Japan had no internal means of obtaining oil. At the beginning of the war it invaded and captured Dutch oil fields, refineries and oil depots in southeast Asia.
On 19 April 1944, the British East Fleet launched its "Oil War" against Japan with Operation Cockpit attacking the oil depot at Sabang, an island off the northern tip of Sumatra. HMS Illustrious and USS Saratoga launched 46 bombers and 37 fighters. The bombers attacked the port while the fighters attacked the large Lho Nga Airfield, destroying 25 Japanese aircraft on the ground..
SOURCES:
Carrier Pilot by Norman Hanson;
Operation Pacific by Edwin Gray
You are leading the first flight of Corsairs from HMS Illustrious against the airfield. As the first flight, your primary mission is to quiet any Japanese AAA at the field. Once you accomplish that, you may look for targets of opportunity. Other Corsair flights are coming in behind you to attack the Japanese aircraft.
