Secret papers from WWII espionage probe of Tribune could go public

[TexasTowelie]

The Battle of Midway was still raging in the Pacific Ocean when a bombshell of a different sort exploded on the front page of the Chicago Tribune: The U.S. Navy, the newspaper reported, had obtained advance knowledge of what the Japanese fleet was going to do.

The story, published June 7, 1942, was awash in detail, naming the Japanese vessels involved in the battle and the strategy they were pursuing. Anyone reading the account could have gleaned an unstated but critical piece of information — America had cracked Japan's naval code.

That set off a furious legal fight in which the federal government tried to prosecute Tribune journalists for violating espionage laws. A prosecutor even impaneled a grand jury to seek a criminal indictment.

The grand jury ultimately decided not to indict the journalists, but for 74 years, the testimony that led to that decision has remained under wraps. Now a Maryland historian is closer than ever to revealing those secrets, only to face the opposition of a familiar foe — the federal government.

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-japan-naval-code-midway-tribune-secrecy-met-20160916-story.html#nt=oft06a-2la1

[Ilsa]

1. There's that moment of realization in the movie,

The Imitation Game, when they realize they've cracked the code and save tens of thousands of lives, or, carefully build a timely and strategic offense around what they will learn every day, without tipping their hand, that will win the war.

I imagine something very similar was happening with respect to the Japanese decoding.

[longship]

2. This WAS a bombshell.

And the government almost blew this incidence up beyond belief.

That the US had broken the Japanese Naval ciphers was so secret that any release that we had would have set the war back months, if not years. Any prosecution of the reporters would have become public record. Finally, smarter minds swept the whole affair under the carpet, as it should have been at the time, with the war in full force.

Thankfully, the Japanese government took no notice.

For more information, Google "Midway Stanley Johnston"

Reporter Stanley Johnston was on board Lexington when it was hit during the Battle of Coral Sea. One careless radioman, under Admiral Ghormley, sent the secret Ultra of the Japanese order of battle using a less secure cipher. This was shared to officers on the transport that had rescued Lexington survivors. One officer shared it with Johnston.

When Johnston returned to Chicago -- he was working for the Chicago Tribune -- it likely resulted in the story mentioned. There was a grand jury, which returned no bill. But some in the Navy Dept. wanted to go further. Saner people convinced them to back off.

It is a very interesting story.