How would heavy bombers enter the Pacific war?

How would British heavy bombers come into play in a war against Japan beginning in 1939?

They would matter late because existing aircraft lacked the range, but Pacific requirements could yield much longer-ranged bombers for the next war.

Contemporary British heavy bombers could not attack Japan until the Allies obtained much closer bases. Long-range aircraft might therefore arrive only near the end of the Pacific conflict. Designing for Pacific distances would nevertheless produce a different bomber force, with an extended-range Lancaster or Lincoln-like aircraft becoming the practical baseline. Such aircraft would make targets deep inside Europe, including oil facilities, easier to reach in a later war. Chinese airfields could help, but range to worthwhile Japanese targets would still govern their usefulness.