At 6:00 a.m. Hawaiian time, the Japanese carriers stationed about 200 miles north of O`ahu began launching the first wave of the attack. This wave consisted of 183 airplanes including dive-bombers, torpedo bombers and fighters. Using a Honolulu radio station to home in on their targets, the Japanese planes headed for the island. Of the six Army mobile-search radar units on O`ahu, only one was operating on the morning of December 7, 1941. While detecting the incoming planes, no serious consideration was given by their superior that this was an attack force speeding towards them.
At about 7:40 a.m., upon sighting the coast of O`ahu, the first wave of Japanese planes took up their attack formations and proceeded towards their targets. It was at about 7:53 a.m. that Commander Mitsuo Fuchida advised the carrier force that the U.S. Pacific Fleet had been taken by total surprise. His message consisted of one word, repeated three times, "Tora! Tora! Tora!" ("Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!"). By this time the second attack wave was already half way to their targets.
Attacked that morning were Ford Island, the airfields at Wheeler, Hickam, Ewa and Kaneohe, and later Bellows Field. Within minutes the majority of American fighters, bombers, and patrol planes were destroyed or damaged. Any chance of resistance was eliminated.
