Lee had grounds to question Halsey's decision and might have been able to gather ships, but independent action carried enormous personal and operational risk. Victory would make the interpretation defensible; arriving at an empty strait while the carriers were attacked elsewhere would make it disastrous. Nelson and Philip Vian provide comparisons with officers whose battlefield success helped them survive controversial decisions. The counterfactual depends on Lee accepting uncertainty that the historical chain of command gave him little reason to accept.
Notable Point · 45:47-47:23
Lee would have risked his career by acting
Interpreting Halsey's message as authority to depart might win a battle, but it could end Lee's career if the Japanese never appeared.