Tora! Tora! Tora! Page #3

...from six carriers to only three...

...our mission will fail.

Before attacking anything else,

we should attack our General Staff.

We believe in aircraft,

but they cling to the ancient theory...

...that decisive naval engagements

must be fought between battleships.

Unless we dispel this myth...

...we'll never get their approval.

They are not the only believers

in the "battleship theory."

Many officers here today

also support the idea.

l'm one of them. We'll soon have

two new unsinkable battlewagons...

...each with a displacement of

64,000 tons and huge guns.

Anything that floats can be sunk!

The "unsinkable" ship is a myth.

The war in Europe is being

decided by the airplane.

There can be no victory on land or sea,

without control of the air!

l have been chosen to command

this task force.

And l consider this operation risky.

How can we travel 3500 miles

to Hawaii without being detected?

This mission will fail unless

we achieve complete surprise.

My ships can't carry fuel

for a trip there and back.

Stopping to refuel increases

the possibility of detection.

l am confident that our ships

will reach Hawaii safely.

You are too cautious. The case

for using six carriers is sound.

To criticize the plan is defeatist!

No more bickering! As long

as l am Commander-in-Chief...

...Pearl Harbor will be attacked!

l am aware that this is

a dangerous gamble.

But we can't afford the luxury

of playing it safe now!

Gentlemen, whether we adopt this

plan or not is no longer an issue.

Let us now decide how best

to carry it out.

Fuchida's back! Fuchida's back!

Fuchida! What a surprise!

l'm your new Air Commander,

so treat me well.

You're joking. How did you

rate another promotion?

Well, exceptional people get

exceptional treatment!

This ship is crawling with Admirals.

Something important

must be happening.

We have called you here...

...to explain the purpose of

a new training program.

This, of course, is a matter

of strictest secrecy.

lt looks just like Pearl Harbor,

doesn't it?

And that area down there

looks like Ford lsland, eh?

Beautiful!

Navy pilots attract geisha girls

but they frighten the fish.

lt's not an ideal radar sight,

but at least we got a permit.

Let's get the other units working.

Easier said than done.

What do you mean?

We have to get all six units adjusted

and link them by phone to headquarters.

That means training men to operate

an information center...

...so they know what to do

with the information.

Take it easy, Murph.

- You'll figure it out.

- Yeah, l'll figure it out.

Don't just stand there.

You know how to operate this thing.

We know the theory.

Let's put that theory into practice.

- Switch on.

- Yes, sir.

Stay put and keep watching the screen.

ln two hours, close down.

l'll send a truck to pick you up.

Excuse me, sir,

but what are we watching for?

Anything unusual.

Any large blip coming from the sea.

Colonel, if we do spot something,

what do we do?

Report it to headquarters, damn it.

- How, sir?

- What?

We haven't got a telephone, sir.

There's a gas station

a mile down the road.

They must have a phone.

We got 183 combat planes

on this base, general.

The way they're parked now, a one-eyed

monkey hanging from a balloon...

...could scatter them to hell

with one hand grenade.

Don't blame me.

General Short gave the order.

Come in.

- Sir, Lieutenants Taylor and Welch.

- Okay, send them in.

You two men get in your planes

and fly over to Haleiwa.

Yes, sir.

What are our orders when we get there?

Just sit tight.

Listen for the phone. That's all.

- Yes, sir.

- Yes, sir.

Haleiwa is one

of the subsidiary fields.

We send those two up there,

two more here.

Only way l know to disperse

a few of the planes.

lf l'd get away with it,

l'd send all to the neighbor islands.

- You know why we're being transferred.

- Them poker games.

Been winning too often.

Yeah.

Some sucker loses his shirt,

so he b*tches to the general.

lt's hard to believe

the Emperor agreed...

...to fix a date by which the

final decision must be made...

...between war and peace.

His majesty's signature

is a mere formality.

The cabinet is responsible for

all matters of national policy.

The Emperor recently read a poem

to his Ministers to show how he feels.

"lf all people are brethren...

...then why are the winds

and the waves so restless?"

"lf all people are brethren...

...then why are the winds

and the waves so restless?"

This clearly shows how much

the Emperor wants to avoid a war.

Yes, he has urged us to solve our

differences with Washington.

But, sir, the deadline is October.

Can a solution be found by then?

Perhaps. But if we fail...

...if war does come...

...tell me frankly,

from the Navy's viewpoint...

...what are our chances

against the Americans?

lf we must, we can raise havoc

with them for a year.

After that, l can guarantee nothing.

Mr. Prime Minister, l hope you

will continue the negotiations.

Please remember, there is

no last word in diplomacy.

Tokyo has ignored

my repeated inquiries...

...and still has made no reply...

...to the compromise proposals

offered by Secretary Hull.

The war that l have dreaded

for so long...

...may soon become a reality.

Nomura has offered

his resignation several times.

But Tokyo won't let him quit.

lnstead they're sending a second

ambassador, Kurusu, to help him out.

Do you really think

this Kurusu can do any good?

Well, l doubt it, Frank.

He's hardly the most tactful choice.

When he was ambassador in Berlin...

...he signed the Axis Pact

on behalf of Japan.

You will sail from Hittakopu Bay

on November 26 under my strict orders.

The code, "Climb Mt. Niitaka"

will be confirmation to go on.

We have tentatively set

the date for the attack...

...on Sunday, December 7th,

Hawaiian time.

But you must understand that we

are still negotiating in Washington.

lf a peaceful solution is found...

...the fleet will be recalled at once.

Once at sea, to turn back

would be a disgrace!

lt would destroy the morale of the men!

They're in a high state of readiness,

physically and psychologically.

Enough! lf any commander is inclined

to reject an order to return...

...when the path for peace is open...

...let him resign now!

Finally, gentlemen...

...many misinformed Japanese...

...believe that America is a

nation divided, isolationist...

...and that Americans are

only interested...

...in enjoying a life of luxury...

...and are spiritually

and morally corrupt.

But that is a great mistake.

lf war becomes inevitable...

...America would be the most formidable

foe that we have ever fought.

l've lived in Washington

and studied at Harvard...

...so l know the Americans are

a proud and just people.

- You sick or something?

- No.

l've been piecing together

this batch of new intercepts.

A frightening picture is taking shape.

Ambassadors Nomura and Kurusu

asked their government...

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