Forming Force Z

With one of my regular opponents rather taken with our initial naval games using Naval Thunder, he placed a small order with Navwar for a Japanese and American squadron for the Pacific. It therefore seemed fitting to flesh out a Royal Navy squadron for service in the Far East. Then at least I could face his Japanese on the table. 

But what should I use as a basis for my Far Eastern Fleet? An obvious option was using my existing Queen Elizabeth class ships and basing operations around the Japanese Indian Ocean Raid of 1942. While that had some appeal I believed something a little more focused on the Far East was needed. It didn't take long to determine that the Royal Navy needed support of a couple of different capital ships. What better place to start than Force Z.

HMS Prince of Wales entering Singapore in December 1941.

Much has of course been written about the decisions to send HMS Price of Wales and HMS Repulse to the Far East, as well as the miscalculations on force strength, composition and Japanese capability. That aside Force Z's structure has a certain appeal. While both ships were of course lost to air attack fictional surface actions against the Malayan invasion convoys or Japanese battleships provide plenty of scenarios to explore. Below, both ships at sea.

HMS Prince of Wales was a recent addition to the Royal Navy, entering service in January 1941. Soon after she was engaged against the Bismarck at the Battle of the Denmark Strait. Then in September she operated as part of Force H out of Gibraltar where she escorted a convoy to Malta. Here she fought off an Italian air attack. 

By October she was on her way to Singapore joining HMS Repulse in Ceylon. At this stage they, along with four destroyers, were designated as Force G. On arrival in Singapore on the 2nd of December 1941 they became Force Z.

Above, a more detailed view of HMS Prince of Wales (with Repulse in support). As far as the model is concerned she is well cast with considerable detail, including a Walrus floatplane. I chose to model her  as she appeared at the Battle of Denmark Strait rather than the more complicated camouflage she carried in Singapore. At least that way I could be guaranteed to have one historical surface action. 

Above and below, HMS Prince of Wales is subjected to an air attack. Two attending destroyers, HMAS Vampire and HMS Electra are visible in the background.

While HMS Prince of Wales was modern, HMS Repulse was somewhat older. First commissioned in 1916 she would have several refits and a major reconstruction starting in 1933. After war broke out she would serve in the Atlantic and be involved in the Norwegian Campaign. Like a number of ships Repulse would join the hunt for the Bismarck. 

As to the colour scheme I opted to complete her in the camouflage she carried in the Far East, shown in above as she departs Singapore on the 8th of December. Just discernible in the photo below is this two tone scheme.

Both HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse were of course lost on the 10th of December 1941 off the coast of Malaya to air attack.

Now, as you touched on previously on route to Singapore the ships formed, along with four destroyers, Force G. The destroyers at this point were HMS Electra, HMS Express, HMS Encounter and HMS Jupiter. However, when Force Z sailed from Singapore the destroyers attached were HMS Electra, HMS Express, HMS Tenedos and HMAS Vampire. It was these last four I selected to model. Below, the four destroyers ready to support the capital ships.

The first two were of relatively modern E Class destroyers. Each carried four 4.7" guns, mounted in single mounts, and two quadruple 21" torpedo launchers. HMS Electra was involved in the Norwegian Campaign and the Battle of Narvik. Later she would form part of the escort in the Battle of the Denmark Strait. While surviving the air attacks against Force Z she would be lost in the Battle of the Java Sea. HMS Express was involved in the Dunkirk evacuations and, after the operations as part of Force Z, escorted convoys around Singapore before playing a support role for the invasion of Madagascar in 1942. In 1943 she was loaned to the Canadian Navy and renamed Gatineau.

HMS Tenedos was commissioned in 1919. Her armament was slight with just three 4" guns in single mounts supplemented by four 21" torpedoes in twin mounts. This was supplemented by minimal anti-aircraft armament. She was in the Far East in 1939 and prior to hostilities with Japan was active in laying mines. She was not with Force Z when it was subjected to air attack, having previously been released to return to Singapore due to being low on fuel. She was eventually sunk in Colombo harbour in Ceylon on the 5th April 1942 when subjected to a Japanese air raid. 

The final destroyer of Force Z was Vampire, a V class destroyer commissioned in 1917 as HMS Vampire. She had four 4" guns in single mounts two forward and two aft. This was supplemented by six 21" torpedoes in two triple mounts. She was loaned to the Australian navy in 1933 and recommissioned as HMAS Vampire. She was soon placed in reserve commission until reactivated in 1938. She then served an active career in the Mediterranean theatre as part of the "Scrap Iron Flotilla" before returning to Singapore for repairs. After the loss of Force Z she was engaged at the night engagement at the Battle of Endau off Malaya from which she escaped. She was however lost, along with HMS Hermes, in the Indian Ocean on the 9th of April 1942.

Below, Force Z as it departs Singapore on the 8th of December 1941.


So what are the options for surface actions? Historically after receiving reports of a Japanese convoy bound for Malaya, Force Z, sailed from Singapore on the 8th of December 1941. Admiral Phillips hoped to attack off Singora on the 10th of December. Had he departed one day earlier he might have achieved his objective without coming under air attack at all, for the specialised Japanese squadrons had not yet arrived. Japanese covering forces protecting the invasion convoys ranged form destroyers and a light cruiser in direct protection to heavy cruisers and two Japanese Kongo class battleships in distant support. With such a range of vessels scope for an interesting surface action certainly exists. 

Alternately, if after breaking off Force Z was not detected they may have made it back to Singapore. Reinforced she may have remained a force in being. Either way Force Z will make an appearance in due course on my wargames table.


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