When attacking Pearl Harbour did the Japanese seek to destroy the battleships or the aircraft carriers?
Carriers and battleships were the priority of the first wave of attacking planes. Those who place high priority on carriers ignore history in 1941. The carrier was not the primary fighting ship of the navy like it is today. In fact the carrier didn’t actually really gain its dominance like many people think until mid 1944 when large numbers of carriers were finally put together. In 1941 the main tactic was to use carriers independent of the battlefleet (and each other) to harass the on-coming enemy battlefleet. After the main engagement (between the battlefleets) the carriers would either cover for the retreating battlefleet or attack a retreating enemy battlefleet. In fact this very tactic was used against the Bismarck in 1941 and carriers which were engaged by an enemy battleship were generally sunk, or damaged (only a fierce defense by destroyers prevented a worse outcome at Leyte Gulf). Many historians who put the attack as a minor US victory is because Japan ignored the fuel tanks
