If Japan declines battle at Hong Kong, the decisive sortie comes later, when blockade pressure forces the fleet to try to break Allied control of the East China Sea. Submarines operating from Manila and Hong Kong provide warning and further attrition before the main fleets meet. British aircraft and destroyers then attack at night, keep contact, and exploit the Royal Navy's close-range doctrine. American carriers can use that tracking information for a concentrated dawn strike before Allied surface forces close on what remains.
Chapter · 2:53:54-3:03:28
The East China Sea blockade-breaker
A late Japanese sortie into the East China Sea meets submarine warning, blockade attrition, British night attacks, an American dawn strike, and Allied surface forces.