“We have all trained to fight,” Genda answered, “and fighting involves dying. Fuchida has a plan, and I am confident that an attack focused solely on the oil storage and dry dock facilities can be an overwhelming success with minimal losses.”

“Then you would not need a large force?”

Genda and Fuchida exulted. Their admiral was coming around to their way of thinking. Nagumo had extended a straw, and they would grasp it.

Fuchida spoke for the first time. “That is correct, Admiral, a large force would not be necessary. We can change our plans and attack with a greatly reduced number. I would wish a screen of forty or so Zero fighters and a main force of sixty Kate bombers. Torpedo planes would be useless against land targets, and the remainder of the aircraft would be kept with the fleet for defensive purposes.

“My plan is simple. The storage tanks and docks are located just to the east of the narrow entrance to the harbor itself. We will approach from the south in a thin line of planes. As if they were a spear point, Zeros will precede the bombers and attack any antiaircraft positions protecting the target areas. They will attack low and fast, and then take on any American planes that rise to challenge us. The shaft of the spear, the Kates, will come in higher and then either dive-bomb or level-bomb first the dry dock facilities behind the oil storage tanks and then the oil tanks themselves. That priority ensures that smoke from burning oil does not interfere with the attack on the dry docks. A smaller group will veer off and attack the storage tanks behind the submarine pens. The smoke from the burning warships was a hindrance during the latter part of the second attack.”