April 1942 Alternate Indian Ocean
- Thread starter Zheng He
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1200 Hours, 1 July 1942, Hashirajima Anchorage, Japan – While the Combined Fleet planned for its next series of operations, moves were also made to try and replenish the Japanese Navy’s depleted carrier force. The seaplane carriers Chitose and Chiyoda were ordered to the shipyard at Sasebo for conversion to light carriers, a process that would take approximately 10 months. Work was also sped up on another seaplane carrier conversion, the light carrier Ryuho, damaged by a bomb hit during the April air raid on Tokyo. However, she was still at least three months away from commissioning.
1300 Hours, 1 July 1942, Headquarters First Southern Area Expeditionary Fleet, Singapore – Vice Admiral Ozawa read with some trepidation the latest report on enemy fleet movements. The submarine I-1 patrolling off Colombo reported sighting two carriers and two heavy cruisers heading south at 15 knots. Commander Ankyu Eitaro was not able to maneuver his boat into attack position and had to order a crash dive just after transmitting his sighting report when the submarine was sighted near the surface by a Swordfish from HMS Hermes.
Ozawa obviously had no idea that the carriers were in fact headed for the Mediterranean and his mind the Eastern Fleet’s carriers being at sea again likely meant they were out looking for trouble. The supply and reinforcement convoy was due to reach Sabang later that day and he ordered the bases at Sabang, Penang, and Port Blair to increase air patrols in the event the British were planning more carrier raids against his perimeter.
Ozawa obviously had no idea that the carriers were in fact headed for the Mediterranean and his mind the Eastern Fleet’s carriers being at sea again likely meant they were out looking for trouble. The supply and reinforcement convoy was due to reach Sabang later that day and he ordered the bases at Sabang, Penang, and Port Blair to increase air patrols in the event the British were planning more carrier raids against his perimeter.
Sorry. Had to do that myself a few times. It's always a bit of an emotional roller coaster. Take all the time you need to get straightened out.
Driftless
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My condolences. Pets become part of the family and it's a really tough thing to put them down.
0900 Hours, 2 July 1942, Colombo Harbor, Ceylon – Following the departure of most of the Eastern Fleet’s carriers, Colombo was still a busy place. Convoys were constantly coming and going and now preparations for OPERATION TIDERACE were in full swing. Canberra had agreed to release two infantry battalions, one each from the 16th and 17th Brigades for the seizure of Christmas Island while the balance of the two brigades would depart for Australia in August. The battalions were being combined into a single unit named Bosun Force after the Golden Bosuns inhabiting Christmas Island. Likewise the Australian troops garrisoning the Cocos Islands were named Rail Force after the Cocos Buff Banded Rails.
The troops of Bosun Force were loading the transport ship Westerland in preparation for departure while merchant ships Torrens and Hawaiian Merchant were being loaded with additional supplies, munitions, spare parts, and aircraft engines for the soldiers and the bomber squadrons transferring to the Cocos Islands. The convoy would depart as soon as its escort was organized and some of the warships completed minor repairs. The 16 A-24 Banshees delivered by Torrens’ were already undergoing conversion for carrier operations at Ratmalana Airfield.
Alongside the cargo ships at the piers was the liner RMS Orion. She was having her superstructure modified so she could be fitted with a false flight deck and island in order to give her the appearance of an aircraft carrier similar to the way the merchant ship SS Mamari was modified earlier in the wary. With only one carrier for the next several weeks, Somerville and Boyd needed to use every trick they could think of.
While the ships were loaded the Hudsons and Blenheims of No. 62 and No. 11 Squadrons prepared to depart as well. The almost 1800 mile flight to the Cocos Islands was beyond the nominal range for the Blenheims but each bomber had been equipped with a ferry tank in the bomb bay so they could make the trip.
The decision to commit Eastern Fleet and RAF units to the protection of the Cocos Islands and the invasion of Christmas Island was having additional positive effects on the relationship between Canberra and London. Due to the need for long range attack aircraft at the Cocos Islands, the Australians agreed to send No. 30 Squadron, its only unit equipped with the deadly Bristol Beaufighter. No. 30 Squadron was due to rotate to New Guinea in the fall so the RAAF decided to provide the unit with some on the job training in the Indian Ocean first. The influx of larger bombers and attack aircraft to the Cocos Islands meant that No. 15 Squadron and it Fairey Battles would be redeployed to make room. The Battle crews were furious as they had trained hard to bring their unit up to combat capability with their generally unloved light bombers. However, the Battles simply did not have the range to support operations around Christmas Island so No. 15 Squadron was being sent to Darwin where they could support Australian and Dutch troops still fighting on East Timor.
The Australians also agreed to send No. 25 Squadron and its Buffaloes to Burma if the RAF would send a Hurricane squadron to the Cocos although it take a few weeks for this transfer to work itself out. This was a win-win because it would provide No. 224 Group with a squadron of fighters it could use as bomber escorts while the Cocos Islands air group would receive a higher performing fighter for local air defense.
The troops of Bosun Force were loading the transport ship Westerland in preparation for departure while merchant ships Torrens and Hawaiian Merchant were being loaded with additional supplies, munitions, spare parts, and aircraft engines for the soldiers and the bomber squadrons transferring to the Cocos Islands. The convoy would depart as soon as its escort was organized and some of the warships completed minor repairs. The 16 A-24 Banshees delivered by Torrens’ were already undergoing conversion for carrier operations at Ratmalana Airfield.
Alongside the cargo ships at the piers was the liner RMS Orion. She was having her superstructure modified so she could be fitted with a false flight deck and island in order to give her the appearance of an aircraft carrier similar to the way the merchant ship SS Mamari was modified earlier in the wary. With only one carrier for the next several weeks, Somerville and Boyd needed to use every trick they could think of.
While the ships were loaded the Hudsons and Blenheims of No. 62 and No. 11 Squadrons prepared to depart as well. The almost 1800 mile flight to the Cocos Islands was beyond the nominal range for the Blenheims but each bomber had been equipped with a ferry tank in the bomb bay so they could make the trip.
The decision to commit Eastern Fleet and RAF units to the protection of the Cocos Islands and the invasion of Christmas Island was having additional positive effects on the relationship between Canberra and London. Due to the need for long range attack aircraft at the Cocos Islands, the Australians agreed to send No. 30 Squadron, its only unit equipped with the deadly Bristol Beaufighter. No. 30 Squadron was due to rotate to New Guinea in the fall so the RAAF decided to provide the unit with some on the job training in the Indian Ocean first. The influx of larger bombers and attack aircraft to the Cocos Islands meant that No. 15 Squadron and it Fairey Battles would be redeployed to make room. The Battle crews were furious as they had trained hard to bring their unit up to combat capability with their generally unloved light bombers. However, the Battles simply did not have the range to support operations around Christmas Island so No. 15 Squadron was being sent to Darwin where they could support Australian and Dutch troops still fighting on East Timor.
The Australians also agreed to send No. 25 Squadron and its Buffaloes to Burma if the RAF would send a Hurricane squadron to the Cocos although it take a few weeks for this transfer to work itself out. This was a win-win because it would provide No. 224 Group with a squadron of fighters it could use as bomber escorts while the Cocos Islands air group would receive a higher performing fighter for local air defense.
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