The Indian Ocean, long quiescent, woke to the thunder of a powerful naval attack.
Under Japanese noses a strong contingent of U.S. carriers and warships had come secretlyapparently from the Pacificto join British, French and Dutch units. Last week this brand-new force gave the Japanese the hardest-hitting raid they had seen in this area since the summer of 1942.
The blow came three days after Admiral the Lord Louis Mountbatten moved from inland New Delhi to Kandy on the island of Ceylon off India's southern tip. Under command of salty British Admiral Sir James...