The Whale Has Wings Vol 3 - Holding the Barrier

by Row, David

  The troop convoy from Darwin arrives at Port Moresby; additional forces including RAAF and USAAF personnel will arrive shortly. It is intended to hold a defensive position in New Guinea until the situation at Java is resolved.

  The situation on the East Coast of the USA is slowly improving. The new 'bucket brigade' system is working well, and losses have dropped steadily. The first of the old US 'four-pipers' that were in the reserve are being activated and assigned to this operation, as their limited range is not an issue for these operations. They are not good A/S ships, however, and for the moment are being supplemented by RN and RCN escorts. Meanwhile the 'mutiny' by US merchant captains has been quietly forgotten with the proviso that the people involved keep quiet about the politically embarrassing matter.

  HMS Audacious and her escorts arrive at Ceylon. With all of his current carriers available for action off Java, Somerville insists that she spends time getting fully operational before she sees action. He also wants to keep the arrival of the new carrier secret for as long as possible.

  March 15th

  At a staff meeting in Berlin, Chancellor Adolf Hitler and his generals study the situation in the Soviet Union. Moscow has not fallen, and is now unlikely to fall to a direct attack. German casualties from Soviet firepower and frostbite have been immense, but the Soviet counterattacks at Moscow, Staraya Russa, and the Crimea are coming to a close as the Soviets run out of supplies. The initiative is going back to the Germans, and Hitler forecasts the annihilation of the Soviet Army in summer. That evening at the Sportspalast, Hitler announces that the Soviet Union will be "annihilatingly defeated" in the next summer offensive.

  Japan launches an artillery attack on Manila Bay. In the Manila Bay area the Japanese, having emplaced additional artillery along the southern shore of Manila Bay southwest of Ternate, renew intensive bombardment of fortified islands in the bay. The shelling is conducted daily and in great force through 21 March, despite U.S. counter-battery fire. Forts Frank and Drum are particularly hard hit.

  March 16th

  The submarine USS Permit delivers ammunition to Corregidor Island, and evacuates the second increment of naval radio and communications intelligence people.

  The Japanese stage an air attack on Darwin. Since their failure to take Timor the Japanese have been staging minor nuisance raids against the island, both sides taking light losses. The attack on Darwin comes as a surprise (as intended), and the response is slow. As a result of this, some twelve planes are lost on the ground at the airfield before the bombers can be intercepted. The Japanese lose four bombers and three Zeros for the loss (in the air) to the defenders of five P-40's. Fortunately for the RAAF the planes at Darwin have been heavily dispersed (the original field was not designed to hold the number of planes now operating out of Darwin), and so only one fighter field was bombed before the defenders could intercept. The RAAF is not happy at the slow and disorganised response, as Darwin is becoming steadily more important as a base, and a number of officers are posted away as part of a general shakeup of the defences.

  March 17th

  New B-17's arrive to take MacArthur and his party to Australia. The attempt is interrupted by a Japanese raid (it would seem that the days of delay have given the Japanese some information that some sort of operation is underway). Two of the B-17's are damaged, fortunately not severely, and a number of ground crew, and some in MacArthur's party, injured. It would seem that the General himself has received a wound, although no details are yet available. The ground crews are racing to repair the planes before the Japanese can attack again.

  March 18th

  The B-17's carrying General MacArthur and his party arrive at Darwin. They will later fly on to the metropolis of Alice Springs on their way south. No official clarification is given on MacArthur's wound, though apparently the General was unable to sit during the journey south.

  March 19th

  Seventeen US Kittyhawk fighters are flown off from Townsville, Queensland, on their way to Port Moresby, staging by way of Cookstown and Horn Island. The Allies are trying to reinforce their air power in the area, but the huge distances involved are consuming time and fuel.

  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 of a naval escort, but it 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 twelve Imperial and French divisions (including two armoured divisions) are available, although shipping will restrict the initial landing sizes.

  Bomber command has fixed most of 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.

  Chapter 15 - The Battle for Java

  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, Curtin, will take over the post of Prime Minister.

  In Tokyo, 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 navy operational control.

  During the late morning, the Japanese Eastern Invasion Force headed for Java from the Philippines was located 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 divi
sion with 30 tanks attached from 1st Armoured in Malaya, and the British 51st Division, as well as about 1,000 US ground troops and additional 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 improvement. 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 King George V 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; 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 has left the Armoured Brigade there 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 the necessary modifications made for operations in 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 and location of the General's wound. This causes considerable amusement in Australia.

  March 22nd

  In New Guinea, 75 Squadron RAAF, based at Port Moresby, makes its combat debut. Six Curtiss Kittyhawks (P-40Es) make a surprise attack at dawn on the Japanese forces at Lae. Two Zeros are shot down for the loss of two Kittyhawks, although one pilot is saved.

  A single Mitsubishi Ki-15 reconnaissance plane takes off from Koepang, Timor, to reconnoitre the defences of Darwin, Northern Territory, in readiness for a larger strike force of Mitsubishi G4M Betty bombers. Coast watchers on Bathurst Island notify Darwin of the approaching reconnaissance aircraft at about 1200 hours and it is shot down by a P-40 of the 9th Pursuit Squadron, their first radar-guided interception. As anticipated, the Japanese bombers make a raid that same day but not on Darwin. They fly 200 miles further southeast and bomb Katherine, Northern Territory. They presumably were hoping to find Allied bombers at the Katherine Airfield but none were there and damage at the airfield is minimal. Officially described as: "An aborigine was killed, another wounded and some damage was done to the aerodrome".

  It is officially announced in Australia that John Curtin will officially take over as Prime Minister 'until such time as Robert Menzies has recovered'. There has been considerable debate in the Labour Party overnight about how to handle this; one part of the party wanted to use this as a reason to call an election, which they are confident of winning, but in the end were outvoted by more cautious elements in the Party. They pointed out that calling an election due to the collapse of Menzies while Australia is under attack would look like blatant opportunism, whereas waiting, and showing that they can do an even better job (especially as it is felt that the tide is turning in favour of Australia) will allow them to gather the middle ground votes who will be swayed by the display of statesmanship and putting Australia first, thus giving them a much stronger majority if they go to the country next year. Curtin announces that no changes will be made in Australian policy as a result of Menzie's collapse, but in private he has used his new office to stress that unless an Australian is appointed as head of the Australian theatre the Labour party might have to withdraw from the coalition. This is part of the strategy to show that a Labour PM can lead Australia in the war successfully. The appointment of Blamey has already been supported by Britain, and the ridicule MacArthur has managed to attain in the Australian press has hardly helped his cause. MacArthur himself is still heading south by train, and is out of easy contact with his government.

  Map 5 - Malay/Burma

  In support of the Japanese attacks on Java, General Yamashita commences an offensive operation in northern Malaya. Led by the 56th Division, the attack is aimed at what Yamashita considers two weak spots in the Imperial defence line; aggressive patrolling and reconnaissance has been undertaken over the last month to find these with a view to exploitation. The initial attack goes well, although the defences are on alert (an operation to take advantage of the attack on Java was hardly unexpected), but by nightfall the Japanese infantry have managed to push forward between a number of the Allied units. Blamey informs Alexander that he is not as yet concerned, and that he believes the Japanese do not have the force required for a serious breakthrough. He intends to let them get a little more forward before, as he puts it, 'cutting them off at the knee'. There are intense air operations on both sides in support of the ground action, and despite the precautions and alert state the RAF loses some aircraft on the ground to the initial Japanese raids. However the Japanese are now outnumbered by the RAF and RAAF, and by the end of the day they are preventing any serious air attacks on the Imperial defence line.

  Off Java, Allied reconnaissance planes indicate that the Japanese invasion convoy is most likely heading for East Java. This is in fact in error, as late in the day part of the convoy splits off and heads for Bali, which has a usable airfield the Japanese want to support their invasion of Java. Somerville is reluctant to commit his heavy forces until he finds where the Japanese have placed their support - he does not believe that they would try and invade Java without air support from carriers - however the cruiser force is ordered to engage the invasion fleet after dawn on the 23rd. Air support will be from the air bases on Java, and from the CVL Colossus which is held some distance back from the cruisers. It is planned to have Beaufighters make a torpedo strike at dawn, which it is hoped will leave the convoy in disarray before the surface force attacks.

  The force heading for Bali runs into a USN submarine that night; an attack is made but only one hit is attained on a transport. More usefully, the submarine radios in the location and heading of the force, which allows the defenders of Bali to be put on alert. The Allies had not expected the Japanese to attack Bali at this point (assuming they would have concentrated on Java), and only have small forces on the island. They order the airfield commander to destroy the airstrip to deny it to the Japanese (any planes are to fly off for Java before this is done), then delay the Japanese as far as possible before withdrawing.

  March 23rd

  On Bataan in the PI US and Filipino troops dig in for the soon-expected Japanese attack. General Homma has been reinforced by more army bombers, although the Japanese too are having difficulties with food, and the best part of a division of troops is in hospital

  Dawn sees considerable action around Java.

  At first light a heavy Japanese air attack destroys some aircraft on the ground at Timor, at the cost of a number of bombers; the Japanese need to keep the island's airfields suppressed until they have airfields at Java. The Allies do not have any spare long-range bombers available to attack the Japanese airfields in return; these are being held back to support Java.

  Shortly after dawn the Allies launch a torpedo strike by 24 RAAF Beaufighters escorted by 16 Sparrowhawks. The heavy escort is needed, as the convoy is covered by a dozen Zero fighters. The Zeros damage one Beaufighter and shoot down a second before the Sparrowhawks intercept; in the resulting battle five Sparrowhawks are lost for four Zeroes. This allows the remaining Beaufighters to make their torpedo attacks impeded only by AA fire from the escort and the transports. As the final Beaufighter leaves the scene, three transports are sinking and a Japanese light cruis
er is heavily down by the head.

  The RAF and Somerville are coordinating attacks from Java, but these are put temporarily on hold as a USAAF Catalina finally finds the Japanese heavy support group. Before the Catalina is forced to take cover in cloud (the plane already slightly damaged by a Zero), the pilot reports 'at least two carriers and two battleships plus supporting ships'. In fact, the battleships are cruisers - this misidentification was a consistent feature for both sides in air reconnaissance. The Japanese force is well back from the invasion fleet, but it is likely that it supplied the defensive cover that disrupted the Beaufighter raid. Somerville expects his main force to be in striking range by late afternoon, and in the meantime, attacks on the invasion fleet will have to be handled by the RAF. Somerville also has two U-class boats in the general area of the Japanese, and hopes that they will be in a position to finish off any Japanese ships he can cripple with his air strikes.