Yamamoto struggled to obtain sufficient resources, while Nimitz struggled to put growing American resources in the right place at the right time. Assigned ships were not immediately usable: some were still working up, and a collection of warships without enough tankers could not sustain operations. Nimitz also needed results that preserved his authority against political and command interference. Both commanders fought with ships and personnel already available in theater, including what remained serviceable after earlier losses. They had to allow for imperfect equipment and people while committing other people's lives. The problem was to turn the force actually at hand into an operational result before the situation changed.
Chapter · 42:11-45:22
Yamamoto and Nimitz manage imperfect resources
Both high commands were fighting with the forces already in theatre, but Yamamoto struggled to obtain resources while Nimitz had to bring growing resources to the right place in time.