The Pacific theatre of WW2 is often almost forgotten, but it was brutal. If you are into reading I would highly suggest https://www.amazon.com/Goodbye-Darkness-Memoir-Pacific-War/dp/0316501115
A phenomenal read. You are right, the Japanese were never going to surrender. It was a terrible choice that someone had to make.
It WAS a disaster. The US had intercepted cables from the Japanese warning of an attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec 7. The Pentagon sent the message out to the Pacific for commanders to be prepared. The HNIC at Pearl decided that he didn't need to put his base on alert because it would stress the men.
Source: http://www.amazon.com/Goodbye-Darkness-Memoir-Pacific-War/dp/0316501115
This doesn't specifically address your question but it does shine some light on what was going on in that part of the world at the time. It's a great read if you're interested at all about the war in the pacific.
Manchester is widely considered to be one of the US's premiere historians.
William Manchester: Goodbye Darkness
https://www.amazon.com/Goodbye-Darkness-Memoir-Pacific-War/dp/0316501115
If you are interested in one of the best war memoirs ever written i simply cannot recommend this book enough. It's amazingly brutal.