W.I. On December 7th !941 the U.S. Pacific Fleet is in San Diego.

As Carl points out, logistics are the big problem for the USN in trying to send an intact fleet across the Pacific in early 1942. Many people don't know that in the wake of the Pearl Harbor attack the USN scrambled to rebuild its battle line in the Pacific and very quickly succeeded. By transferring battleships from the Atlantic and repairing the BBs with light damage from Pearl Harbor they had a force of eight fully operational battleships on the west coast by February 1942. Dubbed "Task Force One", it pretty much just sat there. By the time of the Midway battle, several of the BBs had been sent for refits, but the rest were still there and yet there was no attempt to use them at Midway. They were too slow and burned too much fuel.
 
As Carl points out, logistics are the big problem for the USN in trying to send an intact fleet across the Pacific in early 1942. Many people don't know that in the wake of the Pearl Harbor attack the USN scrambled to rebuild its battle line in the Pacific and very quickly succeeded. By transferring battleships from the Atlantic and repairing the BBs with light damage from Pearl Harbor they had a force of eight fully operational battleships on the west coast by February 1942. Dubbed "Task Force One", it pretty much just sat there. By the time of the Midway battle, several of the BBs had been sent for refits, but the rest were still there and yet there was no attempt to use them at Midway. They were too slow and burned too much fuel.

Kimmel was complaining before the attack on Pearl Harbor too many of oilers had been sent to the Atlantic. Returning even some of them would east the logistics constraints (and did not happen historically).

Regards,
 
If the fleet is not at Pearl, there's no real reason for the attack to be Dec 7.

That date was a result of waiting for the last two carriers to complete and work up. Attacking Pearl against the whole Pacific fleet, they NEEDED that increase in punch.
If they're just attacking a barely defended Philippines, 4 will do.

So, the attack might have happened up to 6 months earlier.
 
If the fleet is not at Pearl, there's no real reason for the attack to be Dec 7.

That date was a result of waiting for the last two carriers to complete and work up. Attacking Pearl against the whole Pacific fleet, they NEEDED that increase in punch.
If they're just attacking a barely defended Philippines, 4 will do.

So, the attack might have happened up to 6 months earlier.

Thanksgiving day 1941 was the original target date. Last minute problems, the principle being torpedo mods, set it back ten days.

The political decision for war came in October, after it was clear the US was serious about ending the China war, & would not bend any further on the Embargos. Planning for the attack on Oahu started much earlier of course.
 
As Carl points out, logistics are the big problem for the USN in trying to send an intact fleet across the Pacific in early 1942. Many people don't know that in the wake of the Pearl Harbor attack the USN scrambled to rebuild its battle line in the Pacific and very quickly succeeded. By transferring battleships from the Atlantic and repairing the BBs with light damage from Pearl Harbor they had a force of eight fully operational battleships on the west coast by February 1942. Dubbed "Task Force One", it pretty much just sat there. By the time of the Midway battle, several of the BBs had been sent for refits, but the rest were still there and yet there was no attempt to use them at Midway. They were too slow and burned too much fuel.
TF 1 did sortie during the battle and would have been required to counter attack a Japanese landing had it succeeded.
 
Top