Which British ships did the D3A sink in April 1942?

Short answer

The heavy cruisers HMS Cornwall and HMS Dorsetshire, sunk on 5 April 1942 in the Indian Ocean, and the carrier HMS Hermes, sunk on 9 April in the same area. It happened during the Japanese Indian Ocean raid of April 1942, in which the D3A sank several major British warships.

Published: November 1, 2026 · Updated: November 1, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

Which British ships did the D3A sink in April 1942?

HMS Hermes (R12) 1962

Three ships in a few days

On 5 April 1942 the British heavy cruiser HMS Cornwall was sunk in the Indian Ocean. That same day the heavy cruiser HMS Dorsetshire met the same fate, also in the Indian Ocean. On 9 April 1942 the carrier HMS Hermes followed, likewise in the Indian Ocean. All three were lost during the Japanese raid into the Indian Ocean in April 1942, an operation in which the D3A proved particularly effective against major British warships.

The "Val" at its peak

The D3A had led the attack on the American fleet at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 and came as a shock to the Americans. In that operation 126 Val dive bombers took part. There the type bombed the airfields of Oahu and helped destroy the American Pacific Fleet. By mid-1942 the Japanese had more than 250 in service.