Kimmel's possible return under a subordinate carrier command

Removing Kimmel as commander-in-chief may have been politically unavoidable. The US Navy's temporary rank structure still allowed a former fleet commander to revert to rear admiral and accept a subordinate task-force post. Kimmel could have filled a role associated with officers such as William Halsey or Raymond Spruance when experienced carrier leaders were scarce. A return to service might also have recast public blame as accountability followed by renewed contribution. The counterfactual rests on the view that Kimmel made decisions from incomplete intelligence withheld by his own government. Responsibility for Pearl Harbor and the value of his remaining expertise were separate questions.