The reinforcement of the British Eastern Fleet depended on transfers from Britain and the Mediterranean, a reflection of active warzones and the demands on the Royal Navy's (RN) resources. The maps are clear, the pace of the story exciting, the telling of the background as to why the British carrier fleet was so poorly equipped that it was unable to serve Nagumo's fleet a "Midway" type blow, instead having to hide, is fascinating; equally so is the raising of its game by the Fleet Air Arm in 1944, mainly due to the initial reluctance of the USN to employ the Corsair F4U fighter, which left it available for the FAA; it is an excellent book.

The Gamer gets several useful confrontation bits of info- as Somerville did try once to ambush the IJN- a really interesting what if battle- and also provided quite a few ships to the Madagascar Campaign- an intriguing sideshow by itself. On 7 April Somerville was given discretion by the Admiralty to send the slow Revenge-class battleships of Force B all the way back to Kilindini in East Africa, relatively safe from Japanese attack. D. (1956), "Chapter 23 – The New Zealand Cruisers", The Royal New Zealand Navy, The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–1945, Wellington: Historical Publications Branch, Royal New Zealand Navy, pp.Although it was the largest fleet deployed by the Royal Navy prior to 1945 and played a vital part in the theatre it was sent to protect, it has no place in the popular consciousness of the naval history of the Second World War. Russian valour and martial skill won that day, but Britain too, may take pride that her factories cast so many of the victors’ weapons and her faithful fleets carried them to Russia through the icy Arctic and the sweltering Persian Gulf. This is the second of three volumes covering the transformation of the Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War. When the shore batteries re­plied they were immediately silenced by a saucy little force of a Dutch cruiser and three British destroyers which steamed in to fire at point blank range. Even then, it required experienced air crews to find their targets at night, using radar with a range of just 20 miles (32 km) and new tactics.

The Japanese realized surprise was lost after intercepting a signal from Colombo asking QL-A to repeat its report. There are no lines of defence in this dominion, and no strongpoints other than the bases linked by the great sea roads. The ships had never operated together before, and both ship and air crews were deficient in training. Firstly Somerville had every intention of engaging with Japanese main body during the raid using a night swordfish torpedo attack. The heaviest part of this task was borne by the Merchant Navy, but each ship required escort through Indian Ocean waters, now infested with Jap and German U-boats.

Operating from secret bases, light coastal forces of the Royal Navy and the Royal Indian Navy swooped on the unarmed or lightly armed craft and sank them under the nose of the Jap shore positions. A well co-ordinated strategy of air-sea power had given Japan, in record time, an Empire riche and more extensive than, any ever before erected in the world A more thorough, and infinite­ly more powerful air-sea combination was now tearing it apart. Because of the limited number and size of engagements, most of the book extensively covers submarine activity and the hierarchal structure of British command. With the threat to the Middle East long past and with the war marching inexorably to it’s ose, the entire massive production strength of the Allies can be switched to South-East Asia. Somerville's decision to refuel at Port T – rather than on Ceylon – on 2 April allowed the Eastern Fleet to avoid Nagumo a few days later, and likely saved the Eastern Fleet from destruction.

Since Pearl Harbour the Americans had sunk 750 cargo ships, so that by 1944 the Japs had fallen back on ferry boats, coasters, junks and sampans. During the war, it included many ships and personnel from other navies, including those of the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. For the casual reader, it serves as an effective introduction to the southern China-Burma-India theater in the earliest days of World War II. Stephenson tells us this story with the aid of maps/diagrams/b/w pics making it compelling- although it is not one of the major foci of the war.Japanese propaganda had an effect on some of the Sinhalese population, who now awaited their arrival. Although it was the largest fleet deployed by the Royal Navy prior to 1945 and played a vital part in the theater it was sent to protect, it has no place in the popular consciousness of the naval history of the Second World War. The fact that Britain totally lacked the troops and landing craft to execute such attacks had no influence on him.

He failed to appreciate that the direction that Dorsetshire's force was sailing, and the later appearance of British carrier-based aircraft, were related. Their exploits as the British Pacific Fleet is not covered here- but the lessons learned in this period would serve the Navy well as it operated as an adjunct to the Massive US TF 58/38 that the US fleet maintained.The British recognized the threat of Japanese carrier-borne air attack on Ceylon after the strike on Pearl Harbor, and the island's air defences were reinforced. Neither individually nor together could the two Eastern Fleet forces challenge a determined Japanese naval assault.