A major Pacific setback could delay the capture of islands within B-29 range of Japan and therefore delay atomic attacks. One concern is whether rebuilding after heavy fleet losses would compete with Manhattan Project funding. The counterargument is that much of the replacement fleet was already ordered or under construction, including early Fletcher-class destroyers and Cleveland-class cruisers. Illinois and Kentucky are also suggested as replacements for lost battleships. Continued atomic development might eventually permit delivery by smaller carrier aircraft, but that possibility and a war extending into 1946 or 1947 remain conditional projections.
Notable Point · 41:51-44:27
Pacific setbacks, B-29 bases, and the fleet already under construction
Delayed access to B-29 bases could prolong the Pacific war, while existing ship orders complicate claims that replacing losses would undermine atomic research.