A disaster at San Bernardino Strait would compound the destruction of Japan's carrier arm by eliminating much of its surviving surface strength. Later battles and the possibility of a final capital-ship sortie would change or disappear, while Allied planners could redistribute attention and resources. Japanese commanders would also have to plan without a meaningful major-unit fleet from October 1944 onward. The loss would compound through both sides' assumptions, affecting what the Allies considered necessary and what Japanese commanders believed remained possible. This strategic consequence is plausible within the scenario, though the command chain required to produce it is much less likely.
Chapter · 1:09:28-1:11:42
An early Japanese capital-ship collapse
Losing Center Force in October 1944 would remove Japan's remaining capital-ship threat and alter Allied and Japanese planning for the war's final campaigns.