The Whale Has Wings Vol 3 - Holding the Barrier (19 page)

There has been considerable controversy over the deliberate delay of the campaign in order to build up the bomber force so that the new tactics and weapons will have the greatest effect. In the end, the success of the Army and Naval operations in the Mediterranean and the Far East allowed the arguments for the delay to win out - it was seen as far less politically necessary to mount a bomber offensive to boost morale.

Feb 8th

Lieutenant General Homma, Commander of the Japanese 14th Army, orders a general withdrawal northward to more favourable positions, where troops can be rested and reorganized while awaiting reinforcements for the final assault on Bataan.

Feb 9th

Japan occupies Makassar in the Celebes. About 8,000 Japanese troops land near Makassar City and south of Makassar at Jeneponto on Celebes Island. They immediately head for Makassar City, where they capture a bridge and the Dutch troops who were guarding the bridge. A company of native soldiers opens fire on the Japanese causing casualties, and in reprisal the Japanese tie the Dutch soldiers in groups of three and throw them from the bridge into the water to drown.

Four destroyers from Rabaul land troops of the Japanese 144th Infantry at Gasmata, a coastal town on southern New Britain Island

Feb 10th

USAAF 5th Air Force LB-30 Liberators bomb and damage the Japanese seaplane carrier HIJMS Chitose in Makassar Strait south of Celebes Island. Unfortunately, due to the still-poor operational communication between the USAAF and the British, by the time this is realised the seaplane carrier has escaped out of easy attack range by FAA aircraft.

A small U.S. Army defence force arrives on Christmas Island. The force consists of 2,000 troops (one each infantry, coast artillery and antiaircraft artillery battalions) plus the 7th Air Force’s 12th Pursuit Squadron with P-39's

HMAS Melbourne and her escorts arrive at Darwin to refuel. She will then cover a reinforcement convoy to Timor. In order to allow the light carrier to provide better air cover she has flown off her Cormorant dive bombers, landing on a squadron of modified Sparrowhawks. There are no Goshawks available in Darwin, but the Sparrowhawk, derived from the naval fighter, is easily modified to be carrier-capable (the Australian Sparrowhawks always retained the fixing for an arrester hook, and the radio equipment has been replaced with the naval variant from stores in Australia). This allows her to carry 28 fighters. The RAAF are already basing two squadrons of Cormorants at Darwin, and it is hoped to move one to Timor. Unless the IJN use battleships to escort their invasion fleets, it is felt the dive bombers will be more useful in anti-shipping attacks, backed up by a squadron of Beaufighters to be used as gunships against the lighter coastal craft.

While the Allies do have a need to keep intercepting the Japanese invasion forces, and if possible keep them off Timor, Somerville does have an ulterior motive; he has two fleet carriers and a light carrier ready to strike hard at any large concentration of Japanese shipping, and he hopes that if the Darwin and Timor based aircraft prove effective they can annoy the IJN into entering a trap. He is also hoping to use them as cover to allow Australian forces to counter-attack some of the smaller islands the Japanese have invaded. While the Japanese are invading a considerable number of targets, it has been noticed that the forces used are often small, leaving them vulnerable to counter-attack by modest forces. If the IJN increases the cover and amount of these attacks, this may leave them vulnerable to a counter-concentration by Somerville.

Feb 11th

The RN Anti-Submarine command insists on a meeting with Prime Minister Churchill concerning the success of Operation Drumbeat off the Eastern USA. They are accompanied (very unofficially) by their US liaison officers. They point out that although the USN has been fully informed of the tactics needed to successfully protect shipping, they have insisted (against the advice of the USN officers who have been observing RN operations in this field for years) on using outdated tactics and measures that have proved to be ineffective. Churchill cannot, for political reasons, force the USN to amend their methods (although he is sympathetic as the Battle of the Atlantic is still seen as critical). The only thing he is prepared to countenance is the approval of RN-escorted convoys of British owned and controlled shipping, although he promises to raise the matter personally with Roosevelt.

HMS Audacious finishes her sea trials and enters dock for a number of defects to be fixed. She will then sail for the Far East.

With the return convoy safely clear of Japanese air attacks, Somerville is busy concentrating his carrier force. Current plans are to have two fleet carriers and escorts south of Java, a second pair of fleet carriers at Singapore ready to either sail into the South China Sea or reinforce south of Java, and a light fleet carrier supporting the light forces off Borneo. His second light carrier will be based for the time being at Darwin. Depending on how many carriers the IJN moves into the area, he will either bleed them as he retreats under his land based air cover, or attack to sink (especially if a night attack can be carried out).

Feb 12th

The battleship USS Nevada is refloated in Pearl Harbor.  Even though struck by a torpedo and possible up to three bombs, she got underway on 7 December 1941, the only battleship that managed to do so. While attempting to leave the harbour, she was hit again and fearing she might sink in the channel and block it, she was beached at Hospital Point. Nevada receives temporary repairs at Pearl Harbor and then sails for Puget Sound, Washington, for complete repairs.

As a result of the heavy losses being taken off the USA to U-boats, a British convoy is formed in the Caribbean to travel to Halifax. This as much as states the lack of confidence in the USN protection provided in this area, but the British are not prepared to keep losing their valuable ships when they could be saved. The measure is met with considerable enthusiasm by the merchant captains, and indeed a number of US-flagged vessels ask to join the convoy. This is in direct disobedience to their orders to travel on their own, an order to which the merchant seaman have turned a Nelsonian blind eye. Although the RN are not (officially) supposed to be convoying any ships not under British control, when asked they point out blandly that the US ships are not part of the convoy, they merely happen to be travelling at the same time and in the same direction.

Feb 13th

Operation Sealion is formally cancelled. This is the plan for the cross channel invasion of England. While postponed many times, this cancellation makes it final.

The governments of the USA and Canada approve the construction of a U.S. Military Highway through Canada to Alaska.

Japanese dive bombers raid the Bataan peninsula, killing some of their own men by mistake.

Chartered U.S. passenger ship SS President Taylor, transporting 900 Army troops to occupy Canton Island, runs aground on a reef off her destination and becomes stranded.

The superstitious Admiral Halsey refuses to take Task Force 13 out as scheduled; renumbered Task Force 16, it will sail tomorrow.

Japanese sub I-17 shells the oil depot at Goleta, California, to no effect except to cause consternation to the local American defences and raise queries in Washington as to how direct attacks on the continental US are possible. Considering the pinprick nature of such attacks, these enquiries are allowed to vanish into the USN system of paperwork.

Feb 14th

The Canadian Brigade originally intended for Hong Kong before transport problems (fortunately) delayed them, arrives at Singapore, having taken an indirect route to avoid the DEI. While the bulk of the Canadian army is currently concentrated in the UK under its own commanders, it has been decided that this brigade will join the Imperial forces defending SE Asia and Australia as a gesture of solidarity. Alexander has scheduled a month (if time allows) of jungle training and acclimatisation for the troops; they will then be used either in Malaya or in Sumatra.

Feb 15th

U.S. Army transport USAT Meigs, U.S. freighters SS Mauna Loa and SS Portmar, and Australian coaster Tulagi, escorted by heavy cruiser USS Houston (CA-30), destroyer USS Peary (DD-226) and Australian corvettes HMAS Swan and HMAS Warrego sail from Darwin, Northern Territory, for Koepang, Timor, Netherlands East Indies. Air cover is provided by the light carrier HMAS Melbourne. The convoy is carrying the Australian 214 Pioneer Battalion and the U.S. 148th Field Artillery Regiment (75mm Guns, truck-Drawn, less the 2d Battalion), to reinforce Allied troops on Timor. The 148th is an Idaho National Guard unit inducted in September 1940. The units are to secure Penfoie airdrome, the only staging point on Timor for flights to Java. It is hoped that the USA can provide additional P-40 fighters to defend the airfield

The Japanese aircraft carriers Akagi and Soryu leave Palau escorted by Cruiser Division 8 to attack Darwin and Timor, as well as any Allied ships found in the area. The use by Somerville of only one light carrier to support Borneo and the reported losses in earlier battles has led the IJN to calculate he only has one, or at the most two, fleet carriers available. Intelligence from Singapore supports this with a report than these ships are in Singapore, too far to intervene in any case. The carrier Kaga was to be part of the force but has some slight underwater damage due to running onto a reef at Palau, which while not as severe as originally feared has reduced her maximum speed to 18 knots. As the strength of Allied forces in the area is uncertain, this speed would subject the carrier force to unacceptable risk if enemy ships were in fact present in any force

A second Japanese force is also at sea in the area, an invasion force for Timor escorted by the light cruiser Nagara (Rear Admiral Kubo) and seven destroyers. The aim is to destroy the Allied aircraft on Timor by a carrier strike, then land the men while the carriers and light forces hold off and destroy any Allied attempts to interfere. If Allied response is light or ineffective, the Japanese also intend a strike on Darwin to destroy the port facilities and any ships in harbour. In view of the absence of the Kaga this will only be attempted if aircraft losses during the taking of Timor are acceptable

The Allies have a number of forces in the area. First, a light surface force under the Dutch Admiral Doorman, consisting of three Dutch cruisers, ten destroyers, and the ships escorting the supply convoy to Timor. In addition there are two RN T-class boats southeast of Timor, and a RN carrier striking force southwest of Java, although this is currently too far away to support Timor.

Feb 16th

RAF Bomber command had hoped to start its Ruhr campaign today, taking advantage of the long winter nights, but this has had to be postponed for some weeks as a number of minor problems with the Coventry bombers have had to be rectified. Although only around 40 of the new bombers are expected to be available at the start of the campaign, they are an integral part of the bombing strategy and it is considered best to wait a short while for them to be available. In the meantime the force will be used to attack targets in Italy (particularly in the north) and on other Italian bases in the Mediterranean as part of the ongoing preparations for an amphibious assault.

The German Operation NEULAND begins with simultaneous attacks on Dutch and Venezuelan oil ports to disrupt production and flow of petroleum products vital to the Allied war effort.

The British 70th Div arrives in North Africa. It is not yet certain if this division will be sent on to the Far East - there is a limit to how many men the Empire can supply until the logistics have been improved. There is also a possibility it might replace the New Zealanders, although currently New Zealand is building a new division to fight in the Far East and it is preferred for political reasons to include New Zealand troops in the Mediterranean.

Feb 17th

A Dutch reconnaissance plane spots the Japanese invasion convoy heading for Timor. Due to the weather (scattered rain makes observation difficult), the main carrier force some distance behind them is not spotted. The supply convoy is instructed to offload as much as possible and to sail for Darwin at nightfall at latest, even if they have not fully unloaded. The covering force will concentrate south of Timor and be joined by Admiral Doorman's force. The RN carrier force off Java also alters course to the east, in case the Japanese have a covering force. Meanwhile a strike on the Japanese from Timor is being prepared. The airfield at Timor is home to an RAAF Beaufighter squadron as well as fighters, and it is hoped to hit the Japanese convoy late that afternoon or early evening before they close the island. HMAS Melbourne is mainly carrying fighters, and is to cover the surface force and to provide them with air reconnaissance

For their part the Japanese seaplanes have spotted the supply convoy (although not the additional surface forces or the carrier, as with the Allies the weather is not conductive for spotting ships and they have been concentrating on the island). Their intention is for the carriers to destroy Allied air power by a dawn strike (and also sink as many of the warships escorting the convoy as possible), followed by a landing to take the island. The Japanese do not realise that this is the second supply convoy, and that the defenders on Timor now outnumber their attack force. The carriers will cover the invasion force until nightfall just in case they have been spotted.

First Battle of Timor

The first action off Timor was the attack by the RAAF Beaufighters on the invasion fleet spotted earlier. The island had a limited supply of torpedoes, so it had been decided to use them on the first (and hopefully most effective) attack. There were a certain number of errors on both sides; the Japanese didn't realise that the island's airfield was hosting a full torpedo squadron, and not having spotted any Japanese carriers the Allies expected the fleet to have no air cover. As a result of these mistakes the Beaufighters were sent out without benefit of fighter cover. Meanwhile the 4,000 men defending the island were put on invasion alert, and the unloading of the supply convoy continued at breakneck speed.

The Japanese invasion fleet was approaching from the north, and it was correctly concluded that their destination was Dilli. The torpedo planes struck first, at 1700, 18 planes attacking in groups of three. Unknown to the pilots, the Japanese carriers were keeping a patrol of six Zeroes over the fleet, and the first the Beaufighters knew of these was when two of them were shot down into the sea. The highly experienced Japanese pilots continued to harry and attack the incoming planes, but with only six aircraft, they could not protect the fleet properly. Although many of the attackers were either shot down or driven away with their attack ruined, six planes managed to get in torpedo runs against the transport ships. The net result was one transport sunk, and a second damaged and unable to make more than a few knots. One escorting destroyer was also sunk - almost by accident; it had run into the path of a torpedo jettisoned by a Beaufighter evading one of the Zeroes. The attackers lost eight planes (six to the zeroes, one to AA and one which crash-landed on the island, unable to make the airfield at Dilli). Only one Zero was lost, having strayed in front of one of the Beaufighters - not a safe thing to do given the Beaufighter's heavy armament.

Both sides were rather shocked - to the Allies, it was now obvious that at least one Japanese carrier was lurking in the area, probably to the north of the island; to the Japanese, the island defences had been underrated. The Japanese prepared accordingly; a full-strength carrier strike was to be made on the airfield at dawn to neutralise it and allow the remaining transports a free run in. As yet the Dutch surface force had not been spotted, but it was hoping to make contact with the Japanese invasion force that night. HMAS Melbourne's force was, as per standing orders, edging southeast - unless the Japanese turned out to only have one light carrier, her orders were to stay clear of superior forces and support the surface force. However, she was carrying a dozen SeaLance, and her captain had decided to make a strike against the transports if at all possible. The intention of the Dutch to attempt a night surface action had complicated this, making his original intention of a night strike too dangerous to friendly ships, but there was always the next day.

The Dutch force made contact with the Japanese convoy later than planned. They had originally hoped to attack around 0100, allowing them to retire south under cover of darkness away from the likely position of the Japanese carriers. Contact was not made until 0330, and then only by part of the force. The Dutch ships were not equipped with radar, and had had to spread out to intercept the invasion force. While on paper the Dutch force was superior, its cruisers were very light ships and they were inexperienced at night combat, unlike the highly trained Japanese escorts. The Japanese detected the Dutch first, and the initial sign of contact was starshells bursting over Doorman's flagship.

The action did not go well for Doorman; after half an hour, the Dutch cruiser HNMS De Ruyter was on fire and sinking, HNMS Java was stationary after a long lance torpedo had blown off her stern, and two Dutch destroyers were out of action, although one would manage to limp away under cover of darkness. In return, one Japanese destroyer was disabled and slowly sinking. After this the rest of the Dutch ships make their escape before daylight, leaving the Japanese convoy able to reform and again head for Timor, although due to the night action they were now not expected to arrive until the afternoon.

Dawn brings more aerial action. After the news of the night surface action, the Japanese carriers allocate twelve dive bombers and an escort of six Zeros to go after and sink as much as possible of the Dutch force. The rest of their attack planes, some 36 level bombers and 30 dive bombers, escorted by 20 Zero fighters, attack the airfield on Timor shortly after dawn. While Timor does have a radar set, it has not been operational for long and the ground control is poorly trained; as a result less than ten minutes warning is given. Some of the planes had already left; although the torpedoes were used up yesterday, the remaining ten Beaufighters (some of them hurriedly patched up), escorted this time by eight Sparrowhawks are on their way to the invasion fleet. In their keenness to attack the island the carriers only have four Zeros over the transports and escorts, and this result in the Beaufighters being able to make their attacks while a melee ensues between the Sparrowhawks and the Zeros. Four Sparrowhawks are shot down for the loss of two Zeros, but another transport is left disabled and burning from the 500lb bombs of the Beaufighters, and a destroyer is in difficulty after being riddled with 20mm fire.

The strike force sent to find the retreating Dutch vessels finds the unfortunate ships an hour later, but the manoeuvrable destroyers are difficult targets, and only one more is lost even with the experience of the veteran Japanese pilots. The airfield has not been so lucky; although eight Sparrowhawks and four P-40's were in the air (a dawn strike had, after all, been expected if the Japanese were in range), they were not a match for the escorting fighters. Three of the P-40's and four of the Sparrowhawks were shot down for the loss of only two Zeros (although a third was unable to make it back due to damage, crashing on the edge of the islands as it tried to make it back to the carrier). The carrier planes did considerable damage to the airfield and its operational facilities, and destroyed some nine planes on the ground, although they only partially damaged the runway. As the last of the carrier planes headed back north, it was not clear how long it would be possible to keep the airfield operational.

The attack on the airfield had not been without loss to the attack planes. Two of the level bombers had been shot down by the defending fighters, and another by the ground defences, and two dive bombers had also been lost to AA fire. The runway was still operational for fighters, and the remaining CAP managed to get down with only one loss to the damaged surface. The repair crews started work immediately, and hoped to get the airfield operational again by that evening.

Meanwhile HMAS Melbourne had closed the island from the south in order to make a strike on the invasion force which, despite the losses to aircraft and the Dutch, was still closing on Dilli. Twelve SeaLance, escorted by eight Sparrowhawks, had taken off shortly after dawn. Led by an ASV-equipped SeaLance they spotted the invasion force some 50 miles offshore later that morning. As the carrier strike on the airfield had needed escort (and some Zeros needed to be retained for defence of the carriers themselves), the force only had four Zeros as cover. A CAP had been expected by the attackers, and the Sparrowhawks moved to cover the TBRs as they broke into their attack formations.

Despite outnumbering the Zeros eight to four, the expert Japanese pilots managed to shoot down five of the Sparrowhawks for the loss of two of their number (a third was damaged, and never made it back to the carrier). The combat did make it impossible for them to interfere successfully with the torpedo strikes, and three of the four triplets attacked without airborne opposition, although one plane was lost to AA fire. As the SeaLance made their withdrawal another two of the remaining transports were sinking into the tropical waters. After the various strikes, the invasion force was now only in a position to land about 1,000 men plus a limited amount of equipment. The Japanese army commander decided to land anyway, declaring that the Bushido spirit of his men would overcome the opposition even if they were outnumbered. The invasion force would be in a position to land at around 1430.