1 00:00:02,331 --> 00:00:05,393 Sub extracted from file and improved by Se7enOfNin9 for addic7ed.com 2 00:00:05,446 --> 00:00:08,800 Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin Roosevelt 3 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:10,480 are navy men. 4 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:13,639 They understand that World War II will be won 5 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:16,940 by the side that controls the seas. 6 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:19,879 Early in the war, Germany dominates the Atlantic 7 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:21,599 and threatens Great Britain, 8 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:24,000 while Japan is attempting to build an empire 9 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:26,800 across the Asia-Pacific theatre. 10 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:28,400 The attack on Pearl Harbor 11 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:30,680 and Germany's declaration of war 12 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:33,360 brings America directly into the conflict, 13 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:36,680 a global struggle that will range across many seas 14 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:38,420 and many oceans. 15 00:00:38,445 --> 00:00:40,965 But the US Navy has a new weapon - 16 00:00:41,252 --> 00:00:44,695 the aircraft carrier - which extends its reach 17 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:48,880 and allows it to challenge an enemy thousands of miles away. 18 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:52,119 All wars change the world. 19 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:55,980 But none of them changed the world like the Second World War did. 20 00:00:56,153 --> 00:00:59,700 Japan's on the march, Germany's on the march. 21 00:01:00,532 --> 00:01:03,860 No one can imagine the nightmare they're about to unleash. 22 00:01:04,180 --> 00:01:06,840 The most destructive war in human history. 23 00:01:07,220 --> 00:01:09,880 Suddenly, the world is turned upside down, 24 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:11,940 and all hell is let loose. 25 00:01:13,620 --> 00:01:17,340 The West is stunned by the speed of the advance. 26 00:01:17,900 --> 00:01:21,083 You get the Allies led by the big three - 27 00:01:21,180 --> 00:01:23,879 Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin. 28 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:28,840 Men who were dealing with immensely complicated questions. 29 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:32,760 It's the biggest military operation of human history. 30 00:01:33,059 --> 00:01:34,901 The Allies have to come together 31 00:01:34,926 --> 00:01:37,560 not just militarily, but industrial scale - 32 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:39,760 it's a global perspective. 33 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:41,600 They have to fight in every climate 34 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:44,740 from the Arctic, to the jungles of the Pacific, 35 00:01:44,866 --> 00:01:48,180 to the deserts of Africa and the depths of the ocean. 36 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:53,960 But there was no certainty of victory. 37 00:01:54,233 --> 00:01:57,280 It was going to be a horrific bloodbath. 38 00:01:57,512 --> 00:01:59,640 We see humans at their absolute worst, 39 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:01,960 how they treat other human beings. 40 00:02:01,999 --> 00:02:03,959 And we see them at their absolute best, 41 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:06,300 willing to give their lives that others might live. 42 00:02:06,359 --> 00:02:09,599 World War II was a struggle in which there could be 43 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:12,900 one victor and one vanquished. 44 00:02:40,973 --> 00:02:43,120 In late 1940, 45 00:02:43,253 --> 00:02:45,695 British cities are pounded from the air 46 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:47,480 by the German Luftwaffe 47 00:02:47,640 --> 00:02:49,580 almost every night. 48 00:02:56,070 --> 00:02:58,519 Led by Prime Minister Winston Churchill, 49 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:02,140 the people of Great Britain show no sign of surrender. 50 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:04,840 But most of the food and material 51 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:07,095 the island nation needs to survive 52 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:09,360 must be brought from abroad... 53 00:03:10,433 --> 00:03:12,420 ...in British ships. 54 00:03:12,940 --> 00:03:16,300 And Nazi U-boats threaten every one of them. 55 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:22,519 More than two-thirds of Britain's food comes in by ship. 56 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:25,460 Over 90% of Britain's oil comes by ship. 57 00:03:26,900 --> 00:03:30,080 Britain also needs raw materials. 58 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,039 You can't build a Lancaster bomber 59 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:37,095 or a Spitfire out of steel. 60 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:38,399 You need aluminium. 61 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:39,959 Britain has no aluminium, 62 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:42,620 so it needs to ship it all across the Atlantic. 63 00:03:42,940 --> 00:03:46,220 Most of what Britain needs comes from one source - 64 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:48,220 America. 65 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:50,399 President Franklin D Roosevelt 66 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:54,380 has declared the United States an arsenal of democracy. 67 00:03:55,020 --> 00:03:57,479 A lifeline is established - 68 00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:01,240 American resources carried by British convoys. 69 00:04:02,380 --> 00:04:04,820 But it's a perilous journey. 70 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,140 In 1940 alone, 71 00:04:13,359 --> 00:04:16,900 over 500 British merchant ships are lost. 72 00:04:18,260 --> 00:04:22,280 The Germans are able to sink three million tons of British shipping 73 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:26,119 between the summer of 1940 and the end of the year. 74 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:27,879 That's unsustainable. 75 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:31,520 If Churchill can't keep up the flow of supplies to Britain, 76 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:33,940 well, you're in existential trouble. 77 00:04:37,167 --> 00:04:39,767 The man directing Germany's U-boat campaign 78 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:42,420 is Admiral Karl Doenitz, 79 00:04:43,020 --> 00:04:46,240 a World War I U-boat commander himself. 80 00:04:47,620 --> 00:04:49,140 Throughout the Great War, 81 00:04:49,248 --> 00:04:52,639 the Germans used unrestricted submarine warfare 82 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:55,540 to attempt to choke Britain into submission. 83 00:04:57,483 --> 00:04:59,828 Doenitz's mind is pure mathematics. 84 00:04:59,853 --> 00:05:03,413 You sink more merchant ships than can be built... 85 00:05:03,700 --> 00:05:05,420 to starve the British, 86 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:08,770 to deprive Britain of the raw materials 87 00:05:08,795 --> 00:05:11,160 and the calories needed to fight the war. 88 00:05:15,340 --> 00:05:18,960 In 1940, Doenitz devises a new tactic. 89 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:23,080 He groups up to 20 U-boats 90 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:26,120 and orders them to hunt British convoys. 91 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:29,800 They're called "wolfpacks". 92 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:34,559 The moment one U-boat finds a convoy, 93 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:36,510 it radios back to Doenitz. 94 00:05:39,013 --> 00:05:41,820 Doenitz then looks at where all his U-boats are. 95 00:05:44,810 --> 00:05:47,280 Doenitz then vectors all other U-boats 96 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:49,239 in and around those waters 97 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:51,220 onto the same target. 98 00:05:59,820 --> 00:06:04,340 The wolfpack tactic requires good communication... 99 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:08,220 ..good coordination. 100 00:06:13,420 --> 00:06:16,540 Nobody attacks until they're all present... 101 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:26,100 ...and then they pounce. 102 00:06:38,540 --> 00:06:42,220 Imagine what it's like to be in a convoy under attack. 103 00:06:48,740 --> 00:06:50,399 Even if your ship doesn't get hit, 104 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:52,540 you cannot stop to pick up survivors. 105 00:06:56,380 --> 00:06:58,160 You hear them screaming. 106 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:00,956 You want to help them, but you cannot stop. 107 00:07:00,993 --> 00:07:02,439 Because if you do, 108 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:05,300 you know a submarine is waiting to sink you. 109 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:15,799 Through 1940, the wolfpacks are so successful, 110 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:20,020 their crews refer to it as the "Happy Time". 111 00:07:22,420 --> 00:07:26,080 Doenitz's plan to strangle Great Britain is working. 112 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:30,719 Attacked by sea and by air, 113 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:34,600 Britain's survival falls largely on the shoulders of one man - 114 00:07:34,980 --> 00:07:36,700 Winston Churchill. 115 00:07:37,540 --> 00:07:40,370 In November 1940, Churchill is told in no uncertain terms 116 00:07:40,395 --> 00:07:42,359 by government officials that there are simply 117 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:45,020 not enough supplies getting into Britain. 118 00:07:45,220 --> 00:07:48,340 Britain is not going to be able to continue the war. 119 00:07:49,620 --> 00:07:51,840 He said it gnawed at his bowels. 120 00:07:53,016 --> 00:07:55,399 He said it's the only thing that kept him up at night 121 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:57,159 in the Second World War... 122 00:07:57,160 --> 00:07:59,719 was the German threat in the Atlantic. 123 00:08:02,760 --> 00:08:04,999 Desperate, Prime Minister Churchill 124 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:07,340 writes to President Roosevelt. 125 00:08:09,557 --> 00:08:12,120 Franklin Roosevelt had been Assistant Secretary of the Navy 126 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:13,999 during the First World War. 127 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:17,920 He understood the role of sea power. 128 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:26,439 In early December, Roosevelt sets aside 129 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:30,260 the burdens of office for a few days in the Caribbean. 130 00:08:32,743 --> 00:08:36,180 And a seaplane brings a letter from Churchill. 131 00:08:37,940 --> 00:08:40,159 And Churchill says, this is the most important letter 132 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:42,060 I will ever write. 133 00:08:43,420 --> 00:08:45,148 Churchill is terrified. 134 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:48,000 He's coming closer to losing than he ever has. 135 00:08:48,025 --> 00:08:49,825 He says, "I need help." 136 00:08:52,092 --> 00:08:56,900 "I need planes, ships, guns, and money." 137 00:08:58,410 --> 00:09:00,439 Roosevelt has long understood 138 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:03,700 the threat Nazi Germany poses to the United States. 139 00:09:04,180 --> 00:09:07,600 But he's been constrained from offering direct aid to the British 140 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:09,480 because of Americans' anxiety 141 00:09:09,640 --> 00:09:12,700 over getting involved in another world war. 142 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:16,240 Roosevelt had read Mein Kampf in German. 143 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:20,123 He understood, in a way that not many Americans did, 144 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:21,876 what Hitler was about. 145 00:09:21,933 --> 00:09:25,843 But 80% or 90% of the country had no interest 146 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:28,560 in being involved in any way 147 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:31,540 in military conflict in the Old World. 148 00:09:31,900 --> 00:09:35,560 FDR understands that if the United States 149 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:38,840 is to take its place as a leader of the world, 150 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:41,440 he's got to do it very, very carefully. 151 00:09:44,500 --> 00:09:47,780 Roosevelt returns to Washington with a plan. 152 00:09:48,027 --> 00:09:50,500 He calls it Lend-Lease. 153 00:09:52,026 --> 00:09:56,800 I ask this Congress for authority and for funds 154 00:09:57,340 --> 00:10:00,760 sufficient to manufacture additional munitions 155 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:03,800 and war supplies of many kinds 156 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:06,080 to be turned over to those nations 157 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:09,560 which are now in actual war 158 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:12,460 with aggressor nations. 159 00:10:13,900 --> 00:10:16,420 Churchill's letter has been answered. 160 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:20,280 As he put it, if my neighbour's house is on fire, 161 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:21,800 I lend him the hose. 162 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:23,640 I don't make him pay for it. 163 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:25,700 I just ask for it back afterward. 164 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:29,640 Churchill had been thrown a lifeline. 165 00:10:29,983 --> 00:10:32,580 Lend-Lease would keep Britain alive. 166 00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:36,080 President Roosevelt shepherds 167 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:40,969 the Lend-Lease legislation, designated HR-1776, 168 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:42,320 through Congress. 169 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:45,623 American weapons, including tanks and planes, 170 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:48,120 are headed for Great Britain. 171 00:10:49,446 --> 00:10:53,260 But these convoys will move through hazardous waters. 172 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:08,940 Spring, 1941. 173 00:11:09,500 --> 00:11:12,720 American ships carrying Lend-Lease supplies to Britain 174 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:16,020 are threatened by Doenitz's wolfpacks. 175 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:24,940 Roosevelt understands the risk. 176 00:11:25,300 --> 00:11:27,359 But because he knows what's at stake, 177 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:30,200 it's a risk he believes worth taking. 178 00:11:31,146 --> 00:11:33,660 He writes to Prime Minister Churchill. 179 00:11:34,380 --> 00:11:36,840 "I believe that the outcome of this struggle 180 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:39,480 is going to be decided in the Atlantic. 181 00:11:40,050 --> 00:11:42,225 And unless Hitler can win there, 182 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:44,940 he cannot win anywhere in the world." 183 00:11:49,637 --> 00:11:52,800 FDR extends the US maritime security zone 184 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:54,940 to 26 degrees west. 185 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:58,360 A significant part of the Atlantic 186 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:01,240 is now patrolled by the US Navy. 187 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:05,919 He takes over more than half of the Atlantic 188 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:08,260 and turns it into an American lake. 189 00:12:08,500 --> 00:12:10,360 Roosevelt is now saying, 190 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:14,439 we will attack anyone who goes to war in those areas, 191 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:16,599 knowing the only people who are going to make attacks 192 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:18,700 in that area is the Germans in submarines. 193 00:12:20,863 --> 00:12:24,140 As American and British interests align, 194 00:12:24,460 --> 00:12:27,260 President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill 195 00:12:27,540 --> 00:12:30,240 agree to a summit to discuss strategy... 196 00:12:31,260 --> 00:12:33,640 ...not just for the battle in the Atlantic, 197 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:35,820 but for the whole war. 198 00:12:37,140 --> 00:12:39,440 They will meet in a bay just off Newfoundland 199 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:41,880 on the eastern edge of Canada. 200 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,280 Roosevelt tells the Washington press 201 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:49,215 that he's taking a vacation on the presidential yacht, 202 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:50,780 the Potomac. 203 00:12:51,860 --> 00:12:56,040 But once at sea, he transfers to the heavy cruiser Augusta 204 00:12:56,120 --> 00:12:58,380 and sets sail to meet Churchill. 205 00:12:59,740 --> 00:13:03,920 And events were conspiring to bring them on stage 206 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:08,000 at the same hour at a cataclysmic moment. 207 00:13:09,053 --> 00:13:13,533 Roosevelt wanted Churchill as close as possible. 208 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:16,919 Churchill travels to meet Roosevelt 209 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:20,100 on the battleship HMS Prince of Wales, 210 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:23,660 escorted by Royal Navy destroyers. 211 00:13:25,460 --> 00:13:27,759 But summer storms prevent the escorts 212 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:30,260 from staying with the Prime Minister's ship. 213 00:13:31,500 --> 00:13:34,080 Alone, the HMS Prince of Wales 214 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:37,040 travels through U-boat-menaced waters... 215 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:40,319 ...the same journey that British ships 216 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:42,460 continue to make every day. 217 00:13:57,346 --> 00:13:58,746 On August 9th, 218 00:13:58,860 --> 00:14:01,420 the President and the Prime Minister meet. 219 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:07,959 It's a deeply emotional and powerful moment 220 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:09,999 because it's their first meeting 221 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:13,340 as the leaders of their respective countries. 222 00:14:15,140 --> 00:14:16,959 Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill 223 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:19,639 were very similar men in many ways. 224 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:22,359 They both believed that they were destined to play 225 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:26,100 a great role in the lives of their nations and of the world. 226 00:14:27,700 --> 00:14:29,480 It was very important to FDR 227 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:32,580 to stand when he met Churchill. 228 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:34,400 Because of the polio, 229 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:36,560 this was a pure effort of will. 230 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:40,560 He did not want to be seated 231 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:42,900 in front of men who were fighting. 232 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:49,760 You can see the beginnings 233 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:53,000 of what would become 234 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:55,880 arguably the most important political friendship 235 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:59,260 in history, in those first moments. 236 00:15:00,380 --> 00:15:02,740 Churchill's boyishly happy 237 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:05,700 and is so excited 238 00:15:06,466 --> 00:15:10,420 that the President of the United States is receiving him. 239 00:15:11,040 --> 00:15:13,600 It's also important to remember the intimacy 240 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:17,900 of being together at sea, in the vast ocean, 241 00:15:18,140 --> 00:15:20,660 where they're looking each other in the eye. 242 00:15:20,933 --> 00:15:22,813 They want to get along. 243 00:15:22,946 --> 00:15:24,980 They want to please the other. 244 00:15:26,340 --> 00:15:30,540 The two leaders also want to map a way forward for the world. 245 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:33,660 They produce the Atlantic Charter, 246 00:15:34,060 --> 00:15:38,820 with joint war aims and a blueprint to prevent another world war. 247 00:15:41,553 --> 00:15:43,220 They knew that 248 00:15:43,678 --> 00:15:46,700 history had mysteriously 249 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:50,400 but unmistakably cast them in this drama. 250 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:53,039 And it was a reminder, 251 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:54,860 an emotional reminder... 252 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:57,800 ...of what was at stake. 253 00:16:00,396 --> 00:16:02,569 When Churchill departs for home, 254 00:16:02,700 --> 00:16:05,520 FDR sends two American warships 255 00:16:05,545 --> 00:16:08,300 to accompany him as far as Iceland. 256 00:16:17,906 --> 00:16:21,986 In fall 1941, Roosevelt orders the US Navy 257 00:16:22,140 --> 00:16:26,240 to escort British convoys halfway across the Atlantic. 258 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:31,160 It puts US forces now very close to Europe. 259 00:16:31,326 --> 00:16:36,300 Everything about that is a way to be more aggressive to Germany. 260 00:16:37,713 --> 00:16:40,719 On September 4, 1941, 261 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:44,320 the USS Greer is attacked by a German U-boat. 262 00:16:45,733 --> 00:16:47,533 The Greer strikes back. 263 00:16:48,363 --> 00:16:52,060 Roosevelt responds with a shoot on sight order. 264 00:16:53,900 --> 00:16:56,480 I tell you the blunt fact 265 00:16:56,640 --> 00:16:59,455 that the German submarine fired first 266 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:02,583 upon this American destroyer Greer 267 00:17:02,700 --> 00:17:05,380 with deliberate design to sink us. 268 00:17:06,440 --> 00:17:10,669 What we are seeing are tensions ratcheting up in the Atlantic, 269 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:13,640 an undeclared war almost certainly at some point 270 00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:16,540 going to turn into a shooting one. 271 00:17:16,940 --> 00:17:19,975 On October 17th, the USS Kearny 272 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:22,940 is damaged by a torpedo from a German U-boat. 273 00:17:26,290 --> 00:17:28,620 11 sailors are killed. 274 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:32,380 Two weeks later, 275 00:17:32,700 --> 00:17:36,880 the USS Reuben James is torpedoed and sunk. 276 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:41,800 115 sailors are killed. 277 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:48,718 Roosevelt again condemns German barbarism, 278 00:17:48,743 --> 00:17:51,456 German brutality. "How can they do this?" 279 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:53,840 But Roosevelt doesn't declare war. 280 00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:57,320 He realises this isn't quite enough 281 00:17:57,480 --> 00:18:00,615 to base an entry into the Second World War. 282 00:18:04,993 --> 00:18:07,193 At the end of 1941, 283 00:18:07,335 --> 00:18:09,935 preserving Great Britain's Atlantic lifeline 284 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:12,780 is FDR's chief naval concern. 285 00:18:15,427 --> 00:18:17,340 But in the Pacific... 286 00:18:17,899 --> 00:18:20,700 a different threat is about to launch. 287 00:18:38,407 --> 00:18:41,180 December 7, 1941. 288 00:18:41,620 --> 00:18:44,140 Six Japanese aircraft carriers 289 00:18:44,165 --> 00:18:47,820 with over 300 dive bombers and torpedo planes 290 00:18:48,140 --> 00:18:52,080 approach America's largest naval base in the Pacific. 291 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:05,879 We interrupt this broadcast 292 00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:08,279 to bring you this important bulletin from the United Press. 293 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:09,879 Flash, Washington. 294 00:19:09,880 --> 00:19:13,560 The White House announces Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. 295 00:19:14,626 --> 00:19:18,426 What is the country that finally attacks America on American soil? 296 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:20,280 It's Japan. 297 00:19:20,372 --> 00:19:22,160 Messages from Tokyo 298 00:19:22,185 --> 00:19:25,240 say that Japan has announced a formal declaration of war 299 00:19:25,360 --> 00:19:27,860 against both the United States and Britain. 300 00:19:29,140 --> 00:19:32,399 Churchill learns about Pearl Harbor from the BBC. 301 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:34,639 He hears the broadcast announcing this. 302 00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:36,239 He calls FDR. 303 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:38,439 FDR says, "It's true. 304 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:40,620 We're all in the same boat now." 305 00:19:43,230 --> 00:19:44,740 Four days later, 306 00:19:44,833 --> 00:19:47,660 Germany declares war on the United States. 307 00:19:49,550 --> 00:19:53,200 America will fight a war across both the Atlantic 308 00:19:53,360 --> 00:19:55,300 and Pacific oceans. 309 00:19:56,359 --> 00:19:59,679 And FDR is now a wartime president. 310 00:20:02,393 --> 00:20:05,100 Roosevelt comes under a great pressure. 311 00:20:05,419 --> 00:20:09,199 He really finds the first few months of 1942 312 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:10,960 probably the most difficult in the war. 313 00:20:11,220 --> 00:20:14,119 And if you're Roosevelt, everyone's yelling at you. 314 00:20:14,120 --> 00:20:17,479 The British are yelling at you to convoy in the North Atlantic. 315 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:21,020 The navy's yelling at you for more resources to go to the Pacific. 316 00:20:23,020 --> 00:20:24,959 To fight the war in the Pacific, 317 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:27,615 FDR appoints Admiral Chester Nimitz 318 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:31,700 as the new Commander-in-Chief Pacific, CINCPAC. 319 00:20:32,180 --> 00:20:35,479 Nimitz arrives to assume command of the Pacific fleet 320 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:37,639 while Pearl Harbor is still a burning mess. 321 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:41,900 It just stinks of death and fire and destruction. 322 00:20:43,740 --> 00:20:47,380 Nimitz takes command of a weakened Pacific Fleet. 323 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:50,479 Most American battleships are destroyed 324 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:52,460 or damaged at Pearl Harbor. 325 00:20:53,740 --> 00:20:56,600 But its aircraft carriers were at sea 326 00:20:56,900 --> 00:20:59,060 and escaped the attack. 327 00:21:00,980 --> 00:21:05,759 Nimitz is relying on admirals like William "Bull" Halsey 328 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:08,800 to press the fight against the Japanese. 329 00:21:10,346 --> 00:21:12,919 He sees that American naval strategy 330 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:15,420 based on the battleship is all gone. 331 00:21:15,900 --> 00:21:20,660 But we still have aircraft carriers and we still have submarines. 332 00:21:21,540 --> 00:21:23,853 Chester Nimitz understands, okay... 333 00:21:25,127 --> 00:21:27,280 out with the old, in with the new. 334 00:21:30,040 --> 00:21:33,620 Nimitz adjusts American naval strategy 335 00:21:33,940 --> 00:21:39,500 to rely on aircraft carriers and a series of raids. 336 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:44,159 Because those aircraft carriers are available, 337 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:46,780 he does have a tool to punch back at Japan. 338 00:21:47,980 --> 00:21:50,239 The Imperial Japanese Navy 339 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:52,820 is well-trained and well-equipped. 340 00:21:54,860 --> 00:21:58,520 They dominate and control the western half of the Pacific. 341 00:22:01,053 --> 00:22:02,980 April 1942. 342 00:22:03,340 --> 00:22:05,519 Four months after Pearl Harbor, 343 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:08,580 Admiral Nimitz is eager to go on the offensive. 344 00:22:08,900 --> 00:22:10,380 But where? 345 00:22:13,970 --> 00:22:17,679 The navy's top cryptanalyst, Commander Joseph Rochefort, 346 00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:19,666 and his team decode signals 347 00:22:19,691 --> 00:22:22,820 that reveal the Japanese navy's plans. 348 00:22:26,186 --> 00:22:28,319 The intelligence that Rochefort 349 00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:32,311 is bringing to Nimitz is not necessarily all that clear cut. 350 00:22:32,380 --> 00:22:35,611 But the picture that is developing is one of 351 00:22:35,773 --> 00:22:38,980 continued Japanese interest in the South Pacific. 352 00:22:43,097 --> 00:22:45,559 Rochefort believes the Japanese are going 353 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:47,783 to invade southern New Guinea. 354 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:50,359 From there, they could block the sea lanes 355 00:22:50,360 --> 00:22:53,039 that connect the United States and Australia... 356 00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:55,706 and possibly strike Australia... 357 00:22:56,212 --> 00:22:59,660 ...which is the key to the American strategy in the South Pacific. 358 00:23:01,100 --> 00:23:04,159 The Japanese would control everything from Japan to Australia, 359 00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:06,039 that entire linkage to the Indian Ocean, 360 00:23:06,040 --> 00:23:08,615 and, oh, by the way, a principal ally 361 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:10,506 in the southern part of the hemisphere. 362 00:23:10,531 --> 00:23:13,820 Nimitz dispatches two aircraft carriers - 363 00:23:14,260 --> 00:23:16,720 the Lexington and the Yorktown - 364 00:23:16,745 --> 00:23:19,020 to intercept the Japanese force. 365 00:23:19,220 --> 00:23:21,880 They are the only two carriers available. 366 00:23:26,539 --> 00:23:30,900 His basic game plan is to cruise in the Coral Sea 367 00:23:31,220 --> 00:23:33,980 and wait for the Japanese moves 368 00:23:34,620 --> 00:23:37,780 and deliver an attack against the Japanese. 369 00:23:39,955 --> 00:23:43,575 It's hard sometimes to remember, because we have satellites that 370 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:46,519 illuminate the whole world in real time, 371 00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:48,599 that for most of military history, 372 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:50,900 the fog of war is huge. 373 00:23:51,540 --> 00:23:53,900 And at sea, it's an even bigger deal. 374 00:23:55,020 --> 00:23:57,900 Trying to find your enemy is half the battle. 375 00:23:58,660 --> 00:24:01,660 A large fleet can become almost invisible. 376 00:24:01,860 --> 00:24:03,860 And then once you find it, 377 00:24:04,140 --> 00:24:06,639 you have to hit them before they find you. 378 00:24:15,073 --> 00:24:17,460 Rochefort's intelligence is correct. 379 00:24:17,740 --> 00:24:19,600 American reconnaissance aircraft 380 00:24:19,625 --> 00:24:22,480 spot the Japanese fleet in the Coral Sea. 381 00:24:24,066 --> 00:24:26,880 Both American carriers launch their plans. 382 00:24:39,283 --> 00:24:41,855 This attack is really the first sign 383 00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:44,552 that what we have here is what's called an "RMA" nowadays, 384 00:24:44,577 --> 00:24:46,615 a Revolution in Military Affairs. 385 00:24:51,460 --> 00:24:54,940 The two fleets are more than 100 miles apart. 386 00:24:59,580 --> 00:25:01,759 They're attacking with aircraft from far away. 387 00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:04,520 They're not exchanging salvos from big guns. 388 00:25:05,653 --> 00:25:07,599 The Americans had never done anything like that 389 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:09,700 with aircraft carriers before. 390 00:25:11,060 --> 00:25:13,480 American dive bombers strike first, 391 00:25:13,505 --> 00:25:15,980 finding the Japanese carrier Shoho. 392 00:25:19,420 --> 00:25:22,460 She's hit and sinks in less than an hour. 393 00:25:27,540 --> 00:25:29,760 Shoho is the first Japanese carrier 394 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:31,980 that's going to be sunk during this war. 395 00:25:38,580 --> 00:25:41,260 When you throw a punch in boxing, 396 00:25:41,285 --> 00:25:43,799 you open yourself up to a counterpunch. 397 00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:46,279 So your choices are "don't fight" 398 00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:49,780 or "fight and open yourself up to a devastating blow". 399 00:25:50,500 --> 00:25:53,060 The United States Navy has struck first. 400 00:25:53,300 --> 00:25:57,700 But now Nimitz's force faces the Japanese counterattack. 401 00:26:06,100 --> 00:26:08,359 The US Navy sinks their first 402 00:26:08,360 --> 00:26:11,340 Japanese aircraft carrier in the Coral Sea. 403 00:26:11,860 --> 00:26:14,075 But the next day, Japanese planes 404 00:26:14,100 --> 00:26:17,039 locate and target the USS Lexington, 405 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:21,123 America's oldest carrier, nicknamed "Lady Lex". 406 00:26:33,946 --> 00:26:35,746 She takes four direct hits. 407 00:26:39,276 --> 00:26:43,720 She's still seaworthy, but a gas line ignites and she catches fire. 408 00:26:48,559 --> 00:26:50,719 She burns to the waterline... 409 00:26:53,860 --> 00:26:56,300 ...and is scuttled to avoid capture. 410 00:27:07,260 --> 00:27:09,300 To protect their remaining carriers, 411 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:11,900 the Japanese call off the invasion. 412 00:27:13,500 --> 00:27:15,279 The Battle of the Coral Sea 413 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:17,479 is the first time that the United States 414 00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:20,300 has turned back a Japanese offensive. 415 00:27:21,526 --> 00:27:25,720 From Nimitz's standpoint, he's learned to trust his intel officers. 416 00:27:25,721 --> 00:27:30,199 He's also learned that the carriers are going to be the way to go. 417 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:31,999 Even though this is kind of the Wild West 418 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:33,740 of naval combat at this point, 419 00:27:33,807 --> 00:27:35,415 carriers are effective. 420 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:37,400 They can sink enemy warships. 421 00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:42,160 Fearing a long war with America, 422 00:27:42,653 --> 00:27:45,200 Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, 423 00:27:45,225 --> 00:27:47,420 the architect of Pearl Harbor, 424 00:27:47,473 --> 00:27:52,233 is always seeking a knockout blow against the US Navy. 425 00:27:52,356 --> 00:27:55,120 So he says, I need to destroy these American carriers. 426 00:27:55,280 --> 00:27:56,799 But how do I do it? 427 00:27:56,800 --> 00:27:59,359 And so they cook up this plan, the Japanese naval staff, 428 00:27:59,360 --> 00:28:02,319 is that they'll attack a vital American place. 429 00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:04,000 And they decide Midway Island, 430 00:28:04,025 --> 00:28:05,680 so called because it's midway between 431 00:28:05,732 --> 00:28:08,120 the West Coast of the United States and China. 432 00:28:08,860 --> 00:28:10,860 It is American territory. 433 00:28:11,046 --> 00:28:12,766 It's something the Americans value. 434 00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:14,679 That might be enough to lure 435 00:28:14,680 --> 00:28:16,560 the Americans out to defend that territory. 436 00:28:16,613 --> 00:28:18,919 And if they do, then we can annihilate their carriers 437 00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:20,860 and have a free hand in the Pacific. 438 00:28:23,268 --> 00:28:27,660 Yamamoto's plan is to launch a surprise attack on Midway 439 00:28:27,900 --> 00:28:29,900 with four of his carriers. 440 00:28:30,140 --> 00:28:33,359 The Japanese will take the strategic island 441 00:28:33,360 --> 00:28:37,040 and believe Midway will then radio Pearl Harbor for help, 442 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:40,980 prompting Nimitz to send his carriers to defend the island. 443 00:28:41,180 --> 00:28:43,860 Once the American carriers get to Midway, 444 00:28:44,060 --> 00:28:47,300 Yamamoto will appear with the rest of his fleet. 445 00:28:47,700 --> 00:28:50,760 He will trap them in jaws of iron, 446 00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:54,055 crush them, and destroy not only the American carriers, 447 00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:55,439 but also their battleships, 448 00:28:55,440 --> 00:28:57,999 at which point the Americans will have no naval forces 449 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:00,180 of any worth left in the Pacific. 450 00:29:05,677 --> 00:29:07,759 This could be a decisive strike 451 00:29:07,760 --> 00:29:10,840 against the US Naval forces in the Pacific. 452 00:29:25,817 --> 00:29:27,340 In late May, 453 00:29:27,577 --> 00:29:30,420 the Japanese task force head to Midway Island. 454 00:29:32,777 --> 00:29:36,300 There are 250 aircraft on its carriers. 455 00:29:40,980 --> 00:29:43,895 But cryptanalyst Joseph Rochefort, once again, 456 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:47,140 has intercepted the Japanese coded signals. 457 00:29:47,998 --> 00:29:49,635 Rochefort believes Japan 458 00:29:49,660 --> 00:29:52,599 is sending its fleet to attack Midway. 459 00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:54,119 The problem is 460 00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:57,035 is the Japanese aren't referring to Midway Island as Midway Island. 461 00:29:57,060 --> 00:29:59,039 They're saying, "AF". 462 00:29:59,040 --> 00:30:00,860 "We're going to attack AF." 463 00:30:04,017 --> 00:30:08,020 Rochefort has a plan to reveal the identity of "AF". 464 00:30:09,740 --> 00:30:12,070 Midway sends false radio messages 465 00:30:12,095 --> 00:30:14,152 on a channel the Japanese monitor, 466 00:30:14,340 --> 00:30:17,300 suggesting there's a problem on the island. 467 00:30:18,300 --> 00:30:20,915 Midway is going to radio back in the clear 468 00:30:20,940 --> 00:30:23,439 that, hey, our desalinisation plant has just broken, 469 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:25,540 and we're running out of fresh water. 470 00:30:28,380 --> 00:30:30,580 And then they wait and listen. 471 00:30:37,617 --> 00:30:41,098 And shortly thereafter, a Japanese radio station will 472 00:30:41,123 --> 00:30:43,655 send another message back to the Japanese fleet 473 00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:46,435 that AF has just run out of fresh water. 474 00:30:46,460 --> 00:30:49,520 And now, for the first time, they know it's Midway. 475 00:30:53,420 --> 00:30:57,260 Nimitz dispatches his three remaining aircraft carriers 476 00:30:57,285 --> 00:31:00,620 and a supporting fleet towards Midway. 477 00:31:18,173 --> 00:31:21,039 The US Navy is lying in wait 478 00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:23,820 to intercept the Japanese attack on Midway... 479 00:31:25,700 --> 00:31:28,660 ...if they can locate the Japanese carriers. 480 00:31:30,180 --> 00:31:32,959 This is the first time many young pilots 481 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:34,740 will go into battle. 482 00:31:42,733 --> 00:31:46,060 There are some that had never even taken off a aircraft carrier before. 483 00:31:46,700 --> 00:31:50,214 We do have a fascinating bit of footage that shows VT-8, 484 00:31:50,215 --> 00:31:52,940 that torpedo squadron, on the USS Hornet. 485 00:31:53,119 --> 00:31:55,219 When we look at that picture, what you see is 486 00:31:55,244 --> 00:31:58,200 a bunch of 20-something-year-old naval aviators. 487 00:31:58,201 --> 00:32:00,039 And what you see is the swagger. 488 00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:03,479 Now, probably in that swagger and the smoking of the cigarettes, 489 00:32:03,480 --> 00:32:06,980 it's probably hiding a little bit of the fear of the unknown. 490 00:32:07,506 --> 00:32:10,100 But even still, you see that twinkle. 491 00:32:11,420 --> 00:32:13,340 "This is our time." 492 00:32:27,084 --> 00:32:29,260 At 6:30am, 493 00:32:30,026 --> 00:32:34,160 Japanese aircraft attack Midway and inflict heavy damage. 494 00:32:41,020 --> 00:32:43,999 The battle starts off really going perfectly, 495 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:46,140 according to the Japanese plan. 496 00:32:52,540 --> 00:32:54,239 But the Japanese don't know 497 00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:56,919 that the American fleet has moved into position 498 00:32:56,920 --> 00:32:59,220 to the northeast of Midway... 499 00:32:59,620 --> 00:33:03,180 and are now ready to launch a surprise attack. 500 00:33:08,283 --> 00:33:11,759 Starting at 7:00am, more than 100 aircraft 501 00:33:11,760 --> 00:33:14,900 launch from the Hornet and the Enterprise. 502 00:33:21,713 --> 00:33:26,180 Squadrons search for the Japanese fleet at 19,000 feet. 503 00:33:28,300 --> 00:33:30,519 As an aviator in World War II, 504 00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:33,380 you might have a set of binoculars to help increase your vision. 505 00:33:33,540 --> 00:33:38,141 But otherwise, you're looking at about 30 square miles' worth of sea 506 00:33:38,166 --> 00:33:40,500 and trying to figure out where anything is. 507 00:33:45,186 --> 00:33:47,626 Three squadrons fly due west... 508 00:33:50,366 --> 00:33:52,646 ...but can't find the Japanese carriers. 509 00:33:56,606 --> 00:34:01,119 One squadron of Devastator torpedo planes, VT-8, 510 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:03,300 flies southwest. 511 00:34:04,660 --> 00:34:06,820 Just after 9:00am, 512 00:34:07,140 --> 00:34:09,140 through broken clouds, 513 00:34:09,487 --> 00:34:11,960 they spot the Japanese fleet. 514 00:34:17,513 --> 00:34:19,540 The torpedo planes are terrible. 515 00:34:19,820 --> 00:34:21,719 It's only got a single machine gun. 516 00:34:21,720 --> 00:34:24,119 And so these things are just lumbering, 517 00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:27,855 slow, vulnerable targets that are going to be horribly exposed 518 00:34:27,880 --> 00:34:31,480 to any sort of Japanese fighter opposition if they run into it. 519 00:34:33,685 --> 00:34:37,100 As VT-8 lines up to attack the carriers, 520 00:34:37,460 --> 00:34:40,060 they're intercepted by Japanese Zeros. 521 00:34:41,863 --> 00:34:43,640 The Japanese Zero is 522 00:34:43,665 --> 00:34:46,159 the most advanced Japanese aircraft that they have. 523 00:34:46,160 --> 00:34:48,560 It is a world-class fighter. 524 00:34:52,140 --> 00:34:56,300 It can manoeuvre like crazy. It can climb like a banshee. 525 00:34:58,725 --> 00:35:01,420 The Zeros fire on VT-8. 526 00:35:01,780 --> 00:35:04,079 They just tear into these formations 527 00:35:04,080 --> 00:35:07,922 and began very quickly sending them, ones and twos, 528 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:10,540 arrowing down into the ocean in flames. 529 00:35:10,700 --> 00:35:13,100 And the entire squadron is wiped out. 530 00:35:16,458 --> 00:35:19,220 Squadron VT-8 is destroyed. 531 00:35:21,073 --> 00:35:23,820 It takes less than 15 minutes. 532 00:35:27,490 --> 00:35:30,220 When we think about those guys we see in the footage, 533 00:35:31,060 --> 00:35:34,260 of the 15 aircraft that attacked, 14 of them will be shot down. 534 00:35:36,890 --> 00:35:38,900 They get absolutely sacrificed. 535 00:35:41,603 --> 00:35:43,640 Some groups sacrifice more than others, 536 00:35:43,641 --> 00:35:46,060 and in that case, they sacrificed all. 537 00:35:52,956 --> 00:35:56,719 While Marine fighters from Midway attack the Japanese, 538 00:35:56,720 --> 00:35:59,180 they don't inflict real damage. 539 00:36:00,620 --> 00:36:03,119 Other US squadrons continue to search 540 00:36:03,120 --> 00:36:04,860 for the Japanese fleet. 541 00:36:07,603 --> 00:36:11,780 At about 9:30 in the morning, things are going terribly. 542 00:36:11,940 --> 00:36:14,140 The Americans are losing this battle, 543 00:36:14,165 --> 00:36:17,540 and Nimitz's battle plan is falling apart. 544 00:36:18,700 --> 00:36:22,380 If navy pilots don't locate the Japanese carriers, 545 00:36:22,620 --> 00:36:24,380 Midway will fall, 546 00:36:24,620 --> 00:36:27,119 and America's strategy in the Pacific 547 00:36:27,120 --> 00:36:29,340 will be dealt a crushing blow. 548 00:36:37,623 --> 00:36:41,220 Fighting Squadron Six of Dauntless dive bombers 549 00:36:41,580 --> 00:36:45,300 are searching for the Japanese fleet that has attacked Midway. 550 00:36:49,217 --> 00:36:54,519 This is the best aircraft in the United States Navy in 1941, '42. 551 00:36:54,520 --> 00:36:57,820 It carries a 1,000-pound bomb, and it can be extremely effective. 552 00:36:59,300 --> 00:37:03,098 The squadron is led by Navy Lieutenant Commander Wade McClusky, 553 00:37:03,123 --> 00:37:05,340 a 15-year veteran. 554 00:37:07,060 --> 00:37:09,720 Wade McClusky goes out to the 555 00:37:09,745 --> 00:37:12,699 portion of ocean where he expects the Japanese to be located, 556 00:37:12,700 --> 00:37:14,740 and there's nothing but sun 557 00:37:14,765 --> 00:37:17,165 and sea and sky and some clouds. 558 00:37:19,700 --> 00:37:23,080 The squadron is in the air for close to two hours. 559 00:37:24,060 --> 00:37:27,500 By 9:30am, they're running low on fuel. 560 00:37:28,420 --> 00:37:31,500 But McClusky continues the search. 561 00:37:33,780 --> 00:37:37,695 This is an incredibly gutsy move on McClusky's part. 562 00:37:37,720 --> 00:37:40,940 The fuel gauges are really bad. 563 00:37:41,013 --> 00:37:44,575 Deciding to continue his search and continue looking for the enemy, 564 00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:46,340 that's really ballsy. 565 00:37:46,500 --> 00:37:48,300 Oh, by the way, everybody's barking at him, 566 00:37:48,460 --> 00:37:50,660 "We're pretty low on fuel. We got to get back." 567 00:37:50,900 --> 00:37:54,980 But he implements a box search and starts looking for the Japanese. 568 00:37:55,066 --> 00:37:57,580 Flies north for a bit, nothing. 569 00:38:01,817 --> 00:38:04,495 But finally, as he's about to turn for home, 570 00:38:04,520 --> 00:38:07,780 he sees a lone Japanese warship. 571 00:38:11,990 --> 00:38:14,556 He goes, "He looks like he's headed somewhere in a hurry." 572 00:38:14,580 --> 00:38:17,079 "If I follow that ship, it's going to take me someplace." 573 00:38:17,080 --> 00:38:18,799 And he does. 574 00:38:22,399 --> 00:38:23,879 30 minutes later, 575 00:38:23,904 --> 00:38:26,940 McClusky spots the Japanese aircraft carriers. 576 00:38:31,043 --> 00:38:34,980 By chance, another squadron of American dive bombers is nearby. 577 00:38:37,286 --> 00:38:39,459 These planes would show up out of the blue 578 00:38:39,484 --> 00:38:41,320 through a break in the clouds. 579 00:38:41,321 --> 00:38:45,559 And all of a sudden, they're like a swarm of bees closing in on your fleet. 580 00:38:45,560 --> 00:38:48,380 And it happens insanely fast. 581 00:38:53,150 --> 00:38:55,660 What you'd want to do is come out of the sun. 582 00:38:56,180 --> 00:38:58,959 And then you'd roll over and roll back out, 583 00:38:58,960 --> 00:39:01,599 and you'd set about a 70-degree dive angle. 584 00:39:01,600 --> 00:39:03,919 You want to get as close as you can to that carrier, 585 00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:05,780 about 1,500 feet. 586 00:39:07,620 --> 00:39:09,580 If you've got a really good pilot, 587 00:39:09,740 --> 00:39:12,580 you really can put this bomb in a pickle barrel. 588 00:39:21,343 --> 00:39:23,980 Three carriers take multiple hits, 589 00:39:24,140 --> 00:39:27,140 the Akagi, Soryu, and Kaga. 590 00:39:28,940 --> 00:39:30,959 In the span of four minutes, 591 00:39:30,960 --> 00:39:32,599 United States dive bombers 592 00:39:32,600 --> 00:39:35,420 knock out three Japanese aircraft carriers. 593 00:39:38,906 --> 00:39:41,660 The Japanese have one remaining carrier, 594 00:39:41,685 --> 00:39:43,166 the Hiryu. 595 00:39:46,319 --> 00:39:48,439 At midday, its dive bombers 596 00:39:48,440 --> 00:39:51,740 find and attack the American carrier Yorktown. 597 00:40:15,020 --> 00:40:17,740 After attempting to save her for hours... 598 00:40:19,300 --> 00:40:22,159 ...the Yorktown's captain finally orders the crew 599 00:40:22,160 --> 00:40:23,860 to abandon ship. 600 00:40:29,380 --> 00:40:31,940 But the Hiryu's victory is short-lived. 601 00:40:36,363 --> 00:40:38,319 American bombers find it 602 00:40:38,320 --> 00:40:41,620 and sink the fourth Japanese carrier of the day. 603 00:40:46,153 --> 00:40:49,420 12 hours after the first Japanese attack... 604 00:40:50,620 --> 00:40:53,639 ...Yamamoto's plans to deliver a decisive blow 605 00:40:53,640 --> 00:40:56,340 to the US fleet has collapsed. 606 00:40:57,940 --> 00:41:01,359 Instead, America has delivered a devastating 607 00:41:01,360 --> 00:41:03,700 and decisive blow of its own. 608 00:41:05,020 --> 00:41:08,540 Four of Yamamoto's carriers are at the bottom of the ocean. 609 00:41:08,740 --> 00:41:11,140 3,000 of his men are killed. 610 00:41:13,473 --> 00:41:16,033 This is a turning point. 611 00:41:20,866 --> 00:41:23,260 It's easy to forget now... 612 00:41:23,900 --> 00:41:29,135 the feeling of revenge that Americans felt 613 00:41:29,160 --> 00:41:32,500 when they were finally able to strike back at the Japanese. 614 00:41:38,725 --> 00:41:42,040 President Roosevelt, who has been monitoring the battle, 615 00:41:42,220 --> 00:41:46,060 finally receives word that America has won. 616 00:41:46,085 --> 00:41:49,100 Midway is absolutely critical. 617 00:41:49,620 --> 00:41:52,999 It allows Roosevelt to get out of this defensive crouch 618 00:41:53,000 --> 00:41:55,999 that we've been in for the first seven months of this war 619 00:41:56,000 --> 00:41:58,559 and begin thinking about, OK, 620 00:41:58,560 --> 00:42:01,039 how would we like to reshape this war? 621 00:42:01,040 --> 00:42:03,580 Where would we like to go on the offensive? 622 00:42:05,843 --> 00:42:08,860 The emotional outcome of Midway might be the biggest thing, right? 623 00:42:09,020 --> 00:42:10,839 This is the psychological blow. 624 00:42:10,840 --> 00:42:13,759 The idea that they come to Midway, get smacked in the face, 625 00:42:13,760 --> 00:42:15,479 and turn around and go back home, 626 00:42:15,480 --> 00:42:17,763 psychologically devastating to the Japanese. 627 00:42:17,795 --> 00:42:19,335 Oh, by the way, for the Americans, 628 00:42:19,360 --> 00:42:22,599 the idea that we can fight and win against the Japanese... 629 00:42:22,600 --> 00:42:24,420 that's powerful. 630 00:42:34,276 --> 00:42:35,652 After Midway, 631 00:42:35,677 --> 00:42:38,800 the United States takes the upper hand in the Pacific. 632 00:42:38,801 --> 00:42:40,919 For the first time, the country wins 633 00:42:40,920 --> 00:42:43,940 a decisive victory against the Japanese. 634 00:42:44,260 --> 00:42:48,140 America is now on the offensive in the Pacific.