Battle of the Java Sea
Java Sea, north of Java, Indonesia
What happened
An Allied squadron of Dutch, British, Australian and US ships under Dutch Rear Admiral Karel Doorman fought a Japanese naval force under Rear Admiral Takeo Takagi. In early 1942 Japan advanced on the oil-rich Dutch East Indies. Doorman's squadron sailed from Surabaya to stop a Japanese invasion convoy. In a long battle lasting into the night, Japanese torpedoes sank several Allied ships, including Doorman's flagship De Ruyter, and Doorman was lost with his ship.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It destroyed the main Allied fleet in the region. Japan went on to take Java and the Dutch East Indies, with their oil and food.
What came next
Japanese troops landed on Java the next day, and Allied forces there surrendered on 9 March 1942. The wrecks of De Ruyter and Java were found by divers in December 2002.
Did you know?
A Japanese torpedo fired from about 20 km away sank the Dutch destroyer Kortenaer, probably the longest-range torpedo hit in naval history.
Timeline
- 27 February 1942The Battle of the Java Sea.
- 28 February 1942Japanese forces invade Java.
- 9 March 1942Allied forces in Java surrender.