The Whale Has Wings Vol 3 - Holding the Barrier (18 page)

Aircraft  from USS Yorktown cause less damage than the attacks on the Marshall Islands, due to a scarcity of targets at the objective; nevertheless SBD's bomb and strafe a gunboat at Makin and destroy two Kawanishi H6K at anchor, while SBD's bomb and strafe a cargo ship at Jaluit.

TF 11 (Brown), formed around aircraft carrier USS Lexington, supports the operations from the vicinity of Christmas Island in the Line Islands.

The carrier USS Ticonderoga arrives at Pearl Harbor to join the US carrier force in the Pacific. At the moment the USN is deploying three single-carrier task forces to cause the maximum disruption; Nimitz is considering adding the Ticonderoga to one TF in the hope the Japanese might respond as if against a single carrier (he does not have enough escorts to form a fourth independent task force in any case). In the next few months, it is hoped to have six fleet carriers in the Pacific, forming three Task Forces. He is also expecting more Wildcat fighters so the fighter complement of the airgroups can be increased, and the first Corsair squadrons are expected for land-based operations in a few weeks.

A serious setback to British intelligence in the Battle of the Atlantic has taken place. The U-boats in the Atlantic have adopted a new cipher, Triton, linking them directly to Admiral Dönitz's headquarters in Paris. Triton has an additional rotor to the three used in the normal Hydra cipher. Bletchley Park's Bombe, the deciphering machine developed by the mathematician Alan Turing for cracking the codes, only has three rotors and hence cannot tackle Triton. The change is not because the Germans know that the British are reading Enigma but is due to Dönitz's wish to exert tighter control over the operations of his wolf packs so that they will sink more ships. The ciphers used by the U-boats training in the Baltic (Tetis) and in coastal waters (Hydra) remain unchanged.

The Admiralty's submarine tracking room can still monitor each newly commissioned U-boat and those entering and leaving the Bay of Biscay and Norwegian waters. The inability to read Triton means that the Admiralty no longer knows the intentions of the U-boats operating in the Atlantic. It will be more difficult to route convoys to evade the packs. Fortunately, the supply of escort carriers and conversions means it is rare now for a major convoy to sail without air protection, but it is still anticipated that having to fight them through will mean greater losses.

The Japanese carrier striking force (Akagi, Kaga and Zuikaku) leave Truk to attempt to intercept the US carrier force raiding the Marshall Islands. The pursuit is abandoned the next day.

Feb 2nd

HQ of the USAAF’s 49th Pursuit Group (Interceptor), with its three subordinate squadrons of P40 fighters, arrives at Melbourne, Victoria, from the U.S.A. The aircraft are in crates and must be assembled and the vast majority of the pilots do not have the skills to survive in combat and must undergo combat training. The first squadron will not fly their first mission until March.

The Japanese launch their first air raid on Port Moresby in New Guinea, in preparation for a planned amphibious assault.

The RAF in Malaya presents a report which points out the surprising weakness in Japanese air power since the early battles in December. While the RAF has been resupplied with aircraft, the Japanese air force seems to be growing steadily weaker. This is surprising, as with its sources of aircraft much closer, the staff had expected the opposite. What they do not know is the terribly low aircraft production in Japan. In the period December to March, they will only build some 700 fighters and bombers. To put this into perspective, Australia's normal production is 60 Sparrowhawk and 40 Beaufighters a month, and with the current scare has raised this (albeit temporarily) by 50%. In addition, the British were supplying Russia with some 120 Hurricanes a month which have been diverted. These two minor sources alone are over half again the Japanese production. The RAF are convinced that the shortage in Malaya is because they are building up somewhere else, their best guess being in the DEI, although there is also a possibility they are planning action in Burma or to the east. They simply cannot believe that the Japanese aircraft production is so low.

The Japanese begin a combined, concentrated attack against Australian troops at Laha Airdrome on Ambon Island using infantry, dive-bombers, fighter planes, warships and artillery; the Japanese capture the airfield by mid-morning. Later in the day the surviving Australians at Laha approached the Japanese with surrender negotiations.

Feb 3rd

Port T, a top-secret British naval base on Addu Atoll, becomes operational.

Two Japanese Zero fighters, recovered after force landings in Malaya (albeit in slightly bent condition) commence testing by the RAF and USAAF. The aircraft have been fully repaired (sufficient bits of Zeros were readily available), and the flight testing is being done with maximum priority to help design better tactics against the fighter once its true performance is known.

In the Philippine Islands, the submarine USS Trout unloads 3,500 rounds of ammunition, refuels, loads two torpedoes, and requests additional ballast. Since neither sandbags nor sacks of concrete are available, she is given 20 tons of gold bars and silver pesos to be evacuated from the Philippines before submerging shortly before daybreak to wait at the bottom in Manila Bay until the return of darkness. She gets underway that night using the gold as ballast on the return voyage to Pearl Harbor.

The Japanese begin pre-invasion air attacks on Java. Japanese Navy aircraft from Kendari on Celebes Island attack Soerabaja, Madionen, and Malang. While returning to base, the crew of a Japanese aircraft reports the presence of Allied ships off Madoera.

At Singosari Airdrome four fully loaded B-17's are destroyed, and a fifth is shot down. Three Royal Netherlands Navy Catalina flying boats are destroyed at Soerabaja and a FEAF B-18 Bolo bringing radar technicians from Australia to Java is shot down with the loss of everyone aboard the aircraft.

At the fighter base, Blimbing Airdrome, FEAF P-40s are unable to climb to altitude to intercept the bombers but they manage to shoot down two Japanese fighters and a bomber for the loss off one P-40.

The Japanese attack at Ambon is considered by Somerville's staff to be the precursor to an invasion of Timor. This would cause serious problems, as Timor is needed to stage fighter aircraft through from Australia to the DEI. As he now has another carrier, Somerville decides to move a strong task force forward south of Java, and base a light carrier with some cruisers and destroyers out of Darwin. He realises that this is not sufficient to take on the full strength of the Japanese carrier force, but only intends to contest lighter forces. Two of his T-class submarines are also ordered to patrol east of Timor. His hope is that the IJN may attempt to take Timor with inadequate escort, in which case he can attack them at favourable odds. If the IJN support is too heavy, he will attempt to trail his coat to it while concentrating his fleet carriers and submarines against it. To aid the fleet, a squadron of Sparrowhawk fighters is to move to Timor, as are additional ground troops. He also instructs that the cruiser/destroyer formations used are not to leave Allied fighter cover without good reason - he does not want to lose more ships chasing rumours. The current aim is to contain and nibble away at the IJN forces while denying them their objectives, rather than force a major concentration - Somerville is aware that the Japanese have more carriers that he has currently available, as well as land based support.

The merchant ships that made up the Pillar convoy set off for Alexandria escorted by the two fleet carriers at Singapore. The carriers will return as soon as the ships are safely clear of Sumatra, as Somerville wants to be able to concentrate his carrier force if need be. This will cause some problems in coordination; the usual RN practice is a group of two carriers, occasionally three, but five will mean operating in two groups - there has not been any time to practice the coordination of larger carrier forces. The home convoy will pick up additional troops and supplies at Alexandria.

Feb 4th

Japanese reconnaissance flying boats contact and shadow the Allied force (Rear Admiral Doorman, RNN) of four cruisers and accompanying destroyers, sighted yesterday by 1st Kokutai aircraft as they transited the Madoera Strait to attack the Japanese Borneo invasion fleet. The Allied fleet is now south of the Greater Sunda Islands, about 190 miles east of Surabaya, Java. On the strength of that intelligence, Japanese naval land attack planes of the Takao, Kanoya, and 1st Kokutais bomb Doorman's ships, damaging the heavy cruiser USS Houston and light cruiser USS Marblehead. The Dutch light cruisers HNMS De Ruyter and HNMS Tromp are slightly damaged by near misses. USS Marblehead's extensive damage (only by masterful seamanship and heroic effort does she reach Tjilatjap, Java, after the battle) results in her being sent back to the United States via Ceylon and South Africa; despite the loss of turret III (one-third of her main battery), USS Houston remains. The action is later to be criticised for entering an area under Japanese air dominance without fighter cover; Admiral Doormans actions to protect the DEI are seen as far too careless of the ships under his command.

The small Australian garrison on Ambon Island, largely the 2/21 Battalion, surrenders to the Japanese.

The US Asiatic Fleet (Admiral Hart) ceases to exist. Units of the Asiatic Fleet are organized into Naval Forces, Southwest Pacific Area under Vice Admiral Glassford. By previous arrangement, he will operate under Admiral Somerville, the Royal Navy now moving further forward into the DEI to provide the capital ships and carriers the current light forces lack. Somerville considers Malaya and Singapore safe for the time being, and also has a powerful carrier and battleship force in reserve to protect that area.

Two Dutch destroyers at Darwin take the first reinforcements to Timor. The island is currently in range of Japanese air cover, but not Allied planes, so these fast ships are considered the best way of getting the troops in. As soon as Allied air cover can be provided a more substantial effort will be made.

Feb 5th

Admiral King orders Nimitz to use the "maximum force available" of the Pacific Fleet, including battleships, to raid the western Pacific to divert Japanese strength from the Far East. It is hoped that between them the USN and RN can divide the attention of the IJN and prevent them properly supporting the invasion of the Dutch East Indies. The US code breakers are steadily getting a grip on the IJN codes, and the hope is that a breakthrough will allow a concentration against the IJN to the advantage of the Allied navies.

A brigade of the 18th British Division moves to Sumatra, to start preparing in case the Japanese advance through the DEI reaches this far. If Sumatra falls, Alexander's only option to keep Malaya supplied is to force the Japanese back past the Thai border in the west, which would at least make it possible to fight convoys through Japanese air cover. Losing Sumatra would also put Singapore far too close to Japanese air bases for cover, and would force him to commit more men to defend the area in case of a Japanese invasion. If necessary, he is prepared to give up Borneo and Java to preserve Sumatra, although he has not told the Dutch this.

General Yamashita is censured by the high command in Japan for his lack of aggression and progress in Malaya. He defends himself by pointing out that his actions are severely constrained by lack of supplies, caused by poor support from the Navy, and that the early stages (when he had full supply) were going satisfactorily. The main result is an escalating series of blame passing between the Army and the Navy, while Yamashita struggles to get his forward units properly supplied. The IJA is currently giving priority to the successful invasion of the Philippine Islands.

Feb 6th

In the I Corps area on Bataan, the Japanese receive reinforcements and attack late in the day to relieve pockets. While some elements increase pressure against the1st and 11th Divisions, Philippine Army, others drive toward Big Pocket until stopped by the 11th Division 800 yards from their objective. A small salient in the corps main line of resistance is formed and called Upper Pocket. In the Manila Bay area, Japanese artillery that is emplaced along the south shore of the Bay in the vicinity of Ternate begins a daily bombardment of the fortified islands. Forts Drum and Frank receive the main weight of shells.

A joint British/French commando operation raids Sicily at night, spending an enjoyable few hours blowing up aircraft on one of the airfields before being recovered. The retaliation on Malta in the morning by the Italian Air Force is met with Allied fighter cover and takes heavy casualties. The raid had two purposes; to keep the Italians edgy, and to get a better idea of the state of the defences on Sicily. The British Chiefs of Staff also enquire if the US Army is in a position to supply a division to the Mediterranean for planned actions later in the year - if not, it will carry on as a joint Imperial-French operation. There are sufficient divisions now in the theatre for proposed operations - the bottleneck is amphibious shipping and landing craft - but the addition of an American division would be good politically as well as blooding the American troops.

Feb 7th

The Nazi armaments and munitions minister, Fritz Todt, returning to Berlin after talks with Hitler, is killed when his plane crashes on take-off. It is announced as an accident. Albert Speer is appointed as Minister of Munitions in his place.

Nine USAAF5th Air Force B-17's based at Singosari Airdrome on Java attempt to bomb Japanese shipping at Balikpapan but are driven off by fighters.

The RAF agrees the final details of its spring offensive with the War Cabinet. This will involve two phases of operation. First, a number of attacks, as heavy as possible, on selected cities such as Hamburg, each planned to last a number of days in order to cause the maximum damage to the city and (where applicable) U-boat production. Once this has been accomplished and the tactics validated, Bomber Command will commence a sustained attack against the Ruhr, which is expected to last some months - how long will depend on the damage done verses the losses. Bomber Command accepts that such a sustained attack will also damage their bomber force, but the reduction in German war production is expected to be worth it. These campaigns will also see the first use of the high-altitude Coventry bomber, which at least at first is expected to be immune to the German defences. In addition to new bombers and tactics, Bomber Command will also be using a new radio-navigation device, Gee, which it is hoped will reduce the missing of the marked target by less experienced crews.

In addition to the heavy raids by the heavy and high-altitude bombers, it is also expected to conduct a parallel set of attacks using the new Mosquito bomber. While this aircraft cannot carry the heavy loads of the four-engined bombers, its speed allows it to make daylight attacks without the risk of unacceptable losses. The Mosquito force is still being built up, but the current plans are to hit small but valuable targets, and to stress the German defences by attacks both day and night.

The RAF is also hoping to conduct a campaign against the U-boat pens in France, but this needs to await new bombs which will be necessary to penetrate the immensely thick roof that covers the pens. The Coventry bomber is capable of carrying the proposed bombs at the altitude required, and the heavy bombs are currently being developed; it is hoped to have them available after the Ruhr campaign is finished.