Chūichi Nagumo
On 6 March 1942, the squadron took off from the aircraft carrier for their new base at RAF Ratmalana assigned to defend the large Royal Navy fleet stationed at Colombo. On 4 April 1942 a Japanese strike force under the command of Vice-Admiral Chūichi Nagumo, fresh from their attack on Pearl Harbor, attacked Ceylon with some 120 carrier-based aircraft. The RAF had 40 defending fighters, consisting of Royal Navy Fulmars and RAF Hurricanes.