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The original was posted on /r/askhistorians by /u/LazyGamerATN on 2023-10-18 04:34:24+00:00.

Jisaburo Ozawa was one of the most influential proponents of naval aviation in Japan, helping Yamamoto and others form what would become the Kido Butai prior to Pearl Harbor. Yet, when the time came, he was leading the forces around Malaya and into the Indian Ocean while Nagumo commanded the Kido Butai throughout the most pivotal naval engagements of the Pacific War, and by the time Ozawa was placed in command, the Japanese naval air fleet was shattered, leading to the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot, and finally the sacrifice of the carriers at Leyte Gulf.

Why was Ozawa not placed in command of the carriers from the start? If he had been, what likely outcomes would have occured given his command style and naval aviation experience versus Nagumo?

I imagine that Pearl Harbor would have likely been a more decisive attack due to the lack of Nagumo’s hesitation to launch the third wave. Other operations until Midway likely would have gone the same way, and at Midway, maybe better tactical command of the carriers could have made up for the poor position the Japanese were in, though to what extent I do not know.