Samar and the destroyer's duty to protect others

The destroyer crews compare their predicament with the Battle off Samar and Sprague's defence of the escort carriers. Their captain points out that Sprague had more ships and carriers, while their own immediate responsibility is a civilian population. In the fictional navy, Samar and the Atlantic convoy battles form part of a destroyer officer's education. The principle drawn from them is that warships must stand between those they protect and an attacker. Victory elsewhere has left the surviving main fleet badly placed to stop the incoming strike, so the smaller screening force still has a separate battle to fight.