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

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The Navy Court of Inquiry
(July 24–October 19, 1944)
On July 13, 1944, 1 the new Navy Secretary, James V. Forrestal,
ordered the convening of a Navy Court of Inquiry (NCI)
“for the purpose of inquiring into all circumstances connected
with the attack made by Japanese armed forces on Pearl
Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, on 7 December 1941.” 2 Th ree retired
admirals were appointed to the court: Orin G. Murfi n, president;
Edward C. Kalbfus; and Adolphus Andrews. Commander
Harold Biesemeier was named judge advocate. 3 Th e court opened
its doors on July 24, and took testimony over 32 days. Admirals
Harold R. Stark, chief of naval operations at the time of the
attack, Claude C. Bloch commandant of the 14th Naval District
(Hawaii), and Husband E. Kimmel, who had been commanderin-chief
of the Pacifi c Fleet, 4 were named “interested parties,”
entitled to attend the hearings, have counsel, and cross-examine
1 New York Times, June 15, 1944, p. 10.
2 79th Cong., 1st sess. Joint (Congressional) Committee on the Investigation
of the Pearl Harbor Attack. Pearl Harbor Attack, 39 vols. (Washington, D.C.:
U.S. Government Printing Offi ce, 1946), part 32, p. 5.
3 Ibid., p. 9.
4 Ibid., p. 12.