“Khumbula IZibuko IPearl!”
KWAKUYINTSASA ezolileyo yangeCawa kwiSiqithi saseOahu. UAdeline, intombazana engumJapan ehlala eHawaii neyayifunda kwibanga lesine, yayiseyadini yakowayo kumbindi wedolophu iHonolulu. Yabona iinqwelo-moya zibhabha yaye kuqhuma ngakwicala leZibuko iPearl. Ngaba yayilolunye uqheliselo lomkhosi?
EOahu abantu babeluqhelile uqheliselo lomkhosi nezithonga zenkohliso, kangangokuba kwanoSekela-mphathi Womkhosi Weenqanawa WaseUnited States KwiPasifiki uWilliam S. Pye wakroba ngefestile yegumbi lakhe waza wathi kumkakhe: “Ibonakala ingaqhelekanga into yokuba uMkhosi wenze uqheliselo lokudubula ngentsasa yangeCawa.” Leyo yayiyintsasa yangeCawa ngoDisemba 7, 1941.
Isiva isandi seenqwelo-moya ezizayo, inkwenkwe eneminyaka eli-13 ubudala yakroba ngefestile. Yaxelela uyise, owayengumphathi kwiSikhululo soMkhosi Wolwandle Nowomoya eKaneohe isithi: “Tata, ezaa nqwelo-moya zinezazinge ezibomvu kuzo.” Ukuthi tshe isazinge esibomvu, umfanekiso welanga eliphumayo, kwiinqwelo-moya zoMkhosi Wolwandle WoBukhosi BaseJapan, kwakwanele ukukuchaza konke okwakusenzeka—uhlaselo lwequbuliso!
UMphathi Weenqanawa uH. E. Kimmel, umphathi woMkhosi Weenqanawa WaseUnited States kwiPasifiki kwiZibuko iPearl, wayifumana ngemfonomfono ingxelo yohlaselo. Ubuso bakhe “babumhlophe njengempahla yoMkhosi awayeyinxiba” njengoko wayemi bhuxe ebamb’ ongezantsi, ebukele iinqwelo-moya zotshaba zisenza inzwinini njengoko zazithulula isiphango seembumbulu kwiinqanawa zomkhosi. Wabalisa esenjenje: “Kwasekuqaleni ndandisazi ukuba kwakusenzeka okuthile okumanyumnyezi, ukuba oku yayingekokuhlasela nje okungacetywanga kweenqwelo-moya ezimbalwa ezizulayo. Isibhakabhaka sasizele ziinqwelo-moya zotshaba.”
“Tora, Tora, Tora”
Imizuzwana embalwa ngaphambi kokuba ukuqhuma kwezigcayiseli ezithunyelwa ngeenkwili nokuqhushumba kweziqhushumbisi kuyiphelise inzolo kwiZibuko iPearl, umphathi wamajoni owayekhwele kwinqwelo-moya yaseJapan eyayiphosa iibhombu ezihla ngokukhawuleza wasibona isiqithi seOahu sivela. Wacinga oku: “Kungasisono ukuhlasela isiqithi esizole ngolu hlobo.”
Noko ke, ikroba elalisemafini lamchaphazela ngendlela eyahluke ngokupheleleyo uMphathi uMitsuo Fuchida, inkokeli yomkhosi ohlaselayo osemoyeni. Wacinga ngolu hlobo: “UThixo umele ukuba ukwicala lethu. Kufanele ukuba sisandla sikaThixo esi sivule la mafu kanye phezu kweZibuko iPearl.”
Ngo-7:49 kusasa, uFuchida wanikela ngesiJapan umqondiso wokuba makuhlaselwe othi, “To, To, To,” othetha ukuthi “Hlasela!” Eqinisekile ukuba imikhosi yamaMerika yayiqutyulwe ngokupheleleyo, wanikela umyalelo wokuba kuthunyelwe isigidimi sokuba intlaselo yequbuliso iye yenziwa—sikumazwi awaziwayo athi “Tora, Tora, Tora” (“Ingwe, Ingwe, Ingwe”).
Intlaselo Yequbuliso Iphunyeziwe
Umkhosi okhethekileyo omkhulu noquka iinqanawa ezintandathu ezithwala iinqwelo-moya wakwazi njani ukusondela eOahu kangangeekhilomitha ezingama-370 uze ungenise iqela lokuqala leenqwelo-moya ezili-183 ezihlaselayo, elingazange libonakale kuthungelwano lweradar (isixhobo esibonisa iinqwelo-moya okanye iinqanawa eziza kude) laza lawugqebh’ olungophiyo uMkhosi Weenqanawa WaseUnited States KwiPasifiki? Phakathi kwezinye izinto, iqela elikhethekileyo lomkhosi waseJapan lathabatha indlela engasentla phezu kwazo nje iilwandle ezilwatyuzayo zasebusika. Iinqanawa ezilindayo zaseUnited States zazibuthathaka kakhulu emantla eZibuko iPearl. Yaye iinqanawa zaseJapan ezithwala iinqwelo-moya zagcina oonomathotholo bazo bethe cwaka ngokungqongqo.
Noko ke, iradar yayisilindile esi siqithi sibalulekileyo ukubona nayiphi na inqwelo-moya esondelayo. Malunga nentsimbi yesixhenxe ngaloo ntsasa kwakugqitywe ngayo, amajoni amabini akudidi oluphantsi esemsebenzini kwiSikhululo seRadar Esihambahambayo eOpana kwisiqithi seOahu aphawula imifanekiso emikhulu ngokungaqhelekanga kwioscilloscope, eyayimela iinqwelo-moya “ezinokuba ngaphezu kwama-50.” Kodwa xa bazisa iZiko Lenkcazelo, baxelelwa ukuba bangazikhathazi ngako. Igosa elalikwiZiko Lenkcazelo lacinga ukuba yayiziinqwelo-moya zaseMerika ii-B-17 ezithwala iibhombu ababezilindele zivela eUnited States.
Sekunjalo, ngaba urhulumente waseUnited States akazange arhanele ukuba kwakuya kubakho intlaselo? Urhulumente waseJapan wayethumele isigidimi esinamacandelo ali-14 kubameli bakhe eWashington, D.C., ukuze basinike uCordell Hull, unobhala welo lizwe, kanye ngentsimbi yokuqala emva kwemini ngokweXesha Elifanayo Lasentshona ngoDisemba 7, 1941. Oko kwakuya kuba ngentsasa kaDisemba 7 kwiZibuko iPearl. Eso sigidimi sasiqulathe ingxelo yokuba iJapan yayiza kurhoxa kwiingxoxo neUnited States ezingemibandela ebalulekileyo yezobupolitika. Ekubeni ngandlel’ ithile esifumene eso sigidimi, urhulumente waseUnited States wabuqonda ubunzulu bale meko. Ngobusuku bangaphambi kolo suku lubalulekileyo, uFranklin D. Roosevelt, owayengumongameli weUnited States ngelo xesha, wayefumene amacandelo okuqala ali-13 olo xwebhu lwalufunyenwe. Emva kokuba elifundile ngokusisiseko, wathi, “Oku kuthetha imfazwe.”
Nangona amagosa aseburhulumenteni aseUnited States avakalelwa kukuba isenzo sobutshaba seJapan sasisondele, iThe New Encyclopædia Britannica ithi: “Ayengalazi ixesha okanye indawo okwakuya kwenzeka kuyo oku.” Amaninzi avakalelwa kukuba kwakuya kuba ndaweni ithile kwiMpuma Ekude, mhlawumbi eThailand.
Ixesha elalimisiwe leyoku-1:00 emva kwemini kwafuneka libuyiswe umva ngenxa yokuba oonobhala beofisi yabameli baseJapan balibazisa ekusichwethezeni isigidimi ngesiNgesi. Xa unozakuzaku waseJapan waludluliselayo uxwebhu kuHull, yayiyimi-2:20 emva kwemini eWashington. Ngelo xesha, kwiZibuko iPearl kwakusitsha ibe kwakukho isisongelo sokuhlaselwa liqela lesibini. Iindaba ezingolo hlaselo zazisele zifikile ezindlebeni zikaHull. Akazange athi mabachophe nokuchopha abo bameli; walufunda uxwebhu waza ngaphandle kokubonakalisa ububele wabakhomba ngentloko ukuba baphume.
Ukulibaziseka kokudluliswa kwesigidimi esasimele sibe sesokugqibela kwawukhulisa umsindo weMerika ngokunxamnye neJapan. KwanamaJapan athile avakalelwa kukuba le meko yakuguqula ukuhlaselwa kweZibuko iPearl ekubeni kokuchuliweyo kwaba yintlaselo yequbuliso. UMitsuo Fuchida, umlawuli weenqwelo-moya zeqela lokuqala elihlaselayo, wabhala oku: “Amazwi athi ‘KHUMBULA IZIBUKO IPEARL’ aba sisifungo esavumbulula umoya wokulwa wabantu baseMerika.” Wavuma oku: “Olu hlaselo lwazisela iJapan ihlazo elalingazange liphele kwanasemva kokuba yoyisiwe emfazweni.”
UFranklin D. Roosevelt wambiza uDisemba 7 ngokuthi “ngumhla oya kuhlala ulihlazo.” Ngolo suku kwiZibuko iPearl, iinqanawa zokulwa zaseUnited States ezisibhozo nezinye iinqanawa ezilishumi zatshoniswa okanye zonakaliswa kakubi, yaye iinqwelo-moya ezingaphezu kwe-140 zatshatyalaliswa. AmaJapan aphulukana neenqwelo-moya ezingama-29 kwezingama-360 zokulwa neziphosa iibhombu ezazihlasela zingamaqela amabini ukongezelela kwiinkwili ezincinane ezintlanu. AmaMerika angaphezu kwama-2 330 aphulukana nobomi bawo, yaye ali-1 140 ashiyeka engxwelerhekile.
Abemi baseMerika babenoluvo olunye olusisikhalo ngokunxamnye neJapan esasisithi “Khumbula iZibuko iPearl!” Incwadi ethi Pearl Harbor as History—Japanese-American Relations 1931-1941, ithi: “Ekubeni lalilinye kuphela ilungu leNdlu Yabameli elalingazange likuvotele oko, iBhunga (ngokufanayo nabantu baseMerika ngokubanzi) lalimanyene ekuxhaseni uMongameli Roosevelt kwisigqibo sokulwela ukuloyisa utshaba.” Ukufuna ukuphindezela uhlaselo yayisesona sizathu sabo sokulwa neLizwe leLanga Eliphumayo.
Ngaba Yayiluhlaselo Lwequbuliso Lokuzisa Uxolo Lwehlabathi?
Abalawuli baseJapan bazithethelela ngelithini izenzo zabo zemfazwe? Enoba kubonakala kunzima ukukukholelwa, babemi ngelokuba injongo yabo yayikukumisela uxolo lwehlabathi ngokumanyanisa ‘ihlabathi lonke libe yintsapho enkulu,’ okanye ihakkō ichiu. Eli yaba libinzana elalichaza iinjongo ezaqhubela amaJapan kuphalazo-gazi. Ngowe-1940 isigqeba sombuso saseJapan savakalisa oku: “Injongo esisiseko yenkqubo yesizwe saseJapan isekumiseleni ngokomeleleyo uxolo lwehlabathi ngokuvisisana nomoya obalaseleyo wehakkō ichiu elasekelwa kuyo eli lizwe, nasekwakheni, njengenyathelo lokuqala, ulungelelwaniso olutsha kwiMpuma Asia Enkudlwana.”
Ukongezelela kwibinzana elithi hakkō ichiu, ukukhululwa kweAsia kumagunya aseNtshona kwaba lolunye usukelo olukhulu lomzamo wemfazwe wamaJapan. Bobabini aba nobangela babegqalwa njengokuthanda komlawuli. Khon’ ukuze balufeze olu loyiso lwehlabathi, abaxhasi bemfazwe balukhokelela uhlanga kwimfazwe kunye neTshayina yaye emva koko namagunya aseNtshona, kuquka iUnited States.
Noko ke, uIsoroku Yamamoto, umphathi oyintloko woMkhosi Omanyeneyo Weenqanawa ZaseJapan, ngokusengqiqweni wagqiba kwelokuba imikhosi yaseJapan yayingenakuze iyoyise iUnited States. Lalilinye kuphela ikroba awayelibona elalinokusetyenziswa yiJapan ukuze ihlale ingumakhonya eAsia. Waqiqa ngelokuba, uMkhosi Wolwandle Wobukhosi BaseJapan wawufanele ‘uzihlasele uze uzitshabalalise kakhulu iinqanawa eziphambili zaseUnited States kanye ekuqaleni kwemfazwe, khon’ ukuze umoya wokuzimisela woMkhosi Wolwandle waseUnites States nabantu bayo uphele uthi tu ngokokude ungabuye uvuselelwe kwakhona.’ Ngaloo ndlela kwavela ingcamango yohlaselo lwequbuliso kwiZibuko iPearl.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 4]
IZibuko iPearl liyahlaselwa
[Inkcazelo]
U.S. Navy/U.S. National Archives photo