From: Honolulu (Kita)
To: Tokyo
1 December 1941
(J19)
#241 (In 2 parts, complete)
Re
your #119*.
Report
on ship maneuvers in Pearl Harbor:
1.
The place where practice maneuvers are held is about 500 nautical miles
southeast of here.
Direction
based on:
(1)
That direction taken when the ships start out is usually southeast by south and
ships disappear beyond the horizon in that direction.
(2)
Have never seen the fleet go westward or head for the "KAIUI" straits
northwards.
(3)
The west sea of the Hawaiian Islands has many reefs and islands and is not
suitable as a ocean maneuver practice sea.
(4)
Direction of practice will avoid all merchant ship routes and official travel
routes.
Distance
based on:
(1)
Fuel is plentyfull and long distance high speed is possible.
(2)
Guns can not be heard here.
(3)
In one week's time, (actually the maneuvers mentioned in my message #231** were
for the duration of four full days of 144 hours), a round trip to a distance of
864 nautical miles could be reached (if speed is 12 knots), or 1152 nautical
miles (if speed is 16 knots), or 1440 nautical miles (if speed is 20 miles) is
possible, however, figuring on 50% of the time being used for maneuver
technicalities, a guess that the point at which the maneuvers are held would be
a point of about 500 miles from Pearl Harbor.
2.
The usual schedule for departure and return of the battleships is: leaving on
Tuesday and returning on Friday, or leaving on Friday and returning on Saturday
of the following week. All ships stay in port about a period of one week.
JD-1:7294 26053 (Y) Navy Trans. 12-10-41 (2)
*JD-1:7158
*Available dated 23 November.
(EXHIBITS OF JOINT COMMITTEE
, EXHIBIT NO. 2 JAPANESE MESSAGES CONCERNING MILITARY
INSTALLATIONS, SHIP MOVEMENTS, ETC.)