March 19th
17 Kittyhawk fighters are flown off from Townsville, Queensland, on their way to Port Moresby, staging by way of Cookstown and Horn Island.
Reports from eastern Borneo indicate to British Intelligence that the attack on Java is now 'imminent'. Travel in Borneo is extremely difficult due to the almost non-existent road network, but the British have been building up small forces in the jungle in anticipation; they will be used to cause the maximum disruption to the Japanese reinforcement convoys which are expected to use the Borneo ports. Good news for Somerville is that the light carrier HMAS Melbourne is finally out of dock after having been damaged underwater in the battle of the South China Sea. He intends to deploy two forces, one north and one south of Java, each having two fleet and one light carrier; his other light carrier, HMAS Brisbane, will remain working out of Darwin for the time being. The carriers will be aided by land based planes where possible. He hopes to be able to hit at least part of the invasion force, and certainly follow-up forces. His submarines have been redeployed in the area as well. It is unclear what the IJN will provide in terms on a naval escort, but this is expected to be quite heavy. As a result, Somerville has added a couple of fast battleships to each task force.
The RAF and the French Air force have been steadily attacking Italian targets over the last month. Targets have included the mainland, the island of Corsica and Sardinia, and especially the island of Sicily. The Italian high command has ordered additional troops to Sicily, which they consider a target for the allies. Meanwhile planning and preparation for an amphibious assault has reached a high degree of readiness; some 12 Imperial and French divisions (including two Armoured divisions) are available, although shipping will restrict the initial landing sizes.
Bomber command has fixed the issues with the new Coventry bomber, and is getting regular deliveries of the Lancaster and Mosquito bombers. While the main force attacks Italy (with an occasional diversion to a French target), the new units are training for the planned Ruhr offensive.
March 20th
Major General Wainwright learns that he has been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and that Washington has placed him in command of all U.S. Forces in the Philippines.
Australian Prime Minister Menzies suffers a breakdown in Parliament. Doctors report that it is due to the stress of his job during the war, and while it is expected he will eventually make a full recovery, he will not be able to undertake any duties for at least three months. The Deputy Prime Minister, Curtiss, will take over the post of Prime Minister.
In Tokyo, The navy minister, Admiral Shimada says that in view of the Allies' "retaliation and hatred", Japan will no longer follow the recognized rules of sea warfare.
March 21st
US forces start a retreat to the heavily fortified island of Corregidor in Manila Bay.
Lieutenant General George H. Brett, Commanding General of U.S. Army Forces in Australia, assumes command of all Allied air forces in Australia. This specifically excludes all FAA aircraft operating out of Australia, as well as RAF/RAAF aircraft under the navy's operational control.
During the late morning, the Japanese Eastern Invasion Force headed for Java from the Phillipines was found northeast of Java, by a Dutch Dornier flying boat which shadowed them for several hours. The Dornier then carried out an attack on the destroyer HIJMS Amatsukaze, releasing only one bomb which fell about 500 yards ahead of its intended target. This attack was followed by two B-17's dropping their six bombs from 13.000 feet. Two of the bombs fell some 500 yards short of the destroyer HIJMS Hatsukaze.
The size of this convoy (carrying the Japanese 48th Division) convinces Allied command that this is a full-strength invasion fleet aimed at Java. The RAF and RAAF torpedo planes are readied for a strike as soon as fighter cover can be arranged, and army units are put on alert. The Allies now have a considerable force on Java - about 25,000 Dutch and local troops, two brigades of the 8th Australian division, with 30 tanks attached from 1st Armoured in Malaya, and the British 51st Division, as well as about 1,000 US ground troops and considerable numbers running and defending the airbases. The Dutch troops are of variable quality; their training was poor, but insistence by Alexander that this had to be improved has led to some improvements. The Dutch also have a force of US Stuart tanks available.
Somerville's main carrier force is east of Singapore, consisting of the fleet carriers HMS Implacable and HMS Illustrious, the light carrier HMAS Melbourne and the Battleships KGV and Richelieu, plus escorts. He also has a cruiser force further east, with the light carrier HMS Colossus for cover (as well as fighter support from Java itself). There are also a number of submarines, mainly British and American, in the area the Japanese fleet will have to go through. He asks the RAF for as many reconnaissance flights as possible, as he is sure there is a heavy IJN escort for the invasion force and wants to know where it is.
Alexander also puts the Imperial forces in Malaya on alert - he suspects the Japanese will attack in the north, hoping his command and particularly the RAF will be distracted at Java. He has also requested 40 tanks from Burma to replace the ones sent to Java. Currently supplies to Burma from shipments originally intended for Russia have left the Armoured Brigade their both fully equipped and with a useful tank reserve. As it seems unlikely a major Japanese offensive will head into Burma in the immediate future, he thinks the tank reserve will be more useful in Malaya. He would have preferred the 1st Australian Armoured Division, but this will take some weeks to arrive and have modifications made for jungle conditions.
The train carrying General MacArthur's party heads south from Alice Springs. reporters at Darwin have finally got copy through to their papers concerning the nature of the Generals wound. This causes considerable amusement in Australia.