Thread: Did Jap Naval strike force realize Pearl Harbor US carriers gone on 12-7-41

as i understand it, and forgive me if I'm wrong, but the pacific theatre is not my area, but I thought the japanese were after the whole american fleet, with the carriers as a primary target. whilst it was a blow the carriers were not in port, and therefore were going to be a continued threat, the fact they could still strike at the fleet in harbour was a bonus.

You must remember that finding the Aircraft carriers not in port, they did not send in their second wave of bombers which would have brought more devastation to the naval base and could have put the US in a really bad position.

surely that was a major miscalculation? If they had sent in the second wave and caused greater devestation then surely they would then have put themselves on a stronger footing against America for the coming war?

I have allways been from the school of thought that they did not send in the second wave as they had no idea where the US Air Craft carriers were and did not want to be defenceless on the (slight) possibility that the US carriers found them and attacked. They also had inflicted heavy damage on the US Pacific fleet, and like pilots all over the world in WW2 some may have claimed more damage than they actually did, as to a pilot flying up high such a scene could be seen as sustaining more damage than actually happened.
I am sure the IJN was mighty peeved when the carriers were not in base,