Secret

Friday 30th January 1942

(Continued)

Enemy Activities.

S.S. JALAPALAKA sunk by submarine gunfire 30 miles W.S.W. of Madras, at 1300Z/3Q. S.S. JALATARANG gunned and sunk by torpedo 50 miles W. of Madras. 13 missing from JALAPALAKA, 11 survivors from JALATARANG landed Colombo.

Operations and Movements

Commander-in-Chief Eastern Fleet ordered Rear Admiral MALAYA to sail Trusty for Batavia as convenient (0735/30; Truant was ordered to leave Colombo for Batavia on 1st Febr. These two submarines were ordered to operate with the Dutch submarines under the orders of Commander-in-Chief Netherlands Naval Forces in the East Indies, unless otherwise arranged by ABDACOM.

ABDIEL sailed from Port Blair for Trincomalee on completion of mining operations.

There was considerable enemy air activity in the Banka Straits area, EXPRESS (towing ROVER) reported one engine out of action at 0850Z; later reported being bombed in position 137 ULTB 16 at 1214 GH, MARYBOROUGH in 020 ULTB 3 at 1753GH, and HOBART, who reported all well. Commodore Commanding China Force sent from Sourabaya for Colombo for repairs to damage to outer bottom.

MALAYA AND SINGAPORE

Army withdrawal continued. Preparations made to evacuate large numbers of troops across Johore Straits by small craft.

Keppel Harbour and Singapore Dock area were heavily bombed. U.S.S. Wakefield damaged. EMPRESS OF JAPAN and DUCHESS OF BEDFORD holed above waterline by near misses.

These three ships, escorted by DRAGON and DURBAN, however, sailed from Singapore later for Colombo, with more then 4,000 evacees, dockyard, naval, military, and air personnel.

Singapore Dockyard closed down. Commodore Superintendent and all Heads of Departments, except CD, CE, NSO, VSO, and skeleton staffs, left in WEST POINT.

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