American destroyers joining Force Z from the Philippines would have added useful screening capacity, but the claim that they would have prevented its loss remains doubtful. The more limited possibility is that the extra escorts might have improved the chance of one of the ships surviving. Destroyer numbers alone do not settle the problem of protection against aircraft, especially without radar-directed guns. Fighter cover remains the preferred protection in this counterfactual.
Notable Point · 20:05-21:09
Could extra American destroyers have saved Force Z?
A Force Z counterfactual distinguishes the possible benefit of a larger destroyer screen from the need for fighter protection.