I suggest run the navigation for that by Gary, Jeff Victor.
There are lots of possibilities. As I believe Malcolm has pointed out, perhaps 4 chief ones - Splashed, Japanese Capture, Gardner and I guess these other 'return' ideas.
Odd, but Gardner loosely fits into the latter category, although it represents more of a 'right turn' than a 'return'. For me it's a case of math - return doesn't buy you anything because of the required range, but a right turn might, IF you had a turn for the better in your luck after missing Howland, etc. I freely admit it would have taken a fair degree of luck to blunder into one of those scattered Phoenix islands if you didn't know rather well where you were starting from. Of course I could go on about the LOP, etc. but this string is about New Britain.
As to New Britain, as Malcolm has just said, as he understands more about the challenges, the less taken he tends to be. That's a tough reality in this thing for us all, no matter which theory we think makes the most sense: we encounter new information that causes constant analysis - not an unhealthy thing, I agree.
All that said, I wish we had the time, money and legs to chase down every story of a lost airplane in all these places - each may have a great story to tell.
LTM -