Operation Crimson

Part of the Pacific Theatre of World War II

HMS Victorious, a lead vessel of the attack.

Date

25 July 1944

Location

Netherlands East Indies

Result

Limited Allied operational success

Heavy damage inflicted on shore installations & harbour facilities
Airfields not seriously damaged

Belligerents

United Kingdom

Australia

Netherlands

France

Empire of Japan

Commanders and leaders

James Somerville

Unknown

Strength

2 aircraft carriers
4 battleships
6 cruisers
10 destroyers
2 submarines
34-39 fighters

Shore defences
2 recon aircraft
9-10 fighters

Casualties and losses

Unknown human losses
1 cruiser damaged
2 destroyers damaged
2 fighters destroyed

Unknown human losses
2 recon aircraft destroyed
2 fighters destroyed
2 fighters damaged

Civilian Casualties:
1 war correspondent on an Allied ship was killed

Limited Allied operational success

Operation Crimson was a British-led naval operation in World War II, the objective being simultaneous naval bombardment and aerial strikes on Japanese airfields in the Indonesian cities of Sabang, Lhoknga and Kutaraja, to be launched from aircraft carriers in the Indian Ocean on 25 July 1944.

Unlike some earlier operations which had used small forces for harassment and diversion of the Japanese, Operation Crimson was "a full-blooded operation" designed to "make a mess of the air base and harbour installations and wreck any vessels found sheltering there."

Sailing from Trincomalee, under the command of Admiral James Somerville, were two aircraft carriers (HMS Victorious and Illustrious) with four battleships HMS Queen Elizabeth, HMS Valiant, HMS Renown, and the French battleship Richelieu, as well as six cruisers (Ceylon, Cumberland, Gambia, Nigeria, Phoebe, Tromp), with ten destroyers (Quality, Quickmatch, Quilliam,Racehorse, Raider, Rapid, Relentless, Rocket, Roebuck, Rotherham) supported by two submarines (Templar, Tantalus).

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