In the mean time, we'd started re-arming for the coming conflict. But we were spread thin. We had many first rate prototypes in the air and on the ways.  However production was far behind demand. We would not have the material in hand to win a war until 1943.  We were stretching our military to the limit, in 1940 and 1941. One question remained. Could England hold?  All eyes turned to that corner of Southeast England over Kent, known as "Hells Corner."  The Germans Attacked.  The British defended. When all was over, it was the Germans that left the field.

    Undoubtedly, the battle of Britain did much to make FDR believe what Churchill was telling him. FDR, for his part, increased the Neutrality patrol. (The area of the Atlantic we proclaimed "off limits" to warring nations.)  In case England should be invaded or otherwise not be able to fight, we took over her duties in Iceland, sending American soldiers to defend that part of the world from escalation of the war.  We also allowed (over the bitter objections of J.Edger Hoover) British Secret service HEADQUARTERS to be set up in New York City.

    We felt we had an edge.  We could read the German and Japanese code.   Well, some of the time.  Each time the code changed we had to go back to the beginning.

    Code breaking is only the beginning. After a message is intercepted it must be de-coded, translated and analyzed. Then this bit of information is placed with other bits of information to bring the general picture into focus. There are problems with this all along the way.  Codes change. Sensitive data is itself, given code names, which can be changed at any time. Translators and analyzers must be able to understand the language and the MEANING of a message.  Finally one missed piece of information can cause the whole thing to be wrong.  There was an abundance of the easy to brake messages.  Too much in fact.  Many pieces of the puzzle were left in someone's inbox.

    The Germans, Italians and Japanese did us the favor of creating the Axis (Trilateral) powers. This meant that should we go to war with far off Japan, Hitler was bound to declare war on us. America couldn't be Neutral if Japan and Germany declared war on her.   She'd have to fight.

    The Axis powers were not friendly and in agreement most of the time.  Hitler had angered the Japanese when he invaded Russia.  The Japanese saw the pact between Germany and Russia as leverage to keep Russia from Attacking them in and around Manchuria.  Hitler, on the other hand, had been putting pressure on the Japanese to attack the British colonies and declare war on England.  Japan invaded IndoChina. The French were busy elsewhere.

    Looking at the appeasement policy Europe had followed made FDR believe that America should maintain a tough stand.  Diplomatic letters were sent.  High level conferences were held.  Plans for a meeting between Roosevelt and the leader of the Japanese people was in the works.

November 16, 1941 - The carriers of Operation Z sail from the inland sea.  To camouflage the movement, the radio call signs are transferred to Destroyers.  Within days the Americans recognize this, but the fleet is already lost in the immense Pacific Ocean.

December 3, 1941 - 14 Japanese Troop transports and escorting warships of the Malayan invasion force sailed from Samah Bay.  They will be in position in four days.

December 7, 1941 - American code breakers  learn that the 14 part message is to be delivered to Sec. Hull at EXACTLY 1 p.m. Washington time. On the north Malayan cost the Japanese attack and are opposed. Ambassador Nomura calls the State Department, saying he wishes to postpone the meeting for one half hour. Fourteen transports arrive off Thailand.  The Japanese wade ashore to no opposition. Now it is Nomura's turn to wait.  He's setting in Hull's anti-room.  We'd been at war for half an hour. When Mac Arthur, in the Philippines, hears about the attack he says, "Pearl Harbor! It should be our strongest point."  Yet he does nothing for the next few hours except order some recon flights of for Formosa. On Formosa the Japanese are having their own trouble.  Bad weather has kept the four hundred planes of philippine strike fleet grounded.  As news of the Attack is flashed across the United States, air raid sirens go off in Singapore.  Guam Island is Raided.  Wake Island is attacked.  Hong Kong is attacked.  Seven hours and 30 minutes after the start of hostilities, Thirty two Japanese war planes Bomb the Philippines.  For these seven hours Mac Arthur has done next to nothing.  Now it was too late.  Midway Island is shelled by two Japanese Destroyers as the day comes to a close.Thanks to Nomura and to Hull's stalling, FDR had his "Day of Infamy"

    It wasn't to be that way.  The Japanese didn't want to attack Pearl Harbor.  But one of their Admirals knew it was the best hope for a quick and successful war with the United States...