Battle off Endau

The Battle off Endau was a Second World War naval battle. It took place off Endau on 27 January 1942. Part of the Battle of Malaya, it was the first major naval engagement since the sinking of the battleship HMS Prince of Wales (53) and the battlecruiser HMS Repulse (1916), and the last effort by the Royal Navy to intercept Japanese convoy shipping around the Malay Peninsula.

Two destroyers, HMS Thanet and HMAS Vampire were dispatched from Singapore Naval Base to break up Japanese landings at Endau. Sailing under the cover of darkness, they were able to locate the convoy anchored there without being detected by land-based bombers. Despite inflicting damage, they were repulsed by the convoy's naval escorts, and HMS Thanet was sunk.

The Royal Air Force also failed to inflict significant damage, losing half of their total strength attacking the beachhead on 26 January, while the Japanese lost only 9 aircraft.

Background
The sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse left the task of intercepting Japanese convoys to only five submarines of the Royal Netherlands Navy. Royal Navy ships were absent as most were being withdrawn or were escorting convoys to and from Ceylon and the Dutch East Indies. The Dutch recorded their first success when the troopship Awajisan Maru was sunk off Kota Bharu on 12 December 1941, probably by the HNLMS K-XII. On 24 December 1941, the HNLMS K XVI sank the destroyer Sagiri off the coast of Kuching, Borneo, the first Japanese warship to be sunk by torpedo. Several other vessels were also damaged or sunk during the early weeks, but the cost was high for the Dutch submarines and it had little success.

One American submarine, USS Seadragon, also intercepted Japanese convoys near Cam Ranh Bay, Indochina, but failed to sink any ships. It was not until the Japanese landed troops on Endau that the Royal Navy was ordered to commit their vessels into action, albeit only two of them. By this time, the remaining Dutch submarines had been recalled for the Dutch East Indies campaign.

Endau
On 20 January 1942, a Japanese convoy of 11 troopships departed Cam Ranh Bay, Indochina, to unload ground forces at Singora, of which two would proceed to Endau. The two transports, Kansai Maru and Kanbera Maru, were carrying troops of the 18th Division. Personnel from the 96th Airfield Battalion were also on board, assigned with bringing the airfields of Kahang and Kluang into operation. They were escorted by the Japanese cruiser Sendai and six destroyers, Fubuki, Hatsuyuki, Shirayuki, Asagiri, Amagiri, Yugiri and five minesweepers.

An invasion of Mersing by beach landings was originally planned by the Japanese, but believing that the allied defences there were formidable, they decided to land troops on Endau instead. Although ground forces captured Endau on 21 January, their strength was insufficient to break through the allied Sungei-Mersing defence. The allied force defending the east coast of Johore was codenamed Eastforce, commanded by Brigadier Harold Taylor.

Air attacks
Malaya Command was aware that the Japanese force would soon be reinforced by naval convoy, a suspicion confirmed on 26 January when two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Lockheed Hudson aircraft sighted them 20 miles north of Endau. Although they spotted the Japanese convoy at 0745, their radio transmissions were jammed, and news did not reach higher command until they landed in Singapore at 0920. The RAF decided to attack the convoy with all available aircraft. Launching of any attack was delayed, however, as the Vickers Vildebeest and Fairey Albacore torpedo bombers of 36 Squadron and 100 Squadron RAF had been carrying out raids against targets on land, meaning that an attack could not be launched until that afternoon. However, their decision to use the elderly Vildebeest biplanes against the ships in daylight came as a shock to the pilots, who had been restricted to the relative safety of night sorties following the first day of the invasion.

The first air attack was carried out by the Vildebeests of 36 and 100 Squadrons and the Hudsons of 1 Squadron and 8 Squadron RAAF. Twelve Vildebeests (three from 36 Squadron), together with nine Lockheed Hudson bombers took off from Singapore in the early afternoon of January 26, with a fighter escort composed of twelve Brewster F2A Buffalos and nine Hawker Hurricanes. Japanese landings on Endau had been in progress for over four hours by the time the planes arrived at 1500. The Japanese naval force had air cover consisting of 19 Nakajima Ki-27s fighters and a single Nakajima Ki-44. Despite heavy opposition, the two transports were bombed, and men and equipment on the beach were strafed. Five Vildebeests were lost in the attack, including the commanding officer of 100 Squadron, while one Ki-27 was shot down.

A second wave set off from Singapore at 1615, consisting of seven Vildebeests and three Albacores of 36 Squadron and two Vildebeests of 100 Squadron. They arrived at Endau at 1730, but their escort of seven Hurricanes and four Buffalos were late and the British biplanes were set upon by the Japanese fighters before their escorts could reach them. Five Vildebeests, two Albacores and one Hurricane were lost from this wave. Of the 72 aircrew from 36 and 100 Squadrons who participated in both raids, 27 were killed, seven were wounded and two were captured. The returning pilots were congratulated by Air Vice-Marshal Paul Maltby, who promised them that further daylight attacks were unnecessary.

A third raid, consisting of six unescorted Hudsons of 62 Squadron RAF, flying from Palembang, Sumatra, attacked shortly afterwards, losing two of their number to Japanese fighters. A fourth raid, five Bristol Blenheims of 27 Squadron RAF set off from Palembang later in the day, but had only got as far as Singapore by sunset, so aborted the mission.

Royal Navy
The Royal Navy received reports that an unescorted convoy was anchored at Endau. HMAS Vampire and HMS Thanet were tasked with intercepting the convoy and breaking up the landings. Thanet was under the command of Lt Cdr Bernard Davies, while Vampire was under Lt Cdr William Moran. The destroyers departed Singapore Naval Base at 1630 and headed north for Seribuat Archipelago where there had been reports of another anchored Japanese convoy. Arriving at Seribuat at 0200 the next morning but encountering no Japanese vessels there, the destroyers headed for Endau.

Japanese naval intelligence, however, incorrectly reported them as two cruisers, further exaggerating that there were British submarines in the area. Therefore, the convoy's naval escort of one light cruiser and six destroyers were recalled to intercept the 'cruisers'; their original task was to escort convoys to Borneo, and were not covering the landings on Endau.

Battle
While approaching Endau, they engaged what they believe was a destroyer at 0237, which was actually the Japanese minesweeper W-4. Vampire launched two torpedoes at the minesweeper but missed. The allied destroyers continued sailing towards Endau, while the Japanese minesweeper alerted the convoy.

At 0318, Thanet and Vampire engaged the convoy's naval escorts of one light cruiser and six destroyers. Vampire launched its remaining torpedo at Shirayuki but missed, while Thanet launched all four of her torpedoes which also missed. Both destroyers then opened fire with their 4-inch naval guns, while Sendai and Shirayuki returned fire. The allied destroyers retired southeast at maximum speed.

Thanet was hit in the engine and boiler rooms at 0400. Her speed was greatly reduced and an explosion wrecked the destroyer. Dead in the water, Thanet listed heavily to starboard and began to sink. The Vampire laid a smokescreen in an effort to shield the sinking ship, but was illuminated by searchlights from Shirayuki and continuously attacked by Amagiri and Hatsuyuki. HMS Thanet sank at 0415. The Vampire, still under attack and unable to pick up survivors, narrowly escaped undamaged and without casualties.

Aftermath
Both troop transports, the Kansai Maru and Kanbera Maru were heavily damaged in the engagement, while one destroyer was reported beached. Although 31 survivors from HMS Thanet were picked up by the destroyer Shirayuki, they were never seen again. About 40-60 of the crew of 116 managed to reach shore. Joined by downed Commonwealth pilots, they made their way to Singapore.

Despite Japanese troops being reinforced by the convoy, Brigadier Taylor had been given orders from Lt Gen Lewis Heath to withdraw Eastforce from Mersing on 25 January.