Surviving battleships raise the cost of a Japanese surface advance

The available ships are too few to divide into many task groups, but they can form a force that Japanese cruisers cannot readily overpower. Prince of Wales's radar-directed 14-inch guns create a particular danger for 8-inch treaty cruisers. Sending Kongo-class ships south would introduce a heavier opponent without making an encounter with Prince of Wales an easy proposition. Royal Sovereign and Revenge are slow, yet their protection was designed for a close battle-line action. Even a Japanese victory could leave ships badly damaged or unavailable for later operations.