Hiei and Kirishima offered protection against cruisers, while Tone and Chikuma supplied seaplane reconnaissance. A light cruiser and three destroyer divisions screened the six carriers. The escort could help the force strike and withdraw, but a major surface battle would expose serious weaknesses. A hypothetical encounter with North Carolina and Washington, supported by cruisers and destroyers, illustrates that risk without claiming those battleships were actually exercising north of Hawaii. Reconnaissance and a continuous flow of information were needed to avoid such contacts. Storms made scouting harder and could conceal an approaching surface force. The choice of escorts balanced protection against the range and support demands of the operation.
Chapter · 37:40-40:55
Kido Butai's escort strength and surface risk
Battleships, reconnaissance cruisers, and destroyers protected the six carriers, but the light strike force remained vulnerable to an unexpected American battle group.