The Whale Has Wings Vol 3 - Holding the Barrier

by Row, David

  3rd April

  The Japanese open an all-out offensive against the Bataan line, which is by now under strength, undernourished, poorly clothed and equipped, and battle weary. After air and artillery bombardment lasting from 1000 until 1500 hours, the Japanese move forward, making their main effort against Sector D, the west flank of the II Corps, where the 41st and 21st Divisions, Philippine Army, are thinly spread and dazed as result of the preliminary bombardment. The 41st, on the west of the line, gives way and is rendered virtually ineffective as a fighting force, although a regiment on the extreme west succeeds in withdrawing in an orderly fashion.

  In the Mediterranean, final planning for an amphibious operation aimed at Sicily is taking place. Reports from the Far East are encouraging, and the monsoon will soon put a stop to major operations in Burma and Malaya. Once it starts, Operation Husky will take place on the next suitable date.

  4th April

  In the II Corps area on Bataan, the Japanese attack is again preceded by a demoralizing artillery bombardment in conjunction with air attacks. The main line of resistance of Sector D collapses as the 41st Division Philippine Army withdraws again and the 21st Division is forced from their main line of resistance to the reserve line in front of Mt Samat. After nightfall, the Japanese regroup for an assault on Mt Samat.

  The first large raid using all the new equipment and the Coventry bomber is made by Bomber Command against Hanover. The main raid consists of 150 of the new high altitude Coventry, which follow in the Mosquito pathfinders. Their bombs, dropped from 35,000 feet, do severe damage to the supporting structures of buildings, as well as breaking gas lines and water mains. This damage makes it much more difficult to fight the damage and fires of the following waves of bombers - 400 Lancasters dropping the new 4,000 lb bombs and incendiaries, and a final wave of Halifax bombers carrying more incendiaries and light bombs to interfere with the fire-fighting efforts. The raid is finished off the next morning when 150 Coventry bombers raid above the ceiling of the German air defences, losing only one plane over the target. They drop another 1,500 tons of bombs on targets that were missed in the night raid.

  The raid is considered a success - a considerable part of Hanover's industry has been burned out or wrecked, and the sight of RAF bombers attacking apparently at will during the day had a serious effect on morale, many people fleeing the city. This raid will be a pattern for the RAF Spring offensive against the Ruhr and selected coastal cities.

  In Malaya, the Australians break the Japanese defensive line. With orders to hold, Yamashita is unable to stop them forming a 'shoulder' in the east, allowing them to commence rolling up the western units, which are almost unable to pull back as they are also facing a slow infantry advance from the west under General Slim.

  5th April

  Fuhrer Directive 41 is issued and the Wehrmacht has its orders for 1942. Leningrad is to be captured and contact is to be made with the Finns east of Lake Ladoga, however this is a secondary objective. The main attack will be in the South, which involves 2nd Army and 4th Panzer Army breaking through to Voronezh on the Don River. 6th Army will break out south of Kharkov and combine with the 4th Panzer Army to surround the enemy. After that, the 4th Panzer Army and 6th Army will drive east under the command of Army Group B and surround Stalingrad from the North, while Army Group A's 17th Army and 1st Panzer Army will do so from the South. Once Stalingrad is taken, the 6th Army will hold the flank defence line while Army Group A drives south into the Caucasus to seize the oilfields. After this it will be possible to advance south and attack the British positions in the Middle East, taking the oil fields and the Suez Canal and cutting the direct link between Britain and the Far East.

  After air and artillery preparation the Japanese resume their offensive in the II Corps area on Bataan, taking Mt Samat. They concentrate on the 21st Division, leaving it virtually ineffective as a fighting force. The Corps prepares to counterattack tomorrow with all available forces.

  A Japanese invasion force of 4,852 troops sails from Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, toward Cebu Island, in the Visayan Islands, east central Philippines.

  6th April

  The First Canadian Army is formed in the U.K. under the command of Lieutenant General McNaughton.

  7th April

  Soviet Army troops force a very narrow corridor to Leningrad, opening a tenuous rail link to the city. Trains run into the city with desperately needed supplies and come out with civilians and the wounded, all under heavy artillery fire from the Germans.

  8th April

  Bomber Command mounts a raid on Essen. It is somewhat lighter than that against Hanover, but is again effective. The combination of the pathfinders and the Coventry bomber is causing the German defenders terrible problems, as the loss rate is very low and they leave the target open, burning and damaged for the follow-on bombers, which as a result are attaining a much better number of aircraft on target.

  Harry Hopkins, Special Assistant to President Roosevelt, and General Marshall, US Army Chief of Staff, arrive in London for talks with British service and supply chiefs concerning the integration of US and British manpower and war production for action in Europe. General Marshall urges an offensive in the west to relieve pressure upon the USSR and promises a constant flow of US troops, including many air units, to the UK. The British treat these suggestions politely, but in fact they have no intention of attacking into France. Instead their operations are aimed at Italy. Since the only US Army involvement so far is a brigade of the 1st Infantry Division (compared to some 14 Imperial and French Divisions), Marshall has no troops to back his arguments with.

  On Bataan, II Corps disintegrates completely under sustained Japanese attacks from the ground and air. The Japanese soon discover gaps in the Alangan River line held by the U.S. 31st Infantry and 803d Engineer Battalion; the Philippine Scouts’ 57th Infantry, 26th Cavalry and 14th Engineer Battalion; and Philippine Constabulary troops, and stream southward at will. In a final effort to stem the enemy advance, the Provisional Coast Artillery Brigade, serving as infantrymen, forms a weak line just north of Cabcaben, but other units ordered to extend this line are unable to do so. Major General King, Commanding General Luzon Force, decides to surrender his troops and orders equipment destroyed during the night of the 8th/9th. Of the 78,000 men of the Luzon Force, about 2,000 succeed in escaping to Corregidor Island in Manila Bay.

  The submarine USS Seadragon delivers food to Corregidor, and evacuates the final naval radio and communications intelligence personnel.

  The air echelons of the 3rd, 17th and 20th Pursuit Squadrons (Interceptor), 24th Pursuit Group (Interceptor), and the 21st and 34th Pursuit Squadrons (Interceptor), 35th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) based on Bataan begin operating from Del Monte Field on Mindanao with whatever aircraft are left.

  Somerville informs Alexander and Blamey that he expects to be able to lift the required troops onto Bali in a few days. While he has the naval support he needs, a delay has been caused due to all light shipping and craft having been evacuated to the west out of the range of the failed Japanese landings.

  At 1200 hours, the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, with the heavy cruisers USS Salt Lake City and Northampton , four destroyers, and the oiler USS Sabine, sortie from Pearl Harbor to rendezvous with the aircraft carrier USS Hornet which is carrying B-25s to attack Japan. Since the Hornet is unable to maintain normal air operations due to her decks being full of B-25's, the Enterprise will be her escort until the raid is launched.

  9th April

  After four months' epic resistance the 76,000 emaciated and diseased US and Filipino troops and civilians defending Bataan have surrendered. Major-General King said that he was defying orders not to surrender from Major-General Wainwright, now on Corregidor, in order to avoid a "mass slaughter" by the 50,000 strong Japanese army. 2,000 men were evacuated to Corregidor, which is still holding out.

  The prisoners of war pose a logistics problem to their captors who are now turning their attention to the islan
d of Corregidor. The Japanese plan to move the prisoners to Camp O'Donnell, but with the nearest railhead 65 miles away they will have to force-march them there.

  After the last two RAF raids, Hitler informs the Luftwaffe that they will find a method of defending against the high altitude bombers. Such a program has already commenced, and it is hoped to have some prototypes available for testing in two months.

  The Australian attack drives over the Thai border. Thai army units are mysteriously absent, leaving any defence to the Japanese, as the internal struggle in the Thai government intensifies. The local population, both Malay and Thai, seem more than happy to see the Australians. The Japanese have been acting more as troops occupying a defeated enemy than Allies. The 9th Australian Division, with some armour support, forms a 'shoulder' to prevent the Japanese from the east interfering, while the rest of the Australian corps turns west to crush the Japanese between them and Slim's advancing infantry. Given the impending monsoon season, Blamey informs Alexander than he intends to stop at approximately the original pre-war lines of defence in Thailand in the east and centre, but will join up with Slim on the west coast to form a solid defence line across the peninsula. This line will be strengthened during the wet season, ready to be used as a base for a new advance to drive the Japanese back to French Indo China once conditions make this possible.

  13th April

  Vice Admiral Ghormley, USN, is assigned as Commander-in-Chief South Pacific (COMSOPAC). He is to command all Allied base and local defence forces (land, sea, and air) in the South Pacific Islands, with the exception of New Zealand land defences. His line of demarcation with Somerville is set somewhat tentatively as east of New Guinea.

  The British and Australian governments officially approve the appointment of General Blamey as commander Dutch East Indies/Australia. He will take over formally once he is satisfied he can leave the Malaya offensive in the hands of his divisional commanders and General Alexander.

  A mixed force of British, Australian and Dutch troops is landed on Bali. Around 6,000 men are involved, outnumbering the Japanese some 2:1. There are also Allied troops remaining hidden from before the invasion, who have been passing on information on the invaders. While the battleship Warspite and some cruisers are available for support of the landings, in fact they are unopposed by the Japanese. It is expected to take some weeks at least to clear the island, depending on what sort of defence the Japanese make. In the meantime, Somerville is busy withdrawing his heavy forces back to Malaya to replenish.

  16th April

  Japan invades the island of Panay with a 4,000-strong force. The Japanese Kawamura Detachment (41st Infantry Division) lands unopposed at Iloilo and Capiz on Panay Island.

  April 17th

  The RAF follows up its heavy nighttime attacks with a daylight raid on the MAN diesel factory at Augsberg. Some 80 bombers leave the factory in burning ruins in a precision attack. Despite the speed of the Mosquito ten bombers are lost to various causes, mostly to AA fire.

  General MacArthur, currently residing in Australia, is ordered back to Washington to discuss his next appointment.

  Chapter 18 - The Doolittle Raid and its consequences

  April 18th

  A totally unexpected air raid today by American bombers on large Japanese cities, including Tokyo, has shocked Japan. The raid by 16 B-25 bombers was launched from the deck of the American aircraft carrier USS Hornet some 650 miles from Tokyo. The Hornet was in company with the carrier USS Enterprise, as the bombers on Hornet prevented her from operating her normal aircraft complement.

  After completing their bombing runs, all 16 aircraft cleared the Japanese home islands and continued westwards towards the coast of China. The raid was planned deliberately as a psychological shock to the Japanese and a much needed boost to sagging American morale which has suffered from a cataract of military disasters since the Pacific war began. The US Army Air Force crews volunteered and trained vigorously in secret for this unorthodox and dangerous mission. To take off from the deck of an aircraft carrier with the very heavy fuel load required as well as bombs was a problem never before encountered by army pilots.

  The raiding B-25's were unopposed when they crossed the Japanese coast. The raid was led by General James Doolittle. His plane roared over Tokyo at a height of 1,200 feet just as an air-raid practice ended and the barrage balloons had been winched down. He dropped his incendiaries before the real alarm was sounded. Over China, it was night and the weather was bad. A few pilots force landed their planes and of 63 crewmen who parachuted, five died and eight were captured. The raid caused little material damage but has boosted American morale.

  Although the bombers were launched early, as a suspicious Japanese craft had been seen, it appears this did not make a sighting report, as the Japanese appear to be unaware of the source of this raid. President Roosevelt refers to Shangri-La in a radio broadcast, which hardly enlightens the Japanese command.

  General Blamey signals General Alexander (with a copy to London) that all Japanese troops that invaded Malaya have either been captured or driven out of the country. Churchill is delighted, and sends a congratulatory telegram. The success of the Australian units is apparently ameliorating his earlier dislike of them.

  20th April

  The Japanese conquest of the central Philippines is nearly complete as Cebu and Panay are conquered. Small U. S. and Filipino garrisons have fled into the hills of Leyte, Samar, Negros and Bohol, but organised resistance has ended.

  21st April

  USAAF Major General Brett assumes command of the Allied Air Force, which has units based in northern and eastern Australia, with advanced facilities in the Port Moresby, New Guinea area. He will report to General Blamey as overall commander. Admiral Crace has been placed in command of the naval forces in the area, although until Japanese intentions become clear Somerville retains his heavy ships close enough to intervene if necessary. Crace will deploy a mixed force of cruisers and destroyers with the two Australian light carriers to harass the Japanese (with the aid of the Royal Navy submarines), but is not to engage a heavy task force.

  The Germans request the assistance of the Italian Navy to deal with the ramshackle Soviet flotilla on Lake Ladoga (estimated at 6 gunboats, 2 large and 5 small torpedo boats, 32 armed minesweepers, 9 armed transport ships, 17 armed tugboats and 1 submarine, plus another 25 other boats).

  The Italian Navy promptly agreed and sent the four torpedo boats of 12th MAS Flotilla, commanded by Capitano di Corvetta (Lt-Com) Bianchini. The Italians have received assurances from the Germans that no Royal Navy carriers are present on the lake.

  In Washington DC, the federal government decides to build the "Big Inch" oil pipeline from Texas to New York so Allied tankers won't have to run the German submarine gauntlet along the East Coast. This pipeline has a diameter of 24", the highest-capacity oil pipeline ever built.

  22nd April

  The raid on Tokyo by US B-25 bombers has caused immense consternation in the Japanese command, as well as much loss of face - the Emperor could have been injured or even killed. An emergency reappraisal of the impending IJN operations is ordered. The Americans cannot be allowed to get away with such an attack on the Japanese home islands, even if it means altering or postponing operations originally thought to be more militarily important.

  One consequence of the attack is that Admiral Somerville has made arrangements for his heavy units, particularly his fleet carriers, to undergo boiler and bottom cleaning at Singapore as fast as possible. It is expected that the raid will sting the Japanese into some sort of retaliation, and he wants the fleet to be as prepared as possible. Similar activity takes place at Pearl Harbor, although the wide disposition of naval units makes this more difficult. Nimitz's actions are expected to hinge on how well his code-breakers can decrypt Japanese signals, something at which they are becoming increasingly adept. Daily summaries are being flown by hand of officer to Singapore to keep the breaking of the codes secret.

  23
rd April

  In retaliation for the recent RAF raids, the Luftwaffe raids Exeter at night. Considerable damage was done, as this was the first major raid in a considerable time, however the RAF night fighters took a heavy toll of the bombers. The number of aircraft used by the Luftwaffe is far fewer than in the heavy night raids of early 1941, and it is believed that they no longer have the bombers to cause more than occasional disruption by this means. The increased performance of the RAF defence and the better radar now in use means that unless the Germans can invent some new method of penetrating the defences the raids will continue to suffer severe losses which will limit their effectiveness even more.