The Whale Has Wings Vol 3 - Holding the Barrier by David Row Read Free Book Online Page B

availability of radar is proving an increasing advantage to the Royal Navy, as unless they have been reported by a patrolling submarine, it seems they have got close to Borneo without being spotted. The same cannot be said for the Japanese fleet off Indo China, which has both been spotted by a Dutch submarine (which unfortunately was not in a position to make an attack), and by a Whirlwind sent specifically to photograph them. The fleet was now considered to consist of two battleships, two carriers, and a large number of cruisers. Although the Whirlwind had been spotted by a Japanese CAP, the pilot had simply flown away from them, the fighters quite unable to catch the 400+mph plane. Somerville and his air advisors are now debating whether to stage an attack at night or day on the Japanese once they are in range. With the knowledge that there are certainly Japanese submarines in the area, the thought is that a day strike would probably involve less submarine risk. Currently it is expected that the strike will be made far enough away that escorted land-based strikes will not be possible, although some of the air advisors are worried; a third Japanese carrier has still not been spotted, and either one is hiding somewhere or the Japanese planes have considerably more range than was thought.
     
    Somerville has also been moving his submarine force; at present, except for intervention against some of the landings, the subs have been used in patrol lines. This is about to change; the four T-boats north of Indochina are moving a little south, and those in the south will be realigned on a line along the Indochina coast; assuming the strike on the Japanese fleet is successful, he hopes they will be well-positioned to take out any damaged ships. The U-class boats in the north are moving on the last-known position  of the Japanese fleet; with luck they may get some action, if not they will remain to interdict the Indo China-Siam sea route, probably supported by the southern group. Once the Japanese fleet has been neutralized, Somerville thinks any more landings on the eastern coast of Malaya will be unlikely, and the submarines will do better in the northern waters.
     
    In the Philippines, the Japanese land another 2,500 men of the 16th Division at Legazpi, again against minimal opposition. Mutterings are starting to be heard in Washington as to why the Philippines army seems to be unable to contain or even attack the invaders while the Imperial forces are fighting hard and, for the moment at least, successfully, in Malaya. The USAAF in the Philippines sends six B-17's to bomb Vigan, but the raid causes little damage. The Japanese air force is starting to operate from the airfields they have captured; there are now over 50 Ki-27 Nate fighters in northern Luzon, with more planes arriving steadily. The Japanese continue their tactics of sending planes continuously over the Allied fields as much as possible, and an increasing number of American aircraft are being destroyed on the ground.
     
    In Malaya, the Japanese 5th Division takes Kota Bharu and pushes south as the defenders move back to hastily prepared defensive positions. The withdrawal is made more difficult by the way that the Japanese troops press their advance, and it requires a retreat of 20 miles before they can break contact and re-establish a defensive line. The Japanese air force is not happy with the state of the Kota Bharu airfield. The men who designed its demolition had been briefed by an officer selected by Park from one of his men who had designed the ones for 11 Groups advanced airfields in case of a German invasion, and the result is that not much is left intact. The main buildings and supplies have been burnt, and the runway itself broken by explosives. Still, it will be possible with work to use the old un-surfaced runways, and the Japanese ground crews and engineers start working on the problem.
     
    News has been received that the US island of Guam has fallen