[dfwgator]

Exactly. The whole purpose of Pearl Harbor was to disable the American carriers. Ultimately Pearl Harbor was a failure for the Japs because they didn’t get them.

[central_va]

Three stand out. First they failed to find the Carrier Force not at anchor. Second, they failed to attack the enormous fuel storage facilities that would have been an easy target and finally, they failed to attack and destroy the infrastructure such as drydocks and repair facilities existing at Pearl Harbor for fleet support.

A fourth opportunity not exploited by the Japanese was the failure of the Japanese military to invade the Hawaiian Islands and occupy them. A critical shortage of weapons and ammunition would have made it very difficult for the U.S. to hold the islands and bases had the Japanese chosen to do so. Thus forcing the American navy to withdraw and prosecute the war from as far away as San Diego. A nightmare scenario for Roosevelt possibly forcing the U.S. to sue for peace in the Pacific.Had it been Sun Szu commanding the Japanese military, he would have invaded and occupied the Hawaiian Islands. "The war is won or lost even before the first battle is engaged." Strategy and tactics are everything.

[Paleo Conservative]

Exactly. The whole purpose of Pearl Harbor was to disable the American carriers. Ultimately Pearl Harbor was a failure for the Japs because they didn’t get them.

Assuming everything else stayed the same. Had Admiral Nagumo not canceled the third wave of attacks on Pearl Harbor, there wouldn't have been dry docks and other support facilities left in Pearl Harbor that would have allowed the Yorktown to be repaired in 48 hours after limping in after receiving serious battle damage in the battle of the Coral Sea. The US would have only had 2 aircraft carriers at the start of the battle of Midway.