The British Eastern Fleet (also known as the East Indies Fleet and the Far East Fleet) was a fleet of the Royal Navy during World War II and post war until 1971. During World War II It operated in the Indian Ocean and was based in Trincomalee in Ceylon. Post War it operated in all Far East Areas including parts of the Pacific. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ... Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Fownes Somerville, GCB GBE DSO, (17 July 1882 – 19 March 1949) was one of the most famous British Admirals during World War II. The son of a New Zealand sheep farmer, James Fownes Somerville was born in Weybridge, Surrey. ... Admiral of the Fleet Sir Bruce Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of North Cape, GCB KBE, (February 5, 1888–February 12, 1981) was a senior British admiral during World War II. He was Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet during the later stages of the naval war in Europe, and... A rare occurance of a 5-country multinational fleet, during Operation Enduring Freedom in the Oman Sea. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ... This article is becoming very long. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... Bay of Trincomalee (View from Temple) Trincomalee North East city of Sri Lanka. ...

Singapore

Before the fall of Singapore, the naval base there was part of the British Far East Command. Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton was appointed to command the Eastern Fleet there following the sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse. He then retreated to Java. Following the Fall of Singapore, he handed over command to Admiral Sir James Somerville. The Battle of Singapore was a battle of the South-East Asian theatre of World War II, from January 30, 1942 – February 15, 1942. ... The Far East Command was a British military command which had 2 distinct periods. ... Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton, GBE KCB KCMG DSO, (20 April 1884 - 4 September 1964), was a British Naval Officer. ... The Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse was a World War II naval engagement which illustrated the effectiveness of aerial attacks against naval forces that were not protected by air cover and the resulting importance of including an aircraft carrier in any major fleet action. ... Java (Indonesian, Javanese, and Sundanese: Jawa) is an island of Indonesia, and the site of its capital city, Jakarta. ... The Battle of Singapore was a battle of the South-East Asian theatre of World War II, from January 30, 1942 – February 15, 1942. ... Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Fownes Somerville, GCB GBE DSO, (17 July 1882 – 19 March 1949) was one of the most famous British Admirals during World War II. The son of a New Zealand sheep farmer, James Fownes Somerville was born in Weybridge, Surrey. ...

Indian Ocean retreat

Following the Japanese capture of the Andaman Islands, the main elements of the Fleet retreated to Addu Atoll in Maldives. Then, following Chuichi Nagumo's Indian Ocean raid in early 1942, the Fleet moved its operational base to Kilindini near Mombasa in Kenya, as their more forward fleet anchorages could not be adequately protected from Japanese attack. The fleet in the Indian Ocean was then gradually reduced to little more than a convoy escort force as other commitments called for the more powerful ships. From May 1942, it was also used in the invasion of Madagascar, an operation aimed at thwarting any attempt by Japan to use bases on the Vichy French controlled territory. This article or section may be confusing for some readers, and should be edited to be clearer or more simplified. ... Addu or Seenu Atoll is the southernmost atoll of the Republic of Maldives. ... Chuichi Nagumo Chuichi Nagumo (南雲 忠一, Nagumo ChÅ«ichi March 25, 1887 - July 6, 1944) was an admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... The Indian Ocean raid was a naval sortie by the Fast Carrier Strike Force of the Imperial Japanese Navy from 31 March to 10 April 1942 against Allied shipping and bases in the Indian Ocean. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... Kilindini Harbour is a large, natural deep-water inlet extending inland from Mombasa, Kenya. ... Mombasa is the second largest city in Kenya, lying on the Indian Ocean. ... The Battle of Madagascar is another name for Operation Ironclad, the Allied invasion of Madagascar launched on May 5, 1942, when it was feared that bases on the Vichy French-controlled island might be used by Japan. ... Vichy France (French: now called Régime de Vichy or Vichy; called itself at the time État Français, or French State) was the French state of 1940-1944 which was a puppet government under Nazi influence, as opposed to the Free French Forces, based first in London and later...

Indian Ocean strike

During 1944 and early 1945, as more British aircraft carriers came into the area, preparations were put in hand for British naval participation in the Pacific theatre. Agreement had been reached, after objections from Admiral Ernest King, but new procedures would need to be learnt by naval crews and Fleet Air Arm (FAA) aircrew. To this end, Operation Diplomat, a training exercise, took place in late March, 1944. The objective was for the fleet to rendezvous with a group of tankers (escorted by HNLMS Tromp) and practice refuelling at sea procedures. They then rendezvoused with United States Navy Task Force 58.5, the USS Saratoga and three destroyers, and returned to Trincomalee on 31st March. The U.S. task force had been detached to the Indian Ocean to bolster local air defences and also to impart necessary procedures to (FAA aircrew), which was done over two or three days' intensive activity at sea. Sources for the dates of return to Trincomalee and the joint US/UK training differ.) 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... An aircraft carrier is a warship designed to deploy and recover aircraft—in effect acting as a sea-going airbase. ... The Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO) is the term used in the United States for all military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, in World War II. Pacific War is a more common name, around the world, for the broader conflict between the Allies and Japan... Ernest King Fleet Admiral Ernest Joseph King (November 23, 1878 – June 25, 1956) was Commander in Chief, United States Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations (COMINCH-CNO) during World War II. As CNO, he directed the United States Navys operations, planning, and administration and was a member of the... The Fleet Air Arm is the operational group of the Royal Navy responsible for the operation of the aircraft on board their ships. ... During World War II, Operation Diplomat was an Allied naval training operation. ... HNLMS Tromp was a Tromp-class light cruiser of the Royal Netherlands Navy, named after Admiral Maarten Tromp. ... The United States Navy (also known as USN or the U.S. Navy) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations. ... The fifth USS Saratoga (CV-3) was the third aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. ... Bay of Trincomalee (View from Temple) Trincomalee North East city of Sri Lanka. ...

Admiral King then requested that, during April, the Eastern Fleet should engage Japanese forces in their area and hold them there to reduce the opposition to an American seaborne assault on Hollandia (now Jayapura) and Aitape on the north coast of Netherlands New Guinea. An airborne attack by the Eastern Fleet (including Task Force 58.5) on Sabang, off Sumatra was executed (Operation Cockpit). Surprise was achieved: military and oil installations were heavily damaged by the attacks, aggravating Japanese fuel shortages. The American involvement was extended to capitalise on the success with a second attack, this time on Surabaya, eastern Java, on 17th May (Operation Transom). The distances for this operation necessitated replenishment at sea. Again, the defenders were unprepared and significant damage was made to port, military and oil infrastructure. After this, on 18th May, Saratoga and her destroyers returned to the Pacific after what Admiral Somerville called "a profitable and very happy association of Task Group 58.5 with the Eastern Fleet". A workers mural in Jayapura, Indonesia Jayapura City (Indonesian: Kota Jayapura) is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. ... Aitape is a small town of about 8,000 people on the north coast of Papua New Guinea in the Sandaun province. ... Dutch New Guinea was a common name of western New Guinea while it was a colonial possession of the Netherlands. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Sumatra (also spelled Sumatara and Sumatera) is the sixth largest island of the world (approximately 470,000 km²) and is the third largest island of Indonesia after Borneo (of which Kalimantan belongs to Indonesia) and New Guinea. ... During the last year of World War II, Operation Cockpit was a raid by a British naval force of twenty-two warships, including two aircraft carriers, on Japanese port and oil facilities on Sabang Island (off the northern tip of Sumatra) on 25 July, 1945. ... Surabaya (formerly Soerabaja) is Indonesias second-largest city, and the capital of the province of East Java. ... Java (Indonesian, Javanese, and Sundanese: Jawa) is an island of Indonesia and the site of its capital city, Jakarta. ... During World War II, Operation Transom was a naval air attack on Japanese targets on Java by American and British carrier planes. ...

A further series of strikes were made against targets in Sumatra including Operation Crimson, the bombardment of the Japanese naval base at Sabang). The Eastern Fleet was greatly augmented by units intended for the Pacific and, on 4 January 1945 two British carriers (HMS Indomitable and HMS Indefatigable) made an attack on oil refineries at Pangkalan Brandon in Sumatra (Operation Lentil). Sumatra (also spelled Sumatara and Sumatera) is the sixth largest island of the world (approximately 470,000 km²) and is the third largest island of Indonesia after Borneo (of which Kalimantan belongs to Indonesia) and New Guinea. ... HMS Indomitable (1940-1955) was a modified Illustrious class aircraft carrier. ... HMS Indefatigable (R10) was an Implacable-class aircraft carrier of the British Royal Navy. ...

At the end of August 1944, Admiral Somerville was relieved as Commander-in-Chief Eastern Fleet by Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser, former Commander-in-Chief Home Fleet. Somerville had been Commander-in-Chief Eastern Fleet since March 1942. Fraser later transferred his flag to the newly-formed British Pacific Fleet on 22 November 1944. Admiral of the Fleet Sir Bruce Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of North Cape, GCB KBE, (February 5, 1888–February 12, 1981) was a senior British admiral during World War II. He was Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet during the later stages of the naval war in Europe, and... The Home Fleet is the traditional name of the fleet of the Royal Navy that protects the United Kingdoms territorial waters. ... The British Pacific Fleet (BPF) was a multinational Allied force which saw action against Japan during World War II. The fleet was formed on December 10, 1944, in Sydney, Australia. ...

By this time, the Eastern Fleet included ships from Britain, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands and France, and became the East Indies Fleet.

The final attacks were flown as Task Force 63 was en route for Sydney, Australia to become the British Pacific Fleet. Operation Meridian One and Operation Meridian Two were air attacks upon the oil refineries at Pladjoe, north of Palembang, Java and at Soengei Gerong, Sumatra. Although successful these were not as smooth as earlier attacks. Poor weather delayed fly-offs for both raids, 48 aircraft were lost or damaged and refuelling at sea was only completed with difficulty and damage due to poor weather and lack of expertise. The Sydney Opera House on Sydney Harbour Sydney (pronounced ) is the most populous city in Australia with a metropolitan area population of over 4. ... The British Pacific Fleet (BPF) was a multinational Allied force which saw action against Japan during World War II. The fleet was formed on December 10, 1944, in Sydney, Australia. ... During World War II, Operation Meridian was a series of British air attacks conducted on 24 and 29 January, 1945 (Meridian One and Meridian Two on Japanese-held oil refineries at Palembang, on Sumatra. ... During World War II, Operation Meridian was a series of British air attacks conducted on 24 and 29 January, 1945 (Meridian One and Meridian Two on Japanese-held oil refineries at Palembang, on Sumatra. ... Location of Palembang Palembang is a city in the south of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. ...

After the departure of the main battle forces during February 1944, the Indian Ocean was left with escort carriers and older battleships as the core of its naval forces. Nevertheless, important operations were launched in 1945 as the East Indies Fleet in the recapture of Burma, including landings on Ramree Island and Akyab and near Rangoon and diversionary operations (Operation Bishop). The escort aircraft carrier or escort carrier, was a small aircraft carrier developed by the U.S. Navy in the early part of World War II to deal with the U-boat crisis of the Battle of the Atlantic. ... HMS Victory in 1884. ... The Burma Campaign was a campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II. It was fought primarily between Commonwealth, Chinese and American forces against the Empire of Japan. ... Ramree Island is an island off the coast of Myanmar (Burma). ... Akyab is a city and district in the Arakan division of Burma. ... Yangon (Burmese: , population 4,082,000 (2005 census), formerly Rangoon), is the largest city of Myanmar (formerly Burma) and its former capital. ...

List of ships

During World War II, the British Eastern Fleet included, from time to time, a number of warships from other Allied nations, such as Australia, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United States. Ships attached to the Eastern Fleet, or where indicated, East Indies Fleet, included:

• HMS Hermes - Sunk 9 April 1942
• HMS Victorious
• HMS Illustrious
• HMS Indomitable
• HMS Unicorn - Aircraft Carrier in Eastern Fleet 1944
• HMS Renown - Battlecruiser in Eastern Fleet 1944
• HMS Queen Elizabeth - Battleship in Eastern Fleet 1944, East Indies Fleet 1945
• HMS Valiant - Battleship in Eastern Fleet 1944
• French Battleship Richelieu - Battleship in Eastern Fleet 1944, East Indies Fleet 1945
• HMS Emperor - Escort Carrier in East Indies Fleet 1945
• HMS Empress - Escort Carrier in East Indies Fleet 1945
• HMS Ameer - Escort Carrier in East Indies Fleet 1945
• HMS Shah - Escort Carrier in East Indies Fleet 1945
• HMS Khedive - Escort Carrier in East Indies Fleet 1945
• HMS Hunter - Fighter Support Escort Carrier in East Indies Fleet 1945
• HMS Stalker - Fighter Support Escort Carrier in East Indies Fleet 1945
• HMS London - Heavy Cruiser in East Indies Fleet 1945
• HMS Cumberland - Heavy Cruiser in East Indies Fleet 1945
• HMS Suffolk - Heavy Cruiser in East Indies Fleet 1945
• HMS Sussex - Heavy Cruiser in East Indies Fleet 1945
• HMS Phoebe - Fighter Direction Ship/Anti-Aircraft Cruiser in East Indies Fleet 1945
• HMS Royalist - Fighter Direction Ship/Anti-Aircraft Cruiser in East Indies Fleet 1945
• HMS Newcastle
• HMS Prince of Wales - Sunk 10 December 1941
• HMS Repulse - Sunk 10 December 1941
• HMS Electra - Sunk 27 February 1942
• HMS Express
• HMS Cornwall - Sunk 5 April 1942
• HMS Dorsetshire - Sunk 5 April 1942
• HMAS Vampire - Sunk 9 April 1942
• HMS Adamant (F64) - Submarine Depot Ship
• USS Saratoga

HMS Hermes (95) of the Royal Navy was the worlds first purpose-built aircraft carrier, although the Imperial Japanese Navys Hosho was the first to be commissioned. ... April 9 is the 99th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (100th in leap years). ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... HMS Victorious (R38) was the second Illustrious-class aircraft carrier ordered, being provided for under the 1936 Naval Programme. ... The fourth HMS Illustrious (R87) of the Royal Navy was an aircraft carrier, arguably the one with the most distinguished and vital career of this proud lineage. ... HMS Indomitable (1940-1955) was a modified Illustrious class aircraft carrier. ... Six ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Unicorn. ... HMS Renown is a ship name used by the Royal Navy. ... As of 2004, only one ship of the Royal Navy has carried the name HMS Queen Elizabeth, though other ships of the name were or are planned. ... Six vessels of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Valiant. ... The USS Pybus (CVE-34) (originally AVG-34, then later ACV-34) was laid down 23 June 1942 as MC Hull No. ... The escort carrier USS Baffins (CVE-35) (originally AVG-35, then later ACV-35) was launched 18 October 1942 by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. ... Two vessels of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Shah. ... The USS Cordova (CVE-39) (originally AVG-39 then later ACV-39) was an escort aircraft carrier launched 27 December 1942 by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. ... No less than seventeen vessels of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Hunter. ... Twelve ships of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS London, after the city of London. ... There have been sixteen ships named HMS Cumberland in the Royal Navy. ... Five ships of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Suffolk, after the county of Suffolk. ... HMS Sussex was a British warship that sank in the Mediterranean Sea in 1694. ... Several ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Phoebe after Phoebe from Greek mythology. ... Several ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Royalist: Royalist, launched 1883, was a Satellite-class corvette. ... The seventh HMS Newcastle was a Town-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. ... HMS Prince of Wales was a King George V-class battleship of the Royal Navy, built at the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead, England. ... December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... HMS Repulse was a Renown-class battlecruiser, the second to last battlecruiser built for the Royal Navy. ... December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... HMS Electra, which carried the pennant number H27, was launched on 15 February 1934 at the Hawthorne Leslie shipyard at Hebburn, Tyneside. ... February 27 is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... The HMS Express (H.61) was an E-Class destroyer with the Royal Navy. ... HMS Cornwall (56) was a 9,750-ton County-class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy. ... April 5 is the 95th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (96th in leap years). ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... HMS Dorsetshire (pennant number 40) was a heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy, named after the English county (now called Dorset). ... April 5 is the 95th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (96th in leap years). ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... HMAS Vampire (D68/I68) was a V-class destroyer of the British and Royal Australian navies. ... April 9 is the 99th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (100th in leap years). ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... HMS Adamant was built by Harland & Wolff at Belfast and launched in November 1940. ... The fifth USS Saratoga (CV-3) was the third aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. ...

See also

• South-East Asian Theatre of World War II#Indian Ocean

The South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was the name given to the campaigns of the Pacific War in India, Burma, Thailand, Malaya and Singapore. ...

External references

• Royal Navy in Pacific and Indian Oceans
• The Royal New Zealand Navy, Chapter 23 "The New Zealand Cruisers", Sydney David Waters, Historical Publications Branch, Wellington (Part of: The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–1945)
• HMS Ceylon
• Details of Far East Fleet Composition in the 1960s