Ajax launches her reconnaissance aircraft for gunfire spotting

Achilles has no aircraft in the battle, leaving Ajax's seaplane as Harwood's available airborne observer. The aircraft has already been used heavily to search the Brazilian coast for suspected German support bases, and only one of Ajax's two machines is serviceable. It has also carried an infrared camera and was prepared for another reconnaissance flight rather than immediate gunnery work. Its wireless is initially set to a task-force reconnaissance frequency, whereas gunfire spotting requires a ship-specific channel to prevent reports from confusing several ships' fall of shot. Once launched and properly employed, the aircraft gives Harwood the spotting information he needs. Readiness, radio procedure, and prior reconnaissance duties determine whether the available aircraft can provide a tactical advantage at the moment of contact.