British Eastern Fleet

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Eastern Fleet/East Indies Fleet
Active	1941-1971
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Navy
Commanders
Notable commanders	James Somerville Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser

The British Eastern Fleet (also known as the East Indies Fleet and the Far East Fleet) was a fleet of the Royal Navy during World War II and post war until 1971. During World War II It operated in the Indian Ocean and was based in Trincomalee in Ceylon. Post War it operated in all Far East Areas including parts of the Pacific.

1 Singapore
2 Indian Ocean retreat
3 Indian Ocean strikes
4 List of ships
5 See also
6 External references

[edit] Singapore

Before the fall of Singapore, the naval base there was part of the British Far East Command. Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton was appointed to command the Eastern Fleet there following the sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse. He then retreated to Java. Following the Fall of Singapore, he handed over command to Admiral Sir James Somerville.

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[edit] Indian Ocean retreat

Following the Japanese capture of the Andaman Islands, the main elements of the Fleet retreated to Addu Atoll in Maldives. Then, following Chuichi Nagumo's Indian Ocean raid in early 1942, the Fleet moved its operational base to Kilindini near Mombasa in Kenya, as their more forward fleet anchorages could not be adequately protected from Japanese attack. The fleet in the Indian Ocean was then gradually reduced to little more than a convoy escort force as other commitments called for the more powerful ships. From May 1942, it was also used in the invasion of Madagascar, an operation aimed at thwarting any attempt by Japan to use bases on the Vichy French controlled territory.

[edit] Indian Ocean strikes

After the departure of the main battle forces during February 1944, the Indian Ocean was left with mostly escort carriers and older battleships as the core of its naval forces. Nevertheless, as more British aircraft carriers came into the area, preparations were put in hand for British naval participation in the Pacific theatre. Agreement had been reached, after objections from Admiral Ernest King, but new procedures would need to be learnt by naval crews and Fleet Air Arm (FAA) aircrew. To this end, Operation Diplomat, a training exercise, took place in late March, 1944. The objective was for the fleet to rendezvous with a group of tankers (escorted by HNLMS Tromp) and practice refuelling at sea procedures. They then rendezvoused with United States Navy Task Force 58.5, the USS Saratoga and three destroyers, and returned to Trincomalee on 31st March. The U.S. task force had been detached to the Indian Ocean to bolster local air defences and also to impart necessary procedures to (FAA aircrew), which was done over two or three days' intensive activity at sea. Sources for the dates of return to Trincomalee and the joint US/UK training differ.)

Admiral King then requested that, during April, the Eastern Fleet should engage Japanese forces in their area and hold them there to reduce the opposition to an American seaborne assault on Hollandia (now Jayapura) and Aitape on the north coast of Netherlands New Guinea. An airborne attack by the Eastern Fleet (including Task Force 58.5) on Sabang, off Sumatra was executed (Operation Cockpit). Surprise was achieved: military and oil installations were heavily damaged by the attacks, aggravating Japanese fuel shortages. The American involvement was extended to capitalise on the success with a second attack, this time on Surabaya, eastern Java, on 17th May (Operation Transom). The distances for this operation necessitated replenishment at sea. Again, the defenders were unprepared and significant damage was made to port, military and oil infrastructure. After this, on 18th May, Saratoga and her destroyers returned to the Pacific after what Admiral Somerville called "a profitable and very happy association of Task Group 58.5 with the Eastern Fleet".

At the end of August 1944, Admiral Somerville was relieved as Commander-in-Chief Eastern Fleet by Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser, former Commander-in-Chief Home Fleet. Somerville had been Commander-in-Chief Eastern Fleet since March 1942. Fraser later transferred his flag to the newly-formed British Pacific Fleet on 22 November 1944.

By this time, the Eastern Fleet included ships from Britain, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands and France, and became the East Indies Fleet.

A further series of strikes were made against targets in Sumatra including Operation Crimson, the bombardment of the Japanese naval base at Sabang. The Eastern Fleet was greatly augmented by units intended for the Pacific and, on 4 January 1945 two British carriers (HMS Indomitable and HMS Indefatigable) made an attack on oil refineries at Pangkalan Brandon in Sumatra (Operation Lentil).

The final attacks were flown as Task Force 63 was en route for Sydney, Australia to become the British Pacific Fleet. Operation Meridian One and Operation Meridian Two were air attacks upon the oil refineries at Pladjoe, north of Palembang, Java and at Soengei Gerong, Sumatra. Although successful these were not as smooth as earlier attacks. Poor weather delayed fly-offs for both raids, 48 aircraft were lost or damaged and refuelling at sea was only completed with difficulty and damage due to poor weather and lack of expertise.

Important operations were launched in 1945 as the East Indies Fleet in the recapture of Burma, including landings on Ramree Island and Akyab and near Rangoon and diversionary operations (Operation Bishop).

On May 15-16 1945, the British executed Operation Dukedom and the 26th Destroyer Flotilla (HMS Saumarez, Venus, Verulam, Vigilant and Virago) sank the Japanese heavy cruiser Haguro in the Malacca Straits by torpedo attack.

[edit] List of ships

During World War II, the British Eastern Fleet included, from time to time, a number of warships from other Allied nations, such as Australia, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United States. Major ships attached to the Eastern Fleet, or where indicated, East Indies Fleet, included:

HMS Hermes - Sunk 9 April 1942
HMS Victorious
HMS Illustrious
HMS Indomitable
HMS Unicorn - Aircraft Carrier in Eastern Fleet 1944
HMS Renown - Battlecruiser in Eastern Fleet 1944
HMS Queen Elizabeth - Battleship in Eastern Fleet 1944, East Indies Fleet 1945
HMS Valiant - Battleship in Eastern Fleet 1944
French Battleship Richelieu - Battleship in Eastern Fleet 1944, East Indies Fleet 1945
HMS Emperor - Escort Carrier in East Indies Fleet 1945 --- approximate airgroup 20-24 Hellcats
HMS Empress - Escort Carrier in East Indies Fleet 1945 --- airgroup included specialized photo-reconnaissance Hellcats
HMS Ameer - Escort Carrier in East Indies Fleet 1945 --- approximate airgroup 20-24 Hellcats
HMS Shah - Escort Carrier in East Indies Fleet 1945 --- approximate airgroup 10 Avenger bombers, 4 Hellcats, 5 spare Seafires
HMS Khedive - Escort Carrier in East Indies Fleet 1945 --- approximate airgroup 20 Hellcats
HMS Hunter - Fighter Support Escort Carrier in East Indies Fleet 1945 --- airgroup 24 Seafires
HMS Stalker - Fighter Support Escort Carrier in East Indies Fleet 1945 --- airgroup 24 Seafires
HMS Attacker - Escort Carrier in East Indies Fleet from May 1945 --- airgroup 24 Seafires
HMS London - Heavy Cruiser in East Indies Fleet 1945
HMS Cumberland - Heavy Cruiser in East Indies Fleet 1945
HMS Suffolk - Heavy Cruiser in East Indies Fleet 1945
HMS Sussex - Heavy Cruiser in East Indies Fleet 1945
HMS Phoebe - Fighter Direction Ship/Anti-Aircraft Cruiser in East Indies Fleet 1945
HMS Royalist - Fighter Direction Ship/Anti-Aircraft Cruiser in East Indies Fleet 1945
Submarines: 2nd Flotilla, of approx 8 "S" class & 4 "T" class
HMS Newcastle
HMS Prince of Wales - Sunk 10 December 1941
HMS Repulse - Sunk 10 December 1941
HMS Electra - Sunk 27 February 1942
HMS Express
HMS Cornwall - Sunk 5 April 1942
HMS Dorsetshire - Sunk 5 April 1942
HMAS Vampire - Sunk 9 April 1942
HMS Adamant (F64) - Submarine Depot Ship
USS Saratoga