The command tradeoff behind British radio silence

A radio message from the engaged destroyers could have helped bring Burnett's cruisers into the battle sooner. The Germans already knew where the destroyers were, which weakened the argument for maintaining their silence, although the fighting itself left little time to communicate. One proposed explanation is that Sherbrooke could contain the German attack because it developed from a single direction. Keeping messages to a minimum also concealed the presence of the cruiser force until it arrived. The decision therefore involved a tradeoff between calling for support and preserving surprise, while Burnett was expected to use his own judgment to approach the action.