A detailed account of the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbour, beginning with the inception of the idea and the obstacles it faced during the months of planning. Some of the survivors of that day share their stories, including a 103-year-old Japanese torpedo bomber, who is interviewed for the first time, and an American sailor who was on the USS Arizona when it was hit by a bomb that ignited its ammunition magazine, killing 1,177 men.

The attack begins and the months of practice by Japanese fighters are put into place, as 183 Japanese bombers and fighters wipe out almost all the Pacific Fleet's battleships. During the attack, heroes emerged, such as Dorie Miller, the first African-American to receive the Navy Cross, the US Navy's highest military honour, while people questioned whether commander of the Pacific Fleet Husband Kimmel could have done more to prevent an attack that would lead to the United States entering the Second World War

Drama and mayhem ensue as the first wave of the attack draws to an end. The Americans realise a second wave of attack must, inevitably, be incoming. They prepare anti-aircraft guns and manage to launch a few planes that were not destroyed