Glorious Mission 1937

It is no secret that the allies held a meeting in Washington. As a large amount of information was sent back to Japan, the base camp was furious and immediately discussed countermeasures.

According to Doihara, the commander-in-chief of the intelligence department, no matter what decision will be made at the Washington meeting, it is only the China battlefield that will really affect the Empire of Japan. The overall situation of the South Pacific battlefield has been determined. Will pose a fatal threat to the empire, so only need to focus on the Chinese government.

In addition, Doihara believed that the trip to the United States by the leader of China was a great opportunity for the Empire of Japan to get rid of him, so he suggested that the base camp stop Chiang at all costs, and it would be best to capture him alive.

After careful consideration, the base camp felt that Doihara's suggestion was very good, so it ordered Doihara's intelligence department to take responsibility for the matter, and intercepted China's leader Jiang at all costs by sea and air. War in the South Pacific.

After receiving the order from the base camp, the Japanese Southern Army moved quickly. According to the Southern Army's combat concept, the Southern Army first took the 25th Army stationed in Thailand as the vanguard, and quickly prepared to attack Burma. The enemy's air force base, to ensure the safety of the Japanese army's combat troops on the Malay side, and then capture the vicinity of Yangon, destroying the strongholds of British and Chiang Kai-shek cooperation. Indian pressure.

At the same time, the 16th Army launched an attack on the Dutch East Indies in order to try to occupy the largest oil base of the Allies in the South Pacific in the shortest possible time.

In addition, naval power must be concentrated.Take the final blow to the remaining Allied naval fleet in the South Pacific and capture Java.

To attack Burma, the Southern Army decided to use the main force of the 33rd Division and the 55th Division as the main force to undertake the above-mentioned combat tasks, and the commander of the Iida Army was the supreme commander.After the commander of the Iida Army arrived in Bangkok, in accordance with the order of the Southern Army Command, he made careful deployment of the troops arriving one after another.

The original order was to ensure the stability of Thailand, and the Guards Division, which was temporarily under the command of the army, was transported by rail and returned to the original organization after September 9; the main force of the 24th Division, which arrived by rail and marching, was ordered to be in Takfu and Mysore. Assemble, with one of them assembled in the western part of Kanchanaburi; in addition, order the 55rd Division to gather near Dafu, ready to attack Myanmar at any time.

at the same time.after the occupation of Singapore.The Japanese 16th Army quickly landed in Sumatra and Bali.Take a frontal stance and launch an attack on the Dutch East Indies.

In the face of the Japanese attack, the Allied forces were in a mess.With only one Dutch division defending Sumatra and Bali, the 55-mile stretch of the northern coast of Java was virtually open to the Japanese.The U.S., Anglo-Dutch-Australian air force is now reduced to only 85 fighters and 22 bombers.The naval force consisted of eight cruisers, [-] destroyers, and several submarine columns.The threat to Australia is growing.

Wavell, Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in India, sent a telegram to London.Sizing up the bleak prospects for the Far East, the telegram concluded: "The loss of Java, though a serious blow from any point of view, is not fatal. No effort should therefore be made to reinforce Java, which may endanger the defense of Burma and Australia." However, Wavell's proposal did not attract the attention of Churchill's cabinet.

The succession of bad news made the British and members of the Commonwealth lose confidence in Churchill's cabinet. They were extremely doubtful whether Prime Minister Churchill and his staff could still control the "chain of disasters" that now threatened not only the Australian subcontinent. , and also threatens India.

Coupled with the discord between British Prime Minister Churchill and Australian Prime Minister Curtin, Curtin immediately recalled the escort convoy transporting the Australian First Division across the Indian Ocean after hearing the news of the fall of Singapore.And Churchill immediately sent a telegram, ordering the escort convoy to divert to Yangon, and told Curtin: "At this dangerous moment, the United States will definitely provide you with the greatest support."

Despite President Roosevelt's pledge to send more troops, the Australian Prime Minister and his cabinet remained indifferent, insisting that the troop carrier must return. They believed that the first duty was to save Australia. They also believed that Australia must be the last resort against the Japanese invaders. The bases, whether it is the Dutch East Indies or Burma, are hopeless.

On the morning of September 9, when the veteran aircraft carrier "Langley" of the United States was transporting a group of fighter jets to Chilaza, it was discovered and sunk by Japanese aircraft.Subsequently, part of the Japanese Combined Fleet approached the Java Sea, trying to land on the north coast of Java, and the Java Sea Battle broke out.

The Japanese army attempted to use the Philippines and Malaya as bases to carry out a two-wing encirclement. First, they captured the outer islands of the Dutch East Indies and seized control of the sea and air. Then they concentrated their forces to destroy the main force of the Allied forces, captured the main island of Java, plundered oil resources, and supported their war of aggression. .

参战日军为第16集团军，司令官为今村均中将，辖第2、第38、第48师团及第56独立混成旅团等，总兵力共约10万人，配合作战的有日本联合舰队第3舰队、第11航空舰队和陆军第3飞行集团，各型作战飞机约540架。

On the Allied side, the United States, Britain, the Netherlands, and Australia formed the Allied Theater Command, and the commander was British Army General A.P. Wavell.The Allied troops stationed in the Dutch East Indies consisted of 9.2 troops, mainly the Dutch army with 7.5 troops, 88 naval combat ships, and about 300 air force combat aircraft.

The commander of the combined naval forces is US Admiral tc Hart; the commander of the army forces is Lieutenant General H. Tower Poulton of the Netherlands; the commander of the air forces is Major General lh Hillier of the US Army Air Corps.The Dutch were deeply disappointed that there was only one Dutch officer in this joint command.

Although the navies of the United States and Britain have suffered unprecedented heavy losses, the remaining naval fleets are still very strong. The fleet concentrated in the Dutch East Indies has the heavy cruiser "Houston" and the light cruiser "Mapohide". The new light cruiser "Powys" with excellent performance and 13 destroyers, as well as 2 light cruisers and 7 destroyers in Australia, the Dutch navy fleet commanded by Vice Admiral Conrad Helfrey has the light cruiser "Special" Lump, Java, Root, 7 destroyers and 16 submarines.

Moreover, bombers from the U.S. Navy's 10th Patrol Air Group, Dutch fighter jets, and B-17 Sky Fortress bombers on the Java base are ready to provide air cover for the Allied Combined Naval Fleet.The only thing that makes these generals very dissatisfied is that those hateful Chinese actually rejected President Roosevelt's invitation and did not let the said to be very powerful naval fleet go south to cooperate with them. It is simply unforgivable.

On the morning of September 9th, the No.24 Eighth Division of the Japanese Army, which was preparing to land in Surabaya, boarded 40 ships, escorted by the mine squadron and destroyer fleet, set off from Balikpapan, and headed south along the Java Sea in a murderous manner. Whether the Allied Forces can settle down in the Nanyang Islands, the Java Sea Battle is imminent.

At around one o'clock in the afternoon, the Allied Navy Fleet in Surabaya suddenly received an urgent telegram: "20 nautical miles west of Mawei'an Island, 2 Japanese cruisers, 6 destroyers, and 25 transport ships were spotted. 65 nautical miles northwest of the island, there were also Japanese There are several destroyers and transport ships, and there is one Japanese cruiser behind the convoy."

General Durman immediately commanded the fleet to attack. The Allied fleet consisted of the following ships: the British destroyers "Iltola", "Zhoubit" and "Inconte" served as the avant-garde, and Durman personally led the cruisers "Root", " Uxet", "Houston", "Both", and "Java" are the middle fleet, and the left wing is the Dutch destroyers "Wess", "Effersen", and "Kardenne", and 4 American destroyers "Edward" , "Ford", "Aldan", and "Paul Jens" as the rear guards sailed out of Surabaya port in a mighty and majestic manner.

The Japanese invasion force was divided into two fleets, an eastern invasion fleet including 41 transport ships, commanded by Rear Admiral Nishimura, and the flagship was the "Nako".The other is a huge fleet commanded by Rear Admiral Takagi, with the flagship "Nachi".

The outbreak of this naval battle was quite dramatic. When the reconnaissance plane of the Japanese fleet reported the discovery of the Allied fleet, Rear Admiral Takagi was very surprised. Due to the dispersion of forces, the Japanese army had only 2 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers and 14 destroyers at that time.Judging from the comparison of the strength of the two armies, the Japanese army does not have an advantage, but in other respects, the Japanese army has an advantage. Durman's communication capabilities are relatively poor, and there is no aircraft for reconnaissance, but the Japanese army continues to use aircraft for reconnaissance.

Moreover, the officers and soldiers of the Allied forces have been in combat positions for nearly two days, and many of them are exhausted. Durman mentioned in a telegram to Helfrey: "The endurance of my subordinates The limit has been reached and will soon be exceeded."

The Battle of Java was another defeat of the Allied Forces at sea. After half a day of fighting, the Allied Forces suffered heavy losses. The two cruisers "Root" and "Java" were both hit by torpedoes because of their inability to dodge, and they sank heroically with fire. Major General Durman on the "Root" could have escaped the danger in a lifeboat, but he chose the decision to sink into the sea with the "Root" and died a heroic death.

In addition, many warships of the Allied forces were damaged and sunk, and the originally powerful naval fleet fell apart in a short period of time.In this battle, the Allied sea forces defending Java almost collapsed. (To be continued..)