After the first engagements, 82 percent of the forward force is refitting or repairing, so replacements have to come from the wider map. Destroyers leave Malacca, while battlecruisers move from other stations, including Cuba. Winning battles does not end the operational problem because damaged units create an immediate demand for fresh hulls and escorts. In the campaign's alternate geography, reinforcing one theatre also thins forces elsewhere, making global fleet distribution part of the cost of sustained operations.
Notable Point · 2:15:46-2:20:19
Reinforcing a distant fleet after attrition
Repairs and losses force destroyers and battlecruisers to be pulled from Malacca, Cuba, and other stations to sustain the Japanese campaign.