Conquering Christmas Island
Location of Christmas Island
| date | March 31 to April 1, 1942 |
|---|---|
| place | Christmas Island |
| output | Japanese conquest of the island |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
|
Leonard Williams |
|
| Troop strength | |
| approx. 100 British soldiers 1 American submarine |
850 soldiers 3 light cruisers 8 destroyers |
| losses | |
|
approx. 100 soldiers in captivity |
1 light cruiser damaged |
The conquest of Christmas Island (Japanese cover name: Operation X ) on March 31, 1942 marked the end of the Japanese conquests in the Sumatra / Java area during the Japanese invasion of Southeast Asia in World War II .
The island, 300 km south of Java, was of interest to the Japanese because it is rich in phosphates that are important for the war industry . In addition, it was in a strategically favorable location for the establishment of a reconnaissance base for the eastern part of the Indian Ocean , through which the shipping traffic on the routes between the east coast of Australia towards India and Africa runs. The British garrison, under the command of Captain Leonard Williams, consisted of only four British and 27 Indian soldiers ; together with the local police, about 100 men were available. Only an outdated 15 cm gun was available for heavy weapons . After a Japanese task force had shelled the island on March 7, it was decided that the defense of the island would be hopeless in the event of an attack and therefore no resistance should be offered. The soldiers were then taken as a prisoner of war .
To occupy the island, the Japanese put together a force under the command of Rear Admiral Shōji Nishimura . The attack force had 850 Japanese soldiers , the light cruisers Nagara , Naka and Natori, and the destroyers of the 9th Destroyer Division Satsuki , Minazuki , Fumizuki , Nagatsuki , Natsugumo , Minegumo , Amatsukaze and Hatsukaze . In addition, two transport ships belonged to the association. The association left Bantam Bay , Java on March 29th at 7:00 p.m. At dawn on March 31, the island was bombed by a dozen Japanese planes, and two cruisers and two destroyers shot at the island, including the destruction of the radio station. At 9.45 a.m. the island was conquered without resistance. Units involved were the 21st and 24th special base unit and the 102nd construction unit. The following day, the American submarine Seawolf torpedoed the Japanese flagship , the Naka . The heavily damaged cruiser was towed to Singapore by the Natori .
After the inspection of the island, the Japanese found it unsuitable for the establishment of a larger reconnaissance base and evacuated it except for a small garrison of 20 men. In particular, the island was judged to be too rocky for a port or an airfield. Before that, the remaining phosphate rocks were loaded onto two cargo ships.
Web links
- G. Hermon Gill: Volume II - Royal Australian Navy, 1942-1945. (PDF; 688 kB) In: Official Histories - Second World War. Australian War Memorial, 1968, accessed August 16, 2012 .
- Cast description on dutcheastindies.webs.com.Retrieved August 16, 2012
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Description of the cast on dutcheastindies.webs.com, accessed on August 16, 2012