The Admiralty transferred Harwood's destroyers from Buenos Aires toward the West Indies to meet other threats, but the roughly 4,000-mile movement was near their endurance limit. Harwood had to remind planners of the distance and secure permission for the ships to refuel at Pernambuco, making neutral-port access part of the operation. HMS Havoc then suffered engine trouble and diverted to Freetown after the refueling stop. Meanwhile Exeter, Cumberland, Achilles, and Ajax occupied different stations or were themselves refueling. Orders alone could not concentrate the force: endurance, engineering condition, fuel access, and geography determined which ships could arrive.
Notable Point · 37:03-41:03
Destroyer shortages reshape Harwood's South Atlantic force
The destroyer transfer to the West Indies depended on refueling access, while engineering problems and dispersed cruisers limited Harwood's available force.