[warsaw44]

The ships were targeted of course but they were part of the asset list to be hit. Ships, oil depots, sub pens, repair yard.

They had no idea where the carriers were and were very concerned those aircraft would show up and attack their fleet.

I think they bugged out early due to fears the carriers were not far away and the fleet would be in trouble.

In the very early stages of the attack planning someone threw out the idea of actually landing on Pearl Harbor. An invasion force. But it was not seriously considered and this was dismissed.

I have long wondered about the logistics of trying to land an occupying / invasion force into Hawaii. Could the Japanese have pulled it off? I don’t know.

[skeeter]

Had the Japanese hit the oil storage areas, which were above ground at that time and a fat target (not to mention the machine shops and repair facilities of the navy yard), the US Pacific fleet would've been compelled to pull back to the west coast. Making Midway, to name one key battle, impossible until sometime in '43.

The Japanese made the same mistake with their submarine fleet as the war progressed - instead of attacking US supply lines and auxiliary ships, which would've hurt our war effort much more, they sent them after the glamorous targets, capital ships.