How Commonwealth sloops could reshape Far East defence

Could a better-equipped pre-war Royal Australian Navy significantly slow Japan's advance?

Only a major battle force would transform the balance by itself, but sustained Commonwealth sloop construction could have freed destroyers and strengthened escort and anti-submarine operations.

A major Australian battle force of carriers and fast capital ships would alter the balance directly, while a modest increase in destroyers would have a more limited effect. The larger long-term opportunity lies in a Commonwealth sloop-building programme beginning in the late 1920s. Treaty-era sloops could approach destroyer displacement and long-range endurance while accepting lower speed and no torpedo armament. Australian, Canadian, Indian, New Zealand, and South African production could therefore create a large escort pool without consuming the same treaty allowance. Those ships would release destroyers from convoy work, expand anti-submarine coverage, and strengthen the forces available in 1941-42. The extra escort depth might also reduce the risks faced by fleet carriers operating against submarines, showing how numerous modest ships can change a campaign indirectly.