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The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor

A first-hand account of the surprise strike on a US naval base, which brought America into World War Two in December 1941.

On 7 December 1941, Japan launched a surprise strike on the American naval base, Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii. Thousands of American servicemen were killed or injured in the attack, which severely damaged the US Pacific Fleet. The next day, President Franklin Roosevelt declared war on Japan and America entered World War II. Adolph Kuhn was a US Navy mechanic stationed at Pearl Harbor when the bombs began to fall.

Photo: The USS Arizona sinking at Pearl Harbor. (Credit: Getty Images)

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9 minutes

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Tue 4 Aug 202002:50GMT
BBC World Service

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