Pearl Harbor may have overachieved its purpose

The first two waves disabled so much of the battle fleet that cooler strategic choices became possible. The scale of loss frightened political leaders and prevented Kimmel from attempting the aggressive response that Japanese planners wanted. Nimitz had earlier regarded the underfunded Pacific Fleet command as a poisoned chalice, which helps explain why repeated warnings about Pearl Harbor's exposure mattered. In this interpretation, Nagumo refused further waves because the raid had already exceeded the damage needed to provoke pursuit. A truly annihilating plan would instead have required more waves, landings, and a different concept centred on drawing the decisive battle toward Hawaii.