When Commander Fuchida and his pilots reached Oahu, it was too late for the surprised Americans to mount any credible counteroffensives. Many warplanes in the first wave converged on Pearl Harbor, concentrating most of their attention on Battleship Row, where the bulk of the U.S. Pacific fleet lay anchored. The planes often flew low, so low that numerous people on the ground later said they could clearly make out the pilots' expressions. Some planes dropped bombs from above onto the helpless vessels; others engaged in torpedo runs, releasing their lethal weapons into the water to strike ships' hulls below the waterline; and still others strafed ships, buildings, vehicles, and people with their machine guns.

Eyewitness accounts of the attack have come from military personnel and civilians located all over the area. Some were on the decks of ships when the attackers appeared...