Turn Synopsis 10th April 1942
The turn opens with HMS Indomitable steaming at full speed towards the Maldive Islands unhindered by either aerial or submarine attack. By daybreak she has cleared the immediate area of Ceylon and her Albacores did not detect any submarines. Ratings were posted all over the ship their eyes trained skywards in anticipation of a strike by Japanese carrier planes. These however had another target as for the second day in a row Colombo's shipyards and docks were attacked, but the prey the bombers longed for had already slipped the noose.
Once again A6M2s escorted B5N2s and D3A1s. The RAF was once again in the air waiting for them, only this time the FAA lent its strength by adding a squadron of Fulmars to the defence of Colombo's airspace. Whether it was fatigue or the inclement weather, the Hurricanes of 135 and 17 Squadrons were able to shoot down a fair number of Zeroes for realtively light losses. The sturdiness of the Fulmars of FAA Squadron 806 also allowed them to go toe to toe with the more much more nimble, yet more fragile Japaense fighter. All told 5 Zeroes were lost in return for two Hurris and one Fulmar in this first raid. As the fighters engaged in individual combat, the bombers ploughed on onto their target with only a couple of Fulamrs to harass them.
The real damage was done on the return leg. The British fighters, flying over their own bases, could stay in the air for longer than the Japanese escorts and as the bombers returned home they swooped down on the slow planes with abandon. The bombers had already suffered through flak and many of them carried battle scars from the tubes of the ack-ack regiments in Colombo. The swift Hurricanes tore through the formation of Vals shooting down 10 while a flight of four Fulmars accounted for 5 Kates. For a second consecutive day Japanese planes were falling from the sky.
A flight of B-17s of 19th Bomber Squadron left Dambulla at around the same time the Japanese raid struck. Four bombers flew at 23,000 feet and soon found the enemy task forces not far off the coast. Zeroes buzzed like angry bees above the Japanese ships and despite the effective defensive armament carried by the B-17, two were shot down while a third had to turn back with a smoking engine. The remaining plane dropped a stick of bombs on a carrier from high altitude and as was to be expected missed. The damaged plane crash landed near Koggala and was declared a write off, though the crew escaped with minor injuries.
A second wave of enemy planes approached Colombo in the early afternoon, though this time it was an aggressive fighter sweep. The RAF could not repeat its successes of the morning and lost 4 planes in return for no enemy losses. Fatigue had claimed these pilots. Yet as the sun set the RAF could be pleased with its efforts. The Indomitable was in the clear and for the second day enemy losses far outweighed their own. Despite this 488 Squadron, New Zealanders that had fought over Singapore and Rangoon and had only just turned their Buffaloes over in exchange for Hurricanes, was flown in as reinforcement from Madras.
Losses for the second day at Colombo.
Intell thus suggests that 81 enemy planes have been lost in action over Colombo during the past 48 hours.
