December 7, 1941 1515 EST
NBC Red
H.V. Kaltenborn (2:04)
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00:00: Program Introduction

00:12: Japan has made war upon the U.S. without declaring it. Pearl Harbor and Manila were attacked. Damage, fires on Hawaii. About 50 planes in the attack, many were shot down. Nomura and Kurusu were at the State Department. Japanese did the same thing during the Russo-Japanese War. America was not unprepared for the attack. No details from Manila.

01:37: Summary of the timeline thus far based on all of the bulletins.
04:47: Kaltenborn reads and comments on a State Department bulletin just received: "'So far as is known, the attacks on Hawaii and Manila were made wholly without warning, when both nations were at peace.' And they were delivered within an hour or so of the time that the Japanese Ambassador Nomura , and Japan's special envoy, Mr. Kurusu, had gone to the State Department and handed to the Secretary of State Japan's reply to the Secretary's memorandum of November 26. You may remember that yesterday we received the reply from Japan to the President's comment and request for information with regard to troop movements in Indochina. This afternoon, Mr. Kurusu and Mr. Nomura bring to the Secretary of State a reply to Mr. Hull's general memorandum, in which he calls for a return to the basic principles of international law. The State Department goes on in it's special statement just issued, quote: 'As soon as the information of the attack was received by the War and Navy Departments it was rushed immediately to the President at the White House. The President directed the army and navy to execute the previously prepared orders, looking to the defense of The United States.' And you may rest assured that our army, and particularly our navy and our air force were not caught by surprise by this attack. They knew what they might have to expect, and they were ready for anything that might happen. They have been ready for a long time, and their readiness has been developed increasingly in recent weeks and days.


06:51: Going back to the message received from Fort Shafter, Kaltenborn speculates that it was a small aircraft carrier that attacked, that it will not linger long [the Japanese actually used 6 carriers]. We should get news of naval engagement before long.

08:05 (3:23 p.m. EST): Bulletin received from Honolulu: "It says that the air attacks on Hawaii were staged by unidentified planes flying at an altitude of about 20,000 feet. Bombs fell near the building housing The Honolulu Advertiser. So far, there are no reports of damage. The defenses on the island immediately went into action. Antiaircraft guns sent showers of shells into the air."

08:48 (3:23 p.m. EST) From White House: President called in Secretaries of War and Navy, and is trying to contact congressional leaders. The attack is still in progress.

09:21 (3:24 p.m. EST) Breaking news from Washington: An army transport carrying lumber has been torpedoed 1300 miles west of San Francisco. This is evidence that the attack was planned long ago.

10:03: London was naturally electrified by the news. Most of us were distracted by Japanese troop movements toward Singapore. This was obviously an intentional distraction.

11:21: There are unverified reports that a foreign warship has appeared and is firing on Pearl Harbor. It's possible this is mistaken, as there are bombs and antiaircraft fire over Pearl Harbor.

12:54: Secretary of State Hull said that the Japanese reply received today was crowded with infamous falsehoods and distortions.

13:31: Kaltenborn concludes his broadcast with these words: "The United States, through no fault of its own, without anything for which it is responsible, at the very moment when it was finally making a last effort to maintain peace--The United States has been attacked, and The United States will know how to answer that attack. Good afternoon."

13:54: Announcer concludes program.