The planners envisaged that a war with Japan would have three phases : while the garrison of Singapore defended the fortress , the fleet would make its way from home waters to Singapore , sally to relieve or recapture Hong Kong , and blockade the Japanese home islands to force Japan to accept terms .
The planners thought that a war with Japan would have three phases : while the garrison of Singapore defended the fortress , the fleet would make its way to Singapore , so that it could relieve or recapture Hong Kong . The fleet could also impose a blockade on the Japanese home islands , which would force the Japanese to accept terms .