Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command historian Robert J. Cressman answers questions about the attack on Pearl Harbor and the historical impact in a series of video sound bites. Here, he describes the details of the Japanese attack. Videos may be downloaded from DVIDS.

What types of aircraft did the Japanese employ and what were their missions or targets?

Describe the two waves of the attack and the objectives.

How effective were the Japanese weapons?

What did the Japanese get right during the attack?

What did the Japanese overlook during the attack?

How did the average Japanese soldier, sailor or airman’s mindset to war differ from their American counterparts?

Watch the next set of videos: American Response