Pearl Harbor as an ambush before the Essex buildup

In this interpretation, Pearl Harbor was a long-range ambush intended to provoke an American advance. Japan left a substantial part of its fleet out of the operation, which weighs against treating the attack itself as the intended decisive battle. The proposed aim was to inflict a shocking blow that would make the Americans angry enough to advance into further attrition attacks. That blow also had to leave them capable of making the response Japan wanted. Time mattered because the forthcoming Essex buildup would make it increasingly difficult to wear American carrier strength down enough for Japan to win. The explanation therefore depends on manipulating the opponent's behavior as well as damaging its fleet.