The stored oil was not proof that Singapore would be the frontline anchorage. Roughly 1.2 million tons there, plus major stocks at Rangoon and in Australia, created theater-level depth. Slow tankers could shift that fuel toward whichever forward operating base the campaign produced. The location and scale of the reserves gave the intended hub-and-spoke system operational freedom.
Notable Point · 2:43:32-2:47:06
Oil stockpiles created operational freedom
Large fuel reserves at Singapore, Rangoon, and Australia were intended to give a Far Eastern force time and flexibility to move supplies forward.