This morning, the landing was successful in Ramon Bay. The weather was nice and there was no resistance.
Commander Nanyun and his entourage of the First Air Fleet arrived at 7 a.m. Admiral Minoru Nagano, commander-in-chief of the Military Command, arrived at the ship at 9:30 a.m. due to a train accident delay. Everyone listened to the operational report of the Hawaii operation, followed by a cocktail party and a group photo.
At 11:00 a.m., we boarded the Mobile Force flagship Akagi. General Yamamoto gave instructions to the officers and men at all levels of the mobile unit, followed by a congratulatory message from The Commander-in-Chief nagano, and after a group photo, everyone raised a toast in the non-commissioned officer's room to celebrate, and we returned to the Nagato at 12:40.
I accompanied Admiral Nagano and Vice Admiral Hideyoshi Katatsuki, the Chief of Naval Aviation, on a tour of the Yamato, and the two generals returned to Iwakuni at 3 p.m.
My toothache flared violently, and I was bedridden for an hour at sunset, and it didn't seem to get any better.
■ On December 24, 1941, members of the Combined Fleet Command took a group photo on the deck of the flagship of the mobile unit, the Akagi, which returned from a great victory.
Successful occupation of Holo in the morning
During the attack on Kuching in Borneo, enemy submarines attacked the destroyer Narrow Mist and four troop carriers, the former of which was hit by a torpedo and sank because the explosives and mines on board were detonated, and half of the crew was rescued. Many destroyers and minesweepers have sunk in this way, and the response measures cannot be delayed. Depth charges should be protected by sandbags, and gunpowder should be of less lureable varieties.
■ The destroyer "Narrow Mist", the 16th destroyer of the Blowing Snow class, was sunk by the Dutch submarine K-16 in the waters near Kuching on December 24, 1941.
I had just gone to bed in the evening when the news came of the conquest of Hong Kong. Our army seems to have fought a bitter battle with the british army that insisted, and the performance of the British army is commendable.
[Translation: Ugaki recorded another loss of a minesweeper and a transport ship in Kuching waters. The Southern Fleet had previously requested aircraft carrier support, but Ugaki believed that "there was no room to send reinforcement ships". At noon, the order was issued to "Enter the second phase of operations of the second force deployment"]
We should begin to study the path, timing, and force establishment of possible attacks by U.S. mobile units, as well as the means to eliminate them altogether. As long as the US military is regrouped, they will definitely fight back immediately. If we come and kill them all, they will be completely lost and at a loss. We have to go all out.
Tokyo must be prepared for air strikes, and this should be kept in mind.
[Translation: Ugaki recorded the letter from inoguchi Toshihei Daisa, the former director of the Naval Artillery School, who was a little frustrated, because he had expected the huge guns of our large warships to be able to perform meritorious service in the Battle of Malaya, "Unfortunately, the victory in this battle was won by the air", Ugaki felt that it was normal for him to feel this way, not to mention that "one day the large-caliber naval guns will be threatening"]
■ Inoguchi Toshihei Daisaku, director of the Naval Artillery School, was a recognized authority on artillery in the Japanese Navy, and sank with the japanese Navy in October 1944 as the captain of the battleship Musashi.
[Translation: Ugaki remembers Nagano's comment: "The occupation of southern French Indochina is of great significance, isn't it?" Ugaki responded, "Although the occupation was the direct cause of the war between Japan and the United States, it was absolutely necessary for the next step of the operation." Ugaki stressed that Nagano was not boasting, but sincerely praising the Navy, because Nagano was not involved in the preparation of the occupation plan. Ugaki is very happy because of this]
If you win in the end, the current hand is called "visionary"; if the ending is not satisfactory, it becomes a "bad hand". That's the way the world is. I expect the Triple Alliance to be effective at the right time. It should focus on what is good for the country, and it should be done to the letter. When the people begin to oppose, it is too late to correct it, and those who aspire to do great things for the country should bear this in mind.
There has been no major change in the war situation today. The fighting in Malaya is progressing well, the Army is accelerating southward in both east and west, and Army aircraft have attacked Rangoon three times, shooting down a large number of enemy aircraft. Newspapers reported the fall of Hong Kong in a big way.
■ In December 1941, after the Japanese army occupied Hong Kong, senior Japanese officials rode horses to review the troops.
There have been reports that the 11th Air Fleet's southward advance was slow, and my investigation found that their progress was generally on schedule, but the attack on Davao was slightly slow.
I asked naval aviation in Miri, Borneo, to conduct a continuous search of Kuching Bay, where our fleet had been continuously damaged. The HNA commander said it would be difficult because it was like sending planes from Kasumigaura to defend Kobe. I think he makes a lot of sense. According to the war report, the fighters had only 15 minutes of time on the battlefield without auxiliary fuel tanks. Each side should be allowed to express its own opinions, and it is best for both sides not to argue about right and wrong, and each side should take a step back.
Enemy submarine torpedoes attacked the secret service ship Nojima, which was assigned to deliver coal from Hong Kong to Cam Ranh Bay in the South China Sea. The ship was seriously flooded, the second deck of the cabin was penetrated, or snatched into a port in the South China Sea, and the damage pipe was properly deployed. The torpedo seemed to have only penetrated the hull and did not explode. Someone in the war room said that the torpedo did not explode because the hull was too rusty and did not produce enough resistance to the torpedo! Everyone was laughing. In any case, they are more restrained.
This day and tomorrow, I arranged for aircraft observer training and conducted a submarine demonstration with the submarine of the Navy Diving School. Is it possible to tell if a submarine is diving or has sunk? I'd like to hear what they have to say.
The second division chief of the first division of the military command, Taro Taguchi, and the Tamura Nakasaku of the Communications Department.
[Translation: Ugaki interrupted the description of the event, and then began to reflect on the quality of the leadership and the need to grasp the enemy situation, so that the combined fleet could "take appropriate measures" accordingly.
Yesterday, the Emperor issued an edict to the commander of the Chinese dispatch army and the commander of the Chinese fleet to praise their exploits in capturing Hong Kong.
The situation has not changed much today.
Anti-submarine nets were installed at the fleet's anchorage today, which could reduce the burden of patrol boats working around the clock by half.
At about 1:30 p.m., the 8th Team returned to Kure Harbor from the East and it was great to see them again! I used to command this team sincerely and happily, although it was only for more than three months. I felt like a father welcoming my child home.
Half an hour later, the 2nd Air Force also appeared. I greatly appreciate the great efforts of the Commander of The Second Air War, Major General Tatsumi Yamaguchi, who was a classmate of mine.
■ The commander of the 2nd Air Combat Corps, Major General Tatsumi Yamaguchi, was a classmate of Ugaki's contemporaries, and died in Midway in June 1942.
In the evening, Staff Counselor Miwa returned from Tokyo. He said there were no major changes in the main officials over there, only minor turnovers. In any case, there will be no major changes at the moment. Ugaki privately worried that the Japanese government had not implemented what he called "major policies" in the occupied areas, and he believed that "when those areas are occupied, the major policies should become an important guide for the army's actions." He concluded that the Empire lacked "the gift to carry out the colonial cause by demonstrating its military exploits".
Ground fighting in Malaya progressed rapidly. In the Philippines, our landing forces in Ramon Bay advanced from Manila to the southeast, while those who landed in Lingaryen Bay advanced to the city from the north, both of which had advanced halfway. Foreign broadcasters continue to cover the crisis facing both regions.
Staff Officer Watanabe flew from Tokyo to the headquarters of the Fourth and Sixth Fleets for briefings.
To address his concerns about the occupation policy, Ugaki decided to draft a summary of ideas for Nakasa Fujii to bring to Tokyo. His doubts were: "In the Events in China, everyone wants to intervene to gain some benefits." He still felt that "a simple and impartial view from an officer" was appropriate. He argues that those who are "in charge of running the Navy" sometimes come up with "bad designs." On the other hand, he had full confidence in the Dutch East Indies. "We only need to explain to the Germans Japan's firm position on the Dutch East Indies, and that is enough (so that they will no longer meddle in it)." In any case, it is now Japan's turn to "lead the world in a new order".
■ Japanese tank units advancing toward Manila in December 1941.
At about 11:30 a.m., commander of the 2nd Air Force, Tatsumi Yamaguchi, came to the nagato meeting and was very happy to see him in good spirits. He stated his views on the return of the mobile units. Although I agree with him, let's not mention it in public. I was inspired to see the aerial photographs he showed the complete collapse of American warships at Pearl Harbor and the dilapidation of Wake Island.
In the afternoon, I pulled out one of the molars in my left upper jaw, which had been tossing and turning badly for the past two years.
At 20:30, everyone ate soba noodles in the cabin, where mirror cakes, pine, bamboo, plums and other items were solemnly decorated according to the custom. I feel that this kind of decoration during the World War is a bit excessive. I can't help but sympathize with those who are on the battlefield and have no time to celebrate the New Year.
The 16th year of Showa is fast approaching, and it should be a year that will go down in history, both in The history of Japan and the history of the world. I was so deeply immersed in such thoughts and emotions that I could not extricate myself.