Signalling intentions before entering Bangka Strait

Trenchant's entry into Bangka Strait raises a distinction between signalling an intended action and asking for permission. In Royal Navy practice, a signal of intentions meant the commander planned to proceed unless ordered otherwise. The British command's acknowledgement therefore accepted that course of action without requiring detailed tactical direction. Accounts that treat the signal as a request to the American admiral can miss this difference in command language. Whether American officers interpreted the practice identically remains uncertain here, since the recollections cited disagree. An order stopping the move would also have needed to pass through the appropriate command chain and reach the submarine in time.