The Battleship Era Sank Along With HMS Prince of Wales

Summary

This article by Robert Farley in the National Interest makes the following points about Force Z in WW2:

• HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Repulse, and HMS Indomitable (aircraft carrier) deployed to the Pacific in response to growing Japanese assertiveness.
• Indomitable was damaged and couldn’t sail with the other vessels.
• Prince of Wales and Repulse were sent out to disrupt the Japanese invasion of Malaya.
• The two ships, therefore, did not have air cover and were quickly sunk by land-based Japanese aircraft.
• Previous successful air attacks on battleships were against stationary targets (Pearl Harbor) or as part of combined ops.
• Up to this point, the British had not lost capital ships to air attack.
• Other Royal Navy experiences, such as the defence of Crete, seemed to demonstrate that modern battleships under power could survive air attacks.
• The Royal Navy and the US Navy seriously underestimated the effectiveness of Japanese air power.

References

• MILITARY HISTORY: INDEX of PAGES AND COLLECTIONS ON THE RAAF RUNWAY
• 1955 Loss of HM Ships Prince of Wales and Repulse- Naval Staff History WW2
• MAY 2015 Force Z and Singapore –History Learning Site.
• DEC 2021 Remembering destruction of Force Z in S. China Sea-OC
• Sinking of the HMS Repulse-History of Diving Museum

Source Information: National Interest The

• Link to Source: The National Interest: Defense, National Security, Politics and More
• Media Check:  Center for the National Interest - Media Bias/Fact Check (mediabiasfactcheck.com)
• RAAF RUNWAY: RATIONALE, GUIDELINES, LEARNING OUTCOMES, ETC |