'Merry Christmas 1941 to all you boneheads...'
Tokyo Rose's dulcent, traitorous tones wafted across the South China Sea to taunt and tantalize, Commonwealth soldier, Dutch trooper and US soldiers alike. For many their first Christmas at war, for some also their one and only as the asiatic foe knew no compassion on this marked of days.
Yet it could have been very different if luck had sided with the Royal Navy. The 'D' Class crusiers Dragon and Durban had been holed up at Palembang, escorting supply convoys into Singapore when the Kito Butai turned up supporting the Japanese landings on Borneo. The task force under Captain Cazalet had been skulking under the horrible weather that kept Singapre socked in.
Cazalet had had enough. On Christmas Eve he gave orders to break out of port upon reports from GVT-1, based at Palembang, that Japanese surface units were tantalizingly close to the Tambelan Islands. He had gambled on the weather and the speed of his ships to seek, firstly, a night time engagement and secondly a speedy run into Singapore and its fighter protection. As the sun set on Christmas Eve 1941 his ships ploughed eastwards and into the most powerful force afloat in the whole Pacific Ocean.
The first inkling the Cazalet had was the radar contacts the Durban, Dragon and the destroyer Jupiter were receiving and relaying to his position on the Durban's observation deck. Several large contacts to his immediate forward, but to the human eye just sea swell and driving rain. He deployed the radarless Stronghold and Encounter on his flanks while the Jupiter steamed just ahead of his two cruisers.
Then suddenly a radio message, one he would remember for the rest of his days, from the Jupiter....'we have Japanese carriers in our sights...' He could not believe it at first but then as the range between him and his target closed it dawned on him that he had the possiblity to severely hamper the Japanese war effort. He cursed the weather but it was also a boon as at least it meant some sort of level playing field. Radar would be guiding his guns. He was relaying orders to his fire control officers when he caught his breath. There, 10,000 yards distant, lying smack in the middle of his binoculars was the unmistakeable shilouette of a Japanese Kaga class aircraft carrier. The biggest prize one could hope for right under his guns.
Frenetic action gripped the British ship and at 8,000 yards the main 6inch batteries of the Dragon and the Durban opened fire on the surprised Japanese ships that did not react until a sheet of flame erupted from the carrier. Taking immediate evasive action the darker shapes around the Kaga, now revealed to be the main Japanese carrier force, began to turn while other, more menacing shapes built up steam and sped towards the small Royal Navy Squadron. Cazalet's destroyers also joined in as a Japanese cruiser was hit by hte Stronghold.
'Battleship ahead, three destroyers...God damnit thats 6 carriers I can count Sir...' came the voice of his exec, that was quickly followed by a large explosion and a shower of tepid salt water from a near miss launched by the BB Hiei. Much of the encounter was a confusing launching of salvoes as the Japanese destroyers put themselves between their vulnerable cares and the torpedo carrying British ships. The Kaga was observed to be hit twice but due to the intensity of the battle, the worsening weather and the sheer amount of firepower arranged against him, Cazalet gave the order to reitre north westwards an hour and twenty five minutes after contact was made. His ships disappeared into a swell, and lost the radarless Japanese ships. In a calmer environment Cazalet refelcted on the missed opportunity and cursed the absence of the Prince of Wales and the Repulse currently at Sorebaja.
I bet Herb had a fit when he saw this!
The dawn brought the folly of decision to steam to Singapore home to Cazalet. The clouds had thinned considerably and the rain had almost stopped. By mid morning the sun was shinning and it was too much to ask of the Japanese carriers not to at least attempt a strike. It would have been like poking a bee's nest and asking them not to sting. Once again it was radar that provided warning as three different waves of land and carrier based bombers attacked the task force during the day.
The first two waves were easily repulsed with at least two enemy bombers, suspected G4M1 type, were shot down by flak. The carrier planes, which attacked twice during the day, were much more deadly. Divebombers casued the Royal Navy ships to maneouver quite violently as the shower of bombs peppered the armoured hulls of the ships with shrapnel.
The CL Dragon, however run out of luck when it was caught by a flight of 4 torpedo carrying plane carrying out a hammer and anvil attack. The first torpedo sailed harmlessly before the prow of the ship as her captain turned her desperately to port, her flak batteries following the enemy plane as she skimmed above at mast height! Unfortunately as he righted his ship a torpedo launched by the second plane from port side slammed into the Dragon's hull amidships. She immediately slowed down and belched very black smoke that obscured her from from. A second more violent explosion struck her from her staboard side as the third plane delivered the death blow. 3 minutes later she sunk, 17 survivors were picked up before the order was given to now steam southwest to Batavia, perhaps a better decision in hindsight!
Don't Dixie's ship sides look great ingame?
The new course set by Captain Cazalet.
