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The Battle of the Java Sea (, ) was a decisive
naval battle Naval warfare is combat in and on the sea, the ocean, or any other battlespace involving a major body of water such as a large lake or wide river. The armed forces branch designated for naval warfare is a navy. Naval operations can be broadly d ...
of the Pacific campaign of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Allied navies suffered a disastrous defeat at the hand of the
Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, Potsdam Declaration, when it was dissolved followin ...
on 27 February 1942 and in secondary actions over successive days, starting when the main ABDA fleet strike force of 2 heavy cruisers, 3 light cruisers, and 9 destroyers, led by ABDA fleet's main commander, Admiral Karel Doorman, attempted to intercept a Japanese troop convoy in the
Java Sea The Java Sea (, ) is an extensive shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf, between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south, Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east. Karimata Strait to its northwest links it to the South Ch ...
, only to be intercepted by the convoy's better equipped escort force. The battle started off as a stalemate, but the heavy cruiser '' Haguro'' changed the course of the battle when she crippled the heavy cruiser HMS ''Exeter'' with gunfire, then torpedoed and sank the Dutch destroyer '' Kortenaer,'' sending Doorman's fleet into a chaotic frenzy. A gunfight between allied and Japanese destroyers then resulted in the sinking of HMS ''Electra'', before Doorman's force made a false retreat, ending the daylight engagement. However, under the cover of night, Admiral Doorman's ships attempted another attack, during which the destroyer HMS ''Jupiter'' accidentally hit a Dutch mine and sank, but the Japanese immediately caught on to their plan, prompting the ''Haguro'' and her sistership '' Nachi'' to ambush the allied fleet with a stealthy long range torpedo attack. One of ''Nachi's'' torpedoes hit the Dutch light cruiser ''
Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
'', which was instantly blown apart and sank with almost all hands. One of ''Haguro's'' torpedoes then hit the allied flagship, the Dutch light cruiser '' De Ruyter'', which sank to progressive flooding over several hours, killing Admiral Doorman. The aftermath of the battle included several smaller actions around Java, including the smaller but also significant Battle of Sunda Strait, which saw the sinking of the heavy cruiser USS ''Houston'''','' the light cruiser HMAS ''Perth'', and the destroyer HNLMS ''Evertsen'', and the second battle of the Java Sea, where the still crippled ''Exeter'' and her escorting destroyers were sunk by a Japanese cruiser destroyer squadron, including ''Haguro''. These defeats led to the dissolution of the ABDA fleet as a whole, the scuttling of the Dutch navy, and the Japanese occupation of the entire
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...
.


Background

The Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies progressed at a rapid pace as the Japanese advanced from their
Palau Palau, officially the Republic of Palau, is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the western Pacific Ocean. The Republic of Palau consists of approximately 340 islands and is the western part of the Caroline Islands ...
Islands colony and captured bases in
Sarawak Sarawak ( , ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. It is the largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is ...
and the southern Philippines. They seized bases in eastern
Borneo Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...
and in northern Celebes while troop convoys, screened by
destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
s and
cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several operational roles from search-and-destroy to ocean escort to sea ...
s with air support provided by swarms of fighters operating from captured bases, steamed southward through the
Makassar Strait Makassar Strait () is a strait between the islands of Borneo and Sulawesi in Indonesia. To the north it joins the Celebes Sea, while to the south it meets the Java Sea. To the northeast, it forms the Sangkulirang Bay south of the Mangkalihat P ...
and into the
Molucca Sea The Molucca Sea (Indonesian language, Indonesian: ''Laut Maluku'') is located in the western Pacific Ocean, around the vicinity of Indonesia, specifically bordered by the Indonesian Islands of Sulawesi, Celebes (Sulawesi) to the west, Halmahera t ...
. Opposing the invading forces was a small force consisting of Dutch, American, British and Australian warships, many of them of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
vintage, initially under the command of American Admiral Thomas C. Hart. On 23 January 1942 a force of four American destroyers attacked a Japanese invasion convoy in
Makassar Strait Makassar Strait () is a strait between the islands of Borneo and Sulawesi in Indonesia. To the north it joins the Celebes Sea, while to the south it meets the Java Sea. To the northeast, it forms the Sangkulirang Bay south of the Mangkalihat P ...
as it approached
Balikpapan Balikpapan is a seaport city in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Located on the east coast of the island of Borneo, the city is the financial center of Kalimantan. Balikpapan is the city with the largest economy in Kalimantan with an estimated 20 ...
in Borneo. On 13 February the Japanese captured the major port of Palembang in eastern
Sumatra Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...
. On the night of 19/20 February, an Allied force attacked the Japanese eastern invasion force off
Bali Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...
in the Battle of Badung Strait. Also on 19 February, the Japanese made two air raids on Darwin, on the Australian mainland, one from carrier-based planes and the other by land-based planes, rendering Darwin useless as a supply and naval base to support operations in the East Indies.


Battle


Prelude

Japanese amphibious forces gathered to strike at Java, and on 27 February 1942 the main Allied naval force, under Rear Admiral Karel Doorman, sailed northeast from
Surabaya Surabaya is the capital city of East Java Provinces of Indonesia, province and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strai ...
to intercept a convoy of the Japanese eastern invasion force approaching from the Makassar Strait. The Allied eastern strike force consisted of two heavy cruisers ( HMS ''Exeter'' and USS ''Houston''), three light cruisers (Doorman's flagship HNLMS ''De Ruyter'', HNLMS ''Java'', HMAS ''Perth''), and nine destroyers ( HMS ''Electra'', HMS ''Encounter'', HMS ''Jupiter'', HNLMS ''Kortenaer'', HNLMS ''Witte de With'', USS ''Alden'', USS ''John D. Edwards'', USS ''John D. Ford'', and USS ''Paul Jones''). On paper, this seemed a formidable force, but its combat effectiveness was questionable. Belonging to several different navies, the ships had practically no experience in each other's naval doctrine and fighting styles, and most crucially there was a language barrier between the Dutch speaking Karel Doorman and the English-speaking US, UK, and Australian ships, hindering communications. Upon departure, the Allied force was immediately spotted by a Japanese floatplane launched from the convoy's main protection force, commanded by Rear Admiral Takeo Takagi. The main Japanese group consisted of the heavy cruisers '' Haguro'' and '' Nachi'' (the latter, Takagi's flagship, having launched the floatplane), and the destroyers '' Kawakaze'', ''Yamakaze'', '' Ushio'', and ''Sazanami''. This was supported by second group led by Rear Admiral Shoji Nishimura, consisting of the light cruisers '' Naka'' and ''Jintsū'' and the destroyers ''Yūdachi'', ''Samidare'', ''Murasame'', ''Harusame'', ''Minegumo'', and ''Asagumo''. Upon learning of the opposing force's movements from ''Nachi'', both groups sailed aside each other at 30 knots to intercept the opposing force. The Japanese heavy cruisers, with ten 8-inch (203 mm) guns each and superb
torpedoes A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, such ...
. By comparison, ''Exeter'' was armed only with six 8-inch guns, and only six of ''Houston'''s nine 8-inch guns remained operable after her aft turret had been knocked out in an earlier air attack. While underway, Nishimura's group was joined by the nearby destroyers '' Yukikaze'', '' Amatsukaze'', '' Hatsukaze'', and '' Tokitsukaze'', before being attacked by land based Dutch aircraft and B-17 bombers, but avoided damage due to the planes' poor marksmanship. Captain Tameichi Hara aboard ''Amatsukaze'' noted that the planes attacked the Japanese warships, confirming their goal was to mow through the protection force before attacking the convoy and believing it to have been a mistake by the planes to have not attacked the troopships.Hara (1961) Chapter 13 The next day, Doorman's force was tracked by ''Nachi's'' floatplane while the Japanese fleet rigorously practiced in preparation for the coming engagement. Updates from ''Nachi's'' floatplane worried the Japanese, as Doorman's ships were in a position to pounce on the vulnerable transport ships, but Doorman ordered his fleet to turn South to refuel at Surabaya. However, upon receiving reports of the Japanese fleet, Doorman immediately turned his ships back to attack the enemy. These actions, perhaps somewhat misunderstood, came as a relief to Admiral Takagi, who Captain Hara recalled saying "The enemy ships were staying clear of our air raids on Surabaya, the enemy is in no shape to fight us." He ordered the convoy to turn around and the escort ships to form up into a fighting formation.


Afternoon battle

At 15:48 on 27 February 1942, ''Amatsukaze's'' chief spotter Shigeru Iwata located Doorman's fleet at 31,600 yards. Captain Hara watched through his binoculars, clearly recognizing ''De Ruyter's'' masts as the fleet quickly became visible to the other ships. Admiral Doorman aboard ''De Ruyter'' in turn located the enemy force, with a brief scare due to a mistaken claim of battleships in the enemy formation, which was quickly corrected. Still, the allies could not make out any targets besides ''Haguro'' and ''Nachi'' because of the inferiority of their optical systems to those of the Japanese, because only one of Doorman's ships, the ''Exeter'', carried any form of radar, and because of the language barrier on the Allied side. Still, Doorman ordered his ships to turn west, hoping to prevent the Japanese fleet from crossing his T. With both fleets thereafter sailing in a parallel course, ''Haguro'' and ''Nachi'', which were training behind the other ships, could catch up to Nishimura's group.Hornfischer (2006) Chapter 10 By 16:00, spotters on the ''Electra'' noticed ''Jintsū'', leading ''Yukikaze'', ''Amatsukaze'', ''Hatsukaze'', ''Tokitsukaze'', at 16,000 yards, and her 4.7-inch (12 cm) guns fired the first shots of the battle, closely followed by all the cruisers and several destroyers. Every ship aimed their guns at ''Jintsū'', straddling her several times, but not a single shell made its mark. The ''Naka'' and her group of destroyers returned fire at 24,000 yards, and their shells, too, all missed their mark. Both sides rapidly closed the distance and, frustrated by the ineffective gunfire, Nishimura ordered ''Naka'' and his destroyers to fire torpedoes at 15,000 yards, letting out 43 torpedoes. A few exploded after running a few thousand yards, while the rest all missed their target. Nishimura's hastiness to engage at long range was later criticized by the Japanese admiralty due to the sheer amount of ammunition the Japanese wasted with few hits in the initial stages of the battle. Recognizing this flaw, Takagi ordered all ships to close the range and charge the enemy as he watched his heavy cruisers blast away at long range.


First hits are scored

''Exeter'', ''Houston'', and ''Perth'' all fired on ''Haguro'' and initially claimed to have blown up and sunk her. In fact, ''Haguro'' was untouched, as she and ''Nachi'' scored the first hits of the battle. ''Haguro'' focused her gunfire on ''De Ruyter'', striking her with an 8-inch (203 mm) shell that blasted apart her auxiliary motor room, starting a fire that killed one crewman and injured six others. A second 8-inch (203 mm) shell from ''Haguro'' punched through ''De Ruyter's'' unarmored portions without exploding. Meanwhile, Admiral Takagi's flagship focused her fire on ''Houston'', which ''Nachi'' succeeded in hitting with two 8-inch (203 mm) shells, one punching through her bow and the other holing her stern, which managed to rupture an oil tank. Even when their shells didn't directly hit, near-miss and straddle damage still took a toll, ''Nachi's'' shells landing as little as 3 yards from ''Houston''. A cluster of Japanese destroyers, ''Yukikaze'', ''Tokitsukaze'', ''Amatsukaze'', ''Hatsukaze'', ''Yamakaze'', ''Kawakaze'', and ''Ushio'' closed the range by Takagi's order, in the hope of enabling more accurate torpedoing. ''Electra'' switched fire to the cluster as 5.9-inch (15 cm) shells from ''De Ruyter'' continued to rain on the column. One of ''Electra's'' 4.7-inch (12 cm) shells hit ''Tokitsukaze'', causing thick white smoke to burst out of the ship, blinding ''Amatsukaze'' behind her. A near miss from ''De Ruyter'' then lightly damaged ''Amatsukaze's'' hull and dashed water on her bridge. However, neither destroyer was critically damaged. In turn, the destroyers engaged in a gunfight with ''De Ruyter'', although no shells hit their mark. ''Yukikaze'' and ''Tokitsukaze'' first let out 16 torpedoes at 6,000 yards, followed closely by ''Amatsukaze'', then the four other destroyers behind her. A total of 56 torpedoes were aimed at the enemy, yet not a single hit was made.


Haguro changes the course of the battle

Though the torpedoes did not hit, they prompted the allied fleet to maneuver, enabling ''Haguro'' to switch fire from ''De Ruyter'' to the ''Exeter'', with ''Exeter'' responding back. Engaging each other at 22,000 yards, ''Exeter's'' gunnery was poor, managing only a straddle by the 8th salvo. ''Haguro'' proved more effective, scoring her first 8-inch (203 mm) shell hit, which did not explode. Another salvo from ''Haguro'' registered a devastating hit on ''Exeter''. One of ''Haguro's'' 8-inch (203 mm) shells gouged into ''Exeter's'' engine. It exploded and destroyed six of ''Exeter's'' eight boilers, killing 40 men as ''Exeter's'' speed dropped to 5 knots. Doorman's fleet then maneuvered chaotically, as, when ''Exeter'' began to retreat, ''Houston'', ''Perth'', and ''Java'' all followed her, assuming they had missed a command from Doorman, leaving ''De Ruyter'' charging alone at the enemy fleet before joining the other cruisers. Simultaneously, ''Haguro'' fired a spread of 8 torpedoes and continued to engage. The British destroyers ''Jupiter'', ''Encounter'', and ''Electra'' came to assist the crippled ''Exeter'' as Doorman's cruisers began to turn away, laying a smokescreen in an attempt to hide the disorganized formation.Grove (1993) p 92-94 Up to this point, the battle of the Java Sea had been something of a stalemate, with both sides missing their shots due to extreme range. Even when shells did hit, such as ''Haguros and ''Nachi's'' hits to ''De Ruyter'' and ''Houston'' or ''Electa's'' hit on ''Tokitsukaze'', no significant damage was inflicted as the damaged ships were able to fight on. ''Haguro's'' hit on ''Exeter'' disorganized Doorman's fleet. In an ironic twist, the only Japanese torpedo to make its mark during the course of the afternoon battle was one of ''Haguro's'' launched at extreme range and hitting home 15 minutes after firing, striking the Dutch destroyer ''Kortenaer''. Within moments of the hit, the destroyer broke apart and sank with the loss of 66 men. Launched at a distance of 22,000 yards, this hit by ''Haguro'' was probably the longest-range torpedo hit in naval history.


Destroyer on destroyer action

The American destroyers ''Alden'', ''John C Edwards'', ''John C Ford'', and ''Paul Jones'' fired their torpedoes at ''Haguro'' and ''Nachi'', but none made their mark. Simultaneously, the British destroyers attempting to cover the crippled ''Exeter'' were engaged by the Japanese destroyers ''Asagumo'' and ''Minegumo''. ''Minegumo'' stayed at a longer range and took part in a 1v2 against ''Jupiter'' and ''Encounter'', lightly damaging them with near misses, but failed to score any direct hits. ''Asagumo'' and ''Electra'', by contrast, engaged each other at point blank range. ''Asagumo'' took several 4.7-inch (12 cm) shells, temporarily leaving her dead in the water, killing five sailors and injuring 16 others. ''Asagumo'', however, inflicted more damage than she received, a hail of 5-inch (127 mm) gunfire destroying ''Electra's'' A and X turrets, engine room, communications, and electrical power, and setting ''Electra'' on fire. ''Electra'' desperately let out a spread of eight torpedoes at her opponent, but none hit, and in response ''Minegumo'' switched fire from the other destroyers and joined ''Asagumo'' in pounding the already crippled ''Electra''. Western sources sometimes credit ''Jintsū'' with assisting ''Asagumo'', but Japanese records do not support this. ''Electra's'' remaining guns were destroyed, flooding overwhelmed damage control, and fires burned out of control under ''Asagumo's'' and ''Minegumo's'' bombardment. ''Electra's'' crew finally abandoned ship and left her to sink. ''Encounter'' and ''Jupiter'' had been repelled by ''Minegumo's'' gunfire and retreated to assist ''Exeter''.Hornfischer (2006) Chapter 11


Allied retreat

After almost two hours of fighting, Doorman's ships had not even come close to attacking the Japanese troop convoy. One of his cruisers was crippled, two more were damaged, and he suffered two destroyers sunk, while his ships, with their poor gunnery, had managed only to moderately damage one destroyer and lightly damage two others. He still wanted to attack the convoy, but recognized that he simply could not under the current conditions. Doorman thus decided to cut his losses and regroup whilst retiring in the general direction of Surabaya which led Takagi to mistakenly believe the Allied ships were retreating to port. The limping ''Exeter'', no longer in condition to contribute further to the battle, was ordered to break off from the force, taking ''Witte De With'' with her as escort into Surabaya. However, after nightfall, the remainder of Doorman's ships changed direction and steamed back toward the convoy.Hara (1961) Chapter 13Hornfischer (2006) Chapter 10


Loss of all allied destroyers

Then, after much maneuvering for position, the plan began to backfire. The four American destroyers were dangerously low on fuel and had completely expended their torpedoes and were thus limited to gun armament only. At around 21.15 the American destroyers accordingly detached from Doorman's fleet to retire to Surabaya. Again Doorman decided to absorb the losses and continued to charge on. However, at about 21:25 while traveling west along the coast of Java, ''Jupiter'', one of Doorman's two remaining destroyers hit a mine and sank with the loss of 84 men. The mine that sank ''Jupiter'' is generally thought to have been not Japanese, but Dutch, lain by the Dutch minelayer ''Gouden Leeuw''. Shortly thereafter, around 22.00 while now headed north, the Striking Force passed through the former battlegrounds and sighted men in the water. HMS ''Encounter'', the lone remaining destroyer, was ordered to pick up the survivors, who turned out to be 113 men from the earlier sinking of ''Kortenaer'', and after doing so retired to Surabaya. Doorman now had not a single destroyer in his force, leaving him only his remaining heavy cruiser ''Houston'' and light cruisers ''De Ruyter'', ''Java'', and ''Perth''. But Doorman charged on, still hoping for victory.Hornfischer (2006) Chapter 10


Night ambush

Unknown to Doorman, ''Haguro's'' floatplane had been tracking his force the entire time. Takagi believed he had secured a victory as his ships made post-battle reformations. ''Asagumo's'' crew conducted temporary repairs following her gunfight with ''Electra'', getting the engine back up and running as she regained speed, retiring from the engagement and taking ''Minegumo'' to escort her. ''Haguro'' and ''Nachi'' stopped in the water to recover their floatplanes, which had been catapulted shortly before the battle, but while this was being conducted, one of ''Haguro's'' floatplanes still in the air noticed Doorman's fleet turning back, much to Takagi's shock. ''Haguro'' and ''Nachi'' instantly picked up speed and raced to engage the enemy yet again. ''Haguro's'' floatplane this time tracked Doorman's every movement, which were now far more predictable than earlier in the battle. It was just before midnight that the Japanese optical systems picked up the enemy force at long range. Steaming at maximum speed, ''Haguro'' and ''Nachi'' closed to 16,000 yards. Low on ammunition for their main guns, they instead opted for a stealthy torpedo attack, in which ''Nachi'' unleashed eight torpedoes, and ''Haguro'' four. The Allied fleet detected the torpedos at 23:32 and took evasive action, but ''Java'', at the end of the battle line, did not turn fast enough. A torpedo struck near her stern and ignited her magazine. The resulting explosion was so violent that of her stern was blown off and heat was felt onboard other ships in formation. Damage control was hopeless, and she sank in about 15 minutes. Only 19 crewmembers survived. Four minutes later, one of ''Haguro's'' torpedoes hit Admiral Doorman's flagship. All power was destroyed as the ''De Ruyter'' stopped dead in the water with significant flooding, and a massive fire broke out and enveloped the cruiser. ''Haguro's'' torpedo hit killed much of ''De Ruyter's'' damage control crew, and the loss of all power disabled much of ''De Ruyter's'' damage control equipment, meaning the massive fire could spread throughout the ship. Simultaneously, flooding slowly overwhelmed damage control and ''De Ruyter'' increasingly listed. Over a period of three hours, fires and flooding overwhelmed ''De Ruyter'' as she capsized and sank with the loss of 367 men. Admiral Doorman and Captain Eugène Lacomblé were among the dead. Shouts of "Banzai" could be heard from ''Haguro'' and ''Nachi's'' decks as crew members leaped for joy and hugged each other in excitement. Admiral Takagi chose not to attack with gunfire afterwards, knowing ''Java'' and ''De Ruyter'' were already fatally damaged. The pair steamed out of the area to reinforce the invasion convoy. Depending on the source, they were either undetected, or were spotted but untouched by ineffective gunfire. With Doorman dead, ''Houston'' and ''Perth'' abandoned the mission and retreated. Meanwhile, as the US destroyers evacuated the battlefield they ran into ''Amatsukaze'' and ''Hatsukaze''. Both sides exchanged fire, but no hits were scored and the US destroyers continued on their path while ''Amatsukaze'' and ''Hatsukaze'' regrouped with the fleet. With almost all of their ships sunk or damaged, the remaining allied warships halted all offensive actions and attempted to flee the vicinity, leaving the Dutch East Indies to the invaders. The Japanese convoys continued to Surabaya unmolested, aside from an air raid that damaged a single troopship. All the Allies had accomplished was that the troops on Java received a one-day respite, which ultimately changed nothing. ''Perth'' and ''Houston'' proceeded to Tanjung Priok, arriving later that day. However, oil shortages meant they could be only half fueled, and they received no new ammunition. In the first battle of the Java Sea, not a single Japanese ship was sunk, and besides ''Electra'', not a single allied ship even managed to hit a Japanese ship.


Aftermath

After their victory, the Japanese fleet while returning to the invasion convoy stumbled upon the Dutch hospital ship SS ''Op Ten Noort'' as she was sailed to the battle scene to rescue survivors''.'' ''Op Ten Noort'' was halted by ''Murasame'' and ''Amatsukaze''. Captain Hara aboard ''Amatsukaze'' peeked through his binoculars and watched Captain G. Tuizinga walk on deck after the Japanese yelled a message to the ship in English. Upon inspection, there were no patients on the ship, only crew and staff, and in response ''Amatsukaze'' was ordered to escort ''Op Ten Noort'' to Singapore, where she would be converted into a prison ship. While underway, ''Amatsukaze and Hatsukaze'' crippled the submarine USS ''Perch'', enabling her to be finished off by the destroyers ''Ushio'' and ''Sazanami'', then ''Amatsukaze'' fatally wounded the Dutch submarine '' K-10'', forcing her scuttling in Surabaya the next day.Hara (1961) Chapter 13 While traversing the Java Sea, ''Witte De With'' was damaged by land based Japanese aircraft and forced to retire for Surabaya. She was replaced by the destroyer USS ''Pope'' in escorting the crippled ''Exeter'' to safety.


Battle of Sunda Strait

''Perth'' and ''Houston'' were at Tanjung Priok on 28 February when they received orders to sail through
Sunda Strait The Sunda Strait () is the strait between the Indonesian islands of Java island, Java and Sumatra. It connects the Java Sea with the Indian Ocean. Etymology The strait takes its name from the Sunda Kingdom, which ruled the western portion of Ja ...
to Tjilatjap. Materiel was running short in Java, and neither was able to rearm or fully refuel. Departing at 19:00 on 28 February for the Sunda Strait, by chance they encountered the main Japanese invasion fleet for West Java in Bantam Bay and were engaged by the groups escorting destroyers. The initial torpedo spreads fired from the '' Fubuki, Shirayuki, Hatsuyuki,'' and '' Asakaze'' all missed, and in turn ''Perth'' hit ''Shirayuki'' with a 6-inch (152 mm) shell to her bridge. However, the arrival of the convoy's other escorts, the heavy cruisers '' Mogami'' and '' Mikuma'', the light cruiser '' Natori'', and the destroyers '' Murakumo, Shirakumo'', and '' Shikinami'' quickly changed the tide of battle.O'Hara (2009) p 50-55 ''Mogami'' and ''Mikuma'' blasted ''Houston'', crippling her with 30 shell hits and two torpedo hits, through in turn ''Mikuma'' was hit by 8-inch (203 mm) shells that temporally disabled electrical power. Simultaneously, ''Perth'' became the focus of the escorting destroyers and dueled the '' Harukaze'' which she damaged with three dud 6-inch (152 mm) shell hits, but not before ''Harukaze'' hit ''Perth'' with a torpedo that destroyed her forward engine room, followed two minutes later by another torpedo from the ''Murakumo'' that flooded her bow, then two more torpedoes from ''Shirakumo'' which finished her off; the crew quickly abandoned ship and left ''Perth'' to sink over 20 minutes. Meanwhile, the crippled ''Houston'' was pounced by the ''Shikinami'', which hit the cruiser with a final torpedo that resulted in the abandon ship order being issued, leaving ''Houston'' to disappear beneath the waves. During the action, a spread of torpedoes from ''Mogami'' that missed the allied cruisers accidentally hit and sank a Japanese minesweeper and four troop transport; more damage to Japanese forces that any of the allied ships managed to inflict. Three of the transports were later raised and repaired. The Dutch destroyer HNLMS ''Evertsen'' had been scheduled to depart Tanjung Priok with the cruisers, but was delayed, and she followed them about two hours later. Her crew sighted the gunfire of the main action, and her captain managed to evade the Japanese main force. However, ''Evertsen'' was then engaged by the ''Murakumo'' and ''Shirakumo'', still thirsty for blood after helping to sink ''Perth'', in the Strait. On fire and in a sinking condition after at least seven 5-inch (127 mm) shell hits, ''Evertsen'' grounded herself on a reef near Sebuku Island. The surviving crew abandoned ship just as the aft
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exploded and the destroyer fully sank.


Second Battle of the Java Sea

The ''Exeter'', still crippled from ''Haguro's'' shell hit, was continuing for safety in
Ceylon Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
, and had traversed almost the entire Java Sea alongside the destroyers ''Encounter'' and ''Pope'', only to be located at 10:00 on 1 March by the heavy cruisers '' Myōkō'' and '' Ashigara'' and their escorting destroyers, and engaged in a two hour long gun battle which saw no hits scored on either side. Just before 12:00, the battle experienced ''Haguro'' and ''Nachi'' arrived on the scene and opened fire, and 4 minutes later ''Exeter'' was finally hit by an 8-inch (203 mm) shell that destroyed what was left of her boilers. Slowing to a stop, gunfire from the cruisers destroyed her electrical power and guns and set her on fire, leading to the crew scuttling ''Exeter''. Almost entirely out of ammo, ''Haguro'' and ''Nachi'' finally withdrew, while the destroyers ''Kawakaze'' and ''Yamakaze'' bombarded ''Encounter'', scoring hits that destroyed her steering gear and caused her to loose speed, and as ''Myōkō'' and ''Ashigara'' joined into the pounding, ''Encounter'' was sunk to overwhelming gunfire. ''Pope'' initially escaped, only to be crippled by aircraft from the light carrier '' Ryūjō'' and finished off by gunfire from ''Myōkō'' and ''Ashigara''.


The end of ABDA fleet

With the complete destruction of Admiral Doorman's fleet across the battles of the Java Sea and Sunda Strait, plus the death of Doorman himself by the hand of ''Haguro's'' torpedo battery, ABDA fleet as a whole was completely disbanded, and there was one thing left for the remaining allied warships stuck in the Dutch East Indies-run. All of the former ABDA fleet warships desperately fled the crumbling Dutch East Indies in hopes of reaching the safety of Australia. Many reached the ports of Sydney and Darwin successfully; among these lucky ships were the only allied survivors to the Java Sea battle, the four American destroyers ''John D. Edwards'', ''John D. Ford'', ''Alden'', and ''Paul Jones'', which while underway in the
Bali Strait Bali Strait is a stretch of water separating Java and Bali while connecting the Indian Ocean and the Bali Sea. At its narrowest it is wide. Geography The Bali Strait is one of the bodies of water surrounding the island of Bali: Lombok Strait ...
encountered the Japanese destroyers '' Hatsuharu, Nenohi, Wakaba,'' and '' Hatsushimo'' and after a brief gunfight which inflicted no damage to either side successfully escaped to
Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia located at the mouth of the Swan River (Western Australia), Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australi ...
. However, many were not as lucky, Japanese forces raced to hunt down and destroy any allied vessels attempting to hide, starting immediately after the battle of Sunda Strait when the Japanese destroyers ''Fubuki'' and ''Hatsuyuki'' located the British minesweepers ''Rahman'' and ''Sin Aik Lee'', sinking both vessels without a fight. Simultaneously, land-based aircraft sank the seaplane tender USS ''Langley'', while dive bombers from the aircraft carrier '' Sōryū'' sank the fleet oilier USS ''Pecos''. and helped to sink the destroyer USS ''Edsall'' alongside gunfire from the battleships '' Hiei'' and '' Kirishima'' and the heavy cruisers ''
Tone Tone may refer to: Visual arts and color-related * Tone (color theory), a mix of tint and shade, in painting and color theory * Tone (color), the lightness or brightness (as well as darkness) of a color * Toning (coin), color change in coins * ...
'' and '' Chikuma''. Later, the destroyers '' Kasumi'', '' Shiranui'', and '' Isokaze'' sank the Dutch freighter ''Modjokerto'', the destroyer '' Hayashio'' captured the Dutch cargo ship ''Speelman'', and finally on 5 March the heavy cruiser ''Chikuma'' and the destroyer '' Urakaze'' sank the Dutch freighter ''Enggano''. Perhaps most notably was a mass raid conducted from 1-4 March by the heavy cruisers '' Takao, Atago'', and ''
Maya Maya may refer to: Ethnic groups * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Mayan languages, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (East Africa), a p ...
'' and the destroyers '' Nowaki'' and ''
Arashi is a Japanese boy band consisting of five members formed under the Johnny & Associates talent agency. The members are Satoshi Ohno, Sho Sakurai, Masaki Aiba, Kazunari Ninomiya, and Jun Matsumoto. Arashi officially formed on September 15, 199 ...
'', which claimed 15 ships sunk or captured, known by Japanese sources as the battle of Tjilatjap, which started on the 1st when ''Nowaki'' and ''Arashi'' sank the Dutch cargo ships ''Tomohon'' and ''Pageri'', then later sank the British minesweeper ''Scott Harley'' and the Dutch freighter ''Toradjo'' and captured the Dutch freighter ''Bintoehan''. The next day, ''Takao'' and ''Atago'' sank the destroyer USS ''Pillsbury'', while ''Maya, Nowaki'', and ''Arashi'' sank the destroyer HMS ''Stronghold'''','' while on the 3rd ''Nowaki'' and ''Arashi'' sank the gunboat USS ''Asheville''. Finally on the 4th, all five ships raided a convoy destined for Australia, together sinking the sloop HMAS ''Yarra'', the oil tanker ''Fancol'', the depot ship ''Anking'', and the minesweepers ''M-3'' and ''M-51'' and captured the freighters ''Duymaer van Twist'' and ''Tjisaroea''.


Scuttling of the Dutch Navy

As the increasingly successful invasion of the Dutch East Indies began to reach the port of Surabaya, many Dutch ships still at anchor were not in a condition to escape the port. In order to prevent capture, some 50 Dutch ships were scuttled in Surabaya. Among these was the destroyer ''Witte De With'', still damaged by air attacks. While many of these ships were salvageable enough for the Japanese to raise and repair them, the operation was very successful as most of their warships were either completely destroyed or unable to serve combat roles. However, it completely decimated the Dutch navy for the rest of the war, effectively ending its role in WW2 outside of a few surviving submarines which continued to operate with the US navy and Royal navy, and a few surviving destroyers, flotilla leaders and gunboats serving with the Royal navy.


Consequences

The Battle of the Java Sea ended significant Allied naval operations in Southeast Asia in 1942, and Japanese land forces invaded Java on 28 February. The Dutch surface fleet was practically eradicated from Asian waters and the Netherlands would never reclaim full control of its colony. The Japanese now controlled one of the most important food-producing regions (Java), and by conquering the Dutch East Indies, Japan also controlled the fourth-largest oil producing area in the world in 1940. The U.S. and
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
retreated to Australia. Dutch troops, aided by British remnants, fought fiercely for a week. In the campaign the Japanese executed many Allied
POW POW is "prisoner of war", a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. POW or pow may also refer to: Music * P.O.W (Bullet for My Valentine song), "P.O.W" (Bull ...
s and sympathizing Indonesians. Eventually, the Japanese won this decisive battle of attrition and ABDA forces surrendered on 9 March.


Wrecks

As of 2002 the location of the wreck of only one of the eight ships sunk during the two so-called Java Sea Battles, HMS ''Jupiter'', was known and plotted on an Admiralty chart. However, given her location in very shallow water so close to shore she had already been heavily salvaged. In December 2002 the wrecks of HNLMS ''Java'' and HNLMS ''De Ruyter'' were discovered by a specialist wreck diving group aboard the dive vessel MV ''Empress''. ''Empress'' then went on to discover the wrecks of HMS ''Electra'' in August 2003; HNLMS ''Kortenaer'' in August 2004; and HMS ''Exeter'' and HMS ''Encounter'' in February 2007. When discovered these wrecks were all in a very well-preserved state, save for battle damage. In late 2008, ''Empress'' discovered remnants of the last wreck, USS ''Pope'', which had already been largely removed by illegal salvage diving operations. Although the MV ''Empress'' team kept the locations of their discoveries secret, by 2017 all eight ships had been reduced to remnants or even entirely removed by illegal commercial salvage operations.'


Notes


References

*


Further reading

* * * * * * * * * * Firsthand account of the battle by the captain of the Japanese destroyer ''Amatsukaze''. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Firsthand account of the battle by a survivor from USS ''Houston''. *


External links

* – 135-minute documentary of the battle. Won the "
Golden Calf According to the Torah, the Bible, and the Quran, the golden calf () was a cult image made by the Israelites when Moses went up to Mount Sinai (bible), Mount Sinai. In Hebrew, the incident is known as "the sin of the calf" (). It is first mentio ...
" award for "Best Long Documentary" at the 1996 Nederlands Film Festival.
To the Java Sea: The Diary, Letters and Papers of Henry E. Eccles
* * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Java Sea, Battle of 01 1942 in Japan Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies World War II naval operations and battles of the Southeast Asia Theatre Naval battles of World War II involving Australia Naval battles of World War II involving Japan Naval battles of World War II involving the Netherlands
Java Sea The Java Sea (, ) is an extensive shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf, between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south, Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east. Karimata Strait to its northwest links it to the South Ch ...
Naval battles of World War II involving the United States South West Pacific theatre of World War II Java Sea February 1942 World War II prisoner of war massacres by Imperial Japan Japanese war crimes in Indonesia Naval ambushes Ambushes in Indonesia Ambushes of World War II