CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html> <html class="client-nojs vector-feature-language-in-header-enabled vector-feature-language-in-main-page-header-disabled vector-feature-page-tools-pinned-disabled vector-feature-toc-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-main-menu-pinned-disabled vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled vector-feature-custom-font-size-clientpref-1 vector-feature-appearance-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-night-mode-enabled skin-theme-clientpref-day vector-sticky-header-enabled vector-toc-available" lang="en" dir="ltr"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8"> <title>Force Z - Wikipedia</title> <script>(function(){var className="client-js vector-feature-language-in-header-enabled vector-feature-language-in-main-page-header-disabled vector-feature-page-tools-pinned-disabled vector-feature-toc-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-main-menu-pinned-disabled vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled vector-feature-custom-font-size-clientpref-1 vector-feature-appearance-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-night-mode-enabled skin-theme-clientpref-day vector-sticky-header-enabled vector-toc-available";var cookie=document.cookie.match(/(?:^|; )enwikimwclientpreferences=([^;]+)/);if(cookie){cookie[1].split('%2C').forEach(function(pref){className=className.replace(new RegExp('(^| )'+pref.replace(/-clientpref-\w+$|[^\w-]+/g,'')+'-clientpref-\\w+( |$)'),'$1'+pref+'$2');});}document.documentElement.className=className;}());RLCONF={"wgBreakFrames":false,"wgSeparatorTransformTable":["",""],"wgDigitTransformTable":["",""],"wgDefaultDateFormat":"dmy", "wgMonthNames":["","January","February","March","April","May","June","July","August","September","October","November","December"],"wgRequestId":"155014bf-76fc-422c-b058-4a25e1063663","wgCanonicalNamespace":"","wgCanonicalSpecialPageName":false,"wgNamespaceNumber":0,"wgPageName":"Force_Z","wgTitle":"Force Z","wgCurRevisionId":1268310239,"wgRevisionId":1268310239,"wgArticleId":1294891,"wgIsArticle":true,"wgIsRedirect":false,"wgAction":"view","wgUserName":null,"wgUserGroups":["*"],"wgCategories":["Use dmy dates from July 2017","Use British English from July 2017","Articles needing additional references from January 2013","All articles needing additional references","Articles with short description","Short description is different from Wikidata","Royal Navy task forces","Military units and formations of the Royal Navy in World War II"],"wgPageViewLanguage":"en","wgPageContentLanguage":"en","wgPageContentModel":"wikitext","wgRelevantPageName":"Force_Z","wgRelevantArticleId":1294891, "wgIsProbablyEditable":true,"wgRelevantPageIsProbablyEditable":true,"wgRestrictionEdit":[],"wgRestrictionMove":[],"wgNoticeProject":"wikipedia","wgCiteReferencePreviewsActive":false,"wgFlaggedRevsParams":{"tags":{"status":{"levels":1}}},"wgMediaViewerOnClick":true,"wgMediaViewerEnabledByDefault":true,"wgPopupsFlags":0,"wgVisualEditor":{"pageLanguageCode":"en","pageLanguageDir":"ltr","pageVariantFallbacks":"en"},"wgMFDisplayWikibaseDescriptions":{"search":true,"watchlist":true,"tagline":false,"nearby":true},"wgWMESchemaEditAttemptStepOversample":false,"wgWMEPageLength":20000,"wgEditSubmitButtonLabelPublish":true,"wgULSPosition":"interlanguage","wgULSisCompactLinksEnabled":false,"wgVector2022LanguageInHeader":true,"wgULSisLanguageSelectorEmpty":false,"wgWikibaseItemId":"Q5467466","wgCheckUserClientHintsHeadersJsApi":["brands","architecture","bitness","fullVersionList","mobile","model","platform","platformVersion"],"GEHomepageSuggestedEditsEnableTopics":true,"wgGETopicsMatchModeEnabled": false,"wgGEStructuredTaskRejectionReasonTextInputEnabled":false,"wgGELevelingUpEnabledForUser":false};RLSTATE={"ext.globalCssJs.user.styles":"ready","site.styles":"ready","user.styles":"ready","ext.globalCssJs.user":"ready","user":"ready","user.options":"loading","ext.cite.styles":"ready","skins.vector.search.codex.styles":"ready","skins.vector.styles":"ready","skins.vector.icons":"ready","jquery.makeCollapsible.styles":"ready","ext.wikimediamessages.styles":"ready","ext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.noscript":"ready","ext.uls.interlanguage":"ready","wikibase.client.init":"ready","ext.wikimediaBadges":"ready"};RLPAGEMODULES=["ext.cite.ux-enhancements","ext.scribunto.logs","site","mediawiki.page.ready","jquery.makeCollapsible","mediawiki.toc","skins.vector.js","ext.centralNotice.geoIP","ext.centralNotice.startUp","ext.gadget.ReferenceTooltips","ext.gadget.switcher","ext.urlShortener.toolbar","ext.centralauth.centralautologin","mmv.bootstrap","ext.popups", "ext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.init","ext.visualEditor.targetLoader","ext.echo.centralauth","ext.eventLogging","ext.wikimediaEvents","ext.navigationTiming","ext.uls.interface","ext.cx.eventlogging.campaigns","ext.cx.uls.quick.actions","wikibase.client.vector-2022","ext.checkUser.clientHints","ext.growthExperiments.SuggestedEditSession"];</script> <script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.loader.impl(function(){return["user.options@12s5i",function($,jQuery,require,module){mw.user.tokens.set({"patrolToken":"+\\","watchToken":"+\\","csrfToken":"+\\"}); }];});});</script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=ext.cite.styles%7Cext.uls.interlanguage%7Cext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.noscript%7Cext.wikimediaBadges%7Cext.wikimediamessages.styles%7Cjquery.makeCollapsible.styles%7Cskins.vector.icons%2Cstyles%7Cskins.vector.search.codex.styles%7Cwikibase.client.init&only=styles&skin=vector-2022"> <script async="" src="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=startup&only=scripts&raw=1&skin=vector-2022"></script> <meta name="ResourceLoaderDynamicStyles" content=""> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=site.styles&only=styles&skin=vector-2022"> <meta name="generator" content="MediaWiki 1.44.0-wmf.17"> <meta name="referrer" content="origin"> <meta name="referrer" content="origin-when-cross-origin"> <meta name="robots" content="max-image-preview:standard"> <meta name="format-detection" content="telephone=no"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Japanese_high-level_bombing_attack_on_HMS_Prince_of_Wales_and_HMS_Repulse_on_10_December_1941_%28NH_60566%29.jpg/1200px-Japanese_high-level_bombing_attack_on_HMS_Prince_of_Wales_and_HMS_Repulse_on_10_December_1941_%28NH_60566%29.jpg"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="1200"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="1672"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Japanese_high-level_bombing_attack_on_HMS_Prince_of_Wales_and_HMS_Repulse_on_10_December_1941_%28NH_60566%29.jpg/800px-Japanese_high-level_bombing_attack_on_HMS_Prince_of_Wales_and_HMS_Repulse_on_10_December_1941_%28NH_60566%29.jpg"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="800"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="1114"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Japanese_high-level_bombing_attack_on_HMS_Prince_of_Wales_and_HMS_Repulse_on_10_December_1941_%28NH_60566%29.jpg/640px-Japanese_high-level_bombing_attack_on_HMS_Prince_of_Wales_and_HMS_Repulse_on_10_December_1941_%28NH_60566%29.jpg"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="640"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="892"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=1120"> <meta property="og:title" content="Force Z - Wikipedia"> <meta property="og:type" content="website"> <link rel="preconnect" href="//upload.wikimedia.org"> <link rel="alternate" media="only screen and (max-width: 640px)" href="//en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_Z"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/x-wiki" title="Edit this page" href="/w/index.php?title=Force_Z&action=edit"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/static/apple-touch/wikipedia.png"> <link rel="icon" href="/static/favicon/wikipedia.ico"> <link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="/w/rest.php/v1/search" title="Wikipedia (en)"> <link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" href="//en.wikipedia.org/w/api.php?action=rsd"> <link rel="canonical" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_Z"> <link rel="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Wikipedia Atom feed" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:RecentChanges&feed=atom"> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//meta.wikimedia.org" /> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="login.wikimedia.org"> </head> <body class="skin--responsive skin-vector skin-vector-search-vue mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject mw-editable page-Force_Z rootpage-Force_Z skin-vector-2022 action-view"><a class="mw-jump-link" href="#bodyContent">Jump to content</a> <div class="vector-header-container"> <header class="vector-header mw-header"> <div class="vector-header-start"> <nav class="vector-main-menu-landmark" aria-label="Site"> <div id="vector-main-menu-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-main-menu-dropdown vector-button-flush-left vector-button-flush-right" title="Main menu" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-main-menu-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-main-menu-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Main menu" > <label id="vector-main-menu-dropdown-label" for="vector-main-menu-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-menu mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-menu"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Main menu</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-main-menu-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> <div id="vector-main-menu" class="vector-main-menu vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-main-menu-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-unpinned" data-feature-name="main-menu-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-main-menu" data-pinned-container-id="vector-main-menu-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-main-menu-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Main menu</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-main-menu.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-main-menu.unpin">hide</button> </div> <div id="p-navigation" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-navigation" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Navigation </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="n-mainpage-description" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Main_Page" title="Visit the main page [z]" accesskey="z"><span>Main page</span></a></li><li id="n-contents" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents" title="Guides to browsing Wikipedia"><span>Contents</span></a></li><li id="n-currentevents" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Portal:Current_events" title="Articles related to current events"><span>Current events</span></a></li><li id="n-randompage" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:Random" title="Visit a randomly selected article [x]" accesskey="x"><span>Random article</span></a></li><li id="n-aboutsite" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:About" title="Learn about Wikipedia and how it works"><span>About Wikipedia</span></a></li><li id="n-contactpage" class="mw-list-item"><a href="//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us" title="How to contact Wikipedia"><span>Contact us</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-interaction" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-interaction" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Contribute </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="n-help" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Help:Contents" title="Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia"><span>Help</span></a></li><li id="n-introduction" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Help:Introduction" title="Learn how to edit Wikipedia"><span>Learn to edit</span></a></li><li id="n-portal" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Community_portal" title="The hub for editors"><span>Community portal</span></a></li><li id="n-recentchanges" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChanges" title="A list of recent changes to Wikipedia [r]" accesskey="r"><span>Recent changes</span></a></li><li id="n-upload" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:File_upload_wizard" title="Add images or other media for use on Wikipedia"><span>Upload file</span></a></li><li id="n-specialpages" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:SpecialPages"><span>Special pages</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <a href="/wiki/Main_Page" class="mw-logo"> <img class="mw-logo-icon" src="/static/images/icons/wikipedia.png" alt="" aria-hidden="true" height="50" width="50"> <span class="mw-logo-container skin-invert"> <img class="mw-logo-wordmark" alt="Wikipedia" src="/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-wordmark-en.svg" style="width: 7.5em; height: 1.125em;"> <img class="mw-logo-tagline" alt="The Free Encyclopedia" src="/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-tagline-en.svg" width="117" height="13" style="width: 7.3125em; height: 0.8125em;"> </span> </a> </div> <div class="vector-header-end"> <div id="p-search" role="search" class="vector-search-box-vue vector-search-box-collapses vector-search-box-show-thumbnail vector-search-box-auto-expand-width vector-search-box"> <a href="/wiki/Special:Search" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only search-toggle" title="Search Wikipedia [f]" accesskey="f"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-search mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-search"></span> <span>Search</span> </a> <div class="vector-typeahead-search-container"> <div class="cdx-typeahead-search cdx-typeahead-search--show-thumbnail cdx-typeahead-search--auto-expand-width"> <form action="/w/index.php" id="searchform" class="cdx-search-input cdx-search-input--has-end-button"> <div id="simpleSearch" class="cdx-search-input__input-wrapper" data-search-loc="header-moved"> <div class="cdx-text-input cdx-text-input--has-start-icon"> <input class="cdx-text-input__input" type="search" name="search" placeholder="Search Wikipedia" aria-label="Search Wikipedia" autocapitalize="sentences" title="Search Wikipedia [f]" accesskey="f" id="searchInput" > <span class="cdx-text-input__icon cdx-text-input__start-icon"></span> </div> <input type="hidden" name="title" value="Special:Search"> </div> <button class="cdx-button cdx-search-input__end-button">Search</button> </form> </div> </div> </div> <nav class="vector-user-links vector-user-links-wide" aria-label="Personal tools"> <div class="vector-user-links-main"> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-preferences" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-userpage" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <nav class="vector-appearance-landmark" aria-label="Appearance"> <div id="vector-appearance-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown " title="Change the appearance of the page's font size, width, and color" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-appearance-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-appearance-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Appearance" > <label id="vector-appearance-dropdown-label" for="vector-appearance-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-appearance mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-appearance"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Appearance</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-appearance-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-notifications" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-overflow" class="vector-menu mw-portlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-sitesupport-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="https://donate.wikimedia.org/?wmf_source=donate&wmf_medium=sidebar&wmf_campaign=en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en" class=""><span>Donate</span></a> </li> <li id="pt-createaccount-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Force+Z" title="You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory" class=""><span>Create account</span></a> </li> <li id="pt-login-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Force+Z" title="You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]" accesskey="o" class=""><span>Log in</span></a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div id="vector-user-links-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-user-menu vector-button-flush-right vector-user-menu-logged-out" title="Log in and more options" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-user-links-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-user-links-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Personal tools" > <label id="vector-user-links-dropdown-label" for="vector-user-links-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-ellipsis mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-ellipsis"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Personal tools</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="p-personal" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-personal user-links-collapsible-item" title="User menu" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-sitesupport" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="https://donate.wikimedia.org/?wmf_source=donate&wmf_medium=sidebar&wmf_campaign=en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en"><span>Donate</span></a></li><li id="pt-createaccount" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Force+Z" title="You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-userAdd mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-userAdd"></span> <span>Create account</span></a></li><li id="pt-login" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Force+Z" title="You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]" accesskey="o"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-logIn mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-logIn"></span> <span>Log in</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-user-menu-anon-editor" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-user-menu-anon-editor" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Pages for logged out editors <a href="/wiki/Help:Introduction" aria-label="Learn more about editing"><span>learn more</span></a> </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-anoncontribs" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyContributions" title="A list of edits made from this IP address [y]" accesskey="y"><span>Contributions</span></a></li><li id="pt-anontalk" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyTalk" title="Discussion about edits from this IP address [n]" accesskey="n"><span>Talk</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </header> </div> <div class="mw-page-container"> <div class="mw-page-container-inner"> <div class="vector-sitenotice-container"> <div id="siteNotice"></div> </div> <div class="vector-column-start"> <div class="vector-main-menu-container"> <div id="mw-navigation"> <nav id="mw-panel" class="vector-main-menu-landmark" aria-label="Site"> <div id="vector-main-menu-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="vector-sticky-pinned-container"> <nav id="mw-panel-toc" aria-label="Contents" data-event-name="ui.sidebar-toc" class="mw-table-of-contents-container vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-toc-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> <div id="vector-toc" class="vector-toc vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-toc-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-pinned" data-feature-name="toc-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-toc" > <h2 class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Contents</h2> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-toc.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-toc.unpin">hide</button> </div> <ul class="vector-toc-contents" id="mw-panel-toc-list"> <li id="toc-mw-content-text" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a href="#" class="vector-toc-link"> <div class="vector-toc-text">(Top)</div> </a> </li> <li id="toc-Background" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Background"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1</span> <span>Background</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Background-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Background subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Background-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Strategy_for_Far_East_reinforcement" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Strategy_for_Far_East_reinforcement"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.1</span> <span>Strategy for Far East reinforcement</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Strategy_for_Far_East_reinforcement-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Return_to_offensive_plans" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Return_to_offensive_plans"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.2</span> <span>Return to offensive plans</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Return_to_offensive_plans-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-British_assessment_of_Japanese_intentions" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#British_assessment_of_Japanese_intentions"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.3</span> <span>British assessment of Japanese intentions</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-British_assessment_of_Japanese_intentions-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Selecting_Prince_of_Wales" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Selecting_Prince_of_Wales"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.4</span> <span>Selecting <i>Prince of Wales</i></span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Selecting_Prince_of_Wales-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Prince_of_Wales_sails_to_Singapore" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Prince_of_Wales_sails_to_Singapore"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span><i>Prince of Wales</i> sails to Singapore</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Prince_of_Wales_sails_to_Singapore-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Air_cover" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Air_cover"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Air cover</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Air_cover-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Final_deployment_and_loss" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Final_deployment_and_loss"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Final deployment and loss</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Final_deployment_and_loss-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-References-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle References subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Notes" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Notes"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6.1</span> <span>Notes</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Notes-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Books" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Books"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6.2</span> <span>Books</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Books-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" title="Table of Contents" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Force Z</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 4 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-4" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">4 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_Z" title="Force Z – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Force Z" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_Z" title="Force Z – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Force Z" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ms mw-list-item"><a href="https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_Z" title="Force Z – Malay" lang="ms" hreflang="ms" data-title="Force Z" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Melayu" data-language-local-name="Malay" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Melayu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uk mw-list-item"><a href="https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%97%27%D1%94%D0%B4%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8F_Z" title="З'єднання Z – Ukrainian" lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="З'єднання Z" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Українська</span></a></li> </ul> <div class="after-portlet after-portlet-lang"><span class="wb-langlinks-edit wb-langlinks-link"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q5467466#sitelinks-wikipedia" title="Edit interlanguage links" class="wbc-editpage">Edit links</a></span></div> </div> </div> </div> </header> <div class="vector-page-toolbar"> <div class="vector-page-toolbar-container"> <div id="left-navigation"> <nav aria-label="Namespaces"> <div id="p-associated-pages" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-associated-pages" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-nstab-main" class="selected vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Force_Z" title="View the content page [c]" accesskey="c"><span>Article</span></a></li><li id="ca-talk" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Talk:Force_Z" rel="discussion" title="Discuss improvements to the content page [t]" accesskey="t"><span>Talk</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="vector-variants-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown emptyPortlet" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-variants-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-variants-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Change language variant" > <label id="vector-variants-dropdown-label" for="vector-variants-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">English</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="p-variants" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-variants emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> <div id="right-navigation" class="vector-collapsible"> <nav aria-label="Views"> <div id="p-views" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-views" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-view" class="selected vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Force_Z"><span>Read</span></a></li><li id="ca-edit" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_Z&action=edit" title="Edit this page [e]" accesskey="e"><span>Edit</span></a></li><li id="ca-history" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_Z&action=history" title="Past revisions of this page [h]" accesskey="h"><span>View history</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> <nav class="vector-page-tools-landmark" aria-label="Page tools"> <div id="vector-page-tools-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-tools-dropdown" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-tools-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-tools-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Tools" > <label id="vector-page-tools-dropdown-label" for="vector-page-tools-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Tools</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-tools-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> <div id="vector-page-tools" class="vector-page-tools vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-page-tools-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-unpinned" data-feature-name="page-tools-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-page-tools" data-pinned-container-id="vector-page-tools-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-page-tools-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Tools</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-page-tools.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-page-tools.unpin">hide</button> </div> <div id="p-cactions" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-cactions emptyPortlet vector-has-collapsible-items" title="More options" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Actions </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-more-view" class="selected vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Force_Z"><span>Read</span></a></li><li id="ca-more-edit" class="vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_Z&action=edit" title="Edit this page [e]" accesskey="e"><span>Edit</span></a></li><li id="ca-more-history" class="vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_Z&action=history"><span>View history</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-tb" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-tb" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> General </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="t-whatlinkshere" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:WhatLinksHere/Force_Z" title="List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [j]" accesskey="j"><span>What links here</span></a></li><li id="t-recentchangeslinked" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChangesLinked/Force_Z" rel="nofollow" title="Recent changes in pages linked from this page [k]" accesskey="k"><span>Related changes</span></a></li><li id="t-upload" class="mw-list-item"><a href="//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard" title="Upload files [u]" accesskey="u"><span>Upload file</span></a></li><li id="t-permalink" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_Z&oldid=1268310239" title="Permanent link to this revision of this page"><span>Permanent link</span></a></li><li id="t-info" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_Z&action=info" title="More information about this page"><span>Page information</span></a></li><li id="t-cite" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CiteThisPage&page=Force_Z&id=1268310239&wpFormIdentifier=titleform" title="Information on how to cite this page"><span>Cite this page</span></a></li><li id="t-urlshortener" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UrlShortener&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FForce_Z"><span>Get shortened URL</span></a></li><li id="t-urlshortener-qrcode" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:QrCode&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FForce_Z"><span>Download QR code</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-coll-print_export" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-coll-print_export" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Print/export </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="coll-download-as-rl" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:DownloadAsPdf&page=Force_Z&action=show-download-screen" title="Download this page as a PDF file"><span>Download as PDF</span></a></li><li id="t-print" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_Z&printable=yes" title="Printable version of this page [p]" accesskey="p"><span>Printable version</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-wikibase-otherprojects" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-wikibase-otherprojects" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> In other projects </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="wb-otherproject-link wb-otherproject-commons mw-list-item"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Force_Z" hreflang="en"><span>Wikimedia Commons</span></a></li><li id="t-wikibase" class="wb-otherproject-link wb-otherproject-wikibase-dataitem mw-list-item"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q5467466" title="Structured data on this page hosted by Wikidata [g]" accesskey="g"><span>Wikidata item</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-column-end"> <div class="vector-sticky-pinned-container"> <nav class="vector-page-tools-landmark" aria-label="Page tools"> <div id="vector-page-tools-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> </div> </nav> <nav class="vector-appearance-landmark" aria-label="Appearance"> <div id="vector-appearance-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> <div id="vector-appearance" class="vector-appearance vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-appearance-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-pinned" data-feature-name="appearance-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-appearance" data-pinned-container-id="vector-appearance-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-appearance-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Appearance</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-appearance.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-appearance.unpin">hide</button> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div id="bodyContent" class="vector-body" aria-labelledby="firstHeading" data-mw-ve-target-container> <div class="vector-body-before-content"> <div class="mw-indicators"> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">This article is about the Royal Navy squadron. For the commando unit, see <a href="/wiki/Layforce" title="Layforce">Layforce</a>. For other uses, see <a href="/wiki/Z_Force_(disambiguation)" class="mw-redirect mw-disambig" title="Z Force (disambiguation)">Z Force (disambiguation)</a>.</div> <p class="mw-empty-elt"> </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1251242444">.mw-parser-output .ambox{border:1px solid #a2a9b1;border-left:10px solid #36c;background-color:#fbfbfb;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+link+.ambox{margin-top:-1px}html body.mediawiki .mw-parser-output .ambox.mbox-small-left{margin:4px 1em 4px 0;overflow:hidden;width:238px;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em}.mw-parser-output .ambox-speedy{border-left:10px solid #b32424;background-color:#fee7e6}.mw-parser-output .ambox-delete{border-left:10px solid #b32424}.mw-parser-output .ambox-content{border-left:10px solid #f28500}.mw-parser-output .ambox-style{border-left:10px solid #fc3}.mw-parser-output .ambox-move{border-left:10px solid #9932cc}.mw-parser-output .ambox-protection{border-left:10px solid #a2a9b1}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-text{border:none;padding:0.25em 0.5em;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image{border:none;padding:2px 0 2px 0.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-imageright{border:none;padding:2px 0.5em 2px 0;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-empty-cell{border:none;padding:0;width:1px}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image-div{width:52px}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .ambox{margin:0 10%}}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .ambox{display:none!important}}</style><table class="box-More_citations_needed plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-Refimprove" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><div class="mbox-image-div"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Question_book-new.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/50px-Question_book-new.svg.png" decoding="async" width="50" height="39" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/75px-Question_book-new.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/100px-Question_book-new.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="399" /></a></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">This article <b>needs additional citations for <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability" title="Wikipedia:Verifiability">verification</a></b>.<span class="hide-when-compact"> Please help <a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Force_Z" title="Special:EditPage/Force Z">improve this article</a> by <a href="/wiki/Help:Referencing_for_beginners" title="Help:Referencing for beginners">adding citations to reliable sources</a>. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.<br /><small><span class="plainlinks"><i>Find sources:</i> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?as_eq=wikipedia&q=%22Force+Z%22">"Force Z"</a> – <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?tbm=nws&q=%22Force+Z%22+-wikipedia&tbs=ar:1">news</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?&q=%22Force+Z%22&tbs=bkt:s&tbm=bks">newspapers</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?tbs=bks:1&q=%22Force+Z%22+-wikipedia">books</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%22Force+Z%22">scholar</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/action/doBasicSearch?Query=%22Force+Z%22&acc=on&wc=on">JSTOR</a></span></small></span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">January 2013</span>)</i></span><span class="hide-when-compact"><i> (<small><a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove this message</a></small>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1257001546">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme) div:not(.notheme){background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media(min-width:640px){body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table{display:table!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>caption{display:table-caption!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>tbody{display:table-row-group}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table tr{display:table-row!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table th,body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table td{padding-left:inherit;padding-right:inherit}}</style><table class="infobox" style="width:25.5em;border-spacing:2px;"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-above" style="background-color:#C3D6EF;color:inherit;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;font-size:110%;">Force Z</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image" style="text-align:center;border-bottom:1px solid #aaa;line-height:1.5em;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Japanese_high-level_bombing_attack_on_HMS_Prince_of_Wales_and_HMS_Repulse_on_10_December_1941_(NH_60566).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Japanese_high-level_bombing_attack_on_HMS_Prince_of_Wales_and_HMS_Repulse_on_10_December_1941_%28NH_60566%29.jpg/250px-Japanese_high-level_bombing_attack_on_HMS_Prince_of_Wales_and_HMS_Repulse_on_10_December_1941_%28NH_60566%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="250" height="348" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Japanese_high-level_bombing_attack_on_HMS_Prince_of_Wales_and_HMS_Repulse_on_10_December_1941_%28NH_60566%29.jpg/375px-Japanese_high-level_bombing_attack_on_HMS_Prince_of_Wales_and_HMS_Repulse_on_10_December_1941_%28NH_60566%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Japanese_high-level_bombing_attack_on_HMS_Prince_of_Wales_and_HMS_Repulse_on_10_December_1941_%28NH_60566%29.jpg/500px-Japanese_high-level_bombing_attack_on_HMS_Prince_of_Wales_and_HMS_Repulse_on_10_December_1941_%28NH_60566%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3625" data-file-height="5050" /></a></span><div class="infobox-caption">The loss of HMS <i>Prince of Wales</i> and HMS <i>Repulse</i>, 10 December 1941. Photograph taken from a Japanese aircraft during the initial high-level bombing attack. <i>Repulse</i>, near the bottom of the view, has just been hit by a bomb.</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;">Active</th><td class="infobox-data">1941</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;">Country</th><td class="infobox-data"><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/ae/Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/ae/Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg/35px-Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/ae/Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg/46px-Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1200" data-file-height="600" /></span></span> </span><a href="/wiki/United_Kingdom" title="United Kingdom">United Kingdom</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;">Branch</th><td class="infobox-data"><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg/23px-Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg/35px-Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg/46px-Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1200" data-file-height="600" /></span></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Royal_Navy" title="Royal Navy">Royal Navy</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;">Size</th><td class="infobox-data">2 × capital ships<br />4 × destroyers</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;">Garrison/HQ</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Singapore" title="Singapore">Singapore</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;">Engagements</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Sinking_of_Prince_of_Wales_and_Repulse" title="Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse">Sinking of <i>Prince of Wales</i> and <i>Repulse</i></a> aka Battle of Malaya</td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background-color:#C3D6EF;color:inherit;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;font-size:110%;">Commanders</th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;">Notable<br />commanders</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Tom_Phillips_(Royal_Navy_officer)" title="Tom Phillips (Royal Navy officer)">Admiral Sir Tom Phillips</a> <a href="/wiki/Killed_in_action" title="Killed in action"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Old English Text MT',serif"><b>†</b></span></a> (Flag Officer)<br /><a href="/wiki/John_Leach_(Royal_Navy_officer)" title="John Leach (Royal Navy officer)">Captain John Leach</a>  <a href="/wiki/Killed_in_action" title="Killed in action"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Old English Text MT',serif"><b>†</b></span></a> (HMS <i>Prince of Wales</i>)<br /><a href="/wiki/William_Tennant_(Royal_Navy_officer)" title="William Tennant (Royal Navy officer)">Captain William Tennant</a> (HMS <i>Repulse</i>)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Military unit</div> <p><b>Force Z</b> was a British naval squadron during the <a href="/wiki/Second_World_War" class="mw-redirect" title="Second World War">Second World War</a>, consisting of the battleship <a href="/wiki/HMS_Prince_of_Wales_(53)" title="HMS Prince of Wales (53)">HMS <i>Prince of Wales</i></a>, the battlecruiser <a href="/wiki/HMS_Repulse_(1916)" title="HMS Repulse (1916)">HMS <i>Repulse</i></a> and accompanying <a href="/wiki/Destroyer" title="Destroyer">destroyers</a>. Assembled in 1941, the purpose of the group was to reinforce the British colonial garrisons in the Far East and deter <a href="/wiki/Empire_of_Japan" title="Empire of Japan">Japanese</a> expansion into <a href="/wiki/British_possessions" class="mw-redirect" title="British possessions">British possessions</a>, particularly Malaya and Singapore. Lack of aircraft to protect Force Z, underestimation of the Japanese armed forces, and the political rather than naval motive for its deployment are blamed for the destruction of the force. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Background">Background</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_Z&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Background"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Strategy_for_Far_East_reinforcement">Strategy for Far East reinforcement</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_Z&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Strategy for Far East reinforcement"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Singapore_strategy" title="Singapore strategy">Singapore strategy</a></div> <p>Inter-war British planning for a war against the <a href="/wiki/Empire_of_Japan" title="Empire of Japan">Empire of Japan</a> sought to defend British interests in China (the "offensive" strategy), and to defend imperial lines of communications, particularly through the Indian Ocean (the "defensive strategy"). <a href="/wiki/Singapore" title="Singapore">Singapore</a> was chosen as the main <a href="/wiki/Royal_Navy" title="Royal Navy">Royal Navy</a> (RN) base. It put the fleet within steaming range of China. The base was also on the "Malay Barrier", the eastern forward defence zone for the Indian Ocean,<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_60_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_60-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> although strictly speaking Singapore was not required to pursue a defensive strategy.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_72_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_72-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In the 1920s the RN could reinforce the Far East fleet from Britain and the Mediterranean Sea<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_75_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_75-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> to sufficiently pursue the offensive strategy.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_56_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_56-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> By the late 1930s, war with Germany and a stronger <a href="/wiki/Imperial_Japanese_Navy" title="Imperial Japanese Navy">Imperial Japanese Navy</a> (IJN) had to be considered; in the event of a European war fewer naval forces would be available for the Far East fleet; reinforcement would arrive incrementally and the total end strength would suffice only for the defensive strategy.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_70_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_70-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In strategic discussions during 1940, Britain requested naval assistance from the United States in the Atlantic (against Germany) and the Malay Barrier (specifically to Singapore, against Japan) in the event that the United States entered the war. The required US naval forces would come from the <a href="/wiki/United_States_Pacific_Fleet" title="United States Pacific Fleet">Pacific Fleet</a>. The Pacific Fleet was not large enough to fulfill both missions. The Americans had misgivings about deploying the Pacific Fleet to Singapore and chose the Atlantic.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_186-188_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_186-188-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The <a href="/wiki/Allies_of_World_War_II" title="Allies of World War II">Allies</a> agreed that the Atlantic theatre was paramount<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_212_7-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_212-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and the choice was affirmed at the <a href="/wiki/U.S.%E2%80%93British_Staff_Conference_(ABC%E2%80%931)" title="U.S.–British Staff Conference (ABC–1)">ABC-1</a> talks the next year.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_186-188_6-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_186-188-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Still, the British wanted a naval force at Singapore, which they believed was the only place where the vital Indian Ocean trade routes and the eastern British Dominions could be adequately covered.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_216_8-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_216-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> To accomplish this, American naval forces arriving in the Atlantic would replace British naval forces, freeing British naval forces to redeploy eastwards. In February 1941, the RN planned the creation and movement of the <a href="/wiki/Far_East_Fleet_(United_Kingdom)" title="Far East Fleet (United Kingdom)">Eastern Fleet</a> to the Indian Ocean and Singapore based on this substitution.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_215_9-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_215-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The reinforcement of the Far East by the Eastern Fleet would occur in two phases. The first phase moved, at the earliest possible time, a minimum force into the Indian Ocean able to counter Japanese cruisers engaged in <a href="/wiki/Commerce_raiding" title="Commerce raiding">commerce raiding</a>; the first phase would occur early in the Atlantic substitution. The second phase moved the bulk of the Eastern Fleet to Singapore or - if Singapore had fallen - the eastern Indian Ocean after American naval mobilization in the Atlantic was complete. The transfer of the Eastern Fleet was projected to be completed 80 days after the entry of the United States into the war. The basic structure of the plan remained unchanged from February 1941 to early December 1941, although the details were regularly revised.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_209-210_10-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_209-210-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>By August 1941, phase 1 was planned as <a href="/wiki/Force_H" title="Force H">Force H</a>, joined as soon as possible by the phase 2 <a href="/wiki/Battleship" title="Battleship">battleships</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Nelson-class_battleship" title="Nelson-class battleship"><i>Nelson</i>-class</a> and <a href="/wiki/Revenge-class_battleship" title="Revenge-class battleship"><i>Revenge</i>-class battleships</a>. The limiting factor to forming the full Eastern Fleet was a shortage of <a href="/wiki/Cruiser" title="Cruiser">cruisers</a> and <a href="/wiki/Destroyer" title="Destroyer">destroyers</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_280-281_11-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_280-281-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The first British <a href="/wiki/Capital_ship" title="Capital ship">capital ships</a> to arrive in the Indian Ocean were the battleship <a href="/wiki/HMS_Revenge_(06)" title="HMS Revenge (06)">HMS <i>Revenge</i></a> in mid-September, and the battlecruiser <a href="/wiki/HMS_Repulse_(1916)" title="HMS Repulse (1916)">HMS <i>Repulse</i></a> in early October.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_284_12-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_284-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Return_to_offensive_plans">Return to offensive plans</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_Z&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Return to offensive plans"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The United States did not wait to enter the war to become active in the Atlantic. By August 1941, there was sufficient American participation in the Atlantic to make a <i>peacetime</i> execution of the British Far East naval reinforcement plan feasible.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_275_13-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_275-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In September, it was proposed that phase 1 could be made more powerful, and the core of the Eastern Fleet could be in place by January 1942. The shortage of destroyers would prevent the deployment of capital ships beyond the Malay Barrier, but retaining capital ships in the Indian Ocean would free cruisers to operate beyond the Malay Barrier.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_284_12-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_284-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>With such a powerful force, the RN returned to <i>offensive</i> plans against Japan in September. At ABC-1, the United States rejected reinforcing the <a href="/wiki/United_States_Asiatic_Fleet" title="United States Asiatic Fleet">United States Asiatic Fleet</a><sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_186_14-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_186-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> with a US aircraft carrier task force.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_191_15-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_191-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The new RN plan resurrected the concept. Singapore would be the Eastern Fleet's main repair base. <a href="/wiki/Manila" title="Manila">Manila</a>, in the <a href="/wiki/Philippines" title="Philippines">Philippines</a>, would be its forward operating base come wartime.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_285_16-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_285-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> It would over-optimistically rely on <a href="/wiki/Royal_Air_Force" title="Royal Air Force">Royal Air Force</a> (RAF) cover in Malaya, and the major American air reinforcement of the Philippines announced at the Atlantic Conference;<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_285_16-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_285-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_287_17-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_287-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> the latter factor may not even have been considered by RN strategists.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_289_18-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_289-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="British_assessment_of_Japanese_intentions">British assessment of Japanese intentions</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_Z&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: British assessment of Japanese intentions"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In July, the Japanese moved into southern <a href="/wiki/Indochina" class="mw-redirect" title="Indochina">Indochina</a>. In response, the British reassessed Japanese intentions from August to early September, which came to a number of conclusions. The Japanese were waiting for the outcome of the <a href="/wiki/Operation_Barbarossa" title="Operation Barbarossa">German invasion of the Soviet Union</a> before deciding on a <a href="/wiki/Hokushin-ron" title="Hokushin-ron">northern</a> or <a href="/wiki/Nanshin-ron" title="Nanshin-ron">southern</a> expansion strategy, but were concentrating resources in anticipation of the former. Malaya was vulnerable due to the Japanese encroachment in Indochina, but was not immediately threatened due to the northern option and the monsoon season, which would prevent <a href="/wiki/Amphibious_landing" class="mw-redirect" title="Amphibious landing">amphibious landings</a> on Malaya until February 1942. The assessment was fatally flawed. It underestimated economic factors driving Japanese toward the southern strategy.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_290-291_19-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_290-291-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> It also failed to appreciate that the <a href="/wiki/Gulf_of_Thailand" title="Gulf of Thailand">Gulf of Thailand</a> was reasonably sheltered against the monsoon.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_292_20-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_292-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>As a result, air reinforcement to Malaya was deferred; aircraft went to the Middle East, and to the <a href="/wiki/Soviet_Union" title="Soviet Union">Soviet Union</a> as aid. Overall, Japan seemed at such a disadvantage that increased military deterrence might still prevent war or delay its onset.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_290-291_19-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_290-291-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Selecting_Prince_of_Wales">Selecting <i>Prince of Wales</i></h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_Z&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Selecting Prince of Wales"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In late August, Prime Minister <a href="/wiki/Winston_Churchill" title="Winston Churchill">Winston Churchill</a> discussed Far East reinforcement with Admiral <a href="/wiki/Dudley_Pound" title="Dudley Pound">Dudley Pound</a>, the <a href="/wiki/First_Sea_Lord" title="First Sea Lord">First Sea Lord</a>. Churchill proposed augmenting phase 1 with a <a href="/wiki/King_George_V-class_battleship_(1939)" title="King George V-class battleship (1939)"><i>King George V</i>-class battleship</a>. The United States declared its intent to deploy modern battleships to the Atlantic at the <a href="/wiki/Atlantic_Conference" class="mw-redirect" title="Atlantic Conference">Atlantic Conference</a> in early August; this would make a <i>King George V</i>-class ship available.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_279-280_21-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_279-280-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Pound favoured keeping the <i>King George V</i>s in Britain.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_281_22-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_281-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Pound proposed basing the <i>Nelson</i>s, the <a href="/wiki/Battlecruiser" title="Battlecruiser">battlecruiser</a> <a href="/wiki/HMS_Renown_(1916)" title="HMS Renown (1916)">HMS <i>Renown</i></a>, and an <a href="/wiki/Aircraft_carrier" title="Aircraft carrier">aircraft carrier</a> at Singapore. This would be for deterrent value in peacetime, to be withdrawn to <a href="/wiki/Ceylon" class="mw-redirect" title="Ceylon">Ceylon</a> on the onset of war; the British believed a wartime fleet at Singapore had to be competitive with a major portion of the IJN.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_281-282_23-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_281-282-23"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Interestingly, Pound did not envision an aircraft carrier in the Far East until spring 1942.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_282-283_24-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_282-283-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In meetings on 17 and 20 October, the British Defence Committee formally discussed Far East naval reinforcement in response to the fall of the moderate <a href="/wiki/Fumimaro_Konoe" title="Fumimaro Konoe">Konoe</a> government on 16 October. In agreement with August-September assessment of Japanese intentions, Churchill and his cabinet favoured the deployment of a modern battleship for deterrent effect.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_294-295_25-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_294-295-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The RN, as part of its offensive strategy, planned to send the <i>Nelson</i> and <i>Revenge</i>-class battleships to Singapore, but the <i>Nelson</i>s could not deploy. <a href="/wiki/HMS_Nelson_(28)" title="HMS Nelson (28)">HMS <i>Nelson</i></a> was damaged in the Mediterranean Sea in late-September.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_281_22-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_281-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Crew <a href="/wiki/Leave_(military)" title="Leave (military)">leave</a> prevented <a href="/wiki/HMS_Rodney_(29)" title="HMS Rodney (29)">HMS <i>Rodney</i></a> from deploying until mid-December, and a gun refit scheduled from February to May 1942 was required before she could conduct further operations. With working up, the earliest either could reach the Far East was August 1942. The <i>King George V</i>-class <a href="/wiki/HMS_Prince_of_Wales_(53)" title="HMS Prince of Wales (53)">HMS <i>Prince of Wales</i></a> was, aside from the <i>Revenge</i>s, the only worked-up battleship that could sail east before Spring 1942.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_295_26-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_295-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> On 20 October, the Committee decided to send <i>Prince of Wales</i> to <a href="/wiki/Cape_Town" title="Cape Town">Cape Town</a>, <a href="/wiki/South_Africa" title="South Africa">South Africa</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_297_27-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_297-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Once at Cape Town, a review would decide whether to send the ship onward to Singapore;<sup id="cite_ref-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch3_28-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch3-28"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>28<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> this would keep <i>Prince of Wales</i> available to respond to an emergency in home waters.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_311_29-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_311-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Churchill requested an aircraft carrier for Force Z on 17 October, but nothing came of this;<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_301_30-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_301-30"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>30<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> the earliest available carrier would be <a href="/wiki/HMS_Indomitable_(92)" title="HMS Indomitable (92)">HMS <i>Indomitable</i></a> in November after working up.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_290-291_19-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_290-291-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Contrary to post-war accounts, <i>Indomitable</i> was not allocated to Force Z. Neither Admiralty plans during the period, nor the secret session of the <a href="/wiki/Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom" title="Parliament of the United Kingdom">Parliament of the United Kingdom</a> on 19 December concerning the loss of Force Z, nor the 7 December tabulation of current and intended fleet strength in the Far East, allocate the carrier to the Eastern Fleet. The carrier did not receive any orders to this effect prior to grounding in <a href="/wiki/Kingston,_Jamaica" title="Kingston, Jamaica">Kingston, Jamaica</a>, on 2 November, at the start of a three-week work-up. Joining Force Z by 8 December would have required no grounding and abandoning the work-up.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_301_30-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_301-30"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>30<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_302_31-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_302-31"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>31<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Prince_of_Wales_sails_to_Singapore"><i>Prince of Wales</i> sails to Singapore</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_Z&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Prince of Wales sails to Singapore"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><i>Prince of Wales</i> and the escorting destroyers <a href="/wiki/HMS_Electra_(H27)" title="HMS Electra (H27)">HMS <i>Electra</i></a>, <a href="/wiki/HMS_Express_(H61)" title="HMS Express (H61)"><i>Express</i></a>, and <a href="/wiki/HMS_Hesperus_(H57)" title="HMS Hesperus (H57)">HMS <i>Hesperus</i></a>, were formed into <b>Force G</b> in Britain; they sailed from <a href="/wiki/Greenock" title="Greenock">Greenock</a> on 25 October 1941. The group was commanded by Admiral <a href="/wiki/Tom_Phillips_(Royal_Navy_officer)" title="Tom Phillips (Royal Navy officer)">Sir Tom Phillips</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch4_32-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch4-32"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>32<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> who had played a major role in shaping naval strategy in the Far East.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_ch7_33-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_ch7-33"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>33<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <i>Hesperus</i> was temporarily assigned from <a href="/wiki/Western_Approaches_Command" class="mw-redirect" title="Western Approaches Command">Western Approaches Command</a>. Three days later <a href="/wiki/HMS_Legion_(G74)" title="HMS Legion (G74)">HMS <i>Legion</i></a> also temporarily joined the escort while <i>Electra</i> and <i>Express</i> detached to refuel at <a href="/wiki/Ponta_Delgada" title="Ponta Delgada">Ponta Delgada</a> in the <a href="/wiki/Azores" title="Azores">Azores</a>. <i>Hesperus</i> and <i>Legion</i> left Force G the following day with the return of the other destroyers. Force G refuelled at <a href="/wiki/Freetown" title="Freetown">Freetown</a> on 5 November<sup id="cite_ref-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch5_34-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch5-34"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>34<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and arrived at Cape Town early on the 16 November.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_312_35-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_312-35"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>35<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>On 2 November, Churchill was notified that Pound intended to conduct the review agreed upon on 20 October before Force G arrived at Cape Town. Pound never conducted the review. The Admiralty, in accordance with its offensive plans, was committed to the move to Singapore before <i>Prince of Wales</i> sailed.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_312_35-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_312-35"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>35<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> On 21 October, the Admiralty informed relevant naval commands that the battleship was on route to Singapore.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_311_29-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_311-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Once Force G sailed, the Admiralty sought to expedite the transit. On 6 November, Phillips expected to stay in Cape Town for seven days, and arrive at Singapore on 13 December. On 11 November, the Admiralty formally ordered <i>Prince of Wales</i> to combine with <i>Repulse</i> at Ceylon before proceeding to Singapore. The orders also suggested - with reservations from Churchill - that the battleship might abandon its escort in the interest of speed; consequently, Force G remained in Cape Town for only two days. Up to 5 October, Churchill still believed the decision to move <i>Prince of Wales</i> beyond Cape Town was still under review, and accepted Pound's advice and decisions;<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_312_35-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_312-35"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>35<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Churchill was unaware that the Admiralty had readopted an offensive stance the previous October.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_297_27-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_297-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>British plans to provide media coverage of the arrival of Force G at Cape Town for propaganda and deterrence were disrupted by the shortened duration of the visit. Interviews of ships crew and visits by photographers were cancelled.<sup id="cite_ref-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch5_34-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch5-34"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>34<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Japanese diplomats reported the visit on 19 November; thereafter the Japanese expected <i>Prince of Wales</i> to arrive at Singapore at the end of November.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_314_36-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_314-36"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>36<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Force G departed Cape Town on the afternoon of 18 November.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_312_35-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_312-35"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>35<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> It refuelled at <a href="/wiki/Mauritius" title="Mauritius">Mauritius</a> and <a href="/wiki/Gan_(Addu_Atoll)" title="Gan (Addu Atoll)">Port T</a>, <a href="/wiki/Addu_Atoll" class="mw-redirect" title="Addu Atoll">Addu Atoll</a> on the journey eastwards.<sup id="cite_ref-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch5_34-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch5-34"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>34<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> It arrived at Ceylon on 29 November and was joined by <i>Repulse</i>,<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_314_36-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_314-36"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>36<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and the destroyers <a href="/wiki/HMS_Encounter_(H10)" title="HMS Encounter (H10)">HMS <i>Encounter</i></a> and <a href="/wiki/HMS_Jupiter_(F85)" title="HMS Jupiter (F85)">HMS <i>Jupiter</i></a>;<sup id="cite_ref-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch5_34-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch5-34"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>34<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> the destroyers were transfers from the Mediterranean Fleet.<sup id="cite_ref-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch4_32-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch4-32"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>32<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Phillips disembarked and flew ahead to Singapore to meet with local commanders;<sup id="cite_ref-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch5_34-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch5-34"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>34<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> on 4 December he also flew to the Philippines to meet with American commanders.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_314_36-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_314-36"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>36<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Force G finally arrived at Singapore on 2 December<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_317_37-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_317-37"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>37<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and was redesignated to Force Z on 8 December at the outbreak of war.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_294_38-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_294-38"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>38<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Air_cover">Air cover</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_Z&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Air cover"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Phillips had requested fighter protection before he left and was told it was not possible. However the reply to his request did not make it clear that the reply only applied to the morning of the 10th off Sigora, and he may have had the mistaken impression that fighter protection would not be available generally.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEShoresCull1992109,_110_39-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEShoresCull1992109,_110-39"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>39<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> And two proposals to provide daylight fighter cover had previously been turned down by Phillips and his staff. </p><p><a href="/wiki/Tim_Vigors" title="Tim Vigors">Tim Vigors</a> of <a href="/wiki/No._453_Squadron_RAAF" title="No. 453 Squadron RAAF">No. 453 Squadron RAAF</a> was bitter about the loss: writing <i>I reckon this must have been the last battle in which the Navy reckoned they could get along without the RAF. A pretty damned costly was of learning …. I had worked out a plan with the liason officer on the Prince of Wales by which I could keep six aircraft over him all daylight hours within 60 miles of the east coast to a point north of Khota Bharu. This plan was turned down by Admiral Phillips. Had I been allowed to put it into effect I am sure the ships would not have been sunk. Six fighters could have made one hell of a mess of even 50 or 60 slow and unescorted torpedo-bombers.... As we could do nothing else, we kept virtually the whole squadron at readiness at Sembawang while the fleet was out. I was actually sitting in my cockpit when the signal eventually reached us that the Fleet was being attacked. Phillips had known tht he was being shadowed the night before, and also at dawn that day. He did not call for air support. He was attacked and still did not call for help. Eventually it was the captain of "Repulse" who called for air support just before his ship sunk.</i> <sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEShoresCull1992125_40-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEShoresCull1992125-40"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>40<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p><a href="/wiki/Wilfred_Clouston" title="Wilfred Clouston">Wilfred Clouston</a> of <a href="/wiki/No._488_Squadron_RNZAF" title="No. 488 Squadron RNZAF">No. 488 Squadron RNZAF</a> and his two flight commanders <a href="/wiki/John_Noble_MacKenzie" title="John Noble MacKenzie">John Noble MacKenzie</a> and John Hutcheson had formulated <i>Get Mobile</i> a plan to provide air cover off the coast during daylight by "leapfrogging" flights up and down the coast using the many airfields available. They presented the plan at an Air Operations meeting but it was rejected out of hand by the naval personnel.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEClayton200883_41-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEClayton200883-41"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>41<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>British air forces in Malaya were insufficient to provide full air cover to Force Z. Poor pre-war forecasts of Japanese intentions caused the deferment of air reinforcement,<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_290-291_19-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_290-291-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and by the time war was likely it was impossible to provide sufficient reinforcement in time.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_171_42-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_171-42"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>42<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Final_deployment_and_loss">Final deployment and loss</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_Z&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Final deployment and loss"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Sinking_of_Prince_of_Wales_and_Repulse" title="Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse">Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse</a></div> <p>Phillips ordered Force Z to sortie on 8 December against Japanese <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Malaya" class="mw-redirect" title="Battle of Malaya">amphibious landings on Malaya</a> in the Gulf of Thailand. <i>Encounter</i> and <i>Jupiter</i> were out of action with defects and were replaced by the <a href="/wiki/First_World_War" class="mw-redirect" title="First World War">First World War</a> destroyers <a href="/wiki/HMAS_Vampire_(D68)" title="HMAS Vampire (D68)">HMAS <i>Vampire</i></a> and <a href="/wiki/HMS_Tenedos_(H04)" title="HMS Tenedos (H04)">HMS <i>Tenedos</i></a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch6_43-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch6-43"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>43<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <i>Prince of Wales</i> and <i>Repulse</i> were <a href="/wiki/Sinking_of_Prince_of_Wales_and_Repulse" title="Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse">sunk by Japanese aircraft</a> on 10 December 1941, becoming the first capital ships moving at sea to be sunk solely by enemy aircraft. </p><p>Phillips also failed to make full use of intelligence resources. As a result, he grossly underestimated the scale of attack, and believed that the majority of enemy attack aircraft would be level bombers rather than land-based naval torpedo bombers.<sup id="cite_ref-Boyd_320-323_44-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Boyd_320-323-44"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>44<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_Z&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Force_B" title="Force B">Force B</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Force_H" title="Force H">Force H</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Force_K" title="Force K">Force K</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_Z&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Notes">Notes</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_Z&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Notes"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist reflist-columns references-column-width" style="column-width: 20em;"> <ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_60-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_60_1-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 60</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_72-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_72_2-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 72</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_75-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_75_3-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 75</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_56-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_56_4-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 56</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_70-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_70_5-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 70</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_186-188-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_186-188_6-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_186-188_6-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: pages 186-188</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_212-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_212_7-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 212</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_216-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_216_8-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 216</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_215-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_215_9-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 215</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_209-210-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_209-210_10-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 209-210</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_280-281-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_280-281_11-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 280-281</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_284-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_284_12-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_284_12-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 284</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_275-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_275_13-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 275</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_186-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_186_14-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 186</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_191-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_191_15-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 191</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_285-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_285_16-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_285_16-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 285</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_287-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_287_17-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 287</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_289-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_289_18-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 289</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_290-291-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_290-291_19-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_290-291_19-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_290-291_19-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_290-291_19-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 290-291</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_292-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_292_20-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 292</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_279-280-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_279-280_21-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 279-280</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_281-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_281_22-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_281_22-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 281</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_281-282-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_281-282_23-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 281-282</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_282-283-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_282-283_24-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 282-283</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_294-295-25"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_294-295_25-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 294-295</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_295-26"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_295_26-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 295</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_297-27"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_297_27-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_297_27-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 297</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch3-28"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch3_28-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Mahoney and Middlebrook: chapter 3</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_311-29"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_311_29-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_311_29-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 311</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_301-30"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_301_30-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_301_30-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 301</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_302-31"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_302_31-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 302</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch4-32"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch4_32-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch4_32-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Mahoney and Middlebrook: chapter 4</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_ch7-33"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_ch7_33-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: chapter 7</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch5-34"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch5_34-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch5_34-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch5_34-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch5_34-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch5_34-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Mahoney and Middlebrook: chapter 5</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_312-35"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_312_35-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_312_35-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_312_35-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_312_35-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 312</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_314-36"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_314_36-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_314_36-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_314_36-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 314</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_317-37"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_317_37-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 317</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_294-38"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_294_38-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 294</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEShoresCull1992109,_110-39"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEShoresCull1992109,_110_39-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFShoresCull1992">Shores & Cull 1992</a>, pp. 109, 110.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEShoresCull1992125-40"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEShoresCull1992125_40-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFShoresCull1992">Shores & Cull 1992</a>, p. 125.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEClayton200883-41"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEClayton200883_41-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFClayton2008">Clayton 2008</a>, p. 83.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_171-42"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_171_42-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 171</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch6-43"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Mahoney_Middlebrook_ch6_43-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Mahoney and Middlebrook: chapter 6</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Boyd_320-323-44"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Boyd_320-323_44-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd: page 320-323</span> </li> </ol></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Books">Books</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_Z&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Books"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFBoyd2017" class="citation book cs1">Boyd, Andrew (2017). <i>The Royal Navy in Eastern Waters</i>. Seaforth. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4738-9248-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-4738-9248-4"><bdi>978-1-4738-9248-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Royal+Navy+in+Eastern+Waters&rft.pub=Seaforth&rft.date=2017&rft.isbn=978-1-4738-9248-4&rft.aulast=Boyd&rft.aufirst=Andrew&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AForce+Z" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFClayton2008" class="citation book cs1">Clayton, Graham (2008). <i>Last Stand in Singapore: The Story of 488 Squadron RNZAF</i>. Auckland, New Zealand: Random House. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-86979-033-2" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-86979-033-2"><bdi>978-1-86979-033-2</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Last+Stand+in+Singapore%3A+The+Story+of+488+Squadron+RNZAF&rft.place=Auckland%2C+New+Zealand&rft.pub=Random+House&rft.date=2008&rft.isbn=978-1-86979-033-2&rft.aulast=Clayton&rft.aufirst=Graham&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AForce+Z" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMahoneyMiddlebrook2014" class="citation book cs1">Mahoney, Patrick; Middlebrook, Martin (2014). <i>The Sinking of the Prince of Wales & Repulse: The End of the Battleship Era</i>. Pen & Sword. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-84415-075-5" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-84415-075-5"><bdi>978-1-84415-075-5</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Sinking+of+the+Prince+of+Wales+%26+Repulse%3A+The+End+of+the+Battleship+Era&rft.pub=Pen+%26+Sword&rft.date=2014&rft.isbn=978-1-84415-075-5&rft.aulast=Mahoney&rft.aufirst=Patrick&rft.au=Middlebrook%2C+Martin&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AForce+Z" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFShoresCull1992" class="citation book cs1">Shores, Christopher; Cull, Brian (1992). <i>Bloody Shambles Volume One: The Drift to War to the Fall of Singapore</i>. London: Grub Street. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-948817-50-X" title="Special:BookSources/0-948817-50-X"><bdi>0-948817-50-X</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Bloody+Shambles+Volume+One%3A+The+Drift+to+War+to+the+Fall+of+Singapore&rft.place=London&rft.pub=Grub+Street&rft.date=1992&rft.isbn=0-948817-50-X&rft.aulast=Shores&rft.aufirst=Christopher&rft.au=Cull%2C+Brian&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AForce+Z" class="Z3988"></span></li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li::after{content:" · ";font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li:last-child::after{content:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:first-child::before{content:" (";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:last-child::after{content:")";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol{counter-reset:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li{counter-increment:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li::before{content:" "counter(listitem)"\a0 "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li ol>li:first-child::before{content:" ("counter(listitem)"\a0 "}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236075235">.mw-parser-output .navbox{box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;width:100%;clear:both;font-size:88%;text-align:center;padding:1px;margin:1em auto 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbox{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox-styles+.navbox{margin-top:-1px}.mw-parser-output .navbox-inner,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{width:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-title,.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow{padding:0.25em 1em;line-height:1.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group{white-space:nowrap;text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{background-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list{line-height:1.5em;border-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list-with-group{text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid}.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-group,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-image,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-list{border-top:2px solid #fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title{background-color:#ccf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-title{background-color:#ddf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-abovebelow{background-color:#e6e6ff}.mw-parser-output .navbox-even{background-color:#f7f7f7}.mw-parser-output .navbox-odd{background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ul,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ul{padding:0.125em 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbar{display:block;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title .navbar{float:left;text-align:left;margin-right:0.5em}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .navbox-image img{max-width:none!important}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .navbox{display:none!important}}</style></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="28px&#124;border_&#124;alt=United_Kingdom&#124;link=United_Kingdom_Task_forces_of_the_Royal_Navy354" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible mw-collapsed navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Task_forces_of_the_Royal_Navy" title="Template:Task forces of the Royal Navy"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Task_forces_of_the_Royal_Navy" title="Template talk:Task forces of the Royal Navy"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Task_forces_of_the_Royal_Navy" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Task forces of the Royal Navy"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="28px&#124;border_&#124;alt=United_Kingdom&#124;link=United_Kingdom_Task_forces_of_the_Royal_Navy354" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/United_Kingdom" title="United Kingdom"><img alt="United Kingdom" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg/28px-Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg.png" decoding="async" width="28" height="14" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg/42px-Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg/56px-Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1200" data-file-height="600" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/List_of_task_forces_of_the_Royal_Navy" title="List of task forces of the Royal Navy">Task forces of the Royal Navy</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">lettered <br />task forces</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_A&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Force A (page does not exist)">Force A</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Force_B" title="Force B">Force B</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_C&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Force C (page does not exist)">Force C</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_D&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Force D (page does not exist)">Force D</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_E&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Force E (page does not exist)">Force E</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_F&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Force F (page does not exist)">Force F</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_G&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Force G (page does not exist)">Force G</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Force_H" title="Force H">Force H</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_I_(Royal_Navy)&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Force I (Royal Navy) (page does not exist)">Force I</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_J&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Force J (page does not exist)">Force J</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Force_K" title="Force K">Force K</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_L&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Force L (page does not exist)">Force L</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_M&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Force M (page does not exist)">Force M</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_Q&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Force Q (page does not exist)">Force Q</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_R&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Force R (page does not exist)">Force R</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Force_X" title="Force X">Force X</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_Y&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Force Y (page does not exist)">Force Y</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Force Z</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">numbered <br />task forces</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_1_(Royal_Navy)&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Force 1 (Royal Navy) (page does not exist)">Force 1</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_2_(Royal_Navy)&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Force 2 (Royal Navy) (page does not exist)">Force 2</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_61&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Force 61 (page does not exist)">Force 61</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_62&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Force 62 (page does not exist)">Force 62</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_63&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Force 63 (page does not exist)">Force 63</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_67&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Force 67 (page does not exist)">Force 67</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Force_70&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Force 70 (page does not exist)">Force 70</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Task_Force_317&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Task Force 317 (page does not exist)">Task Force 317</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Task_Force_318&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Task Force 318 (page does not exist)">Task Force 318</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Task_Force_321&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Task Force 321 (page does not exist)">Task Force 321</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Task_Force_323&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Task Force 323 (page does not exist)">Task Force 323</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Task_Force_324&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Task Force 324 (page does not exist)">Task Force 324</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Task_Force_330&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Task Force 330 (page does not exist)">Task Force 330</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Task_Force_333&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Task Force 333 (page does not exist)">Task Force 333</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Task_Force_345&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Task Force 345 (page does not exist)">Task Force 345</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">task forces <br />allocated by USN</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Task_Force_57_(Royal_Navy)" class="mw-redirect" title="Task Force 57 (Royal Navy)">Task Force 57</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Task_Force_37_(Royal_Navy)&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Task Force 37 (Royal Navy) (page does not exist)">Task Force 37</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Joint allied command <br />task forces</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Eastern_Task_Force&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Eastern Task Force (page does not exist)">Eastern Task Force</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Western_Task_Force" class="mw-redirect" title="Western Task Force">Western Task Force</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Western_Task_Force-operation_torch&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Western Task Force-operation torch (page does not exist)">Western Task Force-operation torch</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Central_Task_Force-operation_torch&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Central Task Force-operation torch (page does not exist)">Central Task Force-operation torch</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Task_Force_Peter&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Task Force Peter (page does not exist)">Task Force Peter</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Task_Force_111&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Task Force 111 (page does not exist)">Task Force 111</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Other/coalition <br />task forces</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bristol_Group" class="mw-redirect" title="Bristol Group">Bristol Group</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Combined_Task_Force_150" title="Combined Task Force 150">Combined Task Force 150</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Combined_Task_Force_151" title="Combined Task Force 151">Combined Task Force 151</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?useformat=desktop&type=1x1&usesul3=0" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Force_Z&oldid=1268310239">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Force_Z&oldid=1268310239</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Royal_Navy_task_forces" title="Category:Royal Navy task forces">Royal Navy task forces</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Military_units_and_formations_of_the_Royal_Navy_in_World_War_II" title="Category:Military units and formations of the Royal Navy in World War II">Military units and formations of the Royal Navy in World War II</a></li></ul></div><div id="mw-hidden-catlinks" class="mw-hidden-catlinks mw-hidden-cats-hidden">Hidden categories: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Use_dmy_dates_from_July_2017" title="Category:Use dmy dates from July 2017">Use dmy dates from July 2017</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Use_British_English_from_July_2017" title="Category:Use British English from July 2017">Use British English from July 2017</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_needing_additional_references_from_January_2013" title="Category:Articles needing additional references from January 2013">Articles needing additional references from January 2013</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:All_articles_needing_additional_references" title="Category:All articles needing additional references">All articles needing additional references</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_short_description" title="Category:Articles with short description">Articles with short description</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Short_description_is_different_from_Wikidata" title="Category:Short description is different from Wikidata">Short description is different from Wikidata</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </main> </div> <div class="mw-footer-container"> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" > <ul id="footer-info"> <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 9 January 2025, at 04:16<span class="anonymous-show"> (UTC)</span>.</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Text is available under the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License" title="Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License</a>; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the <a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Terms_of_Use" class="extiw" title="foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Terms of Use">Terms of Use</a> and <a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy_policy" class="extiw" title="foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy policy">Privacy Policy</a>. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://wikimediafoundation.org/">Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.</a>, a non-profit organization.</li> </ul> <ul id="footer-places"> <li id="footer-places-privacy"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy_policy">Privacy policy</a></li> <li id="footer-places-about"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:About">About Wikipedia</a></li> <li id="footer-places-disclaimers"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:General_disclaimer">Disclaimers</a></li> <li id="footer-places-contact"><a href="//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us">Contact Wikipedia</a></li> <li id="footer-places-wm-codeofconduct"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Universal_Code_of_Conduct">Code of Conduct</a></li> <li id="footer-places-developers"><a href="https://developer.wikimedia.org">Developers</a></li> <li id="footer-places-statslink"><a href="https://stats.wikimedia.org/#/en.wikipedia.org">Statistics</a></li> <li id="footer-places-cookiestatement"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Cookie_statement">Cookie statement</a></li> <li id="footer-places-mobileview"><a href="//en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Force_Z&mobileaction=toggle_view_mobile" class="noprint stopMobileRedirectToggle">Mobile view</a></li> </ul> <ul id="footer-icons" class="noprint"> <li id="footer-copyrightico"><a href="https://wikimediafoundation.org/" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button--enabled"><picture><source media="(min-width: 500px)" srcset="/static/images/footer/wikimedia-button.svg" width="84" height="29"><img src="/static/images/footer/wikimedia.svg" width="25" height="25" alt="Wikimedia Foundation" lang="en" loading="lazy"></picture></a></li> <li id="footer-poweredbyico"><a href="https://www.mediawiki.org/" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button--enabled"><picture><source media="(min-width: 500px)" srcset="/w/resources/assets/poweredby_mediawiki.svg" width="88" height="31"><img src="/w/resources/assets/mediawiki_compact.svg" alt="Powered by MediaWiki" width="25" height="25" loading="lazy"></picture></a></li> </ul> </footer> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-header-container vector-sticky-header-container"> <div id="vector-sticky-header" class="vector-sticky-header"> <div class="vector-sticky-header-start"> <div class="vector-sticky-header-icon-start vector-button-flush-left vector-button-flush-right" aria-hidden="true"> <button class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-sticky-header-search-toggle" tabindex="-1" data-event-name="ui.vector-sticky-search-form.icon"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-search mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-search"></span> <span>Search</span> </button> </div> <div role="search" class="vector-search-box-vue vector-search-box-show-thumbnail vector-search-box"> <div class="vector-typeahead-search-container"> <div class="cdx-typeahead-search cdx-typeahead-search--show-thumbnail"> <form action="/w/index.php" id="vector-sticky-search-form" class="cdx-search-input cdx-search-input--has-end-button"> <div class="cdx-search-input__input-wrapper" data-search-loc="header-moved"> <div class="cdx-text-input cdx-text-input--has-start-icon"> <input class="cdx-text-input__input" type="search" name="search" placeholder="Search Wikipedia"> <span class="cdx-text-input__icon cdx-text-input__start-icon"></span> </div> <input type="hidden" name="title" value="Special:Search"> </div> <button class="cdx-button cdx-search-input__end-button">Search</button> </form> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-sticky-header-context-bar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-sticky-header-toc" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-sticky-header-toc vector-sticky-header-toc vector-button-flush-left" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-sticky-header-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-sticky-header-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-sticky-header-toc-label" for="vector-sticky-header-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-sticky-header-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <div class="vector-sticky-header-context-bar-primary" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="mw-page-title-main">Force Z</span></div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-sticky-header-end" aria-hidden="true"> <div class="vector-sticky-header-icons"> <a href="#" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only" id="ca-talk-sticky-header" tabindex="-1" data-event-name="talk-sticky-header"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-speechBubbles mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-speechBubbles"></span> <span></span> </a> <a href="#" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only" id="ca-subject-sticky-header" tabindex="-1" data-event-name="subject-sticky-header"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-article mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-article"></span> <span></span> </a> <a href="#" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only" id="ca-history-sticky-header" tabindex="-1" data-event-name="history-sticky-header"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-history mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-wikimedia-history"></span> <span></span> </a> <a href="#" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only mw-watchlink" id="ca-watchstar-sticky-header" tabindex="-1" data-event-name="watch-sticky-header"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-star mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-wikimedia-star"></span> <span></span> </a> <a href="#" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only" id="ca-edit-sticky-header" tabindex="-1" data-event-name="wikitext-edit-sticky-header"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-wikiText mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-wikimedia-wikiText"></span> <span></span> </a> <a href="#" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only" id="ca-ve-edit-sticky-header" tabindex="-1" data-event-name="ve-edit-sticky-header"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-edit mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-wikimedia-edit"></span> <span></span> </a> <a href="#" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only" id="ca-viewsource-sticky-header" tabindex="-1" data-event-name="ve-edit-protected-sticky-header"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-editLock mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-wikimedia-editLock"></span> <span></span> </a> </div> <div class="vector-sticky-header-buttons"> <button class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet mw-interlanguage-selector" id="p-lang-btn-sticky-header" tabindex="-1" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn-sticky-header"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-wikimedia-language"></span> <span>4 languages</span> </button> <a href="#" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive" id="ca-addsection-sticky-header" tabindex="-1" data-event-name="addsection-sticky-header"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-speechBubbleAdd-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-speechBubbleAdd-progressive"></span> <span>Add topic</span> </a> </div> <div class="vector-sticky-header-icon-end"> <div class="vector-user-links"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-settings" id="p-dock-bottom"> <ul></ul> </div><script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.config.set({"wgHostname":"mw-web.codfw.main-698c79758b-mnppl","wgBackendResponseTime":152,"wgPageParseReport":{"limitreport":{"cputime":"0.553","walltime":"0.805","ppvisitednodes":{"value":2839,"limit":1000000},"postexpandincludesize":{"value":42741,"limit":2097152},"templateargumentsize":{"value":3646,"limit":2097152},"expansiondepth":{"value":13,"limit":100},"expensivefunctioncount":{"value":8,"limit":500},"unstrip-depth":{"value":0,"limit":20},"unstrip-size":{"value":43491,"limit":5000000},"entityaccesscount":{"value":0,"limit":400},"timingprofile":["100.00% 730.801 1 -total"," 16.78% 122.638 1 Template:Infobox_military_unit"," 15.54% 113.585 1 Template:Task_forces_of_the_Royal_Navy"," 15.50% 113.280 16 Template:HMS"," 15.00% 109.624 1 Template:Navbox"," 11.72% 85.681 4 Template:Cite_book"," 10.87% 79.461 1 Template:More_citations_needed"," 10.50% 76.716 1 Template:Ambox"," 10.15% 74.185 1 Template:Infobox"," 7.95% 58.134 3 Template:Sfn"]},"scribunto":{"limitreport-timeusage":{"value":"0.337","limit":"10.000"},"limitreport-memusage":{"value":6419862,"limit":52428800},"limitreport-logs":"anchor_id_list = table#1 {\n [\"CITEREFBoyd2017\"] = 1,\n [\"CITEREFClayton2008\"] = 1,\n [\"CITEREFMahoneyMiddlebrook2014\"] = 1,\n [\"CITEREFShoresCull1992\"] = 1,\n}\ntemplate_list = table#1 {\n [\"About\"] = 1,\n [\"Cite book\"] = 4,\n [\"Flag\"] = 1,\n [\"HMAS\"] = 1,\n [\"HMS\"] = 16,\n [\"Infobox military unit\"] = 1,\n [\"KIA\"] = 2,\n [\"Main\"] = 2,\n [\"More citations needed\"] = 1,\n [\"Navy\"] = 1,\n [\"Reflist\"] = 1,\n [\"Sclass\"] = 3,\n [\"Sfn\"] = 3,\n [\"Task forces of the Royal Navy\"] = 1,\n [\"Use British English\"] = 1,\n [\"Use dmy dates\"] = 1,\n}\narticle_whitelist = table#1 {\n}\nciteref_patterns = table#1 {\n}\n"},"cachereport":{"origin":"mw-web.codfw.main-5446f9ddb-g8qzj","timestamp":"20250224184734","ttl":2592000,"transientcontent":false}}});});</script> <script type="application/ld+json">{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Article","name":"Force Z","url":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Force_Z","sameAs":"http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q5467466","mainEntity":"http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q5467466","author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Contributors to Wikimedia projects"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.wikimedia.org\/static\/images\/wmf-hor-googpub.png"}},"datePublished":"2004-12-18T14:26:46Z","dateModified":"2025-01-09T04:16:54Z","image":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/a\/a1\/Japanese_high-level_bombing_attack_on_HMS_Prince_of_Wales_and_HMS_Repulse_on_10_December_1941_%28NH_60566%29.jpg","headline":"Second World War British naval squadron"}</script> </body> </html>