Battle of Makassar Strait

Battle of Makassar Strait
Part of World War II, Pacific War
USS Marblehead in February 1942, showing bomb damage received in the battle
Date 4 February 1942 Location Java Sea, Dutch East Indies Result Japanese victory
Belligerents
Netherlands  United States	Empire of Japan
Commanders and leaders
Karel Doorman	Nishizō Tsukahara
Strength
4 cruisers 7 destroyers	37–45 planes (Allied estimate) 60 land based bombers (Japanese reports)
Casualties and losses
70 sailors killed 2 cruisers damaged	4+ planes destroyed

The Battle of Makassar Strait, also known as the Action of Madura Strait, the Action North of Lombok Strait and the Battle of the Flores Sea, was a naval battle of the Pacific theater of World War II. An American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA) fleet—under Schout by-nacht (Rear Admiral) Karel Doorman—was on its way to intercept a Japanese invasion convoy reported as bound for Surabaya, (its destination was actually Makassar) when it was attacked by 36 Mitsubishi G4M1 "Betty" and 24 Mitsubishi G3M2 "Nell" medium bombers, which forced the fleet to retreat.

(The battle occurred in the Java Sea, closer to the Kangean Islands than to Makassar Strait. Also, this battle should not be confused with the Naval Battle of Balikpapan on 24 January 1942, which is also sometimes referred to as the "Battle of Makassar Strait".)

At the end of January, Japanese forces had conquered the north and west coast of Borneo and large parts of Maluku (Moluccas). On Borneo's west coast, Japanese forces occupied the oil facilities and ports of Balikpapan and Tarakan, and on Celebes the cities of Menado and Kendari had also fallen. To gain full control of Makassar Strait, the Japanese needed to capture the cities of Makassar and Banjarmasin.

On 1 February, Allied commanders received word from a reconnaissance plane: at Balikpapan, a Japanese invasion force—consisting of 20 troop transport ships, three cruisers and 10 destroyers—was preparing to sail. On 2 February, Admiral Thomas C. Hart, Vice-Admiraal (Vice Admiral) Conrad Helfrich, Rear Admiral William A. Glassford and (Commodore) John Collins, RAN met at Palembang; Helfrich's suggestion that a strike force be formed was approved. It was formed the following day under Schout by-nacht (Rear Admiral) Karel Doorman, and began taking on supplies at the Gili Islands, south of Madura.

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