Pear Harbor

  • in flight, Comdr. Mitsuo Fuchida,

    0610 hours) lead the Japanese air attack on Pearl Harbor, sees the Japanese aircraft carriers rocking on a rough sea.Crewmen hold on to the aircraft to keep them from going over.
  • The U.S. destroyer Ward

    0645 hours) The Ward’s captain, Lt William w Outerbridge, has been in command for only two days. He orders men to start firing. The first shot misses. The second strikes the submarine at the waterline.
  • the naval 14 station

    0653 hours) dropped depth charges upon sub operating in defensive sea area.Then a more detailed message came in We have attackedfired upon, and dropped depth charges upon submarine operating in defensive sea area.
  • The Army’s Opana Mobile Radar Station

    0702 hours) one of the two privates on duty looks at the radar oscilloscope. and he confirms the sighting: 50 or more aircraft on a bearing for Oahu. The privates call the Fort Shafter information center.
  • the Opana radar station report

    0720 hours) The lieutenant believes that the radar had picked up a flight of U.S. B-17 Flying Fortress bombers heading from California to Hawaii.
  • U.S. code breakers

    0733 hours)Because atmospheric static blacks out communications with Hawaii, Marshall’s message goes via commercial telegraph
  • the flight

    0743 hours) Planes of the first wave take off from the Japanese carriers—49 high-altitude bombers, 51 dive-bombers, 40 torpedo planes, 43 fighters. They fly through clouds, wondering if Pearl Harbor will be visible.
  • Telegraph

    0749 hours)He orders his telegraph operator to tap out to, to, to: attack. Then other taps: to ra, to ra, to ra: attack, surprise achieved.
  • Minesweeper condor is on patrol

    (0342 hours) The officer of the deck sees something “about fifty yards
    The Condor sends a blinker-light message to the destroyer Ward: “Sighted submerged submarine on westerly course, speed 9 knots.
  • The Ward had sent out its message

    0715 hours) that it had attacked an unidentified sub—in code. At headquarters.