On December 10th, 1941, in the early dawn, a British task force, including the HMS Prince of Wales, was off the coast of Malaya, planning a surprise attack on the Japanese in Kuantan. However, they were suddenly attacked by Japanese bombers. The HMS Repulse and Prince of Wales came under heavy air attack, with torpedoes hitting them. Repulse managed to evade some torpedoes, but eventually, it suffered significant damage and started sinking. Meanwhile, Prince of Wales faced multiple torpedo hits, causing severe flooding and rendering it immobile. The crew of both ships tried to defend against the relentless Japanese attacks, but they faced overwhelming odds. Many men abandoned the sinking ships, while some did not receive the order to abandon ship due to communication issues. The situation was dire, with both British capital ships in grave danger.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. It's December 10th, 1941, early dawn.
2. A task force of ships is off the coast of Malaya.
3. They plan to launch a surprise attack against the Japanese in Kuan tan.
4. The HMS Prince of Wales, captained by John Jack Leach, leads the task force.
5. Admiral Phillips is under a Japanese bomber attack.
6. The Japanese have found the task force, putting them in range.
7. Japanese bombers approach in a pincer formation.
8. The British anti-aircraft gunfire is not effective against the fast Japanese planes.
9. Japanese bombers drop torpedoes towards the ships.
10. The HMS Prince of Wales is hit by torpedoes, affecting its speed.
11. Repulse avoids torpedoes skillfully but suffers damage.
12. Repulse also comes under attack from Japanese bombers.
13. Repulse attempts evasive maneuvers.
14. Repulse sustains damage from torpedoes and bombs.
15. Repulse is sinking.
16. Other ships from the task force come to aid.
Please note that these facts are presented in chronological order from the text provided.