Harwood as an alternative commander at the Java Sea

Which British admiral might replace Karel Doorman at the Battle of the Java Sea?

Henry Harwood, because his cruiser expertise offered the best chance of producing an operational surprise.

Doorman faced coalition and operational problems that left little room for a clean solution. Henry Harwood is the preferred replacement because specialized cruiser experience might still produce a tactical surprise. His later senior-command difficulties do not erase his suitability for this narrower role. Naval officers are developed for different career tracks rather than as interchangeable candidates for every high command. The counterfactual matches a specialist to the Java Sea problem without assuming one admiral could remove all its constraints.