The vulnerable logistics behind Japan's carrier strike

Tankers and requisitioned merchant ships sustained the Japanese carrier force. The supply train included numerous Maru auxiliaries and was not protected by a large battleship or cruiser escort. American bombers did not need to sink a carrier to change events. High-level bombing might score few hits, but an attack during the launch cycle could disrupt operations, and the carriers' wooden flight decks remained vulnerable to bomb damage. A counterstrike could also force the formation to react or inflict enough damage to slow it. A slowed formation or separated auxiliary could expose the whole force to pursuit by the slower American battle line. The Kido Butai's striking power therefore depended on a comparatively fragile logistical tail.