Pearl Harbor From the Japanese Point of View

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgDpBx6JoMQ

I think it is important for Americans to watch the Japanese video above because it demonstrates the importance of a unified strategic doctrine and a united battle/tactical doctrine. It is important for all the players to be on the  same sheet of music in battle and war.

The video also demonstrates the importance of knowing your enemy and his capabilities. For example, the Americans were clearly after the Japanese aircraft carriers in the battle of Midway but more importantly the U.S. and Great Britain led the world in crypto analysis and wireless (radio) intercept and "high technology" e.g. radar, aircraft design and VT fuses. I have seen no historical evidence that the Japanese knew we, Americans had "cracked" their "purple" naval code or their diplomatic code. Crypto analysis was absolutely the key to defeating the Japanese at Midway and in World War II. Keep in mind, we Americans possessed these codes prior to Pearl Harbor so FDR had to know the Pearl Harbor attack was coming. He, in my opinion, would have had to be a complete fool not to know and FDR was no man's fool.

Admiral Yamamoto, who planned the first, large scale attack by aircraft carrier bombers and torpedo planes in the world at the attack on Pearl Harbor believed that aircraft carriers were absolutely essential in modern warfare and in defeating the U.S. in war. Yamamoto's doctrine was a clear departure from Japanese combined fleet naval doctrine of that and the previous era. When a strategy is successful like the combined fleet doctrine it proves very difficult for military thinkers to give up.

Time and time again Yamamoto threatened to resign in order to get his air/naval doctrine accepted in battle plans and war strategy. Yamamoto was the preeminent military thinker of his time and the higher command had to give in to him. His death, in my opinion, shortened the war in the Pacific and was a blow from which Japan never recovered. Japan was truly decapitated with his death.

Yamamoto did not want to engage the U.S. in a prolonged war because he knew the awesome power of the United States industrially.  He is quoted after Pearl Harbor as saying "we have awakened a sleeping giant."

Keep in mind, Japan is the size of the state of Montana and Yamamoto was fully cognizant of Japan's small size in relation to the U.S.

Consequently, Yamamoto focused on the destruction of U.S. aircraft carriers that he missed striking at Pearl Harbor and the pursuit of a short war. 

Yamamoto also believed the capture of the Hawaii was crucial in forcing the U.S. to sue for peace. In other words, if Japan captured Hawaii the U.S. would have to fight Japan from over 2,000 miles away, a logistical nightmare. Conversely, it was the logistical nightmare that dogged the Japanese in the south Pacific, especially at Guadalcanal.

Japan's supreme naval command in Tokyo did not understand Yamamoto's naval air doctrine or if they did they ignored it. They were focused on the seizure of territory, e.g. Midway, Guam and the Aleutian Islands. Additionally, Yamamoto's naval commanders did not fully understand Yamamoto's doctrine either until it was too late for Japan to win the war. 

The bottom line: the Japanese, except for Yamamoto, did not learn in WW2 is that there is no navy without air power! 

The Japanese naval headquarters staff clung to the old combined fleet doctrine, they were fighting the last war, not the next war. There is a lesson there for the American military.