Well lets be specific here. The post Pearl Harbor Carrier raids, including Doolittle’s raid were just raids. Guadalcanal was the first counter attack.
Everyone in the Imperial Navy was surprised. According to Tameichi Hara in his book Destroyer Commander pretty much everyone expected the US NOT to counter attack for six months or so.
Anyone who took the time to study the CinC of the US Navy would have been prepared. Ernest King was very aggressive and wanted to go on offense ASAP. Lacking carriers? Not enough destroyers? Lack of initial Army support? Only one partially trained US Marine Division? Inexperience conducting actual amphibious landings?
It all didn’t matter. Operation Watchtower was King’s baby.
No fighter ever won his fight by covering up- by merely fending off the other fellow's blows. The winner hits and keeps on hitting even though he has to take some stiff blows in order to be able to keep on hitting.
Ernest King March 1942 to President Roosevelt.
Source: Edgar D. McDonald II (Quora)
