Radio decoys without dispersing the carrier screen

A small cruiser and destroyer group could imitate a larger formation through its radio traffic. Frequent status reports and changes in the reported positions would suggest more ships coordinating across a wider area. Enemy scouts would then have to test that impression. This proposed alternative could preserve a strong carrier escort while creating apparent dispersion elsewhere. Its limitation was American access to some Japanese message contents, so deception could not replace a force structure capable of surviving an informed opponent.