ABDA Command

ABDA Command, first attempt at a combined Allied command, which was agreed at the first Washington conference in December 1941 (see ARCADIA). ABDA (American–British–Dutch–Australian) was activated on 15 January 1942 to defend Singapore and the Netherlands East Indies (NEI). ABDA's area of operations covered Burma, the Malayan peninsula, the NEI, Thailand, South China Sea, and the northern and north-western coasts of Australia. It was commanded by General Wavell, who had his HQ at Lembang on Java. Lt-General G. Brett of the USAAF was his deputy, Lt-General Henry Pownall, whose post as C-in-C Far East now lapsed, acted as his Chief of Staff, and the C-in-C of the US Asiatic Fleet, Admiral Hart ( Vice-Admiral C. Helfrich from 14 February) was his naval commander (ABDAFLOAT).

But ABDA ‘was too complicated for truly effective co-operation and rapid communication…Moreover…the naval and air forces at Wavell's command were negligible, and he had no troops as a strategic reserve…National animosities and the basic differences between American and British interests were other weaknesses’ ( A. Marder et al., Old Friends, New Enemies, Vol. 2, Oxford, 1992, pp. 31–2). On 25 February it was disbanded when Wavell had to flee from his HQ ahead of a Japanese invasion of Java on 1 March.