Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:42:02-1:45:04

Philippine Sea and the danger of winning harder

Sending the American battle line after the retreating Japanese force could win an unnecessary surface action while risking ships after the decisive result was already secured.

Battle of the Philippine SeaOperational RiskTask Force 58US Navy
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Question

How would Admiral Lee's battle line fare against the Japanese retreat at the Philippine Sea?

Short answer

It could probably win, but the engagement would risk needless losses after the Americans had already achieved their objective.

Notes

Task Group 58.3 was built around carriers, while the battle line formed Task Group 58.7. The battleships could probably win a surface engagement, but Japanese ships might still inflict avoidable losses. Because the carrier battle had already delivered the strategic success, accepting that risk would amount to trying to win harder than necessary. Operational restraint requires commanders to compare the value of an additional victory with the cost of forces they no longer need to expose.