Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN)
Striking Force: 1st Carrier Airfleet
Vice-Admiral Chuichi
Nagumo in Akagi
Cardiv 1
Akagi (F)—Capt. Kiichi Hasegawa
air group: 27 A6M2, 18 D3A1, 27 B5N2
Cardiv 2
Rear-Adm. Tamon Yamaguchi
Hiryu (F)—Capt. Kaku
air group: 21 A6M, 21 D3A, 21 B5N
Soryu—Capt. Ryusaku Yanagimoto
air group: 21 A6M, 21 D3A, 21 B5N
Cardiv 5
Rear-Adm. Hara
Zuikaku—Capt. Ichibei Yokokawa
air group: 18 A6M, 27 D3A, 27 B5N
Shokaku—Capt. Takatsugu Jojima
air group: 18 A6M, 27 D3A, 27 B5N
3rd BB Squadron
Rear-Adm. Gunichi Mikawa
Kongo (F)
Haruna
Hiei
Kirishima
8th Cruiser Squadron
Rear-Adm. Hiroki Abe
Tone (F)
Chikuma
Desron 1, 1st Fleet
Rear-Adm. Sentaro Omori
Abukuma
Desdiv 17
Urakaze—Cmdr. Nagayoshi Shiraishi
Tanikaze—Cmdr. Motoi Katsumi
Isokaze—Cmdr. Shunichi Toshima
Hamakaze—Cmdr. Tsuneo Orita
Desdiv 18, Desron 2, 2nd Fleet
Kasumi—Cmdr. Kiyoshi Tomura
Arare—Cmdr. Tomoe Ogata
Kagero—Cmdr. Terumichi Arimoto
Shiranuhi—Cmdr. Jisuo Akasawa
Akigumo—Cmdr. Shoohei Sooma (attached
directly from Cardiv 5, 1st Airfleet)
Malay Force (Raids into Bay of Bengal)
Vice-Adm. Jisaburo
Ozawa
Chokai (F)
7th Cruiser Squadron
Rear-Adm. Takeo Kurita
Kumano (F)
Mikuma
Mogami
Suzuya
Cardiv 4
Rear-Adm. Kakujo Kakuta
Ryujo
air group: 16 B5N
Desron 3, 1st Fleet
Yura
Desdiv 11
Fubuki—Cmdr. Masao Yamashita
Shirayuki—Lt. Cmdr. Rokorou Sugawara
Hatsuyki—Lt. Cmdr. Junnari Kamiura
Murakumo—Cmdr. Hideo Azuma
Desdiv 20
(replaced Desdiv 11
on April 3rd-4th, 1942)
Amagiri—Cmdr. Buichi Ashida
Asagiri—Cmdr. Nisaburo Maekawa
Shirakumo—Cmdr. Toyoji Hitomi
Yugiri—Cmdr. Masayushi Motokura
Submarine Force
(Positioned west of
India)
I-2
I-3
I-4
I-6
I-7
Royal Navy (RN)
Eastern Fleet
Vice-Adm. Sir James
Sommerville
Force A (Fast Force)
Aircraft Carriers
Rear-Adm. D. W. Boyd
Indomitable
air group: 9 Sea Hurricanes, 12
Fulmars, 24 Albacores
Formidable
air group: 16 Martlets, 21 Albacores,
1 Swordfish
Battleship
Warspite (F)
Heavy Cruisers:
Cornwall*—Capt. Manwaring
Dorsetshire*—Capt. Agar
Light Cruisers:
Emerald
Enterprise
Destroyers:
Napier (RAN)
Nestor (RAN)
Paladin
Panther
Hotspur
Foxhound
Force B (Slow Force)
Vice Adm. Willis
Battleships:
Resolution (F)
Ramilles
Royal Sovereign
Revenge
Aircraft Carrier:
Hermes*—Capt. Onslow
air group: 12 Swordfish
Light Cruisers:
Caledon
Dragon
Jacob Van Heemskerck (Dutch)
Destroyers:
Griffin
Norman (RAN)
Arrow
Vampire* (RAN)
Decoy
Fortune
Scout
Isaac Sweers (Dutch)
Other ships sunk in Colombo by 1st Carrier
Airfleet attack on April 5th , 1942:
Aux. Cruiser Hector*
DD Tenedos*
Sources:
1. Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War
by E. LaCroix & H. Wells II.
2. Chronology of the War at Sea 1939-1945
by J. Rohwer & G. Hummelchen
3. A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese
Navy (1941-1945) by P. Dull
4. Nihon Kaigun website