Sending two battleships to Singapore without a carrier offered a weak form of visible deterrence. Against a much larger Japanese battle fleet, the deployment could advertise Britain's immediate ceiling. Dispersed cruisers posed a different problem because they could attack trade and their locations were uncertain. Incidents such as Birmingham at Tsingtao reinforced that threat. A conspicuous concentration could reveal its limit, while mobile forces preserved choices Japan could not easily count.
Notable Point · 53:12-54:39
Two battleships and the limits of visible deterrence
Sending only two battleships to Singapore could advertise Britain's limit, while dispersed cruisers left Japan uncertain about threats to its trade.