User blog comment:Saturn120/Alternate Axis Changes/@comment-7700555-20140413122252

In response to the points about the Pacific War.

Japan was about to start the war anyway, which would have gotten the United States involved anyway. They figured they might as well try to neutralize as much of the American fleet as possible. They also believed that such a shocking attack would cause the United States to surrender but the Americans were a bit more resiliant. On that same day (December 7/8 depending on the date line) Japan attacked the Philippines (also American), Thailand, Hong Kong, Guam, Wake, Malaya, and would go on to attack much more from there, so either way the Americans would be involved if the Japanese had the same plan, only without Pearl Harbor they would probably be slightly stronger at first.

Also what really did the Japanese in was the lack of supplies. The Japanese despirately needed oil to power their ships. They were so desperate in fact that the Japanese sent ships on a one way trip to Midway since they didn't have enough spare oil to have them all make it back.

One of the reasons the Americans were successful at Midway was partially due to luck. For example squadron commander C. Wade McClusky, Jr aboard the Enterprise was  low on fuel but decided to continue the search for the Japanese fleet anyway. It was quite lucky that his squadron spotted some Japanese ships. After the battle Admiral Chester Nimitz would say in regards to his actions that it, "decided the fate of our carrier task force and our forces at Midway ..." After this the Americans launched several squadrons to that position, setting the aircraft carriers Sōryū and Kaga ablaze and heavily damaging Akagi. All three carriers would be scuttled.