Wikipedia:Featured article candidates/Operation Boomerang/archive1

Operation Boomerang

 * Nominator(s): Nick-D (talk) 05:24, 3 September 2020 (UTC)

This article is about a very ambitious, but only partially successful, Allied air raid of World War II. The operation involved an attack on oil facilities in the Japanese-occupied city of Palembang during August 1944. It was conducted by American B-29 bombers which were usually based in India and formed part of a series of heavy bomber attacks on Japanese-occupied cities in South East Asia. Despite a heavy investment of resources, including an airbase custom-built for the operation, the primary target of the bombers was barely damaged. The use of naval mines proved more successful, and marked the start of what proved to be a highly successful USAAF tactic.

The article passed a GAN in August 2018. After being further developed, it also passed a military history Wikiproject A-class review in July. It has since been expanded and copy edited, and I'm hopeful that the FA criteria may now be met. Please note that while the article is shorter than most of the other articles on air raids I've taken to FAC, this reflects the relatively modest range of sources which cover this attack - I'm confident that all the significant sources have been drawn on. Thank you in advance for your comments. Nick-D (talk) 05:24, 3 September 2020 (UTC)

Comments Support by PM
I reviewed at GAN and there isn't a massive amount I can see that needs tweaking. A few comments: That's all I could find. Nice job. Peacemaker67 (click to talk to me) 02:36, 5 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Lead
 * suggest "against oil refining facilities in the Japanese-occupied Dutch East Indies"
 * Done Nick-D (talk) 09:28, 6 September 2020 (UTC)
 * suggest "A total of 54 B-29 Superfortress heavy bombers"
 * Done Nick-D (talk) 09:28, 6 September 2020 (UTC)
 * suggest mentioning in general terms the Japanese defences
 * Good idea - added Nick-D (talk) 09:28, 6 September 2020 (UTC)
 * suggest "British naval and air forces"
 * Done Nick-D (talk) 09:28, 6 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Body
 * suggest consistency with Dutch or Netherlands East Indies
 * Standardised on Dutch, which seems to be the common American English term. Nick-D (talk) 09:28, 6 September 2020 (UTC)
 * link Bangkok
 * Done Nick-D (talk) 09:28, 6 September 2020 (UTC)
 * suggest "Arnold accepted this argument, and his 27 June targeting directive specified that the attack take place either at dawn or dusk and involve at least 50 aircraft"→"Arnold's 27 June targeting directive accepted this argument and further specified that the attack take place either at dawn or dusk." as we've already established it was for 50 aircraft
 * Tweaked Nick-D (talk) 09:28, 6 September 2020 (UTC)
 * what fighter aircraft did the Japanese 9th Air Division have available?
 * I've looked everywhere for this since you raised in the GAN, but with no luck whatsoever. This has included checking the ANU Library and National Library of Australia. The best I could find is a brief mention in Hobbs of the Japanese aircraft in the area in January 1945, but these could have been totally different to what was there in August 1944. Sources seem to be OKish for Imperial Japanese Navy air units, but not for the IJAAF which was responsible for this area. Nick-D (talk) 09:28, 6 September 2020 (UTC)
 * "The Japanese G general"
 * Fixed Nick-D (talk) 09:28, 6 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Thanks a lot for your review. Nick-D (talk) 09:28, 6 September 2020 (UTC)
 * No worries, supporting. Nice job. Peacemaker67 (click to talk to me) 10:49, 6 September 2020 (UTC)

Support from Gog the Mild
Nb: I intend to claim points in the WikiCup for this review.

I had a look at this at ACR and could find very little to pick at. I shall try harder.

Gog the Mild (talk) 14:16, 5 September 2020 (UTC)
 * "but one was forced to ditch". Maybe link the slightly specialist "ditch" to Water landing?
 * It was, but not in the lead - done. Nick-D (talk) 10:14, 11 September 2020 (UTC)
 * "Unusually, the head of the USAAF, General Henry H. Arnold, directly commanded the Twentieth Air Force." This is the first mention of the Twentieth Air Force. It needs introducing properly, especially where it fits into the command structure.
 * Done Nick-D (talk) 10:14, 11 September 2020 (UTC)
 * "XX Bomber Command conducted its first combat mission against Bangkok on 5 June 1944." Suggest commas around "against Bangkok", so it means what you want it to mean.
 * Done Nick-D (talk) 10:14, 11 September 2020 (UTC)
 * "two B-29s ran out of fuel during the return flight to India over the Bay of Bengal and were forced to ditch." 1) link "ditch", as above 2) Suggest 'two B-29s ran out of fuel over the Bay of Bengal during the return flight to India and were forced to ditch.'
 * 1) already linked 2) done Nick-D (talk) 10:14, 11 September 2020 (UTC)
 * "An airfield capable of accommodating B-29s was prepared to support the planned raids on Palembang. In March 1944, work began to modify four airfields on Ceylon to the standards needed for B-29s". 1) Chronologically that reads badly with "was prepared" in the first sentence and "work began" in the second 2) "An airfield capable of accommodating B-29s was prepared"; "to modify four airfields on Ceylon to the standards needed for B-29s"'
 * Fixed Nick-D (talk) 10:14, 11 September 2020 (UTC)
 * "but in April it was decided to concentrate on China Bay when it became apparent that both could not be completed in time." Maybe 'but in April, when it became apparent that both could not be completed in time, it was decided toconcentrate on China Bay'?
 * Done Nick-D (talk)
 * "Wolfe noted that it would not be possible to do so until the airfield at China Bay was ready on 15 July." Are there words missing? Maybe something like ', which it was expected to be by 15 July' on the end?
 * Fixed Nick-D (talk) 10:14, 11 September 2020 (UTC)
 * "By mid-July China Bay was capable of accommodating 56 B-29s but required some further work." I am not sure that a reader (eg this one) will appreciate whatever the difference is between "was capable of accommodating 56 B-29s" and "but required some further work". Could it be unpacked a little?
 * The source is a bit vague - tweaked to be clearer. Nick-D (talk) 10:14, 11 September 2020 (UTC)
 * "In January 1944 the 9th Air Division was established as part of efforts to strengthen Sumatra's air defenses." I am unclear where this formation fits into the Palembang Air Defense Headquarters the Palembang Defense Unit; or whether it doesn't.
 * Oops - it was part of the 9th Air Division. Clarified. Nick-D (talk) 10:14, 11 September 2020 (UTC)
 * "While one of the aircraft returned to base 40 minutes into its flight". Picky point: is it known whether it turned back after 40 minutes or arrived back after 40 minutes?
 * Tweak to clarify. Nick-D (talk) 10:14, 11 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Is it known what height the aircraft attacking the refinery bombed from?
 * Not noted in the sources unfortunately, though it seems to have been too high! Nick-D (talk) 10:14, 11 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Sorry for the slow response here. I think that I've addressed your comments. Nick-D (talk) 10:14, 11 September 2020 (UTC)


 * Those all look good. I thoroughly enjoyed reading that. Supporting

Image review
 * Don't use fixed px size
 * I've only done that for the map - I usually get asked to bump up the size of maps at FAC if they're not already at around 300px. Nick-D (talk) 09:53, 6 September 2020 (UTC)
 * File:B-29_targets_from_India.png: there's a date on the map itself which doesn't seem to match up with what's on the image description page?
 * Linkrot in action - fixed. Nick-D (talk) 09:53, 6 September 2020 (UTC)
 * File:COLLECTIE_TROPENMUSEUM_Gezicht_op_Pladjoe_B.P.M_TMnr_10006848.jpg: licensing doesn't match up with what's at the source site. Nikkimaria (talk) 18:25, 5 September 2020 (UTC)
 * That's an interesting development! This was one of the images donated by the Tropenmuseum as part of its donation to Commons (from memory, this was one of the first large-scale donations to Commons a major cultural institution). While it looks like the Tropenmuseum's policies for images in its own database have moved on, I'm reluctant to change the terms on Commons from that in place at the time this donation was made. Thanks as always for your careful review. Nick-D (talk) 09:53, 6 September 2020 (UTC)

Comments Support from Hog Farm
I'll take a look at this later. Might claim points for the WikiCup. Hog Farm Bacon 18:44, 18 September 2020 (UTC)


 * "Infrastructure works were undertaken Ceylon to support the planned raids on Palembang" - You seem to be missing a word in here, probably between undertaken and Ceylon
 * Oops, fixed. Nick-D (talk) 00:16, 20 September 2020 (UTC)
 * "They may have also each included a machine cannon battery and a searchlight battery" - My knowledge of cannon is largely limited to those used in the War Between the States/ACW (whatever you want to call it), so I may be off base here. I'd recommend linking machine cannon
 * Good point - linked Nick-D (talk) 00:16, 20 September 2020 (UTC)
 * You use both South East Asia and South-East Asia in various parts of the article; be consistent with this
 * Standardised on South East Asia Nick-D (talk) 00:16, 20 September 2020 (UTC)
 * I think the source " Japanese Monograph No. 45 : History of Imperial General Headquarters Army Section" has an OCLC that can be added. This worldcat entry seems to be referring to the same thing, but I'd say you're more familiar with the source and can puzzle out if it's the right thing.
 * Thanks, added Nick-D (talk) 00:16, 20 September 2020 (UTC)
 * In the infobox, you refer to the hit building as damaged, but the prose says destroyed. Since damaged and destroyed have slightly different connotations, it's probably best to only use one for clearness' sake.
 * Whoops, fixed. Nick-D (talk) 00:16, 20 September 2020 (UTC)

Good work. That's about all I can find. Hog Farm Bacon 21:48, 19 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Thanks a lot for the review Nick-D (talk) 00:16, 20 September 2020 (UTC)

Source review—pass

 * The article heavily relies on official US sources, but it seems that's all that is available on the subject.
 * Sources meet the minimum standard for reliability.
 * No source checks done (t &#183; c)  buidhe  00:06, 24 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Thanks for this. Craven and Cate's The Pacific: Matterhorn to Nagasaki is a volume in an official history series. Per the norms for official history works, the USAF wouldn't have had any influence over their conclusions. I'm not aware of any concerns over the book among historians, who tend to rely on it in other works on the B-29 campaigns. Nick-D (talk) 04:17, 26 September 2020 (UTC)

Support Comments by JennyOz
Hi Nick, here is a non-Milhist-member review... That's about all the questions / suggestions I could find. JennyOz (talk) 06:47, 26 September 2020 (UTC) Thanks Nick, glad I read this and am happy to support. JennyOz (talk) 13:33, 26 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Add date and English templates?
 * Added Nick-D (talk) 11:09, 26 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Attempts to bomb the oil refinery were unsuccessful, with only a single building being confirmed destroyed - largely unsuccessful? (it's contradictory otherwise) or... Attempts to bomb the oil refinery resulted in only a single building being confirmed destroyed.
 * Well spotted! I've gone with adding a 'largely' Nick-D (talk) 11:09, 26 September 2020 (UTC)
 * but one ditched when it ran out of fuel - one B-29
 * Done Nick-D (talk) 11:09, 26 September 2020 (UTC)
 * The Japanese anti-aircraft guns and - remove hyphen
 * Done Nick-D (talk) 11:09, 26 September 2020 (UTC)
 * but one ditched - ibox says One aircraft crashed, swap to ditched?
 * Removed the cause of the loss in the infobox Nick-D (talk) 11:09, 26 September 2020 (UTC)
 * major oil production center - hyphen?
 * I don't think so? Nick-D (talk) 11:09, 26 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Dutch engineers attempted to wreck the oil refineries - maybe not obvious why? insert preemptively? or start with In anticipation / To deny Japanese use of
 * Tweaked Nick-D (talk) 11:09, 26 September 2020 (UTC)
 * were captured by Japanese forces in mid-February 1942 during the Battle of Palembang. Dutch engineers attempted to wreck the oil refineries during the Japanese invasion, but the Japanese were able... - could safely drop the second of three "Japanese" here?
 * Fixed Nick-D (talk) 11:09, 26 September 2020 (UTC)
 * In early 1944, Allied - wlink Allied (or..., if other refs ID it more specifically, Allied Intelligence Bureau?)
 * Done Nick-D (talk) 11:09, 26 September 2020 (UTC)
 * whisky - use the more common US spelling whiskey per ref?
 * Done Nick-D (talk) 11:09, 26 September 2020 (UTC)
 * The USAAF's Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Intelligence and the Committee of Operations Analysts judged - with no available wlinks, this was really hard to parse for me trying to determine who was what here ie how many offices. I found explanation at United States Army Air Forces and for who COA was, at Combined Bomber Offensive here. Not suggesting using those links but maybe an Oxford comma after "Intelligence"might help?
 * Good point - the title is confusing. Done. Nick-D (talk) 11:09, 26 September 2020 (UTC)
 * equipped with 20 Type 88 75 mm AA guns. - could ignore MoS and spell out twenty to ease this string?
 * Done Nick-D (talk) 11:09, 26 September 2020 (UTC)
 * take off from China Bay at 4:45 p.m... A total of 31 B-29s attempted to bomb - do we know time of arrival or when bombing started (it's not in Craven & Cate) ie how many hours was flight, seeing article discusses the long distance
 * Unfortunately not - which is really odd, as historical accounts of World War II bombing raids usually provide these details. Nick-D (talk) 11:09, 26 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Of the fifteen B-29s which failed to reach the Palembang area, three attacked other targets - naive question, were these 3 given these orders before take off ie didn't actually "fail" to reach Pal? Or did alternative orders come over radio or these other targets a backup possibility if fuel low?
 * All the bombers had either the refinery at Palembang or the nearby river as their primary targets. A 'last resort' target was designated, which oddly wasn't what the bombers who failed to reach Palembang bombed - no sources explain this discrepancy, but bomber crews had a habit of bombing the first viable target if they needed to head home early, regardless of whether this was authorised or not, which might explain it. Nick-D (talk) 11:09, 26 September 2020 (UTC)
 * first time B-29s had been used as mine layers - pipe to Minelayer?
 * Done Nick-D (talk) 11:09, 26 September 2020 (UTC)
 * The mine laying element - hyphen mine-laying?
 * Done Nick-D (talk) 11:09, 26 September 2020 (UTC)
 * included multiple raids on Singapore - insert Japanese-held/occupied?
 * Done Nick-D (talk) 11:09, 26 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Sungei Gerong - wlink Sungai Gerong?
 * Done Nick-D (talk) 11:19, 26 September 2020 (UTC)
 * citations 26 Craven & Cate 1953, p. 109–110. - pp
 * Fixed Nick-D (talk) 11:09, 26 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Craven & Cate 1953, p. 109–110. and Toh 2020, pp. 109–110. - these same page numbers just a coincidence?
 * Yep - Toh starts on page 109 of the journal, and this material is from the introductory section. Nick-D (talk) 11:09, 26 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Rohwer, Jürgen - authorlink Jürgen Rohwer
 * Added Nick-D (talk) 11:09, 26 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Cate, James - authorlink James L. Cate
 * The link doesn't seem to work for people in editor fields, annoyingly Nick-D (talk) 11:09, 26 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Sorry, I should have said editorlink. Have tweaked it. JennyOz (talk) 13:33, 26 September 2020 (UTC)
 * No category for Brits? (UK are Belligerents in infobox)
 * Added Nick-D (talk) 11:09, 26 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Thanks a lot for this very careful review Nick-D (talk) 11:09, 26 September 2020 (UTC)

Ian Rose (talk) 13:52, 26 September 2020 (UTC)