Did Admiral Pye's belief that an attack could not succeed reduce Pearl Harbor readiness?
Short answerYes: a commander's disbelief sets a permissive tone, even though Pye was not solely responsible for the fleet's condition.
NotesA commander's assumptions shape the staff and the wider fleet. Treating an attack as impossible encourages lax preparation, whereas treating it as unlikely but worth preparing for creates a different readiness culture. The assessment stops short of assigning Pye sole responsibility, but calls the attitude short-sighted in light of conditions such as open inspection hatches aboard Oklahoma.