soc.history.war.world-war-ii

aspqrz@pacific.net.au (Phil McGregor) wrote:
>
> "Scott M. Kozel" wrote:
> > aspqrz@pacific.net.au (Phil McGregor) wrote:
> >
> >> The RAN was essentially a clone of the RN in all the areas that counted.
> >
> > Except numerically.
>
> Irrelevant.
>
> Completely, totally, utterly, 100% meaningless within the context of
> the LONG accepted pre-war strategy for RAN operations.
>
> The RAN was to operate as a subordinate part of the RN ... and largely did so.

Of course it is relevant. By November 1941 when this battle took place,
the RN was very heavily engaged in the European war, and knew that it
could only commit a small percentage of its warships to the South
Pacific region, which is on the other side of the world from Britain, if
a war broke out with Japan.