[Milsurplus] Japan's Pearl Harbor Blunders?

[Ray Fantini]

Within the context of war plan orange and the Japanese response to that plan along with the IJN love of the idea of the great decisive battle the attack on Pearl Harbor was both a tactical and strategic success. The key to orange was for the US pacific fleet to marshal, sail across the pacific, fight a decisive battle agents the IJN fleet with battleships and blockade the Japanese mainland. I know I left a lot out like relieving the Philippines but that's the short version. 
Prewar Japanese plans in response to orange committed IJN submarines and aircraft carriers to strike at the US fleet while it was in rout across the pacific but still counted on a decisive battle being fought by battleships for control of the home waters.
 The attack on Pearl Harbor exceeded the Japanese requirements by removing US pacific fleet battleships as a factor.  The problem was that this was going to be a new war not fought with battleships but with aircraft carriers and the Kantai Kessen theory of decisive battles proved to be false with the war turning into a long hard fought event.
 The attack on Pearl Harbor may be one of the most successful and well executed battles ever fought, true that long term strategic outcome was a disaster for japan, but that day in fulfilling prewar requirements the IJN hit the ball  out of the park.

Ray F