Pearl Harbor: Japan's Only Chance To Knock Out The US | WWII In The Pacific | Timeline

my name's dan snow and i want to tell you about history hit tv it's like the netflix for history hundreds of exclusive documentaries and interviews with the world's best historians we've got an exclusive offer available to fans of timeline if you go to history hit tv you can either follow the information below this video or just google history hit tv and use the code timeline you get a special introductory offer go and check it out in the meantime enjoy this video [Music] it starts with a horrific surprise attack then spreads like a tidal wave across vast stretches of ocean before it's over the conflict in the pacific launches an entirely new form of naval warfare and sends brave men into battle over crippling terrain this is the epic story of terrifying fanaticism and personal heroism told in compelling detail with specially enhanced colour film and rarely seen footage often shocked by the troops themselves for the first time put together to answer the question why did japan's gamble to deliver a quick decisive knockout blow fame this is world war ii in the pacific november 26 1941 north of japan's coral islands a huge japanese fleet sets off on a secret mission across the pacific thousands of miles away at the u.s naval base at pearl harbor on hawaii all is peaceful much of the u.s pacific fleet is important under total radio silence six japanese aircraft carriers and over a dozen smaller warships are heading south on a collision course with destiny eleven days later the fleet is within striking distance of hawaii [Music] at pearl harbor american troops are waking up to another beautiful day aboard the japanese carriers there's a last minute briefing and a wave of over 180 warplanes takes off an hour later they're over pearl harbor [Music] five u.s warships are hit almost immediately [Music] within an hour two u.s battleships are sinking two capsized and two more are badly damaged us aircraft lined up on the island's airstrips are also hit [Music] as news of the attack spreads across america there's shock and horror but there is also a question why has america been caught napping the answer until recently japan and america have been friends [Music] but with the great depression japan catches the same disease as europe crazed nationalism in germany hitler grabs world attention as he seizes power [Music] in italy mussolini sings to the same nationalist tune [Applause] now in japan a new militaristic regime vows to restore the country's greatness through force in 1937 a ruthless japanese war machine tears through china [Music] three years later they expand their brutal actions with the invasion of the former french colonies of cambodia vietnam and laos it's a move that finally forces america to react [Music] in the summer of 1941 the u.s freezes japan's overseas financial assets and imposes an oil embargo it hits japan hard the country receives 80 of its oil from america japanese diplomats travel to washington to negotiate relations between the two countries are tense but nobody in the u.s is expecting war then a new japanese leader takes control is an ambitious general and a fanatical nationalist in the spring of 1941 two and a half months after the u.s oil embargo tojo is appointed prime minister his dream is a japanese empire spanning asia tojo isn't interested in negotiations with the us secretly planning for war he calculates that if he can knock out america's pacific fleet with a sudden swift blow us opposition will simply collapse in early december 1941 the u.s war department intercepts warnings of an imminent japanese attack but when it comes on the morning of december the 7th american troops are caught completely by surprise but if japan believes she's delivered the knockout blow to u.s naval power in the region she's wrong on the morning of the bombing raid the three most important ships in the pacific fleet its aircraft carriers are not important missing them turns out to be a major japanese mistake yet in the immediate aftermath of pearl harbor america will be caught napping again and again [Music] ten hours after the attack on pearl harbor japanese bombers suddenly appear over clark field in the philippines it's america's main air base in southeast asia [Music] [Music] it's followed by a second attack by japanese zero fighters 45 minutes later much of the us air power in the region has been destroyed the japanese have called the us on the hop for a second time in america shock turns to outrage 32 hours after the attack on pearl harbor u.s president franklin roosevelt declares war on japan since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by japan a state of war has existed between the united states and the japanese empire [Applause] but before america can organize its forces there's yet another paralyzing japanese strike within days of the air attack on the philippines thousands of japanese ground forces swarm ashore with no air power us defenses are crippled in a series of swift ruthless assaults the japanese fan out across the country ten days later the philippine capital manila is captured [Applause] for the us commander in the region it's a humiliation douglas macarthur is one of america's most decorated generals but outnumbered and outgunned there's nothing he can do [Music] finally in early march under orders from the american president macarthur flies out to australia [Music] the us regard him as too important to run the risk that he might be taken prisoner macarthur vows to return but the japanese have just bombed the northern australian town of darwin [Music] it's an important allied base in the pacific eight ships have been sunk in the city's port and a further 10 seriously damaged two airfields have also been shot up destroying aircraft and oil storage tanks and killing several hundred people the raid has caused chaos to allied supply lines there are fears it may be followed by a japanese invasion macarthur is swept up in the defense of the country the philippines will have to wait an isolated and desperate group of americans are left on the rocky batan peninsula they dig in and wait for help nothing comes we are the battling bastards of bataan they proclaim bitterly no papa no mama no uncle sam facing repeated japanese assaults with supplies running out the us forces are up against impossible odds after four months of savage fighting seventy thousand u.s troops and their filipino allies surrender [Music] up to ten thousand of them will die on the bataan death march before they even reach japanese prisoner of war camps throughout early 1942 the u.s and her allies suffer a series of massive defeats across the pacific [Music] japanese troops occupy the british colony of malaya they spread out across the country a month later they overrun the capital kuala lumpur allied forces withdraw to singapore the center of british rule in the pacific the british believe they've turned the island into an impregnable fortress but all the guns point south out to sea the japanese are approaching from the north britain sends two warships to attack japanese troop convoys they're met by japanese bombers both ships are sunk in less than two hours almost a thousand of their crew are lost the british defenses in singapore are soon reduced to chaos a force of over 90 000 allied troops surrender almost simultaneously the british garrison in hong kong is invaded [Music] it takes the japanese just two weeks to overrun it hong kong is followed by burma the country's defenses have been neglected within two months the japanese have seized the capital rangoon eight weeks later japan controls the whole country across the pacific the dominoes are falling it's time for america and her allies to fight back the big question how as u.s military planners study maps of japan and the pacific ocean one thing is crystal clear japan is protected by an enormously powerful navy [Music] a seaborne assault so soon after the crippling attack on the u.s pacific fleet in pearl harbor would be suicidal but an airborne attack is equally impossible the nearest u.s base had been in the philippines [Music] now the closest bases are in sites like the hawaiian archipelago these are over 3 000 miles from japan hundreds of miles further than the range of any u.s long-range bomber japan seems untouchable or is she for weeks a hand-picked group of pilots in their aircraft have been undergoing special training at the eglin air base in florida [Applause] the plan is to transport a small force of b-25 mitchell bombers by aircraft carrier to within 400 miles of japan from there they'll launch a bombing raid on tokyo [Music] the mitchell is a compromise it's neither the longest range nor most powerful us bomber but it's big enough to carry a significant payload and crucially it's small enough to fit on a carrier still it's an operation fraught with danger aircraft carriers are not designed to be used by bombers their flight decks are too short and the bombers are too big and heavy at the florida air base the mitchells are stripped down to remove unnecessary weight they're fitted with extra fuel tanks to increase their range the pilots are put through an exhaustive and costly training program [Applause] trials show the modified aircraft will just about be able to take off from the carrier deck provided there are no areas but there's a bigger problem the mitchells may be able to take off from a carrier but the flight deck is too short for them to return and land [Music] the only hope of getting back safely is to fly on to hastily improvised air bases along the chinese coast even then the mitchells will be flying at the very limit of their range possibly beyond it it's a potential suicide mission it needs someone special to command it the man put in charge is one of america's most celebrated flyers his name lieutenant colonel james doolittle a man famous for his skill and daring in the air he's the first man to fly across the united states in less than 24 hours he's won trophies for speed and endurance flights he's the first man to take off fly and land an aircraft using only instruments to guide him but this will be jimmy doolittle's most challenging and dangerous mission yet [Music] four months after the devastating attack at pearl harbor america is finally ready to strike back the uss hornet set sail from san francisco with 16 b-25 mitchell bombers strapped to her deck they're too big to be stored below 12 days later halfway across the pacific they link up with a second us carrier the enterprise and an escort of cruisers and destroyers on april the 17th there's a small ceremony aboard hornet japanese medals donated to u.s servicemen during a state visit to japan in 1908 a ceremonially strapped to one of the huge 500-pound bonds the bombs are also dorbz with slogans one says you'll get a bang out of this and another i don't want to set the world on fire just tokyo 16 days after leaving the us the hornet is within striking distance of japan [Music] but then there's an emergency radar operators on enterprise locate two japanese boats nearby a message is flashed to the hornet two enemy surface craft reported the enterprise sends up reconnaissance aircraft to check on them they find a small patrol boat then a couple more they appear to be part of a japanese early warning system the us warships open fire hundreds of shells target the japanese boats [Music] 1 6 that hasward got out of the approaching u.s fleet the americans face a dilemma steam on and risk being trapped by the japanese navy or launch their aircraft immediately even though they're further from japan than planned the u.s commanders decide it's too risky to delay the attack but it will mean doolittle and his men already flying at the limit of their range will now have to fly even further at 8 a.m a message is flashed to hornet launch planes to colonel doolittle and gallant command good luck and god bless you at 8 20 a.m the first b-25 takes off huge waves turn the carrier deck into a seesaw the other aircraft follow at brief intervals a man at the end of the deck watches the dips so the aircraft can take off on a rising deck one of the most daring raids in aviation history is underway [Music] four hours later the two little raiders are over tokyo [Music] the raid is over in a matter of minutes though the physical damage is minimal the emotional damage to the japanese people is profound they've long believed their homeland to be invulnerable doolittle and his raiders prove it's not several hours later the americans are on course for the landing strips in china none of them will make it over the china sea they run into a fuel sapping headwind which forces all to ditch [Music] all but seven of the 80 raiders will eventually make it home to safety many helped by the local chinese population back in america they're given a hero's welcome [Music] doolittle is promoted to general and becomes a national hero america the sleeping giant has shown its teeth and the doo little raid is just the beginning what the rate shows is that the japanese gamble at pearl harbor has failed america is finally ready to unleash a whole new form of naval warfare one that will transform the war in the pacific entirely by late spring 1942 the us war machine has geared up civilian factories turn over to armaments aircraft production source [Music] typewriter factories are converted to rifle production and there's a dash to build aircraft carriers [Music] u.s secretary of the navy frank knox speaks for many when he announces the japs started this war we are going to finish tokyo's response to the april 1942 doolittle raid is typically swift and thorough hideki tojo the japanese prime minister orders military planners to build a defensive ring of land bases around japan's empire the idea to secure japan's vital supplies of natural resources like oil half the ring is already in place japan controls most of the chinese coast southeast asia and the philippines [Music] in early may 1942 to fill the gaps she grabs the solomon islands [Music] two days later a powerful japanese fleet steams into the coral sea hoping to capture papua new guinea the naval commander in charge is perhaps japan's greatest strategist admiral isaraku yamamoto was the mastermind behind the attack on pearl harbor he's harvard educated he understands america [Music] at his disposal is perhaps the most powerful navy in the world it includes three aircraft carriers nine cruisers fifteen destroyers and dozens of support vessels but yamamoto is not the only top naval commander in the region facing him across the coral sea is one of america's finest admirals chester nimitz is commander-in-chief of the u.s navy in the region [Music] nimitz fought in world war one and is recognized as a brilliant tactician he also leads a large fleet [Music] it includes two aircraft carriers and an assortment of cruisers and destroyers some miraculously escaped the devastation at pearl harbor others have been rapidly patched up as the two huge fleets approach each other naval warfare is about to change forever traditional naval warfare has been a gun battle between warships a clash of artillery at sea it's almost always involved visual contact but the centerpiece of the new fleets are aircraft carriers they're armed with fighters and fighter bombers it changes everything guns are purely defensive opposing carriers can be hundreds of miles apart fighting is done in the end the new emphasis is on intelligence and logistics gathering finding out where the enemy is and getting your aircraft in the air before he can [Music] for two days the u.s and japanese fleets send up aircraft to scout the coral sea neither knows what's out there or where the enemy is finally u.s warplanes locate the japanese carrier shoho nimitz sends up dive bombers thirteen thousand pound bombs demolish the showhouse flight deck exploding inside her hangers hours later she will sink [Music] the battle of the coral sea has begun the following day yamamoto strikes back the japanese locate the u.s carrier lexington yamamoto sends up zero fighters the lexington is soon damaged her smaller sister carrier the yorktown is also hit a bomb penetrates four decks before exploding 37 men are killed [Music] meanwhile u.s dive bombers locate yamamoto's second carrier the shokaku [Music] her deck is so badly damaged she can no longer be used by [Music] aircraft as darkness falls the lexington is still afloat but there's been an undetected fuel leak suddenly she erupts amazingly over 215 of the nearly 3 000 men on board are rescued later that evening she scuttled by an american torpedo [Music] the battle of the coral sea is a stalemate [Music] but for the first time the us has taken on the powerful japanese navy and equaled it [Music] the myth of japanese invincibility is broken it's time for america to drive home its advantage and it's got just the weapon to do it [Music] in washington operation magic is underway a top-secret team of u.s code breakers has successfully cracked the japanese military codes america has gained the upper hand in the crucial new front in modern warfare intelligence gathering in late may magic reports japanese plans for a surprise attack on target af af is clearly somewhere in the mid-pacific but where naval strategists scour maps of the region one candidate is the coral atoll of midway an important u.s military base in the hawaiian archipelago it would be an ideal jumping off point for a second and more decisive japanese attack on pearl harbor to confirm their hunch the u.s code breakers set a trap the american base on midway is instructed to send an uncoded message reporting problems with its water desalination system [Music] almost immediately naval intelligence intercepts a japanese signal that target af is experiencing water problems the news is flash to nimitz [Music] he now knows exactly where the japanese will strike next [Music] in early june 1942 the japanese mount a diversionary attack on the aleutian islands off the coast of alaska the idea to draw the u.s pacific fleet thousands of miles north leaving the way clear to seize midway in the south [Music] but thanks to the code breakers nimitz ignores the attack [Music] the following day japanese carriers launch an attack on their real target midway [Music] but the us base is prepared and sends up a strong force of fighters [Applause] it's not what the japanese commander admiral chichuchi nagumo is expecting he needs to rethink his plans rapidly nagumo has kept a number of aircraft in reserve loaded with bombs and torpedoes designed to attack ships it's a precaution in case the u.s navy shows up unexpectedly [Music] but now nagumo needs all his aircraft to drive home the attack on midway [Music] carrier crews are ordered to reload the reserve aircraft with fragmentation bombs to continue the assault on the u.s base [Music] but then as the reloading is underway japanese spotter planes relay an urgent message three huge u.s aircraft carriers backed by warships are bearing down on them nagumo faces a tough choice should he continue the attack on midway or should he rearm his bombers to attack the us fleet he hesitates it's a fatal mistake the us carriers launch dive bombers [Music] with many aircraft still in the process of loading the japanese are sitting ducks [Music] within five extraordinary minutes the american dive bombers reduced three of japan's largest aircraft carriers to flaming wrecks all will later sink [Music] in reply that afternoon the japanese damage beyond repair the u.s carrier yorktown she too will sink meanwhile america's bombers score a direct hit on a fourth japanese carrier she turns into a blazing empire for the japanese the attack on midway is a disaster her navy has lost four of its finest carriers [Music] it's also lost well over 2 000 sailors a decisive moment months earlier japan had gambled all to push america out of the pacific with a swift decisive blow against the u.s navy the gamble has failed the us now moves the waves but the war in the pacific is far from over japan is still undefeated on land and a powerful threatening force in the air the next few years of war will be devastating and deadly for both sides [Applause] you

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Keywords: History, Full Documentary, Documentaries, Full length Documentaries, Documentary, TV Shows - Topic, Documentary Movies - Topic, 2017 documentary, BBC documentary, Channel 4 documentary, history documentary, documentary history, ww2, war in pacific, war in japan, pearl harbor, peral harbour documentary, why did japan attack america, us military documentary, ww2 america, ww2 japan, pacific war, world war ii, second world war

Id: XxilMWYBFDk

Length: 50min 7sec (3007 seconds)

Published: Thu Nov 04 2021