View source for Operation Diplomat

{{For|the 1953 British drama|Operation Diplomat (film)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
[[File:USS Saratoga at Hobart in March 1944.jpg|thumb|USS ''Saratoga'' at Hobart in Australia during March 1944 en route to joining the Eastern Fleet]]
During [[World War II]], '''Operation Diplomat''' was an [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] naval training operation. It was executed in March 1944 by the [[British Eastern Fleet]] to practice operational procedures that would be used by ships allocated to the [[British Pacific Fleet]].

Part of the Eastern Fleet left [[Trincomalee]] and [[Colombo]] on 21 March and arrived at a point some 850 miles south of Ceylon (now [[Sri Lanka]]). They rendezvoused, on 24 March, with three [[Tanker (ship)|tankers]] escorted by the Dutch [[cruiser]] {{HNLMS|Tromp|1937|6}} and practised refuelling at sea for the next two days. Later, on 27 March, they met up with the US Task Group 58.5 which consisted of the [[aircraft carrier]] {{USS|Saratoga|CV-3|6}} and her three attendant [[destroyer]]s ({{USS|Dunlap|DD-384|6}}, {{USS|Cummings|DD-365|6}}, and {{USS|Fanning|DD-385|6}}).

The joint fleet returned to Trincomalee, and British [[Fleet Air Arm]] aircrew took two intensive days to learn the necessary procedures from American aircrews and learn from their experience. Sources differ on the exact dates of these events. [https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2Navy-c23.html] Journal of the Royal New Zealand Navy, implies that training ("exercises") with ''Saratoga'' took place before the fleet returned to Trincomalee on 31 March, but [https://web.archive.org/web/20060923164646/http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/ships/carriers/histories/cv03-saratoga/cv03-saratoga.html] The Dictionary of American Fighting Ships, says training occurred after the arrival of the {{ship|French battleship|Richelieu}} on 12 April. [https://web.archive.org/web/20061009174849/http://www.cronab.demon.co.uk/ceylon.htm] Williams, in the History of HMS Ceylon, states that the joint fleet returned to Trincomalee on 2 April, whereas [https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2Navy-c23.html] Journal ibid, quotes 31 March.

The ships from the Eastern Fleet were {{HMS|Renown|1916|6}} (flagship of vice admiral second-in-command Eastern Fleet), {{HMS|Queen Elizabeth|1913|6}} and {{HMS|Valiant|1914|6}}, the fleet carrier {{HMS|Illustrious|87|6}}, cruisers {{HMS|London|69|6}}, {{HMS|Cumberland|57|6}}, {{HMS|Gambia|C48|6}}, {{HMS|Ceylon|C30|6}}, and ten destroyers.

==External sources==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061009174849/http://www.cronab.demon.co.uk/ceylon.htm Career of HMS ''Ceylon'', Jack Williams] which shares text with [http://lakdiva.org/coins/media/st_1998.04.19_somerville.html ''A Warship called HMS Ceylon'' by Richard Boyle] published by The Sunday Times.
* [https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2Navy-c23.html Operational history of New Zealand cruisers (from ''The Royal New Zealand Navy'', Sydney David Waters, Historical Publications Branch, Wellington. (Part of: The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–1945)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060923164646/http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/ships/carriers/histories/cv03-saratoga/cv03-saratoga.html USN history of USS ''Saratoga'']

{{coord missing|Indian Ocean}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Diplomat, Operation}}
[[Category:Military operations of World War II]]
[[Category:Naval battles and operations of World War II involving the United Kingdom]]


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