HMIS Indus 6/4/42

[Darius]

Hi,

for a friend I´m looking for the time of attack & sinking of HMIS INDUS:

Just one question. Indian Sloop Indus was bombed and sunk by Japanese airplanes off Akyab 6/4/42. Do you know what time?

The attacker were 27 Nell bombers.

Do you have more details on this attack?

Regards

Darius

[Darius]

Hello,

maybe more details are in:
The Evacuation of Civilians from Burma: Analysing the 1942 Colonial Disaster by Michael D. Leigh, pp. 119?

Regards

Darius

[bearoutwest]

Hi Darius,

Have you seen this?
https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/...RIN/RIN-6.html

I don't know anything about the author, but might be a good place to start. Certainly covers the Indus in the early Mediterranean war.

Regards,
...geoff

[Graham Boak]

Were Nells involved in the Burma campaign? I thought that was an Army effort.

[Darius]

Hi,

https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/...IN/RIN-6.html:

On 5 and 6 April 1942 Akyab was heavily bombed." H.M.I.S. Indus (Commander J. E. N. Coope, R.I.N.) was in Akyab harbour. Four Indian officers against an officer complement of twelve were borne in this ship. She was lying at anchor when three formations of Japanese aircraft coming from different directions attacked her. The first formation dropped a stick of bombs so close to her that it was once thought she had been hit. When, however, the second and the third formations came on and attacked together, the ship did not have much of a chance. She received at least two direct hits, one of them on the engine room, causing severe damage. Another hit caused the ship to settle by the stern. Distress signals were made to H.M.I.S. St. Anthony which was nearby but before any help could reach the Indus had capsized. She had put up a very gallant fight against immense odds and went down fighting. By a miracle no lives were lost. An eye witness rightly said that in the face of an attack by 27 bombers and 18 fighters, "we considered we were lucky to have lost only one ship." There was no way of saving the ship and she sank very soon. Officers and crew were taken on board H.M.I.S. St. Anthony (Lieutenant T.R.V.Bird, R.I.N.R.). On 7 April St. Anthony ran aground on the rocks at the entrance to Akyab harbour. She was refloated and subsequently left Akyab for Calcutta on 18 April 1942.

We`ve got the date, but still missing the time.

And of course: If you have more specific data on the attackers, please be kind and put more light on this incident.

Regards

Darius

[bearoutwest]

Graham, possibly just a once-off (or as-required) navy involvement.


From "Bloody Shambles" Volume 2 by Christopher Shores and Brian Cull, et al:

".... Meanwhile on 4 April JNAF aircraft moved from Bangkok to Mingaladon to support a planned carrier attack on Ceylon ..... 18 G3M bombers of the Genzan Ku, 18 A6Ms of the Attached Fighter Group, and a C5M flew in. Next day aircraft from these units raided Calcutta and Akyab, as the carrier airgroups attacked Colombo. A 2,000 ton minelayer was claimed sunk in the harbour at Akyab, while strafing A6M pilots claimed a Hurricane and a transport aircraft destroyed on the airfield, where bomber crews claimed a large and small aircraft destroyed by bombing. ...."

Brian drops in to this forum from time to time, so might be able to shed more light, if this was part of his research (and not the other co-authors).


...geoff

[Graham Boak]

Thanks for the responses. I even have the book. Ah well, I always believed message boards were a good source for learning things. Sorry for wasting peoples' time.

[Darius]

Hi friends,


thanks for this addition.

So let us wait for Brian


Regards

Darius

[Darius]

Hi,


from other sources:

The Admiralty War Diary States that the attack happened on the morning of the 6th.

Regards

Darius

[bearoutwest]

Originally Posted by Graham Boak

Thanks for the responses...... Sorry for wasting peoples' time.

Naahh, no waste of time. Just happened to be searching for other events around that timeline anyway. Your question made me think about the level of Japanese army/navy co-ordination in Malaya where there was a much higher level of air unit activity for both services.


Stay safe out there, everyone,
...geoff