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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 against Allied shipping and bases in the Indian Ocean. Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The Empire of Japan ( {{unicode|Kyūjitai}}: ja 大日本帝國 Shinjitai: ja 大日本帝国 pronounced Dai Nippon Teikoku Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Fownes Somerville GCB, GBE, DSO ( 17 July 1882 &ndash 19 March 1949 For Combined Fleet, please see that article For Carrier Striking Task Force, please see that article Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 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 an early engagement of the Pacific campaign of World War II. The Pacific War was the part of World War II —and preceding conflicts—that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands and in East Asia, between 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
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First Moves
Following the destruction of the ABDA forces in the battles around Java in February and March, the Japanese sortied into the Indian Ocean to destroy British seapower there and support the invasion of Burma. The American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA Command, code name ABDACOM, was a short-lived supreme command for all Allied forces in South East Asia, in Java (Jawa is an Island of Indonesia and the site of its Capital city Jakarta. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. The Japanese force, commanded by Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, had six carriers: Akagi, Ryūjō, Hiryū, Sōryū, Shōkaku, and Zuikaku. Description Akagi was laid down as an ''Amagi'' class Battlecruiser at Kure Japan. Flagship In August–December 1937 Ryūjō supported land operations of the Japanese Army in China, as flagship of Carrier Division 1 This article is about the Japanese carrier for the videogame and manga character see Strider Hiryu. Combat history From 21 December to 23 December 1941 Sōryū launched air strikes against Wake Island. Design Shōkaku was laid down at Yokosuka Dockyard on December 12, 1937, launched on June 1, 1939, and commissioned WWII Service In 1941 Zuikaku, under the command of Captain Yokokawa Ichibei and her sister ship ''Shōkaku'' made up Carrier Division Five This powerful force left Staring Bay, Celebes on 26 March 1942. Staring-baai ( Dutch for Staring Bay) is a Bay off the southeast peninsula of Sulawesi in Indonesia. Sulawesi (formerly known as Celebes, ˈsɛlɛbiz is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
Signal decrypts provided the British commander of the Eastern Fleet, Vice Admiral Sir James Somerville with warning of the Japanese sortie, and he retreated to Addu Atoll in the Maldive Islands, expecting an attack on 1 April or 2 April. 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 Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Fownes Somerville GCB, GBE, DSO ( 17 July 1882 &ndash 19 March 1949 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 Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of
The first raids were against shipping in the Bay of Bengal by the carrier Ryūjō and six cruisers under the command of Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa. The Bay of Bengal is a bay that forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Flagship In August–December 1937 Ryūjō supported land operations of the Japanese Army in China, as flagship of Carrier Division 1 was an Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. They sank 23 ships, and five more were sunk by submarines off India's west coast.
When the expected attack on Ceylon failed to take place, Somerville sent the slow carrier Hermes back to Trincomalee for repairs, escorted by the heavy cruisers Cornwall and Dorsetshire, and the Australian destroyer HMAS Vampire. Trincomalee (திருகோணமலை Tirukōṇamalai තිරිකුණාමළය Tirikūṇamaḷaya is a district a bay and a port city on the northeast coast of History Upon completion in 1928 Cornwall joined the China Station. Career Interwar Upon commissioning she became the Flagship of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics.
On the evening of 4 April, the Japanese fleet was detected 400 miles south of Ceylon by a PBY Catalina flown by Squadron Leader Leonard Birchall of 413 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force. Events 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Air Commodore Leonard Joseph Birchall CM, OBE, DFC, OOnt, CD DMSc LLD History Created as the third RCAF squadron attached to the RAF Coastal Command. The location of the fleet was transmitted before the Catalina was shot down by a Zero fighter from the Hiryū. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout A fighter aircraft is a Military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other Aircraft, as opposed to a Bomber, which is designed
Attack on Colombo, Ceylon
On 5 April 1942 the Japanese struck with a force of 125 aircraft, made up of 36 'Val' dive bombers and 53 'Kate' torpedo bombers with 36 Zero fighters as escort. The Easter Sunday Raid was an air raid carried out by the Empire of Japan on Easter Sunday, 5 April, 1942 on Colombo, History Upon completion in 1928 Cornwall joined the China Station. Events 456 - St Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout A dive bomber is a Bomber aircraft that Dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy and limit the exposure to and effectiveness of WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Types The torpedo bomber first appeared during the later years of World War I. The aircraft, under the command of Commander Mitsuo Fuchida of the Akagi, who had led the attack on Pearl Harbor, made landfall near Galle. Commander is a Military rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service Mitsuo Fuchida ( 淵田美津雄( 3 December 1902 - 30 May 1976) was a Captain in the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service Description Akagi was laid down as an ''Amagi'' class Battlecruiser at Kure Japan. Pearl Harbor is a Harbor on the Island of O{{okina}}ahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Galle (ගාල්ල in Sinhala; காலி in Tamil) (pronounced as one syllable in English gɔːl the same as "Gaul" and in Sinhalese They flew up the coast for half an hour in full view of everybody, but nobody informed the RAF at Ratmalana, whose aircraft were still on the ground as the Japanese flew overhead. Ratmalana Airport was originally the international airport for Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The Japanese attacked the naval base at Colombo, Ceylon, sinking the auxiliary cruiser Hector and the old destroyer Tenedos in the harbour, but losing a claimed eighteen planes to heavy flak (the Japanese only admitted to 5, three of them over land - as only three destroyed planes were discovered on land). Colombo ( Sinhala:, ˈkoləmbə Tamil: கொழும்பு is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island Armed Merchantmen has come to mean merchant ships equipped with guns usually for defensive purposes either by design or after the fact Construction and civilian service Hector was built in the interwar period by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, of Greenock, Scotland HMS Tenedos was an Admiralty 'S' class destroyer Commissioned in 1919 she served throughout the period between the two World Wars. The RAF lost at least 27 planes. Then Japanese search planes discovered the Cornwall and Dorsetshire, commanded by Captain Augustus Agar, 200 miles southwest of Ceylon and sank them, killing 424 men.
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For more details on this topic, see Augustus Agar.
On 6 April 1942 the Indian sloop Indus was sunk by air attack off the coast of Burma, off Akyab. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 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 Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. Sittwe is a Town in Rakhine State, in the westernmost part of Myanmar (Burma
Trincomalee and Batticaloa, Ceylon
On 9 April 1942 the Japanese attacked the harbor at Trincomalee at 07:00. Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Trincomalee (திருகோணமலை Tirukōṇamalai තිරිකුණාමළය Tirikūṇamaḷaya is a district a bay and a port city on the northeast coast of The British again had warning of the attack, and Hermes and her escorts had left the night before. They were returning to port when they were discovered at 08:55. Hermes had no aircraft on board, and so was defenceless when 70 bombers attacked her at 10:35 off Batticaloa. Batticaloa (மட்டக்களப்பு in Tamil මඩකළපුව in Sinhala) is the provincial capital of the eastern province of Sri Lanka Hit 40 times, Hermes sank with the loss of 307 men. Vampire and the corvette Hollyhock were also sunk. A corvette is a small maneuverable lightly armed Warship, originally smaller than a Frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft, although many HMS Hollyhock (K64 was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Navy.
The hospital ship Vita later picked up 590 survivors. The Royal Australian Air Force lost at least 8 Hawker Hurricanes and the Fleet Air Arm one Fairey Fulmar. The Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the Royal Navy responsible for the operation of the aircraft on board their ships The Fairey Fulmar was a British carrier-borne Fighter aircraft that served with the Fleet Air Arm (FAA during World War II. The Japanese lost 5 bombers and 6 fighters, one in a suicide attack on the Trincomalee fuel tanks.
Results
The sortie demonstrated Japanese superiority in carrier operations, and exposed the unprofessional manner in which the RAF was run in the East, but it did not destroy British naval power in the Indian Ocean. It is arguable that, by making full use of signal intercepts, decryption, reconnaissance and superior radar, Somerville was able to save his fast carriers Indomitable and Formidable to fight another day. Construction and early history She was laid down by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness, on 10 November 1937 as war loomed ever closer Battle Honours Matapan 1941 Crete 1941 Mediterranean 1941 Indian Ocean early 1942 North However, it might equally be said that the blunders made by the Royal Navy meant that the main fleet from Addu was not able to make contact with Nagumo's force as it intended.
An invasion was feared by the British, who interpreted the Japanese failure to do so as due to heavy losses over Ceylon - and hence led to claims of a British victory. However, in reality the Japanese did not have the men, shipping or land based air power to spare for an invasion and occupation and were not even in a position to make a temporary occupation as a raid. The island did not face a real threat of invasion at any point during the war.
The island of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), was strategically important, since it commanded the Indian Ocean. Thus it controlled access to India, also the vital Allied shipping routes to the Middle East and the oilfields of the Persian Gulf. Ceylon held most of the British Empire's resources of rubber. An important harbor and naval base, Trincomalee, was located on the island’s eastern coast. Japanese propaganda had suborned many of the native Sinhalese population, who now awaited their arrival.
The raid had allowed the Imperial Japanese Navy to demonstrate their mastery of the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal; also their ability to seize territory by capturing the Andaman Islands. Despite losses, the British fleet escaped conflict by retiring; in view of the overwhelming superiority of the Japanese, particularly in carrier operations, this seems to have been a wise decision by Admiral Somerville. Japanese plans were already made for a submarine base in the island of Madagascar to attack Allied shipping routes; now a weakened Ceylon invited invasion, possibly with limited objectives, the taking of Trincomalee, a more convenient base. A submarine base is a Military base that shelters Submarines and their personnel
That the British expected invasion, from their mastery of Japanese codes and other sources, is borne out by a speech, the C. in C. of Ceylon, Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton, made in mid-April, to personnel of the damaged airfield, at China Bay in Trincomalee Harbor. Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton GBE, KCB, KCMG, DSO ( 20 April 1884 &ndash 4 September 1964 He warned them, ‘The Japanese Fleet has retired to Singapore, to refuel and rearm, and to organise an invasion force, which we think is coming back to attack us. ’ He ended by saying, ‘He was going for re-enforcements, while you men here, must be prepared to fight to the last man to stop the Japanese. ' The Admiral’s speech had a negative effect on personnel, particularly his reference to leaving the island for re-enforcements; afterwards he became known as ‘Runaway Layton. ’
However, the expected Japanese invasion, never took place; the First Carrier Striking Force was recalled to Japan. For the cause we look to events far away in the Pacific. The Doolittle Raid of April 18th 1942, was the first air raid by the United States on the Japanese home islands, during World War II. The Doolittle Raid, 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese home island of Honshū The totally unexpected raid on Tokyo, the capital and home of the Emperor, caused little damage, but had strong effects in the Japanese High Command. U. S. bombers had flown near the Imperial Palace, so insulting their revered Emperor; more important was their realization that the home islands were now vulnerable to U. S. air attack. The Imperial Japanese Navy had responsibility for securing the ‘Pacific Frontier’, thus would have to fix the problem. Their Commander in Chief, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, now took charge of a complex operation, which would involve the taking of Midway Island, with the luring of U. S. Navy aircraft carriers into a fatal battle. Instead, in June 1942, the U. S. Navy would turn the tables and all four aircraft carriers of the First Striking Force would be sunk at the battle of ‘Midway’, thus depriving the IJN of the ability to conduct long range strategic attacks.
The results of ‘Midway’ would not be known by the Allies for some months. Hence, three British army divisions came to strengthen Ceylon’s defences; also measures to improve morale ensued, such as ensuring Sinhalese food rations were increased. Several minor mutinies against the British by native soldiers, were quickly put down. Admiral Sir G. Layton remained in Ceylon for most of the war. Later, Ceylon would become an important base for the planned re-taking of Malaya and Singapore.
See also
- South-East Asian Theatre of World War II
- The Easter Sunday Raid on Colombo
- Indian Ocean Disaster
- Battle of Madagascar
- Cocos Islands Mutiny
References
Books
- Brown, David (1990). The South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was the name given to the campaigns of the Pacific War in India, Thailand, The Easter Sunday Raid was an air raid carried out by the Empire of Japan on Easter Sunday, 5 April, 1942 on Colombo, The United Kingdom, along with the British Empire 's crown colonies, especially British India, declared war on Nazi Germany in 1939 after the The Battle of Madagascar (or Operation Ironclad) was the Allied campaign to capture Vichy French -controlled Madagascar during World The Cocos Islands Mutiny was a failed Mutiny by Ceylonese (Sri Lankan soldiers against British officers on the Cocos (Keeling Islands Warship Losses of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-914-X.
- D'Albas, Andrieu (1965). Death of a Navy: Japanese Naval Action in World War II. Devin-Adair Pub. ISBN 0-8159-5302-X.
- Dull, Paul S. (1978). A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1941-1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-097-1.
- Gill, G. Hermon (1968). Volume II – Royal Australian Navy, 1942–1945, Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Australia in the War of 1939–1945 is a 22 volume Official history series covering Australia's involvement in the Second World War. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. The Australian War Memorial is Australia 's national memorial to the members of all its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated Retrieved on 2006-11-20. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 284 - Diocletian was chosen as Roman Emperor. 762 - Bögü Khan of the Uyghurs,
- Noel Crusz, The Cocos Islands Mutiny, Fremantle: Fremantle Arts Centre Press, 2001.
- Michael Tominson, The Most Dangerous Moment: The Japanese Assault on Ceylon 1942, London: Granada, 1979.
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