Sea Your History - Forgotten Fleet

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Forgotten Fleet

The role of the Royal Navy in the Pacific

The Pacific fleet is sometimes called the forgotten fleet due to its relatively small participation compared to the Americans in the Pacific War and because they were still engaged in the war against Japan when the war in Europe had been won. These ships came back in dribs and drabs with no ceremonies and no parades, hence the term 'forgotten fleets'.

On 7 December 1941 the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour with devastating results, but the American aircraft carriers were out at sea and survived. The following day the Allies declared a war on Japan, which was to last for the next four years.

Japan’s expansion in the early years of the war was rapid. Britain’s fleet, occupied with the war in Europe could spare few ships to send to the Pacific. The combined ABDA (American, British, Dutch, Australian) force under the command of the Dutch Admiral Karel Doorman was soon overwhelmed before new forces could arrive.

Force Z, a small but powerful Royal Naval force arrived at Singapore but crucially without an aircraft carrier. This lack of air cover resulted in the sinking of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse on the 10 December 1941 when attacked by a large force of Japanese aircraft. With this the Japanese had succeeded in destroying Allied maritime power in the western Pacific. Gradually, though, the Americans were to regain that power and the Pacific war became essentially an American one. Eventually the Royal Navy began to play a strategic and important part in their success.