This week in the War, 23 Feb–1 March 1942: Battle of the Java Sea

This week in the war, on 27 February 1942, the Japanese navy defeated an Allied naval squadron commanded by the Dutch admiral Karel Doorman in the Battle of the Java Sea.

Rear-Admiral Doorman’s five cruisers and eleven destroyers attacked a Japanese invasion force heading for Java. In the ensuing battle, virtually all of Doorman’s ships were put out of action. Two Dutch cruisers (the Java and De Ruyter) were sunk; two British and one Dutch destroyer were sunk. One British cruiser (HMS Exeter) and one American cruiser were badly damaged. After their naval victory, the Japanese landed their troops without further opposition.

Doorman went down with his flagship (De Ruyter). HMS Exeter and the destroyer HMS Encounter survived but were sunk on 1 March 1942 in the Second Battle of the Java Sea.

HMS Exeter was a veteran of the Battle of the River Plate, 13 December 1939, in which she had played a decisive role in the defeat (and eventual scuttling) of the German pocket battleship Graf Spee.