Interdicting Japanese logistics could keep Singapore in the war

The scenario turns on attacks against Japanese supply rather than an implausible Allied land victory. Force Z need only damage the merchant convoys sustaining the advance until Japanese food, ammunition, and water run short farther north in Malaya. The resulting stall would resemble North African advances that petered out at the limit of their supply systems. The Battle of the Java Sea might not occur in its historical form: skirmishes could continue, but Japan could not push south as freely while a hostile fleet threatened its flank and convoys. A stalled advance also gives Singapore time to receive submarines and other reinforcements, making Japanese resupply harder still.