 Achibva kuMediterranean, Waller akadzokera kuAustralia muna August 1941 nokuda kwebasa muSouth West Pacific. Musi wa24 Gumiguru, akatora mutungamiri wechiedza chakareruka HMAS Perth, yakasungirirwa muSydney. Perth akanga achangobvawo kudzoka achibva kunoshanda muMediterranean, kwaakanga apinda muGreek, Cretan, uye mishandirapamwe yeSyria, uye yakakuvadzwa kaviri nemabhomba eGermany. Waller anonzi akanga aneta uye murume anorwara zvikuru panguva ino, asi zvisinei akagadzirira Perth nokuda kwechiito nokukurumidza. Muna January 1942, ngarava yacho yakapiwa American-British-Dutch-Australian Command ABDA kuti ibatsire kudzivirira Dutch East Indies. Akaenda kunzvimbo yeABDA musi wa15 Kukadzi, zuva iro Singapore yakakanda mapfumo pasi. 