Personnel shortages now meet a strategic map that British planners did not expect. France is no longer an ally, Norway is no longer neutral, and German forces can exploit new coasts and sea approaches. The Royal Navy must therefore cover areas previously protected by French power or Scandinavian neutrality while maintaining the Atlantic and Mediterranean wars. Scarce ships, staffs, and senior commanders have to be redistributed across a strategic burden far larger than the prewar force was designed to carry.
Chapter · 15:44-16:38
Britain's strategic map has collapsed
By January 1941, the fall of France and occupation of Norway have overturned the assumptions behind British prewar force planning.