View of the sunken Battleship USS West Virginia (BB-48) and the damaged USS Tennessee (BB-43) on Battleship row, Pearl Harbor, several days after the December 7, 1941 attack. A small dory heads toward them. Change of scene shows the USS California (BB-44) listing to port, with tugboat at starboard. She displays the Navy ensign and her deck is filled with sailors and other workers. View from boat (unseen) circling the sunken USS West Virginia. A destroyed OS2U Kingfisher Floatplane near the stern. The ship sunk, but level in the water. A sunken ship being refloated (World War II period).
Scenes filmed from attacking Japanese aircraft during the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. View from Japanese aircraft strafing and bombing U.S. aircraft and hangars on the ground at Ford Island. Japanese Nakajima B5N (Kate) tail number 229, seen flying past the camera plane. Smoke rising from the ground below. White plumes erupt from torpedoes striking U.S. ships on opposite side of Ford Island. Japanese-captioned still photographs: Of heavy black smoke rising from bombed fuel tanks; Of a torpedo hitting the USS West Virginia; of other ships on battleship row, including the USS Nevada, Arizona, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Maryland, and California. (World War II period).
Attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii by the Japanese Navy on December 7, 1941, as filmed from the deck of U.S. Navy Hospital Ship, USS Solace (AH-5). Ships docked at Pearl Harbor. Several small launches speed across the calm harbor. Suddenly a bomb bursts in the water, behind one of the launches. Several U.S. SBD Dauntless and F4F aircraft, from the USS Enterprise, fly over the deck of the Hospital Ship, with their landing gear down (to land at Ford Island). U.S. Navy ship USS Nevada (BB-36) leaves the harbor at high speed, throwing up a bow wave. Japanese aircraft bomb U.S. Navy ship USS Arizona (BB-39) docked. The ship explodes and sinks. A large smoke column rises from the explosion. (This image has been reversed. From the perspective of the USS Solace, the Arizona should be pointing to the right, not to the left.) Anti aircraft firing from U.S. Navy ships fills air with black Flak puffs. Various ships burn. (World War II period).
Scenes of destruction at Hickham Field in Pearl Harbor after bombing by Japanese. View of wrecked planes and hangars as seen from a slow-moving boat. Scene then switches to the airfield, with heavily damaged hangars and twisted metal of destroyed U.S. Army Air Force aircraft on the airfield. Several intact bi-planes and float planes seen at the end of the clip, outside a heavily damaged hangar. (World War II period).
Blend of Japanese newsreel footage and U.S. footage covering the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii triggering U.S. entry into World War II. Engine of a Japanese twin engine aircraft starts. View of Nakajima B5N (Kate) bombers with engines running, on deck of the Japanese aircraft carrier, Kaga. Editor-inserted scene of a Japanese pilot, carrying a katana (samurai) sword as he climbs on the wing of a land-based Mitsubishi B5M (Mabel) bomber and into its cockpit. Japanese B5N bombers taking off from the Kaga. Glimpse of Japanese naval officers. Japanese Aichi D3A1 "Val" dive bomber, with rear gunner, takes off from carrier. A dozen Japanese airplanes in loose formation overhead. Inserted scene, unrelated to Pearl Harbor, showing Loose formation of Japanese Mitsubishi G3M (Nell) medium bombers in flight. Closeup into cockpit cabin of a G3M. Bombs away view of bombs falling from the aircraft, as seen from the releasing aircraft. Pearl Harbor scene of bombs exploding on Battleship row. Japanese plane overhead. More explosions on U.S. warships in Pearl Harbor. Formation of Japanese Aichi D3A1 aircraft overhead. View from Japanese aircraft flying over hangar on Ford Island during Pearl Harbor attack. Bombs exploding on the island, below. Unrelated insert of Mitsubishi G3M bomber. Smoke billowing from bomb strikes on battleship row, Pearl Harbor. Japanese writing on photograph, identifies the U.S. capital ships struck in the Pearl Harbor raid.
A Chinese theatrical newsreel announces the bombing of Pearl Harbor by forces of Japan. Multiple inter-titles in Japanese describe the event. Japanese airplanes take off from the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. The airplanes fly in formation towards Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. They drop bombs on U.S. airfield, where airplanes are seen parked near hangars. An aerial view of attack by the Japanese airplanes. (World War II period).