IJA Sado Maru and CH-7 Operation L

9 February 1942: Operation "L" – The Invasions of Muntok, Banka Island and Palembang, Sumatra:
SADO MARU departs Camranh Bay, Indochina in an invasion convoy consisting of transports ALASKA, MANSEI, TAJIMA, ANYO, OYO, KINUGAWA and TACOMA MARUs escorted by Rear Admiral Hashimoto Shintaro’s [41] DesRon 3 light cruiser SENDAI, DesDiv 11's FUBUKI, HATSUYUKI and SHIRAYUKI, DesDiv 20’s AMAGIRI, YUGIRI and ASAGIRI, MinSwpDiv 1’s W-1, W-2,W-3,W-4 and W-5 and SubChasDiv 11’s CH-7 and CH-8. Air cover is provided by floatplane fighters from seaplane tenders SAGARA and KAMIKAWA MARUs.
The convoy carries seven companies of the 229th Regiment, a mountain gun battery of the 10th Independent Mountain Artillery Battalion, an engineer company of the 38th Engineer Regiment and men of the 38th Medical Unit.