The Japanese target wasn't really the American navy at all, but rather the aircraft carriers. That would have neutralized the ability of the air force to make attacks in the Pacific, and so could have had a significant imapact. Of course it means Pearl Harbor was a complete failure, since the aircraft carriers were not in port at the time. The above should probably be changed to mention all this, though I'm not quite sure how.
- This relates to the 'half the fleet in Atlantic' problem. There were six carriers in the fleet, three were stationed in the Atlantic. If the three Pacific carriers had been sunk, the US Navy still could have operated in the Pacific with the other three carriers. Not as effectively as it did with all 6 carriers, but effectively enough to make their presence felt.
![[Home]](wikipedia.png)