What would have happened if all of the US carriers would have been in Pearl Harbor?

Question

During the attack of Pearl Harbor, what would have happened if all of our carriers were in Pearl Harbor?

Answer 1

Chances are at least one carrier would have survived the attack, probably more than one. Nevertheless, it would have been a serious blow to our ability to strike back quickly.

Roosevelt still would have declared war on Japan, and what remained of the U.S. Navy would have been immediately put to work, but the initial strategy may have been different. Since it takes a fair amount of time to build a complete ship (and even longer for an aircraft carrier), the naval war may have been put off for a year or so.

On the other hand, had the carriers been in or near Pearl Harbor, there is also the chance that enough carrier-based planes could have been launched to have lessened the overall severity of damage -- more U.S. planes in the air may have dramatically lowered the number of Japanese planes dropping bombs.

Answer 2

Good question. It would've clogged up the harbors and made Pearl virtually unusable for a time. Most of the ships sunk in the attack were eventually brought back up and reused (except the Arizona), but I've never heard of a carrier being brought up after sinking.

The attack on Pearl came in two waves, with three planned. The third was suppose to take out fuel dumps that, had it occurred, would've really put an end to American activities in the Pacific for a long time. As it were, the third wave didn't happen because Yamamoto was afraid of a counter attack from the very carriers his mission was suppose to take out.

Had bot the carrier fleets and fuel dumps been hit....I don't think there would be an Imperial Japan, but the war would have raged on into the fifties.

Answer 3

Air power was the decisive form of battle in the pacific (and the european front). With out the aircraft carriers the US would never have been able to ambush the japanese at the battle of midway. the US did not have enough shipyards, or steelworkers to build replacement aircraft carriers fast enough. We would have needed 3 to 5 years to put together enough ships to have any chance vs the japanese. That was what the japanese were hoping for. They were hoping to cripple the US fleet, and have enough time to run rampant over the pacific capturing lots of places, and then building a very stout defense so they could then have a negotiated peace between the US and Japan. But it didn't happen that way. (luckily for the US)

Answer 4

They would have been blasted out of the water.They were the intended target.The carriers were moved as part of a precautionary
move due to the worsening situation in the pacific.Had those carriers been destroyed then Midway would have been a for gone conclusion.But the real loss would have been felt in the trade routes along the eastern seaboards of the United States and Australia..Food going to England would have been disrupted.

Answer 5

It never happened. And it would have never happened. No one puts all their eggs in one basket. And it would probably have not changed the outcome of the war. We had plenty more and would have found a way, because we are a force to reckon with, freedom fighters get it? Happy New Year

Answer 6

the navy never puts all their weopons in one place, it would be very stupid to do so. lets say it did happen, the war would have been longer but it would have ended the same way, all carriers on the east coast would come through the panama canal and would only have been delayed three to five days........and here you thought the reason for the panama canal was for merchants....hahaha

Answer 7

They wouldn't have made it to the Battle of Midway or Coral Sea!

Answer 8

It would've taken us longer to defeat the Japanese, the nuclear ending would've been the same

Answer 9

Law of averages says some of them would have escaped serious damage. But the U.S. would never put all of it's battle equipment in one place.

Answer 10

The world would be a much different place today. Much worse.