1941, Saturday 06 December:
The captains and navigating officers had all been called over to the ‘Prince’ late last night. The navigating officers met with the Captain of the Fleet, Capt L H Bell RN, He briefed them on predicted weather conditions for the next five days, what sailing formations they might take, the dangers of the Seribuat archipelago, and the proposed courses they might find themselves taking. For the captains, meeting with Admiral Phillips and his CoS, Rear Admiral Palliser, the brief was more about the business end of things: tactical formations, possible first encounters with the Japanese, when to fire, when not, air cover and reconnaissance, predicted enemy dispositions and orders of battle. Satisfied that they knew what was expected of them, and what they could expect, they returned to their ships to make ready for sea. Palliser would remain in Singapore, to organise ongoing support for the force.
At 04.30, Force Z slid out of Singapore under an almost full moon, destroyers first and then the bigger ships. They passed along the Johore straits, and were signalled through the boom defence net gates, opened by HMS Barlane, watched by the 15-inch guns at Changi to starboard. By 06.30 they were out into the Singapore straits, heading east. Picked up and tracked by the AMES 511 COL station at Bukit Chunang, Force Z picked up speed, to a steady 14 knots, sailing irregular zigzags.
Force Z comprised the flagship HMS Prince of Wales, the battlecruiser Repulse, the heavy cruisers Cornwall and Exeter, and six destroyers, Jupiter, Electra, Encounter, Express, Thanet and the Australian ship HMAS Vampire. They were all fully stocked and fuelled, and what repairs that could be done were completed. The full radar suite on PoW was now working again, as were the suites on Repulse and Exeter, although the yard hadn’t been able to complete the fit for Cornwall. Ahead of Force Z was the Light Squadron: light cruisers Emerald and Tromp, and four destroyers, Scout, Tenedos, Kortenaer, and Piet Hein
07.15, a little after dawn, saw the arrival over Singapore of the twice daily Japanese recon aircraft, a C5M2 'Babs'. With some difficulty, the snooper confirmed Force Z had left port, and then found them in the Singapore Straits heading east. But owing to heavy low cloud, rain squalls, and two Hurricanes of RNZAF 485 Squadron climbing to close in, her crew couldn't fully determine how many ships and types before they had to leave, coded radio messages screaming out.
Ahead of Force Z the channels had been swept by the minesweepers. With a couple of Vildebeest aircraft of RAF 212 Squadron, armed with depth charges, out in front looking for shipping, especially submarines, they passed the guard ship, HMS Raub. She was a coastal steamer converted into an auxiliary anti-submarine ship, equipped with a 4-inch gun, ASDIC, and some depth charges. Once clear of the Straits and into the South China Sea, Force Z began the turn, heading in a north-easterly direction.
Meanwhile back in Singapore, Special Branch Police had been watching the known Japanese agents. Overnight they had all been rounded up on minor charges, and due to "official red tape", not released until the evening of the following day. The security around the Naval base had been very tight for a number of days now, and that would continue.
The importance of Force Z sailing was underlined when, at noon, a Hudson of 1st RAAF Sqn, operating from Kota Bharu at the extreme limit of its range, reported a convoy 80 miles southeast of Cape Ca Mau sailing towards the Gulf of Siam. By 1pm the British high command was fully aware that the Japanese were moving. Their best guess was that the Japanese would assemble in Kau Rong Bay (Cambodia), placing them under close air cover by day, and ready to invade the Kra Isthmus under the cover of darkness. Further reconnaissance missions failed to sight anything owing to the heavy cloud cover and numerous rain squalls, some very heavy. Another Hudson had been badly damaged while landing at Kota Bharu.
By 22.30, Force Z had passed east of the Anambas Islands, and was roughly level with Kuantan, but about 240 nautical miles east. Phillips ordered a change of course, onto an NNW direction. He reviewed the latest intelligence report, which, in truth told him very little more. A Hudson had sighted transports 80 miles southeast of the southern tip of Indo-China. This had been confirmed by HMS Regulus, which had also sighted two large convoys heading westwards, then had to dive and endure an hour of sporadic depth charging from Japanese destroyers.
Phillips knew a heavy cruiser force had sailed from Samah, Hainan Island, two days ago, as did another force with at least one Kongo class battleship, from Mako in the Pescadores. But Naval Intelligence was still saying all the big carriers had remained in Japanese home waters. It was all very risky: he had to be mindful of the safety of his command, but Admiral Tom Phillips had been true to his word. Operation Picador was in progress.
