How would Washington react if Kido Butai reached Pearl Harbor undetected and docked beside Battleship Row for a friendly visit?
Short answerWashington would panic at the surprise arrival, though the scenario is deliberately implausible and naval visits normally required advance notice.
NotesAn undetected carrier force arriving for a friendly visit beside Battleship Row would alarm Washington. The imagined gesture would display the ability to reach Pearl Harbor without launching an attack. Naval visits normally required notice well in advance. This is a deliberately implausible diplomatic counterfactual, with no suggestion that Japan planned such a visit.