World War II · Film · 1970
Tora! Tora! Tora!
Told from both sides, the road to Pearl Harbor: Japanese admirals planning a surprise strike, and American officers in Washington and Hawaii who read the warnings but fail to act on them in time.
Where it happened
Follow the story across 4 places.
Stop 1: Tokyo
Army leaders push through the alliance with Germany and Italy, and Yamamoto reluctantly takes command of the fleet that will strike first.
Stop 2: Washington, D.C.
Intelligence officers decode the Japanese messages and race to warn their superiors, who hesitate while the clock runs out.
Stop 3: Opana Radar Site, Oahu
Two radar operators spot a huge formation approaching from the north, but the duty officer tells them not to worry about it.
Stop 4: Pearl Harbor
Key location
Fuchida's planes achieve total surprise over Battleship Row and the airfields, and he radios the code word that gives the film its title.
What really happened
Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, who opposed war with the United States, nonetheless planned a pre-emptive carrier strike to cripple the US Pacific Fleet. On the morning of 7 December 1941, 353 aircraft from six carriers attacked Pearl Harbor in two waves, sinking or damaging all eight battleships in port, destroying 188 aircraft and killing 2,403 Americans.
American codebreakers had broken Japan's diplomatic Purple cipher, but warnings arrived late or were misread, a radar contact at Opana was dismissed, and the 14-part message ending negotiations was delivered only after the bombs fell. The film is known for its accuracy; its famous closing line about a 'sleeping giant' has never been found in Yamamoto's writings.
Where to watch
Checking streaming services…
Full details
- Original title
- Tora! Tora! Tora!
- Directed by
- Richard Fleischer, Toshio Masuda, Kinji Fukasaku
- Countries
- United States, Japan
- Languages
- English, Japanese
- Released
- 1970
- Period
- –
- Theaters of war
- Pacific
- Themes
- Air war
- Naval
- True story
