[conservatism_IS_compassion]

I’ve always wondered what the orders were to the Japanese pilots flying Combat Air Patrol?

Were they all supposed to go after the first targets?

Clearer orders to them (“Half go after the Torpedo planes the other half go after dive bombers.”) might have made a big difference.

Indubitably “clearer” orders might have made a big difference - but what you are suggesting is more like prescient orders - orders based on a knowledge of the composition of the American naval air attack and the effectiveness of their own defenses. You can only attack what you know its there, with the forces you have.

In retrospect half the zeroes would have been adequate to get the torpedo bombers, and in retrospect a lot of dive bombers showed up when all the Zeroes had been sucked down to attack the torpedo bombers.

[blueunicorn6]

I think the need for clear guidance is significantly displayed in the Japanese actions at Midway.

Yamamoto knew that Japan couldn’t compete industrially with the US.

The priority should have been clear.....protect the carriers.

Much is made about the shift from ground attack weapons to naval attack weapons.

The focus should have been on defending the carriers.

That did not require the ability to see into the future.