History That Doesn’t Suck

Episode 196: An Epilogue to Pearl Harbor with Steve Twomey

Host: Professor Greg Jackson (opening/closing), Professor Lindsey Cormack (interviewer)
Guest: Steve Twomey, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist & author
Released: January 5, 2026

Overview

This special “epilogue” episode provides a deeply-researched, candid discussion of the events leading up to, during, and following the attack on Pearl Harbor, with a focus on aftermath and lessons learned. Professor Lindsey Cormack interviews Steve Twomey, whose book Countdown to Pearl Harbor: The Twelve Days to the Attack uses a day-by-day “TikTok” reconstruction to uncover overlooked human elements, missed warnings, and consequential decision-making failures. Together, they explore personal, institutional, and cultural factors that shaped one of the most consequential moments in American military history.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Why Another Pearl Harbor Book?

• [07:17] Steve Twomey: Pearl Harbor is the most investigated event in American history (9 official investigations), rivaled only by the Kennedy assassination—but Twomey wanted to write it as a suspenseful “thriller” from the inside, charting real-time reactions…
• "People involved did not know what was going to happen on December 7, 1941. That date wasn’t circled on their calendars." [08:05]
• "It’s a drama of people forced to make decisions in the absence of complete facts." [09:20]

Research Methodology—An Investigator’s Treasure Trove

• Utilized the 9 government investigations (50 volumes), which took a Q&A approach akin to congressional hearings; allowed deep access to key players’ thinking (Admirals, officers, diplomats).
• Twomey: "That was the foundation of the book…incredible firsthand accounts of what they were thinking, why they were thinking that, what they were doing." [09:55]

Main Characters:

Adm. Husband Kimmel (Commander, Pacific Fleet)

• Stereotypical “offensive” naval leader—confident, brusque, micromanager, desired to take the fight to Japan (not a defensive thinker).
• "He was once described as someone who had the air of his own statue." [11:34]
• His entire approach was shaped by offense, preparing for eventual action against Japan.

Adm. Harold “Betty” Stark (Chief of Naval Operations)

• Kimmel’s DC-based superior and old friend; marked contrast in leadership—positive, hands-off, “cheerful.”
• "Stark’s operating philosophy: you let your subordinates do their job. You don’t micromanage them…that would prove literally fatal." [14:27]

Trust vs. Assumption

• D.C. and Hawaii trusted each other too much—each assumed the other was fully vigilant, failed to double-check or clarify after issuing grave orders.
• "They assumed that the guy at the other end was doing the right thing and therefore didn’t require a phone call..." [16:29]

The War Warning & Failure to Act

The November 27, 1941 “War Warning” message:

• "...one of the most remarkable documents in the history of the U.S. Navy...This is to be considered a war warning...Execute an appropriate defensive deployment." [16:50]
• Kimmel, for various operational and psychological reasons, did not execute a proper defensive search. Stark never followed up, never confirmed compliance.

Why Kimmel Didn’t Search

• Belief that Hawaii was too remote, logistical improbability for Japan; underestimation based on technological and racial prejudices ("Japanese are not sailors like we are...not mechanical people").
• "He wanted the planes [search aircraft]…for offense, not to be searching to protect the fleet anchored in Pearl Harbor." [19:30]

Competing Rationales

• America’s error: Both over- and underestimating Japan, failing to grasp Japanese honor and willingness to pursue a “futile” gesture.
• "We simply did not understand the Japanese mind very well...We expected them to always be rational the way we would be rational." [24:23]

Missed Warnings and Misread Signals

Breaking Codes & Missed Intelligence

• U.S. had cracked Japanese diplomatic (not military) codes (Magic/Purple) and intercepted ominous-sounding messages, e.g.:
  • Nov 29: "Things are automatically going to happen." [27:45]
  • Early code changes, lost track of four carrier groups, embassies burning documents. Kimmel inserted benign interpretations.
• "The mid-level intelligence officers…were the ones most worried about what seemed to be unfolding…" [25:31]

The Surprise Was the Place, Not the War

• Press and officials suspected war, but expected it in the Philippines or British territories, not Hawaii.

Diplomatic Failure—Cordell Hull & Ultimatums

• Negotiations with Japan broke down over oil embargoes; on Dec 6, a final message (delayed in translation) signaled diplomatic talks' end—arrived after the attack began.

Japanese Innovations & Deceptions

Strategic & Technological Feats

• Japanese successfully refueled at sea (believed impossible by most in Navy), navigated undetected, and innovated new "shallow-running" torpedoes against expert advice.
• "The first planes over Pearl Harbor were in fact Japanese torpedo planes. And their torpedoes did by far the most damage to the fleet." [38:09]
• No torpedo nets or balloons deployed (spy Takeo Yoshikawa’s reports confirmed for Tokyo there were none).

The Role of Luck

• Japanese hoped key U.S. ships would be in port—8/9 battleships were, but the two aircraft carriers were out at sea, crucial for U.S. later recovery.

The Morning of the Attack

Radar and Early Detection

• Radar technology was new and poorly integrated; warning from two privates at Opana Point mistook incoming Japanese planes for U.S.-bound bombers; warning dismissed by untrained officer.
• "If there’s a hero in this story, it is a man named William Outerbridge...He did everything right..." [43:55]

Missed Opportunities

• Destroyer USS Ward, under Lt. Outerbridge, successfully engaged a Japanese submarine but his urgent report up the chain was not acted on; could have allowed at least a defensive response.

On-the-Spot Heroism and Training

• Despite chaos and being caught off-guard, Kimmel’s intensive training paid dividends in the rapid, courageous response by young sailors.
• "They responded with remarkable quickness and kind of heroic glory because these were kids in many cases, but they knew what to do." [46:39]

Aftermath, Responsibility, and Lessons Learned

The Weight of Blame

• Kimmel: struck by a spent bullet during the attack, famously said, "It would have been better if it had killed me." [49:07]
• Star/Kimmel friendship dissolved post-attack as Kimmel blamed Stark for lack of information sharing and support; Stark wasn’t publicly punished.
• "Kimmel and George should bear responsibility for what happened...but...other people weren’t blamed who should have been." [52:30]

Systemic Failures & Takeaways

• Refusal to adapt: Kimmel ignored incoming evidence that contradicted his assumptions/plan; a lesson in cognitive rigidity.
• Dangers of Assumption: Stark and others assumed proper defensive moves were being taken; failed to confirm.
• "Pearl Harbor is a great example of what happens when you make too many assumptions and also when you are unable...to change your plans." [54:45]
• Communication structures and intelligence-sharing improved post-attack.

Were There Any Bright Spots?

• Admiration for those who did their jobs under intense pressure (e.g., Outerbridge and the crews), but overall, the day was a disaster for both the U.S. and Japan.
• "Not many [bright spots]...doing your job is commendable...but December 7 was overall a terrible day for the United States and for Japan." [56:56]

Notable Quotes

• "He was once described as someone who had the air of his own statue." – Steve Twomey on Adm. Kimmel [11:34]
• "It’s a drama of people forced to make decisions in the absence of complete facts." – Steve Twomey [09:20]
• "We simply did not understand the Japanese mind very well... We expected them to always be rational the way we would be rational." – Steve Twomey [24:23]
• "If success depends on knowing your enemy, I don’t think we knew our enemy." – Steve Twomey [26:31]
• "The surprise was not that there was war. The surprise was where the war started." – Steve Twomey [31:30]
• "It would have been better if it had killed me." – Adm. Kimmel (as recounted by Twomey) [49:07]
• "Pearl Harbor is a great example of what happens when you make too many assumptions and also when you are unable... to change your plans." – Steve Twomey [54:45]

Important Timestamps

• 06:20 – Introduction of Steve Twomey and focus of his book
• 07:17–09:36 – Why write another Pearl Harbor book: suspense and TikTok methodology
• 11:15–13:15 – Portrait and leadership of Adm. Kimmel
• 14:11–16:21 – Contrast between Adm. Stark and Adm. Kimmel; the perils of hands-off command
• 16:29–17:50 – Overtrust/assumption between Washington and Hawaii; the “war warning”
• 19:00–20:54 – “Protect yourself” order, and why Kimmel misunderstood the threat
• 23:47–26:31 – Racial prejudices and underestimation of Japanese capabilities
• 27:45–32:14 – Reviewing the many missed warnings before the attack
• 34:49 – Details on codebreaking (Magic/Purple), and why key diplomatic warnings were missed
• 36:05–40:58 – Torpedo innovations, Japanese technological leap, and impact
• 41:21–47:12 – Radar, the USS Ward, and Kimmel’s training practices
• 48:09–50:05 – Vivid eyewitness accounts; the weight and symbolism of Kimmel being wounded
• 50:26–54:45 – Assigning individual and systemic blame, and investigation aftermath
• 56:10–57:21 – Are there positive takeaways? Twomey’s closing observations

Tone and Language

The conversation is candid, insightful, and at times somber—reflecting the gravity of the subject. Both Twomey and Cormack blend clear factual narration with vivid anecdotes and sober analysis. The episode remains accessible and engaging without sensationalizing the tragedy.

Final Thoughts

This “epilogue” to the show’s Pearl Harbor coverage offers a nuanced appraisal of the actual people and mindsets involved in one of the most iconic events in American history—reminding us that history’s outcomes are shaped not just by information, but also by assumption, personality, prejudice, and human fallibility.

For further information:

• Steve Twomey’s Countdown to Pearl Harbor
• HTDS podcast back-catalog for earlier episodes on the buildup and attack (Episodes 193, 194)
• Professor Greg Jackson’s upcoming book: Been There, Done That: How Our History Shows What We Can Overcome