Japan could not simply launch Operation C earlier as soon as Indomitable appeared. The Japanese carriers and air groups needed maintenance and recovery after their December operations. Crews, escorts, and the wider task force also had to be assembled and worked together while other campaigns continued. The delay gives an Allied fleet time to concentrate, while leaving open the question of whether Japan would add heavier battleships than the Kongos when it finally moved.
Notable Point · 1:22:42-1:23:40
Operation C could not simply be rushed forward
Carrier maintenance, air-group recovery, escort integration, and simultaneous operations constrained how quickly Japan could answer a surviving Force Z.