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Section 1 – Disaster Upon Disaster
At 10:30 on the morning of Saturday 6th December 1941 3 Lockheed Hudsons of 1 RAAF Squadron took off to patrol the western stretches of the South China Sea. Shortly after midday two of these aircraft individually came across a Japanese invasion fleet and reported their findings. There was initial confusion as to whether the aircraft had sighted the same convoy and as its destination was not known, no direct action was taken (Shores vol.1 p.74). The following day further reconnaissance was undertaken, although hampered by low cloud. It was here the first shots of the Pacific War were fired and its first victim accounted for. The unfortunate aircraft was a Catalina, shot down by Ki-27s of the 1st Sentai before the crew could radio a warning. No formal declaration of war had yet been received and Brooke-Popham declined to put Matador into effect as he did not want to violate neutral sovereign territory. All forces were now on full alert and AA batteries were permitted to fire on any unidentified aircraft, although fighters did not have permission to engage.
Early on the morning of 8th December the first Japanese troops landed in Thailand, Malaya and the Philippines. Air raids were also conducted against Hong Kong, Wake Island and Singapore. The latter had no air raid precautions in place and presented a brilliantly illuminated target for the Japanese bomber crews. Allied aircraft were thrown into the fray, the first major actions being conducted by Hudsons and Vildebeests against the invading fleet. Japanese aircraft were already roaming inland, concentrating their attacks on the airfields where many crews were still awaiting orders (Shores p.88). Confusion reigned supreme and many aircraft were destroyed on the ground without having fired a shot. By the end of the day only 50 RAF aircraft were in operational condition in Malaya. After just 24 hours the Thai government capitulated and threw their lot in with the Japanese, thus denying the British any strategic initiative. General Percival later commented:
The rapidity with which the Japanese got their air attacks going against our aerodromes was quite remarkable. Practically all the aerodromes in Kelantan, Kedah, Province Wellesley and Penang were attacked, and in most cases the bombers were escorted by fighters.
The performance of Japanese aircraft of all types, and the accuracy of their bombing, came as an unpleasant surprise. By the evening our own air force had already been seriously weakened.

Simultaneously (time zone variations mark this as the 7th, in real time the attacks were only a few hours apart), the Japanese Navy had launched an attack on the American fleet at Pearl Harbor. Considering the main threat to be saboteurs, base commanders had ordered planes and ships be parked closely together. The result was the destruction of 6 battleships,188 aircraft and the loss of 2,345 lives and a seemingly decisive victory. However, all four American aircraft carriers had been at sea when the attack took place, hence escaped unscathed. Only a handful of American fighters even got into the air, the Japanese losing only 23 aircraft and 4 midget submarines. In America the voices of isolationism were instantly silenced and the next day congress voted unanimously for war. Buoyed by Roosevelt's "day of infamy" speech, American industry was put on a war footing and the mightiest war machine in the world swung into action.
As the confused retreat began in Malaya, so an even bigger disaster befell the British. The battleship HMS Prince of Wales and battlecruiser HMS Repulse, pride of the Far East fleet, set sail from Singapore harbour with four escorting destroyers to disrupt Japanese landings. The armada, codenamed Force Z, was soon spotted and shadowed and was then subject to repeated aerial attack by unescorted JNAF G3M and G4M bombers. They attacked with perfectly coordinated bomb and torpedo strikes and within an hour both ships had been sunk with the loss of 840 hands (Watts p.202). Admiral Phillips, in charge of the force, had believed his ships impervious to aircraft hence did not demand fighter cover (although none would have been immediately available. (Martin p.107.) The escorting destroyers, now under attack themselves, stayed to pick up survivors who were being machine gunned in the water. The following day – in what would be a rare instance of chivalry - a G4M sent to investigate dropped a wreath in honour of the sailors lost.
The Prince of Wales was the first battleship sunk at sea by aircraft, it was a stark demonstration of just what air power could achieve. Sent to the bottom with the ships were British hopes of holding Singapore; the effect on morale was catastrophic and there appeared to be no limit to where the Japanese could strike (Cull p.125). For the Japanese, the destruction of Force Z had been a monumental victory, achieved at the cost of just three aircraft had opened the road to Singapore. Over the next fortnight the seeming inexorable advance down Malaya continued. Allied forces had set up at roadblocks and junctions, believing the dense jungle to be impassable. Yet again, intelligence was proved wrong as the well trained, lightly equipped Japanese simply went around obstacles. The Allies had no tanks, and precious little artillery or anti tank guns to oppose them. The Battle of Jitra on the 11th-13thresulted in yet another rout and the withdrawal of all surviving RAF aircraft to Singapore. By 25th December Northern Malaya had been lost, Kuala Lumpur fell on 11th January and by the end of the month the last organised forces had also fled into Singapore. There followed a week's respite before the island was in turn invaded. British, Malayan, Indian and Australian troops fought valiantly, but were completely outnumbered and outclassed. On the evening of February 10th Churchill cabled Percival demanding the island was to be defended to the last man. Supplies of food, water, medicine and ammunition were running dangerously low and order within the city began to collapse. Percival formerly surrendered the garrison on the 15th, he and 50,000 others marching into captivity. It was the biggest mass surrender, and humiliation, in British military history.
The air campaign over Malaya and Singapore followed much the same pattern. In this atmosphere of confusion and panic the assorted Buffalos, Blenheims and Hudsons fought as well as could be expected (62 Squadron Leader Scarf receiving a posthumous VC) but could do nothing to stem the tide. Airfields were subject to repeated strafing attack. There was a distinct lack of co operation between various forces and commands. Airfield defence consisted of a few machine guns and ground crew had little air raid training. Buffalo numbers were rapidly depleted, as much by accident and un-serviceability as enemy action. A chink of light was provided when the first Hurricanes arrived and were ready for action by 20th January. Although an improvement over the Buffalo, it still lacked the manoeuvrability and speed to tackle its opponents on an equal footing. This was not helped by the fact these aircraft were still equipped with air filters for desert combat, reducing their top speed by 30mph (Kelly p.126). Nine Vildebeests were ordered in to attack a Japanese convoy approaching the eastern port of Endau on the 26th January. The elderly biplanes encountered devastating AA fire, losing 5 of their number and only damaging one transport (http://www.100squadronassociation.org.uk/history.html). As the Japanese advanced, growing numbers of aircraft had to be abandoned; some were destroyed whilst others fell into Japanese hands. Once the retreat into Singapore had been completed only 232 squadron remained to offer fighter opposition. Brook-Popham was replaced by Lieutenant Roydes-Pownall, but he was unable to deliver the miracle needed. A handful of aircraft would escape to Sumatra and some more pilots aboard the last troopships, but the campaign was as big a disaster for the RAF as it was the army.

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Across Asia the same story would play out. Sumatra housed 48 aircraft when it in turn was invaded but once again could do nothing to stop the inevitable. ABDA now organised all aircraft around two airfields near Palembang: Pangkalan Benteng, also known as "P1" and a secret air base at Prabumulih (Praboemoelih), or "P2". The motley armada consisted of Blenheims, Hudsons, Hurricanes, the few remaining Buffalo, Dutch Glenn Martins and handful of American B-17 Flying Fortresses. Paratroopers were dropped to take P.1 and although they were beaten off, serious disruption and damage were caused to the airfield. Flying from the still undiscovered base, Hurricanes engaged aircraft, ships and advancing columns with some success but the situation was fast becoming untenable. On 15th of February all surviving planes, 18 Hurricanes, 12 Blenheims and 6 Hudsons, were ordered to Java. There was to be no respite for the beleaguered Allies as the combined ABDA fleet was smashed in the Battle of the Java Sea. There was now no naval counter to the Japanese in South East Asia; they landed on 1st March and within a week the colony had surrendered. British and Dutch aircraft flew repeated joint operations against ground and sea targets but still the story was the same. Despite heroic efforts by pilots and ground troops, they were outfought and outmanoeuvred by their opponents. With the island went their precious oil supplies, captured almost intact. The ever-diminishing survivors were ordered to Australia.
To the East the small colony of Hong Kong had come under air attack on the first day of the war. RAF strength consisted of 3 Vildebeest and 2 Walruses, whilst the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Force was composed of 5 biplane trainers. Ki-27s and Ki-36s swept in at 08:00, quickly leaving all but two, as well as a number of civilian craft, in flames. The following day the survivors evacuated, leaving the island to its fate. On the 19th the colony was invaded, its token military presence fighting hard until the Christmas Day surrender. The islands of the Philippines were amongst the initial targets and the experience of its American and Filipino defenders was to be no different. On the opening day IJN aircraft caught the island's P-40 Warhawks and B-17s on the ground at Clark Field and inflicted a severe mauling; half the planes were lost with the majority never getting into the air. A radar post had picked up the incoming raiders, but its warning was ignored. It would take until 8th May for the Japanese to overcome the last resistance. On Wake Island eight of the twelve Marine Wildcats were destroyed, yet it was here that the Japanese experienced their first real setback. The remaining Wildcats and the defending garrison inflicted severe losses on their attackers and sunk two destroyers, the first naval losses of the campaign. Sheer weight of numbers meant there would only ever be one outcome to the battle, but the actions were a small measure of things to come.
Burma was considered an important target as its occupation would cut the supply lines to China and this is where the majority of this account is now based. This vast country, half the size of Europe, consisted of thick jungle and mountains to the north. Although it contained limited oil fields and extensive rice paddies, it was not considered a priority by the British government. This 'Burma Road' was protected by the American Volunteer Group, air units organised by the US government to help the beleaguered Nationalist Government of China. The 1st AVG consisted of 3 squadrons of Warhawks, displaying Chinese markings and the famous shark mouth paint scheme whilst the 2nd AVG flew Hudsons and Havocs. In conjunction with RAF 221 Group they would fly repeated sorties against Japanese bombers and their escorts, with notable success. Unlike Malaya, Burma had a number of well built, well defended airfields in which to operate from. Unfortunately there weren't many aircraft to actually occupy these bases, the combined air forces of Burma and India amounted to around 40 Buffalos, Blenheims and Lysanders and a smattering of light liaison biplanes. Against this little force the Japanese Army were able to pit around 400 aircraft, along with (?) of the Royal Thai Air Force. However in the skies above Rangoon the aggressive tactics of the Allies paid dividends. Two major raids were conducted on the 23rd and 25th were met in strength by the Buffalos and Warhawks who claimed 42 aircraft shot down, which according to the pilots included Messerschmitt Me109 and Heinkel He11s1! (Cull vol2. P.251) caused the Japanese to temporarily curtail operations. This short respite allowed about thirty Hurricanes and fourteen Blenheims to be flown in which were immediately put on the offensive, ensuring air supremacy was still to be contested.
The Japanese raids were simply a precursor to the main invasion, which began on the 18th with 35,440 men of the 15th Army crossing the border. Within Burma a strong nationalist undercurrent had been prevalent for some years, and there were many amongst the populace who could not wait to be rid of their Imperial masters. Once again, the British believed the jungle would provide a natural barrier to tanks and infantry; once again they were proven wrong. The Burmese Prime Minister, U Saw, had already made tentative contacts with the Japanese and took steps to establish the Burma Independence Army. Rangoon fell on 7th March, although not before sappers had destroyed had destroyed the oil refineries and stores had been destroyed. The fall of Singapore and the Dutch East Indies allowed the Japanese to reinforce their position and drive west to cut off the Chinese from the British and Indian armies. Hampered by a lack of transport and throngs of panicked refugees, the remainder of the force fled towards India. The RAF were hampered by the progressive loss of forward airfields and their radar units but provided what support they could to the retreating army. Blenheims, Hurricanes and Lysanders hit forward positions and airfields, whilst Dakotas dropped what supplies they could. By late May the monsoon season put paid to large scale operations but the retreat across the Indian border had been completed. Now it was Calcutta that lay within bombing range.
Ceylon was now under threat from the marauding Japanese fleet, but this strategically important island was protected by the British Far Eastern Fleet along with 4 squadrons of Hurricanes. On 5th April a major attack was met by both the Hurricanes and FAA Fulmars but this was not to prove a successful day for the British. 25 aircraft were lost for only 7 of the attackers (Nesbit p.242) but the worst was yet to come as HMS Cornwall and Dorsetshire were sunk along with 19 merchant ships (Cull vol.2 p.411). On the 9th 83 D3As escorted by 9 A6Ms sunk the carrier HMS Hermes (the world's first purpose built aircraft carrier) and destroyers HMS Hollyhock and HMAS Vampire. The remnants of the Far East Fleet sailed for safer waters, but pressing demands to the south also meant the withdrawal of the Japanese Fleet. From this point onwards, the JAAF would undertake the majority of operations in South East Asia.

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Section 2 – The Tide is Turned
It is no exaggeration to say the first 6 months were an unmitigated disaster for the Allies. The Japanese now controlled a massive empire (see map) and now Australia, New Zealand and India were in very real danger of being invaded. In the Pacific, the American carrier fleet at Coral Sea and Midway inflicted devastating losses on the Japanese fleet. These battles, fought almost entirely by aircraft, would mark an end to Japanese expansion and the beginning of their slow, inexorable retreat. It was during this period that more modern aircraft became available to Allied armies and navies, ones which could finally equal and best their opponents. Many long and bloody battles lay ahead in the Pacific, mainland Asia and finally over the skies of Japan itself. The war would culminate in the most destructive bombing raids in history and the ushering of the atomic age.
Having all but expelled the British from Burma with ease, the Japanese advance halted at the Indian border. So quick had been their advance that supply lines were badly overstretched and the troops exhausted. The Allies were in no position to strike back and were protected to a degree by the thick jungle and mountains that separated the countries. Finally, the onset of the monsoon season in May-June left little scope for ground or air operations. Both sides therefore consolidated their positions and rebuilt their strength. Churchill had called for an immediate counter offensive, but Rommel's advance in Libya meant every available plane, tank and soldier was urgently needed elsewhere.
Nonetheless, supplies began to seep through. The first USAAF units began to arrive in the form of P-40s and B-25 Mitchell bombers, the beginnings of the 10th Air Force. For the RAF and RIAF Wellingtons, Beaufighters, Mohawks and cannon armed Hurricane IIc's began to arrive whilst the venerable but tired Blenheims and Hurricane I's began to be phased out. October saw the arrival of the first Spitfires, although initially only in PR form. Fighters would arrive first in the shape of the mk. Vc, then the tropicalised mk. VII. This famous machine, which would gradually take over front line fighter duties represented a massive leap in performance and dogfighting ability from the fighters currently available. One issue that would never be satisfactory resolved however, would be it's lack of range. The Japanese likewise began reorganising, sending several Sentais north to combat the Chinese. With the Burma Road now cut, an alternative method of supplying the Chinese had to be sought. The solution was to fly supplies from Calcutta across the Patkai Mountains. This hazardous route of low cloud and jagged mountains would become known as the Hump Run. The main focus of attacks would be Rangoon and the port of Akyab, where most Japanese supplies were arriving. The Royal Navy seized the Vichy French colony of Madagascar, thus ensuring the Japanese Navy could not continue to press westwards.
Mid December 1942 would see a limited British offensive launched against the Arakan. Although it met with some initial success, British and Indian troops were once again outflanked and soon forced to retreat back to the border. Above, a series of large scale but indecisive dogfights took place as escorted bombers from both sides attempted to tip the balance. Hurricane were generally coming off second best against the Oscars, although Beaufighters and the new Vengeance dive bombers operated successfully against ground targets.
For the next offensive, more unorthodox tactics were employed. A mixed force of 3000 British and Ghurkha troops, especially trained in jungle warfare, infiltrated Japanese lines on 8th February 1943. This force, known as the Chindits and commanded by the maverick Brigadier Orde Wingate was intended to operate on foot, carry all equipment themselves or on mules and be totally reliant on air power for resupply. In real terms they achieved little, losing 27% of their number and inflicting only minor damage. The psychological and propaganda effects were far greater however, confounding the Japanese and proving that they were not invincible. The expedition also demonstrated the potential of aerial supply operations.
A notable American success occurred on 18th April. The breaking of IJN cipher codes had alerted the Americans that Admiral Yamamoto, architect of Pearl Harbor, was touring the Solomon Island. Eighteen P-38s flew 430 miles to intercept and shot down the Admiral's transport. This mission was the longest fighter interception of the war and had a massive impact on the morale of both sides. The monsoon season arrived once more, meaning a virtual end to ground and air operations between May and September, with only desultory clashes taking place
The Japanese were now planning a major series of raids against Calcutta, codenamed Ry Ichi-go (Dragon First). For the only time in the war, this was to be a combined Army and Navy operation (Shores vol.3 p.125). Compared to the devastation being wrought over Germany at the time, the raid was insignificant in terms of damage and lives lost. It was however a huge moral victory, as RAF fighters largely failed to intercept and the bombing spread panic amongst the city. Roads were soon blocked as thousands sought to escape the city in any way they could. Reinforcements were hastily acquired in the form of five 89 Squadron Beaufighters. These versatile planes packed not only a fearsome ten gun armament, but on board radar. They quickly accounted for five bombers, halting raids until the end of the year
Japanese Army pilots met the Spitfires for the first time on Boxing Day 1943, losing four of their number in quick succession. Five days later RAAF Spitfires destroyed eleven bombers and three fighters, prompting Churchill to send a cable complimenting their actions (Glancy p.120)

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Section 3 - Armageddon
The preceeding two years had seen little change in the armies, air forces or the front lines. Despite now being firmly on the retreat in the Pacific, the Japanese position in Asia remained fairly strong. The front lines in China, India and Manchuria remained quiet. Yet the final eighteen months of the war would become a bloodbath that eclipsed anything that had gone before. The humiliation of early 1942 would be avenged and the Japanese would suffer a defeat on a scale second on to the one that would befall Germany. Air power would come into its own in the final campaigns of the war, the Allies would become masters of the skies whilst the Japanese were forced into the most desperate measures imaginable.

On 8th March the Japanese 15th Army launched 3 divisions against Kohima and Imphal. They had, quite rightly feared an Allied attack in this area and sought a pre-emptive strike to cut the Chinese supply lines. The more optimistic hoped to reach Calcutta, where the actions of the anti-British Indian National Army would trigger an uprising and topple the Raj (Hastings p.70). Japanese forces had begun operations a month earlier, but were defeated in the Battle of the Admin Box. British and Indian troops had found themselves cut off and surrounded, yet there was now a key change in strategy. Surrounded troops did not panic or attempt to fight their way out, now they stood and fought. In order for the resistance to continue a massive resupply operation was enacted with every available transport aircraft called upon. Day after day, Dakotas and Commandos brought in vital ammunition, medicine and food whilst evacuating wounded. It was only thanks to air superiority that these vulnerable craft could carry out their tasks relatively unheeded. Every available Spitfire and Mustang was employed to keep Japanese fighters away from forward areas whilst Hurricanes, Beaufighters and Vengeances launched incessant ground attacks.

The speed and ferocity of the attacks caught Slim off guard. What followed would be the Allies proudest moment and the nadir of the Japanese. General Mutaguchi, commander of the 15th Army sent his forces in lightly armed, with the assumption that capturing their objectives would provide the necessary supplies. Although they reached their targets, they could not wrest control from the defenders. The fighting that followed was some of the most vicious of the entire war as British, Indian and West African troops fought savage hand to hand battles. In just one day the tennis courts in front of the Governor's office changed hands no less than 7 times (ref). Thanks to the effort of the RAF, only 3 transports were lost to enemy aircraft (Glancy p.117) and they managed to fly in 3,056 troops, 40 jeeps, 16 light guns and eight howitzers into Arakan (Shores vol.3 p.169). The Spitfire had proven superior to the Oscar in all areas except manoeuvrability, the gulf in speed and rate of climb allowing pilots to decide the terms on which engagements would take place (Franks p.144). The Oscar's successor, the Ki-44 Shoki (Tojo) was largely held back for oilfield and home defence (Monday p.225).Simultaneously, long range Mustangs and Lightnings launched an offensive against JAAF airfields.

Although surrounded, it was the Allies that held all the cards. Their besiegers were fast running out of supplies and had nothing in reserve. Supply lines of Oxon were stretched and could bring in only a tiny percentage of what was needed. They had no tanks, air support or artillery and were beginning to starve. The only thing that had in their favour was a fanatical desire to succeed or die trying, which meant fighting to the last many for every metre of ground. By the beginning of April the siege of Arakan was lifting, although at Imphal the Allies remained cut off. Here airmen assumed the dual role of soldier and pilot, fighting Japanese intrusions beside their parked planes
To the north over 9000 Chindits were flown in by glider to hit positions to the Japanese rear. They were accompanied by RAF Officers equipped with wireless sets who could now direct transport and fighter bombers to their exact positions. A Chinese division under the command of General Stillwell was pushing eastwards, again relying on air supply. They captured the key airfield of Myitkyina, which was immediately used by Dakotas to bring in fresh troops and supplies. It was obvious to even the most myopic officer that the Japanese positions were untenable and on 18th July a retreat was ordered. This time, the onset of the monsoons proved no barrier to the Allies and their attacks continued unabated. 24,000 sorties were flown by the 3rd TAF over the monsoon months, six times that of the previous year. (Battle of Imphal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
At this point, the Japanese retreat rapidly descended into a rout. Hampered by the rains that turned their paths into mud, fleeing columns were cut down without mercy by machine guns, rockets, bombs and napalm as they desperately attempted to reach Siam. The campaign had proven to be an unmitigated disaster for the Japanese who suffered 53,000 casualties of the 80,000 committed (Hastings p.74). The Indian Liberation Army was an abject failure, collapsing whenever exposed to action. Slim's men remorselessly pursued the fleeing Japanese, supported all the way by the RAF. In October three Japanese divisions were practically eliminated by co-ordinated air and ground action at Kalemyo and with them went any hope of a counter attack (Shore vol.3 p.266). Shortly before Christmas the 14th Indian Division joined up with the Chinese and the Burma Road was reopened. SEAC commander Sir Richard Peirse was sacked in November after a scandal and was due to be replaced by Chief Marshall Leigh-Mallory until the latter was killed in a plane crash. Keith Park, unsung hero of the Battle of Britain was then installed, although he would not arrive until late February.

The arrival of more Liberators greatly added to the potency of long range bomber attacks. From October they were given the objective of destroying communications. Their target was the Bangkok-Pegu railway, built at such horrific cost of Allied POWs. Hurricanes were replaced by Thunderbolts and Vengeances were phased out by Mosquitoes. In contrast the Ki-43 was still the mainstay of the JAAF. As with the Zero, the airframe had not kept up with the tempo of fighter development and the once feared plane was now obsolete. The Army had introduced the Ki-61 Hein (Tony) fighter, which was initially believed to be a licence built Me109 and did indeed use a copy of the German fighter's engine. This aircraft was capable of meeting its opponents on equal terms, but was initially beset by engine problems and largely consigned to the New Guinea area (Monday p.144). The Ki-84 Hayate (Frank) was one of the best designs of the war, but in the event would come too late to make any difference.

Meanwhile on June 19th-20th, another significant clash between the Japanese and American Navies occurred a thousand miles south. The result was barely even a battle, as Navy Hellcats simply massacred their opponents, shooting down nearly 300 planes for the loss of just 23 (Donald p.138). History records this as the Battle of the Philippine Sea, but has entered popular culture as the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot. Such losses were irreplaceable in both machines and man power; never again would the Japanese Navy or its carriers pose a significant threat to the allies. With this would end all but the vestiges of Japanese air power in Asia and the Pacific.

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There was however one terrible weapon that had yet to be unleashed. This would become known to the West as Kamikaze, suicide pilots with the sole aim of crashing into their opponents. This definition was only used by the Japanese to describe Navy pilots, not by the Army (Kamikaze Images - American Views) nor to other methods of land and water based suicide attacks. At this stage in the war Banzai charges were commonly faced by infantry although these differ in that the attack was made in the knowledge it was suicidal, rather than to commit suicide. Such incidents were not new, as there had been several recorded instances of a plane or ship ramming their opponents. This was not even a Japanese trait, as such an action occurred in the Battle of Britain (http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/73/a3003373.shtml). Now however there was a systematic campaign of sending young men with the sole intention of killing themselves to stop an enemy. Over Asia such attacks were comparatively uncommon, partly due to a lack of aircraft and partly due to the difficulty of hitting another fast moving aircraft. Nonetheless, in the last year the war the fighting adopted an even more brutal dimension. On the ground Japanese soldiers fought from concealed bunkers and foxholes, almost impervious to artillery and invisible to air attack.

By this time the Royal Navy was once again ready to enter the fray. With the threat of German U-Boats decreasing, more ships were now available for operations in the East and by January 1945 raids were being launched by FAA aircraft from the carriers Indefatigable, Illustrious, Victorious and Indomitable. Operations were initially centred on the Dutch East Indies and supporting the Army in Burma. On 15th January the FAA attacked Japanese oil refineries in Sumatra. Corsairs, Hellcats and Fireflies scored a number of successes against defending Oscars, Tojos and Nicks. Meanwhile Avengers and Barracudas inflicted significant damage on a resource that was becoming increasingly scarce to the Japanese war machine. On 14th March it came under the command of Admiral Nimitz in support of the landings at Okinawa and was renamed Task Force 57. It was here that the fleet faced Kamikaze attacks for the first time. CAPs of Seafires, Hellcats and Corsairs fought savage battles with the attackers, on occasion flying through their own anti aircraft fire in an effort to destroy attacking aircraft (Thomas p.80). Whilst many were destroyed, inevitably some broke through and struck home. Unlike the American ships, Royal Navy carriers had armoured flight decks and proved remarkably resilient to such attacks. The ability to quickly repair damage that would of crippled American ships surprised observers (Watts p.206) and resulted in a relatively low casualty rate.

In Burma, the new Japanese commander Lieutenant General Kimura confounded expectation by withdrawing his troops beyond the Irrawaddy River. The first strike was to be made against the Southern Island of Akyab and its vital airfield. India troops made an amphibious assault and the island was secured on New Year's Eve. Now that air support could reach central Burma, the attack began in earnest. Slim sent one force to secure river crossings, whilst another swung north. The terrain was now changing from dense jungle to open rice fields which allowed the effective deployment of armour. Fighters roamed far and wide, destroying vehicles, boats, trains and any other targets of opportunity. As the advance continued apace, so more airfields became available for combat and transport aircraft. Even then, the massive logistics looked like catching up with Slims men. If Rangoon was defended to the last, the monsoon would curtail major operations. With the Chinese and Americans advancing on all front, Churchill was keen to see the recapturing of the country, which would then open the road to Singapore (Hastings p.355). As it turned out, the Japanese evacuated Rangoon, partially helped on their way by the BNA who switched sides at a key moment. The monsoons arrived in May, but they struck over a country now effectively in British hands. A last desperate breakout attempt was stopped at the Battle of the Sittang Bend. So ended the majority of British land operations.

With the capture of Iwo Jima and the advance East, the USAAF could now strike Japan directly. With the exception of the Doolittle Raid, Japan's cities had been spared the fate that had befallen London, Berlin, Warsaw and Cologne. Now however the Americans not only possessed the bases to take the war to Japan, but the aircraft as well. This was the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, a four engined heavy bomber with a range of 6000km and featuring such advances as separate pressurised cabins and remote controlled guns. Some attacks had been launched using high altitude precision bombing techniques, but had yielded limited results. Now under the command of General Curtis LeMay, attacks were switched to low level carpet bombing. The next 6 months would see the most intense and costly bombing campaign ever, with damage and loss of life that surpassed even the devastation wrought on Dresden and Cologne. Japanese homes were primarily made of wood and paper, fire and air raid drills were primitive and fighter cover limited. Population density was amongst the highest on earth (Total War p.1174) and only limited efforts had been made to evacuate children. On the night of March 9-10th 344 B-29s loaded with incendiary, phosphorous and napalm bombs made an audacious low level attack on Tokyo. What followed was the most lethal bombing raid in history with a death toll that surpassed even the atomic bombings. An abundance of flammable materials combined with the humid weather created a firestorm that swept through the city, leaving as many as 140,000 dead, 1,000,000 homeless and 41 square km of the city in ruins. The cost to the Americans was 15 aircraft, several taken out after being rammed by desperate Japanese pilots.

Air operations would continue apace until the end of the war, both supporting troops and hitting installations in French Indo China and Thailand. The final RAF claim of the war was a Tojo claimed destroyed by 99 Squadron Liberators on 7th August (Shore vol.3 p.376). FAA aircraft were by now flying over the Japanese mainland and it was here that Canadian Lt 'Hammy' Gray won only the second VC to be awarded to a fighter pilot. On 9th August he made a low level attack on a destroyer, flying through ferocious ack-ack and obtaining a direct hit. Tragically, his Corsair was immediately hit and plunged into the sea, his body never being found (Thomas p.85). Four days later the last British air to air kills were recorded when a Seafire destroyed a pair of Zeros.

67 Japanese cities had been hit by the B-29 campaign, although some areas remained relatively untouched. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were two such cities, yet they were to share an even more horrific fate. The top secret Manhattan Project had led to the successful testing of several atomic weapons, and with the rejection of the Potsdam Declaration President Truman authorised their use. On August 6th 3 B-29s set course for Hiroshima, with the lead plane Enola Gay dropping its bomb at 8:15am. The bomb, codenamed Little Boy exploded 800 meters above the centre of the city with a force equivalent to 13 kilotons of TNT. Instantaneously, at least 70,000 people were killed and virtually everything within 1.6km of ground zero was vaporised. Three days later another B-29 hit Nagasaki (the primary target, Kokura, being obscured by cloud) with the bomb being dropped over the industrial district. The city's topography saved it from more widespread destruction, although it still resulted in the deaths of 40,000 civilians.
The day would mark the death knell for the Japanese, but not just because of the bombings. To the North the garrison of Manchuria suddenly found themselves under a massive bombardment. Stalin, fresh from victory in Europe had broken the long standing peace and sent 1.5 million men across the border. It was now obvious that the war was unwinnable and that continuation would result in the dropping of more atom bombs and an Allied invasion of the mainland. With the Imperial cabinet split over what action to take, the Emperor advised them to seek terms. It was announced Japan would surrender, as long as the position of the Emperor was left intact, to which the Allies offered no cast-iron guarantee. B-29s returned once more, but this time dropping leaflets calling on the populace to surrender. On August 15th, the Emperor took the unprecedented step of addressing the population in a radio broadcast confirming the surrender. Many Japanese wept at his statement. Some committed seppeku at the shame of surrender and defeat. Others took part in kamikaze attacks. However the vast majority accepted the ruling and prepared themselves for the ordeal of occupation.
Thus the most destructive conflict in human history officially ended. The fighting was not quite over yet and continued in Burma until 12th September, whilst isolated groups believed the news of surrender was a trick and continued to fight. Incredibly, the last Japanese soldier did not surrender until December 1974 when Private Teruo Nakamura was discovered in rural Taiwan. (Japanese Holdouts: Registry)

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