Battle of the Malacca Strait

The Battle of the Malacca Strait, sometimes called the Sinking of the Haguro, and in Japanese sources as the Battle off Penang (ペナン沖海戦), 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 Haguro. Haguro had been operating as a supply ship for Japanese garrisons in the Dutch East Indies and the Bay of Bengal since 1 May 1945.

1 The action
2 References

[edit] The action

On the 9th May, she left Singapore, escorted by the destroyer Kamikaze, to re-supply the Port Blair garrison on the Andaman Islands and to evacuate troops back to Singapore. The Royal Navy was alerted to this by a decrypted Japanese naval signal^[3], subsequently confirmed by a sighting by the submarines HMS Statesman and Subtle. Force 61 of the Eastern Fleet set sail on 10th May from Trincomalee, Ceylon to intercept the Japanese flotilla. The Japanese were unwilling to risk any battle and, on receipt of an air reconnaissance warning, they returned to Singapore.

On the 14th May, the Haguro and Kamikaze tried again and left Singapore. Next day, they were spotted by aircraft from Force 61. The subsequent air attack caused only minor damage to Haguro, for the loss of an aircraft whose crew was taken prisoner by the Japanese.

Information was relayed to the Japanese that two British destroyer squadrons had been sighted heading towards them. Again, they reversed course to return to the Malacca Strait. This change had been anticipated, however, and the 26th Destroyer Flotilla (HMS Saumarez, Verulam, Venus, Vigilant, and Virago), commanded by Captain Manley Power, made radar contact. The British destroyers arranged themselves in a crescent cordon and allowed the Japanese ships to sail into the trap.

At 1:15am on the 16th, despite avoidance manoevres by the Japanese, the British destroyers were close enough to attack the Haguro from all sides. In an exchange of gunfire the Haguro and Saumarez were hit. There were three torpedo hits on the Haguro and she slowed and sunk at about 2:30am.

The Kamikaze was also damaged, but escaped, returning the next day to rescue survivors. About 320 survived but 900 died, including the Japanese commanders, Vice-Admiral Hashimoto and Rear-Admiral Sugiura.

[edit] References

[edit] Books

Lacroix, Eric; Linton Wells (1997). Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-311-3.
Roskill, S. W. (1960). White Ensign, the British Navy At War, 1939-1945. United States Naval Institute. ASIN B000EJI8X8.
Winton, John (1969). The Forgotten Fleet. Michael Joseph Ltd. ISBN 0718106431.
Winton, John (1981). Sink the Haguro. Saunders of Toronto Ltd. ISBN 0854221522.

[edit] Web

Chen, Peter (2004-2007). Haguro. World War II Database. Retrieved on February 22, 2007.
Hackett, Bob; Sander Kingsepp (1997 - 2006). HIJMS Haguro: Tabular Record of Movement. (Combinedfleet.com). Retrieved on February 22, 2007.
Hough, Stan (1998). H.M.S. VIGILANT. 1945. Stan Hough. Retrieved on February 22, 2007.- Firsthand account of the battle by a member of HMS Vigilant's crew.
Kemble, Mike (2003). The Sinking of the Haguro. World War II Research Index. Retrieved on February 22, 2007.- Fairly detailed account of the battle
Muir, Dan. Order of Battle, Battle off Penang (Loss of IJN Haguro). (navweaps.com). Retrieved on February 22, 2007.
Nevitt, Allyn D. (1998). IJN Kamikaze: Tabular Record of Movement. (Combinedfleet.com). Retrieved on February 22, 2007.

[edit] Notes

^ Hough, HMS Vigilant
^ 900 were killed on Haguro and 27 on Kamikaze. Hackett and Nevitt, Combinedfleet.com.
^ Jackson, Ashley (2006). The British Empire and the Second World War. London: Hambledon Continuum, p302. ISBN 1 85285 417 0.