Air-attack lessons beyond the successful hit

How should historians judge the effectiveness of air attacks against ships when many attacks failed?

Count the repeated unsuccessful attacks as well as the famous hits, and distinguish sustained Mediterranean pressure from short Pacific battles.

Successful attacks are memorable because they have dramatic results, while many unsuccessful sorties fade from the usual narrative. A battleship hit after dozens of attempts can dominate the story even though the defensive system defeated most of the attacking force's opportunities. Short, intense Pacific battles also differed from the Mediterranean's repeated attacks over days or weeks. Those campaigns tested endurance, ammunition, repairs, and the ability to maintain a defensive screen under continual pressure. A sound assessment weighs sortie numbers, attack rates, and defensive success instead of treating every famous hit as typical.