Interesting information on war in the Pacific

Sunday, December 7th, 1941


The Japan's first act of war that day is not the bombing of Pearl Harbor, but the laying of mines off the coast of Malaya to cover the forthcoming invasion. The British planes on Malaya still had difficulties with low thick clouds, yet on several occasions they could see the Japanese invasion fleet steaming toward Malaya. The reports were, however, so unclear, that they couldn't make a clear picture toward which place are they sailing to. At the end they dispatched two flying boats Catalina futher to the north to observe the bays on the west coast of Indochina. One plane returned, not noticing anything, while the second plane never returned. The flying boat PBY Catalina of No.205 RAF Squadron captained by Flying Officer Bedell was shot down by Japanese aircraft whilst attempting to monitor the progress of the Japanese fleet and all his crew died. They were the first Allied casualties of the war with Japan. Shortly after midnight the Indian guards at Kota Bharu observed three large transport ships dropping anchor approximately 3km's from the coast. Several minutes afterwards the shelling starts. Rough seas and strong winds hampered the operation and a number of smaller craft capsized. Several Japanese soldiers drowned. Despite these difficulties by 12.45 the first wave of landing craft carrying troops under the command of Colonel Masu were heading for the beach in four lines. The Japanese soldiers, the veterans of the 56th Infantry Regiment, came ashore, and ran into stiff machinegun fire from British and Indian troops of the 8th Indian Brigade (Brigadier B.W. Key). After a short and tough fight with Key's Indians, the Japanese managed to create a solid bridgehead. Having been alerted of the Japanese landing, Hudsons of No.1 RAAF Squadronn began taking off to bomb the transports. Despite the intensity of the AA gunfire, the Allied planes scored several hits and severly damaged the ships.
The attackers had risked. They were on land 70 minutes before the Pearl Harbor strike , and any news about the attack might warn the Americans on Hawaii?!

 

Viktor Leonov - Wikipedia


Viktor Nikolayevich Leonov (Russian: Виктор Николаевич Леонов; 21 November [O.S. 8 November] 1916, in Zaraysk – 7 October 2003, in Moscow) was a Soviet Navy officer and twice Hero of the Soviet Union.

After the defeat of Nazi Germany on May 1945, Leonov was assigned to the Far East where he took part in the Soviet–Japanese War in August 1945. As a front-line intelligence officer attached to the 140th Separate Reconnaissance Detachment of the Soviet Pacific Fleet headquarters, the unit under his command took part in the amphibious landing of the Soviet troops into Japanese-occupied Korea, where they landed at the port cities of Seishin, Genzan and Rajin-guyok, which are located at the northern portion of the Korean Peninsula. At the port city of Genzan, the naval scouts under Leonov's command were credited with capturing and disarming 200 officers and 3500 soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army in addition to capturing three artillery batteries, five aircraft and several ammunition depots. Leonov received the title Hero of the Soviet Union for the second time on 14 September 1945

 

US Catalinas were monitoring Japanese airfields in Formosa before Pearl was bombed. They HAD to know something was up.

 

Of course they knew something was up. US & RAF Catalinas had been tracking the invasion convoy. However, they did not know it's destination...Was it headed for Thailand or Malaya?

Further...What are the dots connecting the possible attack on Malaya to Pearl Harbor, some 6,700 miles away?

 

If the attack took place clearly before Pearl Harbor why was there no messages sent that there is a Japanese attack taking place. They could have prepared for all possible situations in good time. Also if I recall correctly there was a mini Japanese sub found and sunk in the Pearl harbour area. Things happening By the Japanese, none By the US forces? Kph

 

Was the Japanese shallow water torpedo such a surprise? Seen a couple of movies that FDR says there can be no Japanese torpedo attack. After making fuel restrictions to the Japanese he must have known there are only two options. The Japanese calculated their Fleet could only move freely for six months. They had to make a decision.

 

Sorry double posting.

 

The mini-sub was indeed sunk. So, obviously things were happening by US forces.

 

Yes, the shallow water torpedo was a surprise.

As to fuel restrictions, you are thinking strategically. FDR was thinking tactically - the Japanese had only practiced underway refuelling with their small ships, as was known to US intelligence...What the US did not know was that the Japanese had recently perfected it with there large ships as well - So US Intel did not know that the Japanese carriers now had the range to strike Pearl. They also did not know that the Japanese transformed their ships into floating oil cans - by placing drums of bunker oil into every nook and cranny of the PH task force just to make the trip. Thus, only Japanese submarines were considered the only credible threat and guarded against.