The film shows people in Hawaii listening to the attack on the radio in real-time. In 1941, technology did not allow for that kind of live "play-by-play" broadcast of a battle. The Verdict
: The film correctly depicts Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle (played by Alec Baldwin) leading 16 B-25 bombers on a retaliatory raid against Japan in 1942, launched from the USS Hornet . movie pearl harbor verified
The film suggests that American pilots managed to get airborne during the attack and shoot down dozens of Japanese planes. In reality, the Japanese destroyed 188 aircraft on the ground. A handful of pilots (like 2nd Lts. George Welch and Kenneth Taylor) managed to get airborne and did shoot down 6-7 planes. The film exaggerates this into a full dogfight. Welch and Taylor were real heroes, but the film’s depiction of a massive aerial battle is a dramatic license. The film shows people in Hawaii listening to
Film Review: Pearl Harbor - The Society for Military History The film suggests that American pilots managed to