Operation Kita

Operation Kita
Part of Pacific War, World War II
Japanese battleship-carrier Ise in 1943
Date 10–20 February 1945 Location Waters between Singapore and Japan Status Japanese victory
Belligerents
Empire of Japan	United States  United Kingdom  Australia
Commanders and leaders
Matsuda Chiaki	James Fife, Jr. Charles A. Lockwood
Strength
Two battleship-carriers One light cruiser Three destroyers Aircraft	26 submarines More than 88 aircraft Two destroyers
Casualties and losses
Several aircraft	None

Operation Kita (北号作戦, Hoku-gō sakusen^?, "North") was conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the Pacific War in February 1945. Its purpose was to return two Ise-class hybrid battleship-aircraft carriers and four escort ships to Japan from Singapore, where they had been based since November the previous year. The movement of the Japanese force was detected by the Allies, but all attempts to attack it with submarines and aircraft failed. Nevertheless, as a result of the intensifying Allied blockade of Japan, the Ise-class battleship-carriers and their escorts were among the last IJN warships to safely reach the country from the Southwest Pacific before the end of the war.

Before departing Singapore, the Japanese ships, which were designated the Completion Force, were loaded with supplies of oil and other important raw materials. This formed part of an effort to run increased quantities of supplies through the Allied blockade of Japan before the country was cut off from its empire. The Allies had learned of the Completion Force's composition and goals through intelligence gained from decrypting Japanese radio signals, and plans were developed for coordinated attacks on it by submarines and United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) aircraft. As part of these preparations, 26 submarines were eventually positioned along the ships' expected route.

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