reach a successful conclusion," Nagumo had been instructed, "the task force will put about immediately and return to the homeland." Unaware of this, however, the crews shouted "Banzai!" as they took what might be their last look at Japan. It would not be long before this ensign was replaced by a combat flag.īut this did not mean that the arrow had already gone from the bow. Akagi signalled, "Thanks," and passed by, her ensign fluttering in the morning breeze. A patrol boat guarding the bay entrance flashed a message, "Good luck on your mission." But even that boat was unaware of our assignment. The sortie was cloaked in complete secrecy. The following order was issued from Tokyo on the day that Akagi sailed into Tankan Bay:Īt 0600 on the dark and cloudy morning of 26 November our 28-ship task force weighed anchor and sailed out into the waters of the North Pacific Ocean. Kazumi, Arare, Kagero, Shiranuhi, Akigumo submarines 1-19,1-21,1-23 and tankers Kyokuto Maru, Kenyo Maru, Kokuyo Maru, Shinkoku Maru, Akebono Maru, Toho Maru, Toei Maru, and Nihon Maru. This force consisted of carriers Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, Hiryu, Shokaku, Zuikaku, battleships Hiei, Kirishima heavy cruisers Tone, Chikuma light cruiser Abukuma destroyers Urakaze, Isokaze, Tanikaze, Hamakaze. By the 22nd the entire force had assembled in isolated Tankan Bay on Etorofu second island from the southern end of the chain extending northeast from Hokkaido. In mid-November First Air Fleet planes were taken on board their respective carriers which then headed for the Kuriles, traveling singly and taking separate courses to avoid attention. I was indeed proud of my men and felt honored to be their commander and participate in this great attack. It was not until early November that the torpedo problem was finally solved by fixing additional fins to the torpedoes, and then my greatest worry was over. They seemed to sense the intensification of the international situation and gave of themselves unquestioningly.
Against my will I had to demand more and more of every man, yet none complained. Our progress was slow, especially with the problem of launching torpedoes in shallow water. An added handicap to our efforts lay in the fact that, for security reasons, the pilots could not be told about the plans. Our fliers had to work at the hardest kind of training. It was already late September, and the attack plan called for execution in December! From ordinary fleet practice we had to shift our energies to specific training for this all-important mission calling for vast and intensive preparations and, what is more, everything had to be done in haste. Shallow-water torpedo launching was not the only difficult problem I had to cope with. This line of argument won me over, and, despite the technical difficulties that would have to be overcome, I agreed to include torpedoes in our attack plans. When I pointed this out, Genda merely grew more aggressive, insisting that if we could launch torpedoes, they would not be expected, it would add to the surprise of the attack and multiply their effectiveness. Genda kept urging that torpedoes be used against ships in Pearl Harbor a feat that seemed next to impossible in view of the water depth of only twelve meters, and the harbor being not more than five hundred meters in width. The more I heard about the plan the more astonishing it seemed. My good friend Commander Genda, air operations officer on the staff of the First Air Fleet, came to see me at the air base and said, "Now don't be alarmed, Fuchida, but we want you to lead our air force in the event that we attack Pearl Harbor!"ĭon't be alarmed? It was all I could do to catch my breath, and almost before I had done so we were on our way out to board Akagi, then anchored in Ariake Bay, for a conference with First Air Fleet commander, Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, and his staff, including Chief of Staff, Rear Admiral Ryunosuke Kusaka. It was at Kagoshima on the southern tip of Kyushu that I first learned the magnitude of events in store for me. I felt that some thing big must be afoot.
This was an assignment beyond all my dreams.
Shortly after joining my old comrades in Akagi, I was given additional duty as commander of all air groups of the First Air Fleet. In September, 1941, I was transferred from the staff of the Third Carrier Division to aircraft carrier Akagi, a position I had left just one year earlier.
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