Pearl Harbor: The Seeds and Fruits of Infamy - Ludwig von Mises ...

102 Pearl Harbor: The Seeds and Fruits of Infamy
adequate number of Army planes and guns for the defense of
Pearl Harbor should be given the highest priority.
Kimmel was also concerned with the personnel shortage and
wrote that he would
probably be required to make recommendations on this subject
shortly after I take over. It appears wise to now fi ll all ships with
personnel to capacity, both on account of the needed increase
in complement to man the ships, and to train men for new
construction. 56
Th ese same complaints had been made before by Kimmel’s predecessor,
Richardson, just then being relieved of his command.
Once in command, Kimmel continued to bombard
Washington with requests for men and materiel to strengthen
the fl eet. Yet rather than being strengthened, the fl eet was weakened
by the transfer in May to the Atlantic of almost a fourth
of the Pacifi c Fleet. Kimmel felt he knew very little of what was
going on in Washington, and he persisted in asking for information
and supplies.
After Germany attacked Russia, Kimmel wanted to know
how this would aff ect policy. 57 “Whether or not planes are to be
supplied to the Russians may be outside my province,” Kimmel
wrote on July 30,
but I do remain keenly aware of our own defi ciencies in aircraft.
It is quite an undertaking for the United States to supply
planes to any quarter of the globe in which fi ghting against
Axis Powers may occur. 58
56 Joint Committee, Pearl Harbor Attack, part 16. pp. 2225–27. Kimmel to
Stark, January 27, 1941.
57Ibid., part 16, p. 2242.
58 Ibid.