Collection Summary
Kimmel, Husband Edward, 1882-1968
Husband Edward Kimmel Papers
1907-1999
03800
25.15 cubic ft. (56 boxes)
University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.
English
Admiral Husband E. Kimmel was commander-in-chief of the U.S.
Fleet at the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. The
collection contains documents gathered by Kimmel and used in the preparation of his
book, "Admiral Kimmel's Story" (1955) along with biographical information,
correspondence, and other materials used for his defense.
Biography
Husband E. Kimmel (1882-1968) was a career officer in the U.S. Navy, 1904 to 1942. He
attained the rank of rear admiral in 1938 and then admiral February 1, 1941,
assuming command of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and combined U.S. Fleet in Pearl Harbor.
As senior officer along with Lt. General Walter C. Short on December 7, 1941 at the
surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, he was held responsible for lack of
preparedness, was replaced, demoted, and retired. Kimmel was finally able to defend
himself through the publication of his book, "Admiral Kimmel's Story" (1955) after
documents held secret during World War II were made available for his research.
Kimmel was posthumously restored to the full rank of admiral in 1999 by the U.S.
Congress.
Scope and Content
The collection contains documents and materials used by Admiral Kimmel for the
preparation of his defense and also used for his book, "Admiral Kimmel's Story,"
published in 1955, which is his challenge to the accusation that he was responsible
for the lack of preparedness of the Navy when attacked by the Japanese at Pearl
Harbor. Documentation includes correspondence, official dispatches, testimonies,
exhibits and statements used in investigations, related “Congressional Record"
citations, memoranda, manuscripts, newspaper clippings, and other printed material,
both official and published. Biographical material on Kimmel and other officers
involved in Kimmel's defense is also included. A card file of proper names and dates
of individual letters and some documents is included along with other indices. A
large portion of the collection is available on microfilm.
Access Restrictions
There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the
collection is open to the public.
Copyright Information
The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and
libel laws as they apply.
Related Materials
There are no known other archival collections created by Husband E. Kimmel at the
date of processing.
Acquisition Information
Captain Thomas K. Kimmel, 1971, 1973, 1982, 1991; Thomas K. Kimmel Jr., 1999
Processing Information
The collection was updated and re-keyed by Mary Kenney.
Preferred Citation
Box Number, Husband Edward Kimmel Papers, 1907-1999, Collection Number 03800,
American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Existence and Location of Copies
Digital reproductions of select material from this collection are available at
http://digitalcollections.uwyo.edu:8180/luna/servlet/uwydbuwy~83~83.
Access Terms
Barnes, Harry Elmer, 1889-1968
Stark, Harold R. (Harold Raynsford),
1880-1972
Short, Walter Campbell,
1880-1949
Safford, Laurance F.
Cannon, Clarence, 1879-1964
Kimmel family
Bloch, Claude Charles,
1878-1967
Roberts Commission on the Facts of the
Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor (U.S.)
United States Navy
Pearl Harbor (Hawaii), Attack on,
1941
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Politics, Government, and Law
Military
Social Life and Customs
Container List
Series I. Background Materials
Sub-series I. Biographical
1
Barnes, Harry Elmer
1
Brownlow, Donald G., "The Accused" (reel-to-reel
tape)
1969
1
Cannon, Clarence
1958
1
Churchill, Winston
1941-1942
1
Keefe, Frank B.
1945
1
Kimmel, Husband E.
1939-1942
1
Kimmel family genealogy
1956
1
Safford, Laurance
1953
1
Stark, Harold R.
1941
1
Other personalities related to Pearl Harbor
Attack
1941-1962
1
Letter to Captain Thomas K. Kimmel from Geraldine A.
Weeks
July 13, 1982
1
Resolution by Pearl Harbor Survivors Association
December 8, 1986
1
Posthumous Advancement of Rear Admiral (retired) Husband E.
Kimmel and Major General (retired) Walter C. Short on retired
lists
October 14, 1999
1
Brit Hume interview with Stephen Ambrose , Fox Special
Report
July 5, 1999
Sub-series 2. Topical
1
Airplane Torpedoes
1932-1941
1
Congressional Extension of Statue of Limitations
1944 - 1945, 1957 - 1958
1
Public Addresses
February 1, 1941 - March 30, 1954
1
Public Reports, including February , 1941 Change of Command;
Wire-tapping Legislation and Pearl Harbor Attack; "The Time is Now"
by Rupert Hughes; Congressman Melvin J. Maas; James Forrestal;
Kimmel television broadcast
1941-1954
Series II. Correspondence
2
1
Letters from Husband E. Kimmel to his mother and to
Singleton
1907-1909
2
2
Correspondence
1924-1940
2
3
Correspondence
January 1 - January 11, 1941
2
4
Correspondence
January 12 - January 31, 1941
2
5
Correspondence
February to March, 1941
2
6
Correspondence
April to August, 1941
2
7
Correspondence
September to December, 1941
SAFE
Letter from President Franklin D. Roosevelt
January 7, 1941
3
January to February, 1942
3
March to December, 1942
3
1943
3
January to March, 1944
3
April to May, 1944
4
June to July, 1944
4
August, 1944
4
September, 1944
4
October to November, 1944
4
December, 1944
5
January to February, 1945
5
March to April, 1945
5
May to June, 1945
5
July to August, 1945
5
September to December, 1945
SAFE
Letter from President Harry Truman
November 25, 1945
6
January, 1946
6
February to March, 1946
6
April to June, 1946
6
July to December, 1946
6
January to April, 1947
6
May to December, 1947
6
1948
6
1949
6
1950
6
1951
6
1952
7
January to July, 1953
7
August to December, 1953
7
January to April, 1954
7
May to November, 1954
7
December, 1954
8
January to February, 1955
8
March to December, 1955
8
1956
8
January to June, 1957
8
July to December , 1957
9
January to July, 1958
9
August to October, 1958
9
November to December, 1958
9
January to April, 1959
9
May to December, 1959
10
1960
10
January to July, 1961
10
August to November, 1961
10
December, 1961
10
January to February, 1962
11
March to May, 1962
11
June to July, 1962
11
August to December, 1962
11
January to April, 1963
12
May to September, 1963
12
October to December, 1963
12
January to May, 1964
12
June to December, 1964
12
January to June, 1965
12
July to December, 1965
13
January to August, 1966
13
September to November, 1966
13
December 1-6, 1966
December 7, 1966
13
December 8, 1966
14
December 9-12, 1966
14
December 13-18, 1966
14
December 19-31, 1966
14
January, 1967
14
February, 1967
15
March to April, 1967
15
May to August, 1967
15
September to December, 1967
15
1968
15
undated
15
Husband E. Kimmel to Harold R. Stark, letters and extracts
from letters and official dispatches, with notes, (Kimmel file 1-A)
January 27, 1941 - December 2, 1941
15
Husband E. Kimmel to Harold R. Stark (selected
copies)
January 27, 1941 - December 2, 1941
16
Husband E. Kimmel to Harold R. Stark, Photostat copies of
letters and extracts from letters and official dispatches (Kimmel
file 1-A)
January 27, 1941 - December 2, 1941
17-18
Photostat copies of correspondence, reports, and dispatches
relating to Pearl Harbor with Index
October 7, 1940 - December 13, 1941
Series III. Official Communications: Dispatches and
Memoranda
Dispatches
19
Dispatches File C-1, with Index for Files C-1, C-2, C-3, and
notes in binder
January 2, 1941 - December 18, 1941
20-22
Dispatches, File C-2 through C-4
January 3, 1940 - December 18, 1941
22
Translated Dispatches
December, 1940 - December, 1941
Memoranda
35
Memoranda
1938-1940
35
Memoranda
1941
35
Memoranda
1942-1943
35
Memoranda
1944
35
Memoranda
1945
35
Memoranda
1946-1967
35
Memoranda
undated
Series IV. Investigations of the Pearl Harbor Attack: Exhibits and
Document Files
Exhibits
24--27
Exhibits #1 through #156
1945-1946
28
Exhibit B of Clausen Inquiry
1945
28
Exhibits, Hart Inquiry
1944
28
Exhibits, Hewitt Investigation
1944
28
Exhibits, Naval Court of Inquiry
1944
Document Files
29
Organization of Office of Chief of Naval Operations
October 23, 1940
29
Destruction of Codes, Ciphers and Other Devices
December 15, 1941
29
Distant Air Reconnaissance
1944
29
Material distributed to committee but not used as
exhibits
1941
29
Pearl Harbor Estimates
June 10, 1944
29
Japanese Prisoners Version of Pearl Harbor
Attack
December 8, 1944
29
Joint Congressional Pearl Harbor Committee (includes
index)
1946
29
Pearl Harbor, magazine articles
1941-1948
30
Organization of Orange Fleet and Orange Activities in
mandated islands
August 7, 1941
30
Patrol Plane Expansion Program
August , 1941
30
Admiral Kimmel's notes on Pearl Harbor
undated
30
Communications Intelligence Summary, Magic
Summary
1941, 1943
30
Senate Bill 805 with background history, Safeguarding
Military Information
1945
30
U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey (Pacific)
1945
30
Questions and Outline of Testimony given by Admiral Kimmel
before Naval Court of Inquiry
August, 1944
30
Useful data messages and letters to and from
CINPAC
1940, 1941
30
U.S. coded messages (selected)
May, November, December 1941
30
"Winds Message"
December 1941
30
Outline of Kimmel's Defense with supporting letters,
memoranda, newspaper transcripts et al.
December 1941
31
Kimmel file 1-B, Documentation for Robert's Commission,
pre-attack
1941
31
Kimmel file 1-D, Documentation for Robert's Commission, Chief
of Naval Operations, Admiral Stark
1941
31
Kimmel file 1-E, Documentation for Robert's Commission, Fleet
Training and Readiness
1941
31
Kimmel file 1-F, Documentation for Robert's Commission, Plans
and Orders in Effect in Pacific Fleet on December 7,
1941
1941
50
Tracings, original copies for files 1-D, 1-E, 1-F, and
1-G
1941
31
Kimmel file 3-C, Documentation for Robert's Commission, Rear
Admiral Theobald comments
February, 1941-December, 1941
31
Miscellaneous Documentation for Kimmel defense
1941, 1944
31
Summary of pre-attack situation in U.S. Fleet in
Pacific
undated
31
Charles Rugg's Findings and Minority Actions (Minority Report
to Robert's Commission
1942
32
Indices to Witnesses, Statements, and Materials sent to
Kimmel from Washington
1946
50
Navy Basic War Plan O-1, Rainbow Five, WPPac-46
July 25, 1941
50
Interpretation of Cooperation between United States and
British Commonwealth in Pacific Ocean, attachment to Navy Basic War
Plan O-1, Rainbow Five
September 5, 1941
Series V. Manuscripts and Research
33
"Instructions Governing the Use of Naval Communication
Facilities at Washington, D.C."
1939
33
Interviews: Capt. McCollum, Admiral Murfin, Vice Admiral
Jacobs, Justice Roberts, Tyler Gatewood Kent
1944, 1945, 1963
33
Lists
undated
33
Book Reviews
1955
33
"Facts About Pearl Harbor" by Husband E. Kimmel
1958
33
Magazines with Pearl Harbor related articles
1941, 1942, 1954-1955
34
Manuscript by C.C. Hiles on events leading up to Pearl
Harbor
1962
34
Brief manuscripts dealing with Pearl Harbor by miscellaneous
authors
1933-1962
34
"Bataan: The Judgment Seat" by Allison Ind
1944
34
Army Historical Section's drafts with Kimmel's
comments
undated
23
Excerpt from "United States Navy Security Manual from
Classified Matter"
1951
23
Robert's Commission Report
January 23, 1941
23
Investigations of National War Effort, Interim report
(construction on Defense projects in Pacific area
included)
June 14, 1944
23
Department of State Bulletin, "The War"
December 13, 1941
23
"How Secret Diplomacy Obscures War Policy", press release,
McClure Newspaper Syndicate
February, 1944
23
Pearl Harbor Intercepted Diplomatic Messages Sent by Japanese
Government
between July 1 and December 8, 1941
23
Transfer reports and letters of congratulation on Kimmel's
assumption of command of U.S. Fleet
February, 1941
23
Congressional Record, comment on Pearl Harbor probe, Keefe v.
McCormick
March 27, 1946
23
Japanese War Plans, "Combined Fleet Top Secret Operation
Order 1"
November 5, 1941
23
"The Puzzle of Pearl Harbor", by Carter W.
Clarke
1962
23
"Peace and War: United States Foreign Policy, 1931-1941",
Department of State
1942
23
United States Navy Security Manual for Classified
Matter
May 24, 1948
23
Joint Action of the Army and the Navy, revised
edition
1935
41
Kimmel's notes for "Admiral Kimmel's Story" (ring
binder)
1953
41
Message to Garcia (pamphlet)
1916
41
Change of Command, Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet
(pamphlet)
February 1, 1941
41
United States Espionage Act and Sabotage
Statute(pamphlet)
1943
41
"The People vs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, -Defendant"
(pamphlet), by Milo O. Bennett
1944
41
Private Enterprise and Personal Liberty vs. States Socialism,
communism, Slavery (pamphlet), by Joseph S. Kimmel
1944
41
"Naval Bases - Past and Future" (reprint) , by H. Gard Knox,
Rear Adm. Frederic R. Harris, and Rear Adm. Husband E.
Kimmel
1945
41
More Truth About Vietnam (pamphlet) , by Robert
Welch
1967
41
Newsletters
1944-1966
41
Patent, sludge pumping apparatus
July 25. 1945
41
Poems
undated
41
Document receipts for investigations
1944-1946
41
Office Orders, Office of the Chief of Naval
Operations
July 15, 1941
41
Press releases (3 items)
1941-1943
41
Reprints of articles about Pearl Harbor
1943-1960
41
Resolution of U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association in
support of Adm. Kimmel
1957
41
United States Fleet Regulations
1941
50
Kimmel's miscellaneous notes, letters and
documents
1941-1946
Series VI. News Clippings
36
1938 through January 25, 1942
36
January 26, 1942 - February 1, 1942
36
February 6, 1942 - October 13, 1943
36
March 1, 1944 - June 16, 1944
37
June 20, 1944 - September 1, 1944
37
September 6, 1944 - October 20, 1944
37
October 22, 1944 - December 4, 1944
37
December 5, 1944 - August 7, 1945
38
August 8, 1945 - September 22, 1945
38
September 23, 1945 - December 12, 1945
38
December 13, 1945 - March 22, 1946
38
April 15, 1946 - May 11, 1952
39
June 2, 1952 - December 2, 1956
39
December 6, 1956 - April 24, 1959
39
October 30, 1959 - December 5, 1966
39
December 6, 1966 - December 10, 1967
39
Undated
39
Loose clippings
undated
39
Scandal of missing documents, Congressional Bi-partisan
Committee
1946
40
Kimmel's South American Cruise
1939
40
Typescripts taken from Honolulu "Advertiser" and Honolulu
"Star-Bulletin" (3 copies)
November 27, 1941-December 7, 1941
40
Clippings dealing with "Pearl Harbor: The Story of the Secret
War" by George Morgenstern
1947
40
Clippings dealing with "The Final Secret of Pearl Harbor" by
Robert A. Theobald
1951, 1954
40
Clippings dealing with "Admiral Kimmel's Story"
1954-1955
40
Official Record of the Yalta Conference
1955
Series VII. Reports
42
Army Pearl Harbor Board (3 copies)
July 12, 1944
42
Clarke Report, testimonies and findings of handling of
certain top secret documents
July 13, 1945
42
"Unification of the War and Navy Departments", vol. 1, James
Forrestal Report
September, 1945
42
Knox Report, Secretary of the Navy to the President (4
copies)
42
Robert's Commission
1941-1942
43
1
Fitness Reports on Husband E. Kimmel
1906-1941
43
2
Navy Court of Inquiry, Finding of Facts
1944
43
3
Navy Court of Inquiry, Pearl Harbor Report (2
copies)
August 29, 1945
44
Narrative Statement of Evidence at Navy Pearl Harbor
Investigations, Vol 1 and 2 (2 copies) and appendix
1945
43
4
Report about Submarine Contact
February 3-4, 1941
43
5
Readiness Report , U.S. Pacific Fleet, "Are We
Ready?"
February 28, 1941
43
6
Readiness Report , U.S. Pacific Fleet, "Are We Ready?
III"
July 9, 1941
43
7
Officer's Record of Fitness, Husband E. Kimmel
1906-1940
Series VIII. Statements and Testimony
45
Rear Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, U.S. Navy, retired, before
Naval Court of Inquiry (4 copies)
September 27, 1944
45
Statements before Joint Committee on Investigation of Pearl
Harbor Attack (extra copies of statements of Kimmel, Safford, and
Stark)
1945
45
Walter C. Short before Joint Committee on Investigation of
Pearl Harbor Attack
January, 1946
45
Vice Admiral P.N.L. Bellinger before Joint Committee on
Investigation of Pearl Harbor Attack
45-46
Other drafts and outlines of Kimmel's statements
October 19 and October 29, 1945
46
Summary of Testimony before the Robert's Commission
1941-1942
46
Agreement for Use of Testimony and other evidence taken
during examination ordered by Secretary of Navy
February 12, 1944
46
Kimmel's notes for preparation of statement for Joint
Committee
September, 1945
46
Vice Admiral Theodore S. Wilkinson to Kimmel, Lavender, and
Rugg
February 19, 1945
46
Rear Admiral Arthur H. McCollum
May, 1961
46
Rear Admiral Robert A. Theobald
March 20, 1944
47
Rear Admiral Claude Charles Bloch (2 copies)
1941-1944
47
Admiral Husband E. Kimmel (2 copies)
1941-1944
47
Lt. Col. Kendall J. Fielder and Lt. Col. George W. Bicknell
before Robert's Commission
1941
48
Admiral Kimmel before Naval Court of Inquiry
1944
48
Rear Admiral Kimmel, U.S. Navy, retired, before Army Pearl
Harbor Board
August 25, 1944
48
Excerpts from Admiral Kimmel's testimony
1944
48
Commander Alwin D. Kramer before Navy Court of Inquiry
July 24, 1944
48
Captain Alvin D. Kramer, U.S. Navy before Hewitt
Investigation
May 22, 1945
48
General George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff
1941-1944
48
Vice Admiral John Henry Newton (4 copies)
undated
48-49
Major General Walter C. Short (2 folders)
1941-1944
49
Admiral Harold R. Stark, Chief of Naval Operations (3
copies)
1941-1944
49
Captain Ellis M. Zacharias
undated
49
Vice Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner before Naval Court of
Inquiry (4 copies)
1944
49
Summaries of testimony of officers attached to
CINPAC
undated
Series IX. Microfilm and Card Files
Card File
51
Card File by name and date for correspondence, topical
headings (Manuscript, Newspaper Clippings, Newsletters), exhibits,
and Christmas cards
covering documents from 1907-1967
52
Copy of cards in Card File
Microfilm of Kimmel papers, Original microfilm (21 rolls, 1
missing)
1907-1965
53
Admiral Kimmel Index, genealogical records,
instructions
undated
53
Correspondence (and other contents of Box 1)
1907 to January 23, 1941
53
Correspondence
January 23, 1941-January 30, 1941 (original missing, see
second generation)
53
Correspondence
January 29, 1941-March 23, 1944
53
Correspondence
March 24, 1944-December 4, 1944
53
Correspondence
December 4, 1944-October 23, 1945
53
Correspondence
October 23, 1945-November 21, 1952
53
Correspondence
January 2, 1953-July 10, 1955
53
Correspondence
June 30, 1955-January 15, 1959
53
Correspondence
June 11, 1955-1965
53
Correspondence
December 14, 1958-March 7, 1962
53
Correspondence
January 7, 1962-June 11, 1962
53
Correspondence
December, 1966
53
Kimmel/Stark letters
1966-1968
53
Kimmel CINPAC correspondence
53
Kimmel Testimony #1
53
Kimmel Testimony #2
53
Stark Testimony
53
Kimmel Reports and Testimony
53
Kimmel Statements
54
Kimmel: Testimony, War Plans, miscellaneous
54
Kimmel: Reports, Statements vol. 1 and 2
54
Exhibits 1 - 18
54
Exhibits 18 - 64
54
Exhibits 64 - 113
54
Exhibits 119 - 131
54
Kimmel Exhibits , Hewitt Exhibits, Files
54
Kimmel Dispatches, Documents
54
Kimmel Instructions, Memoranda
1938-September 1943
54
Kimmel Memoranda, News Clippings
54
Kimmel News Clippings
September 7, 1943-December 7, 1961
54
Kimmel News Clippings, Newsletters, Notebooks,
Orders
54
Kimmel Files
54
Kimmel Files, Findings, Reports
54
Kimmel Pamphlets, Findings, Reports
54
Microfilm Record of letters about the book, "Admiral Kimmel's
Story" (1955)
Microfilm of Kimmel papers, Second Generation microfilm (20
rolls)
55-56
Second Generation microfilm complete; no copy of microfilm
record of letters about the book, "Admiral Kimmel's Story"
(1955)
1907-1965