The historical first wave included about 49 Nakajima B5N Kates carrying armour-piercing bombs, 40 Kates with Type 91 aerial torpedoes, 51 Aichi D3A Vals with general-purpose bombs, and 41 Mitsubishi A6M Zeros. Against a fleet at sea, none of that striking power needs to be divided among Ford Island, airfields, and ships in the harbor. Deep water lets the torpedoes operate without the same shallow-drop constraint, while six carriers could begin organizing a follow-up wave quickly. The American ships still carried their 7 December antiaircraft fits, before the extensive 20 mm and 40 mm additions made later in the war. Concentrating the entire package on mobile battleships and carriers could therefore make the opening blow more destructive even though the targets can maneuver.
Notable Point · 1:02:23-1:05:13
Japan can concentrate the Pearl Harbor strike package at sea
Against a located fleet, Kates, Vals, and Zeros assigned historically across ships, airfields, and Ford Island could be focused on battleships and carriers.