A brief history of Lingga Roads

You often hear the word 'roads' in reference to coastal cities, seaports, or bodies of water. Some of the more famous examples include Hampton Roads in Virginia or Lahaina Roads in Maui. 'Roads' in this case is short for 'roadstead' and is a term that describes a body of water that is sheltered from ocean tides and swells, and therefore is a safe place for ships to anchor. Typically, small boats can move between larger ships in a roadstead, which can either be man-made or natural; this feature is essential to maintaining safe and efficient maritime traffic.

Most discussion on the forward bases of the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Second World War tend to focus on its ports and anchorages such as those at Saipan and Truk (now Chuuk). As Japan captured Hong Kong, Singapore, and Manila, these deep-water harbors were added to the list of capable bases from which to stage attacks even further afield, on British, Dutch and American colonies elsewhere in the South Pacific. Imperial Japan conquered the Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia) on March 8 1942. The raw materials of this region were of critical importance to the military economy, and the IJN was anchored nearby for most of the war in order to proctect these critical supply lanes throughout the region.

At first blush, it may seem that the best place to keep a fleet safe while ready for action would be a harbor such as Seletar in Singapore, or a safe port such as Penang, Malaya. However, the reality of keeping large numbers of ships in a consistent state of battle readiness means this is not quite the easy task it appears to be. First, when maintaining any afloat combat force, pier space is essential. Having the ability to crane machinery, move vehicles, and transfer large numbers of people and equipment means that pier space comes at a high premium. Second, security is a major concern in a small space such as port or fortified harbor. It takes a considerable amount of time to move a large combatant away from a pier, turn it, and get it out safely, and when you're under attack, it's not easy to do these things; famously the USS Nevada was the only ship to get underway during the Pearl Harbor raid, and it didn't get far.

In order to overcome these obstacles, the Imperial Japanese Navy took over the Lingga Roadstead in the Riau Islands, situated north of Sumatra. This is a natural deepwater anchorage bordering Sumatra. It is just south of Galang Anchorage, and Singapore. Used by the Dutch during their colonization of Indonesia, Lingga has ease of access in all directions to sea lanes that define the strategic outline of Southeast Asia; namely the Strait of Malacca, the South China Sea, and the Java Sea. A glance at the map, zoomed out to capture nearly all of East Asia, the Indian Ocean, and Oceana, shows the central nature of Lingga Roads (red tag), and its value to whomever controlled it. The second image shows a closer look.

Lingga Roads' location at the center of what is and was a major trade route between the Indian and Pacific Oceans

This zoomed-in shot shows just how valuable of an anchorage Lingga provides, with access to Malacca, the Java Sea, and the South China Sea within a day's sail.

Lingga Roads lay within a day's sail of of several important ports that the Imperial Japanese Navy and Army needed to protect during its occupation of Southeast Asia. Penang, in Malaya on the Malacca Strait served as a port from which rubber and other natural resources could be moved; it also commanded the approach from which an enemy could reasonably enter the Japanese defensive ring, via the Adaman Sea. Singapore, as important then as it is now for global commerce and trade, was also home to the IJN's shipyards at Seletar. Brunei on the coast of Borneo was a refueling station and a safe harbor facing the South China Sea and the approaches to Manila, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. And finally the Java Sea, which had to be secured if Japanese plans to take Papua New Guinea, northern Australia, and the Solomons were to move forward. Lingga Roads is in the very center of all this action.

When the Imperial Japanese Navy executed Operation Sho-go 1, their complex and ultimately doomed defense of the Philippines in October 1944, it was from Lingga Roads that the Center and Southern forces departed from. Admirals Kurita and Nishimura formalized their plans before heading to Brunei for fuel, and then on toward the Sibuyan and Sulu Seas. Many of the ships that left Lingga that day did so for the last time, including some now-famous names; Musashi, destined to sink in the Sibuyan Sea, Yamato, which never saw the southern seas again, and the grand old battleships Fuso and Yamashiro, which were destroyed in the Surigao Strait.

Today, Lingga Roads is known as Lingga Regency, and it still plays a vital role in the sea lanes that connect the important waterways of Southeast Asia. Near Lingga lies the busy seaports of Singapore and Pengerang, the islands of the South China Sea, and a global maritime trade valued at 3.6 trillion in U.S. dollars every single year. The importance of this one roadstead has not lessened over time. Although Lingga is unlikely to be a port call or vacation spot for many of us, anybody with an interest in the history of the Pacific should find this place of interest.

Until next time!