Juuuuuzus.. the errors?? too many to mention. Anybody notice those P40's were Warhawks insteda Tomahawks? How about all those BT-13 Vals? Those sure looked like Spruance Class DD's inteada Cruisers rafted out in the harbor..
The reality? Actually, there's more in there than you might think
the deal... my kid; after seeing the movie asked questions. I gave her the scoop..
Yes, Pearl Harbor happened.. pretty much like they showed it. We had an idea that it might happen, but word of a possible attack didn't 'offically' arrive till the attack was already under way.. Yes, the Japanese straffed sailors in the water, bombed the hospital, and essentialy destroyed the fleet at it's anchorage. Yes we got a few planes in the air, yes we shot a few down, but defensive air cover was essentially ineffective, and no; no american planes chased the japanese outta the anchorage.. no american pilot was permitted anywhere near the decimated fleet.. the Navy was shooting at ANYTHING flying by then... and the dogfight around the hangers was pure hollywood. Rousing and exciting, but purely entertainment.
Yes, a young black cook manned a shot out gun position, yes he downed an attacking plane and he was given a medal for it. Yes, the carnage and confusion was much as it was shown, and men fought and died not knowing why they were being attacked.
Yes, our sailors were still dying in those ships for days after the attack, yes, many hundreds perished trapped inside while rescuers tried feverishly to get to them..
Yes, Roosevelt got pissed and chewed out his cabniet, demanding an attack plan, yes, that bit of hollywood is true, he hauled his crippled carcass outta his wheel chair to make the point.
Yes, a sewer-pipe sailor came up with the counter-attack idea. Yes, he did pitch it to the president.
Yes, we did the incredible stunt of loading 16 B25's onto the USS Hornet.. Yes, they launched early, yes; they bombed tokyo; no, not in anything even remotely resembling a 'formation'.. all planes departed the carrier and went straight to their assigined targets, most of which were NOT Tokyo.
Yes, the crews were forced to crashland in the dark in china, most in japanese controlled territory. No.. there was no contact between the crews untill several days after they crashed... and 3 crews were captured, some executed on the spot. Of the 21 men captured, I believe only two survived till the end of the war. Not mentioned in the movie.. the japanese were so enraged by the support given to the downed pilots by the chinese that nearly a half MILLION chinese civilians were exterminated for it. Our increased 'american' morale had a very high price tag.
Yes, Doolittle did recieve the CMH for his role in the Raid.. and yes, he did say "I accept this on behalf of the men that earned it"
Yes, the movie was good in that it gave a new generation a glimpse of our past.. yes indeed; our young men and women volunteered by the hundreds of thousands to 'avenge pearl harbor', yes indeed your grandfathers were among them, and yes indeed they helped win that war. Your Granddads were both hero's, they deserve your respect and have earned the thanks of a grateful world.
*sigh*
If all it did was get my kid to ask questions about Gramps and about 'what was that war all about, daddy' then it was worth the price of admission.
So, if you yanked out the love story, and look at the basic facts.. the Eagle Squadron/BoB, the surprise attack itself, the planning sequence for the counter attack, the training for it, the medals wired to the bombs, the 'go now' decision to launch early, etc.. yes there was plenty of factual historical meat in that movie.
Just take it as it was intended.. it was a hollywood blockbuster to both make money and inspire patriotism.
They did both just fine.
