The Ceylon raid followed the Japanese attack on Darwin and belonged to the wider eastern offensive of early 1942. Australian defenses had not been prepared for the scale and reach of the Darwin strike. British carrier attacks in the Mediterranean provide a comparison because they distracted an enemy while convoys moved elsewhere. A raid could damage ships and bases while its larger purpose was to pull attention away from vulnerable troop movements.
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Operation C begins with Japan's 1942 eastern offensive
The 1942 campaign begins with Japan's eastern advance, the attack on Darwin, and the raid on Ceylon.