Untold Stories of WWII

Did you know that the first exchange of hostilities between Japan and the U.S. at Pearl Harbor came not from the air but the sea? On December 7, 1941, one of five Japanese two-man midget submarines was sunk by American forces approximately one hour before the airborne attack (inexplicably, news of the encounter was not relayed to the commanding officer until just minutes before the Japanese opened fire on the U.S. naval fleet). One of three "untold" stories in this video anthology from National Geographic, the midget sub story mixes archival footage, contemporary interviews and a modern day diving expedition to uncover one of the midget subs (a narrative thread that is introduced and then simply disappears). In addition, the program interviews surviving Norwegian resistance fighters who sabotaged Hitler's occupied "heavy water" plant (a reputedly key component in Germany's race to create an atomic weapon), and offers reminisces of American naval men who survived the onslaught of Japan's "kamikaze" suicide missions as well as reflections from a Japanese pilot. While none of these stories are truly "untold," they are--with the notable exception of the kamikaze segment--interesting sidelights to the main events of WWII. Unfortunately, the presentation is utterly unexceptional--especially for National Geographic. Still, this is sure to be popular, thanks to Saving Private Ryan and the upcoming Terence Malick film The Thin Red Line. Optional. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Pitman)