Beyond public war aims, the summit produced working understandings about how British and American forces would cooperate. Agreements between the two largest military systems would inevitably shape the practices of the other Allies. Admiral Ernest King attended as commander of the Atlantic Fleet, making coordination with the Royal Navy part of his immediate responsibilities, and his performance reportedly impressed Roosevelt. This concentration on the Atlantic contrasted with the delayed creation of ABDA command in Southeast Asia despite the visible Japanese threat and plans to send Prince of Wales east.
Chapter · 1:17:17-1:22:51
Operational agreements made Atlantic interoperability the real prize
British and American staffs established habits of cooperation in the Atlantic while Far Eastern command arrangements remained underdeveloped.