Britain's prewar planning did not assume the Royal Navy could defeat Germany, Italy, and Japan simultaneously from the outset. The intended 1942 force would hold in two theatres while concentrating enough strength to win in a third. Ships could then shift from the defeated opponent to reinforce the next theatre, repeating the sequence until all three were won. The plan explains both the urgency of capital-ship construction and why the unexpected falls of France and Norway placed such severe pressure on British global deployments.
Notable Point · 1:06:18-1:08:08
Britain planned to hold two theatres and win the third
British planning aimed to contain two opponents while concentrating enough strength to defeat the third, then repeat the process with the released forces.