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The 2 Fleet
was the scouting force
of the Japanese Navy and
included most of its formidable heavy
cruisers. Under the Japanese Decisive Battle
Doctrine, in the event of war with the Americans, it was
responsible for carrying out a preliminary night attack against the
American fleet with massed torpedoes,
after which the heavy guns of the main battle force (1 Fleet) would
deliver the coup de grâce.
However, the war played out rather differently. Because of the
Japanese reluctance to commit 1 Fleet to the attrition
warfare of the South Pacific,
the cruisers and destroyers of 2
Fleet fought many of the surface actions of the
Pacific War.
| Distant
Cover Force (Kondo;
in South
China Sea) |
||||
| |
First section, Battleship Division 3 | On loan from First Fleet | ||
| |
BB Haruna | |||
| BB Kongo | ||||
| First section, Cruiser Division 4 (Kondo) | ||||
| CA Takao | ||||
| CA Atago | ||||
| Element, Destroyer Division 6 | On loan from DesRon1, First Fleet | |||
| DD Akatsuki | ||||
| DD Hibiki | ||||
| Elements, Destroyer Squadron 2 (Tanaka) | ||||
| Destroyer Division 8 | ||||
| |
DD Arashio | |||
| DD Asashio | ||||
| DD Oshio | ||||
| DD Michishio | ||||
| Destroyer Division 4 | On loan from DesRon4 | |||
| DD Maikaze | ||||
| |
|
|
DD Nowake | |
| DD Hagikaze | ||||
| Main Body (Ozawa; in Gulf of Siam) | ||||
| |
CA Chokai |
From CruDiv4 | ||
| Cruiser Division 7 (Kurita) | ||||
| |
CA Kumano | |||
| CA Mikuma | ||||
| CA Mogami | ||||
| CA Suzuya | ||||
| Elements, Destroyer Squadron 3 | On loan from First Fleet | |||
| CL Kashii | ||||
| Destroyer Division 11 | ||||
| |
DD Fubuki | |||
| |
|
|
DD Hatsuyuki | |
| DD Shirayuki | ||||
| DD Sagirii | On loan from DesDiv20 | |||
| Singora Attack Force (off Singora) | ||||
| |
Elements,
Destroyer Division 20 |
On loan from DesRon3, First Fleet | ||
| |
DD Amagiri | |||
| DD Asagiri | ||||
| DD Yugiri | ||||
| DD Isonami | On loan from DesDiv19 | |||
| Seaplane Tender Squadron 12 | On loan from Third Fleet | |||
| CVS Kamikawa Maru | ||||
| |
6 F1M2 Pete | |||
| 2 E8N Dave | ||||
| 4 E13A Jake | ||||
| AV Sagara Maru | On loan from Base Force 9, Southern Fleet | |||
| 6 F1M2 Pete | ||||
| 2 E8N Dave | ||||
| AP Ryujo Maru (10,479 tons, 9.5 knots) | Army command ship | |||
| AP Horai Maru (9192 tons, 14.5 knots) | Army pool | |||
| AK Taizan Maru (3525 tons) | Army pool | |||
| AM W-1 AM W-3 AM W-4 |
||||
| 10 other AP from the Army pool | ||||
| 5 Division HQ plus 41 Regiment |
||||
| Patani Attack Force (off Patani) | Appears to have been a force of fast transports and cargo carriers without escort. | |
| AP Tozan
Maru (8666 tons) |
||
| AP Kinka Maru (9305 tons, 17 knots) | ||
| AK Azosan Maru (8812 tons, 16.5 knots) | ||
| AK Toro Maru (1932 tons) | ||
| 1 other AK | ||
| 42 Regiment | Detached from 5 Division, 25 Army. | |
| Kota Baharu Attack Force (Hashimoto; landing troops at Kota Baharu) | ||||
| |
Elements, Destroyer Squadron 3 | On loan from First Fleet | ||
| |
CL Sendai | |||
| Destroyer Division 12 | ||||
| |
DD Murakumo | |||
| DD Shinonome | ||||
| DD Shirakumo | ||||
| Destroyer Division 19 | ||||
| DD Ayaname | ||||
| DD Shikiname | ||||
| DD Uraname | ||||
| AP Sakura Maru (7167 tons, 18 knots) | ||||
| AP Awagisan Maru (9794 tons, 17 knots) | Sunk 1941-12-8 by aircraft
off Kota Baharu |
|||
| AP Ayatosan Maru (9788 tons, 17 knots) | ||||
| AM W-2 |
||||
| 56 Regiment (Hiroshi Takumi) | ||||
References
CombinedFleet.com (accessed 2007-3-15)
http://www.freeport-tech.com/WWII (accessed 2002; now defunct)
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007, 2013 by Kent G. Budge. Index
