Map Description

History Map of WWII: The Far East and the Pacific 1941 / 1942

• Japanese Carrier Strikes / American Carrier Strikes
  
• Operations of the Japanese First Air Fleet 第一航空艦隊 (Daiichi Kōkū Kantai)
  December 7, 1941 - March 12, 1942
  

Notes:

"Mobile Task Force" - 機動部隊 (Kidō Butai) is the name for the operational carrier strike group formed from the Japanese First Air Fleet to carry out the respective operation.

The First Air Fleet or Carrier Striking Force was continually employed at sea from the time of the Pearl Harbor attack until the Doolittle Raid on April 18, 1942. On occasion, carriers were sent home to protect against American carrier strikes.

This map illustrates operations until March 12, 1942, but the First Air Fleet continued operations until the Battle of Midway (June 1942).

Illustrating:

American Carrier Strikes

• 1 Feb 1942 – Marshall Is. / Gilbert Is.
  Task Force 8 (USS Enterprise) striking the Marshall Islands and Task Force 17 (USS Yorktown) striking the Gilbert Islands.
  
  
• 24 Feb 1942 – Wake Island
  USS Enterprise (Task Force 16 under Admiral Halsey)
  
  
• 4 Mar 1942 – Marcus Island
  USS Enterprise (Task Force 16)
  
  
• 10 March 1942 – Salamaua and Lae (New Guinea)
  Coordinated air strikes were launched by USS Yorktown and USS Lexington.
• 18 April 1942 – Tokyo (Doolittle Raid)
  US Army Air Forces bombers launched from USS Hornet, struck Tokyo and other Japanese cities.
  
  

For more details on the U.S. Carrier Strikes see the Map of American Carrier Operations Dec 41 / Apr 42.

First Air Fleet - Vice Admiral Chūichi Nagumo (Commander-in Chief)

• 1st Carrier Division (Vice Admiral Chūichi Nagumo):
  CV Akagi
  CV Kaga
  


• 2nd Carrier Division (Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi):
  CV Hiryū
  CV Sōryū
  


• 5th Carrier Division (Vice Admiral Chūichi Hara*):
  CV Shōkaku
  CV Zuikaku
  

* = Hara was promoted to Rear Admiral on 15 November 1939 and subsequently promoted to Vice Admiral before the outbreak of the Pacific War.

Operations and Carrier Participation

1. Pearl Harbor Raid - Vice Adm Nagumo - 7 Dec 1941, 6 CV's
   All six carriers-Akagi, Kaga, Sōryū, Hiryū, Shōkaku, and Zuikaku-took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor under Nagumo’s command. In a surprise two-wave strike (beginning ~0800 on 7 Dec) Nagumo’s six carriers launched over 350 aircraft against Battleship Row and airfields at Oahu. The Japanese sank or heavily damaged 8 battleships (plus other warships) and destroyed 188 U.S. aircraft, crippling the U.S. Pacific Fleet for the months ahead. (All ships were intended targets, and though the carriers did not lose any planes, Nagumo’s force immediately retired afterward to refuel.)
   
   
2. Wake Island Support - Rear Adm Yamaguchi - 23 Dec 1941, 2 CV's
   Several days of aerial bombardment started on December 8, 1941. On December 11, 1941, the Japanese launched an amphibious assault and attempted to land approximately 450 Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF - naval infantry) troops on Wake Island’s south shore. This amphibious landing was repulsed by the island’s defenders, resulting in the sinking of two Japanese destroyers and the withdrawal of the invasion force.
   
   After the initial attack failed, Sōryū and Hiryū (2nd Carrier Division, under Rear Adm. Yamaguchi) were detached from the main force to support the second assault on Wake Island. This operation began on December 21, and succeeded on December 23, 1941. Carrier aircraft bombed U.S. Marine defenses on Wake (including at the airfield), and escorted transport ships that landed 1,500 Special Naval Landing Forces. After intense fighting the U.S. garrison withdrew into final defenses and surrendered
   
   
3. Bismarck and New Guinea Support - Vice Adm Nagumo - 20-22 Jan 1942, 4 CV's
   (Operations against Rabaul (New Britain) and Kavieng (New Ireland) occurred January 20-23, 1942.)
   
   Even though Nagumo's 1st Carrier Division and Hara’s 5th Carrier Division belonged to Nagumo’s First Air Fleet, they operated under Vice Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue's Fourth Fleet, aka the South Seas Force, based at Truk (Central Pacific), command during the Rabaul operation, as they were tasked with the conquest of eastern New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago (including Rabaul), and the Solomon Islands.
   
   Beginning on 20 Jan, the four carriers (under Inoue) launched multiple air strikes on Rabaul (New Britain). Over 100 carrier aircraft bombed RAAF airfields and coastal batteries, knocking out the last 12 Allied fighters and destroying shore guns. With heavy bombardment on 22–23 Jan and no effective Allied air cover, Japanese troops landed and quickly overran the garrison. Rabaul’s fall gave Japan a major forward base for New Guinea and threatened Allied lines. The U.S. 3rd Pursuit Squadron withdrew on 23 Jan.
   
   
4. Raid on Amboina - Rear Adm Yamaguchi - 24-25 Feb 1942, 2 CV's
   
   
5. Sortie against Halsey - Rear Adm Yamaguchi - 1 Feb 1942, 4 CV's
   On February 1, 1942, Vice Admiral Halsey's US carrier force raided the Marshall and Gilbert Islands. Japanese carriers responded, but the main body (four carriers) did not make direct contact with Halsey's force.
   
   
6. Raid on Darwin - Vice Adm Nagumo - 19 Feb 1942, 4 CV's
   The bombing of Darwin was carried out by Akagi, Kaga, Sōryū, and Hiryū under Nagumo.
   
   In the largest Japanese strike on Australia, 242 carrier-based bombers from Nagumo’s fleet attacked Darwin’s harbor and airfields. The raids (in two waves starting ~0930) sank or damaged at least 11 ships (including the destroyer USS Peary) and destroyed dozens of aircraft on the ground.
   
   Allied defenses at Darwin were minimal, so the Japanese suffered few losses. The attack was intended to prevent Australia from interfering with the Java invasion; it left Darwin devastated and prompted major Allied dispersals.
   
   
7. Raid on Tjilatjap and Support of Java Operations - Vice Adm Nagumo - 3 Mar 1942, 4 CV's
   Japanese carriers provided air support for operations in Java, including strikes on Tjilatjap, with four carriers participating.
   
   
8. Indian Ocean Raid - Vice Adm Nagumo - 6-12 Mar 1942, 5 CV's
   The raid occurred April 5-9, 1942, not March 6-12 The Indian Ocean Raid began in late March 1942 (not early March), with five carriers: Akagi, Kaga, Sōryū, Hiryū, and Shōkaku (Zuikaku was temporarily detached for resupply).
   
   

Carriers rotated for refit between operations (e.g. Hiryū refitted Sept 1941), but none was sent permanently elsewhere in this time frame.

Only after these operations (in April–May 1942) did the fleet begin to split: notably the 5th Carrier Division was detached to support Operation Mo (the invasion of Port Moresby), and later (after Midway) 1st and 2nd Divisions were largely destroyed.

Credits

Courtesy of the United States Military Academy Department of History.

Related Links

About the Pearl Harbor Attack
Exact Timeline of the Pearl Harbor Attack
About the Second World War
WWII Timelines
About Franklin D. Roosevelt
About Isoroku Yamamoto