Operation RY

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Operation RY
Map of the Coral Sea area with Nauru and Ocean (Banaba) islands in the top right corner.
PlannedApril 1942
ObjectiveOccupation of Nauru and Ocean islands
Date10 May to 30 August 1942
Executed byImperial Japanese Navy
OutcomePostponed on 15 May 1942;
completed successfully on 29–30 August 1942
Casualties1 minelayer,
1 auxiliary ship sunk

Operation RY was the

Operation MO and before Operation MI, which resulted in the Battle of Midway. The primary reason for the operation was to exploit the islands' supplies of phosphate
. After a postponement due to interference by enemy forces, the operation was completed in August 1942.

Background

Nauru and Ocean Islands were isolated but rich

British Phosphate Commissioners (BPC) had been running the phosphate mining since 1919, under the Nauru Island Agreement
. The phosphate deposits were mined for making fertilisers, ammunition and explosives.

The

British Admiralty redeploy Australian naval units to meet the threat posed by raiders. The armed merchant cruiser HMAS Manoora arrived off Ocean Island on 4 January 1941, and Australian and New Zealand
warships maintained a continual presence off the islands during the subsequent months. A naval company and two field guns were deployed to each island. The attacks also led to the introduction of convoys between Australia and New Zealand.

In late February 1942, as a Japanese invasion of Nauru and Ocean Island was feared, the

Free French destroyer Le Triomphant departed the New Hebrides
to evacuate both places. The ship arrived on 23 February and completed the evacuation without serious incident.

Although

Operation MO was cancelled on 8 May 1942 immediately following the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Imperial Japanese Navy forces departed Rabaul and Bougainville
on 11 May to execute the RY operation.

First invasion attempt

On 11 May 1942, the Imperial Japanese invasion force departed Rabaul, under the command of

Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) and Kashima SNLF were carried by the transports Kinryū Maru and Takahata Maru.[1]

While steaming through driving rain off New Ireland and west of Buka Island, Okinoshima, which had been damaged by airplanes from Yorktown during the invasion of Tulagi on 4 May 1942, was torpedoed at 04:52 by the United States Navy submarine S-42 (Commander Oliver G. Kirk) and severely damaged.[2][3] The invasion force's escorts closed S-42 and depth charged the area until 1130, causing damage. The submarine left the area to return to base at Moreton Bay, Brisbane. Rear Admiral Shima transferred his flag to Yūzuki southwest of Buka Island, Bougainville. At 06:40, Okinoshima capsized under tow by Mochizuki in St. George's Channel at 05°06′S 153°48′E / 5.100°S 153.800°E / -5.100; 153.800.

While returning to Rabaul after being dispatched to assist repair work on Okinoshima, the repair ship

Cape St George, New Ireland, by S-44.[4] She sank at 1440 at 04°51′S 152°54′E / 4.850°S 152.900°E / -4.850; 152.900
.

In spite of the loss of Okinoshima, the rest of the Japanese forces continued with the operation. As these forces were en route, however, a Japanese reconnaissance aircraft from Tulagi sighted the United States Navy aircraft carriers USS Enterprise and Hornet heading towards Nauru. The two US carriers, acting on intelligence obtained from intercepted Japanese communications, had been sent to the area as a feint to try to stop the Japanese operation.

The feint was successful. Fearing the threat posed by the US carriers to the RY forces, which did not have air cover, the Japanese cancelled the operation on 15 May, and the naval forces returned to Rabaul.

Second, successful attempt

A second invasion force departed Truk on 26 August 1942, consisting of the cruiser Yūbari, the destroyers Oite, Yūzuki, Ariake, Yūgure and Yūnagi, and the transport Hakozaki Maru.

The landing forces landed on Nauru on 29 August and Ocean Island on 30 August unopposed.

Occupation

Main articles: Japanese occupation of Nauru and Japanese occupation of the Gilbert Islands

Japanese forces occupied the two islands until the end of the war, but became increasingly isolated as the war progressed.

During the Japanese occupation of Nauru, American aircraft repeatedly bombed the island's facilities.

References

  1. ^ Bullard, p. 57.
  2. ^ "Battle of the Coral Sea". Naval History & Heritage. US Navy. Archived from the original on 24 June 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  3. ^ "USN Ships USS S-42 (SS-153)". NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER. US Navy. Archived from the original on 14 February 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  4. ^ "USN Ships USS S-44 (SS-155)". NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER. US Navy. Archived from the original on 18 September 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2011.

Books

Web
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