Key Facts
- Operation codename
- Operation C
- Duration
- 31 March – 10 April 1942
- Japanese commander
- Admiral Chūichi Nagumo
- British commander
- Admiral Sir James Somerville
- Primary target
- Allied shipping and naval bases around Ceylon
Strategic Narrative Overview
From 31 March to 10 April 1942, Admiral Nagumo's carrier force struck Allied shipping and naval bases around Ceylon. However, British intelligence had forewarned Admiral Somerville, who withdrew the Eastern Fleet before the raid. Somerville's subsequent attempt to counter-attack the Japanese was hampered by poor tactical intelligence, preventing any decisive engagement between the two fleets.
01 / The Origins
By early 1942, Imperial Japan had achieved rapid expansion across Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Seeking to neutralise Allied naval power in the Indian Ocean and threaten British supply lines, the IJN planned a carrier strike against Ceylon and Allied shipping. Britain's Eastern Fleet, based in Ceylon, represented the main obstacle to Japanese dominance in the region.
03 / The Outcome
The raid prompted Britain to relocate the Eastern Fleet's main base to East Africa while reinforcing Ceylon's defences. Somerville retained Force A in Indian waters to counter any lighter Japanese incursions. Japan made no follow-up offensive in the Indian Ocean, and mounting commitments in the Pacific soon rendered such operations impossible.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Admiral Chūichi Nagumo.
Side B
1 belligerent
Admiral Sir James Somerville.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.