Why capable Japanese torpedo bombers still needed mass

Given Japan's record with torpedo bombers against Prince of Wales, Repulse, and American warships, why did Operation Tan No. 2 still need more aircraft?

Japanese torpedo bombers were capable, but their hit rates and Pearl Harbor's shallow-water complications still meant that twenty-seven aircraft were far too few for a decisive result.

The viewer points to Japanese torpedo bombers' record against Prince of Wales, Repulse, and several American warships. Those aircraft were capable, though the deep-water attack on Force Z differed from shallow Pearl Harbor, where many torpedoes became stuck in the mud. Because the proportion of hits to torpedoes dropped was still limited, a force of twenty-seven aircraft could not be expected to inflict decisive damage on the American carrier fleet. The comparison with Taranto shows why attack mass and hit rate must be considered together instead of using an aircraft type's reputation as a substitute for numbers.