| Eastern Fleet/East Indies Fleet | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1941-1971 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Navy |
| Nickname | "Forgotten Fleet" |
| Engagements | Loss of Prince of Wales and Repulse Indian Ocean raid Battle of Madagascar Operation Dukedom |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
James Somerville Bruce Fraser |
The British Eastern Fleet (also known as the East Indies Fleet and the Far East Fleet) was a fleet of the Royal Navy during World War II and post war until 1971. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) The Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse was a World War II naval engagement which illustrated the effectiveness of aerial attacks The Indian Ocean raid was a naval sortie by the Fast Carrier Strike Force of the Imperial Japanese Navy from 31 March to 10 April 1942 The Battle of Madagascar (or Operation Ironclad) was the Allied campaign to capture Vichy French -controlled Madagascar during World The Battle of the Malacca Strait, sometimes called the Sinking of the Haguro, and in Japanese sources as the Battle off Penang (ペナン沖海戦 was a naval Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Fownes Somerville GCB, GBE, DSO ( 17 July 1882 &ndash 19 March 1949 Admiral of the Fleet Bruce Austin Fraser 1st Baron Fraser of North Cape GCB, KBE ( 5 February 1888 &ndash 12 February A fleet, or naval fleet is a large formation of Warships, and the largest formation in any Navy. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. The Eastern Fleet was formed by order of the Admiralty on 8 December 1941 [1] from the ships of the China Station and the East Indies Station, with its Headquarters in Singapore. The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The China Station was a historical geographical Area of operations of the British Royal Navy 's China Squadron. The East Indies Station was one of the geographical Area of operations into which the British Royal Navy divided its world-wide responsibilities Singapore During the war, it included many ships and personnel from other navies, including the Royal Netherlands Navy, Royal Australian Navy, the Royal New Zealand Navy and the United States Navy. The Koninklijke Marine ( Royal Netherlands Navy) is the Navy of the Netherlands. The Royal Australian Navy ( RAN) is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. The Royal New Zealand Navy ( RNZN) (Maori Te Taua Moana, The Sea Army) is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. Post-war, the Eastern Fleet became the Far East Fleet and operated in all Far East areas including parts of the Pacific Ocean. The Far East is a term often used by people in the Western world to refer to the countries of East Asia. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions
Contents |
Background
Until World War II, the Indian Ocean had been a British "lake". The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface It was ringed by significant British and Commonwealth possessions and much of the strategic supplies needed in peace and war had to pass across it: Persian oil, Malayan rubber, Indian tea, Australian and New Zealand foodstuffs. In war, Britain relied upon the loyalty and manpower of Australia and New Zealand and these had to be transported. Safe passage for British cargo ships was critical.
Despite this, the British Royal Navy had tended to station its older ships in the east and use the China Station and the Far East Station as a source of reinforcements for other theatres. The China Station was a historical geographical Area of operations of the British Royal Navy 's China Squadron. The China Station was a historical geographical Area of operations of the British Royal Navy 's China Squadron. Even when gravely threatened, the Eastern Fleet largely consisted of older capital ships too slow and vulnerable to be of use in the Atlantic or Mediterranean. The capital ships of a Navy are its "important" warships the ones with the heaviest Firepower and Armor.
At the outbreak of war (as in World War I), the German Navy (Kriegsmarine) used auxiliary cruisers (converted merchant ships) and the Pocket Battleship Graf Spee to both threaten the sea lanes and tie down the British Royal Navy. The Kriegsmarine (English "War navy" was the name of the German Navy between 1935 and 1945 during the Nazi regime superseding the Armed Merchantmen has come to mean merchant ships equipped with guns usually for defensive purposes either by design or after the fact Description German capital ships were restricted by the Treaty of Versailles to a displacement of 10000 tons for "armoured ships" Description Admiral Graf Spee was a Deutschland class cruiser. In mid-1940, Italy declared war and the Italian vessels based in Italian East Africa posed a threat to the supply routes through the Red Sea. Italian East Africa ( Italian: Africa Orientale Italiana, or AOI was a short-lived (1936-1941 Italian Colony in Africa consisting of The Red Sea is a Salt water Inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. Worse was to come when the Japanese declared war in December 1941 and, after Pearl Harbor, the sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse, and the occupation of Malaya, Singapore, and the Dutch East Indies, there was an aggressive threat from the east. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The attack on Pearl Harbor (or Hawaii Operation, as it was called by the Imperial General Headquarters) was a surprise Military strike conducted by The Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse was a World War II naval engagement which illustrated the effectiveness of aerial attacks Peninsular Malaysia ( Semenanjung Malaysia) also known as Malaya or West Malaysia, is the part of Malaysia which lies on Singapore See http//enwikipediaorg/wiki/WikipediaFootnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the tags and the template below
This became reality when an overwhelming Japanese naval force operated in the eastern Indian Ocean, sinking an aircraft carrier, other warships and disrupting freight traffic along the Indian east coast. At this stage, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, General Sir Alan Brooke wrote:
We were hanging by our eyelids! Australia and India were threatened by the Japanese, we had temporarily lost control of the Indian Ocean, the Germans were threatening Iran and our oil, Auchinleck was in precarious straits in the desert, and the submarine sinkings were heavy. Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS was the title of the professional commander of the British Army from 1908 until 1964 Field Marshal Alan Francis Brooke 1st Viscount Alanbrooke KG, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO (23 July 1883 &ndash 17 June 1963 was Field Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, GCB, GCIE, CSI, DSO, OBE (21 June 1884 &ndash 23 March 1981 nicknamed
The fear was that a concerted Japanese stroke could chase the Royal Navy from the Indian Ocean, with dire implications for India, and that German success in the Caucasus and in Egypt would threaten the Persian Gulf. The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region is an extension of the
Early war years
Until 1941, the main threat to British interests in the region was the presence of German commerce raiders (auxiliary cruisers) and submarines. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Commerce raiding is to destroy the logistics (supplies of an enemy on the open sea rather than engaging the combatants themselves or enforcing a Blockade against them Armed Merchantmen has come to mean merchant ships equipped with guns usually for defensive purposes either by design or after the fact The fleet had trade protection as its first priority and was required to escort convoys and eliminate the raiders. The Germans had converted merchant ships to act as commerce raiders and allocated supply ships to maintain them. The location and destruction of these German raiders consumed much British naval effort until the last raider - Michel - was sunk in June 1943. Construction and conversion After the AMC Widder returned to Germany, her engines were worn out Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
On 10 June 1940, the entry of Italy into the war introduced a new threat to the oil supply routes from the Persian Gulf, through the Red Sea, to Mediterranean Sea. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region is an extension of the The Red Sea is a Salt water Inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. Forces of the Italian Royal Navy (Regia Marina) in the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and the western Pacific Ocean consisted of destroyers, submarines, and a small number of armed merchantmen. The Regia Marina ( Italian Royal Navy) dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions Armed Merchantmen has come to mean merchant ships equipped with guns usually for defensive purposes either by design or after the fact The Italians controlled ports in Italian East Africa and Tiensin, China. Italian East Africa ( Italian: Africa Orientale Italiana, or AOI was a short-lived (1936-1941 Italian Colony in Africa consisting of ( Postal map spelling: Tientsin) is the second largest city in northern coastal China. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The majority of the Italian vessels were based at the port of Massawa in Eritrea. Massawa, formerly known as Mitsiwa ( Ge'ez ምጽዋ miṣṣiwa, Arabic مصوع maṣṣawaʿ Eritrea () ( Ge'ez: ኤርትራ ʾErtrā, Arabic: إرتريا Iritriya) officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in The vessels located in Massawa were part of the Italian Red Sea Flotilla. The Red Sea Flotilla was a unit of the Italian Royal Navy (''Regia Marina'' based in Massawa, Eritria, when Massawa was part of Italian East Africa This unit consisted primarily of seven destroyers and eight submarines. During the course of 1940, the Red Sea Flotilla lost four submarines and one destroyer during early attempts to intercept British convoys in the Red Sea. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
The Italian naval forces in East Africa were caught in a vice. East Africa is the Easternmost Region of the African Continent. To put to sea invited a heavy British reaction, while to stay in port was impossible. In 1941, during the East African Campaign, the British and Commonwealth forces first threatened the East African ports and then captured them. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The East African Campaign refers to the battles fought in East Africa during World War II. East Africa is the Easternmost Region of the African Continent. The Italians attempted to break out to German-occupied Europe, to the Vichy French colony of Madagascar, to Japan, to Tiensen, China, or to any other neutral port where they might find refuge. Vichy France, or the Vichy regime are the common terms used to describe the government of France from July 1940 to August 1944 Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic) is an Island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. ( Postal map spelling: Tientsin) is the second largest city in northern coastal China. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National
As the East African ports were captured, there were some breakout attempts that were successful. East Africa is the Easternmost Region of the African Continent. Four Italian submarines successfully navigated to Bordeaux, two out of three of the Italian armed merchantmen reached Kobe, Japan, and a few other vessels made it to other Axis-friendly ports. ( Gascon: Bordèu) is a port city in southwest France, with one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area at a 2008 estimate Armed Merchantmen has come to mean merchant ships equipped with guns usually for defensive purposes either by design or after the fact is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture and a prominent port city in Japan with a population of about 1 The Axis powers also known as the Axis alliance Axis nations Axis countries or sometimes just the Axis were those Countries But the rest of the Italian vessels in East Africa were captured, sunk, or scuttled. East Africa is the Easternmost Region of the African Continent. Six Italian destroyers attempted to attack Port Suez and Port Sudan. The Suez Port is located at the southern boundary of Suez Canal. Port Sudan (بورتسودان is the capital of Red Sea State, Sudan and has 489725 residents (2007 But, instead, all six destroyers were lost due to a combination of British air and sea forces and scuttling by their own crews. In actions against the Italians, the Eastern Fleet lost two destroyers and a sloop. In the 18th and the earlier part of the 19th centuries a sloop-of-war was a small sailing Warship (also known as one of the Escort types with a single gun deck
The Eastern Fleet also supported British and Commonwealth ground forces in their actions in Iraq (Operation Sabine) and Iran (Operation Countenance). For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. The Anglo-Iraqi War was a conflict between the United Kingdom and the Nationalist government of Iraq during World War II. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. The Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran was the invasion of Iran by British and Commonwealth forces and the Soviet Union, codenamed Operation Countenance
Singapore
Before the fall of Singapore, the Eastern Fleet's naval base at Singapore was part of the British Far East Command. The Battle of Singapore was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II when the Empire of Japan invaded the Allied stronghold Singapore The Far East Command was a British military command which had 2 distinct periods
British Far East defence planning was based on assumptions. The Far East is a term often used by people in the Western world to refer to the countries of East Asia. The first assumption was that the United States would remain as an effective ally in the western Pacific Ocean, with a fleet based at Singapore, and that the Philippines would be available as a forward base for British warships. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP [2] Secondly, it was assumed that the technical capabilities and aggression of the Imperial Japanese Navy were over-estimated. For Combined Fleet, please see that article For Carrier Striking Task Force, please see that article In these circumstances, with the Japanese fleet engaged by the United States Navy (USN), the Admiralty sent the four obsolescent Revenge class battleships to Singapore to provide defensive fire-power and a British presence. The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. Design The ships of the class were slower and smaller than the preceding ''Queen Elizabeth''-class battleships The British assumptions were destroyed on 7 December 1941: the impact of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor denied substantial USN support to the British defence of the "Malay barrier" and made impossible the relief of American garrisons in the Philippines. Events 43 BC - Marcus Tullius Cicero assassinated 1696 - Connecticut Route 108, one of the oldest highways Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The attack on Pearl Harbor (or Hawaii Operation, as it was called by the Imperial General Headquarters) was a surprise Military strike conducted by The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Furthermore, Japanese capabilities exceeded expectations.
After the fall of France in June 1940, Japanese pressure on the Vichy authorities in French Indochina resulted in the granting of base and transit rights, albeit with significant restrictions. In World War II, the Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Vichy France, or the Vichy regime are the common terms used to describe the government of France from July 1940 to August 1944 First French interventions See also France-Vietnam relations France-Vietnam relations started as early as the 17th century with the mission of the Jesuit Despite this, in September 1940, the Japanese launched an invasion of French Indochina. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The, also known as the Vietnam Expedition, was an attempt by the Empire of Japan, during the Second Sino-Japanese War to blockade China and prevent The bases thus acquired in Indochina allowed extended Japanese air coverage of the invasion forces bound for Malaya and for the Dutch East Indies. Indochina, or the Indochinese Peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula that were colonized by the British from the 18th and the 19th until the 20th century See http//enwikipediaorg/wiki/WikipediaFootnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the tags and the template below In these circumstances, the Prince of Wales and Repulse were vulnerable to concerted air attacks from the Japanese bases in Indochina and, without air cover, they were sunk in December 1941. Naming The Admiralty ordered construction of two new ''King George V''-class Battleships on 29 July 1936 (the other became HMS ''King George V'') Service in World War I Repulse first saw action on 17 November 1917 at the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The modern aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable had been intended to be part of the squadron, but accidental damage prevented this. Construction and early history She was laid down by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness, on 10 November 1937 as war loomed ever closer It's unlikely that the limited naval air cover thus available would have protected the squadron and the Invincible might also have been a loss.
After the sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse and the death of Admiral Sir Tom Phillips, Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton assumed command of the Eastern Fleet. The Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse was a World War II naval engagement which illustrated the effectiveness of aerial attacks Admiral Sir Thomas "Tom" Spencer Vaughan Phillips KCB ( February 19, 1888 &ndash December 10, 1941) had Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton GBE, KCB, KCMG, DSO ( 20 April 1884 &ndash 4 September 1964 The fleet withdrew first to Java and, following the Fall of Singapore, to Trincomalee, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Java (Jawa is an Island of Indonesia and the site of its Capital city Jakarta. The Battle of Singapore was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II when the Empire of Japan invaded the Allied stronghold Trincomalee (திருகோணமலை Tirukōṇamalai තිරිකුණාමළය Tirikūṇamaḷaya is a district a bay and a port city on the northeast coast of Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island In March 1942, Admiral Sir James Somerville arrived in Ceylon and assumed command from Layton. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Fownes Somerville GCB, GBE, DSO ( 17 July 1882 &ndash 19 March 1949
Indian Ocean retreat
When Admiral Somerville inspected the base at Trincomalee, its deficiencies were clear to him. Trincomalee (திருகோணமலை Tirukōṇamalai තිරිකුණාමළය Tirikūṇamaḷaya is a district a bay and a port city on the northeast coast of He found the port inadequate, vulnerable to a determined attack, and open to spying. An isolated island base with a safe, deep anchorage in a suitably strategic position was required. Addu Atoll met the requirements and it was secretly developed as a fleet anchorage. Seenu Atoll (from the letter "S" of the Thaana Maldivian alphabet is the name of Addu Atoll as an administrative division of the Maldives Once available, the facilities at Addu Atoll were used extensively by the Royal Navy.
The Eastern Fleet was divided into two: Force A and Force B. Force A comprised of the modernised HMS Warspite and the two available fleet aircraft carriers. Early career Warspite's first commanding officer upon commissioning in 1915 was Captain Edward Montgomery Phillpotts. [3] Force B was based on the slow Revenge class battleships, based at the fleet's new operational base at Kilindini near Mombasa in Kenya and relatively safe from the Japanese fleet. Design The ships of the class were slower and smaller than the preceding ''Queen Elizabeth''-class battleships Kilindini Harbour is a large natural deep-water inlet extending inland from Mombasa, Kenya. Mombasa is the second largest City in Kenya, lying on the Indian Ocean. The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north Somalia to the northeast Tanzania to the south Neither individually nor together could the two Eastern Fleet forces challenge a determined Japanese naval assault.
Following the Japanese capture of the Andaman Islands, the main elements of the Fleet retreated to Addu Atoll in Maldives. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The Andaman Islands are a group of islands in the Bay of Bengal, and are part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Union Territory of India. Addu Atoll (local administrative code Seenu) is the southernmost Atoll of the Maldives. The Maldives ( or, or Maldive Islands) officially the Republic of Maldives, is an Island nation consisting of a group of atolls stretching Then, following Chuichi Nagumo's Indian Ocean raid in early 1942, the Fleet moved its operational base to Kilindini near Mombasa in Kenya, as their more forward fleet anchorages could not be adequately protected from Japanese attack. The Indian Ocean raid was a naval sortie by the Fast Carrier Strike Force of the Imperial Japanese Navy from 31 March to 10 April 1942 Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Kilindini Harbour is a large natural deep-water inlet extending inland from Mombasa, Kenya. Mombasa is the second largest City in Kenya, lying on the Indian Ocean. The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north Somalia to the northeast Tanzania to the south The fleet in the Indian Ocean was then gradually reduced to little more than a convoy escort force as other commitments called for the more modern powerful ships.
In May 1942, the Eastern Fleet supported the invasion of Madagascar, Operation Ironclad. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Battle of Madagascar (or Operation Ironclad) was the Allied campaign to capture Vichy French -controlled Madagascar during World This was an operation aimed at thwarting any attempt by Japanese vessels to use naval bases on the Vichy French controlled territory. Vichy France, or the Vichy regime are the common terms used to describe the government of France from July 1940 to August 1944 During the invasion, vessels of the Eastern Fleet were confronted by vessels of the French Navy (two armed merchant cruisers, two sloops, and five submarines) and submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy (I-10, I-16, I-18, and I-20 and midget submarines M-16b and M-20b). The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale ( National Navy) and often called La Royale ( The Royal Navy) is the maritime arm For Combined Fleet, please see that article For Carrier Striking Task Force, please see that article
Indian Ocean strikes
After the departure of the main battle forces during February 1944, the Indian Ocean was left with mostly escort carriers and older battleships as the core of its naval forces. The escort aircraft carrier or escort carrier (popularly known as the jeep carrier) was a small Aircraft carrier utilized by the Royal Navy A battleship is a large heavily armored Warship with a main battery consisting of the largest Calibre of Guns Battleships were Allied advances in the Mediterranean and northern Europe during 1943 and 1944, however, released naval resources. As a result, more British aircraft carriers entered the area; plus the battlecruiser HMS Renown, battleships Howe, Queen Elizabeth, Valiant and supporting warships. An aircraft carrier is a Warship designed with History World War One She was launched on 16 October 1913 at Portsmouth, Hampshire, and entered service in January 1915 during World War I World War I The contract for the construction of the Valiant was given to The Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Limited.
Preparations were put in hand for a more aggressive stance in the Indian Ocean and for British naval participation in the Pacific theatre. The Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO was the World War II military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it a geographic scope Agreement had been reached, after objections from Admiral Ernest King, but new procedures would need to be learnt by naval crews and Fleet Air Arm (FAA) aircrew. Fleet Admiral Ernest Joseph King GCB ( November 23, 1878 &ndash June 25, 1956) was Commander in Chief United States The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the Royal Navy responsible for the operation of the aircraft on board their ships To this end, Operation Diplomat, a training exercise, took place in late March, 1944. During World War II, Operation Diplomat was an Allied naval training operation The objective was for the fleet to rendezvous with a group of tankers (escorted by HNLMS Tromp) and practice refuelling at sea procedures. They then rendezvoused with United States Navy Task Force 58. 5, the USS Saratoga and three destroyers, and returned to Trincomalee on 31 March. Pre-War Years 1928 – 1940 Saratoga, the first fast carrier in the Navy quickly proved the value of her type Trincomalee (திருகோணமலை Tirukōṇamalai තිරිකුණාමළය Tirikūṇamaḷaya is a district a bay and a port city on the northeast coast of Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor The U. S. task force had been detached to the Indian Ocean to bolster local air defences and also to impart necessary procedures to (FAA aircrew), which was done over two or three days' intensive activity at sea. Sources for the dates of return to Trincomalee and the joint US/UK training differ. )
Admiral King then requested that, during April, the Eastern Fleet should engage Japanese forces in their area and hold them there to reduce the opposition to an American seaborne assault on Hollandia (now Jayapura) and Aitape on the north coast of Netherlands New Guinea. Jayapura City (Kota Jayapura (West Papuan - Port Numbai is the capital of Papua province Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. Aitape is a small town of about 8000 people on the north coast of Papua New Guinea in the Sandaun province Netherlands New Guinea was the official name of Western New Guinea while it was a colonial possession of the Netherlands. An airborne attack by the Eastern Fleet (including Task Force 58. 5) on Sabang, off Sumatra was executed (Operation Cockpit). Sabang is a City in Aceh, Indonesia. The city is located on Weh Island, 17 km north of Banda Aceh Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470000 km² and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two Operation Cockpit was a bombing raid by aircraft from two Allied naval forces (Force 69 and Force 70 on 19 April 1944. Surprise was achieved: military and oil installations were heavily damaged by the attacks, aggravating Japanese fuel shortages. The American involvement was extended to capitalise on the success with a second attack, this time on Surabaya, eastern Java, on 17 May (Operation Transom). Surabaya (formerly spelled as Soerabaja) is Indonesia 's second-largest city, and the capital of the province of East Java. Java (Jawa is an Island of Indonesia and the site of its Capital city Jakarta. Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. Operation Transom was a major Bombing raid on Japanese targets at Surabaya, Java by United States and British planes on The distances for this operation necessitated replenishment at sea. Again, the defenders were unprepared and significant damage was made to port, military and oil infrastructure. After this, on 18 May, Saratoga and her destroyers returned to the Pacific after what Admiral Somerville called "a profitable and very happy association of Task Group 58. Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. 5 with the Eastern Fleet".
At the end of August 1944, Admiral Somerville was relieved as Commander-in-Chief Eastern Fleet by Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser, former Commander-in-Chief Home Fleet. Admiral of the Fleet Bruce Austin Fraser 1st Baron Fraser of North Cape GCB, KBE ( 5 February 1888 &ndash 12 February The Home Fleet is the traditional name of the fleet of the Royal Navy that protects the United Kingdom 's territorial waters Somerville had been Commander-in-Chief Eastern Fleet since March 1942. During this time, there had been friction between him and the Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia Theatre, Louis Mountbatten. Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, The need for an influential military representative in Washington provided the opportunity for a change. Fraser later transferred his flag to the newly-formed British Pacific Fleet on 22 November 1944. The British Pacific Fleet (BPF was a multinational Allied naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
By this time, the Eastern Fleet included ships from Britain, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands and France, and became the East Indies Fleet.
A further series of strikes were made against targets in Sumatra including Operation Crimson, the bombardment of the Japanese naval base at Sabang. Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470000 km² and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two The Eastern Fleet was greatly augmented by units intended for the Pacific and, on 4 January 1945 two British carriers (HMS Indomitable and Indefatigable) made an attack on oil refineries at Pangkalan Brandon in Sumatra (Operation Lentil). Events 46 BC - Titus Labienus defeats Julius Caesar in the Battle of Ruspina. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Construction and early history She was laid down by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness, on 10 November 1937 as war loomed ever closer
The final attacks were flown as Task Force 63 was en route for Sydney, Australia to become the British Pacific Fleet. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 The British Pacific Fleet (BPF was a multinational Allied naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. Operation Meridian One and Operation Meridian Two were air attacks upon the oil refineries at Pladjoe, north of Palembang, Java and at Soengei Gerong, Sumatra. During World War II, Operation Meridian was a series of British air attacks conducted on 24 January ( Meridian One) and 29 January ( During World War II, Operation Meridian was a series of British air attacks conducted on 24 January ( Meridian One) and 29 January ( Palembang is a city of 1286000 in the south of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Although successful these were not as smooth as earlier attacks. Poor weather delayed fly-offs for both raids, 48 aircraft were lost or damaged and refuelling at sea was only completed with difficulty and damage due to poor weather and lack of expertise.
A number of Fleet Air Arm pilots were captured by the Japanese during the Palembang raid. These were taken to Singapore where at least some of them were executed by the Japanese military authorities[4]
Important operations were launched in 1945 as the East Indies Fleet in the recapture of Burma, including landings on Ramree Island and Akyab and near Rangoon and diversionary operations (Operation Bishop). The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United Ramree Island is an Island off the coast of Myanmar. The area of the island is about 1350 km² Sittwe is a Town in Rakhine State, in the westernmost part of Myanmar (Burma Yangon (also known as Rangoon) is the largest city and a former capital of Burma.
On May 15-16 1945, the British executed Operation Dukedom and the 26th Destroyer Flotilla (HMS Saumarez, Venus, Verulam, Vigilant and Virago) sank the Japanese heavy cruiser Haguro in the Malacca Straits by torpedo attack. Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the The Battle of the Malacca Strait, sometimes called the Sinking of the Haguro, and in Japanese sources as the Battle off Penang (ペナン沖海戦 was a naval Arctic convoys After working up the Saumarez was allocated to the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla Home Fleet, and shortly after to the 23rd Destroyer Flotilla working HMS Venus (R50 was an V-class Destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during World War II. HMS Verulam (R28 was an V-class Destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during World War II. HMS Vigilant (R93 was an V-class Destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during World War II. HMS Virago (R75 was an V-class Destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during World War II. Service History Haguro was laid down at the Mitsubishi shipyard in Nagasaki on 16 March 1925, launched and named on 24 The Strait of Malacca is a narrow 805 km (500 mile stretch of water between Peninsular Malaysia (West Malaysia) and the Indonesian island of Sumatra The modern torpedo (historically called an automotive automobile locomotive or fish torpedo is a self-propelled explosive Projectile weapon launched above or below
Trade protection
This was the protection of merchant ships in the Indian Ocean and it was seen as the Eastern Fleet's primary role. The threats were German, Italian and Japanese submarines, German warships and Italian and German auxiliary cruisers. Armed Merchantmen has come to mean merchant ships equipped with guns usually for defensive purposes either by design or after the fact A substantial part of the Fleet was employed in escorting convoys and hunting submarines and surface ships and their supply vessels. For much of the war, with naval resources needed elsewhere, there were barely enough warships to perform these tasks and, without escorts, the battleships and aircraft carriers that remained could not safely be used.
Although not a naval action, one action is noteworthy. In March 1943, members of the Calcutta Light Horse, a reserve army regiment, performed a highly successful raid on Goa harbour, sinking a German ship that was transmitting shipping information to waiting U-boats. The Calcutta Light Horse was raised in 1872 and formed part of the Cavalry Reserve in the British Indian Army. Goa ( Konkani: गोंय /ɡɔ̃j/ is India 's smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest in terms of population. U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word, itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot ( undersea boat) and refers
List of ships
During World War II, the British Eastern Fleet included, from time to time, a number of warships from other Allied nations, such as Australia (Royal Australian Navy), France (Free French Navy), the Netherlands (Royal Netherlands Navy), India (Royal Indian Navy), New Zealand (Royal New Zealand Navy), and the United States. The Eastern Fleet was a World War II formation of the British Royal Navy. The Royal Australian Navy ( RAN) is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Les Forces Navales Françaises Libres ("Free French Naval Forces" were the naval arm of the Free French Forces during the Second World War. The Koninklijke Marine ( Royal Netherlands Navy) is the Navy of the Netherlands. The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The Royal New Zealand Navy ( RNZN) (Maori Te Taua Moana, The Sea Army) is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. Major ships attached to the Eastern Fleet, or where indicated, East Indies Fleet, included:
- HMS Hermes - Sunk 9 April 1942
- HMS Victorious
- HMS Illustrious
- HMS Indomitable
- HMS Unicorn - Aircraft Carrier in Eastern Fleet 1944
- HMS Renown - Battlecruiser in Eastern Fleet 1944
- HMS Queen Elizabeth - Battleship in Eastern Fleet 1944, East Indies Fleet 1945
- HMS Valiant - Battleship in Eastern Fleet 1944
- French Battleship Richelieu - Battleship in Eastern Fleet 1944, East Indies Fleet 1945
- HMS Emperor - Escort Carrier in East Indies Fleet 1945 --- approximate airgroup 20-24 Hellcats
- HMS Empress - Escort Carrier in East Indies Fleet 1945 --- airgroup included specialized photo-reconnaissance Hellcats
- HMS Ameer - Escort Carrier in East Indies Fleet 1945 --- approximate airgroup 20-24 Hellcats
- HMS Shah - Escort Carrier in East Indies Fleet 1945 --- approximate airgroup 10 Avenger bombers, 4 Hellcats, 5 spare Seafires
- HMS Khedive - Escort Carrier in East Indies Fleet 1945 --- approximate airgroup 20 Hellcats
- HMS Hunter - Fighter Support Escort Carrier in East Indies Fleet 1945 --- airgroup 24 Seafires
- HMS Stalker - Fighter Support Escort Carrier in East Indies Fleet 1945 --- airgroup 24 Seafires
- HMS Attacker - Escort Carrier in East Indies Fleet from May 1945 --- airgroup 24 Seafires
- HMS London - Heavy Cruiser in East Indies Fleet 1945
- HMS Cumberland - Heavy Cruiser in East Indies Fleet 1945
- HMS Suffolk - Heavy Cruiser in East Indies Fleet 1945
- HMS Sussex - Heavy Cruiser in East Indies Fleet 1945
- HMS Phoebe - Fighter Direction Ship/Anti-Aircraft Cruiser in East Indies Fleet 1945
- HMS Royalist - Fighter Direction Ship/Anti-Aircraft Cruiser in East Indies Fleet 1945
- Submarines: 2nd Flotilla, of approx eight "S" class and four "T" class
- HMS Newcastle
- HMS Prince of Wales - Sunk 10 December 1941
- HMS Repulse - Sunk 10 December 1941
- HMS Electra - Sunk 27 February 1942
- HMS Express
- HMS Cornwall - Sunk 5 April 1942
- HMS Dorsetshire - Sunk 5 April 1942
- HMAS Vampire - Sunk 9 April 1942
- HMS Adamant - Submarine Depot Ship
- USS Saratoga
See also
References
- Royal Navy in Pacific and Indian Oceans
- The Royal New Zealand Navy, Chapter 23 "The New Zealand Cruisers", Sydney David Waters, Historical Publications Branch, Wellington (Part of: The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–1945)
- HMS Ceylon
- Details of Far East Fleet Composition in the 1960s
- ^ The British Empire and the Second World War, Ashley Jackson, p289
- ^ The British Empire and the Second World War, Ashley Jackson, p290
- ^ Royal Navy in Pacific and Indian Oceans area
- ^ Appendix V — Execution By Japanese Of Fleet Air Arm Officers | Nzetc
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