Far East planning assigned complementary roles to ships already in the theater. Destroyers and submarines were to protect Singapore and other bases from attack. Cruisers would range outward against Japanese merchant shipping. This paired local defence of the support network with economic pressure on Japan's seaborne trade.
Notable Point · 39:53-40:13
Defending Singapore while cruisers attacked Japanese trade
Destroyers and submarines protected Singapore and other bases while cruisers carried economic war toward Japanese merchant shipping.