Japanese approach routes trade concealment against maneuvering room

The South China Sea is the preferred Japanese approach in this assessment because it offers the most room to maneuver, although it provides little shelter. Alternatives pass between Borneo and the neighboring islands or approach through the Flores Sea and Java Sea. A southern approach followed by a rapid withdrawal through the South China Sea could fit Japanese methods, including attacks on positions along the route. Those alternatives become harder to conceal if Japan has failed to occupy the islands and Allied reconnaissance aircraft still operate from them. Control of the islands therefore affects the likely battle location by changing the chance of early detection.