Sending a battleship and an old, unmodernized battlecruiser to the Far East did not create a balanced deterrent force. The pairing lacked the range of capabilities found in a modern naval task group. Placing it close to the anticipated front also reduced room for maneuver, giving up one of sea power's central advantages. The gesture is compared with sending a Canadian brigade to garrison Hong Kong. Both projected an image of commitment, but the naval deployment behaved more like a static land garrison than a flexible maritime deterrent.
Notable Point · 52:34-53:33
Capital ships as static Far East deterrence
An unbalanced battleship and battlecruiser force near the front line is criticized as garrison-style symbolism that surrendered the mobility of sea power.