FROM: ADM Isoroku Yamamoto, COMBINED FLEET C-in-C. Kure.
TO: BOARD OF MARSHALLS AND ADMIRALS, IGHQ. Tokyo.
SUBJECT: COMBINED FLEET EASTERN D.E.I. OPS
DATE: Jan 12nd, 1942.
Our forces will begin with 2nd Phase or COMBINED FLEET SPECIAL WAR ORDER NUMBER 1 tomorrow. Eastern Indies will be our control in one week. Landings at Manado, Ternate and Ambon Island will be supported by the Main Body Combined Fleet with 1st Air Fleet, BAT DIV 1, 2 and 3, and CRUDIV 8, with heavy ASW support and 21st Air Flotilla umbrella from Mindanao AFs.
(1) SubWar Report.
RO-63 reports engaged by enemy destroyer near Enderbury Island (Phoenix Islands, near Canton Is.) No damages reported.
No more news from Western D.E.I Sqdrn. Northeast Hawaii Sqdrn, New Caledonian Blockade Sqdrn or South-Eastern Australia Blockade Sqdrns.
New orders will be dispatched to 6th Fleet HQ at Kwajalein to redeploy our submarine forces to support our Naval deployment in Dutch Indies.
AS HEIAN MARU will be flag ship for Submarine Forces in Eastern Dutch Indies. She will support our submarine ops from Davao.
AK KAMOGAWA MARU was torpedoed by "S Class" enemy submarine off Vigan. Our ship with moderate damages was disbanded in this port to avoid more damages and urgently repaired to be transfered to Metropolitan drydock to complete repairs.
(2) ASW Reports.
Enemy oceanic submarine was reported near Kuching and attack one of our destroyers (HIJMS Kari, all torpedoes were missed).
Another dutch oceanic submarine was reported off Singakwang by DMW W-19 (she is minesweeping these waters from enemy mines).
Enemy coastal submarine fired several torpedoes against HIJMS YUGIRI at ASW duties in waters nearby to Zamboanga. Our destroyer lead the retaliation with a heavy depth charge attack reporting 14 hits or near misses on enemy dutch submarine.
Another USN submarine was pinged off Kavieng by PB Sonon Maru #15.
(3) Air Supperiority over Phillipines
24 A6M2 and 50 G4M1 from 23rd Air Flotilla have strike clark field air facilities reporting 63 runway hits and no CAP over Luzon skies.
IJA 5th Air Division have attack hard enemy ground positions at Manila. 46 fighters escorting 84 bombers have strike 1st, 51st, 71st and 102nd P.A.Divisions.
(4) Eastern D.E.I. Ops.
21st Air Flotilla assets have strike Ternate enemy facilities. One ship and several aircrafts were spotted by our previous recon flights. 27 A6M2 escorting 26 G4M1 and 26 G3M2 taken off from Cagayan to strike enemy positions, reporting 4 port hits and no ship docked on port. NO enemy CAP.
VADM. Chuichi Nagumo carriers strike Ambon Island with 126 D3A1 escorted by 7 A6M2, reporting 36 casualties and 1 gun disable from 4th Coastal dutch Gun bn.
1st and 3rd Yokosuka Special Naval Landing Forces (parachute units) are in route to north Borneo to be gathered with IJA 1st and 2nd Para Regiments. Air assets will be transfered from Kagoshima in the same convoy that IJA forces.
22nd Air Flotilla has arrive to Kuching AF. Yamada Det S-1 have been delivered there by HIJMS TAIYO. 1 A6M2 was crashed on landing, another 17 ready for service at Kuching.
(5) Labor Units to South Seas
Following Units are being shipped to South Seas at Takao:
-3rd Naval Construction Bn to Shortlands Island.
-2nd Naval Construction Bn to Munda Island.
-6th Naval Cosntruction Bn to Port Moresby.
-5th Naval Cosntruction Bn to Kavieng.
-4th AF Construction Bn to Milne Bay.
(6) Metropolitan ASW Efforts
ACMs have been redeployed from Kure to Saisho To, Tsushima and Moppo.
HIJMS Hosho is returning from Kuriles island after unsucessfly attempt to locate enemy raider in Okhost Sea.
Long Live to the Emperor !!!
END //
