Chapter 120 Volume 4, Chapter 10, Ceylon and the Bay of Bengal

The success of the Japanese in Ceylon, the key area, Port T, the formation of the British Eastern Front, the reinforcement of the Indian theater, the overestimation of the Japanese naval build-up, and China as their possible target. The Colombo air attack on the Dorsetshire and the Cornwall's misfortune, the raging in the Bay of Bengal, my telegram to the President on April 7th, the decision to transfer the Eastern Fleet to East Africa, and the need to stick to Ceylon. Explaining his reply on April 17th, I reassured Wavell that the Japanese aggression stopped the vacuum in the Indian Ocean and that we were sticking to our main objective.

Relying on overwhelming sea and air power, Japan carried out an expedition that swept all the fortresses in the Dutch East Indies, as well as Siam and the entire British Malaya.They occupied southern Burma and the Andaman Islands and now threatened India itself. The coasts of India and Ceylon, and further west, the only important sea lanes on which we depend for support of our forces in the Middle East, are in danger of the greatest attack.In Madagascar, Vichy France is obviously bound to make concessions, just as it has been in Indochina, and this situation has made us anxious. Our top priority is to send an army of considerable size to reinforce India and ensure the command of the sea in the Indian Ocean, especially the Bay of Bengal.Ceylon, with such ports as Colombo and Trincomalee, would be the only good base for the Eastern Fleet we are organizing.We made a great, even frantic effort to get enough fighters for Ceylon ahead of the expected Japanese attack.At this critical juncture, the aircraft carrier Intrepid no longer acts as a battleship, but sails back and forth at full speed to transfer aircraft and their equipment.The Australian government also agreed to let the two brigades of troops returning home from the desert land in Ceylon halfway, and assist in guarding Ceylon during this emergency period, waiting for the arrival of the British army.This is a welcome stopgap.

The Admiralty has made long studies of the somewhat hidden anchorages of our fleet in the Indian Ocean during the period of combat with Japan.Addu Atoll is a group of atolls surrounded by deep-water salt lakes at the southern tip of the Maldives archipelago, about 600 miles southwest of Ceylon, and can be temporarily used as a substitute for Colombo.This place is so remote from the main shipping routes that the enemy can only reach it by crossing the ocean, yet our fleet can obtain concealment, fuel and munitions here within the attack range of Colombo.The salt lake is the size of Scapa Sound and is accessed through four deep-water channels in the reef.Forts and searchlights were set up on the surrounding jungle-covered islands.

The supply ship and hospital ship were anchored in the lake.An airfield and seaplane base are under construction.All this has remained undiscovered for quite some time.This seaport, we call it Port T, has played a considerable role in the strategy of the Indian Ocean. Since the beginning of the year, our Navy has worked hard to build a fleet in the Indian Ocean strong enough to defend our interests in the region.Admiral Somerville, who had distinguished himself in command of Fleet H in Gibraltar, was chosen this time to replace the unfortunate Tom Phillips.On March 24, he arrived in Colombo on the aircraft carrier HMS Formidable.After he became commander, the warships under his command included: the battleship Wospite, which was seriously damaged in the Battle of Crete ten months ago and had just returned from the United States via Australia after repairing; Ship:

Three aircraft carriers, including the light aircraft carrier Helmiz; seven cruisers, including the Dutch ship Hermezke; and sixteen destroyers. It was too late to train the fleet gathered from afar so that they could become a well-coordinated fleet.They were immediately divided into two parts, one in Colombo and the other in Port T.Some aircraft have already reached the west coast of the Bay of Bengal, so we have repeatedly urged the completion of the air base facilities there as soon as possible.In India, however, things are moving very slowly.I repeatedly pointed out that all these measures had been agreed upon, and urged them with the utmost urgency.

Prime Minister to General Ismay, Transfer to the Chiefs of Staff Committee March 4, 1942 1. Allow me to recall the situation of reinforcements in the Indian battlefield.A brigade of the vanguard of the 70th Division is due to arrive in Ceylon as soon as possible (? when).There are also fleets transporting anti-tank guns and anti-aircraft guns.After that, the 16th and 17th Brigades of the 6th Australian Division will also arrive.These troops will stay for seven or eight weeks, and the transfer of ships must facilitate the transfer of troops and arrive on time.Wavell then has full discretion.In addition to the en route reinforcements, he could transport two other brigades of the 70th Division to India and use them on the Burmese front.

News of the imminent arrival of these troops should give him greater freedom to use the British Internal Security Battalion troops on the Burmese front. 2. The two (air force) squadrons of the Intrepid will arrive in Ceylon on the 6th of this month.These squadrons, together with the existing air force, should give good air protection to the two Australian brigades (when they arrive) and the two Royal class battleships in harbour.This deployment was based on the fact that enemy air strikes could only come from one aircraft carrier.Dreadnought should have combat gear ready by the end of the month, and Vospite should arrive shortly.A group of cruisers and a fleet of twenty ships will begin to assemble.With the imminent arrival of the Dreadnought and the arrival of the Valiant in a few weeks, the situation must improve day by day.

3. Please let me know if we all agree with this view, because objections and misunderstandings in details will add great difficulties to us. We naturally attach great importance to Japan's strength, but it is important not to exaggerate it too much. Prime Minister to Admiralty and First Sea Lord March 10, 1942 1. Japan is currently building nine capital ships and two large aircraft carriers at the same time. Is this reliable?If true, the future is really worrying.What is the basis for this report?From now on, to complete such a huge fleet within two years, how many steel plates, steel materials, and various new types of equipment will be needed?Which shipyards can build so many ships at the same time?When were they built?To what extent has Japan's ordnance industry reached?Perhaps there are other issues that should be raised.Please give me a detailed answer.

In any case, we must not underestimate Japan, but what we need are facts. 2. While I am still not completely convinced by the above-mentioned conjectures, I sincerely approve the development of land-based torpedo aircraft. prime minister to secretary of the navy March 19, 1942 My assumption is that, if all these ships were within the completion deadline at all, then the construction of the Kure Port started in 1937 and should have been completed in 1941. However, it is said that it is only joining the fleet now, a year late.The Sasebo was scheduled to be completed in five years, but the Maizuru was only scheduled for four years.How do these ships compare with the five HMS King George V-class warships or modern American ships?Let me ask again, can they build a 27,000-ton aircraft carrier in four years?Could they really be finished within a year of being launched?Please send me the same British and American built figures.

One cannot always act on the defensive based on the worst assumptions, and any attempt to do so would necessarily prevent the best use of limited resources.Admiralty Intelligence was right to take a cautious approach; however, it seemed to me that many ventures that had been proven wrong had to be pursued.In fact, as we know, Japan's naval construction, like our own, lagged far behind the paper plans. The distribution of Japanese divisions in our intelligence report is reassuring. prime minister to chiefs of staff committee March 13, 1942 1. Judging from the deployment of the Japanese army, it seems unlikely that a large-scale attack on Australia will be launched soon.You are now making an estimate of the situation in Australia, and the deployment of the Japanese army can just become the basis for you to start thinking about the problem.

2. In my opinion, if the Japanese were to have difficulty passing through Assam, and if our position in Ceylon were more secure, it would be more likely that they would turn north and attack China. Prime Minister to Prime Minister of Australia March 20, 1942 We take note of your opinion and fully understand your point of view.We cannot, as you suggest, unblock all our sea traffic with the Middle East, on which the lives of a large number of our troops fighting in the Middle East depend.Nor can we ignore the security of Ceylon, which we will do what we can to keep it; nor can we lose the means of reinforcement and defense of India, and send three of our four fast armored aircraft carriers to the Pacific, As you can see, this would render any of our warships in the Indian Ocean, or going to them, completely unprotected from air attack and therefore useless for combat.Thus our convoy carrying an average of nearly 50,000 men per month to the Middle East or India would be left without cover, and only two or three Japanese fast cruisers or battlecruisers, supported by an aircraft carrier, could destroy them .While we admire your aggressiveness in your memorandum and agree with your desire to secure an early initiative, we feel it would be inappropriate to disregard other dangers and tasks as you suggest. These questions will no doubt be part of the agenda in Washington when President Roosevelt's proposal for a new organization is passed.I have conveyed to you the views expressed by His Majesty's Government to President Roosevelt on this matter. As long as we do everything possible to prevent the Japanese invasion, or, if necessary, prepare to resist, I am convinced at this time that Japan will not invade Australia.In my opinion, the best policy for the Japanese army is to end the war in China. Prime Minister to General Ismay, Transfer to the Chiefs of Staff Committee March 25, 1942 The correct action for Japan is to advance northward to Chongqing.They arrived in Chungking, especially since our present defenses in Ceylon are more secure, and may take the decision not to enter India.If we have linked our fate so closely with that of the Chinese, we should have the good understanding of Generalissimo Chiang, if possible, to require us to act in the strategically correct way.Regardless, this is important. Prime Minister to General Ismay, Transfer to the Chiefs of Staff Committee March 27, 1942 1. Let us clarify the question of Ceylon.What we are asking for in Ceylon is the integrity of the defense of the naval base (in Colombo).This is because we need to send our fleet to fight in the Bay of Bengal from there, and not from Port T, which is 600 miles away.No maneuver is permitted which would endanger a naval base, or interfere with the use of that base by the fleet. 2. It was hoped that the Waspite and two other armored aircraft carriers would play a major role in the Bay of Bengal.Sending such a fast aircraft carrier to Port T to protect the less useful Royal-class battleships seemed a colossal misstep.If these ships are not only useless but a nuisance, why are they not removed?For example, let them go to the Gulf of Aden or patrol the sea.In that way, the aircraft carrier will come in handy.When two (aircraft carriers) are together, the power will be much greater than if the two are not together; similarly, the power of three ships together is much greater than the power of two or two ships divided into two groups. By the end of March, the situation in Colombo had indeed become safer.The result of our comprehensive efforts was the amassment of some sixty operational fighters and a small short-range bomber fleet under the command of Lieutenant General Dobiak. In this way, at least it is certain that Japan's air strikes will be severely counterattacked. In the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal, thrilling events are about to take place.On March 28, Admiral Somerville received word that the Japanese would invade Ceylon around April 1 with a strong force, including aircraft carriers.On March 31, he concentrated his fleet south of Ceylon to wait for the opportunity; at the same time, he sent planes to patrol 120 miles from Colombo.Only six Catalina seaplanes were engaged in this extensive reconnaissance mission.Admiral Leighton, the able commander-in-chief of Ceylon, immediately ordered his troops to prepare for battle and evacuated the merchant ships in the port.The re-equipment of the cruiser Dorsetshire came to an abrupt halt, and she joined with Cornwall to join Admiral Somerville's concentrated fleet. From March 31st to April 2nd, there is an anxious mood of waiting everywhere. The fleet patrolled at its scheduled waiting point, but nothing happened except to spot Japanese submarine patrols southeast of Ceylon.On the evening of the second day, when the Royal-class battleship was about to run out of water, Admiral Somerville judged that either the enemy was waiting for him to be forced to retreat due to lack of fuel, or he had received wrong information that the enemy was coming to attack immediately.Reluctantly, but fortunately, he decided to go back to Port T, six hundred miles away.Dorsetshire and Cornwall returned to Colombo. When the fleet arrived at Addu Atoll on April 4, a patrolling Catalina seaplane spotted a large number of enemy ships approaching Ceylon.However, it was shot down before it could report the strength of the enemy.Except for the date, the original alarm proved correct, and there was no doubt that Ceylon would be seriously attacked the next day.That night, the Admiral left Addu Atoll with HMS Waspite, the aircraft carriers HMS Intrepid and HMS Dreadnought, two cruisers and six destroyers.He also ordered Admiral Willis, when the Royal-class battleships were ready to stand up, to follow them and the rest of the ships. During the night of the 4th, Admiral Leighton kept hearing reports of the approaching enemy from his patrol plane.On Easter morning, April 5, just before eight o'clock, the expected attack began: more than eighty Japanese bombers struck Colombo.Our side is ready.After a fierce air battle, our side destroyed 21 enemy attacking aircraft at the cost of 19 fighter jets and six Sailfish aircraft of the Naval Air Force.By 9:30, the fighting ceased.Fortunately, the ships in the port were evacuated in time, and the loss was not large, but the port facilities suffered some damage.The destroyer USS Tenedos and the armed merchant vessel HMS Hector were sunk, however, only one merchant vessel was hit. Meanwhile, Dorsetshire and Cornwall were ordered to join Admiral Somerville's fleet.It was a sunny day.Commodore Edgar, the captain of Dorsetshire, knew that the enemy was very close, so he advanced at full speed.At eleven o'clock in the morning, a Japanese plane was spotted.At about 1:40 p.m., the two ships came under increasingly violent attacks.Batches of dive bombers came one after another in a formation of three every few seconds.In just fifteen minutes, both of our cruisers were sunk.Those who survived the catastrophe clung to the floating wreckage, doggedly facing the test, awaiting the rescue they knew would be long in coming. The 1,120 officers and men of these two warships, many of whom were injured, endured the exposure of the tropical sun in the sea where sharks entered and exited. Thirty hours later, in the evening of the second day, they were released by the USS Enterprise. Rescued with two destroyers.Twenty-nine officers and three hundred and ninety-five soldiers died. Admiral Somerville was only now realizing that the Japanese fleet was vastly superior in strength to his own.We now know that Admiral Nagumo, who commanded the attack on Pearl Harbor, commanded five aircraft carriers and four fast battleships, as well as a group of cruisers, destroyers, and accompanying tankers.This was the adversary for whom our fleet was so eagerly awaiting until April 2nd.We managed to avoid a battle that would spell disaster for the fleet.Somerville, having rescued the survivors of our two cruisers, retreated westward, reaching Port T early on the morning of April 8th. We had more misfortune in Ceylon the next day.Early in the morning, a heavy air raid devastated Trincomalee.Fifty-four Japanese bombers, under the cover of fighter jets, destroyed shipyards, factories and airfields.They were intercepted by our planes, fifteen were shot down, and our side lost eleven.Our handful of light bombers launched a heroic and risky attack on the overwhelmingly overwhelming Japanese aircraft carriers.As a result, less than half of the planes flew back.The small aircraft carrier Helmiz and the destroyer Vampire sailed away from Trincomalee the night before for safety reasons. The two ships were bombed and sunk by Japanese planes on the way, killing more than 300 people. At the same time, Japan's second main attack force, consisting of a light aircraft carrier and six heavy cruisers, attacked our undefended ships in the Bay of Bengal.On March 31, the same day Colombo imposed emergency measures, the port of Kolkata decided not to berth ships.Our naval power in this area is insignificant, and it was decided to move the ships out in small groups.This flimsy approach was withdrawn five days later when a ship was sunk by aircraft south of Calcutta.Afterwards, the ship stopped.In the next few days, the Japanese army sank 93,000 tons of ships from the air and sea without restraint.Including the losses suffered by Nagumo's army during the same period, our losses amounted to 116,000 tons. The great concentration of Japanese naval power on our side made us anxious to demand a diversionary operation from the American fleet. former navy personnel to president roosevelt April 7, 1942 1. According to our information, there are five Japanese battleships, possibly six, two of which may be equipped with sixteen-inch guns, and there must be five aircraft carriers, fighting in the Indian Ocean.We are naturally powerless to resist head-on, especially if these ships are concentrated together.You know the composition of our fleet.The four Royal-class battleships, combined with the others, are more than sufficient to engage the three Kongo-class battleships we believe are already here.They are of course no match for modern Japanese ships, though.Although the enemy aircraft suffered heavy losses after the attack on Colombo, we cannot yet be sure that our two aircraft carriers will defeat the four Japanese aircraft carriers concentrated south of Ceylon.So the situation becomes one of our serious concerns. 2. It is not yet certain whether the enemy is just making a feint in the Indian Ocean, or whether these actions are a prelude to a large-scale invasion of Ceylon.Judging from the current actual situation, our naval power is not sufficient to counter them. 3. Since your power in the Pacific Ocean at this time is bound to be superior to that of the Japanese Army, the current situation seems to provide a good opportunity for the United States Pacific Fleet to force the Japanese naval power in the Indian Ocean to return to the Pacific Ocean, so that they will give up A planned attack attempt, otherwise, an executed attack would be unsupported.I cannot force the importance of the matter on you too eagerly. The experience of the last few days left no doubt that Admiral Somerville was, for the time being, incapable of conducting a general operation.The success and power of Japanese naval aviation tactics was formidable.In the Gulf of Siam, our two leading capital ships were sunk by torpedo bombers within minutes.Now two important cruisers were also sunk by dive bombers, a completely different method of aerial attack.In the Mediterranean, this never happened in all our operations with the German and Italian Air Forces.As far as the Eastern Fleet was concerned, remaining near Ceylon was asking for its own doom. Japan controlled the Bay of Bengal so that they could gain control of the waters around Ceylon if they wanted to.The number of British aircraft available for combat was far lower than that of the enemy.The combat fleet is slow, the range of artillery fire is not far, and it lacks endurance. Only the Wospite can be regarded as an exception.At this point the fleet itself became a liability, for the air protection available from the carriers was ineffective against repeated air attacks on the scale of the sinking of Dorsetshire and Cornwall.The bases in Ceylon are not safe under massive air or sea attack; in Addu Atoll, it is even less safe. We all agree that the Royal-class battleships should leave the danger zone as soon as possible.When I made this suggestion to the First Sea Lord, the order was delivered without argument.The Admiralty also authorized Admiral Somerville to withdraw his fleet to East Africa, 2,000 miles to the west.From here, the fleet could at least provide cover for the important shipping lanes to the Middle East.He himself, the USS Waspite and two aircraft carriers will continue to operate in the Indian Ocean to defend our sea lines of communication with India and the Persian Gulf.For this purpose he intends to use Bombay as his base.These actions were promptly approved by the Admiralty.The Admiralty had the same thoughts as we did during the serious events of the last few days.These new deployments began immediately. At this time, there were waves of panic again.Sometimes the sentiment spread from high command.The main problem was to hold Ceylon.I think it is too early to withdraw the Waspite and the two aircraft carriers from Mumbai, it seems safe to stay in Mumbai for now. Prime Minister to General Ismay, Transfer to the Chiefs of Staff Committee April 14, 1942 We must defend Ceylon with all our might and at the greatest risk.Admiral Somerville may well be stationed at Bombay for the time being.Why assume that Ceylon and southern India will fall in a very short time, and that soon Bombay will become unsafe?This assumption is too one-sided.He must be told that under no circumstances could it be recommended that any staff should be withdrawn from Ceylon. The Chiefs of Staff agreed to make Ceylon the main fleet base, and at the same time agreed that the fast ships of the Eastern Fleet should be based at Kilindini on the coast of British East Africa.Admiral Somerville also went to Kilindini a fortnight later.At this time we have temporarily abandoned the Indian Ocean, except for the coast of Africa. Since the President had not yet answered my telegram of April 7, I reiterated my opinion to him. former navy personnel to president roosevelt April 15, 1942 1. I must recall the serious situation in the Indian Ocean.This situation arose on the basis of the fact that the Japanese were able to dispatch nearly one-third of their combat fleet and half of their aircraft carriers, a force we would not be able to match for several months.The result is naturally: (1) Ceylon falls. (2) Invasion of Eastern India.There will be immeasurable internal effects on our entire war plan, among them the loss of Calcutta, the loss of all communication with China through Burma, etc.However, this is just the beginning.Until we can engage in fleet naval warfare, there is no reason not to think that the Japanese will be the dominant power in the western Indian Ocean.Thus, not only would our convoys to the Middle East and India be hampered, but our inability to maintain our sea and land presence in the Indian Ocean region would necessarily lead to our The collapse of all Fang's positions in the Middle East.At the same time, supplies to Russia via the Persian Gulf would also be cut off.We couldn't stand the pressure that Japan put on us. 2. We had hoped that by the end of April, the U.S. Pacific Fleet would be strong enough to take back Pearl Harbor, which would pose some threat to Japan and make them have to seriously consider it.At present, however, there appears to be no adequate check on Japan's move to the West.However, we are not yet sure that, due to the distance, even if the American combat fleet aggressively reoccupied Pearl Harbor, it would not necessarily be able to exert coercive pressure on the highest authority of the Japanese Navy.We also deeply understand your challenges in the Pacific region. 3. If you feel that you cannot act quickly to force the concentration of Japanese forces in the Pacific, then it seems that the only way to save us from the infinite disaster we face is to establish a huge force in the Indian Ocean with modern capital ships and aircraft carriers. I also ask for assistance from the air. Six. It is also important to have some American heavy bombers in India.Currently, there are only fourteen there, and another fifty have been approved to come.However, none of these planes were able to attack Japanese naval ships last week.We have removed all forces from Libya without disrupting the renewed offensive as much as possible.We are sending every aircraft we can fight in the East to the East, but we will not feel enough without your assistance.Allow me to insist on you, Mr. President, to take the necessary decisions. As I expected, the President preferred the Air Force assistance approach. President to Prime Minister April 17, 1942 We have done, and continue to do, research on urgent needs.I hope you will see our Air Force proposals which we have sent to Marshall for your consideration. This will be an extremely fast way of getting aircraft to India, and although they are land based aircraft, it would be advisable for your fleet to be under their protection at present.On the other hand, this plan would be extremely useful in preventing the Japanese landings at Ceylon, Madras and Calcutta.In other words, they will certainly improve the general military situation in the Indian theater of operations.However, this plan involved using the Ranger as a ferry, so the Ranger could not be used as an aircraft carrier for its own aircraft. While we didn't show off the watertightness and sturdiness of the structure, the Raider is certainly the most suitable for carrying.Due to confidentiality requirements, the various measures taken by the Pacific Fleet have not been reported to you in detail, but they will be delivered to you soon, and you will definitely think they are effective.I fully appreciate that, like bread without butter, we are short of a navy at present, however, I hope you will agree with me as to whether it is necessary to concentrate a major force in the Ceylon area because of the difference between the operations of the two arms Fleets and a mixed force became serious problems.Partly for the above reasons, and partly because I feel that, in the last few weeks, it is more important to prevent the Japanese landing in India or Ceylon, we tend to think more about taking over your home fleet than Not a mixed force in the Indian Ocean. I personally think that within the next few weeks your fleet in the Indian Ocean will be well defended and not involved in any major combat, while land based aircraft can be counted on to stop the Japanese transports, Hope to let me know your opinion on the above measures with regard to the Air Force.We can implement these measures immediately. I again offer to Wavell all my promises. Prime Minister to General Wavell April 18, 1942 We are doing our best to form a strong fleet in the Indian Ocean, so that Japan will have to draw a larger squadron from her main fleet than they originally planned. Therefore, I ask President Roosevelt to send the North Carolina. Go to Scapa Flow and rendezvous with Washington; both ships are the newest American battleships.In this way, the Duke of York can be replaced and sail to the Indian Ocean with the Renown.With Radiance joining Somerville's fleet in May, and Valiant in June, we will soon have three fast capital ships and three of our largest armored aircraft carriers in the Indian Ocean.We are trying to increase the aircraft on the aircraft carrier.Thus, in eight to ten weeks, Somerville's fleet would be strengthened into a mighty fleet.Especially because of this situation, we have all the more reason to believe that the main fleet of the United States will be more active and therefore more than ever the target that the Japanese must deal with first. But if, in the meantime, Ceylon and especially Colombo were to fall, such a naval mobilization would be in vain.Therefore, the protection of Colombo with anti-aircraft guns and aircraft must be regarded as an urgent task, no less important than the defense of Calcutta.As for the long Indian coastline between Ceylon and Calcutta, it will not be possible in the near future to provide an air force to repel a landing attack, or to cover a naval operation.Still, do you really think the Japanese might have thought it worthwhile to send four or five divisions across Madras?So how did they get anything compared to what they could achieve by taking Ceylon, or going north to China to completely defeat Chiang Kai-shek?Only by occupying China this year will Japan achieve significant results.So I think you've got to have a choice when you're dealing with this issue.The naval base in Colombo and the link to China via Calcutta are more important than anything else. I must point out that a collapse of China would free up at least fifteen, perhaps twenty divisions of the Japanese army.Afterwards, it is indeed possible to invade India on a large scale. These developments allayed our serious apprehension that we would lose, even temporarily, command of the seas in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean.We were virtually at the end of the Japanese advance westward.Their naval aggression has gone beyond the bounds of Japanese expansionist policy.They were just sneaking up or feinting.They had no serious plans to invade southern India or Ceylon across the sea.If they found that Colombo was neither prepared nor had air defenses, they would of course turn the strength scouting into a major battle.It is not out of the question that they might meet the British fleet and inflict a disastrous defeat on it.If these things did happen, no one could limit the actions they might take.Thanks to good luck and timely decisiveness, such a contest of strength was avoided.The stubborn resistance they had encountered at Colombo convinced them that further spoils would have to be won at great cost.Their losses in aircraft led them to believe that they had encountered a formidable enemy.America's resurgent naval power in the Pacific was the deciding factor.Except for the individual dispatch of a few submarines and the camouflaged attack ships, the Japanese navy has never appeared on the Indian Ocean.They disappear as suddenly as they came, leaving a vacuum in which both opposing sides have retreated. Of course we do not know that the danger to all our lines of communication in the Indian Ocean has in fact been lifted.We also believe that an enemy force in command of the seas would send a large force to invade the Indian mainland.So our responsibilities, our anxieties and our preparations, have never ceased.These circumstances were manifested in the mass demand for air reinforcements to the East, and reinforcements of this magnitude would seriously disrupt the major strategic plans of the European theater. On April 12, in a telegram to the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, General Wavell stated: Unless serious efforts are made to supply our indispensable needs which I have not exaggerated, I must remind you that we shall never again be able to control the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal, and are in danger of losing India.We tried to meet the incoming enemy aircraft with less than twenty light bombers, and we lost three important warships and others, as well as nearly 100,000 tons of merchant ships.After this, we heard news that more than 200 heavy bombers attacked a German city.The thought of this situation cannot but make us very angry. This opinion naturally finds support in some of the Dominions. Prime Minister to Dominion Affairs Secretary April 16, 1942 These views are certainly prevailing at the present time.Everyone wants to send bomber fleets to India and the Middle East.However, no decisive changes can be made.Everything possible has been done.I would be very happy if you could go and see the Chief of Air Staff and get his opinion.This is a delicate question.It is of no use at all to send a few squadrons of planes there and, when they arrive, to sit there and do nothing.We have built a big factory here for the bombing of Germany, and that is the only way we can help Russia.However, people want to destroy it in every way.One must be sure that we will not destroy our power here unless we get a proper proportion of benefit elsewhere. We were by no means distracted from the main objective, and, as will be seen later, were not prevented from taking new and violent offensive actions.This used to be an annoying episode, however, is over.From now on, we start to become stronger. The air battle at Ceylon had important strategic consequences which we did not foresee at the time.The famous aircraft carrier fleet of Admiral Nagumo, who had achieved a large number of destructive results without any damage in more than four months, suffered such heavy losses in this air battle that three ships had to be withdrawn to Japan. Re-equip and replenish.As a result, when Japan launched an attack on Port Moresby, New Guinea a month later, only two aircraft carriers could participate in the battle.以後在珊瑚海的戰鬥中，如果這支艦隊能全部出動的話，很可能在這場重要的遭遇戰中，扭轉形勢，於美國不利。