Evening star., 1946-01-17
Old Torpedo With Fins
Was Secret Weapon
Of Japs,, kimmeI Says
Continued From First Page.)

OoPes NioW FaCC AOlil1l dlJ SlldIlCS II
McMorris, Admiral Kimmel's war
plans oficer, had testified before
Admiral H. K. Hewitt at his Pearl
Harbor inquiry that they were Eek
tremely disturbed" at their failure
to locate by radio traf1ic" channels
some OF the Japanese carrier forces.
Were you extremely disturbed?"
1--WE certainly wanted to know
where the Japanese carriers were,"
Admiral Kimmel said. II was not
disturbed to the extent of thinking
they were headed for Hawaii"
Admiral Kimmel told Representa-
tive Cooper, Democrat, of Tennessee
that he regarded war with Japan
"highly probable" from the time he
became Pacific Fleet commander ir
February, 1941, but at no time did
he conclude it was inevitable"
did you ever consider an attack
on Pearl Harbor probable?" asked
Mr.. Cooper.
Il made estimates of the situa-
ton from time to time" he replied
Had I considered an attack on
Pearl Harbor imminent at any time
my course of action would have been
considerably different"
Prior to the attack, doubt had ex-
isted as to whether torpedoes could
be launched from the air success
fully in the shallow water-less than
45 feet deep-in Pearl Harbor.
And you think using these wood
en- fms constituted a new weapon
comparable to the discovery of ra-
dar?" Mr.. Richardson asked Ad-
miral Kimmel.
Comparable to Robot Bomb.
Admiral Kimmel said he did not
think the Jap torpedo was compara-
BILE to the discovery of radar. In
his formal statement two days ago
he quoted the Navy Court of Inquiry
as having reached the conclusion
that the Jap torpedoes constituted,
in effect, secret weapon in the cat
egory Of the robot bomb"
Attorney Richardson sought to
show yesterday that in June, 1941,
Admiral Harold r. Stark, then Chief
Of Naval Operations, had notified
the Pacific Fleet commander of the
success of the British in dropping
aerial torpedoes on Italian vessels
at Taranto, and pointed out that no
capital ship could be considered safe
If surrounded by sufficient water tc
enable a torpedo to run"
Admiral Kimmel contended, how
ever, that there was nothing in that
letter to indicate that aerial tor
pedoes could be launched In less
than go feet of water. The Navy
court placed the depth Of Pearl Har-
bor at about As feet"
Still Not Convinced.
Admiral Kimmel also insisted dur
ing today's examination that he still
is not convinced the Japanese selec-
ton of Sunday morning for the at
tack was any more than a CO.
incidence"
Mr.. Richardson had asked him
about a Naval Intelligence message,
sent out in 1S41, calling attention to
the strategy of the Axis powers in
launching surprise attacks on Sat-
urdays, Sundays or national holi-
days of the countries invaded.
Il want to say first that never
saw this dispatch until after the
attack on Pearl Harbor," Admiral
Kimmel replied. ut was addressed
to the commandants of naval dis
tricts. IT was not sent to me. I have
no recollection of having been
warned about any particular sig
nificance to be attached to Satur-
days or Sundays. However, I was
familiar in general with the activi-
ties of the Axis powers, but I did
not then consider that Saturdays
and Sundays held particular signi-
flcance, and I am not convinced
today it was any more than coin
cidence."
Toward the close of his second
day on the stand yesterday, Admira.
Kimmel told the committee that i,
he got the; same information again
that he had before Pearl Harbol
was attacked, he probably would
take the same measure he did then
Admiral Kimmels main conten.
ton has been that authorities in
Washington had failed to send him
vital intercepted japanese messages
that indicated an air attack on Pear.
Harbor, such as the request from
Tokyo for the division Of Pearl Har-
Dor into five zones.
Mr.. Richardson suggested that Ad-
miral Kimmel, being on the ground
''in the greatest hot-bed of espionage
IN the United States" should have
known of this information without
getting it from Washington.
Admiral Kimmel replied that tht
significance was not in the fac
that such information was beins
sent from Honolulu, but in tn,
fact that Tokyo was showing 81
much anxiety to get it.
Mr.. Richardson sought to shov
that even il Admiral Kimmel hac
received a final warning withou
delay on the morning of Decembe,
7, he would not have been able tt
40 much more with the battleShip'
than to move them out of tn,
harbor.
Could Have Arranged Rendezvous.
"The morning of December 7 wa,
. little late to send battleships tt
sea- Admiral Kimmel replied, "bu
on the night of the 9Th I could hav.
arranged rendezvous with Hal
sey's task force or called back Ad.
miral Newton's task force"
Admiral Kimmel denied a state.
nent in memorandum in evidence
In which Capt. E. M. Zacharias, U
S. NJ, a former naval intelligence
expert on Japan, said he had warned
Admiral Kimmel of japanese sur.
prise air attack on Hawaii, which
probably would occur on Sunday
Admiral Kimmel recalled that
Capt. Zacharias had come to Ha.
waii IN March, 1941, as commander
of the cruiser Salt Lake City.