“Khumbulani IPearl Harbor!”

KWAKUWUSUKU oluhle lwasekuseni ngeSonto esiQhingini iOahu. UAdeline, intombazane engumJapane waseHawaii efunda esikoleni sabaqalayo, wayengaphandle egcekeni lakubo engxenyeni engezansi yedolobha laseHonolulu. Wabona izindiza zindiza nentuthu ivela ngasePearl Harbor. Ingabe lokhu kwakungokunye ukuzivivinya kwamasosha?

Abantu eOahu babekujwayele ukuziqeqesha kwamasosha nokudubula izinhlamvu-mbumbulu, kangangokuthi ngisho noWilliam S. Pye oyiPhini leNduna Yamasosha eMikhumbi YasePacific eU.S. walunguza ngefasitela lendlu yakhe wayesethi kumkakhe: “Kubonakala kungavamile ukuba iMpi izilolongele ukulwa ngeSonto ekuseni.” Lolosuku lwangeSonto ekuseni lwalunguDecember 7, 1941.

Lapho ezwa izindiza zisondela, umfana oneminyaka engu-13 ubudala walunguza ngefasitela. “Baba,” ebikela uyise, owayengumqondisi weKaneohe Naval Air Station, “leziyazindiza zinezindilinga ezibomvu.” Ukuthi nhla endilingeni ebomvu, umfanekiso wokuphuma kwelanga, ezindizeni zamabutho aseJapane okuthiwa i-Imperial Navy, kwakwanele ukuba kuchaze ukuthi yini eyayenzeka​—⁠ukuhlasela ngokuzuma!

INduna yamasosha uH. E. Kimmel, umqondisi wamabutho ahamba ngeMikhumbi ePacific eU.S. ayesePearl Harbor, wathola ngocingo umbiko wokuhlaselwa. Ubuso bakhe “baba mhlophe qwa njengenyufomu ayeyigqokile” njengoba ayemi eshaqekile, ebheke izindiza zesitha ezazibhuza njengeminyovu njengoba zaziwisela amabhomu emikhunjini yamasosha akhe. “Ngazi zisuka nje,” elandisa, “ukuthi kwakwenzeka okuthile okubi kakhulu, ukuthi lokhu kwakungekhona nje ukuhlasela okuthuke sekwenzekile kwezindiza ezimbalwa ezidukile. Isibhakabhaka sasigcwele izindiza zesitha.”

“Tora, Tora, Tora”

Imizuzu emibalwa ngaphambi kokuba ukuqhuma kwamatorpedo namabhomu kuqede ukuthula kwePearl Harbor, isikhulu esasisemkhunjini waseJapane okhipha amabhomu sabona kuvela isiqhingi saseOahu. Sacabanga, “Lesi siqhingi sithule kakhulu ukuba sihlaselwe.”

Nokho, ukwehlukana kwamafu, kwamthinta ngendlela ehluke kakhulu uSigaxamabhande uMitsuo Fuchida, umholi wezindiza zebutho elihlaselayo. Wacabanga, “Kumelwe ukuthi uNkulunkulu unathi. Kumelwe ukuthi isandla sikaNkulunkulu esigudluze amafu phezu kwePearl Harbor.”

Ngo-7:​49 a.m., uFuchida wenza uphawu lokuba kuhlaselwe, “To, To, To,” okuwukuthi “Mayihlasele!” ngesiJapane. Eqiniseka ngokuthi amabutho aseMelika ayezunywe engazelele, wakhipha umyalo wokuba kukhishwe isigijimi ngeMorse code esibonisa ukuthi ukuhlasela ngokuzuma kwase kwenziwe​—⁠ngamazwi aziwayo athi “Tora, Tora, Tora” (“Ingwe, Ingwe, Ingwe”).

Ukuqedwa Kokuhlasela Ngokuzuma

Kwakungenzeka kanjani ukuba ibutho elikhulu lokuhlasela elalihlanganisa imikhumbi eyisithupha ethwala izindiza lingene ngokunyenya eduze ngamakhilomitha angu-370 livela eOahu futhi likhiphe iqembu lokuqala lezindiza ezingu-183 zokuhlasela, ezaphunyuka enxanxatheleni yemishini yeradar futhi zashaya iMikhumbi YaseU.S. esePacific ngegalelo elibi kangaka? Esinye isizathu ukuthi, ibutho lokuhlasela laseJapane lathatha indlela yasenyakatho naphezu kwezilwandle eziyaluzayo zasebusika. Amabutho aseU.S. ayembalwa kakhulu ePearl Harbor. Futhi imikhumbi yamaJapane ethwala izindiza yacophelela kakhulu ukugcina imisakazo ingenamsindo.

Nokho, iradar yayiqaphe isiqhingi sokuhlasela ukuze ibone noma iyiphi indiza esondelayo. Cishe ngehora lesikhombisa ekuseni ngalolosuku lwamanqamu, amasosha amabili angayifakile inyufomu ayesemsebenzini eOpana Mobile Radar Station esiqhingini saseOahu abona ubuphayiphayi obukhulu ngokungavamile emshinini obonisa izinto ezisemoyeni, bubonisa “cishe izindiza ezingaphezu kuka-50.” Kodwa lapho eqaphelisa isiKhungo Sokwaziswa, atshelwa ukuthi angazikhathazi ngakho. Isikhulu esasisesiKhungweni Sokwaziswa sathatha ngokuthi kwakuyizindiza zohlobo lwe-B-17 ezikhipha amabhomu ezazihlelelwe ukufika zivela eUnited States.

Nakuba kunjalo, ingabe uhulumeni waseU.S. awusolanga ukuthi kuzohlaselwa? NgoDecember 7, 1941, uhulumeni waseJapane wawuthumele isigijimi esinezingxenye ezingu-14 kubameleli bawo abaseWashington, D.C., ukuba basiyise kuCordell Hull, unobhala kahulumeni, ngehora lokuqala ezimpondweni ngokweSikhathi SaseMpumalanga. Lokho kwakuzoba usuku lukaDecember 7 ekuseni ePearl Harbor. Isigijimi sasiphethe inkulumo ethi iJapane yayizonqamula izingxoxo zokubonisana neUnited States ngezindaba ezibucayi zezombangazwe. Ngemva kokucisha umsakazo owawudlulisa lesigijimi, uhulumeni waseU.S. waqaphela ubunzima besimo. Ngobusuku bangaphambi kosuku olukhulu, uFranklin D. Roosevelt, owayengumongameli weUnited States ngalesosikhathi, wayesethole izingxenye zokuqala ezingu-13 zesigijimi esiphazanyisiwe. Ngemva kokusifunda, ngokuyisisekelo wathi, “Lokhu kusho impi.”

Nakuba izikhulu zaseU.S. zazinomuzwa wokuthi isinyathelo sempi samaJapane sasiseduze, iNew Encyclopædia Britannica ithi: “Zazingasazi isikhathi noma indawo eyayizokwenzeka kuyo.” Eziningi zazinomuzwa wokuthi yayizoba sendaweni ethile eMpumalanga Ekude, mhlawumbe eThailand.

Isivumelwano sika-1:​00 p.m. kwadingeka sihlehliswe ngenxa yokuthi onobhala basemahhovisi amanxusa aseJapane babenza kancane lapho bebhala ngomshini umbiko ngesiNgisi. Lapho inxusa likahulumeni waseJapane linika uHull lombiko, kwase kungu-2:​20 p.m. eWashington. Ngaleso sikhathi, iPearl Harbor yayidutshulwa futhi isongelwa ngokuhlaselwa kwesibili. Izindaba zokuhlaselwa zase zifikile kakade kuHull. Abameleli akazange abanike ngisho nezihlalo zokuba bahlale; wafunda lombiko futhi ngomoya ophansi wabakhombisa umnyango ngekhanda.

Ukulibala kokufika kwesinqumo salokho ababehlose ukukwenza kwenyusa ukuthukuthelela kweMelika iJapane. Ngisho namanye amaJapane aba nomuzwa wokuthi lesisimo sashintsha ukuhlaselwa kwePearl Harbor ekubeni ukuhlasela okuzumayo sakwenza kwaba ukuhlasela ngokunyenya. “Amagama athi ‘KHUMBULANI IPEARL HARBOR’ aba isiqubulo esavusa umoya wokulwa kubantu baseMelika,” kubhala uMitsuo Fuchida, umqondisi wamasosha ahamba ngezindiza eqembu elahlasela kuqala. Waphawula: “Lokhu kuhlasela eJapane kwaletha isihlamba esingazange sinyamalale ngisho nangemva kokwehlulwa kwayo empini.”

UFranklin D. Roosevelt wabiza uDecember 7 ngokuthi “usuku oluyohlala luyisihlamba.” Ngalolosuku ePearl Harbor, imikhumbi yezempi eyisishiyagalombili yaseU.S. neminye imikhumbi eyishumi yacwiliswa noma yalinyazwa kakhulu, futhi izindiza ezingaphezu kwezingu-140 zabhujiswa. AmaJapane alahlekelwa izindiza ezingu-29 ezindizeni ezithi azibe ngu-360 zempi nezikhipha amabhomu ezahlasela zingamaqembu amabili, ngaphezu kwemikhumbi-ngwenya emincane emihlanu. Abantu baseMelika abangaphezu kuka-2 330 balahlekelwa ukuphila kwabo, futhi abangu-1 140 basala belimele.

Ekumemezeni kokuthi “Khumbulani IPearl Harbor!” umphakathi waseMelika wahlanganisa umbono wawo ngokumelene neJapane. Incwadi ethi Pearl Harbor as History​—⁠Japanese-American Relations 1931-1941, ithi, “Ngaphandle kwevoti eyodwa eyayiphikisa ePhalamende, uMkhandlu (njengabo bonke abantu baseMelika) waba munye ekusekeleni uMongameli uRoosevelt ekuzimiseleni ukunqoba isitha.” Ukufuna ukuziphindiselela ngenxa yokuhlaselwa kwakuyisizathu esanele ngabo sokuba balwe neJapane.

Ingabe Ukuhlasela Ngokuzuma Ukuze Kube Nokuthula Komhlaba?

Ababusi baseJapane bazithethelela ngaliphi izenzo zabo zempi? Nakuba kungase kungakholeki, bathi zazenzelwe ukuletha ukuthula komhlaba ngokuhlanganisela ‘lonke izwe emkhayeni owodwa omkhulu,’ noma ihakkō ichiu. Lokhu kwaba isiqubulo esasivusela amaJapane usinga lokuchitha igazi. Ngo-1940 umkhandlu kahulumeni waseJapane wathi: “Umgomo oyisisekelo womthetho wesizwe samaJapane usekumisweni ngokuqinile kokuthula komhlaba ngokuvumelana nomoya ophakeme wehakkō ichiu okusekelwe kuwo izwe, nasekwakhiweni, njengesinyathelo sokuqala, kwesimiso esisha eGreater East Asia.”

Ngaphezu kwesiqubulo esithi hakkō ichiu, ukukhululwa kweAsia emibusweni yaseNtshonalanga kwaba omunye umgomo omkhulu womzamo wempi yamaJapane. Zombili lezimbangela zabhekwa njengeziyintando yombusi. Ukuze kufezwe lokhu kunqotshwa kwezwe, abaholi bempi baholela isizwe empini yokulwa neChina kwase kuba imibuso yaseNtshonalanga, kuhlanganise neUnited States.

Nokho, uIsoroku Yamamoto, umkhuzi wamasosha emiKhumbi Ehlangene YaseJapane, ngokubheka isimo ngendlela engokoqobo waphetha ngokuthi yayingekho indlela amabutho aseJapane ayenganqoba ngayo iUnited States. Wabona indlela eyodwa kuphela yokulondoloza ukubusa kweJapane eAsia. I-Imperial Navy kumelwe “ihlasele futhi ibhubhise ngonya imikhumbi eyinhloko yeU.S. ekuqaleni kwempi, ukuze ukuzethemba kweU.S. Navy nabantu bayo kunciphe kuze kube sezingeni lokuthi kungaphinde kubuye,” ecabanga. Ngaleyondlela ukuhlaselwa kwePearl Harbor ngokuzuma kwaqala.

[Isithombe ekhasini 4]

Ukuhlaselwa kwePearl Harbor

[Umthombo]

U.S. Navy/U.S. National Archives photo