U.S. entry creates a two-theater Pacific command

Neither Britain nor the United States can comfortably let the other defeat Japan alone and dominate the postwar position in China. American entry is therefore likely even without a Pearl Harbor attack, although the United States also begins from its smaller January 1939 force. An already mobilized Anglo-American-French coalition would make it harder for Germany or Italy to divide its members, raising the risks of a European attack without making one impossible. Italy might instead join for prestige despite the difficulty of supplying its ships in the Far East, while recovering Tsingtao could tempt Germany. The Allies could adopt Britain's blockade during the early buildup, then divide responsibility between an American-led Central Pacific advance and a British-led approach from Singapore. Carrier and surface task forces would move between those theaters as operations required. A Hong Kong campaign could consequently mass Ark Royal, Lexington, Courageous, Saratoga, Glorious, Yorktown, Furious, and Enterprise with later armored carriers.