Husband Edward Kimmel was a four-star
admiralIn the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health...
in the
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. He served as Commander-in-chief,
U.S. Pacific FleetThe United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its home port is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. It is commanded by Admiral Patrick M...
at the time of the Japanese
attack on Pearl HarborThe attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
. Because of the attack, he was removed from office and was reduced to his permanent two-star rank of
rear admiralRear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. The uniformed services of the United States are unique in having two grades of rear admirals.- Rear admiral :...
. He would subsequently retire from the Navy with that rank.
Early life
Husband E. Kimmel was born in
Henderson, KentuckyHenderson is a city in Henderson County, Kentucky, United States, along the Ohio River in the western part of the state. The population was 27,952 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Evansville Metropolitan Area often referred to as "Kentuckiana", although "Tri-State Area" or "Tri-State" are more...
, on February 26, 1882, and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1904. His father, Major Manning Marius Kimmel (1832–1916), served in the
Confederate States ArmyThe Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
during the
American Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Husband was married to Dorothy Kinkaid, sister of
Thomas C. KinkaidThomas Cassin Kinkaid was an admiral in the United States Navy during World War II. He built a reputation as a "fighting admiral" in the aircraft carrier battles of 1942 and commanded the Allied forces in the Aleutian Islands Campaign...
, with whom he had two sons
ManningManning Marius Kimmel was a United States Navy submarine officer in World War II and the son of Admiral Husband E. Kimmel. He served as both junior and Executive Officer on several submarines, and finally assumed command of USS Robalo as a Lieutenant Commander...
and Thomas.
Before reaching flag rank, he served on several
battleshipA battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s, commanded two destroyer divisions, a
destroyerIn naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
squadronA squadron, or naval squadron, is a unit of 3-4 major warships, transport ships, submarines, or sometimes small craft that may be part of a larger task force or a fleet...
, and the battleship . He also held a number of important positions on flag staffs and in the
Navy DepartmentThe Department of the Navy of the United States of America was established by an Act of Congress on 30 April 1798, to provide a government organizational structure to the United States Navy and, from 1834 onwards, for the United States Marine Corps, and when directed by the President, of the...
, and completed the senior course at the
Naval War CollegeThe Naval War College is an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for naval warfare and passing them along to officers of the Navy. The college is located on the grounds of Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island...
.
After promotion to Rear Admiral in 1937, he commanded
CruiserA cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
Division Seven on a diplomatic cruise to
South AmericaSouth America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and then became Commander of Cruisers, Battle Force, in 1939.
Pearl Harbor
After Admiral James O. Richardson was removed as Commander in Chief,
U.S. FleetThe United States Fleet was an organization in the United States Navy from 1922 until after World War II. The abbreviation CINCUS, pronounced "sink us", was used for Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet. This title was disposed of and officially replaced by COMINCH in December 1941 . This...
and
Pacific FleetThe United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its home port is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. It is commanded by Admiral Patrick M...
in February 1941, Kimmel assumed command with the temporary rank of admiral. The base for the fleet had been moved from its traditional home at
San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
to Pearl Harbor in May 1940. On February 18, 1941, Kimmel wrote to the
Chief of Naval OperationsThe Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
:
- "I feel that a surprise attack (submarine, air, or combined) on Pearl Harbor is a possibility, and we are taking immediate practical steps to minimize the damage inflicted and to ensure that the attacking force will pay."
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor occurred on December 7, 1941.
Edwin T. LaytonEdwin Thomas Layton was a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy.-Career:...
related that during the attack, "Kimmel stood by the window of his office at the
submarine baseA submarine base is a military base that shelters submarines and their personnel.Examples of present-day submarine bases include HMNB Clyde, Île Longue , Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Naval Submarine Base New London, and Rybachiy Nuclear Submarine Base .The Israeli navy bases its growing submarine...
, his jaw set in stony anguish. As he watched the disaster across the harbor unfold with terrible fury, a spent
.50 caliber machine gunThe .50 Browning Machine Gun or 12.7×99mm NATO is a cartridge developed for the Browning .50 caliber machine gun in the late 1910s. Entering service officially in 1921, the round is based on a greatly scaled-up .30-06 cartridge...
bullet crashed through the glass. It brushed the admiral before it clanged to the floor. It cut his white jacket and raised a welt on his chest. ′It would have been merciful had it killed me,′ Kimmel murmured to his
communications officerHistorically, the first military communications had the form of sending/receiving simple signals . Respectively, the first distinctive tactics of military communications were called Signals, while units specializing in those tactics received the Signal Corps name...
, Commander
Maurice ′Germany′ CurtsAdmiral Maurice Edwin Curts was a four-star admiral in the United States Navy who served as commander in chief of the United States Pacific Fleet in 1958.-Early career:...
."
In
The World at War, a naval serviceman—who had been situated alongside Admiral Kimmel during the attack—recalled that as Kimmel watched the destruction of the fleet, he tore off his four-star shoulder boards and replaced them with those of a Rear Admiral, in apparent recognition of the impending end of his command of the Pacific Fleet.
Kimmel was relieved of his command in mid-December 1941, while he was in the midst of planning and executing retaliatory moves, including an effort to relieve and reinforce
Wake IslandWake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
which might have led to an early clash between American and Japanese carrier forces. He took an early retirement in 1942. He spent much of his time defending himself in front of various hearings, pointing out that all the key information which would have enabled him to anticipate the attack was never made available to him.
Some historians, such as
submarineA submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
r Captain
Edward L. "Ned" BeachEdward Latimer Beach, Jr. was a highly-decorated United States Navy submarine officer and best-selling author....
, later believed Admiral Kimmel and
ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Lieutenant GeneralIn the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
Walter ShortWalter Campbell Short was a Major General in the United States Army and the U.S. military Commander responsible for the defense of U.S. military installations in Hawaii at the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.-Early life:He was born in 1880 in Fillmore, Illinois...
became
scapegoatScapegoating is the practice of singling out any party for unmerited negative treatment or blame. Scapegoating may be conducted by individuals against individuals , individuals against groups , groups against individuals , and groups against groups Scapegoating is the practice of singling out any...
s for the failures of their superiors prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, and that their careers were effectively and unfairly ruined.
Edwin T. LaytonEdwin Thomas Layton was a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy.-Career:...
(later Rear Admiral Layton), chief
intelligence officerAn intelligence officer is a person employed by an organization to collect, compile and/or analyze information which is of use to that organization...
for Kimmel, and one of the officers who knew Kimmel best, provided support for Kimmel′s position in his book,
And I Was There: Pearl Harbor and Midway—Breaking the Secrets (1985).
Admiral Layton argued Kimmel had not been provided complete information, and that Kimmel deployed the few
reconnaissanceReconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
resources at his disposal in the most logical way, given the available information.
On the other hand, Kimmel′s critics point out that he had been ordered (on November 27, 1941, 10 days prior to the attack) to initiate a "defensive deployment" of the fleet. Kimmel understood this to mean defense against sabotage, and so made the necessary arrangements. Because of this misinterpretation, ships were kept in port and the fleet was not placed on alert. Moreover, after his intelligence unit lost track of Japan′s
aircraft carrierAn aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s, Kimmel did not order any long-range air or naval patrols to assess their positions, in part for lack of serviceable PBYs, in part because he also had a training schedule to maintain, and in part because the
Army Air CorpsThe United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
had the responsibility for long-range patrol (but even less capability in Hawaii than he did, since the Philippines had higher priority).
Even if Kimmel did react, it is not clear the results would have been any better for the Americans. In a 1964 interview, Admiral
Chester NimitzFleet Admiral Chester William Nimitz, GCB, USN was a five-star admiral in the United States Navy. He held the dual command of Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Fleet , for U.S. naval forces and Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas , for U.S...
, who became commander in chief of the Pacific Fleet three weeks after the attack, concluded that "it was God′s mercy that our fleet was in Pearl Harbor on December 7." If Admiral Husband Kimmel, the commander in Hawaii, had "had advance notice that the Japanese were coming, he most probably would have tried to intercept them. With the difference in speed between Kimmel's battleships and the faster Japanese carriers, the former could not have come within rifle range of the enemy's flattops. As a result, we would have lost many ships in deep water and also thousands more in lives." Instead, at Pearl Harbor, the crews were easily rescued, and six battleships ultimately raised. This was also the reaction of
Joseph RochefortJoseph John Rochefort was an American Naval officer and cryptanalyst. His contributions and those of his team were pivotal to victory in the Pacific War....
, head of
HYPOStation HYPO, also known as Fleet Radio Unit Pacific was the United States Navy signals monitoring and cryptographic intelligence unit in Hawaii during World War II. It was one of two major Allied signals intelligence units, called Fleet Radio Units in the Pacific theaters, along with FRUMEL in...
, when he remarked the attack was cheap at the price.
Robert StinnettRobert B. Stinnett is a former American sailor who earned ten battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation. He is the author of Day of Deceit, regarding U.S. government advance knowledge of the World War II Pearl Harbor attack.-Biography:...
, in his book
Day of DeceitDay of Deceit: The Truth About FDR and Pearl Harbor is a book by Robert Stinnett alleging that the Roosevelt administration deliberately provoked and allowed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in order to bring the United States into World War II...
(2001), claims Kimmel was deliberately kept ignorant, at least indirectly on the specific orders of FDR, because the President and others were aware not only of Japan's intent to attack Pearl Harbor, but also of the date and time. Kimmel, Stinnett argues, was given deceptive orders. In fact, Kimmel was denied access to
MAGICMagic was an Allied cryptanalysis project during World War II. It involved the United States Army's Signals Intelligence Section and the United States Navy's Communication Special Unit. -Codebreaking:...
for security reasons, and worked poorly with his Army counterpart, General
Walter ShortWalter Campbell Short was a Major General in the United States Army and the U.S. military Commander responsible for the defense of U.S. military installations in Hawaii at the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.-Early life:He was born in 1880 in Fillmore, Illinois...
, who had responsibility for defending the fleet. Stinnett argues Admiral Kimmel and General Short were scapegoated to cover up deliberately allowing the Japanese to strike in order to arouse American public opinion. This thesis is rejected by most historians, however.
After Pearl Harbor
Admiral Kimmel's son,
ManningManning Marius Kimmel was a United States Navy submarine officer in World War II and the son of Admiral Husband E. Kimmel. He served as both junior and Executive Officer on several submarines, and finally assumed command of USS Robalo as a Lieutenant Commander...
, died when the submarine he commanded was
minedA naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
near
PalawanPalawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
in July 1944. Kimmel himself worked for Frederic R. Harris, Inc. after the war. He died at
Groton, ConnecticutGroton is a town located on the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,907 at the 2000 census....
, on May 14, 1968.
In 1994, Kimmel′s family, including his grandson,
South CarolinaSouth Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
broadcaster Manning Kimmel IV, attempted to have Kimmel′s four star rank re-instated. President
Bill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
turned down the request, as had Presidents
Richard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
and
Ronald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
. A 1995 Pentagon study concluded there were other high-ranking officers responsible for the failure at Pearl Harbor, but did not exonerate him. On May 25, 1999, the
United States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, by a vote of 52–47, passed a nonbinding resolution exonerating Kimmel and Short, and asking President Clinton to posthumously promote Kimmel, and others, to full admiral. Senator
Strom ThurmondJames Strom Thurmond was an American politician who served as a United States Senator. He also ran for the Presidency of the United States in 1948 as the segregationist States Rights Democratic Party candidate, receiving 2.4% of the popular vote and 39 electoral votes...
(
RThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
-
SCSC, S.C., Sc, or Sc. may refer to:* SC a complexity class in Computer Science, named after Stephen Cook* SC convoys, a designation by Allied navies for a type of trans-Atlantic convoy during World War II* Lexus SC, automobile...
), one of the sponsors of the resolution, called Kimmel and Short "the two final victims of Pearl Harbor." However, neither Presidents Clinton nor Bush undertook to do so.
Portrayals
In the 1965 film
In Harm's WayIn Harm's Way is a 1965 American epic war film produced and directed by Otto Preminger and starring John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Patricia Neal, Tom Tryon, Paula Prentiss, Stanley Holloway, Burgess Meredith, Brandon De Wilde, Jill Haworth, Dana Andrews, and Henry Fonda.It was the last black-and-white...
Kimmel was portrayed as a victim of unfortunate circumstance by actor
Franchot ToneFranchot Tone was an American stage, film, and television actor, star of Mutiny on the Bounty and many other films through the 1960s...
. In the 1970 film
Tora! Tora! Tora!is a 1970 American-Japanese war film that dramatizes the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, to the extent these facts were known at the time of production. The film was directed by Richard Fleischer and stars an all-star cast, including So Yamamura, E.G...
, actor
Martin BalsamMartin Henry Balsam was an American actor. He is known for his Oscar-winning role as "Arnold Burns" in A Thousand Clowns and his role as "Detective Milton Arbogast" in Psycho.- Early life :...
depicted Kimmel positively as a commander who operated competently considering the inadequate communication of intelligence and the errors of subordinates. Canadian actor
Colm FeoreColm Feore is an American-born Canadian stage, film and television actor.-Early life:Feore was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Irish parents who lived in Ireland for several years during Feore's early life. The family subsequently moved to Windsor, Ontario, where Feore grew up.After graduating...
portrayed him in the 2001 movie,
Pearl HarborPearl Harbor is a 2001 American action drama war film directed by Michael Bay and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Randall Wallace, who wrote the screenplay...
.
External links