If Prince of Wales and Repulse survive Force Z

How might events change if Prince of Wales avoids the propeller-shaft torpedo hit and survives the Force Z air strike?

Repulse may survive with her, giving the Allies a powerful nucleus that could support Malaya, delay or prevent Singapore's fall, and reshape the eastern war.

In this counterfactual, Repulse has a better chance of surviving because she is no longer constrained by efforts to assist a crippled Prince of Wales. The surviving ships would give the Eastern Fleet a nucleus in Southeast Asia instead of leaving it to assemble farther west in the Indian Ocean. Their guns could strike the coastal roads used by Japanese forces advancing through Malaya and worsen already strained logistics. Hermes, Warspite, Australian ships, and other forces are suggested as possible reinforcements. Prince of Wales would also change the surface balance against Japanese cruisers and the two local Kongo-class ships, which could no longer count on a favourable engagement. Delaying or preventing Singapore's fall could preserve support for the Dutch East Indies and alter the campaigns in Burma and the Indian Ocean. Tom Phillips's survival would complicate Allied command arrangements because of his seniority. The panel also suggests that his experience dealing with Churchill might help him stand up to MacArthur.