The expected Japanese opening against the Philippines became an assumption rather than one possibility among several. American plans nevertheless depended on the Pacific Fleet moving aggressively against a Japanese southern advance. In Clausewitz's terms, concentrating the fleet at Pearl Harbor made the base the center of gravity for American Pacific strategy. Its defenses should therefore have received a priority proportionate to the forces, fuel, aircraft, and operational options gathered there.
Notable Point · 16:03-17:07
Defending the Pacific Fleet's center of gravity
Pearl Harbor concentrated the fleet that underpinned American Pacific strategy, yet its defenses did not reflect that strategic importance.