Board Thread:Timeline Discussions/@comment-5709784-20130513183539/@comment-4759260-20130710074128

Perhaps he meant by "succeeded" in that all the objectives were fulfilled. Remember, the attack was meant to destroy not only the fleet but the infrastructure, such as the dry-dock facilities and oil farms. If there was ever a chance to do so, this was the ONLY chance they would get. The Americans were caught totally by surprise, and the Japanese carrier fleet outnumbered the Americans at this point in time and place. If the oil farms were destroyed, then the situation would have changed considerably. Without oil reserves, any ship coming to and from Hawaii would have to rely on their own reserves or tankers to resupply, so the Americans would not likely send ships to reinforce Hawaii, because they would simply drain the islands of whatever fuel they had left. Instead, the Americans would focus on rebuilding and resupplying the Hawaiian infrastructure before using it as a base for their counterattack. If the Japanese blockaded the islands by submarines and hindered their resupply efforts, it would have taken perhaps two years, give or take a month or two, before the Americans were ready, but in the end, it would have made little difference. The Americans had too much money, too many men, and their industry and infrastructure were largely immune to attack.