The prewar American plan advanced through the Philippines

What was the United States Navy's big-picture plan for war with Japan on 6 December 1941?

Deploy forward, secure the Philippines, join British forces, and use that position for an advance north toward Japan.

The large-scale plan mattered more here than the immediate tactical dispositions of 7 December. The United States expected to deploy forward, reinforce or secure the Philippines, and cooperate with British forces there. The combined position would then support an advance north toward Japan. This was close enough to Japanese expectations that Kantai Kessen planners hoped to attrit the arriving fleet along its route.