Ceylon air defences and forces went on alert, [26] with land-based aerial reconnaissance concentrating on the southeast, where the Japanese were expected to approach to launch strikes at Colombo and Trincomalee. As usual in this series, there are great period phots as well as the usual full color profiles in the center section of the book. On 15–16 May 1945, the British fought the Battle of the Malacca Strait; the 26th Destroyer Flotilla (composed of Saumarez, Venus, Verulam, Vigilant and Virago) sank the Japanese heavy cruiser Haguro in the Malacca Straits using torpedoes.

At 07:16 another Catalina from 413 Squadron RCAF spotted the Japanese fleet, but was shot down while reporting. Given the books faults I enjoyed it a lot and it fills a useful hole despite having one or two below the waterline itself. The armed merchant cruiser HMS Hector, [36] the Norwegian tanker Soli [37] and the old destroyer HMS Tenedos were sunk; three other ships were damaged. The Eastern Fleet, commanded by Admiral Sir James Somerville, was forewarned by intelligence and sailed from its bases prior to the raid; its attempt to attack the Japanese was frustrated by poor tactical intelligence.From the strategic point of view, the Japanese offensive in the Indian Ocean was the only moment in the Second World War when the Axis forces could coordinate their efforts to severely threaten the position of the British Empire in the crucial Middle Eastern and Indian theatres. THE END OF THE PAX BRITANNICA,HAS ALWAYS BEEN GLOSSED OVER, THE BRITISH COLLUSION WITH THE JAPANESE IN THE TWENTIES AND THIRTIES,WAS SURPRISING,GIVEN WHAT THEY KNEW! IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THE GREAT BRITANIC EMPIRE SACRIFICED ITS PEOPLE IN SECONDRATE SHIPS,AND AIRCRAFT SO ANTIQUATED AND OBSOLETE! Chapter 11 describes the German U-boat attacks in the Indian Ocean in 1943 and their use of the base at Penang off the coast of Malaya.

The second volume examines the Japanese aerial assault upon the British bases on Ceylon, and the attacks against the carrier HMS Hermes, cruisers MS Cornwall and Devonshire, and the destroyer HMAS Vampire. The Darkest Hour Volume 2 includes extensive tables detailing the composition of the Japanese air attacks and is illustrated with photographs and with colour artworks of the ships and aircraft involved.

To put to sea invited heavy British reaction, while to stay in ports threatened by British and Commonwealth forces became impossible. Carrier Division 2 did not immediately follow; it performed a series of kinking manoeuvres starting at 15:00 that initially took it northwest. Providing a worthwhile narrative on a less well-known subject, this book serves as a reminder that, even during a global conflict, kinetic action remains only a part of what navies ask warships to do. There is plenty of coverage of 'Grand Strategy' to put the Eastern Fleets limitations in perspective. When the shore batteries re­plied they were immediately silenced by a saucy little force of a Dutch cruiser and three British destroyers which steamed in to fire at point blank range.