This counterfactual is explicitly separate from the war that actually occurred. If conflict began in the Far East in 1939, a British fleet would probably rush to Singapore and cooperate with the United States as the Philippines came under pressure. Dale-class and other tankers could move fuel among Singapore and Australian bases to support forces operating forward, while Hawaii supplied another major node. The exercise shows why the wartime British Pacific Fleet cannot serve as a direct test of the original interwar plan.
Notable Point · 52:26-53:52
A counterfactual 1939 Far Eastern war
A counterfactual Far Eastern war before the fall of Singapore activates a different Anglo-American base-and-tanker network.