131 - Japan Destroys Allied Armada in Biggest Naval Battle in Decades - WW2 - February 27, 1942

by Panzer
What?
It looks like a defense line on the map, but it's not?
What is it then?
A ditch in the jungle.
Wow, what are you going to do then?
Aha.
Lose.
February 27, 1942 Both the Japanese and the Allies have pretty
good sized navies cruising around the south seas, and this week those navies clash and
clash for real!
I'm Indy Neidell; this is World War Two.
Last week the big news was the fall of Singapore to the Japanese, and with it the realization
for the Allies that the Japanese took 80,000 prisoners and caused another 50,000 casualties
in the Malayan campaign for the loss of under 10,000 men.
The Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies continued, and Japanese planes bombed Darwin,
Australia in a raid somewhat similar to that on Pearl Harbor in December.
Here's what follows.
On the 23rd, American President Franklin Roosevelt makes a speech.
Well, it's one of his fireside radio chats.
"We Americans have been compelled to yield ground, but we will regain it.
We and other United Nations are committed to the destruction of the militarism of Japan
and Germany.
We are daily increasing our strength.
Soon we, and not our enemies, will have the offensive; and we, not they, will win the
final battles; and we, not they, will make the final peace."
A day earlier, however, he ordered General Douglas MacArthur to evacuate the Philippines
and make for Australia.
MacArthur has been planning on fighting to the finish with his troops, who have been
under siege for two months, but by now thanks to the American press, he's a major hero and
Roosevelt can't really sacrifice him politically.
MacArthur doesn't want to leave and offers to resign his command and reenlist as a volunteer.
He's pretty stubborn about staying- having made a pledge to do so- and even as the month
ends is still in the Malinta Tunnels at his post, though I don't think you can fight City
Hall forever.
The Americans are making offensive moves this week.
On the 23rd, 6 US bombers hit Rabaul.
This is the second American air raid on Japanese held territory.
The next day, the carrier Enterprise and task force 16 shell installations on Wake Island.
But the general situation now for the Allies after the fall of Singapore looks really bad.