An item reported that Japanese air and submarine attacks harrasssed the Allied merchant shipping in the Bay of Bengal. On 6 April were two Allied vessels bombed and sunk, three others abandoned by their crews and another five attacked by planes. The Japanese naval force operating north of latitude 20 seemed to include 3 battleships, 1 aircraft carrier and 1 cruiser. During air attack on Vizagapatan were harbor workshops and public utility installations damaged. On 6 April were two enemy submarines sighted around 400 nautical miles southwest of Colombo, Ceylon. On 70 nautical miles west of Colombo attacked a submarine using gunfire without succes a British merchant ship. The J.I.C. however believed that the Japanese naval force was much stronger numbering minimal 5 battleships, 2 or even more aircrfat carriers and smaller warships divided over at least 2 task forces. One task force operated in the area beteen latitudes 16° and 20° north of the Indian east coast and another force which attacked Colombo on 5 April. Some weeks ago searched thoroughly the area to the north and west of Midway Island looking for US warships. It was posible that unitis of the Screening Force were now active in the Indian Ocean.
Source
Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 119 dated 8 April 1942.
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