Tora! Tora! Tora! : Pearl Harbor In Chaos
YouTube / patterson patron
Bedlam Ensues
Nothing comes close to “Tora! Tora! Tora!” when it comes to depicting the tension and chaos of the Pearl Harbor attack in movies.
To make the film work, its producers decided to use Boeing B-17s, PBY Catalinas, and P-40 Warhawks, to name a few. Over 30 WWII-era planes were used in the film, with most of them flying in large formations for staged aerial battles.
Seeing these birds fly in the midst of chaos should be their own genre. Just take a look at this amazing shot at 1:42.
Fun(?) Fact:
According to the US Naval Institute, the spectacular scene at 1:07 that included a P-40 crashing into other warbirds was actually an accident caused by an out-of-control radio-controlled stunt plane. The crews were not acting – they were actually running for their lives!
