raziel1012
raziel1012 t1_iy25uti wrote
Reply to comment by Every-Citron1998 in On April 2, 1941, a Japanese foreign minister asked Pope Pius XII to speak to U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, so as to avert "a war of mutual destruction” by marketrent
On the other hand, US had already told Japan to leave Manchuria.
raziel1012 t1_iy25nr2 wrote
Reply to comment by TheMormonJosipTito in On April 2, 1941, a Japanese foreign minister asked Pope Pius XII to speak to U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, so as to avert "a war of mutual destruction” by marketrent
Their initial strategy was exactly to buy those months and then heavily fortify the islands and have a strong defensive area set up by the time US had built up its navy again. (Aka what you said: make it less worth it for US) They surely would be outgunned in the longer term, but they were hoping to make the mid term gain strong and force US to the negotiating table. Would it have worked? Who knows.
raziel1012 t1_iy26cvp wrote
Reply to comment by TotallyInOverMyHead in On April 2, 1941, a Japanese foreign minister asked Pope Pius XII to speak to U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, so as to avert "a war of mutual destruction” by marketrent
Nagumo's decision to only stick to two waves wasn't unfounded. His losses, comparing the second wave to first wave, mounted significantly as US' air defenses were coming on line.