HMS Indomitable is limited by the number of aircraft she can accommodate. As of 8 December 1941, she was assigned nine Sea Hurricane of No 808 Sqn; ten Fulmar (11 crews) of No 800 Sqn (two were lost en-route to the West Indies, one crew rescued – I assume the same en-route to South Africa); 12 Albacore each from No 827 and 831 Sqn. This is a total 43 aircraft, her capacity was rated at 48. ASW patrols are conducted by Walrus aircraft, six total of which are embarked in HMS Prince of Wales, Repulse and Kenya. Two are launched by catapult, and land aboard HMS Indomitable. They cannot be launched by catapult. (Note: Among the carriers that operated the Walrus were HMS Ark Royal and Victorious.) Recce duties are done in three shifts, the first and second with five Fulmar, third with six Albacore.
ATL events of 9 December:
@0930 – Same.
@1300 – Same.
@1330 – Walrus spots HMIJS I-65 and likely sinks her. RN ASW crews are trained against U-boats with a dive time of 17-25 seconds. HMIJS I-65 takes 56-59 seconds. In addition, the E7K (Alf) seaplane from HMIJS Kinu is not noticed by the submarine’s lookouts for about five minutes. I doubt they would notice a Walrus. Even if not sunk she is probably damaged. Even if undamaged, she will not see or report Force Z.
@1530 – Recce spots HMIJS Kinu. Unless someone on the flag bridge remembers that up until the 1937 edition, “Jane’s Fighting Ships” published the disposition of the IJN, and that light cruisers were flagships of submarine squadrons, Phillips will wait until @1610 to allow a torpedo strike by Albacores. This will allow the strike to land before sunset, and he would be sure no possibility of hitting another target would exist.
@1700-1715 – HMIJS Kinu sunk by torpedo attack. Her report of attack by carrier-borne aircraft comes as a surprise by RA Matsunaga and VA Ozawa. RA Matsunaga orders aircraft rearmed. IJN submarine picket line is moved further east.
1809 – Sunset.
@2000 – G3M2 recce plane begins dropping flares over VA Ozawa’s flagship HMIJS Chokai and destroyer HMIJS Sagiri. Attack is averted at last minute, and air operations are cancelled until dawn 10 December 1941.
Flares are reported by HMS Electra and radar aboard HMS Kenya, HMNLS Jacob van Heemskerk, and once the destroyer has maneuvered to bring her Type 286M to bear, HMS Bedouin.
@2025-2100 – Using tactics exercised prewar, and used very effectively at Cape Matapan; destroyers HMS Intrepid and Electra to lose within searchlight range, while HMS Prince of Wales, Repulse and Kenya close to @6,000 yards before HMIJS Chokai and Sagiri are lit up and firing commences. Neither ship is able to either escape or launch torpedoes. HMS Prince of Wales suffers breakdowns in both her quadruple turrets. As with HMIJS Kinu, full contact report is made but IJN confusion over whether to countermand VA Ozawa’s orders postponing air operations until the next day results in no actions being taken. HMS Indomitable, Tenedos and HMAS Vampire are ordered 20 miles to the south for the duration of the battle
2258 – Same.
2352 – Same.
2359 - Force Z has set curse and speed to a point100 miles east of Kota Bharu at sunrise - @0400.
Note: Slight edit on last line
Second edit after comments - 100, not 10 miles east of Kota Bharu. Egregious error on my part. Thought I fixed it. Ooops !!