Transcripts For CSPAN3 The Civil War 20161204

Appomattox effectively ending the civil war. This hourlong talk was part of a symposium hosted by the emerging civil war blog. There is something to the saying the best for last. Of the many books we have talked about and the authors we have talked about, i have never seen a more solid piece of writing come across my desk then i did when this first rap of the dawn of victory appeared in my inbox. We develop a manuscript and chris will work on history and when edward sent me the donna victory it was pristine. Ive never said that about a manuscript before. Remember, i get paid to help deconstruct peoples writing. Ive never seen a piece of writing more magnificent and believable. A story that is often overlooked. Forget about petersburg. It is so overlooked and so underrated and edward does such a magnificent job doing justice to an incredible phase of the civil war. Literally, the make it or break it point. It is the breaking point that leads to the end. Without further a do, i would like to introduce you to my friend, mr. Edward alexander. [applause] thank you very much for that myy kind introduction and to colleagues at emerging civil war for putting on a fantastic symposium that i hope everyone has enjoyed so far. Its a privilege to be able to talk to this group and thanks to we might be here talking to an empty room, but it is great to have such a wonderful turnout to explore the great attacks of the civil war. This is going to be a very biased opinion. This is the greatest attack of the civil war. It definitely the most decisive, the most well executed and has on andous implications very poorly understood campaign. And stress the word it shouldere because not be viewed as a siege. Athought you said this wasnt siege. Mostly due to impart to the fortifications constructed by the union and confederate armies train the campaign, but its not run and, over the top hold charges. The breakthrough assault on april 2, 1865 is the first large scale assault on fixed fortifications you lift as grant 30th theyd since july Previous Year with the crater. Maneuver that it is given credit for. I could give three hold talks just to get us from peterburg petersburgs Eastern Front to grants final offensive. I will skip through all of that context simply to say by late march of 1865, grant has captured most of the supply lines leading into petersburg that ultimately had 20 miles north to richmond, virginia, the confederate capital. With the arrival of phil sheridans calvary in late march, grant made the final strike, but it is not intended to go directly into confederates behind their entrenchments. Grant wants to operate to the southwest and try to capture two final supply lines in the south side railroad. Grant has a few aces up his sleeve in addition to the calvary, he has three divisions transferring from richmond bounds of petersburg. The frees him up. Sheridans calvary, and the second corps moves into position for the newly arrival of the division leading up to march 29 and the final push. Charles griffins divisional advance or force back after two hours of fighting into the earthworks. Lee in response to this new offensive that grant is launching will bring george picketts division down from richmond to southerland station. The horses have no food available so they are bringing in the calvary into action here in late march. Lee will have to take troops along the earthworks constructed and transfer them down to the road which meet the threat posed by the federal fifth corps. They are maneuvering at this point based on the evening of march 29 and early into march 30. The problem is what place many, the weather does not always cooperate. It rained very heavily. Unfortunately for phil sheridan, who is shaking like a leaf, he wants to get going. Unfortunately, it is not cooperating. He will at least maneuver further into position. In doing so, warren will have one of his divisions left exposed. This is what i hope everyone takes away from the Petersburg Campaign is the confederates never stay behind the fortification. They never just sit there and wait for the next assault and abandon the supply line. What does robert e. Lee and the fortifications run richmond of 1852, what is his intention . A springboard. A springboard to attack. A lastditch, but the idea is to move forward from this earth works. He was going to make a slight rearrangement. Striking at the flank. Doing so quite successfully, sam crawford tries but they are repulsed. He is looking for an reinforcements to push a confederates are completely off their position on the board and plank road. As former virginia governor, sending them back running for the trenches. Now, this right here represents that he goes of Joshua Lawrence chamberlain as singlehandedly manages to drive all three confederate brigades back into their own entrenchments. What happens here is the fifth corps is isolating, on march 31, perhaps the most successful they you will experience in the american civil war. Take the calvary as he expects him to going up to the critical intersection. Lee was able to push across his run and sent a federal cavalry back to the county. Final offensive, trying to end this maneuver. By this point, nightfall had set in and he realizes he is cut off from the rest of the confederate army. Phil sheridan is quite embarrassed. He perhaps has his worst day of the american civil war. Hes not too happy. He needs to get his revenge on that. He tells grant if i am cut off of the rest of the federal army, surely pickett is cut off from the rest of his. No man of his command should ever be allowed to return to it. Pickett as no choice but to fall back. His men form up in the famous position with the angle on their left flank. Sheridans hopping mad in pursuit and calls upon federal infantry to support him. After a considerable delay, warren is in position to assist for the big push to what the confederates off the map. The problem is sheridan tells warren that the angle here, located further to the east, warren using that faulty reconnaissance is going to move into position to strike the angle head on. Meanwhile, all day long, sheridans calvary is pinning the confederates down. His men are push back by the calvary. He is unaware of anything. He is where his name is located right now. He is north of hatchers run. It has been a good haul. The fish out of the rivers. Rumors through barbecues and fish fries of my own i can choose to accept these rumors no celebration has not gone without booze. He is not present with his men. No federal attack will miss the mark. It actually works out for the best. Able to get around the confederates and mop them up. A moment of glory is out. Warren has been too slow ever since the start of the overland campaign. He just needs everything set of perfect on paper before he will move forward. You always see a problem that does not exist. We will see how it breaks out. You rarely have these perfect situations open up. The cannot have someone on the precipice of victory dragging their feet. Warren is out, griffin is in. The confederates continue to shift. Continue to extend their lives further and further. That dont have the manpower to do so. Ulysses s. Grant finally, upon hearing word of the victory at five forks does what he has not done since july 30 all the staff officers, great job, congratulations. Grant calmly walks to his tent, scribble down dispatches, passes them out and then nonchalantly mentions an assault all along the lines. Originally, it was supposed to take place as soon as the generals received the orders but george meade does it the first thing next morning. These various attacks that rentable order, sheridan is uncharacteristically cautious. Sheridan will also drag his feet and not do much of anything. The second corps will get a late start and they are attacked and not be much of consequence. The terrain in his front is not allowed for a largescale assault. Major general john parks, commanding the federal ninth corps, does lunch a very launch a very intrepid assault. It is not really of much significance as far as and in the campaign. It is not decisive of april 2, 1855. That occurs along the fishhook of the federal lines. Fisher, fort welch, the sixth corps. It is featured here. Most accounts you see it in almost every theater. They are hunkered down. This is the sixth corps at fredericksburg. At fredericksburg, at the second battle of fredericksburg, the sixth corps really establishes an identity of doing the impossible of succeeding where others have failed of carrying out a series of impressively designed, executed rental assaults, including one we walk into tomorrow of the same position. Now, the next series of slides, we will not be talking a lot about them, the context, the impact. I want to focus on the tactics to understand how the sixth corps developed a way to bash the enemy with bayonet charges. No context here given. Tomorrow morning, we will have an incredible walking tour of the second Fredericksburg Battlefield but note how different this is from the picket charge. Burnsides men going in the previous december. Look up different these tactics are. Worth mentioning this will be important later mississippians so long the something road, moving forward to november 7, 1863. They get to miss gettysburg, mostly occupy a reserve role. The impacting of other corps. Even more overlooked battle, the sixth corps employed nice tactics to have this fortified bridge. All these maps oriented to give us the perspective of the attackers. But, november 7 at dusk, the same units that spearheaded fredericksburgs assault will move forward and say it was not found. They were able to get a foothold. Two more sent to their aid and the confederate focus on those that were assaulted, even leaving themselves vulnerable and attacking into the flank. At this point, the confederates lose contact with their only way back across. The rappahannock river. As the federals continued to press their assault, the confederates tried to get over the river but the federals cut them off. Forcing those confederates who were unable to make it across the river by swimming to surrender and two Union Brigades captured louisianans and north carolinians. The spotsylvania courthouse actually delivered earlier using what is my favorite i guess interpretive tools. The human map. Now we will see the assault animated, bringing that contact formation. Because the confederates had willingly, accidentally left the picket line, able to move these forces in. Lay down, preparing for the moment of assault. When it do assault, using that contact probation to have specific instructions for the first line, expand breakthrough to but others behind. Chris mentioned that dont have the support. Ultimately, the attack will not succeed its true objective but they are able to have the earthworks and capture a decent amount of prisoners. One final battle to look at for we get to the breakthrough. June 3 and the failure of those attacks. June 1, two federal brigades are able to utilize, later known as bloody run, temporarily pierced the confederate earthworks for reserves. Keep these things in mind. Compact formations. Use of the ravine. Use of darkness. Overwhelming. All will be on display when Horatio Wright unleashes his masterpiece in 1855. The sixth corps, after the harbor and a brief stay of several weeks in petersburg, have a relative vacation compared to everyone else. They are sent to washington. They certainly have a bloody autumn of that year in the shenandoah valley. They can establish a bond with sheridan. He wanted the sixth corps consent of the fifth corps. It was not located in position to provide that existence. They didnt have a static front during the previous, or first slide that i showed. March 25, 1865, after lees failed desperate breakout event, horatio sense is that they are weakening by shifting units. George meade would allow to test the strength of the confederate ticket and lead enthusiastically response in the affirmative. Only since, four regiments are quite easily repulsed under the confederate ticket. Meade presses wright to really continue the probing of the line and wright returns with two full divisions. 3 00 in the afternoon of march 25. Converging fire from the confederate lines, mostly from artillery batteries, as well as the creek will stop any federal advances. What it accomplishes, the lines are push board for the federals. He takes the confederate ticket line almost like a foxhole to ease its way into envision and refaces all the way around. They can use it for their own benefit. Other events are going to significantly reduce confederate ability to withstand an assault. We saw that in the previous slide. 2. 5 brigades are sent down to the white oak road, leaving the confederates without any reserves, forced to simply spread themselves out. Six to 10 paces, soldiers a swedish born colonel. James henry is unfortunate and they will be the victims. The other two, wilcox, under the command of hill. The confederate defense, 2800 soldiers. Because of the gained ground here out in front of the union lines, confederates are sending their strengths elsewhere. Union officers show support on the left. On the right, they will go out shouting out in front, sending a more personal look. They had a signal tower behind their own lines. You can only see so far, so accurately from the signals. They noticed a few things in the confederate earthworks that they cannot see from the tower. We will zoom in. We have a union line. Rows, obstructions meant to block an attacking force from moving forward. Notice the road leading out or in through those obstructions. Because of the gained ground that the tickets are able to push out, most importantly, grant is able to get into no mans land and discover the location of those wagon roads because of the confederate attractions. If they are ever order to attack, in which they believe their men. Here is a drawing. You will be looking out into a very dense fort. Ground preserved by the Civil War Trust in the last four years, cleared by the Civil War Trust shows the battlefield of soldiers seeing it, barren of those trees. That is where Lewis Addison grant will go, commander of the sixth corps. Going out there scouting, it was determined that arthur is the avenue of approach for an attack. If you follow arthur, some portions, that will lead you to the confederate earthworks. That will lead you to the openings where they cannot construct the earthworks. One other thing to mention about arthurs swamp, we have the headwaters of arthurs swamp. Just closer to the city of petersburg, you have rehobeth creek. A drop of water landed here that goes into rehobeth creek. It will end up in the chesapeake bay. And goes all the way down to help at arthurs swamp. What this means is what the waters of rehobeth creek, the confederates construct a dam in front and in pounds the water, making it in passable along a decent stretch of their lines for any Union Soldiers to cross. There are reports they also constructed tunnels, mines near battery forward and pass them with gun mines and threatened to ignite them should battery 45 ever be attacked headon. Archaeologists have found the tunnels, mines, there is no proof it would have been packed with gunpowder and would have been detonated but propaganda is good enough. No month is ever attacking battery 45. Arthur swamp, going out of the confederate earthworks, had not been impounded. Arthur swamp, this shot taken from out in front of fort welch. We have arthurs want right here on this would line from the confederate earthworks. March 25, here is where the picket lines are located. After march 25, that is the gained ground that the federals have seized. Here is the confederate perspective. The new rifle pitch 400 yards out in front of the mainline. For horacio wright, having a full halfmile to work with is going to have an incredible impact because he is able when he receives ulysses s. Grant instructions on the evening of april 1 to launch a fullscale assault, he is able to pass his entire 14 thousand strong sixth corps in between the own fortifications 14,000 strong sixth corps in between their own fortifications. They can push forward and not have to go over top, wind their way through their own obstructions. Look at how horacio stacks his men. Each of these brigades are lined up most with a single regiment front. Some, like Oliver Edwards brigade, chose to spread their men out. You have to do that, but they are lining the meant up one regiment behind the next. Waves being sent over into this assault. What did you do as a Brigade Commander when youre being told you were stacking your regiment one behind the next . Who was going to be that hope up front . We have with us, a the senate from William Henry from new jersey. Fantastic fighters throughout the war. I know at least three monuments within a 15 minute drive from where we are now to these bravery on the battlefield. You have the new jersey infantry. These are not the patriots of 1861. These are the draftees of late 1864. They have given penrose all kinds of grief. They will put new jersey up front. Leaving the veterans to follow in their wake. All these regiments will have a number of things in their way before they get to fight with the confederates, which was their intention. The first is the rifles. Small, little almost foxholes, constructed. They could be a fighting position but they are the eyes and ears anticipating an assault which is going to start at 4 00 the morning which starts at 4 40 a. M. They can see that general direction. The idea is the form those 14000 and out in front of the earthworks, ready for the attack before they can be seen so dont take as much fire from the enemy, particularly in the picket. The next obstacle is the branches out in front of the earthworks. Specifically instructing each Brigade Commander to situate a number of acts in the front ranks. Some like colonel edwards doubles and triples the front, even sending those to clear the obstructions which are placed in front of the earthworks. They might be so inclined to stop and return fire now that there is branches. You will never win a gunfight behind those sticks. Confederate artillery. With the confederates lacking infantry, they have more than enough artillery to make things deadly for the sixth corps should they not press forward, continuing this assault. Horacio wright commanded the men to be removed. They were unable to fire. They were not supposed the fire, they were swiftly use the bayonets once they got through the obstructions. The could raise to about 12, 20 feet from the bottom to the top. These are the earthworks we have preserved. We have offered a concrete exhibit. The scale of these earthworks that will be overcome. Have you overcome that . Well, you find whatever you can. They take some of that and throw that in to the ditch, hoping they can raise their way across. Others will boost each other up and over the top. Some take the bayonets out and climb up to the top. However you can, that 20 feet. It has been so rainy, three feet of water inside the ditch. That is what wright has his men going into on april 2. There were supposed to attack altogether the guiding along grants brigade. He is going to be the one going through the ravine. Everyone else guiding into his position. 30 seconds later, striking the left. A lot of damage. Ive taken reports from the soldiers. Who they passed, with a mingled with and try to show more accurately what the attack might actually look like. It is not that one going in altogether. Units jumping over others, losing their way in the darkness. The first one to reach the earthworks had been Charles Gilbert gould of the fifth vermont infantry. Gould has quite the story for himself. Two years old, in vermont, all the family is there. Charles gould knows something delightful. Young charles that smells delicious whats going on . He is climbing up to get a better view. He loses his balance and tumbles over into the pot. His leg is burned so badly he cannot walk without assistance until after his sixth birthday. Mama gould, judith, beside herself. How could she let this happen to her poor boy . Charles wants to go out and play with his friends. No, no. You are not well enough. You were going to get yourself hurt. She tries to coddle him. I will teach you how to sew. We can knit together. What will be the result of that . The biggest daredevil in vermont, he gets the reputation for himself. He is only 17 years old. He wants to go into the army but mama says he will get yourself killed. Your not leaving my sight. He enlists 20 miles away into the vermont infantry. Gould spends the first few years of his war in washington defenses. The first action is pretty close by on may 18, 1864 in spotsylvania. Gould does well enough for himself that he is an Company Eight during the time of the breakthrough. Captain gould, that morning as they are trying through the obstructions, his legs churning, he will be the very first to reach the wall. Mounts the top. A confederate rifle musket to his chest. Hes relieved by the click of a misfire. Before he could catch his breath, the musket will be plunged into his jaw. Charles gould, one bayonet will not stop him. He rips the bayonets out, jumps into the confederate earthworks, slashing away with his sword. He is outnumbered at this point. He is the very first up and over the top. While hes swinging with the sword, confederates are converging. The 37th North Carolina battering him. Hes striked over the top of his head. Gould puts himself back over. A confederate says uhuh, yanks him back. One more bayonet into his back. While all of this is going on, goulds fighting, at least half a dozen north carolinians who are watching, gould sacrificed, his leadership will get the rest of the company h moving forward. The corporal grabs goulds body. He receives a gunshot wound and tumbles into the ditch. Young charlie, after several minutes at the bottom, comes to. Stumbles back to union lines. Gets himself patched up. He says all of his wounds were noisy. There is a scar from the first bayonet. He survives all those wounds. A bushy beard to cover the scar. He decides to settle down at the Pension Office and patent office. They patent a gun cleaner because he likes going hunting. In 1873, he pence a gun cleaner so we can go back hunting in vermont when he visits. He was the first soldier to the wall and will be one of the recipients of the medal of honor. The last thing gould remembered when he was pulled over the top was Sergeant Jackson george going over the top with the stars and stripes. The very first flag that morning for which he will receive the medal of honor beared to his chest. He carries the flag during that day. Behind jackson sergeant, Corporal Charles over the top shouting come on, boys. They would be shot and killed on top of the wall. Sergeant William Kimberly will go into the first plot that gould breached that morning. The confederate side is small as far as killed and wounded. Two casualties. William nicholson on the left. He lost his brother eight days earlier. Joshua bowman on the right has four kids that are nearly put up for adoption by his widow until a family the widows sister called the family. It is small in this attack. The federals lost almost 1000 and eight and 55. In 1865. An approximate location where Charles Gould would have been the first overthetop coming in and over the confederates. To the left, artillerys in a narrow opening. Robert, the first lieutenant, sees confederates closing a shell. Fires at the rest of the fifth vermont. He rushes towards that narrow opening. Before the confederate gunner can yank the lanyard, the confederate drops it and will surrender. He gives out his location to the north that major William Joseph is able to see the confederate canyon loaded, ready to fire. He will turn action rear among the confederates who are starting to fall back from this initial point that the vermonters have broken through. He looks for employment in which to fire the cannon. He grabs one of his soldiers rifles, aims it into the vent, pulls the trigger and fires into the confederate that they try to rally. He claims to fire one dozen rounds in this fashion before he turns it over to 17 members of the first rhode island artillery who made this assault, carried lanyards. One guy had to be that guy with a bucket of water. These Rhode Islanders will fire among the confederates as they tried to rally. Another recipient of the medal of honor. 35 sixth corps soldiers received the medal of honor for their actions. Last time than this does. Only 60 minutes of combat, april 2, 1865. Perhaps the biggest impact resides captain gould, that is Corporal John watson moch of 138th pennsylvania that shoots into the chest of the commander riding into the scene, killing hill instantly. Immediately after the breakthrough, it all falls apart for the confederacy. Sixth corps pivots, only one confederate brigade makes it out. They will join up and push to the north, trying to catch the south side. It does not matter. The south has no importance when the sixth corps and three divisions of the army have already made the final push. A brave stand by 300 mississippians at fort gregg prevents the army of the james from cake walking into the city. It buys time for robert e. Lee to work nice an evacuation of petersburg. Immediately receiving news of the breakthrough, particularly learning after, the magnitude of this attack. The greatest attack, the most significant attack of the american civil war. Lee writes the secretary of war that he sees no prospect any further and the need to abandon the city. Jeff davis, confederate president , chimes in it will be nice to have a little heads up. He rips the telegraph to shreds. I cannot hold this line. What do you mean you need more advanced warning . A disconnect between lee and davis. It would be evacuated. The government goes west. Lee is able to get his army, what is left of it, and he is going to be heading towards the west, trying to get to the railroad, get down into North Carolina, link up with joe johnson. There are all sorts of what ifs about this time period. They are not fond of lees timeframe. Grant is the one in the driver seat from here through the next seven days. Because of the sixth corps victory, because this assault was so welldesigned, well executed, it is the union who possesses the initiative. Firmly within the grasps for seven days later and the final surrender at appomattox. Thank you. [applause] questions for mr. Alexander. [laughter] tell us about the ninth corps. Edward they launched attacks from fort up the plank road on petersburg southeast in front. They do get it within their grasps. It was at fort mahone. They had differences. John brown gordons entire second corps. They can support one another. On the western front, the confederates are too stretched out. All day long, april 2, 1865, through 94 the confederates are starting to evacuate. It is similar to the bloody angle. An intensity, though not in memory, at fort mahone. If you see any photographs of petersburg fortifications, if you see any photo of the fortifications besides the aerial shots, they come from fort sedgwick and fort mahone, including the famous photos of the fallen confederate soldiers. It is a bit of an inside joke, you wrote this wonderful book. This is a wonderful book, but you dont mention the ninth corps. It is a book about the breakthrough. Sometimes you cannot please everyone. Other questions . Yes . You mention artillery at the point of the breakthrough. Can you elaborate little more about that, because you described how the confederate line was so stretched out as far as infantry was concerned. Edward this is one of those things where i will make this a call if anyone has any resources on artillery of april 2, 1855, above the see them. We have so few information. We have a great account from a private john walters who is situated to the north of the breakthrough who writes about the front. Outside of that, not a lot of confederate genres. They will not begin to count the federals until after the signal drawing for the assault. There was an overnight bombardment. Had the confederate gunners known that wright was forming his men into a compact wedge with the confederacy, had they known that, they could have been pounding those men overnight. Some of them for five hours before the attack kicked off. The confederates do not start to shoot into the sixth corps until the signal sounds. At that point, it is 5, 7 days. They will take their most damage from the artillery. They lose a very brief assault probably 800 during that push to the earthworks and that is because of the confederate batteries. Simply without adequate infantry support, once the federals get to the wall, they immediately sees the confederate camp because no one is there to protect the confederate gunners. One last question. This attack had written all over it. What happened in the final breakthrough . Edward everyone will be participating in what was called the battle at selma, alabama. It starts in command of the battery. It serves as infantry command in the sixth corps. James wilson the cavalrymen. He is not present at the breakthrough but he does have his footprint all over it. The sixth corps recognizes, right after the war of similarities, the pages of the National Tribune will be glowing about their success. Really showed we were the ones who could attack the earthworks. They compact their men. They position scenes from the confederate picket lines. It has its footprint all over it because of the mention of all the previous lies not at petersburg, but leading up to the final moment. Thank you very much. [applause] december 7 marks the 75th anniversary of the japanese attack on pearl harbor. We are featuring programs remembering that day. This afternoon at four eastern on real america, the u. S. Army film directed by frank capra trays japan as a military nation determined to rule the world. When los angeles and detroit were producing for japans war machine, then the rest of the and japand fall would [indiscernible] and survivors from the uss arizona, where crew men were killed on december 7, 1941. Was commissioned in 1944 and saw action in the pacific. Missouri was commissioned in 1944 and saw action in the pacific. Part of the National Park ice for complete American History tv schedule go to cspan. Org. Each week American History tvs real america brings you a archival films that brings context for todays Public Affairs issues. Your commentator is joel bryant. Here is the Motion Picture record released by the United States navy of the japs on navalharbor, americas bastion. , japanmber 7, 1941 struck first and declared war afterwards. And more costly to japan was the effectiveness and the determination to fight and win the war. And the peace that will follow. Copied their german masters at striking hard at the airfield. Japanst objective of treachery. Scores of planes were bruised aerialtered byt th the bombs. Hangers were badly shattered. Equip and and air supplies were in smoldering ruins. Grim and positive evidence of treachery. While diplomats were talking peace in washington. America lost three destroyers. They rosten the better of pearl harbor as the bombers make direct hits on their decks. Sting of the the u. S. Oklahoma are the uss oklahoma and bombers make short work of these two naval boats. And alie helpless sad reminder of cowardly strategy. To make possible a surprise attack in pearl harbor, the japs built two summaries that enabled them to sneak blows. Several of the surprise weapons were blown from the water by direct hits. Others were beached and captured. While sky and sea fire was still raging, salvage crews inspected our naval craft to investigate what may be saved. Have been bombs silenced, preparations were under way to salvage these two warships. Low tide the huge propeller felled by thea, enemy, was high above water. Responsible for these two losses to our pacific fleet. Here is the actual bombing of jap planes. Ona by by fearlessade cameraman who thought nothing of his own safety to make this record for our profs record for posterity. Bomb falling directly through one of the battleships funnels exploded in the engine room and set ablaze tons of fuel oil. Black smoke billowed to the sky as a massive control tower began to keel over. The arizonas courageous crew stuck to its guns until the very end. Here was displayed heroism that will live forever in the glorious annals and traditions in the american navy. The once mighty arizona now rests on pearl harbors muddy bottom. Self, aof its former grim monument to the treachery of japan. The great battleships control tower cell stands tower still stands. Harbor, in the streets of honolulu, ever is written history, history with a tragic end three at history that 100 million americans will never forget. Ja in the days to come, the ps will remember pearl harbor. Deceit will never be forgotten. Here they hoped to score a knockout. They arizona gun crews, firing to the last. Their guns pointing skyward for when the enemy appears. Caused sneak blow hundreds of military and civilian lives. The loss of three destroyers and a mine layer. While bombs were still bursting and flames still pouring from our shattered naval craft, United States crews are moving out to join the fleet and ovens pearl harbor. Announcer 1 this december 7 march the 25th 75th anniversary of the attack on pearl harbor. Up next on reel america, know your enemy, japan. A film directed by frank capra. The nation is determined to rule the world through military conquest. The production began in 1942, but there were several delays and revisions, and it was not released until august 1945, too late to encourage soldiers and the American Public to make sacrifices for the world the war effort. This contains many graphic scenes of war and racially insensitive language some viewers may find disturbing