The Whale Has Wings Vol 2 - Taranto to Singapore

by David Row

  His surface force at Singapore consists of the light carrier Melbourne, the fast battleship KGV and three cruisers plus their destroyer escorts. These are at sea to the northeast of Singapore. If his reconnaissance detects a strong enemy force, he will either reinforce them with more of his fleet, or if the enemy force seems too large withdraw them and concentrate west of Singapore ready for a carrier strike.

  2nd Dec

  The Premier, Hideki Tojo, publicly rejects US proposals for peace. The Japanese carrier force "Kido Butai" sailing for the Hawaiian Islands receives a special radio signal: "Climb Mount Niitaka 1208", from Japanese Combined Fleet Commander Admiral Yamamoto. This is the order to execute the attack on Pearl Harbor.

  German troops reach the outskirts of Moscow, 20 miles away. The Kremlin is in sight.

  5th Dec

  Despite the nearness of his advance units to Moscow, Hitler agrees to a halt in the Moscow offensive due to the growing exhaustion of his troops and the freezing weather conditions.

  Japan assures the USA that its build-up of troops in Indochina is "a purely defensive measure"

  In Australia the government cancels all army leave as the prospect of war with Japan grows more likely. Japanese convoys are on the move in Asia, and the only question now seems to be where, not whether, they will strike. Allied forces have been brought to the first degree of readiness. Australian service chiefs have been summoned and the Australian war cabinet has issued orders for emergency measures in the Pacific. Australia has two divisions in place in Malaya, and a new division, the 8th, has finished training in Australia.

  All RN and RAN ships in theatre have been ordered to finish any boiler cleanings, hull cleaning and minor refits as soon as possible and be ready at eight hours notice. General Alexander has ordered the engineers to be ready to proceed with the defensive works as soon as he gives the order.

  6th Dec

  The Russian army launches a major counteroffensive on the Moscow front. The Germans are being hampered by the freezing conditions, for which they are not prepared, and the attack is a notable success

  The first two brigades of the 4th Indian Division arrive in Burma, although only half its heavy equipment has arrived in the first convoy. The rest of the division and its equipment will arrive in two weeks

  President Roosevelt again appeals to the Japanese Emperor for peace and asks for troop withdrawal from French Indochina. There is no Japanese reply. Later the first 13 parts of a 14 part Japanese message are transmitted. Unknown to the Japanese, this message is intercepted and decoded by US Intelligence

  An RAF reconnaissance plane discovers a Japanese convoy heading west, south of Cambodia point. Bad weather makes it difficult to keep the ships under observation, so the Whirlwind is relieved by a series of SeaLance planes flying out of Kota Bharu and using their ASV radar to keep track of the convoy, which is sailing steadily into the Gulf of Siam. There are four U-class submarines in a patrol line that intersects the convoy, and they are ordered to concentrate on it during the night of the 7th. One of the submarines is ordered to move south to Koto Bharu, as the forward airfield is an obvious target for attack. The submarine is not authorised to take action unless the Japanese are not only inside territorial waters but also launching a landing. Air Marshal Park only has a small number of the radar-equipped SeaLance, so to supplement them sends out six Hudson patrol planes. If the convoy sighted is an invasion fleet, then a supporting force cannot be too far away if it is to give them cover, and he hopes that one of the Hudsons will spot them

  Admiral Somerville can only consider this to be an invasion convoy (or at least ships acting like one). His big question is where is the covering force, and how large is it. At the moment it is not possible to say if the convoy is heading for Siam, or Malaya, or both. While he keeps planes covering the convoy, urgent attempts are made to try and find where the warships covering it are hiding. The ships at Singapore are brought to two hours notice for sailing (his advance squadron has been in port so the carrier can have her bottom cleaned). A squadron of RAF Beaufighters are put on alert for a possible torpedo attack, and the Army units in the north are alerted that an invasion may commence within 48hours. The RAF radar units on and north of Singapore Island have been on alert for some days. The RAF and Army units in the north will have to manage for the time being with the Malaysian version of the Observer Corps, the radar systems not having yet covered the entire country, but at least Park has managed to get a basic command system working, thanks in part to the availability of RN personnel trained in the similar job at sea.

  Parks is also worried about air raids on Singapore. While there have been a number of air raid drills, there has only been one a month for the civilian population due to the disruption they cause (although the military have been tested more frequently), and he is concerned that an early raid could cause severe casualties. No-one is sure about the range of Japanese bombers, but it is considered possible they could raid the island with at least a light bomb load. There have also been problems in digging slit trenches in the often-wet conditions, although steady progress has been made in more permanent facilities for the airfields and some of the more important military targets.

  7th - 8th Dec

  Six Japanese carriers launch an air strike at the USN naval base at Pearl Harbor, using 184 planes in the first wave and 176 planes in the second wave, a much heavier strike even than the one the RN made against Taranto. The attack was made before a declaration of war, and resulted in massive damage to the US fleet, which seemed to be caught by surprise and without defensive measure such as torpedo nets fully or properly deployed.

  Only 29 Japanese planes failed to make it back, although others were too badly damaged to be used again. Comments made seem to indicate that a daylight raid was not expected after the earlier examples of night raids in the European war by the Royal Navy.

  The attack was a devastating success. Four battleships were sunk, and four more damaged, effectively destroying the US fleet in the Pacific. Also lost or damaged were three cruisers, three destroyers, an AA training ship and a minelayer. In addition the USAAF airfields were badly damaged, the USAAF losing nearly 200 planes.

  Although reconnaissance planes took off from Hawaii, the Japanese attack force was not found. Although the damage done was serious, no further strike was launched (unlike the RN at Taranto), and, possibly due to the need to use a considerable force to neutralise the airfields, the damage to the fleet could have been even worse. Fortunately the US carrier force was not in the harbour at the time of the attack, and so was preserved for future missions.

  Wake Island has received a warning from Pearl Harbour at 0650. The islands defences and the airbase were not fully operational, but they had received the second half of their fighters only a few days before. There were now 24 F4F3 Wildcats to defend the island. Unfortunately the radar set due to be delivered was till at Pearl Harbor, and so it was decided to rotate eight fighters at a time on CAP, as warning was expected to be minimal without radar.

  At noon the airfield was attacked by 36 G3M bombers. Visibility was poor, and the bombers were not spotted until they began their attack runs. Only some of the aircraft were protected by revetments (these had only been built for the earlier group of 12 planes), and as a result the bombers destroyed five Wildcats on the ground. The control of the planes was poor, and the CAP did not succeed in intercepting the bombers before they made their escape.

  Appendix One

  This describes some of the aircraft in use by the Royal Navy and other air forces during the period covered by this book (1932 - 1941). Only naval aircraft or aircraft encountered in actions in the book have been included.

  Aircraft in use by the Royal Navy

  Gloster Goshawk Mk III (fighter)

  The Goshawk is a single-engine fighter powered by the improved version of the Bristol Hercules engine. Performance is similar to that of the historic Spitfire at low level, but inferior above 20,000 feet - as was the usual practice
with carrier aircraft of the period, performance was optimised for under 20,000 feet (since bombing above this altitude was too inaccurate for success against ships). Armament had increased to 4x20mm cannon over earlier version of the fighter. As with most naval planes, the Goshawk had rather longer range than its land-based equivalents, at the cost of a heavier aircraft (compensated for by the more powerful Hercules engine)

  Fairy Swordfish (TBR - Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance)

  Developed in the early 1930's as a private venture, the 'Stringbag' as it was known would be used throughout the war in many different roles. No longer the frontline torpedo/bomber (although it was still to be found used in this role in the more remote theatres), due to its versatility and its ability to operate off of very small carriers in all sorts of weather, it would carry on as the anti-submarine plane on escort carriers and conversions throughout the war.

  Martin-Baker Cormorant Mk III(Divebomber)

  Developed in the 1930's, the Hercules-powered Cormorant was the Royal Navies first dedicated dive bomber. Initial versions carried either a 500lb HE bomb (on longer missions) or a 1,000lb against larger targets. With a later-version Hercules (with more power), it could also carry the 1,600lb AP bomb designed for use against battleships and similarly armoured targets

  Boulton-Paul SeaLance (TBR - Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance)

  The replacement for the Swordfish, the SeaLance was an interim deign using the Griffon engine. Faster than the Swordfish, it was much more survivable against defended targets. With its increased performance, the Royal Navy carried on development of its aerial torpedoes to allow them to be dropped at a higher speed and from a greater height, also giving the crews more chance of surviving the attack.

  Fairy Spearfish (TBR - Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance)

  The replacement for the SeaLance (which had originally been seen as an interim design), this plane was operational in late 1941. Performance was much better, thanks to the powerful Centaurus engine, but the limited availability of the engine limited initial deployment. It was the first carrier-based plane to carry the new, heavy MkXV torpedo, and it could deliver this at over 250kt. It was the first strike aircraft deigned to have an ASV radar equipped as standard, but production issues meant that at first only some aircraft were so fitted.

  Gloster Sea Eagle (fighter)

  This fighter started to replace the Goshawk in the autumn of 1941. Powered by the Centaurus engine, it was then the fastest fighter in the world, carrying 4x20mm guns. It could also carry some 1,600lb of bombs, allowing it to act as a naval attack aircraft as well as a fighter. Production was initially limited by low production of the Centaurus, and the weight of the plane meant it only operated off the later or modernised fleet carriers.

  Aircraft in use by the RAF

  Lockheed Hudson (anti-submarine)

  The Hudson was a twin-engine light bomber in use by RAF Coastal Command as a reconnaissance and anti-submarine plane. The aircraft was bought from the USA, where it had originally been designed as a civilian aircraft, modified by the RAF to carry bombs and armed with a quadruple 0.303 gun turret.

  Hawker Hurricane (fighter)

  The Hurricane was a single-engines fighter powered by the Rolls-Royce Merlin. The first modern monoplane fighter in service in the RAF, its performance was similar to the Goshawk. Initially armed with 8x0.303" guns, by 1940 production aircraft were being armed with 2x20mm cannon and 4x0.303" guns, giving them more destructive power against German bombers. The plane would be one of the two mainstays of fighter command in 1940, before being phased out. The design did not benefit from a more powerful engine, and it was replaced in 1941 by the de-navalised version of the Goshawk, the Sparrowhawk.

  Supermarine Spitfire (fighter)

  The Spitfire was one of the great fighter aircraft of WW2. Developed before the war, it only entered service shortly before the conflict started. By 1940, it was already equal in performance to the best German fighters, and by the Battle of Britain was steadily replacing the Hurricane as the RAF frontline fighter. The airframe was far more capable of increasing performance when fitted with more powerful engines, and its development would continue throughout the war. Like the Hurricane, it was initially armed with 8x0.303" guns, but it was also upgraded to cannon by the time the Battle of Britain started.

  Short Sunderland (anti-submarine)

  The Sunderland was a long range, heavily armed flying boat, used for anti-submarine patrols. The heavy defensive armament led to it being used in areas like the Bay of Biscay where enemy fighters were encountered, and it was also capable of rescue.

  Bristol Beaufighter (fighter, bomber, torpedo, attack)

  The Beaufighter was the first true 'multi-role' plane in service in Britain. A powerful and heavy plane powered by two Hercules engines, it was capable of defending itself against all but the latest enemy fighters. Heavily armed, it was also used as a naval strike plane against light targets, and when carrying a torpedo, against larger ships. Its long range meant it was also used as a reconnaissance aircraft.

  Consolidated Catalina (maritime patrol)

  An American designed and built flying boat, this was used as an additional maritime patrol aircraft in the Atlantic and pacific theatres to supplement the limited production of the Sunderland, its long range being very useful in these areas.

  Short Stirling (bomber)

  The first four engined bomber designed for the RAF, it suffered from a number of performance issues, in particular its low ceiling of some 16,000 feet made it more vulnerable in operations. As the more capable Halifax was in production, and a long range aircraft was badly needed for convoy protection, many of the Stirlings were reassigned to this job, some being fitted with ASV radar for an additional reconnaissance role.

  Aircraft in use by the Luftwaffe

  Heinkel He115 (torpedo)

  Developed shortly before the start of the war, the He115 was a fast, twin engine floatplane designed to carry torpedoes and mines. Intended to fly from coastal bases, it was fast for the time and had a long range. However it was never manufactured in large quantities and its weak defensive armament made it vulnerable to fighters

  Messerschmitt Me109 (fighter)

  This single-engine fighter was the Luftwaffe's frontline fighter during the first part of the war. Agile and fast, it was the equal of the Spitfire (and in some respects its superior) at this time. Its main disadvantage was its short range and the delicate landing gear - although a version was produced for use on the German carriers, development shows a disheartening number of landing accidents.

  Junkers Ju87 (Stuka) (dive bomber)

  This aircraft was the iconic dive bomber of the war. A simple aircraft, its ability to dive extremely steeply made it very accurate. The early versions were limited in bomb load, but later versions with a more powerful engine had both a longer range and the ability to deliver a 500kg bomb at effective ranges. Fortunately for the Royal Navy the Luftwaffe neglected the anti-shipping role before the war, and so early attacks by the Stuka were often ineffective.

  Junkers Ju88 (bomber)

  Probably the best light/medium bomber of the early part of the war, this twin engine plane was fast and could carry a useful bomb load. Its performance was affected by the requirement that it be able to divebomb, a task it was never suited for (the Stuka being far more effective).

  Heinkel He111 (bomber)

  The standard Luftwaffe medium bomber of the early War years, this twin-engined level bomber was ineffective against ships at sea.

  Messerschmitt Me110 (escort fighter)

  A heavy twin-engine fighter, in some respects it resembled the Beaufighter. However its role was quite different. Intended as a long-range fighter to protect bombers, it was found incapable f protecting itself against the modern RAF and FAA single-engine fighters. It was also employed as a light fast bomber carrying one or two 250kg bombs.

  Focke-Wulf Fw 190 (fighter)

  This plane was introduced in 1941 as a replacemen
t for the aging Me109. In fact the Me109 stayed in production throughout the war. A radial engine fighter, its heavy armament and high performance made it a dangerous threat to allied aircraft, and its performance was superior to the current RAF Spitfire MkV when it came into service.

  Aircraft in use by the Italian Air Force

  Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero (bomber)

  This was a three-engined bomber designed in the 1930's. It had a good performance for the time, and was the main Italian bomber of the war. One feature found useful by the crews in its naval use was that the wooden framework allowed the aircraft to often remain afloat for some 30 minutes. By 1940 its limited defensive armament was ineffective against the modern FAA fighters, making it very vulnerable.

  Macchi C.200 Saetta (Mc200) (fighter)

  The frontline fighter for Italy at the start of the war, this plane had excellent manoeuvrability but was slower than the equivalent RAF and FAA fighters, and poorly armed - 2x0.5" guns were not adequate, especially against the robust naval fighters it was to encounter. It also suffered from the common land-based fighter problem of limited range.

  Macchi C.202 Folgore (Mc202) fighter

  Introduced in 1941 after it was clear that the current Italian fighters were inferior to allied designs, this was a light and agile fighter. While more heavily armed than earlier designs, (2x7.7mm, 2x12.7mm guns), its armament was still inferior to alied designs, and had difficulty causing enough damage to the heavy allied aircraft. Rather rushed into service, the design had numerous problems that delayed its effective use.

  Aircraft in use by the Japanese Air Force

  Mitsubishi A5M Type 96 fighter (Claude)

  A very light and agile fighter used by the Japanese Navy. By the end of 1941 it was being replaced by the Zero. Its main problems were its slow maximum speed (slower than attack aircraft like the Beaufighter), and poor armament (2x7.7mm machine guns) which made it difficult to do sufficient damage to the more strongly built allied aircraft.