The short exchange makes logistics the decisive issue in a Pacific operational game. A damaged or lost carrier is serious, but an oiler shortage can prevent the force from reaching, sustaining, or withdrawing from its intended area of operations. Combat power depends on the fuel network that lets a fleet move across the theatre. Naval power therefore rests on replenishment ships as well as combatants.
Notable Point · 1:42:17-1:42:33
Why losing oilers can wreck a Pacific campaign
Fleet oilers matter so much in the Pacific that losing them can be more damaging to operations than losing a carrier.