Fantasque Time Line (France Fights On) - English Translation

[Wings]

February 8th, 1942

Manado (North Sulawesi), 03:00 - Escorted by the force of Rear Admiral Kubo, a convoy leaves for Macassar.
.........
Off Sandakan (Borneo) - The only Japanese warship seriously hit during the battle of Balikpapan on January 22nd, the DD Natsushio, leaves Balikpapan the day before for Hainan after temporary repairs. Taken in tow, it is a relatively easy target for the American submarine USS S-37 (Lt J.C. Dempsey), which send it to the bottom, without knowing that it is avenging the deaths of the Glassford squadron.

 

[Wings]

February 8th, 1942

Southwest Pacific Campaign - Considering that Rabaul is now under the control of Japanese forces, Vice-Admiral Nagumo withdraws to Truk with the Kaga and the Akagi. The Shokaku and Zuikaku, which had remained behind, launch new attacks against Lae and Salamaue.
.........
Nouméa - Arrival of the convoy carrying the 1st Marine Brigade, escorted by the Wasp and its screen. Meanwhile, the Lexington, the Indianapolis and the two damaged destroyers are heading for Pearl Harbor, whose repair crews are already on alert.

 

[Wings]

February 8th, 1942

East coast of Australia - Ambushed near Sydney, the Ro-63 (CC Nagai) spots at 04:00 the GP-2 convoy (four transports and two escorts) leaving the harbor. At 05:20, having succeeded in getting into a good position, it launches a full salvo. A torpedo hits one of the escorts, the auxiliary minesweeper Durraween (RAN), which breaks in two and immediately sinks. Another torpedo hits the American transport Portmar (Calmar Steamship Corp, 5,505 GRT), which manages to drag itself to Sydney.
A third torpedo hits the Dutch vessel Tjitjalenka (Java-China-Japan LIJN, 10,972 GRT), which is also able to return to Sydney. The surviving escort vigorously attacks the Ro-63, throwing 37 depth charges in four attacks. Then it pursues the submarine all day, in a "chase to exhaustion", but by nightfall, when the Ro-63 manages to break free, it is only slightly damaged and still in fighting condition.

 

[Wings]

February 8th, 1941

Sicily - Several Axis airfields on the island are attacked by 325 Allied fighters and bombers. This time, the Luftwaffe and the Regia Aeronautica react in force. The attackers lose 9 bombers and 14 fighters, in exchange for 6 German and 8 Italian fighters. The Comiso airfield is severely damaged, while the damage to the other airfields is light to moderate.
The following night, another Dark Knight operation takes place. Lieutenants Robert "Tug" Wilson and David Stirling, of the 1st SBS, arrive by canoe on the Sicilian coast, blow up a railway tunnel, then paddle back to the submarine HMS Una (Lt. D.S.R. Martin), which, on its first mission in the Mediterranean, had brought them in and was waiting for them.

 

[Wings]

February 9th, 1942

London - In exchange for the purchase of the uranium stockpile in New York, the supply of uranium ore to the three signatory powers for twenty years and the provision of necessary equipment to rehabilitate its Congolese mine, the Union Minière du Haut-Katanga receives confirmation from the United States, the United Kingdom and France of the agreement previously signed with the Franco-British. In addition, the UMHK is granted an increase in the price of the ore, which had been excluded until then. In fact, as part of its participation in the Allied war effort, Belgium had frozen the price of raw materials from the Congo.

 

[Wings]

February 9th, 1942

Burma Campaign
Salween Front - Troops of the 33rd Japanese Division and the 2nd Thai ID cross the river at Papun (about 200 km north of Moulmein) and encounter the 1st and 2nd Brigades of the 1st Burmese Division. These brigades quickly give up and flee in great confusion along the Papun-Bilin road. It is true that these two brigades had lost half of their strength, including the three battalions swept away on the Thai border, but also a battalion that had been lost to the enemy during the battle of Moulmein. Only the 2nd King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry holds on, until it is rescued by the 13th Indian Infantry Brigade, third brigade of the 1st Burmese Division. But at the end of the day, Major-General Bruce-Scott has only five battalions left.
Further south, 55 km north of Moulmein, units of the 8th Indian Division attack the Japanese who have just crossed the Salween at Pa-an. They are able to repel them, but Harvey knows that the enemy is crossing the Salween in numbers north of his main position and that he has no troops to oppose them. He therefore orders a retreat to the Bilin River, about 150 km to the west. Most of his heavy equipment and supplies had already been moved, this withdrawal goes well. The 13th Indian Brigade (to which the 2nd KOYLI had been amalgamated) follows the movement. The rest of the 1st Burma Division has all but disappeared, except for a few divisional elements...
Three Blenheims and four Hurricanes of Sqn 135 attack Moulmein.

 

[Wings]

February 9th, 1942

Saigon - The battle still rages in the city, where the Japanese advance is slowed by street fighting and the destruction of entire buildings by demolition crews to create obstacles.
To the east, in rearguard, the Lecoq March Regiment still holds Bien Hoa, while the huge column of refugees slowly flows toward Ban Me Thuot, under the attacks of the Ki-36 and Ki-51, reminding some Frenchmen of what they had seen in the spring of 1940.

 

[Wings]

February 9th, 1942

Malaya Campaign
In the north... - The fights become more violent. The "Green Line" is now directly threatened, and the dive bombers of the Imperial Navy are constantly launched against the British artillery.
.........
To the south... - Bombers based at Kuching attack Commonwealth positions near Kluang to support the Japanese push in that direction. However, these bombings, carried out by medium altitude bombers (Ki-21s), are not very effective.

 

[Wings]

February 9th, 1942

Tjilatjap (south coast of Java) - Escorted by the Australian cruisers Sydney and Hobart, the convoy formerly destined for Timor enters Tjilatjap at the end of the day. Indeed, in the morning, Admiral Hart, in his last important order at ABDAFFloat, concentrates all the important surface ships at Tjilatjap, leaving only submarines and small boats at Sœrabaya and Batavia, which are now under almost daily attack by Japanese aircraft.

 

[Wings]

February 9th, 1942

Midway - The Japanese submarine I-69 attempts to bomb the American installations, but it is quickly put to flight by a USMC Brewster F2A fighter.

 

[Wings]

February 9th, 1942

Sardinia - Another day of intense allied air activity. The planes of the RAF and the Armée de l'Air fly 227 combat missions, losing three bombers and four fighters in exchange for six Italian fighters shot down and fifteen aircraft destroyed on the ground.
.........
Aegean Sea - Escorted by 32 P-38 and 32 NA-73, 63 Allied heavy bombers (36 Consolidated-32 and 27 Stirling) bomb the island of Limnos in broad daylight. With a suicidal courage five Fiat CR.42 take off from the small airstrip to intercept the raid, but they are very quickly destroyed by the escort.

 

[Wings]

February 10th, 1942

Northwest of Spain - The mission starts badly for the submarine Veniero, one of whose engines has broken down. The crew spends six days repairing it, watching the Allied convoys pass by in the distance.

 

[Wings]

February 10th, 1942

Cochinchina - While Japanese troops are still fighting fierce street battles in Saigon, the last Franco-Sino-Vietnamese forces evacuate Bien Hoa, forming the rear guard of the refugee column.
"Lacking fuel and ammunition, the tank Margaux had to be abandoned, after having been duly booby-trapped. Its explosion cost the lives of two Japanese soldiers who were too curious, and the Japanese officers who examined the wreckage will wonder for a long time about the meaning of the inscription hastily painted on its side: "Here lies Margaux, best tank of the 1st PanzerDivision of the French-Vietnamese Popular Front Army""
(P. N'Guyen-Minh, op. cit.)
.........
Tonkin - In spite of the very bad weather, the French Hawk-81s and Martin-167s accomplish numerous missions against the Japanese columns that try to advance westward along the course of the Black River. Many boats are destroyed on the river by bombing or strafing.
"Low ceilings, rotten weather, but we cannot wait for a break in the weather, it is expected to be "blocked" for several days. So, we go, but without climbing to the perch - we would not find a way to break through to get in. I wonder how the Glenns did it. In any case, they're landing at Epervier, where they'll stay for a while." (Pierre van Bielt, op. cit.)

 

[Wings]

February 10th, 1942

Malaya Campaign
In the north... - The Japanese forces start to break through the "Green Line", but with very heavy losses.
.........
In the south... - The Japanese offensive towards Kluang is blocked 10 km from the airfield, or rather of its ruins.
.........
Tokyo - The General Staff of the Army (Koku Hombu) agrees to send the 1st Independent Tactical Support Air Regiment to the "Southern Front". The planes are to fly from Japan to Malaysia through Formosa, Hainan, Tourane and Thailand. Once its training is completed, the 2nd Regiment is to be transported by Navy freighters to the new airstrip under construction near Mersing.

 

[Wings]

February 10th, 1942

Washington, D.C - Following intense lobbying by the Dutch ambassador, President F.D. Roosevelt, after extensive discussions with Secretary of State Knox and Admiral King, decides to recall Admiral Hart and to let a Dutch admiral command what remains of ABDAFFloat. In reality, General Wavell had already received a directive from the Combined Chiefs of Staff to let Hart keep the nominal title of ABDAFFloat, but to delegate his operational prerogatives to Admiral Helfrich. At the end of the day, Hart leaves Java, officially because of "ill health". "This story of ill health was considered as a bad joke by the remaining crews of the Asiatic Fleet, because a few days earlier, inspecting the survivors of the Strike Force at Tjilattjap, "Tommy" Hart had walked all the ships like a young ensign. Everyone hated the idea of losing this good commander." S.E. Morison later wrote (The Rising Sun in the Pacific, p. 312). It seems that S.E. Morison did not ask the men of the Lamotte-Picquet and the Emile-Bertin for their opinion, nor that of the Dutch sailors for that matter...
.........
Java - Bandoeng and Batavia are severely bombed in the morning by Navy planes based in Kuching. Those based in Kendari and Amboine target the ML-KNIL grounds in East Java in the afternoon.
In the early evening, a new ABDAF meeting is held in Bandoeng. General Wavell asks General Ter Poorten to prepare the defense of East Java. Ter Poorten underlines then that the air protection of Java is practically non-existent. The few Hurricanes assembled in Bandoeng or even in Tjilatjap are mostly sent to Palembang-II to defend the Strait of Malacca. Since the fall of Timor, the USAAF P-40s cannot come from Darwin. Transferring fighters by ship from Fremantle becomes necessary to organize the air defense of Java.
.........
Borneo - The mine-laying submarine Perle (LV Piot) carries out its first offensive mission in the Far East, laying two minefields at the entrance to Kuching Bay.

 

[Wings]

February 10th, 1942

Munich - The Chief of Staff of the Wehrmacht, General Halder, meets with Field Marshal Cavallero and General Kesselring to discuss the situation in the Aegean and the Mediterranean in view of the increase in allied air activity. Opinions are very divided.
- It is very clear, says Kesselring: "the activity of enemy forces in the Aegean, the convoys between Benghazi and Heraklion, the fact that our rail logistic links with the Balkans are systematically attacked, everything proves that a major operation against central Greece is in preparation!
- Don't make it all about you," protests Cavallero. "All this activity is probably just a feint to make us forget that Sicily is the logical objective of the next enemy offensive, that's obvious! Where does the bulk of the Franco-British air attacks? Against our Sicily! Or against our Sardinia!
- It seems to me that your worries are excessive," Halder growls. "I think that if enemy operations against Greece are possible, they will probably be diversions. I expect a few limited landings in the northern Sporades to impress the Turks, who will soon have other reasons to be impressed. As for air activity over Sicily, it is most certainly intended to prepare the passage of a new convoy for the Far East, which must be in preparation."
No definite conclusions emerge from this conference.

 

[Wings]

February 10th, 1942

Casablanca - Arrival of the first "Bolero" convoy. After having refuelled, the group of the Richelieu leaves in the afternoon for Scapa Flow.

 

[Wings]

February 11th, 1942

Paris - Extract from L'Echo d'Alger: Paris supports the heroes of Saigon!
From one of our secret correspondents in Paris - "A small event has just shown the occupiers and their puppets that Paris, which they believe to be under their boot, is still the capital of a country at war, and that it supports its children all over the Globe. Since February 5th, some say even since the 4th, unknown people animated by a pious patriotism have begun to lay flowers on rue de Saigon, in the 16th arrondissement. On the 6th, the two sidewalks of this quiet residential street were decorated with a garland, especially since the garbage collectors, pretending to be distracted, "forgot" to remove these encouragements obviously addressed to the heroic combatants of Cochinchina. On the 6th in the evening only, reacting with a very Germanic vivacity of spirit, the Kommandantur decided to have these flowers removed by its Feldgendarmes and placed two men at each end of the street, with orders to arrest any person carrying a bouquet or even a single flower! It's a pity that ridicule doesn't kill anymore!
Result: on February 7th, at the end of the morning, the boulevard d'Indochine, in the 19th arrondissement, was as flowery as the Promenade des Anglais in Nice on Carnival day!"

 

[Wings]

February 11th, 1942

Brest (occupied France) - Late at night, the battlecruisers of the Kriegsmarine, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, escorted by six destroyers (Z-4 Richard-Beitzen, Z-5 Paul-Jacobi, Z-7 Hermann-Schoemann, Z-14 Friedrich-Ihn, Z-25 and Z-29) and nine torpedo boats (T-2, T-4, T-5, T-11, T-12, T-13, T-15, T-16, T-17), leave the harbor to attempt the crossing of the Channel. Vice-Admiral Ciliax, on the Scharnhorst, commands the whole operation. Commodore Erich Bey commands the escort.

 

[Wings]

February 11th, 1942

Netherlands Antilles - American troops begin to replace British soldiers protecting the valuable oil refineries. Douglas A-20 Havoc aircraft are also deployed to the airfields of Aruba and Curaçao.