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I had a complaint the he RN Eastern Fleet starts at Columbo instead of at Trincomalee. On investigation I learned it was NEVER EVER at Columbo (in many decades of existence), and only went to Trincomalee after a temporary stay in Java. It should start the war in Singapore!

Admiral Somerville would seem to disagree with you:

"
Be pleased to lay before Their Lordships the following report of the operations of the Eastern Fleet from Sunday 29th March to Monday 13th April.

Sunday, 29th March

2. Fleet was disposed as follows;

At Colombo: FORMIDABLE, DORSETSHIRE (refitting), CORNWALL, ENTERPRISE, DRAGON, CALEDON, PALADIN, PANTHER, NESTER, HOTSPUR, and EXPRESS.

At Trincomalee: WARSPITE, EMERALD, HERMES, HEEMSKERK, VAMPIRE

At Addu Atoll: RESOLUTION (wearing flag of Vice Admiral, Second in Command, Eastern Fleet), RAMILLIES, ROYAL SOVEREIGN, INDOMITABLE (wearing flag of Rear Admiral Boyd), NAPIER, NORMAN, NIZAM, FORTUNE, FOXHOUND, GRIFFIN, DECOY, and ISAAC SWEERS

...

a). WARSPITE had to proceed from Trincomalee to Colombo to refuel and embark myself and staff.

...
Monday, 30th March

9. At 1130, I embarked with my staff in WARSPITE (the ship having arrived the previous evening from Trincomalee). The Forces of the Eastern Fleet at Colombo, Trincomalee, and Addu sailed as requisite to rendezvous at 1600 on the following day, Tuesday, 31st March, in the position selected in my paragraph 7 above.

...

Friday 10th April

61. At 1000 PALADIN closed WARSPITE to transfer Staff Officers for passage to Colombo where they were to inform the Deputy Commander in Chief, Eastern Fleet of my views and make preliminary arrangements to transfer my administrative staff and secretariat to Kilindini.
"

So that's Somerville being quite clear in his own report that he and his staff were based at Colombo during the Indian Ocean Raid.

See http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWD-EF19 ... uction.htm

And if you are going to be pedantic about spelling, it should be Colombo

From http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/U ... -II-1.html
The Royal Navy Official History.

I hope you havent mistaken the location of the ships for the location of the Headquarters

The British naval forces in the A.B.D.A. area were known as the 'China Force' and were under the immediate command of Commodore J. A. Collins, R.A.N. But they were to be regarded as a detachment from the Eastern Fleet of Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton, who had transferred his headquarters firstly from Singapore to Batavia and then, after the A.B.D.A, command had been formed, to Colombo. These complicated command arrangements were not improved by the decision that Allied forces in the A.B.D.A. area would normally work under their own national commanders, whose activities Admiral Hart was expected to be able to coordinate.6