Cablegram 793 CANBERRA, 11 December 1941
IMMEDIATE SECRET
My telegram of 8th December. [1] In view of serious naval losses
[2] and grave effects on strategical situation, we would ask that
urgent action be taken to furnish appreciation of Chiefs of Staff
on Far Eastern position together with comments of United Kingdom
Government on the new situation. [3]
1 See cablegram 778 on file AA:A1608, V41/1/1. It drew Cranborne's
attention to the fact that the U.K. Govt had provided no
comprehensive appreciation of the Far Eastern position since April
1941 (Documents on Australian Foreign Policy 1937-49, vol. IV,
Document 400).
2 The battleship H.M.S. Prince of Wales and the battle cruiser
H.M.S. Repulse had been sunk by Japanese aircraft off the east
coast of Malaya on 10 December.
3 On 13 December Cranborne dispatched to the Commonwealth Govt a
report (prepared by U.K. military advisers) which predicted that
Japan's initial objectives would be the capture of Malaya, the
Philippines and Hong Kong and further air attacks on Hawaii; other
operations might include attacks on the Netherlands East Indies,
air fields on Pacific islands, the Panama Canal, ports in
Australia, New Zealand and India, and shipping in the Indian and
Pacific Oceans. See cablegram M454 on file AA : A981, War 49, i.
[AA: A981, WAR 49, i]
