How additional cruisers could change Force Z's air battle

Extra British-designed cruisers would not automatically remain in the Pacific because wartime priorities might pull some into the Mediterranean. If more did accompany Force Z, they would add anti-aircraft fire and change the formation an attacking force had to interpret. Pilots under fire can mistake cruiser and capital-ship silhouettes, especially when adrenaline, shell bursts, and multiple targets complicate identification. Additional ships might therefore disperse attacks that otherwise concentrate on a battleship, although the cruisers themselves would accept more risk. Screening value came from target presentation and human error as well as gun counts.