Piegzik, Michal A. The Darkest Hour. Band 1: The Japanese Naval Offensive in the Indian Ocean 1942 - The Opening Moves

"The Darkest Hour" presents the Imperial Japanese Navy offensive in the Indian Ocean area in March-April 1942, the main goal of which was to destroy the Royal Navy in the Far East and achieve domination on the eastern flank of the Pacific War on the eve of the Battle of Midway. The bold operation of two Japanese task forces (Kido Butai and Malay Force) in the Indian Ocean could not be possible without the fall of Singapore in February and the Dutch East Indies in early March 1942. From the strategic point of view, the Japanese offensive in the Indian Ocean was the only moment in the Second World War when the Axis forces could coordinate their efforts to severely threaten the position of the British Empire in the crucial Middle East and India areas. "The Darkest Hour" describes the strategic planning of both sides in February-March 1942, including the Japanese navy projections on the last steps of the first stage of the Pacific War, and the Royal Navys hopes to halt the enemy advance without taking any significant risks. The Japanese offensive in the Indian Ocean began in March 1942 with the invasion of the Andaman Islands and Christmas Island. By securing both vital positions, the Japanese navy planned to establish its advanced bases in the eastern part of the Bay of Bengal. In the next step, the invincible Kido Butai consisting of five aircraft carriers and their escorts, was expected to crush the British bases on Ceylon and once and forever destroy the main core of the Eastern Fleet. The chaos provoked by the Kido Butai would then become a great opportunity for the Malay Force to cut off the British shipping routes in the western part of the Bay of Bengal. "The Darkest Hour" is the first systematic attempt to describe the less-well known part of the Pacific War by researching both British and Japanese archive documents and other secondary sources published in many countries, including the United Kingdom, Japan, and India.

The Japanese offensive in the Indian Ocean began in March 1942 with the invasion of the Andaman Islands and Christmas Island. By securing these two important positions, the Japanese navy wanted to establish its forward bases in the eastern part of the Bay of Bengal. In the next step, the invincible "Kido Butai", a Japanese naval unit consisting of five aircraft carriers and their escort ships, was to destroy the British bases on Ceylon and destroy the main core of the British East Asia Fleet forever. The chaos caused by the Kido Butai would then be a great opportunity for the "Malay Force", another Japanese naval force, to cut off the British shipping lanes in the western part of the Bay of Bengal. "The Darkest Hour" is the first systematic attempt to describe this lesser-known part of the Pacific War by analysing both British and Japanese archival documents and other secondary sources published in many countries, including Britain, Japan and India.