Karel Doorman
| Karel Doorman | |
|---|---|
Karel Doorman in 1930
|
|
| Born |
23 April 1889 Utrecht, Netherlands |
| Died | 28 February 1942 (aged 52) Java Sea, Indonesia |
| Allegiance |
 Netherlands
|
| Service/branch |
 Royal Netherlands Navy
|
| Years of service | 1906–1942 |
| Rank |
 Schout-bij-nacht (rear admiral) |
| Commands held | Combined Striking Force of ABDAFLOAT |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
Knight 3rd Class of the Military William Order (1942) Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau War Commemorative Cross, 2nd class Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari (Poland) |
Karel Willem Frederik Marie Doorman RMWO RNL OON (23 April 1889 – 28 February 1942) was a Dutch Rear Admiral who commanded ABDACOM Naval forces, a hastily organized multinational naval force formed to defend the East Indies against an overwhelming Imperial Japanese attack. Doorman was killed and the main body of ABDACOM Naval forces destroyed during the Battle of the Java Sea. In commemoration, the Royal Netherlands Navy named four ships after him: HNLMS Karel Doorman (1946), HNLMS Karel Doorman (1948), HNLMS Karel Doorman (1991) and HNLMS Karel Doorman (2014).
Doorman, born in Utrecht and raised Catholic, came from a family of professional soldiers. In 1906, he and his brother Lou ACM Doorman were commissioned as midshipmen. In 1910 came his promotion to officer rating. In the latter year he moved on board the cruiser Tromp to the Dutch East Indies. During his first three years of duty, from January 1912 to December 1913, he was placed aboard the survey vessels HNLMS van Doorn and HNLMS Lombok, with the primary aim of mapping the coastal waters of New Guinea. Early in 1914 he returned to the Netherlands on board cruiser De Ruyter. In March 1914 he made a request to enter the Aviation Service.
...
Wikipedia