The Far East commander must spend time managing communications with London as well as directing operations in theatre. Keyes's parliamentary career and place in the House of Lords make him more credible when pushing back against political pressure. Percival needs authority to say that the available army cannot defend every part of Malaya, while Phillips needs permission to reject a station that exposes his ships to an unsuitable mission. Without a superior joint command, the army, navy, and RAF commanders can each follow their own service instructions in isolation. The proposal uses supreme command to shield those officers while converting their separate responsibilities into one defensible campaign.
Notable Point · 11:33-12:41
Give subordinates political cover to defend what they can
A politically experienced supreme commander could manage London while letting Percival, Phillips, and the RAF commander solve one joint campaign instead of separate service tasks.