Everything Michael Bay’s Pearl Harbor Got Wrong

No one goes to watch a Michael Bay movie expecting historical accuracy. But the chasm between Pearl Harbor the movie and real Pearl Harbor facts, as shown in photos from December 7, 1941, is clear. The film contains an armada-sized number of errors about the military, including the wrong planes, nuclear-powered subs before the advent of nuclear power, and magical 21st-century radio technology.

....And then there are all the plot holes...

To read more about how the film got Pearl Harbor wrong, go here:

#pearlharbor #film #weirdhistory

[stischer]

The movie "Midway" portrayed Pearl Harbor better than the movie "Pearl Harbor".

[travisanderson]

My dad, rest his soul, HATED this movie. This was a man that watched WW2 shows ALL THE TIME, AND was in 3 branches of the military, and worked for NASA. My grandfather, again, rest his soul, I still have a picture of him storming Normandy. While an entertaining Hollywood flick, it's so wrong, it's crazy. Take it for what it is.

[foxmccloud]

Accuracy is not something that Michael Bay is interested in as he loves those "BIG MASSIVE EXPLOSIONS!!!"

[TheTVTerminal]

Franklin D. Roosevelt contracted polio in 1921 at the age of 39

[KyleShiflet]

If you want a great Pearl Harbor film, watch TORA TORA TORA

[nbt]

The 2001 contemporary reaction to this was interesting.
Movie Critics: they got the emotion and and drama completely wrong! (film's drama is bad soap opera level, low 20% on RT)
Military Critics: they got everything with military wrong! (see above video)
Theater Owners: they got the marketing right! (one of the biggest opening weekends in history, totaled near half a billion gross in 2001 dollars)
Teen Girls: they got Josh Hartnett's face right! (became overnight superstar)

[ArcherSuh]

Glenn Miller played the trombone, not the trumpet...
But of course, that's one small error in an episode of a YouTube channel, NOT a huge Hollywood production with a nine-figure dollar budget.

[greg]

On April 1st, which is my birthday, the last survivor of the USS Arizona named Lou Conter died at 102.

[Strathaczar]

When it comes to Ben Afflek's character getting shot down before America was in the war, that's not an inaccuracy. Several American pilots took part in the Battle of Brittan. Some lost their lives. We may not have had declared war at that point, but we were definitely supplying allies, and some were "unofficially" fighting.

"By July 1940 France had fallen. England was under aerial attack. The RAF decided to group acceptable American pilots into one unit, 71 Squadron, known as “The Eagle Squadron, ” which became operational in February 1941. Sweeny had designed a unit shoulder patch bearing an American Eagle, the source of the unit’s name. Enough American volunteers followed to form 121 and 133 Eagle Squadrons, operational by fall 1941. By the beginning of 1942 all three American-piloted Eagle Squadrons were flying sweeps over France, escorting bombers or performing strikes.

Among the first and the most experienced pilots in these squadrons were Vernon “Shorty” Keogh, Andrew Mamedoff, and Eugene “Red” Tobin. Each of them went to Europe in 1940 to fly with eight other Americans in British squadrons throughout the Battle of Britain that same year. All three Americans died before the United States officially entered World War II. Mamedoff was forced down in bad weather. Keogh died defending a coastal convoy. And Tobin lost his life in a dogfight between 71 Squadron and German fighters near Boulogne, France."

[blakewilliams]

While I enjoyed the 3 hour film, I wondered early on how many kids were playing baseball at 0800 on a Sunday…..

[kenmartin]

There were, in actuality 9 battleships at Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. One was technically a retired Battleship.

Three Battleships never returned to active duty after the attack at Pearl Harbor, The USS ARIZONA, the USS OKLAHOMA, and the previously mentioned retired battleship, USS UTAH.

The UTAH and the ARIZONA, are still there in Pearl Harbor.

The USS OKLAHOMA, was raised from the bottom of Pearl Harbor, but was deemed obsolete to be returned to active service.

After WWII ended, the OKLAHOMA was taken under tow, to be scrapped. While in transit to the west coast, the OKLAHOMA, decided that she would rather be a reef than razor blades, and proceeded to sink.

[TheAdmirableAdmiral]

This movie should be titled "From Battle of Britain to Doolittle Raids: The Love triangle of two airman and one lady and their wacky misadventures"

[maverick]

2:33 That is not Emperor Hirohito, that is prime minister Hideki Tojo.

[desperateambrose]

"Blood Chits" were not always sewn on the outside of pilots' jackets. It was not unusual for them to be on the lining.
Glenn Miller played the trombone, not the trumpet.

[StephenLuke]

I’m always on the lookout for historical inaccuracies in history movies like this one! I want to thank you for making this video!

[davidlancaster]

Glenn Miller went to Colorado University at Boulder where there is the fabulous Glenn Miller Ballroom in his honor. Glenn disappeared over the English Channel during a mission.

[The_Dudester]

10:30 "Why the studio couldn't afford to hire a consultant?"
When I was in the military, I served under this one major. Outstanding officer, a real stand up guy. I was proud to serve under him. Seven years after I left the military, I made his acquaintance again, and by this time, he was a movie consultant. He had turned into a smug, insincere, name dropping, real loser of a human being. Two of the movies (I won't name here) that he consulted on made major mistakes and he probably didn't care because he was schmoozing with the movie director and lead actor.

[EpicJoshua]

Something to mention is that Danny and Rafe steal the heroic actions from Kenneth Taylor and George Welch who got in their P-40Bs (P-40Es were used in the movie despite obvious differences from the P-40B) and took down several Japanese dive-bombers, not fighters and were honored for their actions. Kenneth Taylor who was still alive when the movie came out heavily criticized his and Welch's omission from the movie; he called the movie "a piece of trash... over sensationalized and distorted".

[NASCARFAN]

How many explosions do you want?

Michael Bay: Yes!

[Isaacthegamer]

Thanks, bro for helping me with my history homework