15 November 1939: Australian, British and French warships began patrolling the Indian Ocean when the German pocket battleshipAdmiral Graf Spee sank the tanker Africa Shell south of Madagascar.[1]
23 March 1940: The Royal Navy established the Malaya Force of cruisers, destroyers and submarines to stop German merchant ships leaving the Dutch East Indies.[2]
11 May 1940: German merchant raider Atlantis entered the Indian Ocean from the South Atlantic.[3]
7 June 1940: Italian warships began minelaying off Massawa and Assab.[4]
10 June 1940: Eight Italian submarines began war patrols of the Indian Ocean from Massawa.[5] Some of these submarines were lost because leakage of chloromethaneair conditioning refrigerants caused central nervous system poisoning of their crews from recirculating air during submerged operations.[6]
10 June 1940: Atlantis captured the freighter Tirranna in the Central Indian Ocean.[3]
16 June 1940: Italian submarine Galileo Galilei sank the tanker James Stove.[5]
19 June 1940: Galileo Galilei was captured by the British naval trawlerMoonstone.[5]
23 June 1940: Italian submarine Torricelli sank HMS Khartoum before being sunk by accompanying destroyers.[5]
24 June 1940: Italian submarine Galvani sank the sloop HMIS Pathan before being sunk by the sloop HMS Falmouth.[5]
11 July 1940: Atlantis sank the freighter City of Bagdad south of India.[3]
13 July 1940: Atlantis sank the freighter Kemmendine south of India.[3]
2 August 1940: Atlantis sank the freighter Tallyrand in the central Indian Ocean.[3]
17 August 1940: Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy cruisers and destroyers covered the withdrawal of British troops from British SomalilandtoAden.[7]
24 August 1940: Atlantis sank the freighter King City in the Central Indian Ocean.[3]
26 August 1940: German merchant raider Pinguin sank the tanker Filefjell south of Madagascar.[8]
27 August 1940: Pinguin sank the tanker British Commander and the freighter Morviken south of Madagascar.[8]
6 September 1940: Italian submarine Guglielmotti sank the tanker Atlas in the Red Sea.[9]
9 September 1940: Atlantis sank the tanker Athelking in the central Indian Ocean.[3]
10 September 1940: Atlantis sank the freighter Benarty in the central Indian Ocean.[3]
12 September 1940: Pinguin sank the freighter Benavon east of Madagascar.[8]
16 September 1940: Pinguin captured the freighter Nordvard in the central Indian Ocean.[8]
Early focus was Allied neutralisation and capture of Regia Marina African naval bases, followed by invasions of Iraq in April and Iran in August, to displace governments friendly to the Axis powers. Later Allied focus was on destruction of Kriegsmarine commerce raiders and moving troops to defend against anticipated Japanese expansion into south-east Asia.
20 February 1941: Admiral Scheer sank the freighter Grigorios C and captured the tanker British Advocate north of Madagascar.[14]
21 February 1941: Seven Fairey Albacore from HMS Formidable raided Massawa. Admiral Scheer sank the freighter Canadian Cruiser north of Madagascar.[14]
22 February 1941: Admiral Scheer sank the freighter Rantaupandjang north of Madagascar.[14]
1 March 1941: Five Fairey Albacore from HMS Formidable raided Massawa.[14]
3 March 1941: Admiral Scheer returned to the South Atlantic to evade Allied warships.[14]
4 March 1941: The four surviving Italian submarines abandoned the Massawa base and escaped into the South Atlantic.[15] The German supply ship Coburg and prize Ketty Brövig were scuttled when stopped by HMAS Canberra and HMNZS Leander, north of Madagascar.[14]
16 March 1941: Invasion of Berbera by Royal Navy Force D.[16]
1 April 1941: The German SS Bertrand Rickmers was scuttled when stopped by HMS Kandahar.[16]
8 April 1941: Six Italian destroyers and 17 Axis merchant ships were sunk or scuttled when Allied troops captured Massawa.[17]Atlantis left the Indian Ocean via the South Atlantic.[18]
30 January 1942: I-64 sank the freighters Florence Luckenbach,[33]Jalapalaka and Jalatarang in the Bay of Bengal.[30]
15 February 1942: I-65 sank the freighter Johanne Justesen off Ceylon.[30]
16 February 1942: An Allied troop convoy from Darwin to Timor was turned back by Japanese air attack.[34]
19 February 1942: Japanese invasion of Bali. Bombing of Darwin by the Kido Butai sank USS Peary, the tanker British Motorist, the freighter Mauna Loa, and liners Neptuna and Zealandia.[34]
20 February 1942: Japanese invasion of Timor.[34]I-65 sank the freighter Bhima in the Arabian Sea.[30]
28 February 1942: Japanese submarine I-53 sank the freighter City of Manchester west of Sumatra,[36] and I-4 sank the freighter Ban Ho Guan south of Java.[30]
1 March 1942: Japanese battleships Hiei and Kirishima sank USS Edsall, USS Pecos and the freighter Tomohon, and Japanese cruiser Ashigara sank USS Pillsbury south of Java.[37] Japanese submarine I-2 sank the freighter Parigi, I-59 sank the liner Rooseboom west of Sumatra, and Japanese submarine I-54 sank the freighter Modjekerto south of Java.[30]
2 March 1942: Japanese warships sank the freighter Prominent off Tjilatjap, and Hayashio captured the freighter Sigli.[30]
3 March 1942: Japanese warships sank USS Asheville south of Java,[37] Japanese submarine I-1 sank the freighter Siantar off Tjilatjap, and Japanese aircraft sank the liner Koolama in the Timor Sea.[30]
4 March 1942: Japanese warships sank HMS Stronghold, HMAS Yarra and the tanker Francol south of Java.[37] Japanese submarine I-62 sank the freighter Merkus off Tjilatjap, and I-7 sank the liner Le Maire.[30]
5 March 1942: Kido Butai aircraft sank the freighters Manipi, Tohiti, Rokan, Kidoel, Poelau Bras and Dayak raiding Tjilatjap. Poelau Bras lifeboats attacked.[38]
7 March 1942: Allied naval forces covered the withdrawal of Allied troops from Rangoon.[39] Japanese battleships Kongo and Haruna sank the freighter Woolgar while shelling Christmas Island.[40]
8 March 1942: Japanese troops captured Rangoon.[39]
6 April 1942: Japanese cruisers sank the liner Dardanus and freighters Silksworth, Autolycus, Malda, Shinkuang, Gandara, Indora, Bienville, Selma City, Ganges, Banjoewangi, Batavia, Taksang, Sinkiang, Exmoor and Van der Capellen in the Bay of Bengal during Operation C. Japanese submarine I-5 sank the freighter Washingtonian.[48] Japanese aircraft sank HMIS Indus off Sittwe.[49]
13 November 1942: U-178 sank the freighter Louise Moller,[58] and U-181 sank the freighter Excello east of South Africa.[62]
19 November 1942: U-177 sank the freighter Scottish Chief, and U-181 sank the freighter Gunda east of South Africa.[58]
20 November 1942: U-177 sank the Liberty ship Pierce Butler,[63] and U-181 sank the freighter Corinthiakos east of South Africa.[58]
21 November 1942: U-181 sank the freighter Alcoa Pathfinder east of South Africa.[63]
24 November 1942: U-181 sank the freighters Mount Helmos and Dorington Court east of South Africa.[58]
26 November 1942: German blockade runner Ramses scuttled when stopped by escorts of convoy OW 1.[64]
27 November 1942: U-178 sank the Liberty ship Jeremiah Wadsworth south of South Africa.[58]
28 November 1942: U-177 sank the troopship Nova Scotia drowning 750, and U-181 sank the freighter Evanthia east of South Africa.[58]
30 November 1942: German commerce raider Michel sank the freighter Sawokla,[65]U-177 sank the troopship Llandaff Castle east of South Africa, and U-181 sank the freighter Cleanthis in the Mozambique Channel.[58]
1 December 1942: HMAS Armidale was sunk by Japanese aircraft while evacuating personnel from Timor.[64]
2 December 1942: U-181 sank the freighter Amarylis east of South Africa.[58]
7 December 1942: Michel sank the freighter Eugenie Livonos east of South Africa,[65] and U-177 sank the freighter Saronikos in the Mozambique Channel.[58]
12 December 1942: U-177 sank the freighter RFA Empire Gull east of South Africa.[58]
14 December 1942: U-177 sank the freighter Sawahloento east of South Africa.[58]
Axis submarine patrols of Indian Ocean trade routes were expanded with establishment of a Kriegsmarine base in PenangasAllied anti-submarine patrols became increasingly effective in the Atlantic. Allied submarines and aircraft began patrolling the Strait of Malacca and Andaman Sea to intercept shipping supporting Japanese forces in Burma.
11 February 1943: U-516 sank the freighter Helmsprey east of South Africa.[68]
17 February 1943: U-182 sank the freighter Llanashe and U-516 sank the freighter Deer Lodge east of South Africa.[68]
18 February 1943: Convoy Prophet returned 30,000 soldiers of the Australian 9th Division from Africa to Australia.[69]
26 February 1943: Kyo Maru No. 3 was mined off Rangoon.[70]
27 February 1943: Tenth Air Force B-24s sank Asakasan Maru in the Andaman Sea.[70]U-516 sank the Dutch submarine tenderColumbia east of South Africa.[68]
3 March 1943: U-160 sank the Liberty shipHarvey W. Scott[71] and the freighter Nipura east of South Africa.[68]
4 March 1943: U-160 sank the freighters Marietta and Empire Mahseer east of South Africa.[68]
7 March 1943: U-506 sank the freighter Sabor east of South Africa.[68]
8 March 1943: U-160 sank the Liberty ship James B. Stephens east of South Africa.[72]
9 March 1943: Interned German freighters Drachenfels, Ehrenfels and Braunfels were scuttled at Goa.[73]U-506 sank the Norwegian freighter Tabor south of South Africa.[68]
11 March 1943: U-160 sank the freighter Aelbryn,[68] and U-182 sank the Liberty shipRichard D. Spaight east of South Africa.[74]
Use of Ultra intelligence information increased successful interceptions by Allied submarines and reduced Axis resupply opportunities in the Indian Ocean. Surrender of the Regia Marina and destruction of Kriegsmarinebattleships made Royal Navy aircraft carriers available for raids of the Andaman Sea.
25 January 1944: U-188 sank the freighter Fort la Maune in the Arabian Sea.[94]
26 January 1944: U-532 sank the Liberty ship Walter Camp in the Arabian Sea.[96]U-188 sank the liner Surada and the freighter Samouri in the Arabian Sea.[94]
29 January 1944: U-188 sank the freighter Olga E. Embiricos in the Arabian Sea.[94]
3 February 1944: U-188 sank the Liberty ship Chung Cheng in the Arabian Sea.[94]
9 February 1944: U-188 sank the freighter Viva in the Arabian Sea.[94]
13 March 1944: The U-boat refuelling oiler Brake scuttled when found by aircraft from HMS Battler acting on Ultra.[94]Japanese submarine I-26 sank the tanker H.D. Collier.[101]
19 March 1944: U-510 sank the Liberty ship John A. Poor in the Arabian Sea.[102]
17 October 1944: Operation Millet raid against Port Blair by HMS Indomitable and Victorious.[121]
2 November 1944: HMS Shalimar shelled Port Blair.[122]U-181 sank the tanker Fort Lee in the central Indian Ocean. Allied aircraft sank Tatayama Maru in the Andaman Sea.[123]
18 November 1944: Operation Outflank air raid against northern Sumatra by HMS Indomitable and Illustrious.[124]
22 November 1944: HMS Stratagem was sunk by Japanese destroyers in the Strait of Malacca.[122]
Allied focus was on amphibious operations along the Burma coast of the Andaman Sea. Axis submarine operations were restricted by fuel shortage and maintenance difficulties.
3 January 1945: Operation Lightning Allied invasion of Akyab.[127]
Australia
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United States
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