Hmmm, so those dastardly Yanks thought IJN was too pre-occupied with the Dutch East Indies to adequately patrol the Home Islands. They not only sent the Hornet (a la Doolittle), but backed it up with Saratoga and Lexington.
Poor Soryu and Hosho...could only must 63 carrier based aircraft to the U.S. CV triad showing of 234. Four to one against the IJN? But wait....look at that land based air? Oh my....176 land based air in the Home Islands. How could that be....how could that be?
Let's go interview Yamamoto, perhaps he will enlighten us. When asked, "How did you do it....where did those 176 aircraft come from"?...Yamamoto fell silent for a few seconds, looked up...and said, "Shangri-La....Shangri-La".
