Sydney is likely to hold ships under repair rather than the main fleet, leaving Pearl Harbor as Japan's primary opening target. The expanded dockyard could return Mediterranean casualties such as HMS Illustrious, HMS Formidable, and HMS Warspite to service in the Far East rather than send them all to America. A force sailing north from Sydney would collect Dutch and dominion units and arrive with cruisers, destroyers, capital ships, and organic fighter cover. Extra fast oilers created by the longer-range strategy could help sustain the accelerated passage. Reaching Malaya around eleven days after the invasion, that balanced force could threaten Japanese coastal operations while operating near the limit of Japanese land-based air cover. Malaya might not fall under these conditions, but the result remains a contingent consequence of the counterfactual force disposition and command system.
Chapter · 2:14:12-2:25:04
Japan faces a stronger, carrier-backed Force Z
Japan still strikes Pearl Harbor first, but a Sydney-centered repair and command system can send a balanced carrier task force toward Malaya instead of the historical Force Z.