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U.K. Vs. Japan
U.K. Vs. Japan
Did the Royal Navy fight in the pacific to any large degree? We here in the US get the impression that we fought the Japs with our Navy and Marines alone. Only until I was a senior in high school did I learn we had more Army troops fighting in the pacific than Marines or Sailors. Then the otherday I saw a artical mentioning the RN fighting at Lytte Gulf.
Let them call me a rebel and I welcome it, I feel no concern from it; but I should suffer the misery of demons were I to make a whore of my soul. (Thomas Paine)
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Andy O'Pray
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Hi Whitey,
There was a British Pacific Fleet (BPF), made up mainly of Royal Navy and Royal Indian Navy ships. This fleet gave support to some American landings in the Pacific and at one point came under the command of Admiral Nimitz.
The Commonwealth had many troops fighting in the Far East, British, Indian, Australian, New Zealand, Ghurkas and East African. The more famous of these, the Chindits, or the forgotten army.
No doubt some of the more knowledgeable will fill in the specifics. My father served in the Burma campaign.
Aye - Andy.
There was a British Pacific Fleet (BPF), made up mainly of Royal Navy and Royal Indian Navy ships. This fleet gave support to some American landings in the Pacific and at one point came under the command of Admiral Nimitz.
The Commonwealth had many troops fighting in the Far East, British, Indian, Australian, New Zealand, Ghurkas and East African. The more famous of these, the Chindits, or the forgotten army.
No doubt some of the more knowledgeable will fill in the specifics. My father served in the Burma campaign.
Aye - Andy.
Checking Capt S.W.ROSKILL'S book The War at Sea part 2 It would appear that the BPF (British Pacific Fleet) Task force 113 consisted of 4 fleet carriers,2 Battle Waggons 6 Cruisers of which HMCS UGANDA was Canadian Manned, HMNZS Gambia kiwi manned plus numerous Frigates, destroyers and sweepers and Subs.To keep this Fleet at sea required a fleet train consisting of 92 ships task force 112,which included fleet tankers,and repair ships and also included a ship distilling beer for the fleet.Aye JR Who needs the World as your Oyster,When you've had the world as your cap Badge
Because of Japan’s lack of interest in the Indian Ocean the Eastern fleet strength was whittled away little by little to meet real demands in european waters, the eastern command was vast stretching from South Africa to Tasmania. By 1944 the fleet was built up with two modern carriers plus HMS Renown, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Valiant and, supported by USS Saratoga and the French battleship Richelieu, mounted strikes on Sabang and Soerabaya.
By 1945 there were five modern carriers and an extra two King George V battleships added that supported the assault on Okinawa as Task Force 57, TF57 was the most powerful British and commonwealth naval force fielded during WW2, but it was dwarfed by the US pacific fleet.
The greatest contribution from British Commonwealth forces in the Asia Pacific region was Burma and China and it’s usually forgotten (hence the forgotten army/war) that the number of Japanese troops deployed to Pacific Islands was rather small compared to millions of soldiers on the Asian mainland.
By 1945 there were five modern carriers and an extra two King George V battleships added that supported the assault on Okinawa as Task Force 57, TF57 was the most powerful British and commonwealth naval force fielded during WW2, but it was dwarfed by the US pacific fleet.
The greatest contribution from British Commonwealth forces in the Asia Pacific region was Burma and China and it’s usually forgotten (hence the forgotten army/war) that the number of Japanese troops deployed to Pacific Islands was rather small compared to millions of soldiers on the Asian mainland.
You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!
