Pearl Harbor

American History Hit

History Hit

America, History

4.5 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 8 December 2022

⏱️ 37 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

On the morning of 7th December 1941, hundreds of Japanese planes took off from aircraft carriers and attacked Pearl Harbor, on Oahu island, Hawaii. They took out ships, bombed airfields and killed thousands of Americans. Japan intended to neutralise the US navy, to prevent it from interfering in the Pacific, where Japan was expanding its empire. But the effect was the opposite. America declared war on Japan, as well as Germany and Italy and entered World War 2. Don recounts the damage done in 90 devastating minutes. Eri Hotta tells Don about the negotiations between the US and Japan, explains why Japan decided to carry out the attack and Japanese people's reaction to it.

Produced and mixed by Benjie Guy. Senior Producer: Charlotte Long.

For more History Hit content, subscribe to our newsletters here.

If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today!

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	December 7th, 1941, just before 8 a.m. on the island of Oahu.
0:07.0	Partially cloudy skies are clearing another spectacular sunny morning in Hawaii.
0:12.0	When the solemn beauty of this Sunday is suddenly broken by a
0:16.3	strange and distant sound, a thrumming, a deep forceful bellowing, the engines of 183 Japanese aircraft in formation, a surprise
0:27.5	attack force of dive bombers, torpedo planes and zeros targeting the United States Navy's Pacific Fleet
0:34.6	anchored at Pearl Harbor.
0:36.8	Also the airplanes, hangers and runways at Naval Air Station on Ford Island, Wheeler and
0:42.1	Hickam Fields. It is the first of two waves coming this morning.
0:46.7	As the Japanese pilots descend screaming towards their prized quarry, the battleships, destroyers,
0:52.4	and cruisers moored tightly together in the harbour, they dropped their bombs and torpedoes.
0:57.0	In short order, the USS Arizona is hit, then rocked by a tremendous explosion.
1:03.5	The West Virginia takes multiple strikes, sinking at its dock, resting on its keel.
1:08.5	The U.S.S. Oklahoma flips rolling completely over, its rudder and propellers jutting skyward.
1:14.0	The California flagship of the Pacific Fleet sinks to the bottom as well.
1:19.0	Across the vast expanse of Pearl Harbor, vessels of all shapes and sizes burn in a matter of minutes.
1:26.0	Thick black smoke billowing everywhere into the sky, as bleary-eyed sailors and soldiers run to safety or dash
1:32.1	to anti-aircraft and gunnery posts and begin firing.
1:35.4	Many are killed, straf by zeros.
1:38.0	Sailors swim through twisted wreckage and burning oil slicks.
1:41.7	Others are trapped, caught below decks, and drown. It is pandemonium
1:46.2	and panic on the docks and in the harbour, and the Japanese just keep coming. Hello.
1:53.0	Don Wildman here and welcome to American History Hit. This week we remember Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. Every year the nation is called to consider the terrible events of that painful day now 81 years ago
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from History Hit, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of History Hit and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.