Operation Robson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Operation Robson |
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| Part of the Pacific Theatre of World War II | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United Kingdom |
 Japan |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Philip Vian |
Unknown |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 60 planes 2 aircraft carriers 3 cruisers 7 destroyers 1 oiler |
Anti air defences | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1 torpedo bomber | 1 bomber Facilities damaged |
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Operation Robson was a special mission carried out by the British Pacific Fleet (BPF) on December 20, 1944, during World War II. It was the first of several air attacks aimed at oil refineries in Japanese-controlled Sumatra. These refineries were very important because they supplied fuel for Japanese ships and planes.
Admiral Chester Nimitz, a top commander in the Pacific, suggested this attack to Admiral Bruce Fraser, who led the British Pacific Fleet. The main goal was to hit the oil refinery at Pangkalan Brandan. This refinery had been damaged earlier in the war but was repaired by the Japanese. Oil from there was sent to nearby ports like Pangkalan Susu and Belawan Deli, which was also a target.
Getting Ready for the Attack
The British fleet for Operation Robson was split into two groups. One group, called Force 67, was the main attack force. It was led by Admiral Philip Vian from the aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable. Another carrier, Illustrious, was also part of this group. These carriers carried many planes, including Grumman TBF Avenger bombers and Vought F4U Corsair and Grumman F6F Hellcat fighter planes.
Force 67 also included three cruisers (Argonaut, Black Prince, Newcastle) and five destroyers. The second group, Force 69, was made up of an oiler ship, RFA Wave King, and two destroyers. The oiler was there to refuel the other ships at sea.
The ships left Trincomalee on December 17. They met the oiler group the next day to refuel. The fleet managed to get close to Sumatra without being spotted by the Japanese.
The Attack Begins
On the morning of December 20, the weather was bad with low clouds and heavy rain. This made it hard to see. Admiral Vian had to delay the start of the attack by 20 minutes.
The planes finally took off at 6:36 AM. One of the Avenger planes crashed into the sea right after takeoff, but its crew was safe. The other planes flew towards the coast of Sumatra. They ran into a wall of clouds, making it very difficult to find their target, Pangkalan Brandan.
Because of the bad weather, the attack was changed to the secondary target, Belawan Deli. The weather there wasn't much better.
Hitting the Targets
The Avenger bombers dropped their bombs on the wharves (docks) at Belawan Deli from about 1,500 feet up. The Corsair fighter planes attacked fuel storage tanks and warehouses in the town with their machine guns. A train at nearby Kuala Simpang was also hit.
Two of the Corsair pilots got lost and accidentally attacked a large storage tank at either Pangkalan Brandan or Pangkalan Susu instead. The Japanese defenses at Belawan Deli were not ready for the attack. Their anti-aircraft artillery (guns that shoot at planes) didn't work well, and no Japanese fighter planes took off to stop the British. However, one Japanese bomber, a Mitsubishi Ki-21, was surprised and shot down by a British Hellcat fighter.
The raid ended with some confusion, as radio communication became very messy. All 55 British planes returned safely to their carriers.
What Happened Next
Later that day, the British intercepted a Japanese radio message that said, "Am closing down now, will call you later." This suggested the attack had caused some disruption.
To check for Japanese planes, eight Corsairs and eight Hellcats were sent to fly low over the airfields at Sabang and Oleelhoe. They didn't see any Japanese aircraft on the ground or in the air. Force 67 returned to Trincomalee by December 22.
Even though the British faced little resistance, Operation Robson was seen as not very successful. This was mainly because of the bad weather and the communication problems during the attack. However, the British learned important lessons from this mission. These lessons helped them plan future operations, like Lentil and Meridian, which would face much stronger Japanese resistance.
