Re: Bloody Shambles
'I have always wondered about the RN, nay, the entire HMG’s view that above a certain rank / grade everyone is equally competent in all fields'
I wouldn't say that's true, i.e. a logistics officer of any rank will never have command of any type of ship, never mind an aircraft carrier. That Admiral Philips had been working in a staff job is to a certain extent typical, people with operational experience need to cycle in to HQ jobs to ensure the knowledge there is relevant and at some point they may come back out and go to another front line role. Plus you can't leave people on the front line forever, they burn out.
Philips knew there was a need for air cover, but he assumed the staff in Singapore would divine his movements in response to the signals they were sending him. Therefore he trusted wouldn't need to call for it in advance and potentially give his position away to the enemy. The Hunting of Force Z by Richard Hough has quite a good insight into the whole situation based on the survivors recollections.