12 things you (probably) didn’t know about Pearl Harbor

Considering what the carrier was (the ultimate weapon) and considering why Japan was going to war in the first place (resources - ie; OIL), the failure to carry out a third wave was a crucial failure. And critical mistake. Had the Japanese bombed the drydocks, oil farms and the carrier berthing, the war would have gone on for two more years. And of course, not finding/hitting the carriers would prove murderous in six months.

Also, the British had knocked Italy out of the war by sinking most of her heavy units at Taranto. And the British used obscelete Swordfish torpedo bombers to carry out the raid. So the possibility of any force (let alone a modern, Japanese force) carrying out a raid on Pearl (or any naval base) was very real and was known. Due to American intelligence sources in China, Japan's airplane prowess was well known. In other words, the raid was well within their capabilities.

Well done article.

Fantastic read - thanks!