First Shot

Unheeded warnings, missed opportunities, a failure to connect the dots-more than 60 years ago, America was rocked by a devastating surprise attack on its Pearl Harbour base, one that destroyed a large part of the nation’s pacific fleet. To this day historians argue over whether that attack could have or should have been detected ahead of time. In first shot, John Craddock investigates a little known but clear eleventh hour warning that, had it been heeded, might have enabled the Navy’s Pearl Harbour command to blunt the Japanese assault and save ships and lives. HB