Midway and the Aleutians were meant to confront the Americans with multiple threats, but Operation MI required many widely separated formations to coordinate. Cunningham's Operation MB8 around Taranto offers the contrast: individual British forces had simple tasks whose combined effect created a complicated problem for Italy. Those forces could often communicate locally by lamp or flag and needed relatively little long-range radio traffic. Japan instead gave dispersed formations intricate interlocking orders while presenting the enemy with only two major thrusts to interpret. Complexity imposed on subordinates can expose a fleet without producing equivalent confusion for the opponent.
Chapter · 47:02-50:56
Operation MI versus Cunningham's Operation MB8
Cunningham's simple subordinate missions created a complicated picture for Italy, while Japan's interlocking orders increased coordination demands and exposed radio traffic.