Admiral Duncan takes four hundred destroyers to the Pacific

What happens if Admiral Duncan receives every available British destroyer commissioned between 1900 and 1941 and takes them to the Pacific?

He gains roughly four hundred imperfect ships whose massed screen could make Force Z or a carrier group extraordinarily hard to attack.

Collecting every otherwise available British destroyer commissioned from 1900 through 1941 produces a force of roughly four hundred ships. Many lack modern range, radar, and antiaircraft weapons, so they are not individually ideal Pacific escorts. Concentrated around Prince of Wales, Repulse, or a carrier group, however, their combined fire and physical presence create a screen many miles deep. The panel treats that mass as enough to break up an air attack even if some destroyers function largely as sacrificial protection. The scenario illustrates how overwhelming numbers can compensate for serious limitations in the individual units.