Adm. Philips' loss of Force Z was devastating to say the least. True, ABDA
could have rallied around it. However, you'd need air cover. If you've read the Lonely Ships by Edwin P. Hoyt, or The Destroyermen series by Taylor
Anderson, you'll know that the Asiatic Fleet didn't have a single battleship,
or an aircraft carrier, to depend on. That was the result of decision made back in 1904. In 1904, Robley D. Evans, decided to use smaller ships in the
Asiatic Fleet. The backbone of the Asiatic Fleet in 1941-42, was the four-piper, also called the four-stacker, and flushed deck destroyer. This included the Clemson class destroyers. Go to
http://en.wikipedia.org/United States Asiatic Fleet.