British Eastern Fleet
Encyclopedia
The British Eastern Fleet (also known as the East Indies Fleet and the Far East Fleet) was a fleet
of the Royal Navy
which existed from 1941 to 1971. In 1904 First Sea Lord
Sir John Fisher ordered that in the event of war the three main commands in the Far East
, the East Indies Squadron
, the China Squadron
and the Australian Squadron, should all come under one command called the Eastern Fleet based in Singapore
. The Commander-in-Chief on the China Station would then take command. During World War I
the squadrons remained distinct commands and Eastern Fleet was used only as a general term. The three squadron structure continued until World War II
and the beginning of hostilities with the Empire of Japan
, when the Eastern Fleet was formally constituted on 8 December 1941, amalgamating the East Indies Squadron and the China Squadron. During the war, it included many ships and personnel from other navies, including the Royal Netherlands Navy
, Royal Australian Navy
, the Royal New Zealand Navy
and the United States Navy
. With the creation of the British Pacific Fleet
in 1944/1945, the Eastern Fleet became the East Indies Fleet until the end of the war, when it became the Far East Fleet and operated in all Far East
areas including parts of the Pacific Ocean
.
had been a British "lake". It was ringed by significant British and Commonwealth possessions and much of the strategic supplies needed in peace and war had to pass across it: Persian oil, Malayan rubber, Indian tea, Australian and New Zealand foodstuffs. Britain also utilized Australian and New Zealand manpower; hence, safe passage for British cargo ships was critical.
Despite this, the Royal Navy had tended to station its older ships in the east and use the China Station
and the Far East Station as a source of reinforcements for other theatres. Even when gravely threatened, the Eastern Fleet largely consisted of older capital ship
s too slow and vulnerable to be of use in the Atlantic or Mediterranean.
At the outbreak of World War II, the German Navy (Kriegsmarine
) used auxiliary cruisers
(converted merchant ships) and the Pocket Battleship
Graf Spee to threaten the sea lanes and tie down the Royal Navy. In mid-1940, Italy declared war and the Italian vessels based in Italian East Africa
posed a threat to the supply routes through the Red Sea
. Worse was to come when the Japanese declared war in December 1941 and, after Pearl Harbor
, the sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse
, and the occupation of Malaya
, Singapore
, and the Dutch East Indies
, there was an aggressive threat from the east.
This became reality when an overwhelming Japanese naval force operated in the eastern Indian Ocean, sinking an aircraft carrier, other warships and disrupting freight traffic along the Indian east coast. At this stage, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, General Sir Alan Brooke
wrote:
The fear was that a concerted Japanese stroke could chase the Royal Navy from the Indian Ocean, with dire implications for India, and that German success in the Caucasus and in Egypt would threaten the Persian Gulf
.
- was sunk in October 1943.
On 10 June 1940, the entry of Italy
into the war introduced a new threat to the oil supply routes from the Persian Gulf
, which passed through the Red Sea
to the Mediterranean
. The Italians controlled ports in Italian East Africa
and Tiensin
, China
. The Italian Royal Navy (Regia Marina
) presence in the Red Sea, Indian Ocean
, and the western Pacific Ocean
consisted of destroyers, submarines, and a small number of armed merchantmen
. The majority of these were based at Massawa
in Eritrea
as part of the Italian Red Sea Flotilla
, primarily seven destroyers and eight submarines. During the course of 1940, the Red Sea Flotilla lost four submarines and one destroyer during early attempts to intercept British convoys in the Red Sea.
The Italian naval forces in East Africa
were caught in a vice. To put to sea invited heavy British reaction, while to stay in ports threatened by British and Commonwealth forces became impossible. In 1941, during the East African Campaign
, these ports were captured by the British. The Italians attempted to break out to German-occupied Europe
, to the Vichy French colony of Madagascar
, to Japan
, to Tianjin, China, or to any other neutral port where they might find refuge.
Some of these breakout attempts were successful. Four Italian submarines successfully reached Bordeaux
, two out of three of the Italian armed merchantmen reached Kobe
, Japan, and a few other vessels made it to other Axis-friendly ports. The rest of the Italian vessels in East Africa were captured, sunk, or scuttled. Six Italian destroyers attempted to attack Port Suez and Port Sudan
, but all six were lost due to a combination of British air and sea forces and scuttling
by their own crews. In actions against the Italians, the Eastern Fleet lost two destroyers and a sloop
.
The Eastern Fleet also supported British and Commonwealth ground forces in their actions in Iraq
(Operation Sabine
) and Iran
(Operation Countenance
).
, the Eastern Fleet's naval base at Singapore
(HMNB Singapore
) was part of the British Far East Command
.
British Far East
defence planning was based on two assumptions. The first assumption was that the United States
would remain as an effective ally in the western Pacific Ocean
, with a fleet based at Singapore, and that the Philippines
would be available as a forward base for British warships. Secondly, it was assumed that the technical capabilities and aggression of the Imperial Japanese Navy
were over-estimated. In these circumstances, with the Japanese fleet engaged by the United States Navy
(USN), the Admiralty
sent the four obsolescent Revenge class
battleships to Singapore to provide defensive fire-power and a British presence. The British assumptions were destroyed on 7 December 1941: the impact of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
denied substantial USN support to the British defence of the "Malay barrier" and made impossible the relief of American garrisons in the Philippines
. Furthermore, Japanese capabilities exceeded expectations.
After the fall of France in June 1940, Japanese pressure on the Vichy
authorities in French Indochina
resulted in the granting of base and transit rights, albeit with significant restrictions. Despite this, in September 1940, the Japanese launched an invasion of French Indochina. The bases thus acquired in Indochina
allowed extended Japanese air coverage of the invasion forces bound for Malaya
and for the Dutch East Indies
. In these circumstances, the Prince of Wales and Repulse
were vulnerable to concerted air attacks from the Japanese bases in Indochina and, without air cover, they were sunk in December 1941. The modern aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable
had been intended to be part of the squadron, but accidental damage prevented this. It's unlikely that the limited naval air cover thus available would have protected the squadron and the Indomitable might also have been a loss.
After the sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse
and the death of Admiral Sir Tom Phillips
, Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton
assumed command of the Eastern Fleet. The fleet withdrew first to Java and, following the Fall of Singapore, to Trincomalee
, Ceylon
(now Sri Lanka). In March 1942, Admiral Sir James Somerville arrived in Ceylon and assumed command from Layton.
, its deficiencies were clear to him. He found the port inadequate, vulnerable to a determined attack, and open to spying. An isolated island base with a safe, deep anchorage in a suitably strategic position was required. Addu Atoll
met the requirements and it was secretly developed as a fleet anchorage. Once available, the facilities at Addu Atoll were used extensively by the Royal Navy.
The Eastern Fleet was divided into two: Force A and Force B. Force A consisted of the modernised HMS Warspite and the two available fleet aircraft carriers. Force B was based on the slow Revenge class
battleships of the 3rd Battle Squadron
, based at the fleet's new operational base at Kilindini near Mombasa
in Kenya
and relatively safe from the Japanese fleet. Neither individually nor together could the two Eastern Fleet forces challenge a determined Japanese naval assault.
Following the Japan
ese capture of the Andaman Islands
, the main elements of the Fleet retreated to Addu Atoll
in Maldives
. Then, following Chuichi Nagumo
's Indian Ocean raid
and raid on Ceylon
in early 1942, the Fleet moved its operational base to Kilindini near Mombasa
in Kenya
, as their more forward fleet anchorages could not be adequately protected from Japanese attack. The fleet in the Indian Ocean was then gradually reduced to little more than a convoy escort force as other commitments called for the more modern powerful ships.
In May 1942, the Eastern Fleet supported the invasion of Madagascar
, Operation Ironclad. This was an operation aimed at thwarting any attempt by Japanese vessels to use naval bases on the Vichy French controlled territory. During the invasion, vessels of the Eastern Fleet were confronted by vessels of the French Navy
(two armed merchant cruisers, two sloops, and five submarines) and submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy
(I-10, I-16, I-18, and I-20 and midget submarines M-16b and M-20b).
s as the core of its naval forces. Allied advances in the Mediterranean and northern Europe during 1943 and 1944, however, released naval resources. As a result, more British aircraft carrier
s entered the area; plus the battlecruiser HMS Renown
, battleships Howe
, Queen Elizabeth
, Valiant
and supporting warships.
Preparations were put in hand for a more aggressive stance in the Indian Ocean and for British naval participation in the Pacific theatre
. Agreement had been reached, after objections from Admiral Ernest King
, but new procedures would need to be learnt by naval crews and Fleet Air Arm
(FAA) aircrew. To this end, Operation Diplomat
, a training exercise, took place in late March, 1944. The objective was for the fleet to rendezvous with a group of tankers (escorted by HNLMS Tromp
) and practice refuelling at sea procedures. They then rendezvoused with United States Navy
Task Force 58.5, the USS Saratoga
and three destroyers, and returned to Trincomalee
on 31 March. The U.S. task force had been detached to the Indian Ocean to bolster local air defences and also to impart necessary procedures to FAA aircrew, which was done over two or three days' intensive activity at sea. Sources for the dates of return to Trincomalee and the joint US/UK training differ.
Admiral King then requested that, during April, the Eastern Fleet should engage Japanese forces in their area and hold them there to reduce the opposition to an American seaborne assault on Hollandia (now Jayapura)
and Aitape
on the north coast of Netherlands New Guinea
. An airborne attack by the Eastern Fleet (including Task Force 58.5) on Sabang
, off Sumatra
was executed (Operation Cockpit
). Surprise was achieved: military and oil installations were heavily damaged by the attacks, aggravating Japanese fuel shortages. The American involvement was extended to capitalise on the success with a second attack, this time on Surabaya
, eastern Java
, on 17 May (Operation Transom
). The distances for this operation necessitated replenishment at sea. Again, the defenders were unprepared and significant damage was made to port, military and oil infrastructure. After this, on 18 May, Saratoga and her destroyers returned to the Pacific after what Admiral Somerville called "a profitable and very happy association of Task Group 58.5 with the Eastern Fleet".
At the end of August 1944, Admiral Somerville was relieved as Commander-in-Chief Eastern Fleet by Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser
, former Commander-in-Chief Home Fleet
. Somerville had been Commander-in-Chief Eastern Fleet since March 1942. During this time, there had been friction between him and the Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia Theatre, Louis Mountbatten. The need for an influential military representative in Washington provided the opportunity for a change. Fraser later transferred his flag to the newly-formed British Pacific Fleet
on 22 November 1944.
By this time, the Eastern Fleet included ships from Britain, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands and France, and became the East Indies Fleet.
The Eastern Fleet was greatly augmented by units intended for the Pacific and, on 4 January 1945 two British carriers (HMS Indomitable
and Indefatigable
) made an attack on oil refineries at Pangkalan Brandon in Sumatra (Operation Lentil
).
The final attacks were flown as Force 63 was en route for Sydney
, Australia to become the British Pacific Fleet
. Operation Meridian One
and Operation Meridian Two
were air attacks upon the oil refineries at Pladjoe, north of Palembang
, Java and at Soengei Gerong, Sumatra. Although successful these were not as smooth as earlier attacks. Poor weather delayed fly-offs for both raids, 48 aircraft were lost or damaged and refuelling at sea was only completed with difficulty and damage due to poor weather and lack of expertise.
A number of Fleet Air Arm pilots were captured by the Japanese during the Palembang raid. These were taken to Singapore where at least some of them were executed by the Japanese military authorities.
Important operations were launched in 1945 as the East Indies Fleet in the recapture of Burma
, including landings on Ramree Island
and Akyab and near Rangoon
and diversionary operations (Operation Bishop).
On May 15–16, 1945, the British executed Operation Dukedom
and the 26th Destroyer Flotilla (HMS Saumarez
, Venus
, Verulam
, Vigilant
and Virago
) sank the Japanese heavy cruiser Haguro
in the Malacca Straits
by torpedo
attack.
and took part in the Malayan Emergency
and the Confrontation with Indonesia in the 1960s. By 1964 the fleet on station included , , , , , seventeen destroyers and frigates, some drawn from the Mediterranean, about ten minesweepers and five submarines. Kent and Victorious helped to fill gaps in Singapore's radar cover by providing additional early warning.
The Flag Officer Second-in-Command Far East Fleet, for most of the postwar period a Rear Admiral, was based afloat, and tasked with keeping the fleet 'up to the mark operationally,' while the fleet commander, a Vice Admiral, ran the fleet programme and major items of administration 'including all provision for docking and maintenance' from his base in Singapore. Jack Scatchard (1962–64), Peter Hill-Norton (1964-?), Edward Ashmore
and Terence Lewin
, as Rear Admirals, were among those who held this appointment.
The Fleet was disbanded in 1971, and on October 31, 1971, the last day of the validity of the Anglo-Malayan Defence Agreement, the last Commander, Far East Fleet, Rear Admiral Anthony Troup
, hauled down his flag. That day, he took the salute aboard from RFA Stromness
from his final remaining ships. Led by , flying the flag of Flag Officer Second-in-Command Far East Fleet, the frigates , , , , and , sailed past, along with the repair ship and six Royal Fleet Auxiliaries. The Fleet was replaced by a small ANZUK
naval squadron comprising British, Australian, and New Zealand ships.
), France (Free French Navy
), the Netherlands (Royal Netherlands Navy
), India (Royal Indian Navy
), New Zealand (Royal New Zealand Navy
), and the United States. Major ships attached to the Eastern Fleet, or where indicated, East Indies Fleet, included:
Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Fleet
Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Fleet
Commander-in-Chief, Far East Fleet
Naval fleet
A fleet, or naval fleet, is a large formation of warships, and the largest formation in any navy. A fleet at sea is the direct equivalent of an army on land....
of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
which existed from 1941 to 1971. In 1904 First Sea Lord
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
Sir John Fisher ordered that in the event of war the three main commands in the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
, the East Indies Squadron
East Indies Station
The East Indies Station was a formation of the British Royal Navy from 1865 to 1941.From 1831 to 1865 the East Indies and the China Station were a single command known as the East Indies and China Station...
, the China Squadron
China Station
The China Station was a historical formation of the British Royal Navy. It was formally the units and establishments responsible to the Commander-in-Chief, China....
and the Australian Squadron, should all come under one command called the Eastern Fleet based in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. The Commander-in-Chief on the China Station would then take command. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
the squadrons remained distinct commands and Eastern Fleet was used only as a general term. The three squadron structure continued until World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the beginning of hostilities with the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
, when the Eastern Fleet was formally constituted on 8 December 1941, amalgamating the East Indies Squadron and the China Squadron. During the war, it included many ships and personnel from other navies, including the Royal Netherlands Navy
Royal Netherlands Navy
The Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands. In the mid-17th century the Dutch Navy was the most powerful navy in the world and it played an active role in the wars of the Dutch Republic and later those of the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
, Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
, the Royal New Zealand Navy
Royal New Zealand Navy
The Royal New Zealand Navy is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...
and the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. With the creation of the British Pacific Fleet
British Pacific Fleet
The British Pacific Fleet was a British Commonwealth naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. The fleet was composed of British Commonwealth naval vessels. The BPF formally came into being on 22 November 1944...
in 1944/1945, the Eastern Fleet became the East Indies Fleet until the end of the war, when it became the Far East Fleet and operated in all Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
areas including parts of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
.
Background
Until World War II, the Indian OceanIndian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
had been a British "lake". It was ringed by significant British and Commonwealth possessions and much of the strategic supplies needed in peace and war had to pass across it: Persian oil, Malayan rubber, Indian tea, Australian and New Zealand foodstuffs. Britain also utilized Australian and New Zealand manpower; hence, safe passage for British cargo ships was critical.
Despite this, the Royal Navy had tended to station its older ships in the east and use the China Station
China Station
The China Station was a historical formation of the British Royal Navy. It was formally the units and establishments responsible to the Commander-in-Chief, China....
and the Far East Station as a source of reinforcements for other theatres. Even when gravely threatened, the Eastern Fleet largely consisted of older capital ship
Capital ship
The capital ships of a navy are its most important warships; they generally possess the heaviest firepower and armor and are traditionally much larger than other naval vessels...
s too slow and vulnerable to be of use in the Atlantic or Mediterranean.
At the outbreak of World War II, the German Navy (Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
) used auxiliary cruisers
Armed merchantmen
Armed merchantman is a term that has come to mean a merchant ship equipped with guns, usually for defensive purposes, either by design or after the fact. In the days of sail, piracy and privateers, many merchantmen would be routinely armed, especially those engaging in long distance and high value...
(converted merchant ships) and the Pocket Battleship
Deutschland class cruiser
The Deutschland class was a series of three panzerschiffe , a form of heavily armed cruiser, built by the Reichsmarine officially in accordance with restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles...
Graf Spee to threaten the sea lanes and tie down the Royal Navy. In mid-1940, Italy declared war and the Italian vessels based in Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa was an Italian colonial administrative subdivision established in 1936, resulting from the merger of the Ethiopian Empire with the old colonies of Italian Somaliland and Italian Eritrea. In August 1940, British Somaliland was conquered and annexed to Italian East Africa...
posed a threat to the supply routes through the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
. Worse was to come when the Japanese declared war in December 1941 and, after Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, the sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse
Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse
The sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse was a Second World War naval engagement that took place north of Singapore, off the east coast of Malaya, near Kuantan, Pahang where the British Royal Navy battleship HMS Prince of Wales and battlecruiser HMS Repulse were sunk by land-based bombers and...
, and the occupation of Malaya
Japanese Invasion of Malaya
The Japanese Invasion of Malaya, or Battle of Kota Bharu, began just after midnight on 8 December 1941 before the attack on Pearl Harbor...
, Singapore
Japanese Occupation of Singapore
The Japanese occupation of Singapore in World War II occurred between about 1942 and 1945 after the fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942. Military forces of the Empire of Japan occupied Singapore after defeating the combined Australian, British, Indian and Malayan garrison in the Battle of Singapore...
, and the Dutch East Indies
Japanese Occupation of Indonesia
The Japanese Empire occupied Indonesia, known then as the Dutch East Indies, during World War II from March 1942 until after the end of War in 1945...
, there was an aggressive threat from the east.
This became reality when an overwhelming Japanese naval force operated in the eastern Indian Ocean, sinking an aircraft carrier, other warships and disrupting freight traffic along the Indian east coast. At this stage, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, General Sir Alan Brooke
Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke
Field Marshal The Rt. Hon. Alan Francis Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke, KG, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO & Bar , was a senior commander in the British Army. He was the Chief of the Imperial General Staff during the Second World War, and was promoted to Field Marshal in 1944...
wrote:
We were hanging by our eyelids! Australia and India were threatened by the Japanese, we had temporarily lost control of the Indian Ocean, the Germans were threatening Iran and our oil, AuchinleckClaude AuchinleckField Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, GCB, GCIE, CSI, DSO, OBE , nicknamed "The Auk", was a British army commander during World War II. He was a career soldier who spent much of his military career in India, where he developed a love of the country and a lasting affinity for the soldiers...
was in precarious straits in the desert, and the submarine sinkings were heavy.
The fear was that a concerted Japanese stroke could chase the Royal Navy from the Indian Ocean, with dire implications for India, and that German success in the Caucasus and in Egypt would threaten the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
.
Early war years
Until 1941, the main threat to British interests in the region was the presence of German commerce raiders (auxiliary cruisers) and submarines. The fleet had trade protection as its first priority and was required to escort convoys and eliminate the raiders. The Germans had converted merchant ships to act as commerce raiders and allocated supply ships to maintain them. The location and destruction of these German raiders consumed much British naval effort until the last raider - MichelGerman auxiliary cruiser Michel
Michel was an auxiliary cruiser of the German Navy that operated as a merchant raider during World War II. Built by Danziger Werft in Danzig 1938/39 as the freighter Bielsko for Polish Gdynia-America-Line , she was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine at the outbreak of World War II and converted...
- was sunk in October 1943.
On 10 June 1940, the entry of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
into the war introduced a new threat to the oil supply routes from the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, which passed through the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
to the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
. The Italians controlled ports in Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa was an Italian colonial administrative subdivision established in 1936, resulting from the merger of the Ethiopian Empire with the old colonies of Italian Somaliland and Italian Eritrea. In August 1940, British Somaliland was conquered and annexed to Italian East Africa...
and Tiensin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The Italian Royal Navy (Regia Marina
Regia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
) presence in the Red Sea, Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
, and the western Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
consisted of destroyers, submarines, and a small number of armed merchantmen
Armed merchantmen
Armed merchantman is a term that has come to mean a merchant ship equipped with guns, usually for defensive purposes, either by design or after the fact. In the days of sail, piracy and privateers, many merchantmen would be routinely armed, especially those engaging in long distance and high value...
. The majority of these were based at Massawa
Massawa
Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa (Ge'ez ምጽዋዕ , formerly ባጽዕ is a city on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. An important port for many centuries, it was ruled by a succession of polities, including the Axumite Empire, the Umayyad Caliphate,...
in Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
as part of the Italian Red Sea Flotilla
Red Sea Flotilla
The Red Sea Flotilla was a unit of the Italian Royal Navy based in Massawa, Eritrea, when Massawa was part of Italian East Africa...
, primarily seven destroyers and eight submarines. During the course of 1940, the Red Sea Flotilla lost four submarines and one destroyer during early attempts to intercept British convoys in the Red Sea.
The Italian naval forces in East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
were caught in a vice. To put to sea invited heavy British reaction, while to stay in ports threatened by British and Commonwealth forces became impossible. In 1941, during the East African Campaign
East African Campaign (World War II)
The East African Campaign was a series of battles fought in East Africa during World War II by the British Empire, the British Commonwealth of Nations and several allies against the forces of Italy from June 1940 to November 1941....
, these ports were captured by the British. The Italians attempted to break out to German-occupied Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, to the Vichy French colony of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, to Tianjin, China, or to any other neutral port where they might find refuge.
Some of these breakout attempts were successful. Four Italian submarines successfully reached Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, two out of three of the Italian armed merchantmen reached Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
, Japan, and a few other vessels made it to other Axis-friendly ports. The rest of the Italian vessels in East Africa were captured, sunk, or scuttled. Six Italian destroyers attempted to attack Port Suez and Port Sudan
Port Sudan
Port Sudan is the capital of Red Sea State, Sudan; it has 489,725 residents . Located on the Red Sea, it is the Republic of Sudan's main port city.-History:...
, but all six were lost due to a combination of British air and sea forces and scuttling
Scuttling
Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull.This can be achieved in several ways—valves or hatches can be opened to the sea, or holes may be ripped into the hull with brute force or with explosives...
by their own crews. In actions against the Italians, the Eastern Fleet lost two destroyers and a sloop
Sloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
.
The Eastern Fleet also supported British and Commonwealth ground forces in their actions in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
(Operation Sabine
Anglo-Iraqi War
The Anglo-Iraqi War was the name of the British campaign against the rebel government of Rashid Ali in the Kingdom of Iraq during the Second World War. The war lasted from 2 May to 31 May 1941. The campaign resulted in the re-occupation of Iraq by British armed forces and the return to power of the...
) and Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
(Operation Countenance
Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran
The Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran was the Allied invasion of the Imperial State of Iran during World War II, by British, Commonwealth, and Soviet armed forces. The invasion from August 25 to September 17, 1941, was codenamed Operation Countenance...
).
Singapore
Before the fall of SingaporeBattle of Singapore
The Battle of Singapore was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of the Second World War when the Empire of Japan invaded the Allied stronghold of Singapore. Singapore was the major British military base in Southeast Asia and nicknamed the "Gibraltar of the East"...
, the Eastern Fleet's naval base at Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
(HMNB Singapore
Singapore Naval Base
The Singapore Naval Base , situated in Sembawang at the northern tip of Singapore, was a Royal Navy Shore establishment as well as being a cornerstone of British Defence policy in the Far East between the World Wars.-History:After the Great War, the British government devoted...
) was part of the British Far East Command
British Far East Command
The Far East Command was a British military command which had 2 distinct periods. These were firstly, 18 November 1940 – 7 January 1942 succeeded by the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command , and secondly, 1963 – 1971 succeeded by Australia, New Zealand, and United Kingdom Force...
.
British Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
defence planning was based on two assumptions. The first assumption was that the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
would remain as an effective ally in the western Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, with a fleet based at Singapore, and that the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
would be available as a forward base for British warships. Secondly, it was assumed that the technical capabilities and aggression of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
were over-estimated. In these circumstances, with the Japanese fleet engaged by the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
(USN), the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
sent the four obsolescent Revenge class
Revenge class battleship
The Revenge class battleships were five battleships of the Royal Navy, ordered as World War I loomed on the horizon, and launched in 1914–1916...
battleships to Singapore to provide defensive fire-power and a British presence. The British assumptions were destroyed on 7 December 1941: the impact of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
denied substantial USN support to the British defence of the "Malay barrier" and made impossible the relief of American garrisons in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Furthermore, Japanese capabilities exceeded expectations.
After the fall of France in June 1940, Japanese pressure on the Vichy
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
authorities in French Indochina
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
resulted in the granting of base and transit rights, albeit with significant restrictions. Despite this, in September 1940, the Japanese launched an invasion of French Indochina. The bases thus acquired in Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
allowed extended Japanese air coverage of the invasion forces bound for Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
and for the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
. In these circumstances, the Prince of Wales and Repulse
HMS Repulse (1916)
HMS Repulse was a Renown-class battlecruiser of the Royal Navy built during the First World War. She was originally laid down as an improved version of the s. Her construction was suspended on the outbreak of war on the grounds she would not be ready in a timely manner...
were vulnerable to concerted air attacks from the Japanese bases in Indochina and, without air cover, they were sunk in December 1941. The modern aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable
HMS Indomitable (R92)
HMS Indomitable was a modified Illustrious class aircraft carrier of the British Royal Navy. The Illustrious class came about due to the 1937 Naval Programme...
had been intended to be part of the squadron, but accidental damage prevented this. It's unlikely that the limited naval air cover thus available would have protected the squadron and the Indomitable might also have been a loss.
After the sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse
Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse
The sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse was a Second World War naval engagement that took place north of Singapore, off the east coast of Malaya, near Kuantan, Pahang where the British Royal Navy battleship HMS Prince of Wales and battlecruiser HMS Repulse were sunk by land-based bombers and...
and the death of Admiral Sir Tom Phillips
Thomas Phillips (Naval officer)
Admiral Sir Thomas "Tom" Spencer Vaughan Phillips GBE, KCB, DSO was a World War II admiral in the Royal Navy. He was nicknamed "Tom Thumb" due to his short stature. He is best known for his command of Force Z during the Japanese invasion of Malaya, where he went down with his flagship, the...
, Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton
Geoffrey Layton
Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton GBE, KCB, KCMG, DSO , was a British Royal Navy officer.-Early life and career:...
assumed command of the Eastern Fleet. The fleet withdrew first to Java and, following the Fall of Singapore, to Trincomalee
Trincomalee
Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
, Ceylon
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
(now Sri Lanka). In March 1942, Admiral Sir James Somerville arrived in Ceylon and assumed command from Layton.
Indian Ocean retreat
When Admiral Somerville inspected the base at TrincomaleeTrincomalee
Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
, its deficiencies were clear to him. He found the port inadequate, vulnerable to a determined attack, and open to spying. An isolated island base with a safe, deep anchorage in a suitably strategic position was required. Addu Atoll
Seenu Atoll
Addu Atoll, previously also known as Seenu Atoll , is the southernmost atoll of the Maldives. Addu Atoll, together with Fuvahmulah, located 30 km north of Addu Atoll, extend the Maldives into the Southern Hemisphere. Addu Atoll is located approximately 478 km south of Malé....
met the requirements and it was secretly developed as a fleet anchorage. Once available, the facilities at Addu Atoll were used extensively by the Royal Navy.
The Eastern Fleet was divided into two: Force A and Force B. Force A consisted of the modernised HMS Warspite and the two available fleet aircraft carriers. Force B was based on the slow Revenge class
Revenge class battleship
The Revenge class battleships were five battleships of the Royal Navy, ordered as World War I loomed on the horizon, and launched in 1914–1916...
battleships of the 3rd Battle Squadron
3rd Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)
The British Royal Navy 3rd Battle Squadron was a naval squadron consisting of battleships and other vessels, active from at least 1914 to 1945. The 3rd Battle Squadron was initially part of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet. During the First World War, the Home Fleet was renamed the Grand Fleet...
, based at the fleet's new operational base at Kilindini near Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
and relatively safe from the Japanese fleet. Neither individually nor together could the two Eastern Fleet forces challenge a determined Japanese naval assault.
Following the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese capture of the Andaman Islands
Andaman Islands
The Andaman Islands are a group of Indian Ocean archipelagic islands in the Bay of Bengal between India to the west, and Burma , to the north and east...
, the main elements of the Fleet retreated to Addu Atoll
Addu Atoll
Addu City is a city in Maldives consisting of the inhabited islands of the southernmost atoll of the archipelago....
in Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
. Then, following Chuichi Nagumo
Chuichi Nagumo
was a Japanese admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II and one time commander of the Kido Butai . He committed suicide during the Battle of Saipan.-Early life:...
's Indian Ocean raid
Indian Ocean raid
The Indian Ocean raid was a naval sortie by the Fast Carrier Strike Force of the Imperial Japanese Navy from 31 March-10 April 1942 against Allied shipping and bases in the Indian Ocean. It was an early engagement of the Pacific campaign of World War II...
and raid on Ceylon
Easter Sunday Raid
The Easter Sunday Raid was an air attack by carrier-based aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Navy against Colombo, Ceylon , on Easter Sunday, 5 April 1942, during World War II. This attack was part of the Indian Ocean Raid, and was followed a few days later by a similar attack on Trincomalee...
in early 1942, the Fleet moved its operational base to Kilindini near Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, as their more forward fleet anchorages could not be adequately protected from Japanese attack. The fleet in the Indian Ocean was then gradually reduced to little more than a convoy escort force as other commitments called for the more modern powerful ships.
In May 1942, the Eastern Fleet supported the invasion of Madagascar
Battle of Madagascar
The Battle of Madagascar was the Allied campaign to capture Vichy-French-controlled Madagascar during World War II. It began on 5 May 1942. Fighting did not cease until 6 November.-Geo-political:...
, Operation Ironclad. This was an operation aimed at thwarting any attempt by Japanese vessels to use naval bases on the Vichy French controlled territory. During the invasion, vessels of the Eastern Fleet were confronted by vessels of the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
(two armed merchant cruisers, two sloops, and five submarines) and submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
(I-10, I-16, I-18, and I-20 and midget submarines M-16b and M-20b).
Indian Ocean strikes
After the departure of the main battle forces during February 1942, the Indian Ocean was left with mostly escort carriers and older battleshipBattleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s as the core of its naval forces. Allied advances in the Mediterranean and northern Europe during 1943 and 1944, however, released naval resources. As a result, more British aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s entered the area; plus the battlecruiser HMS Renown
HMS Renown (1916)
HMS Renown was the lead ship of her class of battlecruisers of the Royal Navy built during the First World War. She was originally laid down as an improved version of the s. Her construction was suspended on the outbreak of war on the grounds she would not be ready in a timely manner...
, battleships Howe
HMS Howe (1940)
HMS Howe was the last of the five British King George V-class battleships of the Royal Navy . Laid down in 1937 and commissioning in 1942, Howe operated during World War II as part of the British Home Fleet, the Mediterranean Force H, and the British Pacific Fleet.Following the end of the war,...
, Queen Elizabeth
HMS Queen Elizabeth (1913)
HMS Queen Elizabeth was the lead ship of the Queen Elizabeth-class of dreadnought battleships, named in honour of Elizabeth I of England. She saw service in both World Wars...
, Valiant
HMS Valiant (1914)
HMS Valiant was a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship of the British Royal Navy. She was laid down at the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan on 31 January 1913 and launched on 4 November 1914...
and supporting warships.
Preparations were put in hand for a more aggressive stance in the Indian Ocean and for British naval participation in the Pacific theatre
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
. Agreement had been reached, after objections from Admiral Ernest King
Ernest King
Fleet Admiral Ernest Joseph King was Commander in Chief, United States Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations during World War II. As COMINCH, he directed the United States Navy's operations, planning, and administration and was a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was the U.S...
, but new procedures would need to be learnt by naval crews and Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
(FAA) aircrew. To this end, Operation Diplomat
Operation Diplomat
During World War II, Operation Diplomat was an Allied naval training operation. It was executed in March 1944 by the British Eastern Fleet to practice operational procedures that would be used by ships allocated to the British Pacific Fleet....
, a training exercise, took place in late March, 1944. The objective was for the fleet to rendezvous with a group of tankers (escorted by HNLMS Tromp
HNLMS Tromp (1937)
HNLMS Tromp was the lead ship of the Tromp-class light cruisers of the Royal Netherlands Navy during and after World War II.Originally designated as a flotilla leader and a torpedo cruiser in the Deckers Fleet Plan of 1931, she was laid down at the "Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw Maatschappij" ,...
) and practice refuelling at sea procedures. They then rendezvoused with United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Task Force 58.5, the USS Saratoga
USS Saratoga (CV-3)
USS Saratoga was the second aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the fifth ship to bear her name. She was commissioned one month earlier than her sister and class leader, , which is the third actually commissioned after and Saratoga...
and three destroyers, and returned to Trincomalee
Trincomalee
Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
on 31 March. The U.S. task force had been detached to the Indian Ocean to bolster local air defences and also to impart necessary procedures to FAA aircrew, which was done over two or three days' intensive activity at sea. Sources for the dates of return to Trincomalee and the joint US/UK training differ.
Admiral King then requested that, during April, the Eastern Fleet should engage Japanese forces in their area and hold them there to reduce the opposition to an American seaborne assault on Hollandia (now Jayapura)
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
and Aitape
Aitape
Aitape is a small town of about 8,000 people on the north coast of Papua New Guinea in the Sandaun Province. It is a coastal settlement that is almost equidistant from the provincial capitals of Wewak and Vanimo, and marks the midpoint of the highway between these two capitals...
on the north coast of Netherlands New Guinea
Netherlands New Guinea
Netherlands New Guinea refers to the West Papua region while it was an overseas territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1949 to 1962. Until 1949 it was a part of the Netherlands Indies. It was commonly known as Dutch New Guinea...
. An airborne attack by the Eastern Fleet (including Task Force 58.5) on Sabang
Sabang
Sabang is a city consisting of several islands in Aceh, Indonesia. The metropolitan area is located on Weh Island, 17 km north of Banda Aceh. The city covers an area of 118 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 23,654 people...
, off Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
was executed (Operation Cockpit
Operation Cockpit
Operation Cockpit was a bombing raid by aircraft from two Allied naval forces on 19 April 1944. The forces were made up of 22 warships, including two aircraft carriers, from the Royal Navy, Royal Australian Navy, French Navy, Royal Netherlands Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy, and United States Navy...
). Surprise was achieved: military and oil installations were heavily damaged by the attacks, aggravating Japanese fuel shortages. The American involvement was extended to capitalise on the success with a second attack, this time on Surabaya
Surabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...
, eastern Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
, on 17 May (Operation Transom
Operation Transom
Operation Transom was a major bombing raid on Japanese targets at Surabaya, Java by American and British planes on 17 May 1944 during World War II....
). The distances for this operation necessitated replenishment at sea. Again, the defenders were unprepared and significant damage was made to port, military and oil infrastructure. After this, on 18 May, Saratoga and her destroyers returned to the Pacific after what Admiral Somerville called "a profitable and very happy association of Task Group 58.5 with the Eastern Fleet".
At the end of August 1944, Admiral Somerville was relieved as Commander-in-Chief Eastern Fleet by Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser
Bruce Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of North Cape
Admiral of the Fleet Bruce Austin Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of North Cape GCB, KBE was a senior British admiral during World War II.-Early naval career:Fraser joined the Royal Navy as a Cadet on 15 January 1904...
, former Commander-in-Chief Home Fleet
British Home Fleet
The Home Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy which operated in the United Kingdom's territorial waters from 1902 with intervals until 1967.-Pre–First World War:...
. Somerville had been Commander-in-Chief Eastern Fleet since March 1942. During this time, there had been friction between him and the Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia Theatre, Louis Mountbatten. The need for an influential military representative in Washington provided the opportunity for a change. Fraser later transferred his flag to the newly-formed British Pacific Fleet
British Pacific Fleet
The British Pacific Fleet was a British Commonwealth naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. The fleet was composed of British Commonwealth naval vessels. The BPF formally came into being on 22 November 1944...
on 22 November 1944.
By this time, the Eastern Fleet included ships from Britain, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands and France, and became the East Indies Fleet.
The Eastern Fleet was greatly augmented by units intended for the Pacific and, on 4 January 1945 two British carriers (HMS Indomitable
HMS Indomitable (R92)
HMS Indomitable was a modified Illustrious class aircraft carrier of the British Royal Navy. The Illustrious class came about due to the 1937 Naval Programme...
and Indefatigable
HMS Indefatigable (R10)
HMS Indefatigable was an Implacable-class aircraft carrier of the British Royal Navy. Indefatigable was present at the formal surrender of the Japanese on 2 September in Tokyo Bay. She later helped to repatriate Allied POWs held in Japan and was used as a spotting ship for later US nuclear tests in...
) made an attack on oil refineries at Pangkalan Brandon in Sumatra (Operation Lentil
Operation Lentil (Sumatra)
Operation Lentil was an air raid by British carrier based aircraft on oil installations at Pangkalan Brandan on Sumatra on January 4 1945. Two aircraft carriers, HMS Indomitable and Indefatigable were escorted by four cruisers Operation Lentil was an air raid by British carrier based aircraft on...
).
The final attacks were flown as Force 63 was en route for Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia to become the British Pacific Fleet
British Pacific Fleet
The British Pacific Fleet was a British Commonwealth naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. The fleet was composed of British Commonwealth naval vessels. The BPF formally came into being on 22 November 1944...
. Operation Meridian One
Operation Meridian
During World War II, Operation Meridian was a series of British air attacks conducted on 24 January and 29 January 1945 on Japanese-held oil refineries at Palembang, on Sumatra...
and Operation Meridian Two
Operation Meridian
During World War II, Operation Meridian was a series of British air attacks conducted on 24 January and 29 January 1945 on Japanese-held oil refineries at Palembang, on Sumatra...
were air attacks upon the oil refineries at Pladjoe, north of Palembang
Palembang
Palembang is the capital city of the South Sumatra province in Indonesia. Palembang is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, and has a history of being a capital of a maritime empire. Located on the Musi River banks on the east coast of southern Sumatra island, it has an area of 400.61 square...
, Java and at Soengei Gerong, Sumatra. Although successful these were not as smooth as earlier attacks. Poor weather delayed fly-offs for both raids, 48 aircraft were lost or damaged and refuelling at sea was only completed with difficulty and damage due to poor weather and lack of expertise.
A number of Fleet Air Arm pilots were captured by the Japanese during the Palembang raid. These were taken to Singapore where at least some of them were executed by the Japanese military authorities.
Important operations were launched in 1945 as the East Indies Fleet in the recapture of Burma
Burma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
, including landings on Ramree Island
Ramree Island
Ramree Island is an island off the coast of Rakhine State, Burma. The area of the island is about 1350 km². The Battle of Ramree Island took place here for six weeks during January and February 1945, as part of the British Fourteenth Army 1944/45 offensive on the Southern Front of the Burma...
and Akyab and near Rangoon
Yangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
and diversionary operations (Operation Bishop).
On May 15–16, 1945, the British executed Operation Dukedom
Operation Dukedom
The Battle of the Malacca Strait, sometimes called the Sinking of the Haguro, and in Japanese sources as the Battle off Penang , was a naval battle that resulted from the British search and destroy operation in May 1945, called Operation Dukedom, that resulted in the sinking of the Japanese cruiser...
and the 26th Destroyer Flotilla (HMS Saumarez
HMS Saumarez (G12)
HMS Saumarez was an S class destroyer of the Royal Navy, completed on 1 July 1943. As a flotilla leader, her standard displacement was 20 tons heavier than other ships of her class...
, Venus
HMS Venus (R50)
HMS Venus was a V-class destroyer of the Royal Navy that saw service during the Second World War. She was built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, of Govan, Scotland and launched on 23 February 1943...
, Verulam
HMS Verulam (R28)
HMS Verulam was an V-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during World War II. She was later converted into a Type 15 fast anti-submarine frigate, with the new pennant number F29....
, Vigilant
HMS Vigilant (R93)
HMS Vigilant was an V-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during World War II. She was later converted into a Type 15 fast anti-submarine frigate, with the new pennant number F93....
and Virago
HMS Virago (R75)
HMS Virago was an V-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during World War II. She was later converted into a Type 15 fast anti-submarine frigate, with the new pennant number F76....
) sank the Japanese heavy cruiser Haguro
Japanese cruiser Haguro
|-External reference links: -External links:**...
in the Malacca Straits
Strait of Malacca
The Strait of Malacca is a narrow, stretch of water between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is named after the Malacca Sultanate that ruled over the archipelago between 1414 to 1511.-Extent:...
by torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
attack.
Trade protection
This was the protection of merchant ships in the Indian Ocean and it was seen as the Eastern Fleet's primary role. The threats were German, Italian and Japanese submarines, German warships and Italian and German auxiliary cruisers. A substantial part of the Fleet was employed in escorting convoys and hunting submarines and surface ships and their supply vessels. For much of the war, with naval resources needed elsewhere, there were barely enough warships to perform these tasks and, without escorts, the battleships and aircraft carriers that remained could not safely be used.Postwar
After the war, the Fleet was once again based at Singapore Naval BaseSingapore Naval Base
The Singapore Naval Base , situated in Sembawang at the northern tip of Singapore, was a Royal Navy Shore establishment as well as being a cornerstone of British Defence policy in the Far East between the World Wars.-History:After the Great War, the British government devoted...
and took part in the Malayan Emergency
Malayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
and the Confrontation with Indonesia in the 1960s. By 1964 the fleet on station included , , , , , seventeen destroyers and frigates, some drawn from the Mediterranean, about ten minesweepers and five submarines. Kent and Victorious helped to fill gaps in Singapore's radar cover by providing additional early warning.
The Flag Officer Second-in-Command Far East Fleet, for most of the postwar period a Rear Admiral, was based afloat, and tasked with keeping the fleet 'up to the mark operationally,' while the fleet commander, a Vice Admiral, ran the fleet programme and major items of administration 'including all provision for docking and maintenance' from his base in Singapore. Jack Scatchard (1962–64), Peter Hill-Norton (1964-?), Edward Ashmore
Edward Ashmore
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Edward Beckwith Ashmore GCB, DSC is a former senior Royal Navy officer. He served as the Chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom and thus the professional head of the British Armed Forces....
and Terence Lewin
Terence Lewin, Baron Lewin
Admiral of the Fleet Terence Thornton Lewin, Baron Lewin, KG, GCB, LVO, DSC was a former First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy, and Chief of the Defence Staff.-Naval career:...
, as Rear Admirals, were among those who held this appointment.
The Fleet was disbanded in 1971, and on October 31, 1971, the last day of the validity of the Anglo-Malayan Defence Agreement, the last Commander, Far East Fleet, Rear Admiral Anthony Troup
Anthony Troup
Vice Admiral Sir Anthony Troup KCB DSC & Bar was the last Commander-in-Chief Far East Fleet.-Naval career:...
, hauled down his flag. That day, he took the salute aboard from RFA Stromness
RFA Stromness (A344)
RFA Stromness was a fleet stores ship which served the Royal Fleet Auxiliary until sold to the United States Military Sealift Command in 1983.-Construction:...
from his final remaining ships. Led by , flying the flag of Flag Officer Second-in-Command Far East Fleet, the frigates , , , , and , sailed past, along with the repair ship and six Royal Fleet Auxiliaries. The Fleet was replaced by a small ANZUK
ANZUK
ANZUK was a tripartite force formed by Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom to defend the Asian Pacific region after the United Kingdom withdrew forces from the east of Suez in the early seventies. The ANZUK force was formed in 1971 and disbanded in 1974....
naval squadron comprising British, Australian, and New Zealand ships.
List of ships
During World War II, the British Eastern Fleet included, from time to time, a number of warships from other Allied nations, such as Australia (Royal Australian NavyRoyal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
), France (Free French Navy
Free French Naval Forces
Les Forces Navales Françaises Libres were the naval arm of the Free French Forces during the Second World War. They were commanded by Admiral Emile Muselier.- History :...
), the Netherlands (Royal Netherlands Navy
Royal Netherlands Navy
The Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands. In the mid-17th century the Dutch Navy was the most powerful navy in the world and it played an active role in the wars of the Dutch Republic and later those of the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
), India (Royal Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
), New Zealand (Royal New Zealand Navy
Royal New Zealand Navy
The Royal New Zealand Navy is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...
), and the United States. Major ships attached to the Eastern Fleet, or where indicated, East Indies Fleet, included:
- HMS HermesHMS Hermes (95)HMS Hermes was an aircraft carrier built for the Royal Navy. The ship was begun during World War I and finished after the war ended. She was the world's first ship to be designed and built as an aircraft carrier, although the Imperial Japanese Navy's was the first to be commissioned...
- Sunk 9 April 1942 - HMS IllustriousHMS Illustrious (R87)HMS Illustrious , the fourth Illustrious of the British Royal Navy, was an aircraft carrier which saw service in World War II, the lead ship of the Illustrious-class of carriers which also included Victorious, Formidable, and Indomitable.-Construction:Illustrious was built by Vickers-Armstrongs at...
- Aircraft Carrier in Eastern Fleet 1944, arriving January 1944 - HMS VictoriousHMS Victorious (R38)HMS Victorious was the second Illustrious-class aircraft carrier ordered under the 1936 Naval Programme. She was laid down at the Vickers-Armstrong shipyard at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in 1937 and launched two years later in 1939...
- Aircraft Carrier in Eastern Fleet, arriving July 1944 - HMS IndomitableHMS Indomitable (R92)HMS Indomitable was a modified Illustrious class aircraft carrier of the British Royal Navy. The Illustrious class came about due to the 1937 Naval Programme...
- Aircraft Carrier in Eastern Fleet 1944, arriving July 1944 - HMS RenownHMS Renown (1916)HMS Renown was the lead ship of her class of battlecruisers of the Royal Navy built during the First World War. She was originally laid down as an improved version of the s. Her construction was suspended on the outbreak of war on the grounds she would not be ready in a timely manner...
- Battlecruiser in Eastern Fleet 1944 - HMS Queen ElizabethHMS Queen Elizabeth (1913)HMS Queen Elizabeth was the lead ship of the Queen Elizabeth-class of dreadnought battleships, named in honour of Elizabeth I of England. She saw service in both World Wars...
- Battleship in Eastern Fleet 1944, East Indies Fleet 1945 - HMS ValiantHMS Valiant (1914)HMS Valiant was a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship of the British Royal Navy. She was laid down at the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan on 31 January 1913 and launched on 4 November 1914...
- Battleship in Eastern Fleet 1944 - French Battleship RichelieuFrench battleship Richelieu (1939)The Richelieu was a battleship of the French Navy, lead ship of her class. She served during World War II, on the Vichy Regime side, notably fending off an Allied attempt on Dakar, and later with Allied forces in the Indian Ocean in 1944 and 1945...
- Battleship in Eastern Fleet 1944, East Indies Fleet 1945 - HMS Howe - Battleship in Eastern Fleet August 1944 - November 1944
- Submarines: 2nd Flotilla, of approx eight "S" classBritish S class submarine (1931)The S-class submarines of the Royal Navy were originally designed and built during the modernisation of the submarine force in the early 1930s to meet the need for smaller boats to patrol the restricted waters of the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea replacing the British H class submarines...
and four "T" classBritish T class submarineThe Royal Navy's T class of diesel-electric submarines was designed in the 1930s to replace the O, P and R classes. Fifty-three members of the class were built just before and during the Second World War, where they played a major role in the Royal Navy's submarine operations... - HMS Prince of WalesHMS Prince of Wales (1939)HMS Prince of Wales was a King George V-class battleship of the Royal Navy, built at the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead, England...
- Sunk 10 December 1941 - HMS RepulseHMS Repulse (1916)HMS Repulse was a Renown-class battlecruiser of the Royal Navy built during the First World War. She was originally laid down as an improved version of the s. Her construction was suspended on the outbreak of war on the grounds she would not be ready in a timely manner...
- Sunk 10 December 1941 - HMS ElectraHMS Electra (H27)HMS Electra was a Royal Navy 'E' class destroyer . She was ordered on 1 November 1932 as part of the 1931 Naval Build Programme; launched on 15 February 1934 at the Hawthorn Leslie Shipyard at Hebburn, Tyneside...
- Sunk 27 February 1942 - HMS ExpressHMS Express (H61)HMS Express was an E class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was one of 18 'E' and 'F' class destroyers to be built.She was launched on 29 May 1934. She had an overall length of 100 m, displacement of 1,375 tons, and a maximum speed of 35.5 knots...
- HMS CornwallHMS Cornwall (56)HMS Cornwall was a County class heavy cruiser of the Kent subclass built for the Royal Navy in the mid-1920s. She was built at Devonport Dockyard .-History:...
- Sunk 5 April 1942 - HMS DorsetshireHMS Dorsetshire (40)HMS Dorsetshire was a heavy cruiser of the County class of the Royal Navy, named after the English county . She was launched on 29 January 1929 at Portsmouth Dockyard, UK. During the Second World War, she was last commanded by Captain Augustus Agar V.C....
- Sunk 5 April 1942 - HMAS VampireHMAS Vampire (D68)HMAS Vampire was a V class destroyer of the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy . Launched in 1917 as HMS Wallace, the ship was renamed and commissioned into the RN later that year. Vampire was loaned to the RAN in 1933, and operated as a depot tender until just before World War II...
- Sunk 9 April 1942 - HMS AdamantHMS Adamant (1940)HMS Adamant was a World War II submarine depot ship.Completed in 1942, she served in the Eastern Fleet with the 4th Submarine Flotilla from April 1943 until April 1945 and then moved with her flotilla to Fremantle, Australia...
- Submarine Depot Ship - USS SaratogaUSS Saratoga (CV-3)USS Saratoga was the second aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the fifth ship to bear her name. She was commissioned one month earlier than her sister and class leader, , which is the third actually commissioned after and Saratoga...
Commanders-in-Chief
Commanders-in-Chief have included:Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Fleet
- 1941 - 1942 Vice-Admiral Sir Geoffrey LaytonGeoffrey LaytonAdmiral Sir Geoffrey Layton GBE, KCB, KCMG, DSO , was a British Royal Navy officer.-Early life and career:...
- 1942 - 1944 Vice-Admiral Sir James SomervilleJames SomervilleAdmiral of the Fleet Sir James Fownes Somerville GCB, GBE, DSO was one of the most famous British Admirals of World War II.-Early career:...
- 1944 Vice-Admiral Sir Bruce FraserBruce Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of North CapeAdmiral of the Fleet Bruce Austin Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of North Cape GCB, KBE was a senior British admiral during World War II.-Early naval career:Fraser joined the Royal Navy as a Cadet on 15 January 1904...
Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Fleet
- 1944 - 1945 Vice-Admiral Sir Arthur PowerArthur PowerAdmiral of the Fleet Sir Arthur John Power GCB, GBE, CVO was an officer of the Royal Navy, who saw service in World War I and World War II.-Naval career:Power joined the Royal Navy in 1909 and served in World War I...
- 1945 - 1946 Vice-Admiral Sir Clement MoodyClement MoodyAdmiral Sir Clement Moody KCB was a Royal Navy who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Station.-Naval career:Moody was appointed a Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Navy in 1911. He served in World War I and in 1935 was given command of HMS Curacoa...
- 1946 - 1948 Vice-Admiral Sir Arthur PalliserArthur PalliserAdmiral Sir Arthur Francis Eric Palliser KCB, DSC was a prominent British naval officer during World War II.-Early life and career:Palliser was born in Richmond, Surrey, the son of Arthur Palliser and Hester Brenda Boord...
- 1948 - 1950 Vice-Admiral Sir Charles WoodhouseCharles WoodhouseAdmiral Sir Charles Henry Lawrence Woodhouse KCB was an officer of the Royal Navy.-Naval career:Woohouse joined the Royal Navy in 1906. He served in World War I and specialized in gunnery. In 1935 he was appointed Assistant Director of Naval Equipment at the Admiralty.He captained in the Battle...
- 1950 - 1952 Vice-Admiral Sir Geoffrey OliverGeoffrey OliverAdmiral Sir Geoffrey Nigel Oliver GBE, KCB, DSO & Two Bars was a British Royal Navy officer during the Second World War.-Early career:...
Commander-in-Chief, Far East Fleet
- 1952 - 1953 Vice-Admiral Sir Guy Russell
- 1953 - 1954 Vice-Admiral Sir Charles LambeCharles LambeAdmiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Lambe GCB, CVO was a senior officer in the Royal Navy, serving as First Sea Lord from 1959 to 1960.-Naval career:...
- 1954 - 1955 Vice-Admiral Sir Charles NorrisCharles Norris (Royal Navy officer)Vice Admiral Sir Charles Norris KBE CB DSO was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Far East Fleet.-Naval career:...
- 1955 - 1957 Vice-Admiral Sir Alan Scott-MoncrieffAlan Scott-MoncrieffAdmiral Sir Alan Scott-Moncrieff KCB CBE DSO was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Far East Fleet.-Naval career:Scott-Moncrieff joined the Royal Navy in 1917...
- 1957 - 1960 Vice-Admiral Sir Gerald GladstoneGerald Gladstone (Royal Navy officer)Admiral Sir Gerald Vaughan Gladstone GBE KCB was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Far East Fleet.-Naval career:Gladstone joined the Royal Navy in 1915...
- 1960 - 1962 Vice-Admiral Sir David LuceDavid LuceAdmiral Sir John David Luce GCB, DSO & Bar, OBE was First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy. He was the son of Admiral John Luce.-Naval career:David Luce joined the Royal Navy in 1919 and chose to become a submariner....
- 1962 - 1965 Vice-Admiral Sir Desmond DreyerDesmond DreyerAdmiral Sir Desmond Parry Dreyer GCB CBE DSC DL was a senior Royal Navy officer who went on to be Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel.-Naval career:...
- 1965 - 1967 Vice-Admiral Sir Frank TwissFrank TwissAdmiral Sir Frank Roddam Twiss, KCB, KCVO, DSC was a Royal Navy admiral who became Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel...
- 1967 - 1969 Vice-Admiral Sir William O'BrienWilliam O'Brien (Royal Navy officer)Admiral Sir William Donough O'Brien KCB DSC was Commander-in-Chief of the Western Fleet.-Naval career:Educated at the Royal Naval College Dartmouth, O'Brien was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1930. He served in World War II. In the early 1960s he served as Director of Naval Plans at the...
- 1969 - 1971 Vice-Admiral Sir Derek EmpsonDerek EmpsonAdmiral Sir Derek Empson GBE KCB was Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command.-Naval career:Educated at Eastbourne College, Empson joined the Royal Navy as a pilot 1940. He served in the Fleet Air Arm during World War II....
- 1971 Rear-Admiral Sir Anthony TroupAnthony TroupVice Admiral Sir Anthony Troup KCB DSC & Bar was the last Commander-in-Chief Far East Fleet.-Naval career:...
See also
- South-East Asian Theatre of World War IISouth-East Asian theatre of World War IIThe South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was the name given to the campaigns of the Pacific War in Burma , Ceylon, India, Thailand, Indochina, Malaya and Singapore. Conflict in the theatre began when the Empire of Japan invaded Thailand and Malaya from bases located in Indochina on December 8,...
- Indian Ocean naval campaigns 1942-45
External links
- Royal Navy in Pacific and Indian Oceans
- The Royal New Zealand Navy, Chapter 23 "The New Zealand Cruisers", Sydney David Waters, Historical Publications Branch, Wellington (Part of: The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–1945)
- HMS Ceylon
- Details of Far East Fleet Composition in the 1960s
- Leading Air Mechanic Maurice Whiteing and his photographic record of HMS Indomitable with the Eastern Fleet