Who commanded the Japanese carrier strike force that attacked Pearl Harbor?

Chuichi Nagumo commanded the Japanese carrier strike force that attacked Pearl Harbor.

Nagumo served as commander of the First Air Fleet, the naval force that carried out the raid. His fleet included six aircraft carriers and supporting warships. The carriers launched two major attack waves against American installations on Oahu.

Isoroku Yamamoto, commander-in-chief of Japan’s Combined Fleet, conceived and strongly supported the broader operation, but he did not personally command the carriers at Pearl Harbor. Minoru Genda helped plan the air attack. These different roles are a common source of mix-ups.

After the second wave returned, Nagumo decided not to launch a third strike against fuel tanks, repair facilities, and submarine installations. Historians continue to debate that decision, because those undamaged facilities helped the United States recover and continue using Pearl Harbor as a major base.