Pacific alpha-strike logic

A large opening strike could sink an enemy carrier and deprive its returning aircraft of a place to land. Land airfields could not be eliminated in the same way, which helped make islands important in the Pacific. Japan and the United States therefore placed particular weight on overwhelming an opposing carrier task group's defenses with one large attack. Britain expected sustained operations in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and seas approaching East Asia, where continuous fighter cover, reconnaissance, and repeated strikes made daily sorties per aircraft important. These were differences in emphasis: Japanese and American carriers still needed combat air patrols, while British strike-carrier doctrine included major attacks against fleets in harbor.