HMS Statesman (P246)

The sinking of the Haguro

On 9 May 1945 the Japanese heavy cruiser Haguro and the Japanese destroyer Kamikaze left Singapore for a transport run to the Andaman Islands. They were sighted the next day in the Malacca Strait by Statesman and her sister, HMS Subtle. To intercept the Japanese ships, a task force made up of two battleships, one heavy cruiser, two light cruisers, four escort carriers and eight destroyers left Trincomalee. Aircraft from the escort carriers attacked the Nicobar Islands on the 11th, forcing Haguro and Kamikaze to head back to Singapore. On 16 May 1945 On the 14th the Japanese ships again departed Singapore for the Andaman Islands. They were spotted the next day north-east of Sabang by aircraft from the British escort carrier HMS Shah. A few hours later they were attacked by aircraft from the British escort carrier HMS Emperor, causing light damage to Haguro. In the meantime Japanese aircraft had sighted Allied destroyers closing in on Haguro and once again the Japanese ships reversed course.

In anticipation on the Japanese reversal of course, the commander of the British 26th Destroyer Flotilla, Captain M.L. Power, on board HMS Saumarez and the other British destroyers HMS Venus, HMS Verulam, HMS Vigilant and HMS Virago plotted a course to intercept the Japanese ships, which they did shortly before midnight on the 15th. After careful manoeuvering the destroyers began attacking the Japanese ships from all sides shortly after one o'clock on the 16th. Haguro was hit by torpedoes and gunfire and sank around 0230 hours, but not before she hit Saumarez with gunfire. The escorting Japanese destroyer Kamikaze escaped with only minor damage.^[1] It was during this operation that HMS Statesman put into Pangkor Laut, a small island in the Malacca Strait to retrieve Lt Col. Spencer Chapman, a British Army officer who had been operating behind Japanese lines since the invasion in 1942.