Background
A raid in the Sumatra area had been requested by United States as a distraction from their own operations on Hollandia (now Jayapura). Somerville, the British commander, had selected Sabang for its location at the entrance to the Malacca Strait and its strategic installations, such as a radar station, port and airfields. At this time, Japanese forces in Burma were under pressure and suffering serious supply problems: the raid was expected to exacerbate these problems and thereby assist the British 14th Army. A further gain was the opportunity for Royal Navy and Fleet Air Arm crews to work with United States personnel and learn procedures needed for their subsequent deployment as the British Pacific Fleet.
The action had been made possible by the recent substantial increase in the destroyer strength needed to escort the task forces' capital ships.
Read more about this topic: Operation Cockpit
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