The Coral Sea becomes a likely meeting point once Sydney serves as the principal British fleet hub in the region. British carriers and repaired warships would operate nearer the American Pacific forces than in the historical basing system. A combined Royal Navy and US Navy force could therefore meet the Japanese Navy there early in 1942. This is a consequence of the counterfactual force disposition, rather than a claim that the historical Battle of the Coral Sea would unfold unchanged.
Notable Point · 2:37:33-2:38:00
The Sydney strategy points toward an earlier Coral Sea battle
The altered basing and repair system could produce an early-1942 carrier clash involving British, American, and Japanese forces in the Coral Sea.