Before the battle fleet could arrive, the Royal Navy needed to keep Japan uncertain without provoking immediate conflict. As many as fifteen British and Dominion cruisers might be available across the wider Far East. Town- and County-class cruisers designed to hunt surface raiders also had the range and power to raid Japanese trade. Dispersing them would threaten a maritime economy and force the Japanese fleet to protect many routes. The strategy aimed to buy time by making the cost and geography of war difficult to calculate.
Chapter · 33:13-35:52
Cruiser commerce raiding as Far East deterrence
A dispersed cruiser threat could buy time by putting Japan's maritime economy at risk before a British battle fleet arrived.