
World’s Greatest Mysteries – Season 1 – Episode 2: Pearl Harbor: Surprise Attack Or Anticipated Event?
For more than six decades, history books have described this pivotal event in world history in great detail: On the morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941, six Japanese navy aircraft carriers launched two aerial waves, totaling 353 aircraft, which attacked the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. American losses included 2,388 killed and 1,178 wounded, as well as the destruction of two battleships, a minelayer, and a pair of destroyers. Ten other ships were severely damaged and a total of 188 aircraft were lost. The direct result was that the United States became involved in World War II. What the history books fail to explain is whether the surprise attack was really a surprise after all. Unanswered questions include – How could the entire Japanese Navy move across the Pacific unnoticed? Why did President Roosevelt order the American fleet moved just days before the attack from the comparative safety of the West Coast to the middle of the Pacific? And the most disturbing question of all: Did Roosevelt know the attack was coming days or even weeks in advance? This insightful television program addresses questions that have lingered for generations.