Somerville later commanded the Eastern Fleet. During Operation C in 1942, he failed to exploit Japanese uncertainty about his precise position. The failure lay in his follow-through, while his later record shows sustained offensive intent. During 1943 and 1944 he pushed available forces into attacks on Japanese positions in Southeast Asia and sought to reassert Allied control in the Indian Ocean. In 1944 Bruce Fraser took over the Eastern Fleet and then the British Pacific Fleet with senior officers such as Philip Vian, who came from a more aggressive command tradition. Somerville moved to Washington as part of that transition.
Notable Point · 29:32-30:50
Eastern Fleet command after Operation C
The discussion moves from Somerville's missed opportunity during Operation C to his later offensive drive and the 1944 handoff to Bruce Fraser.