[Buddahaid]

OK, but if the Japanese had kept Guadalcanal and captured New Guinea, Australia would have been isolated and the Pacific war quite different, perhaps a loss with Australia eventually starved out. No US, or British war supply would have made the country's prospects in the long term questionable at least. Certainly not a base for sustained aggression in the short term.

In the Atlantic, you also had the power struggle of the Army Air Force and Navy over control of long range aircraft and they're mission objectives, and the presidential backing of the inexpensive PC-461 class which were useless for convoy work but built in large numbers anyway. King was in a tough spot and I think he did quite well given the circumstances.