Hi I got this site about the 56th Infantry Regiment which landed at Kota Bharu.
http://burari2161.fc2web.com/hohei56rentai.htmIt is in Japanese roughly translated with on-line translator as:
Abstract of the Malay Peninsula landings;
① The landing force troops (about 40,000 vehicles, tanks, heavy artillery, except the troops) to the backbone of the army 25 Household Division, 5th Infantry Division, the 18th Infantry Division
② landing site is near the border of Thailand on the east coast of the Malay and British central part of the Malay Peninsula, Singora (territory Thailand), Pattani (Thailand territory), and Kota Bharu (British)
③ Singora landing force and Pattani, the British invaded the territory from Thailand, conquered the Kuala Lumpur hub of the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia from the side of the British Malay, then, toward the water separating the island of Singapore Johor.
④ Kota Bharu landing force after the British conquered the air base near, and then southward along the east coast of the peninsula, after the enemy Kuantan Air Base control, such as Terengganu, Johor leading to the water.
[Landing] military forces
Three squadrons six infantry battalions four squadrons ① Singora landing, artillery, tanks (both 27), other aviation-related units (base personnel).
1 Squadron 3 Squadron two battalions infantry troops landed ② Pattani, artillery, tanks (both 9), and other aviation-related units (base personnel).
Three infantry battalions one company landed ③ Kota Bharu, artillery, other aviation-related units (base personnel).
Transport ship [use]
10 vessels landing army cargo ship = ① Singora, three ships landed troops ③ = cargo ship cargo ship Kota Bharu = 6 vessels landing troops Pattani vessels ② a hospital ship
[Military escort;
(Coughing 7 "Sendai" and light cruiser flagship, destroyer) part of the third Navy Torpedo Squadron
Heavy bomber squadron flying two Army Air Corps fighter squadrons 1 (unit 54) (36 machines)
One dispatch Corps Air Corps Air Corps two navy fighter attack aircraft land (116 machine) (machine 34)
Strength of the British army was in garrison near Kota Bharu at December 8, Battalion 2nd Brigade, 8th United Kingdom and its main Indian soldiers regiment 10 Balch die (, battalion 3rd regiment 17 Dogra die, 1/13th the first military border 6,000 total) 1 battalion.
The area around the coast of Kota Bharu is a defensive position will be built within 100 meters had been buried many mines Harimegurasa barbed wire is vertically and horizontally from the shoreline.
In addition, as the Air Corps, part of the (unit 12) has been dispatched to the air base one bomber reconnaissance squadron Kota Bharu Lockheed Hudson
Japanese troops were supposed to expand the Kota Bharu landings without knowing enough of this situation.
As a result of amphibious landings in Kota Bharu is also of Japanese troops in World War II, and one of the few hard-fought landings.
[Ship transportation that are submitted to the Kota Bharu landings;
(Mitsui ship later) Ship Division, Mitsui & t = 9794 speed 19.9 knots ① Awajisan Maru
(Mitsui ship later) Ship Division, Mitsui & t = 9788 speed 19.1 knots mountain Ayatosan Maru ②
2 is a high-speed vessels cargo ship was built in 1939 for New York via the Panama Canal route is Mitsui Ship Department.
Sakura Maru ③ (NYK t-Saw 19.7 knots 7126)
(Rival of Mitsui) for high speed cargo ship New York route via the Panama Canal NYK was built in the year 1939
What are you equipped with a heavily armed anti-aircraft guns is just Sakura Maru and Ayatosan Maru Awajisan Maru anti-aircraft gun was only a few gates are equipped with.
Degaussing circuit only as anti-magnetic mine to go around the hull with three ships had been equipped early on as the only common equipment.
Sakura Maru has a main air defense mission as a fort when the attack aviation fleet of three ships, air defense ship was named.
Were heavily armed turret was assembled in the large bow and stern, that is deployed anti-aircraft gun 4 gate 7 cm, a total of eight each of the gate there.
[Board] division
One platoon headquarters Detachment landed a squadron round mountain Kota Bharu Awajisan Maru ①, and the fifth company 1st Battalion 56th Infantry Regiment, Artillery Regiment, Engineer Detachment (total 1,653 names)
An infantry regimental headquarters platoon 56th Ayatosan Maru ②, 3rd Battalion, rapid-fire gun squadron regiment, Corps of Engineers Detachment (1,700 total)
One platoon Battalion 56th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Sakura Maru ③, Engineer Detachment (total 2,100 names)
In addition to this, riding separately aboard the three ships a name (402) 14th Engineer Regiment as an independent part of the charge of cargo handling operations and landing craft.
This convoy of landing craft vessels to use a total of 48 degrees at the start of a landing, be fed to the landing of 2,000 troops is possible, of all landing of troops was able to end nearly two and a half round trip.
In the goods Senbi that will be landing, and also includes a number of drums of aviation fuel for the army fighters arriving from the base mark Buddha, rapid-fire gun, carrying ammunition and their field gun immediately to the airfield was occupied were also included some light armored vehicle to tow the car.
Noteworthy is that was included in "Carts number of" move the equipment to carry amphibious warfare was.
December 7, three vessels transport ship is leading to "Ayanami" destroyer of Torpedo Squadron 3, offshore of Kota Bharu landing.
Landing craft are equipped with by midnight, December 8, three vessels were lowered into the sea by the following people and Derrick.
55 minutes at 12:00 a.m. and we begin the embarkation troops along the net was lowered to Bashigo hanging from broadside toward the landing craft that aboard each transport ship.
Embarkation for the troops to fall into the sea in wind speed 7m, of 1 ~ 2m wave height is extremely difficult, lose the eye measurement has increased, embarkation was changed to use only the leeward side of the ship broadside of each transport.
Embarkation takes a long time to be asked to agility for this purpose.
The early morning of December 8, 1:00 am 35 minutes, the first wave of Daihatsu launch towards the coast 24 vessels, 21 vessels, from small. (Approximately 2,000 soldiers landed)
Subjected to small arms fire from the shore by boat from the time each has reached the point of 400 ~ 500m from the coastline of planned landing point.
The coastline is to take time to dock area for wave height of 1 ~ 2m.
Landing site is a sandy beach, and with countless small coves such as the Creek, British troops encountered heavy fire while advancing as far as it will go further to overcome the terrain these disorders, died of unexpected become a battleground out the wounded.
By the time dawn on December 9, Kota Bharu, but broke down on earth, the total number of war casualties out of 5,500 officers and men went up to 700 people landed.
After 4:00 am on December 8, attack the cargo ship fleet of three Lockheed Hudson bomber reconnaissance aircraft 2.
Explosion hit near the hatch to hold the second round of the bow of a from Awajisan Maru bomb was dropped.
Gasoline drum cans had been stacked near the hatch exploded by this explosion ignition, front deck became a sea of fire in a moment.
From one of the bomb was dropped on the Ayatosan Maru near the port would be close to bullet.
This will destroy two ships lifeboat, steel wire rope of a derrick boom for the No. 4 hold the stern was disconnected, can no longer be unloaded from the No. 4 hold.
10 minutes after this, two aircraft attacked enemy aircraft circled again Ayatosan Maru, No. 5 hold on the stern, was hit by a bomb (the edge of the hatch on the deck structure) hold hatch coaming of No. 6.
6:30 a.m. on December 8, leaving a blazing fiercely Awajisan Maru Sakura Maru and Ayatosan Maru has decided to wait once repatriated to Thailand Pattani area about 150km north of Kota Bharu in.
Action also in this evacuation, intermittent attacks of Lockheed Hudson twin-engine aircraft, from 2, has received a direct hit from two small bombs also Sakura Maru Maru Ayad mountain.
After midnight on December 9, two ships headed to the coast of Kota Bharu again after repairs off the coast of Pattani.
After 7:00 a.m. on December 9, arrived in Kota Bharu coast.
That initiated the landing of the goods again and scrape up the boat from moving from Daihatsu and small are scattered around the coast.
Amphibious operation Kota Bharu was supposed to be ended successfully at the time of the December 9, the actual loss vessels a merchant ship Best, loss vessels 25 of the majority of landing craft various officers and men landing force, crew transport ship , suffered a great loss it is unexpected that war casualties total 1,100 engineers in charge of landing craft, artillery, such as ships.
Burned-out hull of Awajisan Maru have been left as it is, December 12, was sunk by submarine torpedo Netherlands came into Kota Bharu lurking offshore. (No. 1 was lost in World War II merchant ship loss)
Can anyone correct these translation?
Arigato
Zaf
by VJK on 26 Apr 2012 16:40 
