FROM: VADM. CHUICHI NAGUMO. CARDIV1, ABOARD HIJMS AKAGI. ANDAMAN ISLAND WATERS.
TO: ADM. ISOROKU YAMAMOTO, COMBINED FLEET CINC. KURE
SUBJECT: NAVAL BATTLE AT NICOBAR ISLAND.
DATE: APR. 05TH, 1942
COMBAT REPORT
AT 0315Z HIJMS ASAGIRI BLINKER CRUDIV9 CINC: "TORPEDOES LAUNCHED BY ENEMY SUBMARINE SPOTTED BEARING 120, ZIGZAG MANEUVERING AT HIGH SPEED TO AVOID HITS". CRUDIV9 ORDERED ASW MEASSURES TO THEIR ESCORT DESTROYERS.
HIJMS HIBIKI BEGIN PINGING ENEMY CONTACT AT 0338z BEEING SUPPORTED BY HIJMS ASAGIRI AND HIJMS YUGIRI. SEVERAL DEPTH CHARGE WERE LAUNCHED BUT NOT HITS WERE REPORTED.
NEAR TRUNKAT, OUR ASW "FUBUKI-II" DESRON SPOTTED AN ENEMY SUBMARINE. DESDIV 1 CINC ORDERED GENERAL QUARTERS AND DEPTH CHARGE ATTACK OVER AN ENEMY SUBMARINE WITHOUT REPORTS OF HITS OR NEAR MISSES. AFTER THIS CONTACT, DESDIV 1 COMMANDER ORDERED THE DESTROYERS UNDER HIS COMMAND TO STAND BY THE VARIOUS CARRIERS ASSIGNED TO THEM AND TO PROTECT THEM FROM ENEMY SUBMARINES.
OUR LANDING FORCE (III/124TH INFANTRY REGIMENT) TAKE LAND WITHOUT ENEMY RESISTANCE AT 0510Z.
AT MORNING, FLOAT PLANES WERE DEPLOYED FROM OUR HEAVY CRUISERS AND BATTLESHIPS. 16 FLOAP PLANES FLYING IN THEIR PRE-PLANNED SEARCH ARCS, FOLLOWING "COMBINED FLEET SECRET DISPATCH #298" AND COMBAT FLEET DESOPORD #158 ABOUT ENGAGEMENT RULE IN OUR CRUISE ON BAY OF BENGAL.
0845z: HIJMS MAYA BLINKER TO AKAGI: "This ship #2 plane reports that at about 0819z he sighted 1 enemy carrier escorted by several cruisers and destroyers proceeding eastward in a position about 120 miles of our position".
0910z: KIDO BUTAI CINC ORDER TO RADM TAMON YAMAGUCHI, 5TH CARDIV CINC TO LAUNCH AIR STRIKE WITH ALL AVAILABLE AIRCRAFTS ABOARD THEIR CARRIERS. CARDIV 1 LAUNCHED THEIR FIRST AIRCRAFTS AT 0925z, and CARDIV 5 LAUNCHED THEIR FIRST AIRCRAFT AT 0935Z.
AIR ATTACK UNIT: 77 A6M2, 152 B5N2, 143 D3A1.
weather: cloudy, amount of clouds, 8. ceiling, 500 to 1.000 meters; visibility 40 kilometers.
mission: sunk british carrier.
commander: LT Tomonaga, Air Officer of the HIRYU.
Air combat: Engaged by enemy Martlet for 10 minutes over enemy task force. 18 enemy fighters were engaged and 7 of them downed by our fighters. 1 A6M2 is donwed by enemy.
Results obtained: HMS FORMIDABLE sunk under our own pilotes eyes after 7 bomb hits and 6 torpedoes hits.
HMS GLASGOW sunk after 12 bombs and 1 torpedo hit.
HMS DAUNTLESS sunk after 7 bombs and 2 torpedo hits.
HMS MAURITIUS sunk after 4 bomb and 3 torpedo hits.
DD PANTHER sunk after 1 torpedo and 1 bomb hit.
DD ISAAC SWEERS sunk after 4 bomb hits.
DD TJER HIDDES sunk after 3 bomb hits.
1 Carrier, 3 cruiser and 3 destroyer were sunk at the battle with the lost of 1 A6M2 in dogfight with the enemy and 2 B5N2 operational losses.
AT 0945z HIJMS CHOKAI BLINKER: "ENEMY AIRCRAFTS IN SIGHT!". 06 COURAGEOUS ALBACORE TORPEDO BOMBERS WERE DOWNED BY OUR COMBAT AIR PATROL FEW MINUTES AFTER BEEN SPOTTED.
AT 0955Z A NEW WAVE OF 6 ALBACORE TORPEDO-BOMBERS WERE DOWNED BY OUR TYPE-0 FIGHTERS.
TOMORROW OUR FORCES WILL TRY TO PURSUE ENEMY FLEEING SHIPS TOWARDS COLOMBO NAVAL BASE.
I AM PROUD TO ANNOUCE THIS GREAT SUCCESS OF THE COMBINED FLEET !
LONG LIVE TO THE EMPEROR !!!!
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