Late-war radar helps Force Z only if the force works together

Could a 1945-standard Force Z survive the air attack that destroyed the historical force?

Possibly, but only if its improved radar worked and the force coordinated the resulting warning effectively.

A late-war version of Force Z has a better chance because its ships are more likely to carry effective radar. The equipment still has to work, its information has to be shared, and the ships have to act together. Repeating the same operational circumstances with unreliable systems could end in the same kind of disaster. A sensor helps only when the force can turn its warning into coordinated air defence.