An inconclusive verdict is rejected because the operation caused temporary damage to one American carrier without sinking it. Randolph was back in service within weeks. Japan lost 13 aircraft and roughly 60 to 70 personnel, with most deaths attributed to weather and mechanical failure. Those losses, set against the carrier's rapid return, support the assessment of a Japanese defeat.
Notable Point · 2:15:08-2:17:02
Why Tan No. 2 was a Japanese defeat
Calling the result inconclusive obscures the operational balance: Randolph returned quickly, while Japan lost scarce aircraft and crews largely to weather and mechanical failure.