Why American formations adapted better in Pacific battles

Why did the US Navy generally perform better than Japan in encounter battles?

Better training and a command culture that allowed officers to adapt gave American formations an advantage over tighter Japanese control.

Japan, the United States, and Britain occupied different positions on a spectrum of centralized control and local initiative. Japanese formations were the most tightly directed, making departure from an admiral's instructions unusual. American formations remained structured but encouraged officers to think and adapt as an encounter changed, while British practice placed still more weight on initiative once contact was made. Better American training and the freedom to adjust therefore mattered alongside equipment when rapidly developing Pacific battles disrupted the original plan.