Admiral Percy Noble is a plausible theater commander, with Andrew Cunningham leading the arriving fleet. Cruisers, destroyers, battlecruisers, and available modern battleships could be drawn from the Mediterranean, South Atlantic, and Home Fleet, while older R-class ships preserve commitments elsewhere. French and Dutch participation becomes likely because their regional interests also depend on resisting Japanese pressure. Coalition warfare begins with command relationships and force generation before the first major operation can be planned.
Notable Point · 55:00-58:23
Building a coalition command and Far Eastern fleet
Britain would have to assemble commanders and ships from several stations while drawing France, the Netherlands, and possibly the United States into the response.