▁the ▁attack ▁on ▁Pear l ▁Har bor ▁found ▁that ▁ 5 2 % ▁of ▁Americans ▁expected ▁war ▁with ▁Japan , ▁ 2 7 % ▁did ▁not , ▁and ▁ 2 1 % ▁had ▁no ▁opinion . ▁While ▁U . S . ▁Pacific ▁bases ▁and ▁facilities ▁had ▁been ▁placed ▁on ▁alert ▁on ▁many ▁occasions , ▁U . S . ▁officials ▁doubt ed ▁Pear l ▁Har bor ▁would ▁be ▁the ▁first ▁target ; ▁instead , ▁they ▁expected ▁the ▁Philippines ▁would ▁be ▁attacked ▁first . ▁This ▁pres umption ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁threat ▁that ▁the ▁air ▁bases ▁throughout ▁the ▁country ▁and ▁the ▁naval ▁base ▁at ▁Man ila ▁pos ed ▁to ▁sea ▁lan es , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁to ▁the ▁ship ment ▁of ▁supplies ▁to ▁Japan ▁from ▁territory ▁to ▁the ▁south . ▁They ▁also ▁incorrectly ▁believed ▁that ▁Japan ▁was ▁not ▁capable ▁of ▁mount ing ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁major ▁naval ▁operation ▁at ▁a ▁time . ▁ ▁Object ives ▁The ▁Japanese ▁attack ▁had ▁several ▁major ▁a ims . ▁First , ▁it ▁intended ▁to ▁destroy ▁important ▁American ▁fleet ▁units , ▁thereby ▁prevent ing ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Fle et ▁from ▁inter fer ing ▁with ▁Japanese ▁con quest ▁of ▁the ▁Dutch ▁East ▁Ind ies ▁and ▁Mal aya ▁and ▁to ▁enable ▁Japan ▁to ▁conquer ▁S out heast ▁Asia ▁without ▁inter ference . ▁Second , ▁it ▁was ▁hoped ▁to ▁buy ▁time ▁for ▁Japan ▁to ▁cons olid ate ▁its ▁position ▁and ▁increase ▁its ▁naval ▁strength ▁before ▁ship building ▁author ized ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁Vin son - W al sh ▁Act ▁er ased