Wehrmarcht, netting yet another Russian Army Group. Oct. 25 - Operation TYPHOON. The Wehrmarcht's final drive on Moscow begins. The attack reaches to within 20 miles of Moscow before it is halted by stiff resistance and bitter cold. Oct. 27 - FDR Navy Day speech: "I have in my possession a secret map made in Germany by Hitler's government - by the planners of the new world order. It is a map of South America and a part of Central America, as Hitler proposes to reorganize it." (but the map was a fake from the British Secret Service) Oct. 30 - U.S. - Panama tanker Salinas torpedoed and damaged. Oct. 31 - U.S. destroyer Reubin James sunk inside the Security Zone killing 115. Nov. 1 - Japanese Combined Fleet changes radio code. Nov. 5 - Magic intercepts 6 "deadline" messages to complete negotiations by Nov. 25. Nov. 7 - Combined Fleet Order #1 defines vast Southern operation. 1st Air Fleet to attack Pearl Harbor. 2nd Fleet to attack East indies, Malay, Philippines. 4th Fleet to attack Guam. Nothern Force to guard eastern home waters. Main Body to stay in Inland Sea home waters. Southern Force to invade Malaya. Phillippine Force to invade Phillippines. Nov. 10 - Nomura presents "A" proposal to Hull. Japan will not withdraw from Tripartite Pact. Nov. 13 - House approves Neutrality Act revision: Merchant ships may be armed U.S. ships may enter combat zones U.S. may enter belligerent ports Nov. 15 - Saburo Kurusu & his American wife arrive in the U.S. to negotiate with Hull. Hull critical of the bowling and always - smiling Japanese - were deceptive. Nov. 16 - U.S. Navy loses track of Japanese carriers. Nov. 20 - Kurusu & Nomura present "B" proposal to Hull. Japan will withdraw from Indochina if oil trade is restored. Nov. 21 - Japan postpones deadline until Nov. 29th. Nov. 24 - U.S. Army to occupy bauxite-rich Dutch Guiana. Magic intercepts Yoshikawa's report on fleet exercises, but isn't translated until Dec. 16th. Nov. 25 - Stimson diary notes "the question was how should we maneuver them into the position of firing the first shot without too much danger to ourselves." FDR "blew up" at the news of Japanese fleet of 50 divisions leaving Shanghai moving south towards the Philippines and 5 Japanese divisions seaborn south of Formosa. Nov. 26 - "Most fateful document" was Hull's counterproposal to "B". Must withraw first from Indochina and China. Diaries of Fifth Carrier Division of Japanese Fleet indicate strict radio silence was followed. Toland's claim in the 1982 book "Infamy of Seaman Z" who picked up radio signals is dubious. Nov. 26 - Nagumo's First Air Fleet leaves Kuriles with 6 carriers, 423 planes, 2 battleships, 28 subs, 2 cruisers, 11 destroyers. Hull knew this meant the end of diplomacy. Nov. 27 - Stimson sends "hostile action possible" warning to Pacific bases. General Short issues only sabotage alert at Pearl Harbor; no anti-torpedo nets and no ammo for AA guns. Nov. 28 - Magic translates "wind" code sent Nov. 19th. "East Wind Rain" meant break diplomatic relations. The Navy issues another war warning. Nov. 29 - Imperial Conference decides on war because diplomacy failed. Imperial Conference decides on war because diplomacy failed. Dec. 1 - FDR reads Tojo's warning to Germany of "extreme danger between Japan and Anglo-Saxon nations". Tojo tells Namura to continue negotiations to "prevent the U.S. from becoming unduly suspicious." Japanese fleet code changed for the second time in a month - unprecedented Dec. 2 - Yamamoto signals Nagumo's fleet "Climb Mount Nitaka", code to procede with attack; fleet is refueled by Dec. 3rd halfway to Hawaii. Magic translates Tojo's "boomerang" message to destroy all codes. Army G2's Rufus Bratton wants another war warning but Marshall says no Dec. 3 - FBI phone tap on consulate cook reveals code burning plans, but done 3-4 times a year. Dec. 4 - Knox: "no matter what happens, the U.S. Navy is not going to be caught napping". Lt. Kemp Tolley ordered a sail "Lanikai" from Manilla to Indochina. Dec. 5 - TF12 with Lexington leaves Pearl Harbor for Midway, Enterprise at Wake island, Saratoga at San Diego, also leaving heavy cruisers Minneapolis and Indianapolis, carriers in the Atlantic Ranger, Yorktown, Wasp, Hornet. Hitler abandons the attack on Moscow. Zhukov begins a counter-attack, utilizing Siberian troops no longer needed against Japan since the April Neutrality Pact with Japan. Dec. 6 - Dorothy Edgers translates deferred Magic intercepts, but Commander Alvin Kramer says "go home". Saratoga and the Lexington off Hawaii FDR agrees to ABDUCAN plan to help defend the British empire if attacked. FDR sends a last resort letter to Hirohito - 9:30 p.m. FDR reads 13-part 900-series intercept: "this means war" FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1941 10 am - FDR reads 14th message that does not declare war nor sever relations, but concludes, "it is possible to reach an agreement through further negotiations". 11 am - FDR reads 15th message setting 1 pm delivery time for 14-part message to Hull - but still no indication of where Japanese attack would take place. 11:30 am - Marshall orders "be on the alert" warning to all Pacific bases....but does not use scrambler telephone or define nature of the alert. PEARL HARBOR TIME 6:30 am - Catalina spots sub trying to enter Pearl Harbor, tells destroyer USS Ward, first gun fired 6:45, 2nd sub believed sunk by 7:00 am, naval duty officers are slow to inform Kimmel. 7:02 am - Opana Radar Station privates Joseph Lockhart & George Elliot sight Japanese planes 132 miles northeast (1st wave had taken off from carriers at 6 am 230 miles away). 7:20 am - Lt. Kermit Tyler discusses radar sightings as B-17's due from California. 7:25 am - Kimmel is informed of Ward's attack sub, but takes no action. 7:33 am - Marshall's warning received at Western Union office in Honolulu. After Pearl Harbor, the Japanese Combined Fleet Order #1 continued: Dec. 7 - Invasion of Malaya started at 7:30 am on Dec. 7, 25 mins before the 1st wave at Pearl Harbor at 7:55 am. Attack on Hong Kong - 6 hours after Pearl Harbor - Fell Dec. 25 after siege. Air attack on Philippines - Iba (all 16 P40's destroyed) and Clark Field 7.5 hours after Pearl Harbor 108 Japanese bombers and 84 Zeros vs 107 P-40's nd 35 B-17's Most U.S. planes still on the ground MacArthur had denied requests by General L. Brereton to bomb Formosa Only 17 B-17's and 22 P-40's left "a second Pearl Harbor" Air attack on British battleship Prince of Wales and heavy cruiser Repulse Dec. 8 - Sunk by 90 Japanese planes Air attack on Wake Island - fell Dec. 23 after being defended by 450 Marines Major James Devereux and 4 Wildcat fighters Kimmel orders USS Saratoga to Wake Island, but stopped 8 hours away Carrier changed its objective to Midway after Japan began landings on Wake Island Dec. 23 Midway shelled by the Sara but no landings Dec. 10 - Tarawa fell Makin fell in Gilberts Dec. 11 - Guam surrendered 1st U.S. posistion to be occupied opened the way for the fall of Rabaul Dec. 15 - Borneo landings begin, fell Dec. 30 Dec. 20 - Hitler dismisses Guderian from command for disobeying his order not to give up one inch of ground. (Guderian was adjusting his front line in order to shorten it.) At the end of 1941, Hitler was left wondering what was holding the Red Army together. The Russians had lost 3 million soldiers. (its entire strength at the at the start of the war.) Fully half of its economic base was in German hands. But Russia was still strong. It had 9 million men of military age left, (enough for 400 divisions) and produced 4,500 new tanks over the winter. Germany could not match either of these numbers. A sustained battle of attrition strongly favored Russia.

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