Royal Navy planners worried that Japan might move south and establish a forward supply position in territory that Britain could not reliably defend in advance. French dependence on British imperial security and uneven American defenses in the Philippines made seemingly indirect approaches worth considering. Civilian shipping or an unexpected seizure could move forces forward faster than a conventional fleet plan suggested. The route was uncertain, but success would have confined British forces in a dangerous position. This was worst-case planning driven by consequences and geography rather than confidence that Japan could easily carry out the scheme.
Notable Point · 18:59-20:38
Far East planning for a dangerous southern advance
British planners considered how Japan might exploit weakly held French or American territory even when the route looked difficult to execute.