Forrestal's demand for superior judgment effectively requires Kimmel and Short to reconstruct an enemy plan from information withheld from them. Professional experience can help an officer interpret incomplete evidence, but it cannot substitute for the missing location and intentions of the Japanese carriers. Commanders who receive clear warnings and fail to deploy available forces can be criticized on a different basis. The passage provides a practical standard for separating legitimate command accountability from hindsight-driven blame.
Notable Point · 2:09:27-2:13:04
The hindsight test for command responsibility
The criticism of Kimmel is tested against a basic historical rule: commanders can only act on information they possess or can reasonably infer.