Did WW2 Actually Start with This Secret Yacht on a Suicide Mission from the President? The Japanese attacked Pearl just while they were sailing to provoke the war.
LOL. We had been "short of war" in the Atlantic for quite some time. We lost actual warships, had others damaged, IIRC. On top of this WE DIDN'T NEED A WAR IN THE PACIFIC!!!!!
The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor as the USS Isabel was RETURNING to the Philippines from her reconnaissance foray to Camn Rahn Bay(sp?).
In the original post... The Isabel was not "sailing to provoke war" when the Japanese attacked. The Isabel was returning from her mission when the Japanese attacked.
The vessels were given legal status in the USN. If not they could have been held as being engaged in espionage if captured by the IJN.
Without Pearl Harbour I guess USA would have enter the war in 1942 anyway. Wouldn't? any guess in which month?
No crystal balls on this boy. The Gallup Polls give a strong impression of a country that understood they would be in the war soon, and a clear majority understood the necessity.