Hi Chris:

Thanks for your comments. It was difficult for me to distill my findings about what that the Japanese did well into five reasons.

The bottom line was after a careful and long consideration, Japan felt they had no choice but to strike out at the US fleet in a deliberate and decisive manner or risk being defeated themselves by an overwhelming industrial United States.

Yamamoto was a known gambler who was highly intelligent, had studied in the US and was a leading proponent of the power of naval aviation.

On the receiving end, the US Navy was taught a lesson on prepararedness and the importance of aircraft carriers in waging a successful war in the Pacific. It was a lesson they learned well, but somehow the Japanese forgot.

I plan to write more on this topic and have an article about how the Japanese almost lost the element of surprise on December 7th. Stand by.

Best regards,

Walter