The Army Air Forces in World War II, Vol. 1 (archived PDF)

T H E A R M Y A I R F O R C E S I N W O R L D W A R I 1
except for aircraft, there would be no further reinforcement of Java.
General Wavell was informed that he might draw on U.S. aircraft in
Australia and available naval units at his discretion, but that ground
forces would be held for defense of Burma, Ceylon, and Australia.”
As the situation rapidly worsened, it became evident that the limits
of resistance in Java would soon be reached, that the hope even of
reinforcement by air would have to be surrendered, and that decisions
were required on the question of withdrawing key personnel for the
direction of operations outside Java, which alone now offered promise
of weakening the enemy. Attention already had been given in Wash-
ington to establishment of an American air force in India, and Brett’s
assignment of Brereton to that area was accordingly accepted.” But
General Brett himself was ordered to Australia, where, rather than in
India, the Americans were to develop a major base for their
In Java, General Wavell closed his personal headquarters on 2 5 Feb-
ruary, at which time the ABDA Command passed to the Dutch. The
decision not to dissolve the command itself was in keeping with a
purpose that Allied units in Java should continue to operate as long
as it was po~sible.’~American aircrews for whom there were planes,
together with minimum maintenance personnel, were to remain, as
also would Colonel Eubank, now the ranking American air officer on
the island.
The chief remaining hope of reinforcements rode with a shipment
of P-40’s which had left Australia on z z February. As early as the
7th of the month, when the difficulties of the ferry route through
Timor and the risk of its being cut at an early date were apparent,
General Barnes had been instructed to prepare for shipment of pursuit
planes by water.” Within two days it had been decided to send from
Melbourne on I z February four vessels carrying the headquarters and
ground personnel of a bombardment and two pursuit groups and
numerous service units in addition to planes. On 1 1 February the
13th Pursuit Squadron (Prov.), together with personnel of the 33d
Squadron which had not yet joined Major Pel1 a t Darwin, received
orders to fly thirty-six p-40’~across the continent to Perth in accord-
ance with a plan to load them at near-by Fremantle on the seaplane
tender Langley for shipment to Java in company with the four vessels
on their way from Melbourne.gs
When the five ships weighed anchor and moved out from Fre-
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