AUSTRALIA IN THE WAR OF 1939-194 5 SERIES TW O NAVY VOLUME I I ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY, 1942-1945
AUSTRALIA IN THE WAR OF 1939-194 5 SERIES 1 (ARMY ) I. To Benghazi. By Gavin Long. II. Greece, Crete and Syria. By Gavin Long. III. Tobruk and El Alamein. By Barton Maughan. IV. The Japanese Thrust. By Lionel Wigmore. V. South-West Pacific Area First Year. By Dudley McCarthy. VI. The New Guinea Offensives. By David Dexter. VII. The Final Campaigns. By Gavin Long. SERIES 2 (NAVY ) I. Royal Australian Navy, 1939-42. By G. Hermon Gill. II. Royal Australian Navy, 1942-45. By G. Hermon Gill. SERIES 3 (AIR ) I. Royal Australian Air Force, 1939-42. By Douglas Gillison. II. Air War Against Japan, 1943-45. By George Odgers. III. Air War Against Germany and Italy, 1939-43. By John Herington. IV. Air Power Over Europe, 1944-45. By John Herington. SERIES 4 (CIVIL ) I. The Government and the People, 1939-41. By Paul Hasluck. II. The Government and the People, 1942-45. By Paul Hasluck. * III. War Economy, 1939-42. By S. I. Butlin. IV. War Economy, 1942-45. By S. J. Butlin. * V. The Role of Science and Industry. By D. P. Mellor. SERIES 5 (MEDICAL ) I. Clinical Problems of War. By Allan S. Walker. II. Middle East and Far East. By Allan S. Walker. III. The Island Campaigns. By Allan S. Walker. IV. Medical Services of the R.A.N. and R.A.A.F. By Allan S. Walker and Others. * Not yet published. The writers of these volumes have been given full access to official documents, but they and the general editor are alone responsible for the statements and opinion s which the volumes contain.
ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY 1942-194 5 by G. HERMON GILL CANBERR A AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
First published in 1968 National Library of Australia registry number Aus 68-179 8 WHOLLY SET UP, PRINTED AND BOUND IN AUSTRALIA A T THE GRIFFIN PRESS, ADELAIDE. REGISTERED AT THE G.P.O. ADELAIDE FOR TRANSMISSION THROUGH THE POST AS A BOOK.
Preface. Chronology CONTENT S Page. xii i. xvi i Chapter 1 SHAPING JAPAN ' S PERIMETER. 1 2 JAPAN ' S FIRST CHECK CORAL SEA 25 3 AUSTRALIA' S COASTS RAIDED HER FLANK S STRENGTHENED 5 8 4 AUSTRALIA JUNE 1942. 100 5 GUADALCANAL PACIFIC HINGE-PIN 11 4 6 SPARRING FOR THE NORTH 15 8 7 ON AUSTRALIA'S OCEAN COMMUNICATIONS 184 8 SOUTH-WEST PACIFIC PRELUDE TO FLOOD TIDE 21 1 9 THE SUPPLY LINES BATTLE 250 10 INDIAN OCEAN MEDITERRANEAN INTERLUDE 294 11 THE MISSION OF KRAIT 317 12 ALLIED OFFENSIVES GATHER MOMENTUM 326 13 PACIFIC DRIVE INDIAN OCEAN INTERLUDE 362 14 THE ASSAULT ARMADAS STRIKE 41 0 15 STRATEGY FOR VICTORY 45 1 16 PREFACE TO THE PHILIPPINES 47 8 17 LEYTE. 50 0 18 OPERATION RIMAU 54 1 19 SUBMARINES ' SWANSONG 54 7 20 THE R.A.N. IN BURMA 55 8 21 LINGAYEN GULF 575 22 THE BRITISH PACIFIC FLEET JOINS IN 594 23 AUSTRALIANS AT TARAKAN 616 24 " MOPPING-UP " NEW GUINEA AND THE SOLOMONS 625 25 R.A.N. SURVEY KEY TO BRUNEI 636 V
Chapter 26 AUSTRALIA' S LARGEST AMPHIBIOUS ATTACK- BALIKPAPAN 64 6 27 FINAL MILESTONES TO JAPAN ' S SURRENDER. 65 9 28 SURRENDER AND AFTERMATH. 67 6 29 EPILOGUE 70 2 APPENDIXES : Pag e 1 The Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships 70 6 2 The Minesweepers. 70 8 3 Peak Strengths Ships and Personnel and Casualties 710 4 The R.A.N.V.R. on Mine Disposal. 714 5 Abbreviations 71 8 INDEX 72 1 VI
ILLUSTRATION S Pag e Admiral Sir Guy Royle, R.N.. 3 0 H.M.A.S. Vampire 3 0 H.M.A.S. Norman 3 0 Kilindini, the Indian Ocean East African base. 3 0 The port of Colombo under air attack. 3 1 Japanese I-class submarine 3 1 Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. 3 1 General Douglas MacArthur with the Australian Prime Minister, Mr John Curtin, at Canberra. 3 1 Japanese aircraft carrier Shoho under air attack 4 6 H.M.A.S. Australia in Coral Sea Battle. 4 6 Japanese aircraft carrier Shokaku at Coral Sea 4 7 U.S. aircraft carrier Lexington at Coral Sea. 4 7 Wreck of Kuttabul after Japanese midget submarine attack 7 8 Wreck of Japanese submarine No. 14 7 8 Japanese cruiser Mogarni at Midway 7 9 H.M.A.S. Nestor after explosion of demolition charges, 16th June 1942. 7 9 Macdhui on fire after air attack at Port Moresby. 12 6 H.M.A.S. Warrego at Port Moresby 12 6 Nursing Sisters of the R.A.N.. 12 6 A group of W.R.A.N.S... 12 6 Rear-Admiral V. A. C. Crutchley, V.C., R.N. 12 7 First Officer S. M. McClemans, Director of W.R.A.N.S. 12 7 American shipping after air attacks at Guadalcanal 12 7 Japanese bombing attack at Guadalcanal. 12 7 Captain F. E. Getting, R.A.N.. 14 2 H.M.A.S. Canberra just before sinking. 14 2 Coastwatcher headquarters on Guadalcanal. 14 3 Headquarters of D.S.I.O., Guadalcanal.. 143 Australian steamer Allara, damaged in submarine attack.. 17 4 Motor vessel Anshan, capsized in Milne Bay. 17 4 H.M.A.S. Norman leaving Capetown. 17 5 Voyager ashore on beach at Timor. 17 5 H.M.A.S. Ballarat leaving MacLaren Harbour. 23 8 Commander C. J. R. Webb at Oro Bay.. 23 8 Port War Signal Station, Milne Bay. 23 9 Dutch transport Van Heutsz in Oro Bay. 23 9 Coastwatchers W. J. Read and P. E. Mason. 27 0 A Japanese vessel under air attack in Bismarck Sea Battle. 27 0 H.M.A.S. Bendigo rescuing survivors of 's Jacob. 271 Vii
Page Dutch ship Bantam under air attack at Oro Bay 31 8 H.M.A.S. Pine after air attack at Oro Bay. 31 8 H.M.A.S. Hobart after a torpedo hit. 31 8 A Fairmile motor launch. 31 8 H.M.A.S. Gascoyne. 31 9 H.M.A. Ships Australia, Arunta and Shropshire bombarding at Cape Gloucester 31 9 The crew and operatives of Krait. 31 9 Krait 31 9 Warramunga approaching Australia, March 1944. 36 6 ML424 on a night patrol from Madang, April 1944. 36 6 Landing at Hollandia, 22nd April 1944. 36 7 H.M.A.S. Shropshire and ships of Task Force 74 manoeuvring during an ai r attack, May 1944 36 7 Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten.. 39 8 H.M.A.S. Shropshire bombarding Sawar airstrip.. 39 8 Ship's stewards, H.M.A.S. Shropshire 39 9 Gun's crew, H.M.A.S. Stawell. 39 9 Australian M.L's bombarding Karkar Island.. 46 2 Group of officers and ratings, H.M.A.S. Westralia. 46 2 H.M.A.S. Australia bombarding Biak Island. 46 3 Rear-Admiral R. S. Berkey, U.S.N., with Rear-Admiral V. A. C. Crutchley, V.C., R.N... 46 3 Captain E. F. V. Dechaineux, RA.N.. 46 3 Ratings in H.M.A.S. Nizam.. 49 4 On board Arunta with Australia and Shropshire on the way to Morotai. 494 The invasion of Leyte, 20th October 1944. 49 5 Landing craft heading for the beaches at Leyte. 49 5 Damage to Australia's foremast, control position and bridge, 21st October 1944 52 6 Japanese battleship Yamato under air attack 52 6 U.S. escort carrier St Lo in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, 25th October 1944 52 7 Rear-Admiral Sprague's escort carriers in the Philippine Sea battle. 527 H.M.A.S. Australia, showing damage incurred in Lingayen Gulf. 55 8 Captain J. M. Armstrong, R.A.N., with M. S. M. Bruce, the Australian Hig h Commissioner in London 559 Captain H. J. Buchanan, R.A.N.. 559 Lieut-Commander E. A. Feldt, R.A.N., and Commander E. H. Kincaid, U.S.N. 606 Captain R. R. Dowling, R.A.N.... 60 6 Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser, Commander-in-Chief British Pacific Fleet, wit h Vice-Admiral C. S. Daniel. 60 6 Tarakan, 1st May 1945. 60 6 Admiral Sir Louis Hamilton, R.N.. 607 Commander R. B. M. Long, R.A.N. 607
Page Labuan Island, 10th June 1945.. 607 Balikpapan, July 1945... 607 The Japanese surrenders aboard U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay and H.M.S. Glory at Rabaul. 670 H.M.A.S. Glenelg disembarking recovered prisoners of war at Morotai. 67 0 Civilian survivors from New Ireland aboard H.M.A.S. Swan.. 670 Men "behind the scenes" at the Navy Office : A. R. Nankervis, G. L. Macandie, W. H. Brooksbank and T. J. Hawkins.. 67 1 Cover of magazine of British Pacific Fleet.. 671 ix
MAPS Pag e Midget submarine raid on Sydney Harbour, 31st May-1st June 1942 69 The Battles of Midway and Malta, June 1942. 8 3 The Battle of Savo Island, 9th August 1942. 14 8 Allied and enemy supply problems, New Guinea area, June 1942-June 1943 26 3 Battle for Biak, 7th-10th June 1944. 42 8 The mounting pressure of Allied sea power, 1944. 452 The Battles for Leyte, October 1944 50 2 Activities of the R.A.N. in the war. 67 8 SKETCH MAPS Pag e Japanese invasion of New Guinea, 5th-10th March 1942. 7 Japanese western advances, March 1942. 1 1 Japanese incursion into Bay of Bengal, April 1942. 1 7 South-West Pacific and Pacific Areas, April 1942. 3 3 Major movements in Coral Sea Battle, 1st-5th May 1942 43 Major movements in Coral Sea Battle, 5th-11th May 1942 4 8 Sydney Harbour raid: picking-up positions, May 1942 6 6 Japanese submarines on the Australian coast, 1942. 7 9 "Vigorous" convoy and loss of Nestor, June 1942. 94 Moves in Solomons-New Guinea area, June-August 1942. 11 9 Milne Bay, 24th August-26th October 1942.. 169 Madagascar, August-September 1942. 18 8 Raiders and submarines in the Indian Ocean, 1942.. 192 Bengal and Ondina action, 11th November 1942. 194 Loss of H.M.A.S. Armidale. 21 7 Milne Bay-Cape Cretin, December 1942. 244 Japanese submarines off eastern Australian coast, 1943. 25 5 Torpedoing of H.M.A.S. Hobart.. 29 1 Australian corvettes in the Mediterranean, May-October 1943. 300 Cruise of the Krait.. 320 DEXTERITY operation, November 1943-January 1944.. 33 9 Raiders and submarines, Indian Ocean 1943. 35 6 Raiders and submarines, Indian Ocean 1944. 38 9 Hollandia assault, April 1944. 403 Biak assault, May 1944.. 42 1 Small ships on northern New Guinea coast, 1944.. 43 7 Noemfoor, Sansapor and Morotai, July to September 1944. 442 Surface bombardments by Eastern Fleet, 1944. 464 The Battle of Surigao Strait, 25th October 1944. 52 3 x
Pag e Operations on Burma coast, January 1944. 56 3 Attack forces approaching Lingayen Gulf, 3rd-9th January 1945 58 0 Lingayen Gulf, 9th January 1945 58 8 Borneo assaults, May July 1945 61 8 Bougainville Island. 63 4 Stepping stones to Japan, 1944-45 66 2 R.A.N. ships at Japanese surrender points 68 0 Xi
PREFAC E T HE first naval volume in the official series Australia in the War of 1939-1945 covered the period from 1919 to March 1942. The portion thereof up to September 1939, though brief, was necessary because of the changes and developments which occurred during those twenty years. These were political, economic and material. Politically Australia wa s affected in the British sphere in the increase in her stature, and the weight of her representations at conferences with her companions. With them, too, she was concerned in the effects in the international field of politics and economics on the balance of power between nations. Indeed, in essence she was, by political and economic considerations in the worl d scene and by material developments in the naval, subjected to a geographi c change. It was borne in upon her, with growing realization during th e war, that geographically she was of the eastern and not the western world. On the material side in the navy, innovations were such as to impos e important tactical changes. There was some foreshadowing of these in th e capital ship versus aircraft controversy in Britain in 1936. The outcome of this was the production of a report by the Capital Ship Committe e which was strongly and unanimously in favour of the capital ship, and resulted in the implementation of the Admiralty battleship buildin g program. It was the lessons of the first two years of the war which speeded up the changes. Up till then the battleship figured as the mai n unit in the wartime building programs of all the major naval powers, wit h Japan producing the largest and most heavily gunned vessels the worl d had known in Yamato and Musashi. But in November 1940 the British Mediterranean Fleet wrote a new chapter in naval tactics when, on the 11th of the month, aircraft from H.M.S. Illustrious attacked the Italian Fleet in Taranto Harbour and sank two battleships, the Littorio (later renamed Italia) and the Conte di Cavour ; severely damaged and immobilised a third, Caio Duilio ; and damaged the cruiser Trento and two destroyers. Operation JUDGMENT, as the attack on the Italians at Taranto was named, provided in its result a signpost to th e future. Recalling it in later years, in A Sailor's Odyssey, the the n Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet, Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, wrote: "Taranto, and the night of November 11th-12th, 1940, should be remembered for ever as having shown once and for al l that in the Fleet Air Arm the Navy has its most devastating weapon. In a total flying time of about six and a half hours carrier to carrier twent y aircraft had inflicted more damage upon the Italian fleet than was inflicted upon the German High Sea Fleet in the daylight action at the Battle of Jutland." It was doubtless remembered by Admiral Yamamoto as an inspiration for the Japanese air attack on the American fleet in Pear l Harbour in the early morning of Sunday, 7th December 1941. Soon, during the progress of this Second World War at sea, the potenc y of the air weapon was to be appreciated. Before the conflict ended, its
supplanting of the big gun, with the consequent substitution of the aircraf t carrier for the battleship, was to be obvious and in progress. This change in naval material, and the changes it imposed on tactics, is illustrated in thi s volume of the history in an entirely new form of sea battle, and the fina l example of the classic old. In the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942 wa s fought the first major sea fight in which the opposing surface forces did not get within sight or striking distance of each other. All the blow s struck were between the carrier-borne aircraft and the ships of the antagonists. Two-and-a-half years later, in the Battle of Surigao Strait, was fought the last major line-of-battle sea fight between opposing fleet s of battleships and their ancillary vessels. It was a naval action which inspired the American naval historian, Admiral S. E. Morison, to write in the volume Leyte in his History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, that in it was seen and heard in the gunfire "a funeral salute to a finished era of naval warfare. One can imagine the ghosts of all great admirals from Raleigh to Jellicoe standing at attention as Battl e Line went into oblivion, along with the Greek phalanx, the Spanis h wall of pikemen, the English longbow and the row-galley tactics of Salami s and Lepanto." In both of these history-making sea fights, ships and men of the Roya l Australian Navy took part. That navy itself shared, also, in the changes which the war brought. It grew in numbers, of both ships and men, to a peak of 337 vessels of all categories from cruisers and destroyers to motor launches and othe r small craft; and to 36,976 officers and ratings to which must be adde d 2,617 officers and ratings of the Women's Royal Australian Naval Service, and 57 Nursing Sisters. There was another marked change in the Royal Australian Navy in th e war period covered by this present volume ; its "coming of age" in respect to its higher command. June 1944 saw the first appointment as Commodore, First Class of a graduate of the Royal Australian Naval Colleg e to the command of the Squadron. Henceforward that position was occupie d by an Australian. It was a step towards the appointment after the war of a graduate of the Royal Australian Naval College to the highest service position the Australian Navy could offer First Naval Member an d Chief of the Naval Staff. The sea war of 1939-45 and especially that period of it discussed i n this volume brought epoch-making changes in the conduct of nava l warfare. But it brought no change in the nature of sea power, its practice, and its influence. The most important road on the earth's surface is th e sea road. The world's most important vehicle is the carrying ship. The greatest influence in the history of mankind is that which controls th e sea road and the carrying ship that follows that road the influence o f sea power. Victory goes hand in hand with control of the sea road, an d the power to ensure or gainsay the passage of the carrying ship alon g that road. xiv
How the Allies and their navies exercised that power, and the part Australian ships and men played, it has been the task of the autho r to record in this volume. In that task, as in the writing of this volume' s predecessor, he has received invaluable help. He has been untrammelled in his access to sources of official information, and official records : report s of Commanders-in-Chief ; of commanding officers of individual ships ; war diaries and letters-of-proceedings of ships and naval establishments; personal accounts of engagements and experiences. He has drawn upon published works to which acknowledgment is made in footnotes. Nothing has been withheld from him ; and he has been given complete freedom of expression, and of statement of opinion, on his own responsibility. As in the writing of the previous volume, he owes his greatest deb t to the General Editor, Mr Gavin Long. From him he has received unfailing inspiration by precept and example; constant encouragement ; sympathetic understanding, and sage editorial comment. His contribution cannot be over-estimated. His devotion to his task as General Editor ha s been reflected in his staff in the generous help always received from them. Among them, Mr A. J. (Bill) Sweeting has been a reliable support, a wise counsellor, and fruitful of constructive suggestions. Mr Hugh Groser has added greatly to the value of this work as he did to tha t of the first volume with his first class charts. Miss Mary Gilchrist ha s been a thoughtful and patient friend and adviser, who has borne with the author over a long period of checking and correction of typescripts, of preparation of footnotes, of proof reading, amending and indexing. A great deal is owed to Mr J. K. Ware, in charge of the Archives a t Navy Office, Melbourne, and his staff. He personally helped tirelessl y in research and the provision of source material. He carefully read the whole volume in manuscript, and checked against official records. And he assisted in the selection of photographs. In the writing of this volume the author sadly missed the masterly guidance and penetrating comment o f the late Commander R. B. M. Long, R.A.N., whose untimely death denied him the help so valuable in the preparation of its forerunner. A number of others gave generously of their time and knowledge to read and commen t upon sections of the work. And, again, the author is indebted to his wif e for her forbearance and encouragement in his task. G.H.G. Middle Park, Melbourne, 22nd April 1968. xv
CHRONOLOG Y Events described in this volume are printed in italics 1942 23 Mar Japanese occupy Andaman Islands 5 Apr Japanese carrier-borne aircraft attack Colombo 5-8 May Battle of the Coral Sea 20 May Allied forces withdraw from Burm a 31 May - 1 Jun Japanese midget submarine raid on Sydney Harbour 4-6 Jun Battle of Midway Island 21 Jul Japanese land Buna-Gona area, Papua 7 Aug Americans land in Solomons 8-9 Aug Naval Battle of Savo Island 19 Aug Dieppe raid 25-26 Aug Japanese land at Milne Bay 23-24 Oct Battle of El Alamein begin s 2 Nov Kokoda recapture d 7-8 Nov Allied landings in French North Afric a 12-15 Nov Naval Battle of Guadalcanal 1943 23 Jan Organised Japanese resistance in Papua end s 29 Jan British Eighth Army enters Tripol i 2-4 Mar Battle of Bismarck Sea 18 Apr Death of Admiral Yamamoto 11 May American forces land on Attu in Aleutian Island s 13 May Campaign in North Africa end s 14 May Hospital ship Centaur sunk by Japanese 30 Jun American landings on New Georgi a 10 Jul Allies invade Sicily 3 Sep Allies invade Italy 11 Sep Salamaua falls 16 Sep 7th and 9th Divisions enter Lae 1 Nov Americans land on Bougainville in northern Solomon s 15 Dec Americans land on New Britain 1944 23 Jan Shaggy Ridge cleare d 31 Jan Americans invade Marshall Island s 29 Feb Americans invade Admiralty Islands 22 Apr Americans land at Hollandia and Aitape xvii
24 Apr Australians enter Madan g 27 May Americans land on Biak Island 6 Jun Allied forces invade Normandy 15 Jun Americans invade Saipan in the Mariana s 19-20 Jun Battle of the Philippine Sea 2 Jul Americans land on Noem f oor 21 Jul Americans invade Guam 15 Aug Allies invade southern France 15 Sep Americans land in Palau Islands and on Morotai in the Halmaheras 10 Oct U.S. Third Fleet attacks Okinaw a 20 Oct Americans land on Leyte 23-26 Oct Naval Battle of Leyte Gulf 1945 3 Jan Allies occupy Akyab in Burm a 9 Jan American forces land on Luzon 19 Feb American forces land on Iwo Jim a 10 Mar American forces land on Mindana o 1 Apr American forces land on Okinawa 12 Apr Death of President Roosevelt 28 Apr Mussolini shot by partisans in Ital y 30 Apr Hitler commits suicide in Berlin 1 May Australians invade Tarakan 3 May British troops capture Rangoo n 7 May Germany surrenders unconditionall y 11 May Wewak captured by 6th Australian Divisio n 10 Jun 9th Australian Division lands at Brunei Bay 26 Jun United Nations Charter signed at San Francisc o 1 Jul 7th Australian Division lands at Balikpapan 5 Jul Death of Australian Prime Minister, John Curtin 6 Aug First atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshim a 15 Aug VJ-Day. All offensive action against Japan comes t o an end 2 Sep Japanese sign instrument of surrender in Tokyo Bay xviii