Battles of Java Sea & Sunda Strait S
eventy years ago on the night of 28 February-01 March 1942,
HMAS Perth was torpedoed in Sunda Strait, between Sumatra and Java. The loss of HMAS Perth in the battle of Sunda Strait was the heaviest sacrifice made by the Royal Australian Navy during the tragic months of 1941-42 as Japanese forces advanced into south- east Asia.
destroyers Witte de With and Kortenaer (RNN), J.D. Edwards, Alden, John Ford and Paul Jones (USN), and Jupiter, Electra and Encounter (RN).
Above, HMAS Perth wearing her distinctive disruptive camouflage paint scheme Below right, Admiral Doorman’s flagship De Ruyter at anchor shortly before the battle of the Java Sea.
Just the day before, on 27 February, another major sea battle, the Battle of the Java Sea saw Allied navies suffer a disastrous defeat at the hands of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
In February 1942, the Allies established a
na v a l
“Combined S tr ik ing Force” for the protec- tion of Java.
Above, HMAS Perth honors board. Below, HMAS
Perth commemorated at the city of Perth Town Hall, W.A
The “Eastern Striking Force”, comprising the Dutch cruisers Java and De Ruyter, the US heavy cruiser Hous- ton, the British cruiser Exeter, and the Aus- tralian cruiser Perth , was placed under the command of Dutch Rear Admiral Karel D oor man. “Eastern Strik- ing Force” also included the
On Watch March 2012 page 26
transport vessels. At about 4 pm, the two forces met in a battle which lasted much of the night. Outgunned, Doorman’s force was unable to engage the invasion fleet, which escaped to the north while the escort vessels were pressing their attack.
Allied casualties were heavy. Admiral Doorman was lost along with both of the Dutch cruisers and almost all of their crews. The Exeter was badly damaged by shell-fire, and was sunk along with its escorting destroyer Encounter two days later. Among the other destroyers engaged, Kortenaer, Jupiter and Electra were all sunk, with considerable loss of life. The Japanese invasion fleet was delayed, but not prevented from making a landing on Java on 28 February. The surviving cruisers, Houston and Perth, were sunk on the evening of the same day as they attempted to withdraw to Ceylon, having encountered the Japanese “Western Invasion Force” in the Sunda Strait.
Lest we forget.
Thanks to the Australian War Memorial and the RAN for background & pictures. Phil Olsen WA secretary
On February 27, Doorman’s force sailed from Surabaya to intercept the Japanese “Eastern Invasion Force”, which comprised four cruisers and 14 destro y ers , esc or ting 41
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44