Battle of Christmas Island
| Battle of Christmas Island | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theIndian Ocean theatreandPacific TheatreofWorld War II | |||||||||
 Christmas Island | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Japan | |||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Unknown |
 Shōji Nishimura | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
|
Land: 32infantry Sea: 1submarine |
Land: 850 infantry Sea: 3light cruisers 8destroyers 1oiler 2troop transports Air: Unknown aircraft | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| 27 captured | 1 light cruiser damaged | ||||||||
| |||||||||
TheBattle of Christmas Islandwas a small engagement which began on 31 March 1942, duringWorld War II.Assisted by amutinyof soldiers of theBritish Indian Armyagainst theirBritishofficers,Imperial Japanese Armytroops were able to occupyChristmas Islandwithout any land-based resistance. TheUnited States NavysubmarineSeawolfcaused severe damage to theImperial Japanese NavycruiserNakaduring the landings.
Background[edit]
At the time,Christmas Islandwas a British possession under administrative control of theStraits Settlement,situated 161nmi(185mi;298km) south ofJava.It was a good control post for the east Indian Ocean and it was an important source ofphosphates,[1]which were needed by Japanese industry. Since 1900, the island had been mined for its phosphate, and at the time of the battle there was a large labour force, consisting of 1,000ChineseandMalaysworking under the supervision of a small group of British overseers. In addition, there were about 100 women and 200 children on the island.[2]
After theoccupation of Java,JapaneseImperial General Headquartersissued orders for "Operation X" (the invasion and occupation of Christmas Island) on 14 March 1942.[1]Rear AdmiralShōji Nishimurawas assigned to command the Second Southern Expeditionary Fleet's occupation force, with thelight cruiserNakaas hisflagship.The fleet also consisted of the light cruisersNagaraandNatori,anddestroyersMinegumo,Natsugumo,Amatsukaze,Hatsukaze,Satsuki,Minazuki,FumizukiandNagatsuki,oilerAkebono Maruand transportsKimishima MaruandKumagawa Maru,with 850 men of the 21st and 24thspecial base forcesand the 102nd Construction Unit.[1]
Opposing this invasion force was a single 6 in (150 mm) gun that had been built in 1900 and had been mounted on Christmas Island in 1940. The British garrison—a detachment of the Hong Kong and Singapore Royal Artillery—numbered 32 troops. It was led by a British officer, Captain L. W. T. Williams. Williams' force consisted of an Indian officer,SubadarMuzaffar Khan; 27PunjabiIndian gunners andnon-commissioned officers(NCOs); and four Britishenlisted men.[3]
A group of Punjabi troops, apparently believingJapanese propagandaconcerning the liberation of India from British rule, and probably acting with the tacit support of some or all of the localSikhpolice officers, mutinied. On 11 March, they shot and killed Williams and the four British enlisted men – Sergeants Giles and Cross and Gunners Thurgood and Tate – and tossed their bodies into the sea.[3]They then locked up the district officer and the few other European inhabitants of the island pending an execution that apparently was thwarted by the Japanese occupation.[1][4]
Battle[edit]
At dawn on 31 March 1942, a dozen Japanese bombers launched the attack, destroying the radio station. The mutineers signalled their intention to surrender, raising awhite flagbefore the 850-man landing force had come ashore.[1]The Japanese expeditionary corps was able to disembark atFlying Fish Covewithout opposition.[2][5]
At 09:49 the same morning, theUS NavysubmarineUSSSeawolffired four torpedoes at theNaka;all missed.Seawolfattacked again at 06:50 the following morning, firing three torpedoes atNatori,missing again. That evening, with her final two torpedoes, from 1,100 yd (1,000 m),[6]Seawolfmanaged to hitNakaon her starboard side, near her No. 1 boiler.[7]The damage was severe enough thatNakahad to be towed back to Singapore byNatori,and eventually was forced to return to Japan for a year of repairs. Following the hit, the other Japanese vesselsdepth chargedthe US submarine for over nine hours but it escaped.[8]
Natorireturned to Christmas Island and withdrew all elements of the occupation force, with the exception of a 20-man garrison detachment, toBanten Bay,Indonesia, on 3 April 1942. The Japanese gainedphosphate rockwhich was loaded on the transport ships.[1]
Aftermath[edit]
Following the occupation, the Japanese garrison attempted to put the Chinese and Malays to work, although many escaped further inland to live off the land. The mutineers also became labourers, being employed to clean storage bins.[2]Production was only very limited after the occupation and after the 17 November 1942 sinking of theNissei Maruby the submarineUSSSearaven[9]while unloading at the wharf, phosphate production was halted altogether. Over 60 percent of the island's population, including the European prisoners, were relocated to Java by December 1943. After the war, Christmas Island was reoccupied by the UK in mid-October 1945.[2]
In the post war period, seven Punjabi mutineers were traced and court-martialled in Singapore. The first six to be identified and tried were convicted on 13 March 1947. Five were sentenced to death, and one was sentenced to two years' imprisonment and discharge with ignominy. KingGeorge VIconfirmed the death sentences on 13 August 1947. British rule in Indiaendedshortly afterward, with India gaining independence andPakistanbeing created before the executions could be carried out, and thus diplomatic issues had to be taken into account. In October 1947, a seventh mutineer was identified. He was also court-martialled and sentenced to death. An eighth soldier was identified as a participant in the mutiny but was never caught. On 8 December 1947, the death sentences were commuted to penal servitude for life after the governments of India and Pakistan made representations. After further arguments between the UK and Pakistan over where the sentences should be served, with the British demanding they serve nine years, the six prisoners were transferred to Pakistan in June 1955, after which the British government ended its interest in the case.[1][3]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^abcdefgL, Klemen (1999–2000)."The Mystery of Christmas Island, March 1942".Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.Archivedfrom the original on 21 January 2016.
- ^abcdHunt, John (14 March 2012)."Revolt on Christmas Island".Sydney Morning Herald.Archivedfrom the original on 26 January 2022.Retrieved9 October2017.
- ^abc"A Tale of Two Mutinies".The Soldier's Burden.Archivedfrom the original on 19 July 2021.Retrieved9 October2017.
- ^Woodmore 1996, pp. 28–29 & 111
- ^Gill 1968, p. 16.
- ^Blair 1976, pp. 190–191
- ^Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander."IJN Naka: Tabular Record of Movement".Imperial Japanese Navy Page.Combined Fleet.Archivedfrom the original on 6 June 2011.Retrieved9 October2017.
- ^Hara 2013, p. 191
- ^Bertke, Smith & Kindell 2014, p. 354
Bibliography[edit]
- Bertke, Donald A.; Smith, Gordon; Kindell, Don (2014).World War II Sea War, Vol 7: The Allies Strike Back.Dayton, Ohio: Bertke Publications.ISBN978-1-93747-011-1.
- Blair, Clay (1976).Silent Victory: The U. S. Submarine War Against Japan.New York: Bantam.ISBN978-0-55301-050-3.
- Gill, G. Hermon (1968).Volume II – Royal Australian Navy, 1942–1945.Australia in the War of 1939–1945.Canberra:Australian War Memorial.Retrieved20 November2006.
- Hara, Tameichi;Roger Pineau (2013). Fred Saito (ed.).Japanese Destroyer Captain.Naval Institute Press.ISBN978-1-61251-374-4.
- Woodmore, F.P. (1996).Christmas Island Explorer's Guide.Christmas Island: Lone Island Publications.ISBN0-646-24998-3.
External links[edit]
- L, Klemen (2000)."Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942".
- Conflicts in 1942
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- 1942 in Japan
- Battles of World War II involving Japan
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- Naval battles of World War II involving the United States
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- Battles and conflicts without fatalities
- 20th century in Christmas Island
- Battles and operations of World War II involving India
- Military history of Malaya during World War II
- March 1942 events
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- Mutinies
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