Phillips repairs the fighter-support failure

The Royal Navy had asked for fighter protection, while the RAF interpreted the request as strike support and reported that none was available. The mismatch grew from different service usage: naval officers meant defensive fighters, while army-facing RAF staffs often heard close air support. Phillips' survival brings that communications failure back to Singapore, where it would likely be corrected immediately. Even modest Buffalo fighter cover would be dangerous to unescorted, fuel-limited bombers and would make a repeat of the historical attack much harder.