How the fall of Singapore changed Pacific logistics

The wartime British Pacific Fleet was operating under conditions far removed from the original interwar plan. With Singapore and Indochina gone, Australian bases and stockpiles became more important, increasing the distance covered and therefore the need for more tankers and oilers. American help was especially useful for aviation fuel, while Canadian shipbuilding assistance freed British capacity for tankers and other needs. British ship-fuel stores were already established in Australia, so Allied support supplemented the underlying Far Eastern logistics network.