Pearl Harbor was becoming more important as the United States reduced its commitment to the Philippines, yet American preparation still concentrated on a Philippine threat. That focus encouraged reliance on Hawaii's distance as if it were a defensive barrier. Distance was instead a demanding but solvable problem of fuel, at-sea replenishment, and willingness to spend resources. If Japan accepted those costs, the long approach did not make Pearl Harbor unreachable, so American planning had confused the expected direction of attack with the limits of Japanese capability.
Notable Point · 9:42-11:16
Distance was a fuel and replenishment problem
American attention to the Philippines encouraged planners to mistake Japan's expected attack axis for a physical limit on its reach.