Operation RY

Operation RY (Invasion of Nauru & Ocean Island) was the name of the Imperial Japanese plan to invade and occupy Nauru and Ocean islands in the south Pacific during the Pacific conflict of World War II. The operation was originally set to be executed in May 1942 immediately following Operation MO and before Operation MI, which resulted in the Battle of Midway. The primary reason for the operation was to exploit the islands' supplies of phosphate. After a postponement due to interference by enemy forces, the operation was completed in August 1942.

Background
Before and during World War II, Nauru and Ocean Island were isolated but fabulously rich with phosphate deposits. The islands were under Australian mandate control with the British Phosphate Commissioners (BPC) running the phosphate mining. The phosphate deposits were mined for making ammunition, explosives and fertilizers.

The German auxiliary cruisers Orion and Komet sank five merchant ships and bombarded the island causing damage to the phosphate mining, disrupting the allies production of phosphate. Following the raids the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board requested that the British Admiralty agree to redeploy Australian naval units to meet the threat posed by raiders. HMAS Manoora arrived off Ocean Island on 4 January 1941 and Australian and New Zealand warships maintained a continual presence off the islands during the subsequent months and a naval company and two field guns were deployed to each island. The attacks also led to the introduction of convoys between Australia and New Zealand.

In late February 1942, as a Japanese invasion of Nauru and Ocean Island was feared, the Free French destroyer Triomphant departed the New Hebrides to evacuate both Nauru and Ocean Island. The ship arrived on 23 February and completed the evacuation without serious incident.

Although Operation MO was cancelled on 8 May 1942 immediately following the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Imperial Japanese Navy forces departed Rabaul and Bougainville on 11 May to execute the RY operation.

First invasion attempt
On 11 May 1942, the Imperial Japanese invasion force, under the command of Rear Admiral Shima Kiyohide departed Rabaul consisting of the cruiser Tatsuta, the minelayers Okinoshima (flagship) and Tsugaru and destroyers Uzuki and Yuzuki, covered by 5th Cruiser Division, under the command of Rear Admiral Takeo Takagi, consisting of heavy cruisers Myoko and Haguro with the Destroyer Division 30 destroyers Ariake, Mochizuki, Shigure and Shiratsuyu. The invasion troops from the 6th Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) and Kashima SNLF were carried by the transports Kinryū Maru and Takahata Maru.

While steaming through driving rain off New Ireland and west of Buka Island, Okinoshima, which had been damaged by planes from Yorktown during the invasion of Tulagi on 4 May 1942, was torpedoed at 0452 by the United States Navy submarine USS S-42 (Commander Oliver G. Kirk) and severely damaged. The invasion force's escorts closed S-42 and depth charged the area until 1130, causing damage. The submarine left the area to return to base at Moreton Bay, Brisbane. Rear Admiral Shima transferred his flag to Yuzuki southwest of Buka Island, Bougainville. At 0640, Okinoshima capsized under tow by Mochizuki in St. George's Channel at -5.1°N, 153.8°W.

While returning to Rabaul after being dispatched to assist repair work on Okinoshima, the repair ship Shoei Maru was torpedoed off Cape St George, New Ireland, by USS S-44. She sank at 1440 at -4.85°N, 152.9°W.

In spite of the loss of Okinoshima, the rest of the Japanese forces continued with the operation. As these forces were en route, however, a Japanese reconnaissance aircraft from Tulagi sighted the United States Navy aircraft carriers Enterprise and Hornet heading towards Nauru. The two US carriers, acting on intelligence taken from intercepted Japanese communications, had been sent to the area as a feint to try to stop the Japanese operation.

The feint was successful. Fearing the threat posed by the US carriers to the RY forces, which did not have air cover, the Japanese cancelled the operation on 15 May and the naval forces returned to Rabaul.

Second Invasion Attempt
A second invasion force departed Truk on 26 August 1942, consisting of the cruiser Yubari, the destroyers Oite, Yuzuki, Ariake, Yugure and Yunagi and the transport Hakozaki Maru.

The landing forces landed on Nauru on 29 August and Ocean Island on 30 August unopposed.

Base Development
Japanese forces occupied the two islands until the end of the war, but became increasingly isolated as the war progressed.

Allied Attacks
During the occupation of Nauru, American aircraft repeatedly bombed the island's facilities.

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 * (translation of excerpts from the Senshi Sōshō)