I think everybody would agree that Japan would never win a war of attrition against the USA, especially when their army was heavily committed to a quagmire in China and fighting British Commonwealth forces whilst having to station many of their best troops in Manchuria as a safeguard against the USSR. Japan was grossly over extended. So yes, if they'd hit the carriers, oil farms and drydocks in Pearl American strengh would still have recovered but the war would have been extended, and Japan could have established a much stronger defensive position. Even if the war was only extended by a year, that is a hell of a lot of dead bodies...... The attack on Pearl was essentially a defensive manouvre to screen Japan's real offensive moves in SE Asia, the speed of the American recovery and the defence of Midway seriously unhinged Japan's entire strategy for war. Take care,
Justin
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