Battle of the Java Sea

Battle of the Java Sea
Part of World War II, Pacific War
Bombs from a Japanese aircraft falling near the Dutch light cruiser Java in the Gaspar Strait east of Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, on 15 February 1942.
Date 27 February 1942 Location Java Sea Result Decisive Japanese victory
Belligerents
Netherlands  United States  United Kingdom  Australia	Empire of Japan
Commanders and leaders
Karel Doorman †	Takeo Takagi
Strength
2 heavy cruisers 3 light cruisers 9 destroyers	2 heavy cruisers 2 light cruisers 14 destroyers 10 transports
Casualties and losses
2 light cruisers sunk 3 destroyers sunk 1 heavy cruiser damaged 2,300 sailors killed	1 destroyer damaged 36 sailors killed

Coordinates: 5°0′S 111°0′E / 5.000°S 111.000°E / -5.000; 111.000

The Battle of the Java Sea was a decisivenaval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II.

Allied navies suffered a disastrous defeat at the hand of the Imperial Japanese Navy, on 27 February 1942, and in secondary actions over successive days. The American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM) Strike Force commander— Dutch Rear-Admiral Karel Doorman—was killed. The aftermath of the battle included several smaller actions around Java, including the smaller but also significant Battle of Sunda Strait. These defeats led to Japanese occupation of the entire Netherlands East Indies.

At the time, the battle was the largest surface ship engagement since the Battle of Jutland in 1916.

The Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies progressed at a rapid pace as they advanced from their Palau Islands colony and captured bases in Sarawak and the southern Philippines. They seized bases in eastern Borneo and in northern Celebes while troop convoys, screened by destroyers and cruisers with air support provided by swarms of fighters operating from captured bases, steamed southward through the Makassar Strait and into the Molucca Sea. To oppose these invading forces was a small force, consisting of Dutch, American, British & Australian warships—many of them of World War I vintage—initially under the command of Admiral Thomas C. Hart.

...
Wikipedia