Communication failure leaves the strait open

The phrase 'will be formed' shows how clarity of orders can become an operational weapon. Halsey's first message reached a wide audience, while the voice-radio qualification that formation awaited his direction did not correct the shared picture held by Thomas Kinkaid, Chester Nimitz, Ernest King, and others. They believed San Bernardino Strait had a covering force when no such force or even a destroyer picket existed. Similar historical cases involved admirals sending confusing messages and later blaming communications staff, yet command intent has to survive the method used to transmit it. Modern forces move enormous volumes of positional and status data for the same reason: commanders must understand their own dispositions, capabilities, and limits before they can exploit an enemy's weaknesses.