1942: French Indo-China

In 1940 and 1941 the Vichy government had agreed to ever greater Japanese military and economic control over this colony of 23,000,000 people. As a result, large numbers of Japanese troops entered Indo-China; the Japanese army and navy received the use of valuable bases; and important commodities, such as rubber, anthracite coal and rice were sent in increasing quantities to Japan. After Pearl Harbor, Indo-China played an important part in the conquest of Southeast Asia. From its soil Japanese troops struck westward into Thailand, while its ports were used by the Japanese navy on its way to Malaya and the East Indies. Japan's successes during the winter of 1941-42 revealed that Vichy's surrender of Indo-China had helped to undermine the whole British-American-Dutch position in Southeast Asia.

In 1942 information about Indo-China was fragmentary. On April 21 the United States State Department protested to Vichy against negotiations that were going on between Japan and the Vichy French Governor-General of Indo-China, Admiral Jean Decoux, for the transfer of French shipping to Japanese hands. Early in July it was reported from Japan that the colonial government, which in 1941 had already surrendered part of its territory to neighboring Thailand, had now made an additional cession to the latter country. In September the United States Office of War Information declared that the natives of Indo-China were becoming less friendly toward the Japanese, who at first had not been unwelcome as an alternative to the French. The change in attitude was attributed in part to Japanese devices for securing forced labor. On Nov. 2 Tokyo announced that the recently formed Greater East Asia Ministry of the Japanese cabinet had begun negotiations for a new economic agreement with Indo-China. Soon afterward the Allied offensives in North Africa and the subsequent disintegration of the Vichy regime created a general atmosphere of tension in Indo-China. German broadcasts spoke of the arrest of French officials in the colony on charges of being followers of General de Gaulle and the Fighting French. The Vichy Governor-General remained in office under Japanese control and, according to a Chinese report early in December, was cooperating with Japan in building up a native army. Later in the month the Ta Kung Pao, leading Chungking newspaper, reported that an organization called the All Indo-China Anti-Imperialist League had established a pro-Allied provisional government 'somewhere in Tonkin.' Its aims were said to be immediate collaboration with the United Nations and complete independence for Indo-China after the war. Resistance was advocated both to the Japanese and the Vichy French military forces.

Since Indo-China was beyond the reach of Allied land or naval forces, activity against the colony during 1942 was confined to air raids on some of the important cities. In January, United States and Chinese aircraft attacked Hanoi, and in August United States planes bombed the port of Haiphong, starting great dock fires and hitting a 4,000-ton steamer. Late in November, United States bombers and fighters struck twice — once at Haiphong and once at a coaling port up the coast from that city. On Dec. 14 the Gialam airdrome at Hanoi was bombed. Raids on Indo-China were conducted from Chinese bases and were confined to the extreme northern part of the colony.