To cripple the United States so a small country like Japan could actually have a chance to conquer the US.
To get rid of our Naval fleet.
Japan's fleet was led by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto.
December 7, 1941
They disabled the fleet in the Pacific and could attack the small islands without the worry about the navy.
They intercepted a mesage from Japan to its naval fleet.
The Japanese High Command.
Japan attacked Pearl Harbor to destroy the US Naval Fleet in the pacific. One of the main targets were the Aircraft Carrierswhich were not in Pearl Harbor at the time of the attack.
The plan was to destroy the American fleet in port, but the primary goal in the fleet were the aircraft carriers. The aircraft carriers were not in port then.
Imperial Navy, Captain Fuchida led the first wave of airplanes into the attack. Admiral Yamamoto was the fleet commander in chief. Emperor Hirohito was the leader of Japan.
Japan's incursion into Manchuria, the US embargo of oil to Japan and the attack by Japan on the US Fleet at Pearl Harbor.
The US carrier fleet which was at sea on an exercise at the time.
The US fleet was at Pearl harbor, contrary to the opinion that Japan attacked the US unprovoked. The US and Britain were fighting Japan in an undeclared war in China. Until recently declared the fighters in China were Civilian volunteers.