Hello, and thank you for listening to the History of World War II podcast, Episode

234, Pearl Harbor Attack, the second Japanese air strike.

Last time, we saw the first attack wave hit various airfields and other facilities to the

north, east, and south of Battleship Row, just before 8am on December 7, 1941. Then came the

torpedo bombers from the south. Following this devastating attack, Commander Fuchita and his

high-level bombers flew over the great ships, of which five in total would be sunk. The torpedo

planes sunk the decommissioned Battleship Utah on the north side of Fort Island, and then

along Battleship Row. The Drednauts, California, Oklahoma, and West Virginia were dealt fatal blows,

while Fuchita's bombers obliterated the Arizona with a lucky hit at 810am. But the surprise attack

of Japan's first air fleet was only getting started. The second attack wave, which would hopefully

be engaging a demoralized enemy, consisted of 167 planes, 78 dive bombers, and the rest high-level

bombers. However, the Americans were by now, largely, as armed and ready as they could be,

given the death and destruction thus far, and that much of their guns and ammo had been locked up,

having either to bust them out or carry them to places for readiness. As for the approaching

Japanese pilots, their list of targets altered slightly from the first group. Primarily,

they were to go after the carriers, but if they were not in harbor, their second priority

were the cruisers, which escorted the carriers, and there were eight of those in harbor on this day.

Lastly, there was the American Battleships, if none of the first two of the list could be engaged.

Again, it was Yamamoto's intention to cripple the American fleet for at least six months,

hopefully, a year. As their objectives were so, the dive bombers were carrying general

purpose bombs, highly effective against enemy cruisers. However, these pilots would be less disciplined

than their comrades of the first wave. Their youth played a role, surely, but what pilots

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