Pacific at War
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July 29¸ 1941. News of Japan's occupation of Saigon which threatens the British positions in Burma and Malaya¸ the Dutch in Indonesia¸ and the American in the Philippine Islands hits the U.S. with the force of a thunderbolt. President Roosevelt freezes Japanese assets in the United States and places an embargo on exports of oil to Japan. The United Kingdom¸ Canada and the Dutch government in exile follow suit¸ depriving Japan of much needed oil resources. Japan's fuel supply is expected to last 2 years¸ after which their navy and army will be completely crippled. For 5 months the Japanese political minister unsuccessfully seeks a working diplomatic solution to the embargo stranglehold. The embargo continues¸ threatening to incapacitate the fleet of the empire of the rising sun. Amongst a heated debate¸ the Japanese high command reluctantly decides to go to war with the U.S. Japan executes a stealthy lightning stroke attack on Pearl Harbor¸ seeking to knock out the U.S. as a force in the Pacific and hoping to buy itself enough time to conquer South East Asia and many Island colonies to secure the resources it needs before the U.S. can recover... Thus would commence what would be the largest naval struggle in history.