Fantasque Time Line (France Fights On) - English Translation

[Wings]

June 28th, 1942

Peloponnese - The battle around Tripolis calms down, apart from artillery duels.
In the east, the South Africans are stopped by a strong Italian defense at the entrance to Aghios Andreas, but the Indians of the 4th Division enter Aghios Astros.
In the west, the German troops entrenched in Stavrodromi are the target of a triple attack. French and Moroccans arrive from the east and the south, Greeks and Yugoslavs come from the west. The German positions are heavily bombed by the Allied air force and the air battle is concentrated in this sector.
The Allies lose 38 planes and the Germans 25.
On the west coast, the 53rd Italian D.I. Arezzo abandons Andravida to withdraw towards Varda.
At the end of the day, the French 10th D.I. controls the whole coast in front of the island of Zanthe.

 

[Wings]

June 28th, 1942

Benghazi - On this anniversary of the battle of Kosovo, a solemn date for the Serbs, General Simovic, head of the Yugoslav government in exile, officially hands over their flags to the 4th and 5th Yugoslav Infantry Brigades. These two units are to be transferred to the Greek islands, where they will replace the Greek units called to join the Peloponnese and complete their training.

 

[Wings]

June 29th, 1942

England - First mission of USAAF personnel in an action against the Germans. Twelve RCAF Bostons attack the Hazebrouck marshalling yard; one of them is manned by USAAF personnel.

 

[Wings]

June 29th, 1942

London and Alger - Paul-Henri Spaak meets Anthony Eden to ask for his good offices to facilitate the resumption of diplomatic relations between Belgium and the Soviet Union, which had been broken off in July 1941. Eden decides to summon the USSR ambassador, Ivan Maisky, in order to invite him to get in touch with Spaak for this purpose.
At the same time, Raoul Richard, ambassador extraordinary of Belgium in Algiers, isasked to inform the French government, which has just strengthened its links with Moscow, of this, so that it can support it discreetly.

 

[Wings]

June 29th, 1942

Bosnia - The Yugoslav Partisans have an air force! A Potez 25 and a Breguet 19, which had belonged to the Royal Yugoslav Army and then to the independent state of Croatia. Two pilots and a Croatian mechanic, disgusted by the cruelty of the Ustasha, chose to change sides. Tito is delighted. "Above all, it will be necessary to make French envoy see them. Algiers will no longer be able to claim that we are not a real army!"
(Vladimir Dedijer, "Tito speaks", 1953)

 

[Wings]

June 29th, 1942

Berezne (Ukraine) - The day after the capture of the city, the Germans proceeded, according to an already established routine, to the registration of the Jews still present on the spot. Then, still according to routine, the adults are handed over to the Sonderkommando (special SS unit) of Standartenführer Paul Blobel, who has them shot in the Jewish cemetery. There are still 90 Jewish children awaiting execution, locked up in a barn away from the city, without anyone thinking of giving them food or drink. The two chaplains (Catholic and Protestant) of the 297th Division report their case to a staff officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Helmuth Groscurth. He orders that the execution be postponed and refers to the commander of the 6th Army, Field Marshal von Reichenau. A discussion ensues between Reichenau, Blobel and Captain Willy Riedel, commander of Berezne: they agree that the order for the execution of the children had not been properly drawn up, and that it should be cancelled and a new one drawn up. This exercise in macabre bureaucracy ends with the killing of the children on July 6th.
The Berezne episode is by no means exceptional, but it is one of the few of which we have a detailed account from a German source, because Groscurth, deeply shocked, kept copies of the documents. The archives of the 6th Army, as well as those of many other units having comparable actions, seem to have been carefully purged towards the end of the war. Luckily, certain documents, including this one, have remained. They will be carefully used in post-war trials...

 

[Wings]

June 29th, 1942

Sabang - The fast minelayer Abdiel and the destroyers Jervis, Nestor, Ashanti, Eskimo, arrive at 21:15. The five ships disembark 550 tons of equipment and supplies before leaving at dawn the following day.
.........
Penang - The Ki-21s of the 7th Hikodan attack the island twice, without inflicting any serious damage to the facilities.

 

[Wings]

June 29th, 1942

Corregidor - During the night of the 28th to the 29th, a Japanese regiment manages to land and get a foothold on the island of Corregidor, despite the heavy losses suffered during the desperate counter-attacks of the Filipinos and the Americans. General MacArthur, who commands the defense in person, does not consider surrendering for a moment.

 

[Wings]

June 29th, 1942

China: Zhejiang and Jiangxi campaign - The city of Nanchang, base of departure of the 11th Japanese Army, falls into the hands of General Xue.

 

[Wings]

June 29th, 1942

Barbarossa
- Northern sector and Baltic Sea
At dawn, LuftFlotte I launches a major interdiction operation against Soviet airfields. At noon, the German bombers change target and fall on Jekelopils (Jacobsburg), on the banks of the Dvina, between the axis of attack of Vatutin, further north, and that of Sobennikov, further south.
At 14h30, the German assault engineers cross the river and launch a bridge of boats near Jekelopils; at 16:30, a solid bridgehead is established and the II Corps (General Graf von Brockdorff-Ahlenfeldt) starts to cross. The remains of Morozov's 11th Army, which Voroshilov arranged along the Dvina in a linear fashion, despite the advice of Shaposhnikov, are unable to concentrate to prevent the Germans from extending their bridgehead. Around 20:00, the LVI. Panzerkorps of von Manstein begins to cross.
While the Dvina front is burning, von Küchler's 18th Army also launches an attack on the Curonian Spit pocket, from Majeiklai to Saldus, in the center of the Curonian Spit front. Very quickly, the situation of the defenders worsens, because Berzarin has to concentrate his forces further east, on the coast, and the 4th Marine Infantry Division is in the process of being transferred to Jürmala. In the late afternoon, the front is broken and the I Corps of von Both reaches the outskirts of Saldus.
...
- Central sector
At dawn, supported by all the Luftwaffe units assigned to the Army Group Center, PanzerGruppe 2 (Guderian) launches a major offensive southeast of Minsk on the Bobruisk-Moghilev axis, starting from Staraya-Dorogi. The XLVII. Panzerkorps (General Model) shatters the Soviet defenses in the region of Bobruisk, swept away what was left of the 3rd Armored Army of Major-General M.G. Khatskilevich and of the 4th Airborne Corps, then crosses the Berezina in force. Avoiding to enter Bobruisk, which at night is still in Soviet hands, the armored vanguards reach Klichev.
This attack takes Tymoshenko completely by surprise. The 1st Belorussian Front is weak on this axis. However, he orders the 20th and 24th Armies, already very weakened, to deploy between Minsk and Moghilev, to counter-attack on the enemy left flank.
...
- Southern sector
North of the Ukrainian Front positions, the battle rages around Gorodnitsa. The small town falls in the late afternoon and von Kleist's armored columns begin to advance towards Novograd-Volynskiy. The survivors of Potapov's 5th Army withdraw to the south-east.
Further south, the 17th Army is now meeting more energetic resistance. Kamenets-Podolsky falls to the Germans around noon, and Stülpnagel's men advance towards Dunaevtsy, in the northeast.
Finally, the attack of the 11th Army is blocked in front of Kishinev. The Romanian Mountain Corps suffers heavy losses.
In the air, the Luftwaffe continues to support the attack of PzG 1. The VVS are also present in the northern region, but also over Kamenets-Podolsky and Kishinev. The losses are very heavy in both camps: the Axis lose 48 aircraft (32 Germans, 11 Romanians and 5 Hungarians) against 89 Soviets.
Konev and Rokossovsky try again to obtain the agreement of Kirponos for the withdrawal of their armor but the commander of the Ukrainian Front persists in his refusal. However, he makes sure that the defenses of Novograd-Volynskiy are reinforced. To do this, he calls the Secretary of the Federation of Ukraine of the CP of the Soviet Union (N.S. Khrushchev) and obtains the help of 14 Construction Battalions to dig anti-tank ditches and to improve the whole of the defensive positions. These battalions will work all night to establish defense lines.

 

[Wings]

June 29th, 1942

Gibraltar - Arrival of the first Lend-Lease convoy for the USSR. The Mediterranean Fleet prepares to protect it until the Bosphorus, passing through the Strait of Sicily.

 

[Wings]

June 29th, 1942

Peloponnese - The battle is concentrated in the west, around Stavrodromi, which is shelled and bombed all day by the Allied forces, but where the German mountain troops obstinately hold on. The aerial combats continue, but both sides are exhausted. The Allies lose 17 planes and the Germans 13.
At the end of the day, the Moroccans begin an envelopment manoeuvre. Warned of this, General Dietl asks at midnight for authorization to evacuate the city and to withdraw the defenders towards the Lake Ladonas area.

 

[Wings]

June 29th, 1942

Alger - Admirals Gensoul and Cunningham join Admirals Ollive and Pound. The French government, faced with the need to adopt a more flexible organization to meet the
amphibious operations and sea control, agreed to put an end to the division between the Eastern and Western Mediterranean fleets, inherited from the first months of the war. Clearly, at a time when the major effort is going to be made on the border of the two former theaters of maritime operations, this restructuring is necessary to avoid any problem of synchronization of the fleets operating against Sicily from the western and eastern basins of the Mediterranean...
The two fleets are unified and reorganized into different squadrons (see MedFleet report).
Admiral Cunningham (RN) is commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean Fleet (CinCMed), his first deputy is Admiral Gensoul (MN). An attack squadron commanded by Admiral Rawlings (RN) is composed of a naval air force (the aircraft carriers and their escorts are under the command of Rawlings himself, assisted by Hewitt, USN), on the other hand a surface action force made up of three battleships, under the command of Vice Admiral Derrien (MN).
A Support and Amphibious Forces Command is created, bringing together all the support and close escort forces, under the command of Vice-Admiral Godfroy (MN), with a Royal Navy deputy in charge of amphibious and logistics units. This Command, whose core is made up of two battleships and two heavy monitors, is in charge of supporting landing operations and land operations on the coast, but also to ensure amphibious transport and escort of local convoys. When the US Navy sends new ships to the Mediterranean, as President Roosevelt had just decided, to support amphibious operations (notably the battleships New York and Texas), they will be integrated into this structure, and an American admiral will be appointed as Admiral Godfroy's deputy.
The Aegean Sea Squadron is maintained as a semi-autonomous structure, responsible for control of the maritime space in the northern Aegean Sea.

 

[Wings]

The Mediterranean Fleet as of June 29, 1942
Commander in Chief (CinC-Med) : Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham.
First Deputy: Admiral Gensoul. Second Deputy: Rear Admiral K. Hewitt.
Main HQ: Alexandria. Forward Command Posts: Benghazi and Algiers.
(F) : Flagship. RHS : Royal Greek Navy. RYS: Royal Yugoslav Navy.

I - Strike Force - Admiral Rawlings (1st Deputy: V-A Derrien)
I.1 - Surface action group (Vice-Admiral Derrien)
BB HMS Queen Elizabeth, Warspite, MN Richelieu.
CA HMS Exeter, MN Algerie, Dupleix, USS Augusta.
CL HMS Kenya (F), MN Gloire, USS Brooklyn.
CT MN Cassard, Kersaint, Tartu, Volta.
DD MN L'Alcyon, La Palme, Bison*, Cyclone*, Mameluck*, Siroco*, RYS Ljubljana, Zagreb (* : Le Hardi class)
I.2 - Carrier Force - Admiral Rawlings (deputy : C.A. K. Hewitt)
CV HMS Furious (10 Fulmar II from Sqn 809, 10 Fulmar II from Sqn 807, 6 Swordfish for ASM patrol, i.e. 20 Fulmar II and 6 Swordfish).
CV USS Ranger (Rear Admiral E.D. McWhorter - 24 F4F-3 from VF-9 [Lt-Cdr John Raby], 21 F4F-3s from VF-41 (Lt-Cdr C.T. Booth II), 15 SBD-3s from SV-41 [Lt-Cdr. L.P. Carver], 45 F4F-3/4, 15 SBD-3).
CLAA HMS Sirius.
DD HMAS Nizam, Norman, MN Brestois, USS Ericsson, Ludlow, Mayrant, Rhind, Swanson, Trippe, Wainwright, Wilkes.

II - Support and Amphibious Command - Vice-Admiral Godfroy
II.1 - Support Force - Vice-Admiral Godfroy
BB MN Lorraine, Provence.
CA MN Colbert, Tourville.
CL MN La Galissonnière.
CLAA MN Marseillaise.
CT MN Vauquelin.
DD (1 500 tons) MN Le Mars, Ouragan, Simoun, Tramontane, Typhon.
DE (Hunt class) HMS Middleton, RHS Kriti.
II.2 - Screen and escort group
DE (US Wilkes class converted) MN Le Breton, Le Corse, L'Alsacien, Le Niçois.
Corvettes (Flower class) MN Ill, Moselle, Oise, Yser, RHS Pindos.
II.3 - Inshore escort and MS group
MS HMS Boston, Hebe, Ilfracombe, Parrsboro, Speedy, Tenby, MN Sans Pareil, Sans Peur, Sans Reproche, Sans Souci (USN Raven class type "220 feet").
16 ASM patrol boats (PC) (built in the USA): MN L'Ardent, L'Effronté, L'Emporté, L'Enjoué, L'Eveillé, L'Indiscret, Le Résolu, Le Rusé, three Greek and five Yugoslavs.
12 MGB (RN, MN, RHS) and 12 MTB (RN, MN, RHS, RYS).
II.4 - Fire support group
- Heavy Fire Support Squadron : monitors HMS Erebus, Terror.
- 1st Coastal Fire Support Squadron (light monitors)
IFSS-G : MN M 100, 101, RHS M 102, 103, 104, RYS M 105.
IFSS-F: MN M 120, RHS M 122.
LCI(L)-F: MN LCI(L)-F 2, 5, 6, 11 and RHS LCI(L)-F 8, 12.
- 2nd Coastal Fire Support Squadron (light monitors)
IFSS-G: HMS M 106, 107, MN M 109, RYS M 108.
IFSS-F: HMS M 123, MN M 121.
LCI(L)-F: HMS LCI(L)-F 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10.
- 3rd Coastal Fire Support Squadron
8 LCTs equipped to fire rockets (all Royal Navy).
LCI(L)-F: LCI(L)-F 13, 15, 16, 17 (all Royal Navy).
(The LCI(L)-F is a variant of the American LCI(L) developed specifically to provide local flak and short-range fire support, and armed with three 40 mm Bofors and eight 20 mm Œrlikon).
II.5 - Amphibious Group
- Landing ships Squadron :
LST Division: Tasajera, Bachaquero, Misoa, Daffodil, Thruster.
LSM Division: LSM1, LSM2, LSM3, LSM4, LSM5, LSM6.
LSM Division: LSI (L) Gleanearn, Glengyle, Karanja; LSI (S) Prince Charles, Prince Leopold, LSI (H) Royal Scotsman, Royal Ulsterian.
- LCI Flotillas: 32 LCI(L) based in Suda Bay (16) and Tunis (16).
- LCT Flotillas: 22 LCT(1) (Royal Navy model) and 44 LCT(5) based in Crete (38) and in Tunis (28).
II.6 - Pyrgos Squadron
- Fast boats: RYS: Kajmakcalan, Suvobor, Triglav; MN: VTB 104, 107, 109, 112, 114, 116, 117 (Higgins type) and VGB 112, 119, 122, 124, 129 (Fairmile type).
- Light ASMs: MN CH 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 58 (USN-type 110-foot submarine hunters).

III - Aegean Squadron - Rear Admiral P. Vian
CLAA HMS Dido (F), Cleopatra.
CL HMS Aurora.
DD HMS Partridge, Maori, Somali.
III.1 - Fast attack Squadron - C.V. Perzo
CT MN Le Fantasque (F), L'Indomptable, Le Terrible, Guépard.
III.2 - Light forces Squadron
TB MN L'Incomprise, La Poursuivante, Branlebas
DE (Hunt-II class) La Combattante (F), La Flore, La Pomone.
8 MTB and 6 MGB.
III.3 - Amphibious division
Fast minesweeper HMS Welshman.
LSI (S) Prince Albert, Prince Baudouin.
3 LCT (Royal Navy type, each carrying six 20-ton tanks).
8 LCM, 4 LCI (L), 24 LCA, 15 LCP.

 

[Wings]

June 30th, 1942

South Pacific - Far from the futuristic projects of their allies, the Japanese are aware that they will need every last nut shell - they have launched a program to repair all the wrecks of allied ships that they could recover. Indeed, Japanese transports and destroyers have suffered a lot since the beginning of the hostilities, in particular under the assault of Allied submarines. However, in order to win the war, which must be short if it is to be victorious, the Imperial Navy needs battleships, aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers... The construction of new ASM escort ships is not a priority; to do otherwise would be to admit defeat in advance.
So, to ensure the escort of convoys, the Japanese resorted to recycling not only Japanese ships, but also enemy ships.
But refloating and repairing, while saving raw materials, immobilized almost as much personnel and equipment as new constructions, with often mediocre results.
.........
- In Haiphong, the old avisos Tahure (capsized) and Marne (burned), which were beyond repair, were scrapped. Four large transports out of seven (31,000 GRT) and twelve small transports out of fourteen (11,000 GRT) were recovered.
- At Sœrabaya, the DD Peary (decommissioned in the dry dock) was refloated in March and sent to Japan, where she was recommissioned as an ASW escort in June 1942.
The large torpedo boat Tornade (sunk at the harbor entrance) was refloated in April, towed in June to Japan and would be recommissioned as an ASW escort in February 1943.
GB Asheville, ML Jan van Brakel, MS Ardjoeno, Gedeh and Kawi (damaged by bombs and beached) were refloated and would be recommissioned as local escorts in August 1942.
The ML Rigel, the Merbaboe and Rindjani, the patrol boats Jan van Amstel and Abraham Crijnssen (sunk by bombs or damaged and abandoned) were refloated and will be put back into service as minesweepers and ASM escorts in December 1942.
The ML Regulus, under construction and badly sabotaged, was salvaged and completed in May 1943.
The MS Pieter de Bitter (sunk by bombs) was refloated and scrapped.
Three small A class dredgers (out of four) were recovered and will be put back in service as local escorts in February 1943.
The submarine depot ship Pelikaan (sunk by bombs) was salvaged, sent back to Japan and will be recommissioned in the same role in January 1943.
The submarines Ultimatum and Uproar (damaged by bombs and grounded) were refloated in April, sent to Japan and used for training. The K-VII, K-VIII, K-IX and K-XIII (sunk by bombs) were refloated and will be used as pontoons for batteries after being towed to the coastal submarine bases of the Imperial Navy. The S-36 (sunk by bombs) and the Centaure (hit by bombs and grounded in the harbor entrance) were refloated and scrapped.
- At Balikpapan, the DD Pillsbury and Barker (sunk by gunfire) were refloated in May and June; they will be towed to Japan in July and put back into service as ASM escorts in March 1943. The wreck of the submarine Pickerel was found but not refloated.
- At Kupang, the DD Edwards and Hopewell (damaged by bombs and beached) were refloated in June. They were towed to Japan in July and put back into service as escort vessels in February 1943. The DD Whipple and the tanker Pecos were sunk in deep water.
- Near Bataan (Philippines), the submarine supply ship Canopus (sunk by bombs), refloated, will be towed to Japan and used as a depot for submarines.
In total, six old ships (five American "four-pipers" and the Tornade) were used as escorts for oil convoys in the China Sea. The fourteen small boats recovered from Sœrabaya will be used as escorts around the Indonesian islands.

 

[Wings]

June 30th, 1942

Sparta - Message from General Adrian Carton de Wiart to General Richard O'Connor - Highly confidential
Subject: Possible contribution of the armed groups of the internal resistance to the fight against the Italo-Germans in the Balkans.
Sir
I did not want to disturb you while you were explaining yourself with Rommel, but you can be sure that our services will not remain inactive. Our situation is as follows:
1) The Germans are entirely absorbed in their great offensive in Russia and cannot devote new resources to the Balkans, at least for the time being.
2) The Italians, a priori the most vulnerable of the Axis partners, are far from being at the end of their tether, as confirmed by the good performance of the Pafundi corps in the Peloponnese. The Duce intends to send the equivalent of two divisions to reinforce Pafundi. In Yugoslavia, General Roatta played on anti-communism and had just formed a native militia against the Partisans. He seems to be planning a series of preventive attacks against them.
3) The Serbian Chetniks are paralyzed by their divisions and by local compromises with the Italians. Tito's partisans, despite or because of their republican and revolutionary doctrine, are the best structured and most effective resistance force in the entire Balkans. It is not necessary that we support them: the French will take care of that. In the long run, a rebalancing in favor of the Chetniks would be necessary.
4) In Greece, the EDES movement of Messrs. Zervas and Pyromaglou is experiencing a certain development, but is beginning to be challenged by the ELAS movement, of communist inspiration. It would be very embarrassing to have a second Tito in a country of our sphere of influence.
In the immediate future, I propose to reinforce our aid to the EDES in order to fix as many Italian troops as possible.
5) According to recent reports, the resistance movement in Albania, which has yielded few results so far, is beginning to be structured. A new Axis defeat in the Balkans and the announcement, true or false, of an Allied landing in the region would be likely to create an insurrectionary situation there. This mountainous country, populated by fighting tribes, would lend itself wonderfully to guerrilla warfare.
.........
All in all, since Mr. Hitler has launched his Russian campaign, the Balkans could be his Spain*. But it is important to intervene quickly, because the past and future successes of our French allies in the region, together with the romanticism that attaches to the fact that they continue to fight while their homeland is completely invaded, could incline the opinion of these countries a little too much in their favor, and with all the esteem I have for De Gaulle, I do not believe it is desirable for England to take the Balkans away from Rommel to give them to this boy.
.........
Handwritten note from General O'Connor: "I wonder how Adrian restrained himself from beginning his letter with 'Dickie my boy' instead of 'Sir'**. For the rest, he is not wrong."

* The reference to the Napoleonic wars is usual among the English of general Carton de Wiart's generation, despite the Entente Cordiale!
** Adrian Carton de Wiart was born in 1880, Charles de Gaulle in 1890 and Richard O'Connor in 1889.

 

[Wings]

June 30th, 1942

Lvov - A massive pogrom is orchestrated by the SS of Einsatzgruppe C, mobilizing for the occasion the Ukrainian auxiliary police and local anti-Semitic elements. It is a question to eliminate potential resistance fighters, after the concerns caused by the Soviet counterattack of the previous days, and to prepare the regrouping of the Jewish community in a ghetto, which would be effective in October. Much bloodier than the pogrom of June 30th, it causes between 2,000 and 5,500 deaths.

 

[Wings]

June 30th, 1942

The Imperial Japanese Navy forces engaged in the second battle of Singapore
In this list, a * indicates a ship equipped with a radar, a # a ship equipped with a radar detector, an (F) a flagship.

I - Singapore Operation Support Group (left Mako on July 6th at 06:00 and arrived in Kuching on July 8th at 20:00) - Vice-Admiral Kondo Nobutake (Commander of the 2nd Fleet).
4th Aircraft Carrier Division (Rear Admiral Kakuji Kakuta): CVL Junyo* (16 A6M2, 6 B5N2, 28 D3A1) (A), Ryujo (16 A6M2, 15 D3A1).
2nd Battleship Division: BB Hyuga#, Yamashiro*.
4th Cruiser Division: CA Atago*(A), Chokai.
Screen (Rear Admiral Omori Sentaro): CL Abukuma (F), DD Akebono, Hatsuharu, Hatsushimo, Nenohi, Sazanami, Ushio, Wakaba.

II - Malacca Covering Squadron - Rear Admiral Takeo Kurita.
7th Cruiser Division (operating from Palembang): CA Mogami* (F), Kumano, Mikuma#, Suzuya.
DD Hagikaze#, Hibiki#, Arashio, Asashio, Michishio, Oshio# (operating from Palembang).
1st Torpedo Boat Division (operating from Port Swettenham): TB Chidori#, Hatsukari, Manazuru#, Tomozuru#.
2nd Torpedo Boat Division (operating from Port Dickson): TB Hayabusa, Hiyodori, Otori#, Kasasagi.

III - Siamese Squadron (based at Telok Anson).
Battleship Coast Guard Sri Ayudhya (F).
Coast guards Ratanakosindra, Sukhotai.
Torpedo boats Patani, Phuket, Rayong, Surasdra.
CMB 6, 7, 8, 9.

IV - 21st Koku Sentai (Air Flotilla), based on land (C.-Admiral Rinosuke Ishimaru). HQ in Ipoh. It has a Type 2 Mk. 1 Mod.2 air warning radar.
Kanoya Kokutai (Kanoya Naval Air Group), based in Ipoh and Alor Setar: 36 A6M2, some A5M4, 3 D4Y1-C, 48 G4M1, 3 J1N1-C.
31st Kokutai, based in Ipoh: 16 D3A1.
40th Kokutai, based in Ipoh: 12 B5N2.
Toko Kokutai, based in Port Swettenham and equipped with seaplanes: 12 A6M2-N, 5 E13A1, 16 H6K5.

Other units based in the region, not related (initially) to Singapore
- Submarines I-7 and I-8, based in Kuching and preparing for a new campaign in the Indian Ocean.
- Six old DD 2nd class converted into patrol boats and ASW boats, operating from Kuching Bay as convoy cover.
- Naval patrol and ASM detachment: 8 E13A1 seaplanes based in Kuching Bay, 9 G3M2 Mod.21 based on land in Kuching.

 

[Wings]

June 30th, 1942

Washington, D.C - The French ambassador to the United States, Edouard Daladier, finally receives the official invitation to sit on the Pacific War Council to represent France.
The latter, forgotten at the time of the constitution of this council at the beginning of 1942, sees its interests and its investment in the Pacific thus recognized. The Australian government, which did not forget the French support for the nomination of Blamey to head the SWPA, won the decision by supporting the British and Dutch proposal. De Gaulle could write in his Memoirs: "Anything can happen one day, even that an act in accordance with honor and honesty reveals itself in the end as a good political investment"...
.........
On the same day, Lieutenant-General Joseph T. MacNarney is appointed Commander-in-Chief of the US Army in the Pacific, first deputy to Admiral Nimitz and commander-in-chief of the Pacific Ocean Areas Command (POA Command): it's better than a consolation prize.

 

[Wings]

June 30th, 1942

South China Sea and Strait of Malacca - The Imperial Japanese Navy has concentrated large forces around Singapore to ensure its blockade and support the upcoming Army offensive (see IJN forces in Singapore).
.........
Sumatra - During the night of 29-30, 11 Wellingtons of Sqn 14 bomb Medan and 7 of Sqn 104 bomb Palembang, then resupply at Sabang. The concrete results are however minimal.