On the subject of a navy I think the best might be a reflagged and officially crewed AMC or two?
A converted fast tanker would work well to hunt Italian trade and it could be officially flagged as Ethiopian with only a small handful of hidden IJN personnel (mostly out of sight in bridge and engine room) so the Ethiopian could make up the boarding and deck crews that would get looked at by ships they stopped to inspect.
This could be supported by a few more support ships as a couple of tankers and CAs just over the horizon ready to fall back to, that would prevent the Italian realistically hunting (requiring them to split up CLs to cover the area involved) for the AMC without risking destruction?
As officially an uninvolved neutral Japan could refuel and enter civilian ports at least until it was forced to defend the AMC....
The problem is where to find Italian trade without fighting somewhere that would be considered to risking and threatening to a major power? Ie not close off US/GB coasts, I would suggest that of South America might be best?
A converted fast tanker would work well to hunt Italian trade and it could be officially flagged as Ethiopian with only a small handful of hidden IJN personnel (mostly out of sight in bridge and engine room) so the Ethiopian could make up the boarding and deck crews that would get looked at by ships they stopped to inspect.
This could be supported by a few more support ships as a couple of tankers and CAs just over the horizon ready to fall back to, that would prevent the Italian realistically hunting (requiring them to split up CLs to cover the area involved) for the AMC without risking destruction?
As officially an uninvolved neutral Japan could refuel and enter civilian ports at least until it was forced to defend the AMC....
The problem is where to find Italian trade without fighting somewhere that would be considered to risking and threatening to a major power? Ie not close off US/GB coasts, I would suggest that of South America might be best?