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158-431: [REDACTED]   United Kingdom 1941 1942 Second Sino-Japanese War The Indian Ocean raid , also known as Operation C or Battle of Ceylon in Japanese, was a naval sortie carried out by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) from 31 March to 10 April 1942. Japanese aircraft carriers under Admiral Chūichi Nagumo struck Allied shipping and naval bases around British Ceylon , but failed to locate and destroy

316-419: A JN 25B message containing Nagumo's planned movement on 6 April, but this did not aid Somerville as the transmission to the fleet was garbled. Somerville declined to launch a strike based on poor information, and opted to head northwest in pursuit. One radar-equipped aircraft was launched to search a northern arc out to 200 miles (320 km). Later, aircraft were sent to search the easterly arc. By this time it

474-803: A fair trial . The English monarchs, through inheritance of substantial territories in France and claims to the French crown, were also heavily involved in conflicts in France, most notably the Hundred Years' War , while the Kings of Scots were in an alliance with the French during this period. Early modern Britain saw religious conflict resulting from the Reformation and the introduction of Protestant state churches in each country. The English Reformation ushered in political, constitutional, social and cultural change in

632-469: A pincer attack , hitting the flat top with two torpedoes, cutting her speed to 24 knots and punching through the gasoline storage tanks, leaking gas fumes throughout the ship. Her dive bombers, commanded by Tamotsu Ema then attacked and crippled Yorktown with a bomb hit that caused severe damage to her hanger bay and aviation storage rooms and over a dozen near misses. Shōkaku's dive bombers then hit Lexington with three bombs to her flight deck, starting

790-509: A subpolar oceanic climate . Higher elevations in Scotland experience a continental subarctic climate and the mountains experience a tundra climate . The prevailing wind is from the southwest and bears frequent spells of mild and wet weather from the Atlantic Ocean, although the eastern parts are mostly sheltered from this wind. Since the majority of the rain falls over the western regions,

948-587: A welfare state was established, and a comprehensive, publicly funded healthcare system, the National Health Service , was created. The rise of nationalism in the colonies coincided with Britain's much-diminished economic position, so that a policy of decolonisation was unavoidable. Independence was granted to India and Pakistan in 1947. Over the next three decades, most colonies of the British Empire gained their independence, and many became members of

1106-590: A "C day" of 1 April. Thus, Somerville sailed early expecting to fight a smaller and manageable enemy force, particularly in aircraft strength. As such, Somerville likely did not see his plan as incompatible with his orders from the Admiralty , which were to protect the lines of communications in the Indian Ocean, and to maintain the Eastern Fleet as a fleet in being by avoiding unnecessary risks. The British recognized

1264-417: A 45 degree angle when she was discovered by the destroyers Akigumo and Makigumo . They fired their torpedoes, claiming three hits. Because of this, they are sometimes credited with sinking Hornet , but she was already sinking to damage from the previous air attacks, and would have sunk regardless of any further damage, meaning it's debatable whether they deserve credit for Hornet's sinking as opposed to

1422-459: A course that would have entered Somerville's previous patrol area from the south. The Catalina transmitted the sighting, but not the size of the fleet, before being shot down. At this time, Somerville was refuelling at Port T; Force A sailed eastward toward the Japanese upon receiving the sighting; Force B could not be ready until 5 April. Catalina FV-R from 205 Squadron RAF took off at 17:45 to shadow

1580-625: A floatplane launched from the heavy cruiser Chikuma spotted a large American task force, consisting of the aircraft carriers USS Enterprise and USS Saratoga , and their escorts, battleship USS North Carolina , four cruisers, and eleven destroyers. Subsequently, both Zuikaku and Shōkaku launched 37 aircraft and attacked the US ships. Due to the haste of Japanese pilots, almost all attacks were focused on Enterprise to heavy results. The effectiveness of US anti aircraft, particularly of North Carolina's part, shot down many attacking aircraft, but in

1738-406: A large fire. Damage control efforts quickly persisted on Lexington , putting out the fires from Shōkaku's bomb hits. However, gas fumes from Zuikaku's torpedo hits leaked throughout the ship. When the fumes reached electric motors, a chain reaction of explosion after explosion riddled Lexington with fatal damage. Lexington began to sink, as her crew was evacuated and to make sure she hit

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1896-456: A leading role in the movement to abolish slavery worldwide through the blockade of Africa and pressing other nations to end their trade with a series of treaties. In 1800 the parliaments of Great Britain and Ireland each passed an Act of Union, uniting the two kingdoms and creating the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on 1 January 1801. After the defeat of France at the end of

2054-507: A multiple day raid. On the 5th, Zuikaku's air group attacked Columbo in an event since named the Easter Sunday Raid . Her torpedo bombers sank the destroyer HMS Tenedos , while her dive bombers damaged the tanker San Cirilo . Later that night, alongside Shōkaku , her aircraft engaged and sank the heavy cruisers HMS Cornwall and HMS Dorsetshire . On the 9th, Zuikaku and Shōkaku raided Trincomalee , where they destroyed

2212-494: A patrol area 100 miles (160 km) south of Ceylon . Ceylon air defences and forces went on alert, with land-based aerial reconnaissance concentrating on the southeast, where the Japanese were expected to approach to launch strikes at Colombo and Trincomalee. Late on 2 April, the British retired toward Port T – 600 miles (970 km) southwest of Ceylon – to refuel. Somerville also detached various ships to resume previous commitments;

2370-818: A policy of splendid isolation in Europe, and attempted to contain Russian influence in Afghanistan and Persia , in what came to be known as the Great Game . During this time, Canada , Australia and New Zealand were granted self-governing dominion status. At the turn of the century, Britain's industrial dominance became challenged by the German Empire and the United States . The Edwardian era saw social reform and home rule for Ireland become important domestic issues, while

2528-752: A quarter of the world's landmass and population, and was the largest empire in history . However, its involvement in the First World War and the Second World War damaged Britain's economic power and a global wave of decolonisation led to the independence of most British colonies. The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy . The UK has three distinct jurisdictions: England and Wales , Scotland , and Northern Ireland . Since 1999, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own governments and parliaments which control various devolved matters. A developed country ,

2686-504: A result of a shortage of workers in the 1950s, the government encouraged immigration from Commonwealth countries . In the following decades, the UK became a more multi-ethnic society. Despite rising living standards in the late 1950s and 1960s, the UK's economic performance was less successful than many of its main competitors such as France, West Germany and Japan. The UK was the first democratic nation to lower its voting age to 18 in 1969. In

2844-474: A second strike on Colombo. The rearming encountered delays, and the strike was carried out by Carrier Division 2 instead; Soryu and Hiryu began launching dive bombers at 11:45. Force A radar detected the air strike on Dorsetshire 's force at 13:44, putting the aircraft 34 miles (55 km) to the northeast. Cornwall and Dorsetshire were sunk at 1400; ultimately 424 officers and crew were lost. The Japanese missed an opportunity to find Force A after sinking

3002-777: A series of connected wars (including the English Civil War ) which led to the temporary overthrow of the monarchy, with the execution of King Charles I , and the establishment of the short-lived unitary republic of the Commonwealth of England , Scotland and Ireland. Although the monarchy was restored , the Interregnum along with the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and the subsequent Bill of Rights 1689 in England and Claim of Right Act 1689 in Scotland ensured that, unlike much of

3160-628: A single 250-kilogram (551 lb) bomb hit. After ferrying aircraft to Singapore and being drydocked, she joined Shōkaku and the new armored aircraft carrier Taihō In June she was assigned to Operation A-Go, an attempt to repulse the Allied invasion of the Mariana Islands . On 19 June, in the Battle of the Philippine Sea , Taihō and Shōkaku were both sunk by American submarines , leaving Zuikaku ,

3318-425: A single day), totaling over 130,000 gross registered tons. In addition, April saw 32,000 tons of shipping sunk by Japanese submarines off India's west coast. Ryūjō ' s aircraft also bombed the ports of Cocanada and Vizagapatam , causing relatively minor damage. The tonnage and number of ships sunk by Malay Force, are comparable to that of the 3-month long Operation Berlin raid conducted by two battleships of

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3476-516: A ten minute battle hit Meredith with three torpedoes and a number of bombs, causing the destroyer to roll over and sink. The force continued on, and on the 26th was spotted by a Catalina seaplane , shortly followed by the attacks of both Hornet and Enterprise , just as the Japanese wanted. Dive bombers from Enterprise hit Zuihō with a bomb that prevented her from recovering aircraft, while dive bombers from Hornet scorched Shōkaku with at least 3-4 (and potentially up to 6) bomb hits and damaged

3634-400: A third and fatal torpedo which caused the US to abandon all efforts to save Hornet . Zuikaku hit Hornet with another bomb, and crippled Enterprise with two bomb hits. Enterprise was forced to evacuate the battle while US destroyers attempted to scuttle Hornet (though due to the quality of US torpedoes, all either missed or failed to explode). Hornet slowly sank, and was listing at

3792-406: A third of enemy ground-based fighters and nearly all of the enemy ground-based strike aircraft. In addition, 23 merchant ships, totalling 112,312 tons, were sunk, including those by the separate Japanese Malay Force. In return, the Japanese lost only 18 aircraft (six fighters, ten dive-bombers and two high-level bombers), with damage to about 31 more. Conversely, they failed to destroy, or even locate,

3950-481: Is only the one specific nominal term 'Great Britain' which invariably excludes Northern Ireland". The BBC historically preferred to use "Britain" as shorthand only for Great Britain, though the present style guide does not take a position except that "Great Britain" excludes Northern Ireland. The adjective "British" is commonly used to refer to matters relating to the United Kingdom and is used in law to refer to United Kingdom citizenship and nationality . People of

4108-525: Is ranked 2nd out of 180 countries in the Environmental Performance Index . A law has been passed that UK greenhouse gas emissions will be net zero by 2050. England accounts for 53 per cent of the UK, covering 50,350 square miles (130,395 km ). Most of the country consists of lowland terrain, with upland and mountainous terrain northwest of the Tees–Exe line which roughly divides

4266-592: Is sometimes used as a loose synonym for the United Kingdom as a whole. The word England is occasionally used incorrectly to refer to the United Kingdom as a whole, a mistake principally made by people from outside the UK. The term "Britain" is used as a synonym for Great Britain , but also sometimes for the United Kingdom. Usage is mixed: the UK Government prefers to use the term "UK" rather than "Britain" or "British" on its website (except when referring to embassies), while acknowledging that both terms refer to

4424-565: Is the Isle of Wight . Scotland accounts for 32 per cent of the UK, covering 30,410 square miles (78,772 km ). This includes nearly 800 islands , notably the Hebrides , Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands. Scotland is the most mountainous constituent country of the UK, the Highlands to the north and west are the more rugged region containing the majority of Scotland's mountainous land, including

4582-561: Is the highest peak in Wales. Wales has over 1,680 miles (2,704 kilometres) of coastline including the Pembrokeshire Coast . Several islands lie off the Welsh mainland, the largest of which is Anglesey ( Ynys Môn ). Japanese aircraft carrier Zuikaku Zuikaku started the war as part of Kidō Butai . Her aircraft struck airfields during the attack on Pearl Harbor that formally brought

4740-626: The Kriegsmarine from January to March 1941. In both raids against merchant shipping, Allied merchant ships were not sailing in convoys escorted by large vessels. 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. In late-December 1941, a reassessment of

4898-572: The 1884 Reform Act championed by William Gladstone granting suffrage to a majority of males for the first time. The British population increased at a dramatic rate, accompanied by rapid urbanisation , causing significant social and economic stresses. By the late 19th century, the Conservatives under Benjamin Disraeli and Lord Salisbury initiated a period of imperial expansion in Africa , maintained

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5056-587: The Aleutian Islands , but this operation was cancelled after the Allied victory on Attu on 29 May 1943. Later in 1943, under the command of Captain Kikuchi Tomozo, she was again based at Truk and operated against U.S. forces in the Marshall Islands , but never managed to see combat throughout the rest of the year. Zuikaku started off 1944 by entering drydock at Kure on January 8, and leaving drydock on

5214-524: The Atlantic slave trade , mainly between 1662 and 1807 when British or British-colonial slave ships transported nearly 3.3 million slaves from Africa. The slaves were taken to work on plantations , principally in the Caribbean but also North America . However, with pressure from the abolitionism movement , Parliament banned the trade in 1807, banned slavery in the British Empire in 1833, and Britain took

5372-576: The Battle of Culloden in 1746, after which the Scottish Highlanders were forcibly assimilated into Scotland by revoking the feudal independence of clan chiefs . The British colonies in North America that broke away in the American War of Independence became the United States . British imperial ambition turned towards Asia, particularly to India . British merchants played a leading part in

5530-576: The Battle of Midway . She and her sister fought US carriers at the Battle of the Eastern Solomons , and again at the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands where she helped to sink the aircraft carrier USS Hornet . During the battle of the Philippine Sea and Battle of Leyte Gulf , she was damaged by US carrier aircraft, being sunk in the latter engagement. Throughout her career, Zuikaku sank or helped to sink at least twelve ships, including

5688-645: The Cairngorms , Loch Lomond and The Trossachs and Ben Nevis which at 1,345 metres (4,413 ft) is the highest point in the British Isles. Wales accounts for less than 9 per cent of the UK, covering 8,020 square miles (20,779 km ). Wales is mostly mountainous, though South Wales is less mountainous than North and mid Wales . The highest mountains in Wales are in Snowdonia and include Snowdon ( Welsh : Yr Wyddfa ) which, at 1,085 metres (3,560 ft),

5846-512: The Commonwealth of Nations . The UK was the third country to develop a nuclear weapons arsenal (with its first atomic bomb test, Operation Hurricane , in 1952), but the post-war limits of Britain's international role were illustrated by the Suez Crisis of 1956. The international spread of the English language ensured the continuing international influence of its literature and culture . As

6004-731: The European Convention on Human Rights . The UK remained a great power with global diplomatic and military influence and a leading role in the United Nations and NATO . The UK broadly supported the United States' approach to the " war on terror " in the early 21st century. British troops fought in the War in Afghanistan , but controversy surrounded Britain's military deployment in Iraq , which saw

6162-568: The European Union (EU) in 1992, the UK was one of the 12 founding member states. From the late 1960s, Northern Ireland suffered communal and paramilitary violence (sometimes affecting other parts of the UK) conventionally known as the Troubles . It is usually considered to have ended with the 1998 Belfast "Good Friday" Agreement . Following a period of widespread economic slowdown and industrial strife in

6320-486: The Falkland Islands , leading to the 10-week Falklands War in which Argentine forces were defeated. The inhabitants of the islands are predominantly descendants of British settlers, and strongly favour British sovereignty, expressed in a 2013 referendum . From 1984, the UK economy was helped by the inflow of substantial North Sea oil revenues. Another British overseas territory, Gibraltar , ceded to Great Britain in

6478-527: The French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars (1792–1815), the United Kingdom emerged as the principal naval and imperial power (with London the largest city in the world from about 1830). Unchallenged at sea , British dominance was later described as Pax Britannica ("British Peace"), a period of relative peace among the great powers (1815–1914) during which the British Empire became

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6636-552: The Irish Sea . The United Kingdom had an estimated population of over 68.2 million people in 2023. The capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom is London , whose wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe , with a population of 14.9 million. The cities of Edinburgh , Cardiff , and Belfast are the national capitals of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, respectively. The lands of

6794-630: The Labour Party emerged from an alliance of trade unions and small socialist groups in 1900, and suffragettes campaigned for women's right to vote. Britain was one of the principal Allies that defeated the Central Powers in the First World War (1914–1918). Alongside their French, Russian and (after 1917) American counterparts, British armed forces were engaged across much of the British Empire and in several regions of Europe, particularly on

6952-504: The Middle East . Ceylon was hastily garrisoned by Australian troops returning from North Africa; and HMS  Indomitable was relieved of naval duties to serve as a high-speed aircraft ferry shuttling available planes to Ceylon. Japanese intentions to mount a major offensive into the Indian Ocean were placed on hold in March 1942; strong naval forces were needed in the western Pacific against

7110-622: The Representation of the People Act 1918 . After the war, Britain became a permanent member of the Executive Council of the League of Nations and received a mandate over a number of former German and Ottoman colonies. Under the leadership of David Lloyd George , the British Empire reached its greatest extent, covering a fifth of the world's land surface and a quarter of its population. By

7268-925: The Soviet Union formed in 1941, leading the Allies against the Axis powers . There were eventual hard-fought victories in the Battle of the Atlantic , the North Africa campaign and the Italian campaign . British forces played important roles in the Normandy landings of 1944 and the liberation of Europe . The British Army led the Burma campaign against Japan, and the British Pacific Fleet fought Japan at sea. British scientists contributed to

7426-579: The United States into the war. She also participated in the Indian Ocean raid , where her dive bombers sank or helped to sink several major British warships. Zuikaku and her sister Shōkaku were detached from Kidō Butai to support Operation Mo , where her torpedo bombers contributing to the sinking of the aircraft carrier USS Lexington at the Battle of the Coral Sea ; however heavy airgroup losses and damage to Shōkaku resulting both carriers missing

7584-449: The Western Front . The high fatalities of trench warfare caused the loss of much of a generation of men, with lasting social effects in the nation and a great disruption in the social order. Britain had suffered 2.5 million casualties and finished the war with a huge national debt. The consequences of the war persuaded the government to expand the right to vote in national and local elections to all adult men and most adult women with

7742-408: The coastline paradox . It is connected to continental Europe by the Channel Tunnel , which at 31 miles (50 km) (24 miles (38 km) underwater) is the longest underwater tunnel in the world. The UK contains four terrestrial ecoregions: Celtic broadleaf forests , English Lowlands beech forests , North Atlantic moist mixed forests , and Caledonian conifer forests . The area of woodland in

7900-431: The combat air patrol (CAP). Hiryū spotted the aircraft but failed to relay a warning to the other ships. As a result, the attack achieved total surprise. The bombers unloaded at 11,000 feet (3,353 m) on Akagi ; the bombs fell close to the target with no hits. Four bombers were shot down over the carriers by CAP A6M2 Zeroes (two of which were claimed by Kaname Harada ), and another by Japanese aircraft returning from

8058-436: The largest protest in British history in opposition to the government led by Tony Blair . The Great Recession severely affected the UK economy. The Cameron–Clegg coalition government of 2010 introduced austerity measures intended to tackle the substantial public deficits. Studies have suggested that policy led to significant social disruption and suffering. A referendum on Scottish independence in 2014 resulted in

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8216-413: The light carrier Ryūjō , while planes from Henderson Field sank the destroyer Mutsuki and the troopship Kinryu Maru . The battle is considered a US victory as Zuikaku and the other Japanese ships retreated without sinking a single American vessel. While the US still maintained air superiority through Henderson field, their carrier force was greatly diminished. After her big action, Saratoga

8374-512: The 16th century and established the Church of England . Moreover, it defined a national identity for England and slowly, but profoundly, changed people's religious beliefs. Wales was fully incorporated into the Kingdom of England , and Ireland was constituted as a kingdom in personal union with the English crown. In what was to become Northern Ireland, the lands of the independent Catholic Gaelic nobility were confiscated and given to Protestant settlers from England and Scotland. In 1603,

8532-411: The 17. On February 13, Zuikaku was assigned to carrier division 1 alongside Shōkaku , and over 2 days received her air group, but her new pilots were poorly trained and inexperienced, a grand fall from the glory days of the Kido Butai. However, they were sufficient to score Zuikaku another kill when on 27 February, her torpedo bombers hunted down the submarine USS Grayback and quickly sank her with

8690-401: The 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, is a key military base . A referendum in 2002 on shared sovereignty with Spain was rejected by 98.97% of voters in the territory. Around the end of the 20th century, there were major changes to the governance of the UK with the establishment of devolved administrations for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The statutory incorporation followed acceptance of

8848-406: The 1970s, the Conservative government of the 1980s led by Margaret Thatcher initiated a radical policy of monetarism , deregulation, particularly of the financial sector (for example, the Big Bang in 1986) and labour markets, the sale of state-owned companies (privatisation), and the withdrawal of subsidies to others. In 1982, Argentina invaded the British territories of South Georgia and

9006-455: The 29th. Zuikaku finally took part in a failed attempt to sweep for allied aircraft carriers on February 1st before departing back to Japan, arriving at Yokosuka on the 13th, where her pilots took part in vigorous training exercises until the 28th. Zuikaku would play a key role in the Indian Ocean Raid throughout April, where the Kido Butai (excluding Kaga who scraped her hull on a reef) attacked various British warships and positions in

9164-476: The 5th century) united with the Picts to create the Kingdom of Scotland in the 9th century. In 1066, the Normans invaded England from northern France. After conquering England , they seized large parts of Wales , conquered much of Ireland and were invited to settle in Scotland, bringing to each country feudalism on the Northern French model and Norman-French culture. The Anglo-Norman ruling class greatly influenced, but eventually assimilated with,

9322-481: The 7th, a large US naval force was located by spotters from the heavy cruisers Furutaka and Kinugasa , prompting both ships to launch their planes, fearing US carriers in the area. However, once attacked, it was discovered to only be a US convoy. Not wanting their efforts to go to waste, planes from both Zuikaku and Shōkaku combined to sink the destroyer Sims and the oil tanker Neosho . Alerted by intercepted and decrypted Japanese naval messages ,

9480-489: The 7th. On the 8th, a spotter plane from Lexington located both Zuikaku and Shōkaku and both carriers attacked with their air groups. Hidden by a rain squall, Zuikaku escaped detection, but Shōkaku was hit three times by bombs and was unable to launch or recover her aircraft. In return, Zuikaku's planes located the American carriers, and proceeded to wreak havoc on both ships. First, Zuikaku's torpedo bombers, commanded by Shigekazu Shimazaki caught Lexington in

9638-408: The Americans dispatched the carriers USS  Yorktown and Lexington to stop the operation. On the same day as the carrier's initial attack, the US planes located the light carrier Shoho , where Lexington's aircraft crippled Shoho , before Yorktown's aircraft finished her off. Both Zuikaku and Shōkaku sent out plane squadrons to scout for the US carriers, but failed to make contact on

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9796-426: The British Eastern Fleet in port. The Japanese force, commanded by Admiral Chūichi Nagumo , had a core of five aircraft carriers; Akagi , Shōkaku and Zuikaku in Carrier Division 5, and Sōryū and Hiryū in Carrier Division 2. The carriers were accompanied by all four Kongo -class battleships, and both Tone -class cruisers. Japanese intelligence on the composition of the British Eastern Fleet in

9954-452: The British carriers were by that time far to the west. By 6 April, British SIGINT indicated the Japanese force contained four carriers and three battleships, a force Somerville clearly realized as beyond the Eastern Fleet's capability to engage without undue risk. The declining serviceability of his fighter force also reinforced his caution. Even so, Somerville did not immediately withdraw or return to port. Force B rejoined early on 6 April. In

10112-469: The British lost an opportunity to meet the enemy; had Force A continued on its easterly course, Carrier Division 2 would have passed right in front of it at 21:00 at range of about 20 miles (32 km). The damaged Albacore landed at 17:45, less than a half-hour before sunset, and the crew was debriefed. There were two resulting revisions to the 16:00 sighting, which were transmitted to Somerville at 18:00 and 18:17 respectively, and differed significantly from

10270-464: The Brittonic area mainly to what was to become Wales , Cornwall and, until the latter stages of the Anglo-Saxon settlement, the Hen Ogledd (northern England and parts of southern Scotland). Most of the region settled by the Anglo-Saxons became unified as the Kingdom of England in the 10th century. Meanwhile, Gaelic speakers in north-west Britain (with connections to the north-east of Ireland and traditionally supposed to have migrated from there in

10428-423: The Colombo strike from 09:45 to 10:30. The size of the airstrike on Colombo was Somerville's first concrete evidence that the Japanese force contained more than the two carriers he expected. Nonetheless he continued to steam toward the enemy at 18 knots. Radar-based fighter direction would allow Force A to avoid surprise attack by neutralizing shadowing Japanese aircraft. At 10:00, an aircraft from Tone searching

10586-429: The Indian Ocean was reasonably accurate, while overestimating the air strength on Ceylon. The 19 March operational order vaguely advised that a "considerable" portion of British naval and air forces in the Indian Ocean were "deployed in Ceylon area". The Japanese stationed reconnaissance submarines outside of the known British anchorages at Colombo and Trincomalee ; their effectiveness was limited. At least one submarine

10744-461: The Indian Ocean. Thus it controlled access to India, the vital Allied shipping routes to the Middle East and the oilfields of the Persian Gulf . Ceylon held most of the British Empire's resources of rubber . An important harbour and naval base, Trincomalee , was located on the island’s eastern coast. Japanese propaganda had an effect on some of the Sinhalese population, who now awaited their arrival. The fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942 broke

10902-425: The Japanese course at 14:00 as southwesterly at 24 knots. Somerville ordered a course change to the southwest at 17:26, not knowing that Nagumo's main body was 120 miles (190 km) away, and that Carrier Division 2 was only 100 miles (160 km) away. The course change was presumably to maintain distance between a superior enemy that was believed to be still closing, or to cover Port T from attack, but it also meant

11060-403: The Japanese fleet right through the centre of the arc. However, at 15:00 or 15:30, Nagumo changed course to the southwest. Carrier Division 2 did not immediately follow; it performed a series of kinking manoeuvres starting at 15:00 that initially took it northwest. Carrier Division 2 was spotted by the two northerly Albacores around 16:00. Hiryū launched Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters to intercept

11218-464: The Japanese fleet, making its first report at 22:37 on 4 April, and a final report at 06:15 on 5 April while 110  mi (96  nmi ; 180  km ) from Ceylon. FV-R was shot down about 90 minutes after the final report. Within an hour of QL-A's report, D’Albiac met with his subordinates to discuss an anticipated Japanese strike after dawn. 222 Group issued a warning to subordinate units before midnight, and units went on alert at 04:00 on 5 April. On

11376-515: The Japanese morning air search was limited accordingly. At dawn, Japanese aerial reconnaissance aircraft flew off to the south-west and north-west; they would fly out to a maximum of 200 miles (320 km) over the next few hours. A reconnaissance Fulmar launched from Force A at 08:00 spotted one of the Japanese aircraft at the extreme edge of the south-west search area at 08:55 about 140 miles (230 km) ahead of Force A. Shortly after 06:00 Nagumo's force began launching 91 bombers and 36 fighters for

11534-578: The Japanese strategy. The Americans were notified; the Doolittle Raid – which was already in progress – took on the additional role of a diversion. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto issued the initial order to proceed with Operation C to the IJN's southern force, commanded by Admiral Nobutake Kondō , on 9 March 1942. By 16 March, the plan was to depart from Staring Bay , Celebes , on 26 March for an attack on Colombo ("C day") on 5 April. The Japanese expected to destroy

11692-744: The Manhattan Project whose task was to build an atomic weapon. Once built, it was decided, with British consent, to use the weapon against Japan. The UK was one of the Big Three powers (along with the US and the Soviet Union) who met to plan the post-war world ; it drafted the Declaration by United Nations with the United States and became one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council . It worked closely with

11850-586: The Name of Great Britain". The term "United Kingdom" has occasionally been used as a description for the former Kingdom of Great Britain , although its official name from 1707 to 1800 was simply "Great Britain". The Acts of Union 1800 formed the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . Following the partition of Ireland and the independence of the Irish Free State in 1922, which left Northern Ireland as

12008-561: The Pearl Harbor attack besides the two Shōkaku class ships was sunk by American carrier-based aircraft. Both ships returned to Kure, Shōkaku still operating under her own power despite immense damage. On the 21st, Zuikaku was targeted by the submarine USS Pollack , but was not damaged. She spent the rest of June and July transiting to various ports and naval facilities. In August 1942, commanded by Captain Tameteru Notomo, Zuikaku

12166-560: The RAF was too weak to defend Ceylon and the naval anchorages, and that the navy was ill-prepared to meet a Japanese carrier force. United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , commonly known as the United Kingdom ( UK ) or Britain , is a country in Northwestern Europe , off the coast of the continental mainland . It comprises England , Scotland , Wales , and Northern Ireland . The UK includes

12324-701: The Scottish electorate voting by 55.3 to 44.7% to remain part of the United Kingdom. In 2016, 51.9 per cent of voters in the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union . The UK left the EU in 2020. On 1 May 2021, the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement came into force. The COVID-19 pandemic had a severe impact on the UK's economy , caused major disruptions to education and had far-reaching impacts on society and politics in 2020 and 2021. The United Kingdom

12482-492: The UK has the world's sixth-largest economy by nominal gross domestic product (GDP). It is a nuclear state , and is ranked fifth globally in military expenditure . The UK has been a permanent member of the UN Security Council since its first session in 1946. It is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations , Council of Europe , G7 , OECD , NATO , Five Eyes , AUKUS and CPTPP . British influence can be observed in

12640-654: The UK have been inhabited continuously since the Neolithic . In AD 43 the Roman conquest of Britain began; the Roman departure was followed by Anglo-Saxon settlement . In 1066, the Normans conquered England . With the end of the Wars of the Roses the English state stabilised and began to grow in power, resulting by the 16th century in the annexation of Wales , the domination of Scotland , and

12798-451: The UK in 1922 as the Irish Free State , and the Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927 created the present United Kingdom. The UK became the first industrialised country and was the world's foremost power for the majority of the 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly during the " Pax Britannica " between 1815 and 1914. At its height in the 1920s, the British Empire encompassed almost

12956-484: The UK in 2023 is estimated to be 3.25 million hectares, which represents 13% of the total land area in the UK. Most of the United Kingdom has a temperate climate, with generally cool temperatures and plentiful rainfall all year round. The temperature varies with the seasons seldom dropping below 0  °C (32  °F ) or rising above 30 °C (86 °F). Some parts, away from the coast, of upland England, Wales, Northern Ireland and most of Scotland, experience

13114-908: The UK into lowland and upland areas. Lowland areas include Cornwall , the New Forest , the South Downs and the Norfolk Broads . Upland areas include the Lake District , the Pennines , the Yorkshire Dales , Exmoor , and Dartmoor . The main rivers and estuaries are the Thames , Severn , and the Humber . England's highest mountain is Scafell Pike , at 978 metres (3,209 ft) in the Lake District; its largest island

13272-402: The United Kingdom and that elsewhere "British government" is used at least as frequently as "United Kingdom government". The UK Permanent Committee on Geographical Names recognises "United Kingdom", "UK" and "U.K." as shortened and abbreviated geopolitical terms for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in its toponymic guidelines; it does not list "Britain" but notes that "it

13430-411: The United Kingdom is 1339.7 hours, which is just under 30% of the maximum possible. The hours of sunshine vary from 1200 to about 1580 hours per year, and since 1996 the UK has been and still is receiving above the 1981 to 2010 average hours of sunshine. Climate change has a serious impact on the country. A third of food price rise in 2023 is attributed to climate change. As of 2022, the United Kingdom

13588-436: The United Kingdom use several different terms to describe their national identity and may identify themselves as being British , English , Scottish , Welsh , Northern Irish , or Irish ; or as having a combination of different national identities. Settlement by Cro-Magnons of what was to become the United Kingdom occurred in waves beginning by about 30,000 years ago. The island has been continuously inhabited only since

13746-768: The United Kingdom's eastern defensive perimeter of the Bay of Bengal ; and the Japanese occupation of the Andaman Islands on 23 March gave Japan control of the Andaman Sea enabling ships to resupply Japanese troops in the Burma Campaign for control of India . Both German and British authorities anticipated Japanese capture of Ceylon to solidify control of the Bay of Bengal and disrupt British resupply for defence of India, Australia , and perhaps

13904-605: The United Kingdom. The 1928 Equal Franchise Act gave women electoral equality with men in national elections. Strikes in the mid-1920s culminated in the General Strike of 1926 . Britain had still not recovered from the effects of the First World War when the Great Depression (1929–1932) led to considerable unemployment and hardship in the old industrial areas, as well as political and social unrest with rising membership in communist and socialist parties. A coalition government

14062-626: The United States to establish the IMF , World Bank and NATO . The war left the UK severely weakened and financially dependent on the Marshall Plan , but it was spared the total war that devastated eastern Europe. In the immediate post-war years, the Labour government under Clement Attlee initiated a radical programme of reforms, which significantly impacted British society in the following decades . Major industries and public utilities were nationalised ,

14220-609: The United States, and the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) refused to allocate troops for an invasion of Ceylon. In response, the IJN developed Operation C, a plan for an aggressive raid into the Indian Ocean in early April. Operation C aimed to destroy the British Eastern Fleet , and disrupt British lines of communications in the Bay of Bengal in support of the Burma Campaign. British intelligence correctly assessed

14378-607: The acquisition and settlement of overseas colonies , particularly in North America and the Caribbean. Though previous attempts at uniting the two kingdoms within Great Britain in 1606, 1667, and 1689 had proved unsuccessful, the attempt initiated in 1705 led to the Treaty of Union of 1706 being agreed and ratified by both parliaments. On 1 May 1707, the Kingdom of Great Britain was formed,

14536-426: The afternoon 1,122 survivors from Dorsetshire 's force were recovered, while maintaining a look-out for the superior enemy force with all-around air reconnaissance. Intelligence from Ceylon put the Japanese between Port T and Ceylon. Somerville cautiously arrived at Port T from the west at 11:00 on 8 April and refuelled. By 8 April, the Eastern Fleet had withdrawn and the Japanese fleet was approaching Trincomalee from

14694-430: The bulk of the British Eastern Fleet . The Eastern Fleet, commanded by Admiral Sir James Somerville , was forewarned by intelligence and sailed from its bases prior to the raid; its attempt to attack the Japanese was frustrated by poor tactical intelligence. Following the attack, the British expected a major Japanese offensive in the Indian Ocean . The main base of the Eastern Fleet relocated to East Africa , and Ceylon

14852-423: The cargo ship SS Sagaing and damaged the monitor HMS Erebus . Later that night, a Japanese floatplane launched from the battleship Haruna managed to locate the light carrier HMS Hermes , and Zuikaku's air group was the first to respond, quickly followed by Shōkaku . Bombers from the pair hit Hermes almost 40 times, smashing the carrier into a burning hulk. The pair were then joined by planes from

15010-517: The carrier's loss being pinned solely on the Shōkaku twins. Of the 110 aircraft launched by the Japanese carriers, only 67 returned to Zuikaku . She then returned to the home islands via Truk for training and aircraft ferrying duties. In February 1943, she covered the evacuation of Japanese ground forces from Guadalcanal . In May, she was assigned to a mission to counterattack the American offensive in

15168-731: The command of Captain Yokokawa Ichibei, Zuikaku departed for Oita Bight on October 7, arriving at her destination the next day where for the first time she joined her sister ship Shōkaku . Both ships made up Carrier Division 5 . On 26 November 1941, she left Hitokappu Bay for the attack on Pearl Harbor as part of the Kido Butai ("Mobile Force"). Her aircraft complement consisted of 18 Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" fighters , 27 Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers , and 27 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers . On 7 December, she launched two waves of aircraft against American military installations on

15326-456: The cruisers. The aircraft shadowing the cruisers flew another 50 miles (80 km) along the cruisers' course before returning to Tone . It would have detected Force A if it had flown southwest another ten minutes. Nagumo recovered the strike against the cruisers at 14:45. Somerville launched four Albacores from Indomitable at 14:00 to search an arc to the northeast out to 200 miles (320 km). Nagumo's southeasterly course would have taken

15484-697: The decades-long process of European integration , the UK was a founding member of the Western European Union , established with the London and Paris Conferences in 1954. In 1960 the UK was one of the seven founding members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), but in 1973 it left to join the European Communities (EC). In a 1975 referendum 67% voted to stay in it. When the EC became

15642-413: The east. The Japanese fleet was detected by a RAF Catalina at 15:17 on 8 April. The harbour at Trincomalee was cleared that night. Hermes , escorted by HMAS  Vampire , was sent south along the coast. The Japanese air search on the morning of 9 April was limited as on 5 April, as British carriers were no longer expected. The Japanese strike group of 132 aircraft was detected at 07:06 on 9 April by

15800-477: The eastern parts are the driest. Atlantic currents, warmed by the Gulf Stream , bring mild winters, especially in the west where winters are wet and even more so over high ground. Summers are warmest in the southeast of England and coolest in the north. Heavy snowfall can occur in winter and early spring on high ground, and occasionally settles to great depth away from the hills. The average total annual sunshine in

15958-491: The end, both carriers crippled Enterprise with three bomb hits. They nearly sank her, with a squadron of seven dive bombers, three from Shōkaku and four from Zuikaku , nearly delivering the final blow when North Carolina shot down every single attacking plane. Neither Zuikaku or Shōkaku were damaged during the battle, although Shōkaku barely avoided being bombed by Enterprise . However, together they lost 25 aircraft out of 37 launched, and planes from Saratoga sank

16116-532: The establishment of the British Empire . Over the course of the 17th century, the role of the British monarchy was reduced, particularly as a result of the English Civil War . In 1707, the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland united under the Treaty of Union to create the Kingdom of Great Britain . The Acts of Union 1800 incorporated the Kingdom of Ireland to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801. Most of Ireland seceded from

16274-441: The fellow aircraft carrier Akagi , who on her own sank the destroyer HMAS Vampire . The floating wreck of Hermes rapidly sank, having only managed to shoot down six attacking planes. Zuikaku, alongside Shōkaku, was the first aircraft carrier in history to sink an enemy aircraft carrier in combat. In May 1942, she was assigned along with Shōkaku to support Operation Mo , the invasion of Port Moresby , New Guinea. On

16432-575: The first year, Britain and its Empire continued the war against Germany. Churchill engaged industry, scientists and engineers to support the government and the military in the prosecution of the war effort. In 1940, the Royal Air Force defeated the German Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain . Urban areas suffered heavy bombing during the Blitz . The Grand Alliance of Britain, the United States and

16590-404: The fleet carriers Lexington and Hornet , the light carriers HMS Hermes and USS Princeton , the cruisers HMS Cornwall and HMS Dorsetshire , the destroyers USS Sims , USS Meredith , and HMS Tenedos , the submarine USS Grayback , the oil tanker USS Neosho , and the cargo ship SS Sagaing . Zuikaku was one of six carriers to participate in the Pearl Harbor attack and

16748-569: The formal control it exerted over its own colonies, British dominance of much of world trade meant that it effectively controlled the economies of regions such as East Asia and Latin America . Throughout the Victorian era , political attitudes favoured free trade and laissez-faire policies. Beginning with the Great Reform Act in 1832, Parliament gradually widened the voting franchise , with

16906-731: The global hegemon and adopted the role of global policeman. From 1853 to 1856, Britain took part in the Crimean War , allied with the Ottoman Empire against Tsarist Russia , participating in the naval battles of the Baltic Sea known as the Åland War in the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland , among others. Following the Indian Rebellion in 1857 , the British government led by Lord Palmerston assumed direct rule over India . Alongside

17064-756: The heavy cruiser Chikuma with two bombs. In return, the Japanese planes wreaked havoc on American shipping. Fighters from Zuihō shot down an American torpedo bomber, which in a bamboozling series of events launched its torpedo as it crashed in a friendly fire incident that sank the destroyer USS Porter , while Junyō damaged the battleship USS South Dakota and the light cruiser USS San Juan with bomb hits. Zuikaku focused her attacks on Hornet , and hit her with three bombs. Two of her bombers that were shot down proceeded to crash into Hornet , one of which still had its bomb equipped which exploded on impact. Meanwhile, planes from Shōkaku hit Hornet with two torpedoes. The damage from both ships left Hornet dead in

17222-518: The heavy cruisers HMS  Cornwall and HMS  Dorsetshire were sent to Colombo, and Hermes to Trincomalee. Air defences stood down, although Catalina patrols continued. At about 16:00 on 4 April, PBY Catalina flying boat (AJ155/QL-A) from the Royal Canadian Air Force 's (RCAF) 413 Squadron flown by Squadron Leader Leonard Birchall spotted Nagumo's fleet 360  mi (310  nmi ; 580  km ) south-east of Ceylon on

17380-736: The island of Great Britain , the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland , and most of the smaller islands within the British Isles , making up a total area of 94,354 square miles (244,376 km ). Northern Ireland shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland ; otherwise, the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , the North Sea , the English Channel , the Celtic Sea , and

17538-415: The island of Oahu . In the first wave, 25 Val dive bombers attacked Wheeler Army Airfield and five Zero fighters attacked the airbase at Kaneohe . In the second wave, 27 high-level Kate bombers attacked the airbase at Hickam Field . On the 24th of December, Zuikaku arrived back at Kure alongside Shōkaku , Kaga , and Akagi ( Sōryū and Hiryū departed to attack Wake Island ), and she

17696-403: The kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland were united in a personal union when James VI, King of Scots , inherited the crowns of England and Ireland and moved his court from Edinburgh to London; each country nevertheless remained a separate political entity and retained its separate political, legal, and religious institutions. In the mid-17th century, all three kingdoms were involved in

17854-408: The last retreat of the ice around 11,500 years ago. By the end of the region's prehistoric period , the population is thought to have belonged largely to a culture termed Insular Celtic , comprising Brittonic Britain and Gaelic Ireland . The Roman conquest , beginning in 43 AD, and the 400-year rule of southern Britain , was followed by an invasion by Germanic Anglo-Saxon settlers, reducing

18012-409: The legal and political systems of many of its former colonies , and British culture remains globally influential, particularly in language , literature , music and sport . English is the world's most widely spoken language and the third-most spoken native language . The Acts of Union 1707 declared that the Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland were "United into One Kingdom by

18170-524: The local cultures. Subsequent medieval English kings completed the conquest of Wales and tried unsuccessfully to annex Scotland . Asserting its independence in the 1320 Declaration of Arbroath , Scotland maintained its independence thereafter, albeit in near-constant conflict with England . In 1215 the Magna Carta was the first document to state that no government was above the law, that citizens have rights protecting them and that they were entitled to

18328-407: The main bulk of the British Eastern Fleet. The British interpreted their position as precarious. Ceylon and the Eastern Fleet were required to safeguard the sea lines of communications through the Indian Ocean. The British expected the Japanese to continue threatening these lines. SIGINT suggested that the Japanese were preparing a deliberate advance across the Indian Ocean. The raid demonstrated that

18486-600: The major part of the British Isles archipelago and includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern one-sixth of the island of Ireland and some smaller surrounding islands. It lies between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea with the southeast coast coming within 22 miles (35 km) of the coast of northern France, from which it is separated by the English Channel . The Royal Greenwich Observatory in London

18644-416: The majority of the surviving aircraft did not return to the carriers, instead landing at Japanese land bases on Luzon . However, some of her aircraft made kamikaze attacks and helped sink the light carrier USS  Princeton ; and most of the others were sent to other surviving carriers and air bases, to later sink the escort carrier USS  St. Lo during the Battle off Samar after again using

18802-669: The mid-1920s, most of the British population could listen to BBC radio programmes. Experimental television broadcasts began in 1929 and the first scheduled BBC Television Service commenced in 1936. The rise of Irish nationalism , and disputes within Ireland over the terms of Irish Home Rule , led eventually to the partition of the island in 1921. A period of conflict in what is now Northern Ireland occurred from June 1920 until June 1922. The Irish Free State became independent, initially with Dominion status in 1922, and unambiguously independent in 1931 . Northern Ireland remained part of

18960-497: The morning of 5 April, six Swordfish from 788 Naval Air Squadron (788 NAS) began relocating from China Bay , near Trincomalee, to Colombo, in preparation for a strike on the Japanese fleet. Admiral Geoffrey Layton , on Ceylon, ordered ships put to sea to avoid being attacked in harbour. Cornwall and Dorsetshire , which had just reached Colombo, were sent to rejoin Force A; they sailed late on 4 April. Hermes sailed from Trincomalee and

19118-402: The new kamikaze tactics. The next day, during the Battle off Cape Engaño , she launched her few remaining aircraft for combat air patrol , search, or to join the aircraft already on Luzon. She then came under heavy air attack and was hit by seven torpedoes and nine bombs. With Zuikaku listing heavily to port, Ozawa shifted his flag to the light cruiser Ōyodo . The order to abandon ship

19276-463: The ocean floor and wasn't captured by Japanese forces, Lexington was scuttled by escorting destroyers. Zuikaku was undamaged in the battle, but sustained severe losses in aircraft and aircrew. This required her to return to Japan with her sister ship for resupply and aircrew training, and neither carrier was able to take part in the Battle of Midway in June 1942, where every carrier that participated in

19434-463: The only part of the island of Ireland within the United Kingdom, the name was changed in 1927 to the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". Although the United Kingdom is a sovereign country, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are also widely referred to as countries . The UK Prime Minister's website has used the phrase "countries within a country" to describe the United Kingdom. Some statistical summaries, such as those for

19592-478: The only survivor of Carrier Division One, to recover the Division's few remaining aircraft. On 20 June, a bomb hit started a fire in the hangar, but Zuikaku ' s experienced damage control teams managed to get it under control, and she was able to escape under her own power. After this battle, Zuikaku was the only survivor of the six fleet carriers that had launched the attack on Pearl Harbor. In October 1944, she

19750-437: The other and the original report. The final revision correctly identified the two carriers of Carrier Division 2 – which Somerville likely realized to be only part of the enemy force – but also claimed they were heading toward the northwest at a position 25 miles (40 km) or the original sighting. The course heading conflicted with the first revision, which suggested a course toward the southeast. Late on 5 April, FECB decrypted

19908-471: The presence of Force A. Carrier Division 2 rejoined the main body's track at 18:00, and caught up at 22:00 180 miles (290 km) due east of Force A. The Japanese circled wide to the south and then east in preparation for striking Trincomalee. The Japanese suspected the presence of British carriers, and on the morning of 6 April they launched a much denser westward air search, but found nothing. Further searches on route to Trincomalee were equally unsuccessful as

20066-415: The radar of AMES 272 at a range of 91 miles (146 km). The defending fighters - 17 Hurricanes and six Fulmars - took off in time, and inflicted the first kills of the battle when a section of Hurricanes attacked three Zeroes and shot down two. The China Bay airbase and the port were heavily bombed. The monitor HMS  Erebus was damaged. SS Sagaing , a merchant ship carrying aircraft and ammunition,

20224-441: The remaining US carriers in a decisive battle, now joined by the aircraft carrier Junyō and the light carrier Zuihō and their escorts. This would culminate into the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands . The force set out on October 11. On the 15th, a Japanese patrol plane spotted the destroyer USS Meredith towing a barge that carried fuel and bombs for US forces at Guadalcanal. Zuikaku's air group quickly responded, and in

20382-497: The rest of Europe, royal absolutism would not prevail, and a professed Catholic could never accede to the throne. The British constitution would develop on the basis of constitutional monarchy and the parliamentary system . With the founding of the Royal Society in 1660, science was greatly encouraged. During this period, particularly in England, the development of naval power and the interest in voyages of discovery led to

20540-568: The result of the Acts of Union 1707 between the Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland . In the 18th century, cabinet government developed under Robert Walpole , in practice the first prime minister (1721–1742). A series of Jacobite uprisings sought to remove the Protestant House of Hanover from the throne and restore the Catholic House of Stuart . The Jacobites were finally defeated at

20698-483: The same time frame, other air forces increased from eight obsolete torpedo bombers , to seven Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boats, 14 Bristol Blenheim IV bombers, and 12 Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers. On the eve of battle, RAF forces were part of 222 Group , commanded by Air Vice-Marshal John D'Albiac . The Japanese sailed from Staring Bay on 26 March as planned. Somerville sailed on 30 March in expectation of an attack on 1 April, and deployed his fleet in

20856-469: The scouts; one Albacore was damaged at 16:04, and the other shot down at 16:28 without reporting. The two southernmost Albacores missed Nagumo's main body. Somerville did not receive the damaged Albacore's sighting report until 16:55; the report gave the position of Carrier Division 2 with reasonable accuracy, placed the Japanese 125 miles (201 km) away, but contained no other data. At 17:00 he received signals intelligence (SIGINT) from Colombo reporting

21014-415: The ships. 80 Aichi D3A "Val" bombers, held in reserve on the Japanese carriers, attacked starting at 10:35. Both were sunk before noon near Batticaloa . Hermes was lost with 307 men after being hit by over forty 500 pounds (230 kg) bombs. Vampire was lost with 8 men. The nearby hospital ship Vita rescued 600 men. The Japanese attack expanded to nearby ships. The corvette HMS  Hollyhock

21172-429: The southwest area spotted and began shadowing Dorsetshire 's force; the aircraft reported that the cruiser was heading southwest and making 24 knots. The cruisers reported the shadower, but had no means to drive it off. Nagumo increased speed from 24 to 28 knots upon receiving the sighting. Carrier Division 5's reserve strike force was ordered rearmed with anti-ship torpedoes, replacing the high explosive bombs intended for

21330-487: The strength of the Japanese force. Somerville planned to evade the Japanese during the day and close to launch torpedo strikes with radar-equipped Fairey Albacore bombers during the night. However, the plan was based on information provided by the Far East Combined Bureau (FECB), which identified only two carriers in the Japanese force. FECB also believed the Japanese would sail from Staring Bay on 21 March for

21488-405: The strike on Hermes . In return, a Zero was shot down near the carriers and another in the returning strike. This was the first time a Japanese carrier force had faced a concerted air attack. Hermes and Vampire were 65 miles (105 km) away when Trincomalee was attacked. At 09:00 they reversed course. Shortly after the end of the attack on Trincomalee, an aircraft from Haruna spotted

21646-576: The strike on Colombo. British early warning failed to detect and identify the incoming strike, forcing British pilots to scramble under fire when the first Japanese aircraft appeared over them at 07:45. The effective defence of the Ratmalana airbase by British fighters left the harbour exposed. The armed merchant cruiser HMS  Hector , the Norwegian tanker Soli and the old destroyer HMS  Tenedos were sunk; three other ships were damaged. The port

21804-708: The threat of Japanese carrier-borne air attack on Ceylon after the strike on Pearl Harbor, and the island's air defences were reinforced. On 7 December 1941, air defences consisted of four obsolescent three-inch anti-aircraft guns – at Trincomalee – with neither fighters nor radar. By 4 April, there were 67 Hawker Hurricanes and 44 Fairey Fulmar fighters, a radar station each at Colombo and Trincomalee, and 144 anti-aircraft guns; 37 or 38 Hurricanes were serviceable around Colombo on 5 April. The fighters were divided into three Royal Air Force (RAF) squadrons of Hawker Hurricanes (two at Colombo, and one at Trincomalee), and two squadrons of RN Fleet Air Arm (FAA) Fairey Fulmars . In

21962-801: The threat posed by Japan envisioned transferring the majority of the RN's heavy units to the Eastern Fleet. Matters were made urgent by the crippling of the United States Pacific Fleet 's battle line at Pearl Harbor , which exposed the weak forces in Malaya to attack. Heavy units were freed up by American reinforcements in the Atlantic. The construction programs of the late-1930s were also starting to yield new heavy units. The Mediterranean yielded far fewer reinforcements than expected due to serious losses in that theatre in 1941. The Eastern Fleet that Vice Admiral Sir James Somerville assumed command of in March 1942

22120-436: The twelve NUTS 1 regions , refer to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as "regions". Northern Ireland is also referred to as a "province". With regard to Northern Ireland, the descriptive name used "can be controversial, with the choice often revealing one's political preferences". The term "Great Britain" conventionally refers to the island of Great Britain, or politically to England, Scotland and Wales in combination. It

22278-400: The water and heavily listing. Under tow from the heavy cruiser USS Northampton , damage control efforts attempted to correct the list on the crippled, but not sunk Hornet in an attempt to save the ship. However, further air attacks persisted. A flight of nine torpedo bombers from both Shōkaku and Junyō attacked the flat top, and while Junyō's planes missed, Shōkaku hit Hornet with

22436-598: Was chosen as the defining point of the Prime Meridian at the International Meridian Conference in 1884. The United Kingdom lies between latitudes 49° and 61° N , and longitudes 9° W and 2° E . Northern Ireland shares a 224-mile (360 km) land boundary with the Republic of Ireland. The coastline of Great Britain is 11,073 miles (17,820 km) long, though measurements can vary greatly due to

22594-418: Was crippled by a torpedo fired from the submarine I-26 , putting her out of action, while in September the aircraft carrier USS Wasp was sunk to three torpedo hits fired by the submarine I-19 . These actions left USS Hornet as the only American fleet carrier operating in the Pacific, shortly joined by the repaired Enterprise . Taking advantage of this, Zuikaku and Shōkaku were sent out to attack

22752-440: Was damaged but was not put out of action. 20 of the 41 British fighters that took off were destroyed. At least one fighter was damaged and made incapable of flight while attempting to take off. The six Swordfish of 788 NAS arrived during the battle and were shot down. The Japanese lost seven aircraft. Nagumo changed course to west-southwest at 08:30 – unknowingly causing the opposing fleets to steam toward one another – and recovered

22910-403: Was dispatched as part of the First Carrier Division along with the repaired Shōkaku and their escorts to oppose the American offensive in the Solomon Islands . Their goal was to sink US shipping operating in the Solomons to aid in recapturing Henderson Field , an ex-Japanese air base which was captured by American forces and being used against Japanese shipping to great effect. On the 24th,

23068-454: Was drydocked from the 30th to January 3rd. Meeting Shōkaku on the 5th, they departed Hiroshima Bay on the 8th, arriving at Truk on the 14th. In aid of the Japanese conquest against Pacific islands, on January 20 they launched 19 dive bombers and 6 fighters to attack Rabaul , then the next day struck both lae and Salamaua , and on the 23rd launched strikes to aid the successful landings on both Rabaul and Kavieng before returning to Truk on

23226-404: Was formed in 1931. Nonetheless, "Britain was a very wealthy country, formidable in arms, ruthless in pursuit of its interests and sitting at the heart of a global production system." After Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Britain entered the Second World War . Winston Churchill became prime minister and head of a coalition government in 1940. Despite the defeat of its European allies in

23384-475: Was hit by aircraft from Soryu and sunk with 53 men. Also sunk were the naval auxiliary Athelstone , the tanker British Sergeant , and the cargo ship Norviken . British land-based Fulmars arrived only after Hermes was sunk. Two Fulmars and four Vals were destroyed. Nagumo disengaged after recovering the strike on Hermes . The Japanese inflicted disproportionate damage on the enemy. They damaged port facilities, sank one carrier and two cruisers, destroyed

23542-405: Was issued at 13:58 and the naval ensign was lowered. Zuikaku rolled over and sank stern-first at 14:14, taking the lives of Rear Admiral (promoted from captain 10 days earlier) Kaizuka Takeo and 842 of the ship's crew; 862 officers and men were rescued by the destroyers Wakatsuki and Kuwa . Before her loss, Zuikaku was the last surviving Japanese carrier to have attacked Pearl Harbor. She

23700-464: Was ordered to hide northeast of Ceylon. The Japanese did not perform an aerial reconnaissance sweep along their intended course on the afternoon of 4 April, and a planned reconnaissance of Colombo harbour by cruiser floatplanes was cancelled. The Japanese realized surprise was lost after intercepting a signal from Colombo asking QL-A to repeat its report. Japanese intelligence on the morning of 5 April 1942 indicated that British carriers were absent, and

23858-421: Was reinforced, but Somerville kept his fast carrier division, Force A , "...in Indian waters , to be ready to deal with any attempt by the enemy to command those waters with light forces only." However, the Japanese had no short-term plans to follow up on their success, and within the year operations in the Pacific made it impossible to do so. The island of Ceylon was strategically important, since it commanded

24016-462: Was sent to scout the Maldive Islands but failed to detect Port T at Addu Atoll . At the same time as Operation C, the IJN also dispatched Malay Force under the command of Vice Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa . His force consisted of the aircraft carrier Ryūjō , six cruisers , and four destroyers to destroy shipping in the Bay of Bengal on 1 April. Malay Force was not part of Operation C. In 3 days, Ozawa's force managed to sink 23 merchant ships (20 in

24174-400: Was set on fire and abandoned. Eight Hurricanes and a Fulmar were lost, although no serviceable fighters were lost on the ground. The Japanese lost four aircraft. At 07:16 another Catalina from 413 Squadron RCAF spotted the Japanese fleet, but was shot down while reporting. Around 10:25, nine unescorted Blenheims from 11 Squadron RAF attacked Nagumo's force. They were not detected inbound by

24332-655: Was smaller than what had been envisioned in December 1941. Somerville divided the fleet into two groups, based on speed. The faster "Force A" included the aircraft carriers HMS  Formidable and HMS  Indomitable , the modernized battleship HMS  Warspite (as flagship ), as well as the modern cruisers and destroyers. The slower "Force B" was formed around the old carrier HMS  Hermes and four unmodernized Revenge -class battleships. A few submarines were also available. The ships had never operated together before, and both ship and air crews were deficient in training. Allied intelligence accurately assessed

24490-432: Was the first country in the world to use an approved COVID-19 vaccine , developing its own vaccine through a collaboration between Oxford University and AstraZeneca , which allowed the UK's vaccine rollout to be among the fastest in the world. The total area of the United Kingdom is approximately 94,354 square miles (244,376 km ), with a land area of 93,723 square miles (242,741 km ). The country occupies

24648-455: Was the flagship of Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa 's decoy Northern Force in Operation Shō-Gō 1 , the Japanese counterattack to the Allied landings on Leyte . On 24 October, as part of the depleted (just 108 aircraft across four carriers) Third Carrier Division , she launched aircraft along with the light carriers Zuihō , Chitose , and Chiyoda in an ineffective strike against the U.S. Third Fleet . Several of these aircraft were shot down, and

24806-459: Was the last of the six to be sunk in the war ( Akagi , Kaga , Hiryu , and Sōryū in the Battle of Midway ; Shōkaku in the Battle of the Philippine Sea ; and Zuikaku in the Battle of Leyte Gulf.) Zuikaku was laid down on the 25th of May 1938, launched on the 27th of November 1939, and formally commissioned on the 25th of September 1941. On the day of commissioning, Zuikaku departed on her maiden voyage from Kobe to Kure . Under

24964-461: Was too late to reestablish contact with the Japanese. For the Japanese, too, there was a lost opportunity to find the British before night fell. Nagumo did not order a search for the British carriers at the appearance of British carrier-based aircraft. Search aircraft might require homing signals from the carriers to return, homing signals which the enemy could use to locate the Japanese. The Japanese continued southeast at 20 knots completely unaware of

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