Plus the Japanese have to locate the sortied US fleet. It will easier if the fleet imeadiatly tries to head north to intercept the IJN group, but without the aircraft carriers concentrated that may not be the decsion. If the battleship line turns south or east Nagumos reconissance will take considerablly more time to locate it, if at all. A second complication is the ammo supply. The two strikes on Oahu used up roughly two thirds of the airwings bombs and torpedos. Nagumo will not have ammo for more than one more effective strike. If he muffs that his carrier group will be fleeing at high speed and with a disarmed air wing while the US carriers and battleships converge like angry bees. He can outrun them but hanging around for a third strike vs a dispersed enemy whos locations are unkown is a dangerous game.

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