Chapter 11, War and Redemption Summary

Pearl Harbor is attacked on December 7, 1941 and General Douglas MacArthur is woken up at 3:40am, December 8 (local time) and warned to prepare for an imminent attack. The main Japanese aerial wave is delayed by fog, and doesn't reach Clark Field (the major U.S. base) until noon. MacArthur's hard fought B-17's are still neatly arranged on the runway, with no signs of defensive preparation. They are easily destroyed by the Japanese planes. There is a short lived investigation where Pearl Harbor commanders are punished, but MacArthur is seen as too "valuable" for official inquiry - he blames others for this failure in communication. His loss of aerial power is to cost him dearly in the months to come, and the Japanese find they can attack with impunity.

The Japanese next sink two British battleships in the...