26 May 1942. Lembang, Java.
Having come back to ABDA’s HQ, Auchinleck’s Naval Commander, Admiral Conrad Helfrich was able to update his superior regarding the current situation. Admiral Sommerville’s Royal Navy fleet now had three aircraft carriers (HMS Ark Royal, Illustrious and Indomitable) and three battleships (HMS Prince of Wales, Nelson and Warspite) with supporting cruisers and destroyers. The fleet was on its way to Australia, where it was planned to rendezvous with an American task force with two or three aircraft carriers. British and American Intelligence believed that the main Japanese carrier force was once again going to support further landings, but it wasn’t clear where they would strike. The possibilities were another attack on Malaya, possibly on Papua New Guinea, or, thought least likely, a direct attack on Java. The Americans believed that they would be able to get an idea from cryptoanalysis in time enough to counter them. The British and US carriers had quite different standard operating procedures, coordination between the two would likely be a problem. Rear-Admiral Denis Boyd, Commanding Eastern Fleet Aircraft Carriers, had travelled on ahead with some staff, to meet with his American counterparts to pave the way for a modus operandi to be worked out.
Air Marshall Richard Peirse (CO ABDAair) confirmed what Auchinleck had been told about the RAF in Malaya, strengthened by men and machines coming from the Middle East, were becoming more proficient in army cooperation and particularly in Photo Reconnaissance. The balance of air power there was now in favour of the RAF, though the Japanese still had strong fighter and bomber assets to hand. Peirse also noted that the growing US Army Air Force presence in Australia and Java was beginning to have a similar effect as the RAF in Malaya. He was confident about the air defence of Java but was concerned about supporting the troops in Kendari. The American Air Transport Command (US Army forces in Australia) had organised the 21st and 22nd Transport Squadrons, with ex-civilian DC2 and DC3 aircraft, along with a number of other types. Flying in and out of the Allied held airstrips on Celebes, the transport aircraft carried in essential supplies and brought out the wounded.
The arrival of fresh American units continued. The US Army 32nd and 41st Infantry Divisions were now in Australia, though when they would be combat ready was under discussion. The US 1st Marine Division were also arriving, with a regiment each in Samoa and New Zealand, the other regiment due to arrive in July. New Caledonia hosted the equivalent of another US Army Division under Brigadier-General Patch.
More forces were on their way, 2nd New Zealand’s Expeditionary Force's 2nd Division was on its way home, and the New Zealanders were putting together a 3rd Division as well as a Tank Brigade. Auchinleck knew that a battle-hardened force like 2nd NZ Division was going to be an incredibly important asset, though just exactly how Major-General Freyberg VC would deal with this new task was questionable in Auchinleck’s mind. Some arm twisting had been done with the French General De Gaulle, who was advised that having to rely on the Americans to defend the French territory in the Pacific sent out a particularly negative signal. Therefore, elements of 1st and 2nd Fighting Free French Brigades, spearheaded by 1 bataillon du Pacifique, had been shipped with the New Zealanders to defend New Caledonia, the New Hebrides and other French holdings in the Pacific. If any attempt was made to free French Indo-China, these French forces would be included.
The Australian Army was providing two infantry and (soon) one armoured Divisions in Malaya. The 6th Australian Division’s Brigades (23rd and 17th) which at Rabaul and Ambon had given the Japanese real problems, were now shadows of their former selves. The whole of 18th Brigade, which had been on Timor, and various other units, had been fed into the fighting at Kendari on Celebes. The second Japanese invasion of Celebes near Kendari was being resisted successfully, but at a high cost to both sides. The invasion of Celebes on the western side near Makassar had added to the difficulties of the defenders. There had been talk about ‘doing a Dunkirk’ to withdraw the allied forces, but so far, enough reinforcements and resupply was getting through to keep the Japanese from conquering the island completely.