Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 4:52:43-4:53:39

How foreknowledge could turn Pearl Harbor into an ambush

With detailed warning, the United States could empty the harbor, intercept the first wave, and strike the Japanese carriers while their aircraft were committed.

Aircraft CarriersBattleshipsPacific WarPearl Harbor
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Question

What if the United States knew most details of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and tried to set a trap?

Short answer

It could evacuate the harbor, meet the strike with fighters, attack the Japanese carriers after launch, and then use its battleships against the exposed fleet.

Notes

The answer would put land-based fighters in the air, move the battleships north of Oahu, and prepare the American carriers to hit Japan's carriers after the first launch. The Japanese strike would find the harbor largely empty while its parent carriers faced attack at their most vulnerable moment. Surviving American battleships could then close on a carrier-depleted fleet for a surface action.