Harwood's South Atlantic cruisers operated without a nearby major fleet base and had to handle ordinary maintenance themselves. Proper repairs could require a voyage to Simon's Town, Durban, Freetown, or all the way home. Kingston offered limited facilities and sat uncomfortably close to the neutral United States. The sparse repair map helps explain why the South Atlantic was treated as one large command. Endurance in that theater included maintenance capacity as well as fuel range.
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Self-maintaining cruisers and South Atlantic repair geography
Long distances to repair yards made self-maintenance a design and deployment requirement for South Atlantic cruisers.