Was Wake already doomed when Pye cancelled relief?

Would Wake Island have fallen anyway because Pye cancelled the relief force less than twenty-four hours before its loss?

Not necessarily; Pye had already delayed the force, so the late cancellation was part of a longer sequence that reduced its chance to intervene.

A viewer notes that Pye's cancellation came less than a day before Wake fell and asks whether the island was already doomed. Pye had also delayed sending the force, so the final cancellation cannot be isolated from the time already lost. Relief might still have failed, but the sequence needlessly reduced the available chance. Responsibility therefore extends beyond the last order to command decisions made throughout the operation.