1 st ▁Air ▁Fle et . ▁This ▁mobile ▁task ▁force ▁was ▁created ▁for ▁executing ▁the ▁attack ▁on ▁Pear l ▁Har bor ▁under ▁Vice - Ad mir al ▁Ch ū ichi ▁Nag um o ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁For ▁the ▁attack ▁on ▁Pear l ▁Har bor , ▁the ▁Kid ō ▁But ai ▁consisted ▁of ▁six ▁aircraft ▁carri ers ▁( command ed ▁by ▁Ch ū ichi ▁Nag um o , ▁Tam on ▁Yam ag uch i ▁and ▁Ch ū ichi ▁H ara ) ▁with ▁ 4 1 4 ▁air plan es , ▁two ▁batt les hips , ▁three ▁cru is ers , ▁nine ▁destroy ers , ▁eight ▁tank ers , ▁ 2 3 ▁sub mar ines , ▁and ▁four ▁m idget ▁sub mar ines . ▁However , ▁these ▁esc ort ▁ships ▁were ▁borrow ed ▁from ▁other ▁fle ets ▁and ▁squad rons . ▁It ▁was ▁considered ▁the ▁single ▁most ▁powerful ▁naval ▁fleet ▁until ▁four ▁of ▁the ▁six ▁aircraft ▁carri ers ▁of ▁the ▁unit ▁were ▁destroyed ▁in ▁the ▁dis astr ous ▁Battle ▁of ▁Mid way . ▁ ▁Trans ition ▁( extract ) ▁ ▁Command ers ▁ ▁Commander - in - Ch ief ▁ ▁Chief ▁of ▁Staff ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁Land - B ased ▁Air ▁Fle et ▁On ▁ 1 ▁July ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Air ▁Fle et ▁was ▁re created ▁as ▁an ▁exclus ively ▁land - based ▁air ▁fleet . ▁It ▁was ▁intended ▁to ▁consist ▁of ▁nearly ▁ 1 , 6 0 0 ▁aircraft ▁when ▁completed , ▁but