My father was 453 Sqn RAAF, Brewster Buffalo's
He was clearly a very skilful man to survive flying Buffaloes against the Japanese! What aircraft did he fly subsequently?
I'm not sure that the best efforts of the available fighters would have made much difference to the outcome in this case: with an attacking force of nearly 90 aircraft, operated by highly trained and experienced crews, a squadron of Allied fighters, however well-flown and led, would have struggled to save the ships. And I wonder if, had
Indomitable been there as well, it would have been 3 capital ships lost instead of two...