How combat fatigue narrowed Captain Drew's command picture

The Admiralty's verdict and the human explanation suggested by testimony are separate questions. Machinery gives visible signs that it needs oil, maintenance, or repair, while an exhausted person's reserves of courage and mental stamina are harder to judge. Prolonged combat can narrow attention until immediate threats crowd out an improving engineering picture and the presence of supporting forces. In this reading, Drew could not step back from the battle long enough to reassess Manchester's recovery. Combat fatigue and cognitive overload help explain his decision without displacing the court martial's formal finding.